My dear readers, the previous chapter has undergone a change. I made that the last chapter of the volume, so I added a mini story. I'm kind of out of ideas, so I wrote something simpler, I hope you like it.
-x-X-x-
**Chapter 113: Bibi Dong Ruined**
"Bang!"
"Ridiculous!"
"That girl is playing games. If she really didn't want to, she could have opposed my decision more strongly, and I would've understood. But to actually imitate her cousin and run away from home over this?!"
When Bai He saw the letter his daughter left behind saying she had run away from home, he was both furious and deeply worried about her.
Of course, his anger quickly turned into concern and anxiety.
"Hurry! Go and find the eldest young lady!"
Once Bai He calmed down, the first thing he did was send people to search for Bai Lu and bring her back home.
After arranging this, he headed to see Tang Wei, the leader of the Clear Sky Sect, to discuss the matter.
"Brother-in-law, let's put aside the engagement between Lulu and Xiao'er for now."
"I didn't expect Lulu to be so stubborn about this. She's run away from home. I'll definitely give her a stern lesson when she returns!"
Bai He explained to Tang Wei.
The implication was clear: the marriage between the two families could not proceed.
Bai He wanted the union with the Tang family to continue, but since his daughter resisted so strongly—enough to run away from home—he could not continue to push her.
Otherwise, even if he managed to bring her back, there was no guarantee she wouldn't flee again in the future.
Moreover, there was no certainty that she would be safely found this time. This was his greatest concern now!
After speaking with Tang Wei, he prepared to personally set out to search for his daughter.
"In that case, we'll let it go."
"This is something we elders arranged without properly considering the feelings of those involved."
Tang Wei hadn't expected things to turn out this way, but he had no choice but to accept his brother-in-law's decision.
Although the situation frustrated him, he didn't want to force Bai He into compelling his daughter to marry his eldest son, Tang Xiao.
"Thank you for understanding, brother-in-law," Bai He said, grateful for Tang Wei's flexibility.
He then bid him farewell and hurried off, preparing to personally track down his daughter.
"Ugh…"
"What a mess. I didn't think it would end like this!"
Watching Bai He leave, Tang Wei sighed deeply, his mood heavy with frustration.
"Ahem…"
Tang Wei coughed, his face pale. The old wounds from his youth seemed to be worsening over time.
"I must be more cautious with Yue'er."
"She's already run away from home once. If it happens again, she could end up in serious trouble…"
The incident with Bai Lu made him even more cautious about arranging a match for his youngest daughter, Tang Yuehua. His heart was heavy with doubt.
Initially, he simply wanted to find a suitable candidate for Tang Yuehua's marriage. Whether or not she agreed, he thought she would eventually come around to ensure her Noble Ring Martial Soul would continue as part of the Clear Sky Sect's legacy.
However, after what happened with Bai Lu, he realized things wouldn't be so straightforward.
Moreover, he knew his daughter already had someone in her heart. She had run away from home once before when she wasn't in love with anyone. If she were forced into an engagement now, she might flee again.
After all, Tang Yuehua had already proven she was capable of running away.
"I don't know where my father is taking Hao'er, but as long as he's with him, I have nothing to worry about."
Tang Wei's thoughts shifted to his second son, Tang Hao, who had been taken away by his father, Tang Chen.
After learning Tang Hao had returned, Tang Chen had summoned his grandson. Not long after, he decided to take him away.
Tang Chen hadn't provided many details, only mentioning that he was taking Tang Hao to a certain place for training.
...
"Grandfather, is the Slaughter City you mentioned really located in this town?"
After following Tang Chen all the way north to the border where the Tiandou Empire meets the Extreme North, Tang Hao spotted what seemed like an ordinary city. Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked his grandfather if this was their destination.
"Indeed, just follow me!" Tang Chen replied calmly.
He led Tang Hao into a tavern.
"Give the boy a drink of Yellow Spring Dew (Huang Quanlu)!" Tang Chen ordered directly, requesting a cup of the ominous drink for his grandson.
Tang Hao, without much thought, quickly took the drink handed to him by the bartender.
"This is..."
As Tang Hao observed the Yellow Spring Dew in his cup, his eyes narrowed slightly. After taking a careful sniff, he felt a sudden wave of unease. The overwhelming scent of blood made him nauseous.
"Drink it!" Tang Chen commanded sternly.
"Yes, Grandfather!" Tang Hao dared not question him, reluctantly bringing the cup to his lips.
Gulp~
"Ugh~" Tang Hao nearly spat out the foul beverage. It was excruciatingly difficult to swallow.
"Hahahahaha…"
"Where did this kid come from?"
"You can't even stomach the Yellow Spring Dew. What are you doing here?"
The laughter of those in the tavern filled the air.
