One of humanity's three Ultimate Douluo, with the Darkness Holy Dragon martial soul and the title Dragon Emperor. He is deeply connected to the Dragon God Douluo Mu En and the Death God Douluo Ye Xishui. Currently, he is likely by the side of Death God Douluo Ye Xishui, acting as a major force within the Holy Spirit Cult. No wonder he exudes such a powerful aura—I've encountered a true top-tier powerhouse of the Douluo Continent.
However, Hai Bodong wasn't overly intimidated. Although Long Xiaoyao was strong, he felt that he might just be a little bit stronger himself.
"You've heard of me?"
"And may I ask what your title is?"
Long Xiaoyao squinted his eyes. He had been absent from the continent for nearly a hundred years, and not many people knew of him anymore. Yet, the person before him not only possessed great strength but also seemed to know a lot about him. It was likely this man was of the same generation. But why did he have no memory of him?
"I am Hai Bodong!"
Hai Bodong raised his head and spoke calmly, his voice steady yet carrying a cold arrogance and a domineering air that seemed to shake the world.
"Hai Bodong?"
Long Xiaoyao was momentarily stunned. A flash of realization crossed his mind, and his expression turned to shock.
"Ice Emperor Hai Bodong?"
When the system had arranged Hai Bodong's identity, certain things had quietly integrated into the Douluo continent's reality. Just as Jing Hongchen knew about the Ice God Palace from the beginning, Long Xiaoyao knew about Hai Bodong.
"Oh? You've heard of my title?"
Hai Bodong raised an eyebrow with interest.
"The High Priest of the Ice God Palace, Ice Emperor Hai Bodong—among the true powerhouses, there are probably few who haven't heard of you."
"However, I am somewhat puzzled. Hasn't the Ice God Palace always remained hidden from the world?"
"Why would the Ice Emperor Douluo suddenly appear in Radiant City?"
Long Xiaoyao's expression revealed some confusion. In his memory, the Ice God Palace had always been aloof, avoiding involvement in the continent's conflicts. Now, the presence of Hai Bodong, the pillar of the Ice God Palace, in Radiant City was indeed surprising.
"My disciple from the Ice God Palace wanted to go out and experience the world. Young people have their ideas; we can't exactly stop them, can we?"
"But as an Ultimate Douluo, isn't it inappropriate for you to spy on a junior?"
The cold air around Hai Bodong intensified slightly, and his gaze sharpened. If Long Xiaoyao's answer were in any way unsatisfactory, it seemed he would attack without hesitation.
Long Xiaoyao's heart stirred. So, that young man was from the Ice God Palace? No wonder he possessed an Ultimate Ice martial soul. A thought flashed in his mind, and Long Xiaoyao explained, "You've misunderstood. I simply encountered that child by chance. Seeing that he was young yet highly cultivated and possessing the Ultimate Ice martial soul, I was merely curious."
"I had no ill intentions toward him."
"I have been alone all my life, with no disciples or successors."
"I was merely observing the young man to see if he was suitable to inherit my legacy. I didn't expect him to be a disciple of the Ice God Palace."
"It seems I was mistaken."
"Is that so?"
Hai Bodong stared at Long Xiaoyao for a long moment, then, confirming that he had no harmful intentions toward Su Yu, the slight killing intent in his heart faded.
"Since it was just a misunderstanding, we'll let it go. But I hope that in the future, you won't spy in secret again."
"If it leads to conflict, that wouldn't be ideal. I have no desire to cross swords with you."
"Though, I am curious to know who is stronger—your Dragon Emperor or me, the Ice Emperor."
After giving Long Xiaoyao a deep look, Hai Bodong's figure silently disappeared, merging with the space itself, vanishing without a trace.
Long Xiaoyao's expression grew even more serious. The ability to blend into space like that was proof of Hai Bodong's superiority in that regard.
"Such a powerful individual. I would likely need to join forces with her to have any hope of defeating him."
"The Ice God Palace truly is extraordinary."
"And there's always been a rumor that the Ice God Palace has more than one High Priest. I wonder if that's true."
"If it is, then the Ice God Palace is indeed quite formidable."
Long Xiaoyao muttered softly, and with a flash of dark light, he too silently merged into the darkness.
...
Meanwhile, after Su Yu and his companions had thoroughly explored Radiant City, they returned to the academy before nightfall. Once inside, the four parted ways. Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen left one after the other, while Su Yu returned to the dormitory with Wang Dong'er.
