My dear readers, this is my last week to study, I'm thinking about taking a short 4-day hiatus so I can focus on this alone. So I'll post chapters for today, tomorrow and the day after, I should be back on the 15th or 16th. I'm only taking this time because I'm not confident I'll pass.
-x-X-x-
**Chapter 122: Yu Xiaogang Gets Slapped in the Face**
After his meeting with Ning Fengzhi, Gu Ziyi continued cultivating diligently and occasionally practiced dual cultivation with his wife.
Meanwhile, Tang Hao was advancing steadily, more than halfway through his experience in the Slaughter City.
Yu Xiaogang, who had joined the Spirit Hall a few months earlier, had not been idle either.
After gaining access to the Spirit Hall Library, he eagerly started exploring its vast collection of knowledge.
Following their last conversation, Qian Xunji had largely ignored him but granted Yu Xiaogang a position as the library's administrator.
After all, Qian Xunji had recruited him mainly to undermine the prestige of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. He also promised Yu Xiaogang access to the library as part of the deal.
Thus, Yu Xiaogang began immersing himself in the wealth of knowledge housed in the Spirit Hall Library.
He vowed to absorb all the knowledge the Spirit Hall had collected. To his amazement, he realized their repository of martial soul information far exceeded anything the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan possessed.
However, he soon found that the material on the library's first floor was relatively superficial. Although it solidified and enriched his understanding of martial souls, it did not contain the deep insights he sought.
Unfortunately, Yu Xiaogang did not have permission to access the library's second floor.
To overcome this limitation, he began transcribing all the knowledge about martial souls he had acquired from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
He decided to contribute this information—along with some closely guarded secrets of the clan, hoping to gain access to the second floor.
Selling out the clan's secrets did indeed grant him the permission he desired, but Yu Xiaogang quickly realized that even the second floor lacked the profound insights he was searching for.
"Damn it!"
"That Qian Xunji is so stingy. I've already joined the Spirit Hall, yet I still need to contribute more to access deeper knowledge!"
"My very allegiance to the Spirit Hall should be a massive contribution on its own, shouldn't it?"
Frustrated by his lack of progress, Yu Xiaogang seethed with anger and dissatisfaction toward Qian Xunji.
As for his earlier declaration of loyalty to the Spirit Hall? Yu Xiaogang had long forgotten those words.
If the Spirit Hall couldn't help him achieve his goals, why should he remain loyal?
Fueled by frustration, he contemplated betraying an even greater secret of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan: their intimate connection to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul.
He knew that this was what Qian Xunji truly wanted.
"No, I can't do that."
"There are five floors in the Spirit Hall Library. Even if I were to betray the secret of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, it still wouldn't grant me full access."
Yu Xiaogang quickly dismissed the idea.
If he could truly achieve his goal, he wouldn't hesitate to betray the clan's secrets. But he was no fool, doing so wouldn't get him what he desired.
'Qian Xunji never intended to let me access the Spirit Hall's core secrets!'
His realization soured his mood further, though he couldn't blame Qian Xunji entirely.
Even if their roles were reversed, Yu Xiaogang admitted he would have acted similarly.
After all, his identity as Yu Yuanzhen's son meant Qian Xunji had every reason to be cautious.
If Qian Xunji had completely trusted him, that would have been true stupidity.
"Damn it, why didn't I think of this earlier?"
Now fully aware of the situation, Yu Xiaogang felt a surge of regret and anger.
Had he understood this earlier, he never would have joined the Spirit Hall. He had naively believed it would offer him the knowledge he sought.
This realization plunged Yu Xiaogang into deep frustration until he encountered someone who would change his path—a woman whose talent was so exceptional that it made him intensely jealous.
This woman was none other than Bibi Dong, the Spirit Hall Pope's first disciple.
After gaining a deeper understanding, he discovered that Bibi Dong frequently visited the Martial Soul Hall Library. The reason he hadn't encountered her before was that every time Bibi Dong arrived, he was busy reviewing information on the library's first floor!
Additionally, Yu Xiaogang realized that she was also a Soul Master who paid significant attention to knowledge, unlike other Soul Masters who only cared about their own cultivation.
In truth, what he didn't know was that she hadn't initially liked learning such knowledge. Gradually, she realized its importance. In the past, she only read books occasionally when Gu Ziyi was with her.
