Yu Xiaogang reached up to scratch his flat-top haircut, desperately working the walnut-sized brain inside his skull, squeezing every last drop of limited wisdom to figure out what to do next.
Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong were dumbfounded watching this scene. Good heavens—so you came to meet us, proposed forming an alliance, and… that's it? No follow-up?
Seeing Yu Xiaogang straining his brain, Ning Fengzhi's eyes turned, and he said:
"Respected Teacher of the Gods, I suppose your purpose in coming to my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is surely to use us as a starting point—first uniting the three upper sects. With the three sects as the axis, you could then connect the two empires and form an unbreakable alliance. Am I right?"
Yu Xiaogang snapped back to himself and cried excitedly:
"Ah, yes yes yes yes! That's exactly what I meant!"
Ning Fengzhi continued:
"Then, honored Teacher of the Gods, I suppose your next intent is to use my sect as a springboard to visit the Body Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, persuading them to unite with us under your banner and that of Tang San, the future God King. Correct?"
Yu Xiaogang's face lit up with excitement:
"Yes yes yes yes, that's my plan! Only, Clea—"
He was about to remind Ning Fengzhi not to forget about the Clear Sky Sect (after all, even a mosquito is still meat), but Ning Fengzhi quickly cut him off, saying:
"In your plan, you've left the Clear Sky Sect out for now, right? With your brilliant wisdom, of course you've realized that the Clear Sky Sect's strength is but a tenth of its former self and constantly under Spirit Hall's strict surveillance. We shouldn't contact them yet. At the very end, we can bring them in, avoiding any premature alarm. I guessed right, didn't I?"
Yu Xiaogang froze a moment, then quickly caught on. With a smug look, he said:
"As expected of Ning Fengzhi—truly a clever man! You saw through the tip of the iceberg of my strategy so quickly. Yes, the Clear Sky Sect should be left out for now, to avoid alerting the enemy!"
Ning Fengzhi put on a look of deep admiration:
"Then, respected Teacher of the Gods, once we've united the three sects, your next step must be to forge an alliance with the two empires, right?"
"Yes, yes, exactly! That's it. This is the perfect strategy I worked out after long, hard thought!" Yu Xiaogang declared.
"You are truly meticulous, brilliant, a visionary strategist. I, Ning Fengzhi, am willing to follow you in building this alliance of shared breath and destiny," Ning Fengzhi said solemnly.
Yu Xiaogang floated on air, intoxicated by Ning Fengzhi's flattery.
Off to the side, Chen Xin and Gu Rong nearly burst out laughing.
Thus, after Yu Xiaogang's "meticulous planning and deployment," they reached the strategy: first unite the three upper sects into an axis, then connect with the two empires to form an alliance, with the Clear Sky Sect left out for now.
"Then, respected Teacher of the Gods, I shall take charge of contacting the Body Sect, while you take the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect," Ning Fengzhi said.
To him, the Body Sect held great importance. Before it was clear whether Tang San could truly become a god, the Body Sect's role was irreplaceable. Spirit Hall had an Ultimate Duoluo, Spark Academy had one too—if their alliance had none, how could they compete? The Body Sect could provide that top-tier combat power.
This force Ning Fengzhi had to persuade personally. He feared that if Yu Xiaogang went himself and made a fool of things, the Body Sect might refuse, which would be a massive loss.
"Ah, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect…" Yu Xiaogang's eyes flashed with complexity.
Ever since he left, decades had passed. To return now, to face those who mocked him as a child—he could hardly bear it.
Sensing his hesitation, Ning Fengzhi said:
"Your identity today is exalted—you are teacher to Tang San, the God's chosen one. Is there anyone under heaven with a nobler title? Your status is not what it once was. As they say, if one achieves wealth and glory but doesn't return home, it's like walking in brocade clothes at night. Don't you want your old sect, who once looked down on you, to see your current prestige?"
Yu Xiaogang's heart was instantly stirred. Ning Fengzhi pressed on:
"Rest assured, Teacher of the Gods. I will have my sect's strongest expert, Bone Douluo Gu Rong, accompany you to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. With him at your side, who in that sect would dare not give you face?"
Yu Xiaogang nodded.
"Ning Sect Master, you are right. Having been gone so long, I should indeed return once."
Ning Fengzhi turned and sound-transmitted to Gu Rong:
"Uncle Gu, watch this clown carefully along the way. Whatever demands he makes, humor him if possible. What matters is letting the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect see the attitude of my sect."
Gu Rong nodded.
"Of course, Sect Master. Isn't it just propping up a clown? That's child's play for me."
And so, Ning Fengzhi led Sword Douluo Chen Xin to the Body Sect, while Yu Xiaogang went with Bone Douluo Gu Rong to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.
At the Body Sect headquarters
Ning Fengzhi bowed to Sect Master Huo Qiang, explaining the matter of Yu Xiaogang in full.
Huo Qiang asked:
"Ning Sect Master, you are a clever man. Do you think it's reliable, this claim that Tang San has been chosen by the God King and will become a god?"
Ning Fengzhi replied:
"Sect Master Huo, I believe at the very least Yu Xiaogang believes it. As for whether it's true, we can only wait for Tang San and Tang Hao to prove it."
Lu Yuan said:
"Since it's uncertain, why would you, Ning Sect Master, run around for an uncertain message? Do you really take that clown Yu Xiaogang as the Teacher of the Gods?"
Unruffled, Ning Fengzhi answered:
"Honored Shining Douluo, I think this way: Whether Tang San truly becomes a god or whether the god is false, we need an alliance to preserve the purity of our class. Otherwise, when the day comes that Spark Academy's technology lets a lowborn peasant without a trace of soul power wield a top-tier Body Martial Soul—Body Sect, what will you do then? Or if Spirit Hall launches a continental war and their troops march on Body Sect—how will you defend yourselves?"
