As soon as the rewards for answering the latest livestream question correctly were announced, excitement filled the room. It wasn't just Yu Xiaogang who was thrilled—figures like Bibi Dong, Ning Fengzhi, Emperor Xue Ye, and Dai Tianfeng all felt a strong desire to claim the top prize.
After all, a body-refining technique could bring immense benefits.
Even among the soul beasts, the temptation was equally strong. Whether it was Di Tian leading the fierce beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest, Snow Empress overseeing the beasts of the Extreme North, or the Deep Sea Demon Whale King ruling the oceans, all were eager for the prize.
The potential was too significant: not only could the technique directly improve one's combat abilities, but it could also increase the chances of surviving the heavenly tribulations that came every 100,000 years.
As for the second and third-place rewards—randomly selected thousand-year spirit bones or cultivation boosts for 10,000-year-old soul beasts, along with Blood Essence Pills — these were highly desirable too, both for humans and soul beasts alike.
But rewards aside, the real challenge lay in the question:
Why does the Body Martial Soul receive such reverence from the Body Sect, being called the most powerful Martial Soul and a gift from the heavens?
This question had many stumped, including the 100,000-year soul beasts and fierce beasts. Deep in thought, they pondered its meaning.
The livestream had already shown just how formidable Poison Douluo, the Body Sect's leader, truly was. Though the Body Martial Soul was rare on the Douluo Continent, there were similar types of Martial Souls, such as humanoid Martial Souls.
Examples included the Angel Martial Soul and the Ghostly Martial Soul from Spirit Hall, the Fire Shadow Martial Soul from the Blazing Academy, and the Sea God Martial Soul from Sea God Island.
However, two of these, the Angel Martial Soul and Sea God Martial Soul had to be ruled out.
Though they took on humanoid forms, they did not mirror the soul master's appearance but rather represented divine beings.
Thus, the Ghostly Martial Soul from Spirit Hall and the Fire Shadow Martial Soul from Blazing Academy were closer to true humanoid Martial Souls. In both cases, the Martial Soul's appearance matched that of the soul master.
Yet, these were technically classified as beast-type Martial Souls since they allowed for Martial Soul Possession. However, one key difference stood out: unlike other beast-type Martial Souls, Ghost Douluo's Ghostly Martial Soul did not enhance his physical abilities when he activated it.
Normally, beast-type Martial Souls greatly boosted the soul master's physical strength upon possession. Depending on the specific Martial Soul, the enhancement would vary, but Ghost Douluos did nothing of the sort, which made it unique among beast-type Martial Souls.
That's not to say such humanoid Martial Souls were without advantages. For instance, while Ghost Douluo didn't gain increased physical strength, his control over his own body was significantly heightened after using Martial Soul Possession.
This ability to control his body more precisely, combined with his talent as an agility-type soul master, had earned him the title of Ghost Douluo. His seventh soul skill even allowed him to enter a ghostly state, dramatically boosting his speed and rendering him immune to all physical attacks.
Similarly, Huo Wu from the Blazing Academy had used her Body Martial Soul's enhanced control over her body, along with her talent and hard work, to master techniques that even some Title Douluo struggled with, all while still at the Soul Ancestor level.
Thus, it seemed likely that a true Body Martial Soul would offer permanent and even more powerful control over one's body, as its fusion with the body was almost complete.
Would this fusion also make body training more effective for a soul master with a Body Martial Soul?
That was what Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan from Spirit Hall was thinking. Bibi Dong and Ghost Douluo were contemplating the same thing.
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Strength Clan in Heaven Dou City, Taitan couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement after hearing about the rewards.
"This body-refining technique can allow even ordinary people to train their bodies to be as strong as powerful soul masters. If our Strength Clan can get hold of it, we will become a true Strength Clan!"
"Hmph! The rewards are tempting, no doubt, but do you know the answer to the question?"
Hearing his son Tai Nuo's excitement, Taitan crossed his muscular arms, snorting coldly.
Though Taitan was certainly tempted by the first-place reward, he couldn't help but recall how some of his old friends, like Huyan Zhen, had lost their eighth spirit ring after answering the questions incorrectly.
For a Soul Douluo, acquiring a suitable eighth spirit ring was no easy feat. High-level spirit beasts—especially those that were over 50,000 years old—were extremely dangerous.
A single mistake could cost a soul master their life.
Though they now had Tang Hao, a Title Douluo, staying with their Strength Clan, Taitan had never considered asking him for help if he lost a spirit ring due to a wrong answer.
Tang Hao was currently a fugitive, being hunted by Spirit Hall. If they revealed their location, not only would they put Tang Hao in danger, but the entire Strength Clan as well.
Still, the temptation of the first-place reward lingered in Titan's mind.
His gaze shifted toward Yu Xiaogang, who stood in the hall, looking scholarly in his academic robe and sporting a short buzzcut.
"The livestream's question asks why the Body Martial Soul is considered the most powerful and a gift from the heavens by the Body Sect. I hear you're a renowned expert in the theory of Martial Souls and soul beasts. Master Yu, do you know the answer?"
Taitan's deep voice echoed through the hall as he addressed Yu Xiaogang.
All eyes turned toward Yu Xiaogang.
Taitan didn't ask the question because he thought Yu Xiaogang had the answer. No, it was because he didn't like him. Taitan wanted to see Yu Xiaogang fail.
If Yu Xiaogang managed to answer correctly, great. But if he failed and faced punishment, Taitan would feel quite satisfied.
It wasn't that Taitan found Yu Xiaogang particularly despicable; after all, the Strength Clan valued shamelessness, and Yu Xiaogang's lack of shame didn't bother him.
No, it was because Taitan saw Tang San, a boy of extraordinary talent, as the future of the Strength Clan. With Tang San's innate full soul power and twin Martial Souls, why on earth would he choose a nobody like Yu Xiaogang as his teacher?
In Taitan's eyes, Yu Xiaogang was unworthy of teaching his young master.
This guy dared to preach his "Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls" and claim, "There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless soul masters."
And he wanted to use Taitan's young master to prove his so-called theory?
Ridiculous!
If Tang San one day became a Title Douluo, it would be due to his talent, not Yu Xiaogang's teachings!
Still, as soon as Taitan spoke, Yu Xiaogang, who already knew the answer, saw this as a perfect opportunity to show off.
Straightening his back, Yu Xiaogang clasped his hands behind him and gave a confident smile.