Chapter 166: The Love-Addled Mind—Even Bibi Dong's Legacy Grows
Afterward, Tang Hao again began training the Shrek Seven. Apart from Ning Rongrong and Oscar, he ramped up the intensity for Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun several times over, planning to push them to their limits—"training them to death" and desperately squeezing out their potential and cultivation.
A human body isn't a piece of furniture; even a lamp or lightbulb needs a standard voltage of 220V. Increasing that voltage within certain limits can indeed produce brighter light, but it also shortens the bulb's lifespan. Translated into human terms, overburdening someone with overly harsh training can speed up cultivation for a while, but the body can't recover in time. Hidden injuries gradually accumulate, which can severely impact both health and future potential.
The best example was Tang Zhen. Though a Title Douluo, he was wracked with illness in his old age, ultimately dying in anger. As Tang Chen's son, he should have had the talent to surpass rank 95, but because of those hidden injuries and ailments, he was stuck at 95. Worse still, each battle drained his life force.
Naturally, Tang Hao would never allow his genius son to accumulate those sorts of hidden injuries. When he learned there were no more immortal herbs, he immediately informed his elder brother, so that the Clear Sky Clan would send precious cultivation resources for medicinal baths and bodily restoration. As a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, Xiao Wu's vitality was astonishing; while Tang San might need medicinal baths for recovery, she did not.
As for Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun—Tang Hao already considered them doomed. Let them be like the lightbulb, shining more brilliantly even as they burn out, exhausting their value. At least in the upcoming Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, they could have a moment of glory before their end.
Ning Rongrong, princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and future heir, was someone Tang Hao dared not mistreat. As for Oscar, a food-type soul master with innate full soul power, his heart was completely fixated on Ning Rongrong, and he would surely join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan just like in the previous life.
Initially, Tang Hao wanted to drive Oscar just as hard as Dai Mubai and the others. But the so-called camaraderie between the Upper Three Sects was nonsense in his eyes. "They're not of our clan; their hearts are different, so they must be eliminated." Without Spirit Hall, the Clear Sky Clan would unquestionably reign as number one. The moment they destroyed Spirit Hall, the next threat would be the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, whose position needed curbing to preserve the Clear Sky Clan's supremacy.
But Oscar was a food-type soul master with innate full spirit power—he could greatly boost the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's might. Without the immortal herbs, whether Oscar and Ning Rongrong could become gods remained unclear. If they couldn't, their support would still be indispensable in resisting Spirit Hall. If Ning Rongrong did somehow obtain an immortal herb again and evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and if Oscar also became a god, then they'd be of even greater use. Super techniques like the "Resurrection Light" in the previous life would come with them. If Tang Hao carelessly destroyed Oscar's potential now, that future might be lost.
In every respect, he currently had no choice but to let Oscar thrive.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan
Ning Fengzhi had received word from Ning Rongrong and was now conferring with Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo on how best to obtain the Qiluo Tulip from Qian Xunji. Qian Xunji was a sly old fox, and this Qiluo Tulip—if it truly could evolve their spirit into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda—had to be secured at any cost.
Sword Douluo warned gravely, "Fengzhi, where did Rongrong learn that the Qiluo Tulip can evolve her spirit into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?"
Ning Fengzhi replied, "From Tang Hao and Tang San. The Clear Sky Clan has delved deeply into herbs for many years, probably more so than we of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. What's wrong, Uncle Jian?"
"I just feel Rongrong's been hiding some secrets of her own."
"Uncle Jian," said Ning Fengzhi, "Rongrong is a girl. How could any girl not have her secrets?"
Because he'd been busy training Gu Chen, Bone Douluo hadn't paid much attention to Ning Rongrong and thus hadn't picked up on anything. Sword Douluo, mindful of preventing "another Bibi Dong," had watched Ning Rongrong more closely. Yet since she hadn't voluntarily admitted her reincarnation, Ning Fengzhi could never have guessed such a fantastical thing.
"Uncle Jian, Uncle Bone—first I'll send a letter to Qian Xunji and find out more. Whatever the cost, we have to secure that Qiluo Tulip."
"And Uncle Bone, if we can manage to acquire another immortal herb for Chen'er, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan is willing to sell everything we have—even bankrupt ourselves—for it."
Bone Douluo didn't doubt him. He knew this was the kind of thing Ning Fengzhi would do.
"Oh, and old bone—did you know about that love triangle at the academy? Something about Chen'er fighting over a woman?"
"Fighting over a woman?" Bone Douluo cocked an eyebrow. "So the brat has a crush on some family's daughter now? Perhaps I can see if I can become a grandfather in my lifetime, haha!"