As soon as they entered, Wang Dong'er headed straight to the bathroom, closing the door tightly to enjoy a refreshing shower. Fastidious about cleanliness, she couldn't bear the day's sweat after wandering around.
Su Yu sat down in a chair, glancing at the books on soul tool fundamentals and core array designs before him. These were texts he had borrowed from the academy's confidential library—a privilege not available to ordinary students, but one of the special allowances given to Su Yu.
He picked up a book, casually flipping through it. The fifth-level core arrays were far more complex than the fourth-level ones. During his months of cultivation in the Extreme North, his soul power had grown, but his soul tool expertise had stagnated without time to practice. Now, with some free time, he intended to study these topics deeply.
As Su Yu quietly read, his keen senses picked up the sound of water splashing from the bathroom. For some reason, he felt a slight restlessness stirring within him. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the inappropriate thoughts and immediately felt clearer.
"Being too sensitive isn't always a good thing," Su Yu thought with a frown. He reached for two cloth strips to roll up and stuff into his ears, but just as he was about to do so, he suddenly stopped.
He opened the door and, with a flicker, appeared on the balcony. A figure suddenly materialized in front of him, bringing with it a biting cold—Hai Bodong.
"Young Master!"
"How did it go?"
Su Yu asked softly.
"I had a brief meeting with Long Xiaoyao and learned some things."
According to Hai Bodong, Long Xiaoyao had evaluated Su Yu to see if he was suitable to inherit his legacy. Su Yu listened attentively to everything Hai Bodong shared.
"This Long Xiaoyao has an eye for talent!"
Su Yu chuckled upon hearing that Long Xiaoyao wanted him as a disciple. Being noticed by someone as powerful as Long Xiaoyao was a testament to his growing abilities. Otherwise, Long Xiaoyao wouldn't have even considered him.
Despite everything, becoming Long Xiaoyao's disciple was out of the question. If he did, wouldn't that mean figures like Di Tian, Hai Bodong, and Gu Yuena would all have to acknowledge Long Xiaoyao as their senior? How could that be possible? Long Xiaoyao didn't have that kind of standing! If anything, he could come over and act as Su Yu's protector—that would be more fitting.
After all, he was Ultimate Douluo, and Su Yu did have some interest in him. But such things were easier said than done. Achieving that would be as difficult as climbing to the heavens!
It wasn't as if he could just kidnap Ye Xishui and say to Long Xiaoyao, "You don't want anything to happen to her, right?" Or kidnap Yan Shaozhe, reveal his identity, and say, "You don't want to be left without an heir, do you?"
Neither scenario seemed realistic. The Ice God Palace wasn't invincible yet; it wasn't in a position to offend both the Holy Spirit Cult and Shrek Academy at the same time. Even if it had the strength, it couldn't operate that way. Such tactics were too underhanded. Besides, it all felt a bit too much like a melodramatic plot.
"Elder Hai, what do you think of Long Xiaoyao's strength?"
Su Yu asked, shifting the subject. When he looked at Long Xiaoyao, it was like gazing through the fog, unclear and distant. He knew Long Xiaoyao was strong, but he also knew Di Tian was stronger. And he guessed that Hai Bodong was even stronger than Long Xiaoyao. But how much stronger? And how significant were the differences between them? Su Yu couldn't tell. In the end, he was just speculating, which wasn't necessarily accurate.
But hearing it from Hai Bodong would be different. With his cultivation level, Hai Bodong's judgment was far more reliable than Su Yu's guesses.
"His cultivation is not beneath mine, but if we were to truly fight, I am confident I could kill him."
Upon hearing this, Su Yu silently gave a thumbs-up. Now that was how a master spoke. "His cultivation is no less than mine," followed by a casual "I can kill him." Brilliant!
"Are you serious?"
Su Yu asked, putting aside his playful thoughts and speaking seriously.
"I am."
Hai Bodong responded with absolute certainty. Hearing this, Su Yu fell into deep thought. Hai Bodong was not yet at his peak; his cultivation was only at the demigod level. If Long Xiaoyao's cultivation was comparable to Hai Bodong's, it meant he too was a demigod. As for Hai Bodong's claim that he could kill Long Xiaoyao, Su Yu believed it. Hai Bodong had access to earth-level techniques and skills—what did Long Xiaoyao have to match that? Even without earth-level skills, Hai Bodong's Frozen Dragon Soar alone could dominate the soul master world. Although Hai Bodong was only a demigod, he probably wasn't much weaker than Di Tian.
