The scene fell into an eerie silence. Very quickly, everyone turned their eyes toward the clown standing on stage, with expressions full of schadenfreude.
Yu Xiaogang finally realized what had happened. His flat-topped head flushed red, and he pointed furiously at the members of the Body Sect, stammering in rage:
"You, you all—you actually dared…"
Yu Xiaogang originally wanted to deal with the Body Sect the same way he had handled several dukes and lords earlier. But then he suddenly remembered—
The Body Sect was not like them. The sect possessed an Ultimate Duoluo and numerous Super Douluo, and Titled Douluo. They accounted for nearly half of the alliance's combat strength.
Even with Tang San behind him as "God's Teacher," the fact remained—Tang San had not become a god yet. And a not-yet-god Tang San was nothing in front of someone like Huo Qiqiang, a 99th-level Ultimate Douluo.
If he truly offended them, and the alliance lost half its strength, how could they possibly oppose Spirit Hall and the Spark faction? That was something Yu Xiaogang could not afford.
But to just let this go… Yu Xiaogang was unwilling. His heart had already been trampled brutally by the Body Sect elders just moments ago.
Face red and ears burning, Yu Xiaogang glared at Huo Qiqiang and demanded:
"Sect Master Huo, I am the Teacher of Gods, yet you allow your sect elders to treat me with such disrespect?!"
Huo Qiqiang sneered coldly:
"Alliance Leader Yu, it was you who first insulted me. The fault lies not with the Body Sect, but with you!"
"To help me with transmission training is insulting?!" Yu Xiaogang felt this was unbearable humiliation.
Huo Qiqiang's voice was sharp:
"Alliance leader, I will not accept this insult. If you insist, then so be it—my Body Sect will simply withdraw from this alliance!"
"That's right!" The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's side also stepped forward. Yu Xiaomen pointed directly at Yu Xiaogang and added:
"You, Yu Xiaogang—you abuse your position, and now you dare to demand that Sect Master Huo personally transmit energy to you for cultivation? You're humiliating him. If you continue being this kind of leader, then my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will also withdraw!"
Aside from the Body Sect and the Blue Lightning Clan, several other sect leaders watched on with glee.
They all had the need to unite against Spirit Hall and Spark, yes—but that didn't mean they would allow a 29th-level "waste" to sit on their heads and defecate.
Yu Xiaogang might have the backing of Tang San, but that only made him the "Teacher of Gods." They didn't dare confront him directly. Now that someone else had openly opposed him, they were more than happy to see him lose face.
Sweat poured down Yu Xiaogang's head. If the Body Sect withdrew, if the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan withdrew—how could he possibly complete the mission Tang San entrusted him with? And if Tang San grew angry with him, wouldn't that mean his dream of becoming the Emperor of Gods would vanish?
At this moment, the alliance fell into dead silence. Yu Xiaogang's walnut-sized brain inside his flat head could not figure out how to resolve this.
It was then that Ning Fengzhi quickly stepped out to smooth things over:
"Alliance Leader Xiaogang, Sect Master Huo, allow me to say something. The greatest enemy we face right now is Spirit Hall and the Spark faction. With such a powerful enemy at our gates, we must set aside grudges.
Alliance Leader Xiaogang, Sect Master Huo is the head of an entire sect—how could you ask him to perform transmission training for you? Let me suggest this: why don't you apologize to Sect Master Huo, and then we can put this matter to rest. What do you say?"
"You want me… ME to apologize?" Yu Xiaogang sharply growled.
Ning Fengzhi leaned closer, lowering his voice into a sharp whisper:
"Alliance Leader Xiaogang… it's not that I don't want to stand on your side. But you must also think for your disciple Tang San.
If the Body Sect turns against the alliance over this, the situation will worsen. What if Spirit Hall uses the Body Sect's intelligence, or even allies with them to obstruct Tang San's divine trial? What if it interrupts and destroy his path to godhood? That would be disastrous."
Hearing this, cold sweat poured from Yu Xiaogang's flat head. Tang San was his only hope. He could not allow Tang San's divine path to be disrupted.
Thus, swallowing his pride, Yu Xiaogang bowed slightly to Huo Qiqiang:
"Sect Master Huo, I spoke rashly earlier. That was thoughtless of me. I apologize."
Huo Qiqiang replied curtly:
"For Sect Master Ning's sake, I will let this pass."