Xiao Zhi asked:
"So in your view, Sect Master Ning, even if it's false, we should treat it as true, and use it as a pretext to unite all the continent's forces?"
"After all, don't we all need this alliance?" Ning Fengzhi replied.
Huo Qiang weighed it carefully, then said:
"In that case, Sect Master Ning, I agree to your proposal."
On the road to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, Yu Xiaogang suddenly said to Gu Rong:
"Gu Rong—(at this point, the great 'Gangzi' is so inflated he doesn't even bother calling him 'Your Excellency' anymore)—when we arrive at the sect, I want you to wear a cloak, conceal your aura, and make sure no one from my sect recognizes who you are!"
Gu Rong froze. He asked:
"Respected Master of the Gods, why arrange this?"
Yu Xiaogang lifted his chin proudly:
"Gu Rong, just do as I say."
"…Fine." Gu Rong grumbled inwardly (what a busybody, this guy), but still obeyed, cloaking himself so his face and presence were hidden.
Led by Yu Xiaogang, they soon reached the mountain gate of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. Yu Xiaogang looked up at the towering peak—his birthplace lay at its summit.
Long time no see, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, Yu Xiaogang thought.
He recalled being only six years old when, after awakening his martial spirit, he was mocked and scorned endlessly. Clearly he was the sect master's legitimate son—yet everyone flocked to that illegitimate child, Yu Xiaomen. To prove himself, he trained with two hundred times the effort of others. With an innate soul power of only 0.5 ranks, he had managed to cultivate all the way to rank 29. Tell him: who else in the world with such a pitiful talent could reach the exalted rank of Grandmaster?
And yet, his father and the whole sect refused to recognize his effort.
They even stripped him of his benefits, forcing him into the lowly role of managing sect businesses like some merchant. Yu Xiaogang was born noble—how could he stoop to such disgrace? Unable to endure, he left the sect in fury and never set foot in it again—until today.
Now he had returned. Sect Master Ning was right: to be wealthy and not return home is like wearing brocade at night. Today, he would show the whole sect that Yu Xiaogang had come back—and that he was now the teacher of gods.
Just as he was about to step in, two disciples barred his way.
"Stop! Ahead lies the territory of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect." They hadn't immediately recognized him.
Yu Xiaogang declared:
"I am Yu Xiaogang, son of the sect master. Am I not allowed to return to my own sect?"
"You're Yu Xiaogang?" The two disciples blinked, then studied his trademark flat-top haircut. Suddenly realization dawned:
"You're that Yu Xiaogang—the one whose martial spirit awakened as a pig, who's been stuck at rank 29 forever? The useless waste!"
A tic-mark pulsed on Yu Xiaogang's forehead. His lungs nearly exploded with rage. But then he remembered his current status, and the corners of his lips curled into a smug smile.
Mock away, laugh away. Soon they would learn his true identity—let's see if they could still laugh then.
Feigning anger, he said coldly:
"Then may I enter?"
"No. You're a useless waste, already expelled. You're no member of the sect—you cannot enter."
"Hmph!" Yu Xiaogang snorted. He reached out to Gu Rong.
Gu Rong understood, handed him a token. Yu Xiaogang held it aloft:
"Open your dog eyes and look carefully—what is this!"
The two disciples peered closer. The token bore a carved relief of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda.
"This is the sect token of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I, Yu Xiaogang, visit as their envoy. Dare you block me?"
The disciples' eyes widened. "Ah, so you are an envoy of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect! Please, enter."
They stepped aside.
Yu Xiaogang strode in, chest puffed with pride, Gu Rong following close behind.
Word spread quickly: Yu Xiaogang had returned.
All over the sect, people came as though to watch a circus animal—the 29-rank waste had come back.
Yu Xiaoren, once Yu Xiaogang's tagalong as a child, now strutted forward. He summoned his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—eight spirit rings circling him: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black. His soul power had reached rank 81.
"Just broke through to Contra, and you actually came back to congratulate me? You're too kind," Yu Xiaoren smirked. "By the way, Gangzi, after so long outside, surely you've broken past rank 29, right?"
Yu Xiaoren's display was echoed by others. Those who had once mocked Yu Xiaogang now flaunted their own strength.
Yu Xiaozhu released his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, soul power at rank 75. "Gangzi, I'm now a noble Soul Saint. What about you? Care to share your progress?"
Yu Xiaoke too summoned his martial spirit, boasting: "Gangzi, look at my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—majestic, powerful! You're the sect master's son; surely yours must be even more imposing. Come on, show the juniors your spirit."
Around them, a crowd of young disciples Yu Xiaogang had never seen looked at him with curiosity:
"Gangzi, I heard your spirit is just a pig. Show us!"
"I heard you're still stuck at rank 29. Even I'm already rank 30—just one more ring and I'll be a noble Soul Elder."
The mocking voices from all sides filled Yu Xiaogang with fury. But this was exactly what he wanted. Seeing the moment was right, Yu Xiaogang turned to Gu Rong:
"Elder Gu Rong, forgive this shameful display. My sect shows no respect. Please—teach them a lesson. And while you're at it, reveal my true status."
At last, Gu Rong understood why Yu Xiaogang had wanted him to hide his identity: the man wanted to be mocked first, then play the "hidden dragon revealed" act.
The problem is—you really are a pig. A pig pretending to be a tiger by 'acting like a pig.'
Still, remembering Sect Master Ning's orders, Gu Rong sighed and said helplessly:
"…As you wish."