As for Di Tian, Su Yu speculated that he was already a quasi-god based on what he had learned about Long Xiaoyao's strength. With the Dragon God's Claw, Di Tian could indeed rampage across the Douluo Continent, making the title "the strongest below god-level" no exaggeration.
"Interesting," Su Yu murmured, a strange smile on his face.
"What do you think of Long Xiaoyao as a person?"
Su Yu asked with a grin.
"He appears strong, but in reality, he's like a lost soul, as though he has no reason to exist," Hai Bodong replied, frowning as he recalled the feeling Long Xiaoyao gave him. There was something off about his state of mind.
"Your insight is sharp as always. Long Xiaoyao is a tragic figure, manipulated by a woman throughout his life."
"By contrast, Dragon God Douluo Mu En was much sharper. Not only did he see through that woman's schemes, but he also managed to make both Long Xiaoyao and that woman feel indebted to him."
"That kind of thinking is quite remarkable."
"Although I don't particularly like Mu En, he's much better than Long Xiaoyao."
"And regardless of Mu En's character, he has certainly done his utmost for Shrek Academy."
"On the other hand, Long Xiaoyao has always been shackled, unable to find himself."
Su Yu sighed. Among humanity's three great Ultimate Douluo, Long Xiaoyao had the deepest cultivation, yet he was also the most straightforward, indecisive, and lacking in initiative. In this regard, both Ye Xishui and Mu En surpassed him, and Mu En was even superior to Ye Xishui.
Here, "superior" didn't refer to strength but to intelligence. Although Su Yu didn't like Mu En personally, he wouldn't mind sending him to the afterlife a bit sooner if given the chance. But to be fair, Mu En was indeed much sharper than Long Xiaoyao in this regard.
Su Yu elaborated, recounting the complicated entanglements between Long Xiaoyao, Ye Xishui, and Mu En. Hai Bodong listened, clicking his tongue in amazement. The more he heard, the more he thought Long Xiaoyao seemed rather foolish. If it were him, he certainly wouldn't have been as naïve as Long Xiaoyao. Then again, Ye Xishui seemed like a particularly vile woman.
But what Hai Bodong disliked most was Mu En. This was the epitome of a hypocrite, and Hai Bodong despised hypocrites above all.
"Mu En reminds me of Yun Shan—both are equally repulsive," Hai Bodong snorted, clearly displeased with Mu En.
"They're not quite the same," Su Yu shook his head. Yun Shan and Mu En were not of the same type.
Hai Bodong pouted but didn't continue the discussion. Instead, he changed the subject: "Young Master, since Long Xiaoyao is such a fool, perhaps we can make use of him."
Regardless of Long Xiaoyao's personality and intelligence, his strength was undeniable. If they could recruit him, he would make an excellent enforcer.
"It's not the right time. As long as Ye Xishui is still around, Long Xiaoyao won't leave her."
"As for Ye Xishui, I've never intended to have any dealings with her."
"Once an Evil Soul Master, always an Evil Soul Master."
"No matter how flowery the words, they cannot wash away the essence of being Evil Soul Master."
"I can cooperate with anyone for the sake of profit; I can even feign civility with Shrek Academy. But I will never collaborate with Evil Soul Masters—this is a matter of principle."
Su Yu shook his head as he spoke. He had always held a firm belief about Evil Soul Masters: the only good Evil Soul Master was a dead one. He scoffed at the foolish idea that "Evil Soul Masters don't deserve to die." If not them, who deserved to die? Him? Having an evil martial soul didn't necessarily make one evil, but being an Evil Soul Master certainly did. Regardless of the reasons for becoming an Evil Soul Master, once they crossed that line, they were on his kill list.
Eliminating evil completely—that was his life creed. If you didn't kill a snake, you risked being bitten later.
Hai Bodong shrugged, indifferent. He didn't like Evil Soul Masters either. And Ye Xishui? He disliked her even more. As for Long Xiaoyao, a once-great powerhouse being toyed with by a woman? That was just laughable.
Yes, Hai Bodong didn't pity Long Xiaoyao; he found him ridiculous. A woman—especially one who had willingly fallen and used her body to climb up—was she worth it? What, did Long Xiaoyao sleep with her? Did Ye Xishui love him?
But did Ye Xishui care for Long Xiaoyao that much? Hai Bodong doubted it.
The wise Hai Bodong had already seen through everything.