But inside, Yu Xiaogang was seething with venom. Body Sect… you dare humiliate me, Yu Xiaogang, and trample on my dignity as Teacher of Gods before everyone? Just wait. Once Tang San becomes a god, the very first target I'll have him destroy will be you.
Ning Fengzhi then turned to Yu Xiaogang with a suggestion:
"Alliance Leader Xiaogang, since you still wish to cultivate, how about this—let our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's Bone Douluo, Gu Rong, help you with transmission training?"
Gu Rong froze on the spot, stunned. He sent a voice transmission to Ning Fengzhi, protesting:
"Sect Master, having Sect Master Huo transmit energy to this 29th-level swine is a humiliation. But to me, it would not be a humiliation as well?"
Ning Fengzhi gave him a reassuring look, silently promising: Don't worry, I'll explain later.
Though still suspicious, Gu Rong held his tongue.
Yu Xiaogang's face lit up with excitement.
"Excellent, excellent! Even if I cannot receive training from a 99th-level Limit Douluo, receiving transmission from a 95th-level Titled Douluo like Gu Rong will suffice. At last, I can finally break free from the number 29 that has tormented me half my life!"
Thus, the alliance meeting ended on this note.
Afterward, as they were leaving, Gu Rong and Chen Xin (Sword Douluo) pulled Ning Fengzhi aside. Gu Rong demanded:
"Sect Master, you have to give me an explanation. Why would you ask me to debase myself by helping that pig Yu Xiaogang with cultivation?"
Sword Douluo echoed the sentiment, though less personally offended, still unwilling to see his close friend humiliated.
Ning Fengzhi calmly explained:
"Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, let me ask you this: why does Tang San, who clearly has the potential to become a god, still worship this useless pig Yu Xiaogang as his master, even raising him to such a high position?"
Gu Rong frowned.
"That, I truly cannot understand. If I were Tang San, the moment I realized Yu Xiaogang was just a worthless lung-waste, I'd have kicked him aside long ago."
Ning Fengzhi chuckled.
"Uncle Bone, did you forget what I've told you before? Yu Xiaogang is a man without roots. And now, missing an ear, it's clear how Tang San truly treats him."
Chen Xin frowned.
"Then why does Tang San still elevate him so highly?"
"Because some people don't understand their place, nor do they know when to stop," Ning Fengzhi said coldly. "Didn't you notice the hidden detail at the alliance meeting? While Yu Xiaogang bragged about his so-called glorious history with Tang San, the look in Tang Hao's eyes could almost kill."
Gu Rong's eyes widened in realization.
"I understand now—Tang San is putting his teacher on the roasting spit!"
"Exactly," Ning Fengzhi nodded. "Tang San is deliberately placing Yu Xiaogang on that pedestal, letting him run wild.
Tang San is waiting for the right moment—once he ascends to godhood, he will expose Yu Xiaogang's past deeds, then righteously cut ties, punishing him under the banner of justice. At that time, someone will need to step forward and urge Tang San to carry out that judgment."
"You mean to say—?" Gu Rong asked in surprise.
"We can use this chance to curry favor with the future god, Tang San—by helping him eliminate that persistent leech Yu Xiaogang!" Ning Fengzhi replied.
Gu Rong and Chen Xin both nodded. "So that's how it is."
"But—" Ning Fengzhi's tone shifted. "Everyone at the Alliance Conference is no fool. When Gangzi, that swine, ran rampant back there, why did the Upper Three Sects and the Two Empires all remain silent?
The reason is simple: everyone saw through the relationship between master and disciple. Since that's the case, why not let him have his way for now, and later, offer up his head to win favor with the future god?"
"That is why," Ning Fengzhi continued, "sending you, Gu Rong, to transmit cultivation to Gangzi is actually a fine opportunity. You can use it to get close to him.
Then, when Tang San ascends to godhood and returns, you can be the one to speak out, to shatter this false pedestal, to urge the god to put aside sentimental bonds and uphold justice. If we accomplish what the god himself wishes to accomplish, he won't deny us the rewards we deserve."
"Very well, Sect Master. For the future of our sect, what does it matter if I, Gu Rong, have to transmit cultivation to that swine?" Gu Rong said.
"Old bones, it will be hard on you." Chen Xin patted his shoulder.
Body Sect
Huo Qiang sat on the sect master's throne, elders of the Body Sect lined up on both sides. After years of development, the sect now boasted dozens of Title Douluo. Standing in the center were envoys from the Alliance.
These envoys had been dispatched by Yu Xiaogang to each clan, to count cultivation resources, demand resource contributions, and gather soul master seedlings.