Now, Bibi Dong actively sought out and consulted books.
The more knowledge she gained, the more insignificant she felt and the greater her admiration for those with intelligence.
Of course, she admired her younger brother even more.
When Yu Xiaogang learned of her visits to the library and her respect for knowledgeable individuals, a plan took shape in his mind.
He saw this as a perfect opportunity.
If he could win Bibi Dong over, would he still have any trouble accessing the Martial Soul Hall's deepest secrets?
As long as he captured her interest, he could uncover all the secrets the Martial Soul Hall held.
Yu Xiaogang was thrilled at the thought!
However, he also understood that pursuing Bibi Dong wouldn't be an easy task.
For anyone else, comparing their talent gap with hers would fill them with shame, discouraging them from approaching Bibi Dong, let alone trying to court her.
Yu Xiaogang, however, was different. He had an unusual level of self-confidence—or perhaps he was so deeply insecure that he forced himself to believe he was superior to others.
After forming his plan, he stationed himself at the first-floor reception desk. Since anyone wishing to borrow a book had to pass by him, this ensured he wouldn't miss any opportunity to encounter Bibi Dong.
Each time he saw her, Yu Xiaogang greeted her warmly.
Gradually, he struck up longer conversations during her visits, complimenting her not only on her talent but also on her dedication to learning.
Faced with such greetings within the Martial Soul Hall, Bibi Dong naturally responded politely rather than ignoring them.
Over time, the two became more familiar.
Of course, they were merely acquaintances at best, not friends. After all, meeting regularly doesn't equate to forming a relationship.
"Your Highness, the Holy Maiden, may I ask you a question?"
When Yu Xiaogang felt they were on relatively friendly terms, he finally took the initiative.
"Of course. What's the matter?"
She was surprised that the person before her wanted to ask her something, but she nodded in agreement.
After all, he was a member of the Martial Soul Hall, so it wasn't unusual for him to seek advice from the Holy Maiden.
It was just that others weren't as bold as the man standing before her.
"Your Highness, the Holy Maiden, some time ago, I compiled information from the library and discovered something very serious!" Yu Xiaogang said quickly, pleased with her response.
"Your Highness, please take a look…"
He then produced some prepared documents from the reception desk.
"Your Highness, I calculated this based on the library's data!"
"I discovered that over time, there have been fewer and fewer Soul Beasts on the Douluo Continent!"
"Ten thousand years ago, hundred-thousand-year-old Soul Beasts were relatively common."
"But a thousand years ago, hundred-thousand-year-old Soul Beasts became extremely rare, and not only them—other high-level Soul Beasts have also been decreasing in number over time!"
"Thousands of years ago, there were soul beasts with five to six hundred thousand years of cultivation discovered!"
"However, a hundred years ago, only fifteen of these soul beasts remained!"
"There are also hundred-thousand-year-level soul beasts..."
As Yu Xiaogang spoke, he provided approximate statistics recorded in the library to prove that his discovery was true.
His claim of wanting to ask Bibi Dong a question was false. What he truly wanted was to display his knowledge in front of her.
He aimed to prove that he was intelligent, adept at discovering knowledge, and capable of deep analysis.
He wanted to use this as a way to pique her interest in him.
"Indeed, you managed to uncover this topic!"
"So, what is the question you wish to ask me?"
After Bibi Dong reviewed what Yu Xiaogang had brought, she was genuinely impressed. She hadn't expected him to analyze these records and compile statistics to make comparisons on this matter.
However, her surprise was only mild, not overwhelming.
"…"
When Yu Xiaogang noticed that her reaction wasn't as intense as he had anticipated, his expression stiffened slightly.
"Yes, Your Highness, the Holy Maiden!"
"As we can see from these data changes, the number of soul beasts in the Douluo Continent is steadily decreasing, but no one seems to care about it!"
"This cannot continue because, based on the above data, the soul beasts in the Douluo Continent will become extinct in the future, and future Soul Masters will no longer have soul rings to absorb. This is a very serious matter!"
However, Yu Xiaogang continued his monologue.
"That's not entirely true!"
Before he could proceed further, Bibi Dong interrupted him.
"Huh… Your Highness, what did I say wrong?"
