The moment the alliance was established, Yu Xiaogang already felt dejected.
Although the factions had gathered because of him, none of them truly put him in their eyes.
After all—even Ning Fengzhi, who most fervently hoped that Tang San could actually become a god—deep down did not really believe it.
In the end, Yu Xiaogang was just like a chamber pot: taken out and used when needed, shoved back under the bed (still stinking) when not.
They used him as an excuse to form the alliance. When he wasn't needed, he was a nobody.
Though Yu Xiaogang had made it into Alliance, he could feel that he wasn't valued here. He couldn't even squeeze into the inner circle.
Clenching his fists, eyes red, he roared inwardly in anger:
I am the Teacher of Gods! It's me—it's me who brought you all together! And yet you ignore me. Damn you! How dare you! HOW DARE YOU!
Then came Huo Qiqiang's words, and in that instant, the forgotten Yu Xiaogang—sitting in some corner—suddenly became the focus of the entire alliance.
Everyone knew that if Tang San really could become a god, then the only one here with any connection to him was Yu Xiaogang, his teacher.
Ning Fengzhi looked at Huo Qiqiang in surprise, transmitting his voice with pressure:
"Sect Master Huo, to let Yu Xiaogang become leader of the Divine Order Alliance—you can't be serious, can you?"
"I'm not joking. Tell me, what if Tang San really does become a god?" Huo Qiqiang countered.
Ning Fengzhi: "…"
Everyone else stared at Yu Xiaogang in doubt and amazement. Yu Xiaogang, sensing all eyes on him, couldn't help raising his head high, showing off that proud little cropped haircut of his.
Huo Qiqiang pushed through the crowd, came to Yu Xiaogang's side, and pulled his frail frame to the center of the hall.
"I, Huo Qiqiang, Sect Master of the Body Sect, hereby nominate the esteemed Teacher of Gods, Yu Xiaogang, to be our Alliance Leader of the Divine Order Alliance! What say you all?"
Me? Me, the Alliance Leader? Yu Xiaogang's heart burst with wild joy.
Down below, the factions glanced at each other.
They scoffed inwardly at the idea of Tang San ever becoming a god.
But then they realized: better to have a clown sitting in the leader's chair than a true powerhouse commanding them.
So—
"Sect Master Huo, we were inconsiderate. Of course the leader's seat should belong to the noble Teacher of Gods."
"Yes! Teacher Yu, bearing the will of future-god Tang San, has united us. Naturally, the position of Alliance Leader should be his."
And soon the factions all joined in the clamor. Dai Tianfeng even had a gilded chair carried in and placed at the center.
Yu Xiaogang desperately wanted to sit in that seat. Yet, at the last moment, he tried to put on airs of humility:
"Gentlemen, I have merely cultivated and guided one chosen by the gods. Before you, my strength is pitiful. What virtue, what ability could I possibly have to sit as Alliance Leader?"
His tone betrayed no true modesty, only smug pride at having "trained a god."
"Teacher of Gods, no need to be so modest. Come!" Dai Tianfeng waved his hand. Two attendants, both Soul Sovereigns, stepped up. Yu Xiaogang, a mere level 29, had no ability to resist.
"You—you—what are you doing?! What are you doing?!" he stammered in panic.
The two attendants pinned him down and plopped him onto the gilded chair.
"Greetings, Alliance Leader!" the crowd chorused, bowing with fists clasped.
"You—you're making me suffer here!" Yu Xiaogang said.
But his small, cropped-haired face couldn't hide the smug grin tugging his lips upward.
Off to the side, Yu Yuanzhen slapped his face in exasperation, muttering to Yu Xiaomen:
"Alas… even if a monkey puts its backside on a gilded chair, it's still a monkey. Our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's face will be utterly disgraced by Yu Xiaogang. Does he truly think he's raised a god?"
And so, Yu Xiaogang officially became the Alliance Leader of the Divine Order Alliance.