He hadn't heard how Gu Chen had dueled Tang San at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy over Xiao Wu. Recently, he'd taken Gu Chen to the Star Dou Forest to obtain his fifth spirit ring, then returned to the clan to handle business.
Ning Fengzhi looked slightly awkward. "He's enamored with the hundred-thousand-year transformed Soft Bone Rabbit—Xiao Wu—whom we met at Shrek Academy."
"What?!" Bone Douluo shot to his feet, face dark as the bottom of a pot. "That brat. Of all people to fancy, he chooses a transformed soul beast?"
Even with Qian Xunji setting such an example, Bone Douluo couldn't accept it. He'd already refrained from capturing Xiao Wu to preserve the 'camaraderie' among the Upper Three Sects. Regardless of how pretty she was, to a Title Douluo's eyes, she was still a rabbit. Who could truly see a rabbit as a potential partner?
"I'm going to educate that boy right now!"
With that, Bone Douluo opened up a pitch-black void in the air, heading straight to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
When Bone Douluo was gone, Sword Douluo chuckled. "Fengzhi, how's 'Xiao Guang' doing?"
"Xiao Guang" referred to Ning Fengzhi's plan after returning from Shrek Academy—to raise a top-tier holy-light-type soul beast as a "guardian beast," pampering it daily with fine delicacies. When it was newly hatched, barely the size of his palm, Ning Fengzhi often cuddled it, feeding it by hand. Now that it had grown, he kept it in the clan's soul beast forest but still checked on it regularly.
"Xiao Guang is growing quickly. It's nearing a thousand years of cultivation."
"Let's hope your plan works out."
Heaven Dou Imperial Academy
Within a private mimicry training field full of corpses, specially created for Gu Chen, he sat cross-legged, cultivating. Abruptly, a black hole appeared, and Bone Douluo's tall, skeletal figure stepped out.
Gu Chen rose. Seeing Bone Douluo's stern face, he asked, "Father, is something wrong?"
"Chen'er, it's true you've fallen for a girl named Xiao Wu?"
"That's right, Father. I've secretly vowed I'll marry no one but Xiao Wu in this life."
"Utter nonsense!" Bone Douluo scolded loudly. "Do you know who Xiao Wu really is? She's a hundred-thousand-year transformed soul beast—an animal! How can you possibly fancy a soul beast?!"
Gu Chen's pupils shrank. He'd never imagined Xiao Wu was a hundred-thousand-year transformed soul beast.
Noting Gu Chen's surprise, Bone Douluo calmed slightly. A commanding wave of his hand: "If you really want romance, any noble lady in the Heaven Dou Empire—even a princess of the Imperial Family—can be yours. With your father and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan backing you, you can choose whoever you like, or multiple women if you prefer—marry them all if you wish! Do whatever you want, as long as it doesn't interfere with cultivation. I'll allow it."
After a moment of silence, Gu Chen raised his head to look at Bone Douluo, eyes unwavering, his voice firm. "Father, I don't care! She might be a hundred-thousand-year transformed soul beast, but once she's matured, she'll be human. I only like her—I want to be with her!"
Bone Douluo's barely controlled anger burst forth. He raised his hand as if to slap his son, only to see him still obstinate, making no attempt to dodge. Bone Douluo's hand trembled in midair before he lowered it with a sigh.
"Are you aware that Tang San and Xiao Wu are already a couple? They may even have done…that."
"I know, and I don't mind it at all! Xiao Wu chose Tang San simply because she hadn't met me yet. I, too, have twin spirits and surpass Tang San in every way. I've already made a five-year agreement with him—he's not allowed to lay a finger on Xiao Wu for five years, and then I'll take her back!"
What the—!
Bone Douluo felt like swearing. His son must be crazy. A soul beast, likely even "deflowered," and only notably pretty, yet enough to enthrall him so? He couldn't fathom that Gu Chen had inherited his mother's "love-addled" gene.
Bibi Dong had once reasoned: "Yu Xiaogang is a useless Spirit Grandmaster, an embarrassment to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. His spirit is worthless and vile, and he's little more than a clown in the soul master world—but so what? I love Yu Xiaogang. Even if I must sacrifice everything, I'll be with him."
Gu Chen now: "Xiao Wu is a hundred-thousand-year soul beast—maybe not even 'pure' anymore, but so what? I love Xiao Wu. She's unrivaled in beauty, the only girl who made my heart flutter at first sight. Her looks, her sunny and innocent nature… I'm hopelessly smitten. I have to marry her!"
"You damned brat, you're going to drive me mad!" Bone Douluo roared. He seized Gu Chen by the shoulder and, opening a space rift, returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Since he wasn't good at talking things through, he'd have to consult with Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo.
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