The next moment, Yu Xiaogang's flat-topped head flushed red as he began to feel his entire body wracked with tearing pain.
"Ughhhhhh—" Yu Xiaogang let out a cry of agony.
Yet deep down, he was incomparably excited.
Pain? Yes, pain was right. Come, my Golden Holy Dragon, my invincible Ultimate Dragon, return to my side, Yu Xiaogang!
Yu Xiaogang spread his hands, and in the next moment, it was as if he heard the majestic roar of the Golden Holy Dragon. Once again, the Golden Holy Dragon was about to come to his side.
The pain reached its peak. Suddenly, all of it vanished in an instant. Yu Xiaogang only felt his stomach swell, and his flat-topped head immediately twisted into a constipated expression.
Pfffft—
A foul-smelling fart burst out, and instantly Yu Xiaogang's face was filled with relief.
After savoring the comfort for a moment, his flat-topped head froze—
It seemed like just now, his belly had bulged, then he farted… and then what?
His face twisted unnaturally. He thought his martial soul should still be awakening, so he stayed where he was, waiting.
But he waited for a long time. Nothing happened.
"My Golden Holy Dragon, where's my Golden Holy Dragon?" Yu Xiaogang looked around helplessly, his voice trembling with accusation.
"Golden Holy Dragon, I beg you, please come out. I will treat you well."
"Even if it's not the Golden Holy Dragon, Luo Sanpao coming out would be fine too."
"Golden Holy Dragon, come out!"
"No, don't leave me, Golden Holy Dragon!"
Over the course of one night, he went from patient waiting, to growing restless, to lowly begging, then to hysteria, and finally to despair and collapse. The entire night, he could not calm down enough to sleep.
God Realm, Eternal Temple
The scene of Yu Xiaogang's painful despair was transmitted here through the divine sight lens.
"I knew it. Hao-ge, you gave Yu Xiaogang this so-called 'local specialty' with ill intent. Tell me—this martial soul factor injection of yours isn't a fake, is it?" Tianmeng asked playfully.
"I wouldn't go so far as to trick them with a counterfeit," Huo Yuhao said. "Besides, if the one Yu Xiaogang used was a fake, how could you be sure whether he would have chosen the real one or the fake one to use?"
"Then… what's going on here?" Tianmeng asked, puzzled.
Huo Yuhao explained:
"Both of those martial soul factor injections were real. They were indeed the local specialties my Spark Academy left behind. If used on a normal soul master, they could truly create two soul masters with Golden Holy Dragon martial souls. But—"
Huo Yuhao's tone shifted:
"When I developed this injection, I left behind a coded sequence at the molecular genetic level. Because of this code, the martial soul factor on the molecular level will not combine with certain individuals to alter their martial soul factor. And Yu Xiaogang happens to be one of those individuals."
"In other words, even if Yu Xiaogang uses it, it's useless. Even if he were to obtain it in the future and mass-produce it, he still couldn't use it. In the end, it would be just like now—just another fart?" Tianmeng said.
"Exactly. If he only copies it blindly without understanding the hidden principles, no matter how much of it he produces, he can only stare at it. What's more, when certain individuals use this martial soul factor injection, it will even produce side effects~" Huo Yuhao said with amusement.
The next day, Gu Rong came to the Alliance Leader's mansion as usual to prepare to guide Yu Xiaogang in cultivation.
According to Ning Fengzhi's guess, that martial soul factor injection had most likely already been wasted by that pig Yu Xiaogang. Deep down, Gu Rong despised him, but thinking of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's plans, he could only endure.
Today, this fellow Yu Xiaogang must be puffed up with pride, Gu Rong thought to himself.
But when he entered Yu Xiaogang's training chamber, what he saw was neither the pig squandering heavenly treasures, nor frenziedly summoning the Golden Holy Dragon martial soul.
Instead, Yu Xiaogang sat lifelessly on the Alliance Leader's throne, bloodshot eyes sunk deep, with dark circles all around them.
The room was a wreck—expensive jade carvings smashed to pieces on the floor, silks torn to shreds, tables and chairs shattered. It looked exactly like the aftermath of a madman's rampage.
The culprit behind it all was Yu Xiaogang.
"Alliance Leader Xiaogang?" Gu Rong asked instinctively.