He had finally completed Tang San's assignment. Yu Xiaogang breathed a sigh of relief—he'd delivered, and even over-delivered. For now, his position as the Tang family's lapdog was secure.
But Yu Xiaogang was not content.
He was no one's dog—he was Tang San's teacher, the Teacher of Gods, Yu Xiaogang! Tang San should honor him as a father for life.
Determined to win his disciple's heart completely, Yu Xiaogang decided to prepare a surprise for Tang San before his return.
Thus, his first order as Alliance Leader was to summon tailors to design an Alliance Flag for the Divine Order Alliance.
When that flag was raised over White Tiger Fortress, everyone stared in stunned silence, dumbfounded.
Why? Because the flag was utterly bizarre.
Across the continent, banners usually displayed martial spirits or majestic beasts: tigers, eagles, lions, dragons.
But Yu Xiaogang's flag… was something else.
On the banner was a dark-skinned, short-limbed creature, one hand clutching Blue Silver Grass, the other holding the Clear Sky Hammer. It looked suspiciously like… an ape. This ape stood on the earth.
From its head and eyes extended lines. At the ends were figures: from the brain, a tall, skinny man with a cropped head—Yu Xiaogang; from the eyes, Tang Hao.
From its hands extended lines leading to the symbols of the Body Sect, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, the Dai family crest of Xingluo, the Xue family crest of Heaven Dou, and more.
From its legs extended lines ending in crests of minor nobles and soul master clans.
From its feet extended lines to symbols of commoners: leather-armored soldiers, farmers with tools, merchants, craftsmen.
And from the earth under its feet extended another line, ending with the symbols of shackled slaves, prostitutes, ragpickers, beggars, and others.
"Honored Teacher of Gods," Dai Tianfeng asked, pointing at the strange ape on the flag, "what does this… monkey mean?"
"Lord Dai Tianfeng, show respect!" Yu Xiaogang snapped angrily. "That is no ape. That is my beloved disciple, Tang San—destined to become a god, destined to rule the Douluo Continent!"
That… thing… is Tang San?
Dai Tianfeng froze.
After all, Ning Fengzhi and the others had met Tang San before, so they weren't as shocked as Dai Tianfeng. When they saw the gorilla-like figure on the banner, they quickly realized that what Yu Xiaogang had drawn on it was actually Tang San.
Ning Fengzhi asked:
"Respected Teacher of Gods, could you explain the meaning of this banner?"
For Yu Xiaogang, this was exactly what he wanted. He'd been waiting for a chance to put on a show and promote his name.
He cleared his throat and said:
"The figure on the banner is my disciple Tang San. The Douluo Continent has its divine order. My disciple Tang San will ascend to godhood, and thus the divine order will be Tang San's order. Within this order, those who can become part of the great deity are noble, while those excluded are lowly. Even within the body of a god, from top to bottom, there are differences in nobility and baseness."
Yu Xiaogang coughed twice, then pointed to the top of the banner—two little figures extending from the gorilla's eyes—and explained:
"The eyes and brain of Tang San represent two people: myself and Tang Hao. I am Tang San's teacher. I educated him, guided him, and paved the way for his godhood. When Tang San first became my disciple, he knelt before me and said: 'A teacher for a day, a father for life.' In his eyes, I am like a father."
"Tang Hao gave Tang San life and led him to see the path forward. Thus, he is the god's eyes. I, on the other hand, gave Tang San knowledge and wisdom, and provided the crucial guidance on his path to godhood. It was through my direction that he paved this divine road. Therefore, I represent the god's brain."
Hearing this, everyone secretly felt disdain. So Yu Xiaogang actually put himself at the very highest position—as the brain—above Tang Hao?
Still, no one dwelled on that too much.
Xue Qinghe pointed at the long gorilla-like arms on the banner and asked:
"Then what do Tang San's arms represent?"