Yu Xiaogang's face froze again, and he asked in confusion.
"It's not that no one has noticed this issue before, nor is it true that no one has paid attention to it!"
"Our Spirit Hall has always monitored such matters, haven't we?"
"Otherwise, why do you think our Spirit Hall confines certain soul beasts in forests and prevents other Soul Masters from slaughtering them indiscriminately?"
Bibi Dong wasn't targeting Yu Xiaogang but simply stating facts.
"…this..."
Yu Xiaogang's face stiffened, turning somewhat pale. He realized he had overlooked the measures the Spirit Hall had already implemented.
Because other sects, including the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, had never done such a thing, he had assumed that the Spirit Hall hadn't either, hadn't he?
Regardless, after hearing Bibi Dong's explanation, he felt deeply embarrassed by his oversight.
At that moment, he wished there were a crack in the ground for him to crawl into.
Originally, he had wanted to impress her, but he had ended up looking like a fool.
"Your Highness, the Holy Maiden, you are indeed correct. I… I neglected that information…"
"But even so, it wouldn't suffice for just our Spirit Hall to handle this alone. The number of these soul beasts is still decreasing year by year. In the future, Soul Masters will face a situation where there are no soul rings left to absorb; this inevitability will still come!"
Yu Xiaogang had to admit his mistake but quickly shifted to discussing his concerns for the future.
"There's no need to worry, right?"
"While it's true that the number of high-cultivation soul beasts is declining, the overall population of soul beasts has not decreased. In fact, it's greater than before!"
Yu Xiaogang thought he could steer the conversation to impress Bibi Dong again, but she maintained her composed demeanor and corrected him once more.
"How is that possible?"
"The number of Spirit Beasts is obviously decreasing more and more. Isn't that clearly recorded in the data?"
After hearing her words, he immediately referred to the data in his hands and replied, unconvinced.
He had overlooked the Martial Soul Hall's efforts to protect Spirit Beasts from being excessively hunted by other Spirit Masters, but the decline in the number of Spirit Beasts was backed by actual data.
Moreover, this data was taken directly from the Martial Soul Hall's own library.
"Then let me ask you: after a Spirit Beast is killed, what happens if its Spirit Ring is not absorbed?"
Bibi Dong merely glanced at Yu Xiaogang and posed the question.
If he didn't even know this basic issue, she had no interest in explaining it further.
Initially, she had thought that while he couldn't compare to Gu Ziyi, he might still be considered somewhat intelligent. But now, it seemed he was merely a bit clever at best!
"Your Highness, are you trying to insult me?"
"How could I not know about that? If the Spirit Ring isn't absorbed by the Spirit Master who killed the beast, the ring will naturally dissipate over time!"
Upon hearing Bibi Dong ask such a simple question, Yu Xiaogang suddenly felt humiliated.
"It seems you know that much. But what about the dissipated Spirit Power? Does it return to nature?"
"Aside from the Spirit Rings that aren't absorbed, the Spirit Power of strong Spirit Masters also returns to nature after their death."
"Naturally, more Spirit Power accumulates in the world, enriching the plants, trees, flowers, and common animals."
"Thus, it's impossible for Spirit Beasts to go extinct. The fewer powerful Spirit Beasts there are, the more low-level Spirit Beasts will be born! Those additional beasts are all of lower levels!"
"So the situation you're worried about will not happen."
"And there's no need to fear a shortage of Spirit Rings from Spirit Beasts."
After finishing her explanation, Bibi Dong looked at Yu Xiaogang with disdain. Gu Ziyi had also explained these things to her, so she understood them thoroughly.
By the end of the conversation, she realized she couldn't discuss the concept of self-condensing Spirit Rings just yet, so she refrained from elaborating further.
"Don't think that just because you understand something, it constitutes the whole truth. When you discover more information in the future, consider this issue more carefully."
After delivering a final warning to Yu Xiaogang, Bibi Dong turned and walked away, no longer interested in hearing what else he had to say.
At that moment, his face turned red.
Bang, bang, bang...
Her previous explanations had been like a series of slaps across Yu Xiaogang's face.
The same went for her final disdainful glance and parting words. Each one was harsher than the last. At that moment, he felt his face must be utterly swollen.
…
(End of Chapter)
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