Yu Xiaogang seemed not to see him, still staring blankly ahead.
"Alliance Leader Xiaogang… huh—" Gu Rong called again, then suddenly realized something.
"Alliance Leader Xiaogang, y-your soul power?!"
Yu Xiaogang stirred slightly.
"Why… why are you only level 28 now?" Gu Rong said in shock.
"Level 28?" Yu Xiaogang turned his flat-topped head, bloodshot eyes glaring at Gu Rong. "Gu Rong, what kind of joke are you making? I, Yu Xiaogang, am a level 29 Grandmaster!"
Gu Rong probed carefully, then shook his head. "But in my perception, your soul power level is indeed 28."
"This can't be, this is impossible!" Yu Xiaogang quickly summoned servants to bring out a soul power crystal.
It was a crystal sphere used to test the soul power levels of soul masters below Soul Elder rank.
He placed his hand on it, channeling soul power. The sphere lit up.
Test result: Soul Power Level—28.
"No! Impossible! This crystal sphere must be defective. Bring me another one!" Yu Xiaogang roared, eyes bloodshot.
Another sphere was brought. He tested again. Result: Level 28.
"No, get another one!" Yu Xiaogang bellowed.
Result: Level 28.
Yu Xiaogang furiously smashed the crystal sphere on the ground, screaming hysterically: "Impossible! I'm supposed to be level 29! Bring me another one!"
Dozens of crystal spheres were smashed in a row, but Yu Xiaogang still refused to accept the truth.
"This must be a dream! Gu Rong, it must be a nightmare, right? Once I wake up, my martial soul will be the Golden Holy Dragon, and my soul power level will easily break through to 30, right?" Yu Xiaogang clutched Gu Rong's hand like a drowning man grabbing at straw.
Gu Rong said, "Alliance Leader Xiaogang, if you want to confirm whether you're dreaming, you can pinch yourself."
Yu Xiaogang pinched himself. The sharp pain told him clearly—this was no dream.
"How… how could this happen…" Yu Xiaogang whispered in despair.
Gu Rong hesitated again and again, opening his mouth, closing it, until finally he could no longer hold back:
"Alliance Leader Xiaogang, compared to this, I think there's something else you should pay attention to—"
"What?"
"You're leaking."
"Leakage?" When he heard Gu Rong's words, Yu Xiaogang was stunned for a moment, then quickly sat cross-legged and circulated his soul power to inspect his body.
After a long while, Yu Xiaogang opened his eyes. His flat-topped head showed an expression like constipation.
Yes, his soul power was slowly leaking away. The rate of loss was so slight that only a powerhouse like Gu Rong, a titled Douluo, could detect it.
Although, at the current rate of loss, Yu Xiaogang could still maintain his rank as a level-28 powerhouse for several years, a great lake that leaks water—even drop by drop—will one day run dry.
Yu Xiaogang hastily circulated his meridians, cultivating his soul power. But when he tried to cultivate, he found he couldn't rise any further, because level 28 was the realm he had only reached thanks to Luo Sanpao leading him there. As Gu Rong had said earlier, the domesticated pig martial soul was a waste martial soul. No matter how much his rank fell, Yu Xiaogang's realm was his ceiling—he could never surpass it.
With falling levels, he could only maintain his current realm and slow down the decline, but he could never return to the level-29 he had already lost.
Yu Xiaogang muttered in despair:
"My soul power, my rank, don't leave me, don't leave me."
Gu Rong suppressed a laugh and comforted him:
"Leader Xiaogang, at the rate your soul power is leaking, it'll take at least ten years before you fall to level 27. So you really don't need to worry too much about this."
In Gu Rong's view, a soul master at Yu Xiaogang's level didn't have much lifespan left anyway. Whether he died as a level-28 great soul master or a level-27 one, it wasn't much different.
"How can I not worry about this?" Yu Xiaogang retorted.
Heaven was mocking him. He had awakened a waste martial soul but refused to give up on himself, working two hundred times harder than others every day. Finally, with great effort, he reached level 29. And now, it was slipping away. His sensitive heart could hardly accept it.
Suddenly—
Yu Xiaogang felt his belly swell. His face once again twisted into a constipated look.