Those who dared enter this establishment were seeking access to the City of Slaughter. They were all hardened individuals, their hands stained with countless lives. To enter the City of Slaughter, they had to pass an evaluation.
Tang Hao, who couldn't even endure the scent of blood, seemed like a dead man walking.
"Hao'er, kill them all!" Tang Chen's cold voice rang out.
"What?" Tang Hao turned to his grandfather, shocked, wondering if he had heard him correctly.
"You heard me. Anyone who comes here is prepared to kill or be killed. There's nothing to feel conflicted about. If you don't have the courage to do this, then there's no need to enter the City of Slaughter," Tang Chen stated indifferently.
"Grandfather, don't worry. I'll kill them right now!"
Tang Hao's expression changed once again. Without hesitation, he stopped questioning his grandfather. Summoning the Clear Sky Hammer, he attacked those who had laughed at him moments earlier.
He had to enter the City of Slaughter.
Tang Chen had told him that if he won 100 consecutive battles in the City of Slaughter and survived the Hell Road's final trial, he would be rewarded with a Domain.
Beyond the potential growth this experience promised, the very prospect of obtaining a Domain compelled him to train there.
He hadn't forgotten the reason for his loss to Gu Ziyi in the individual match of the Soul Master Competition—Gu Ziyi had a Domain, which Tang Hao had lacked at the time.
If he also had a Domain, he wouldn't have lost to Gu Ziyi.
Thus, Tang Hao was determined to enter the City of Slaughter and claim a Domain for himself.
"Die!"
In no time, Tang Hao eliminated everyone in the tavern who had mocked him. He then broke the floor and leaped into the depths below, entering the City of Slaughter under the watchful eyes of his grandfather.
"Hao'er, Grandfather hopes to see you again!"
"If you can make it out alive, I'll teach you the art of Soul Ring Explosion."
Tang Chen murmured as he gazed at the shattered floor.
Elsewhere, Gu Ziyi remained unaware of these events. Had he known, he surely would have commented on how Tang Hao's recklessness in leading his son, Tang San, to the City of Slaughter in the canon stemmed from the teachings of his grandfather, Tang Chen!
...
Following the conclusion of the Soul Master Competition, a brief period of excitement and chaos swept across the Douluo Continent. However, the land soon returned to a state of calm.
Amid this tranquility, one event caused ripples: Qian Xunji, the Pope of the Martial Soul Hall, married Xing Dailu, who became the Pope's wife.
Meanwhile, Gu Ziyi continued his rigorous training.
After the Soul Master Competition, it took him only two years to advance from Rank 40 to Rank 53, achieving a remarkable 13-level increase in that time.
This is because Gu Ziyi once again used his saturation cultivation method from before. Since he is not currently improving the quality of his Spirit Ring, all the energy he absorbs is used to enhance his Spirit Power level.
Gu Ziyi dared to use the saturation training method again because, through his Purification Curse Talisman, his second spirit skill, some of the hidden injuries caused by his constant improvement during childhood were finally repaired.
When it comes to repairing hidden injuries, he can now train without major concerns.
With the Purification Curse Talisman, he no longer fears that saturation training will damage his foundation again.
As a result, Gu Ziyi's cultivation progress began to accelerate significantly.
When he advanced to Spirit King, his fifth Spirit Ring naturally condensed on its own, just like his previous four Spirit Rings.
This time, perhaps because Gu Ziyi's level improved too quickly, his cultivation was somewhat unstable and more erratic.
Therefore, for his fifth Spirit Ring, he condensed only a six-thousand-year-quality millennium ring.
However, this is not a bad thing, as an ordinary Spirit King can only absorb a ten-thousand-year Spirit Ring.
For his fifth spirit skill, Gu Ziyi chose the Red Lotus Fire Talisman among all the skills he could select.
In other words, the skill he hesitated to choose last time was the one he selected this time.
As for other spells, talismans, and techniques more powerful than this, he still cannot choose them as his spirit skill for now.
After selecting the Red Lotus Fire Talisman, Gu Ziyi experimented and discovered that his fire-based spirit skill was indeed much stronger than those of other Spirit Masters with fire attributes.
Especially after he infused Supreme Fire Spirit Power into the talisman, the fire's strength became even more terrifying.
Only then could Gu Ziyi truly harness the power of the Ice and Fire Immortal Herb he had absorbed earlier.
Qian Xunji was greatly impressed by his new skill, remarking that after adding Supreme Fire Spirit Power to his fifth spirit skill, it was powerful enough to pose a considerable threat to a Spirit Saint.
And this was in a direct confrontation, not a sneak attack.
In two years, Gu Ziyi advanced from level 40 to level 53.
Naturally, Bibi Dong was unwilling to be left behind. Although her progress was not as rapid as his, she still reached level 59 and was on the verge of surpassing level 60 to become a Spirit Emperor.