"So you're saying," Huo Qiang said coldly,
"that Yu Xiaogang wants our Body Sect to hand over two thousand young body-spirit soul master seedlings, to be 'personally guided' by him?"
"Yes," the envoy replied.
Another envoy added, "In addition, we need to survey the sect's resources, so as to collect the appropriate contribution."
"So, he wants our resources and our seedlings, hm." Huo Qiang gave a subtle glance at Xiao Zhi.
Xiao Zhi understood. He walked up to the envoys. Suddenly—cold light flashed. One envoy's head was sliced clean off, blood spraying as his body fell. Xiao Zhi caught the severed head in one hand.
"Ahhh!" The other envoy collapsed to his knees in terror. "D-don't kill me! Please, don't kill me!"
Xiao Zhi dangled the head before him and sneered: "Don't worry. I won't kill you."
He shoved the head into the envoy's hands.
Huo Qiang said: "This will be our tribute to the Alliance. When you go back, if Gangzi isn't satisfied and wants resources or seedlings—tell him to come to the Body Sect and ask me himself."
"Y-yes… yes, yes!" The envoy bobbed his head desperately.
"Then why aren't you gone yet? Get out!"
As if pardoned from death, the envoy clutched the head and fled.
Meanwhile, Gangzi's other envoys had successfully extorted resources from the various clans.
But as always—there was a way around every policy. Local forces underreported, concealed, and diverted assets, thus reducing their contributions. Still, the mountains of resources piled up in the Alliance's headquarters were staggering.
And the troops conscripted from feudal forces were reorganized by Yu Xiaogang's officers into a new army—directly under his command. This force was named the XiaoGang Army.
Why not the Yu Army? The reason was simple: ever since awakening his spirit at age six, Yu Xiaogang had endured humiliation from his clan. Now that he had power, he refused to let the Yu family bask in even a shred of his glory.
On the Alliance training grounds, under the scorching sun, soul master seedlings from every family were forced by Yu Xiaogang to run laps carrying stones on their backs.
Sweat drenched their bodies. Beast-spirit soul masters, with strong physiques, could endure it. But for auxiliary-types, it was deadly.
Yu Xiaogang stood comfortably in the shade, sipping chilled plum juice, while shouting:
"Faster! Hurry up! How do you expect to become strong moving so slowly?"
Suddenly, an auxiliary soul master collapsed. Rescue efforts failed—he died.
The Alliance soul masters erupted in protest.
"Alliance Leader, I protest! Why aren't we using simulated training rooms?"
"Alliance Leader, running people to death—how can this be considered training?"
Yu Xiaogang's face darkened. Within the Alliance, he would never allow his authority to be questioned—least of all in his supposed area of expertise.
"You fools know nothing! I am the famous teacher who trained a god! Don't question my methods. I am unlocking your hidden potential! As for the one who died—he was simply too weak. Guards, take these troublemakers away!"
Thus, dissent against his training methods was brutally suppressed.
After inspecting his Xiaogang Army and "personally guiding" the soul master seedlings, Yu Xiaogang went to survey the resources collected from all the clans.
Even though the clans had cheated, the warehouses were still overflowing.
Gangzi nodded in satisfaction. Then, a thought struck him:
"By the way—how about the Body Sect? They're the number one sect in the world. The greater the power, the greater the responsibility. The Body Sect must shoulder more of the burden."
A sycophantic Alliance diplomat quickly flattered him:
"Alliance Leader Xiaogang, the envoys are still on their way back. With your prestige as the Teacher of the Gods, how could the Body Sect dare disobey? I'm certain they'll return with their hands full."
"Good." Yu Xiaogang basked in the praise.
But soon, an official rushed in breathlessly:
"Report! Alliance Leader Xiaogang—the envoy sent to the Body Sect has returned!"
Yu Xiaogang hurried to the main hall. He sat in the alliance leader's gilded chair—only to find a single envoy, pale as death, carrying a brocade box.
"Why are you alone? And what are you holding?" Yu Xiaogang demanded.
"Alliance Leader… th-this is…" the envoy stammered.
"Present the box," Yu Xiaogang ordered, dread gnawing at him.
When he opened it, his worst fears were confirmed. Inside lay a severed head, eyes wide open, staring straight at him.
Gangzi's mind went blank. Then he let out a shrill scream, collapsing onto his gilded chair. Terror overwhelmed his body—he soiled himself on the spot. A foul stench of filth and urine filled the Alliance hall.