Yu Xiaogang explained:
"They are Tang San's hands, symbolizing the core powers of the Douluo Continent Alliance: the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Clear Sky Sect, the Body Sect, Heaven Dou, Star Luo—and perhaps in the future the Clear Sky Clan will join as well.
They are the backbone of the Divine Order Alliance opposing Spirit Hall and Spark Academy. They are the god's arms, representing divine strength and divine might. With his hands, the god will set things right and restore the original order of the continent."
At this, everyone nodded in understanding.
Yu Yuanzhen then pointed to the gorilla's legs:
"And what about these?"
Yu Xiaogang replied:
"They are Tang San's legs, representing the small and medium aristocratic families and soul master clans.
In the future, they will unite under our alliance to restore the continent's order. Though not as powerful as the god's arms, they support the god's battle and play an indispensable role."
Dai Tianfeng pointed at the gorilla's feet:
"And these?"
Yu Xiaogang said:
"These are the god's feet. To set the world right, armies are needed. Farmers harvest grain to feed soldiers; craftsmen forge weapons; merchants transport supplies.
Though they are born lowly, they can still make small contributions to this restorative war. Though they are nothing but a bunch of peasants, becoming the soles of a god's feet is already the greatest honor they could hope for."
"Yes, well said. For those peasants to become the soles of the god's feet is indeed their fortune earned over many lifetimes."
The nobles present all voiced their agreement.
Then Huo Qiqiang pointed at the ground beneath the gorilla's feet:
"And what about this?"
Yu Xiaogang's face twisted with disdain:
"They are slaves, scavengers, prostitutes… and, of course, those mud-legs who don't know their place—who dare to use Spirit Hall or Spark Academy's schemes to covet noble martial souls they do not deserve. And also Spirit Hall itself, and Spark Academy. They will all be trampled beneath the god's feet, turned into the dust of history. They are the lowest of the low!"
Now everything was clear: this banner represented Yu Xiaogang's blueprint for the future of the Douluo Continent.
God-King Tang San was the one who determined all order. In this system, the highest and noblest was Yu Xiaogang himself, followed by Tang San's biological father, Tang Hao.
(In Yu Xiaogang's eyes, everything Tang San achieved was due to his guidance, while Tang Hao was just the biological father. But since he couldn't deny the fact, he grudgingly gave Tang Hao the role of the god's eyes.)
Next were the Upper Three Sects and the great nobles of the two empires, then the minor sects and lords, then the peasants, soldiers, artisans who supported the system, and finally, beneath even the god's body, the untouchables.
Thus, at the first assembly of the Divine Order Alliance, this black gorilla banner fluttered high above.
Yu Xiaogang became the alliance leader. Full of ambition, he prepared to enact his grand designs. But when he began issuing orders, all factions shirked responsibility and refused to follow his command.
Over time, Yu Xiaogang realized that his position as leader was purely nominal. The factions listened to his summons but not his commands. They didn't take him, the so-called Teacher of Gods and Alliance Leader, seriously at all.
He even overheard someone saying:
"What Teacher of Gods? I say he's nothing but a charlatan. Alliance Leader Yu Xiaogang? Just a clown on a stage."
This infuriated Yu Xiaogang, but it also made him realize that many within the alliance still doubted whether Tang San would truly ascend to godhood.
In other words, until Tang San proved he could become a god, Yu Xiaogang's position as alliance leader carried no real authority.
This made Yu Xiaogang long for his beloved disciple Tang San—the same disciple who once castrated him.
Standing before a marble balustrade, gazing into the distance, Yu Xiaogang spoke with deep yearning:
"Little San, when will you return? Your teacher misses you."
He fantasized about Tang San's return, imagining him displaying divine power before the world. Once Tang San proved he would become a god, Yu Xiaogang would finally hold real power in the alliance, and his long-nursed ambitions could be carried out.
Meanwhile, our perspective shifts to Tang San, far away in the City of Slaughter.