"What's wrong with you?" Gu Rong asked curiously.
Yu Xiaogang didn't reply. Instead, pfft—a foul-smelling fart burst out. His flat head showed an intoxicated expression.
After farting, he felt so much relief.
Gu Rong quickly pinched his nose. He had no choice; Yu Xiaogang's fart stank too much.
But when Gu Rong looked at Yu Xiaogang again, his expression changed.
"Leader Xiaogang, you—"
"What about me?" Yu Xiaogang asked, snapping back to himself.
"No, I mean—your rank?"
"My rank?" Yu Xiaogang quickly probed his body. His face immediately darkened.
Earlier, he had been at the peak of level 28, but after releasing that fart, he dropped straight to the late stage of level 28.
If previously, dropping from level 28 to 27 at his leakage rate would have taken ten years, then with this fart, it was reduced to nine.
Gangzi couldn't hold it in anymore:
"This is… no… my rank, come back, come back—!"
In his desperation, he used both his mouth and nose to inhale frantically, trying to suck back the soul power he had just expelled.
Gu Rong quickly backed away, unable to bear watching.
Then he noticed the soul tool injector Yu Xiaogang had discarded on the ground. Gu Rong walked over, picked it up, and examined it.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang nearly inhaled the air until it had no smell left, then checked his body again—nearly collapsing.
The soul power he had lost did not return because of his absurd antics. What was lost was lost.
"No… my rank…" Poor Gangzi completely broke down.
Off to the side, Gu Rong held the soul tool injector, glanced at Yu Xiaogang, and shook his head regretfully.
Only after Yu Xiaogang's fit of despair subsided did Gu Rong walk up to him and ask:
"Leader Xiaogang, did you use this yesterday?"
Yu Xiaogang's despair-filled eyes flickered. When he saw the injector in Gu Rong's hand, his emotions exploded. He howled madly:
"Yes, that's right, I used this yesterday! It must be this that caused my rank to fall. Damn Spark Academy for setting up such a vicious trap for me! Damn it! Spark Academy, I, Yu Xiaogang, will never coexist with you—"
But then, Yu Xiaogang's face suddenly changed.
"What's wrong?" Gu Rong asked, puzzled.
"It… it… it's coming again," Yu Xiaogang stammered, his flat head once again showing a constipated look.
Gu Rong realized what was happening, glanced downward, and saw Yu Xiaogang's belly swell once more. His face changed and he quickly stepped back, covering his nose with a handkerchief.
"No, no, don't—don't fart, I don't want to lose another level," Yu Xiaogang cried in despair.
But the more he held it in, the more painful it became. The gas in his stomach was determined to break free.
In the end, Yu Xiaogang couldn't hold it. With a bang, another foul stench filled the air.
Yu Xiaogang's rank: from level-28 late stage → level-28 mid stage
"No… no, my rank, don't leave me!" Yu Xiaogang screamed desperately, clawing at the air as if he could grab back the soul power fleeing from him.
When the stench finally dispersed, Yu Xiaogang collapsed to his knees in despair.
Eternal Temple
"What on earth did you put in that soul factor injector that makes him fart so much?" Tianmeng asked in confusion.
Huo Yuhao said:
"It's not like we added anything. We just opened a small crack in Yu Xiaogang's container. This is simply a side effect of the martial soul factor injector on certain people."
As he spoke, Huo Yuhao conjured a measuring cup and explained:
"A soul master's cultivation of soul power is like filling a container. The higher the rank, the larger the container. Normally, no matter how much soul power a soul master consumes, it doesn't reduce the container's size. But if you strip away a soul bone or a soul ring completely shatters, the rank drops—because the container itself is damaged."
The measuring cup in his hand grew larger or smaller, representing the states of soul masters at different levels.
Huo Yuhao continued:
"So, Yu Xiaogang's current situation is like this—"
The measuring cup cracked, and water began slowly leaking out. As more water leaked, the cup shrank smaller.
Each rank he loses is a chasm he can never cross again. The more levels he drops, the worse it becomes. When he falls below the great soul master rank, he'll lose a soul ring. When he falls below soul master, he'll no longer even be a soul master. And when he loses the last of his soul power, his martial soul will abandon him entirely—he'll be nothing but a 24-karat pure waste!