However, Bibi Dong was still dissatisfied with her cultivation.
Since Gu Ziyi advanced to Spirit King, despite being several levels above him, she was no match for him in combat.
Every time they sparred, she would be defeated by her younger brother.
Gu Ziyi's Red Lotus Fire Talisman, even without Supreme Fire Spirit Power, had enhanced effectiveness against evil attributes, greatly restraining her Martial Spirit.
Despite this, Bibi Dong was not disappointed in herself.
On the contrary, she was delighted that her younger brother could become more powerful than her. She even hoped Gu Ziyi would soon surpass her in Spirit Power level too!
Though she admired her younger brother's wisdom the most, she also wished for him to surpass her in cultivation.
"Annoying little brother, how long do you think it will take for you to surpass me?"
After another exhausting sparring session, Bibi Dong lay on top of Gu Ziyi, leaned forward, and stared at him directly, asking her question.
Two years had passed, and she had naturally matured.
However, since Bibi Dong was not yet 18, Gu Ziyi did not lay a hand on her.
That was the only step they hadn't taken yet, but everything else had already been done.
He had also taught Bibi Dong many things.
For example, how to articulate words and separate them. (N/E: You know, with her mouth.)
"It'll take a few more years. If you, dear older sister, continue being lazy and slow down your cultivation progress, I'll surpass you even faster."
Gu Ziyi looked at Bibi Dong's beautiful face and replied with a smile.
As he spoke, he noticed some white residue at the corner of her mouth and wiped it away with his thumb.
"Alright, then I'll be very lazy!"
When Bibi Dong heard her younger brother's words, her eyes suddenly sparkled, as if she truly intended to do so.
In any case, she was quite satisfied with her cultivation speed, so it wouldn't matter if she slowed down and waited for Gu Ziyi.
"No, I was just joking!"
Gu Ziyi was speechless at her response. She might be willing, but he wouldn't dare.
Deliberately being lazy and slowing down cultivation was not a good thing.
When it comes to cultivation, the faster, the better.
As far as Gu Ziyi knew, if a Spirit Master on the Douluo Continent could reach the Title Douluo level before the age of 40, they would likely be approached by gods from the Divine Realm for an inheritance trial.
As long as they completed the trial, they could successfully inherit a divine throne.
Moreover, trials approached by gods on their own initiative seemed relatively simple.
In the original work, Ning Rongrong and Oscar, after breaking through to the Titled Douluo level, had their spiritual consciousness summoned by the Nine-Colored Goddess and the Culinary God, who selected them as successors.
The reason they were chosen is that they reached the Titled Douluo rank before the age of 40.
However, this seems to be the condition for auxiliary-type Soul Masters. It is unclear whether the same applies to offensive-type Soul Masters.
"Hehe, of course, I know that; I'm just teasing you, little brother!"
Bibi Dong laughed, lowered her head, and took Gu Ziyi's thumb into her mouth without hesitation.
"That's good. You can't be lazy or negligent when it comes to cultivation!"
"With my current cultivation speed, it's only a matter of time before I surpass elder sister. So you don't need to worry about it."
Gu Ziyi patted Bibi Dong's head like she was a pet and praised her with a smile.
Faced with Gu Ziyi's affectionate head pat, she squinted her eyes and smiled contentedly.
"Well, I know my little brother can definitely do it!"
Bibi Dong said with confidence.
She had no doubt about it.
Her confidence came from witnessing the cultivation speed Gu Ziyi had demonstrated over the past two years.
"But little brother, don't push yourself too hard!"
Bibi Dong then added with a tinge of concern.
She was fully aware of how hard Gu Ziyi had been practicing over the last two years.
"It's not too hard. Isn't it because my elder sister always helps me relax?"
Gu Ziyi said with a playful smile.
"As long as I can help my little brother, I, as the elder sister, will always be here to support you, just like now!"
Bibi Dong suddenly became happy at his comment, and her body leaned back slowly.
"…"
Gu Ziyi initially wanted to refuse because he had to deal with Li Chanfei that night!
However, Bibi Dong's actions were swift and skillful, leaving him no time to refuse.
Since it was too late to decline, he could only enjoy the moment.
…
N/A: When Tang Hao became the God of Slaughter, he probably didn't do so under Tang Chen's witness. In the original book, Tang Chen and Tang San mentioned that after Tang Chen became the King of Slaughter, he vaguely sensed Tang Hao's aura.
This wasn't because Tang Hao entered the Slaughter City to train but because Tang San was practicing in the Slaughter City at the time. Tang Hao had secretly followed him to protect him.
N/E: As the author said, I'm not sure if this is entirely correct, as I stopped reading at the Soul Master Competition arc and haven't resumed reading yet.
Does anyone have any ideas for the name of the volume, I'm out of creativity.
(End of chapter)
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