After hearing the staff's explanation, Nan Fusheng fell into thought.
"At last, something that looks promising… but I wonder if this Violent Butcher Worm will end up being suppressed by Tang Wulin's bloodline."
"It won't~!" Qian Gu Bubei smiled, as if reading Nan Fusheng's mind. "Those two idiots may have fused into one creature, but at its core, it's still you, Nan Fusheng. During the fusion, our unique power continuously intermingles with it.
That caused the soul beast bloodlines to fundamentally transform. It's hard to explain in detail. If it were the Ghost Bear, then yes, there might still be suppression from Tang Wulin's bloodline.
But the Butcher Worm is different. In some sense, it no longer belongs to the species of the Douluo Continent at all. Its entire being has fused into a seamless whole. Unlike most chimeric soul beasts, it doesn't feel patched together. If I had to describe it… It should be called a new species."
By the end, Qian Gu Bubei had managed to confuse even himself. But Nan Fusheng had already gotten the answer he wanted, so he didn't press further.
Around them, the other staff members started chattering:
"Indeed, those two may be gone, but the legacy they left behind—the Butcher Worm—is ridiculously strong, overbearing, and powerful."
"I agree. This Butcher Worm is truly mighty… strong, strong indeed!"
"Rest in peace, brothers. Don't mind if I claim your inheritance. Slurp… excuse me while I wipe the drool."
Nan Fusheng looked at this group of split bodies with a black line across his face. Each clone had its quirks, and since this wasn't anything confidential, he let it slide.
At that moment, Qian Gu Bubei spoke up:
"Main body, today the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition is moving into the top sixteen to top eight stage. Shall we go watch?"
"Alright." Nan Fusheng nodded. He had nothing pressing to do, so it was the perfect chance to pass the time—and see how his avatars were faring against Tang Wulin and the others.
"Wait, wait, no way! No way someone would be so cruel as to leave his avatars slaving away here while he goes off to enjoy a show alone, right?"
"Yeah, that's too biased! Why does Qian Gu Bubei get to go with you? Aren't we also your clones? This is blatant discrimination and self-abuse! I'm reporting you!"
"I saw you as the pure moonlight in my heart, but you see me as a disposable fool. So this is my true body? Heh… I see now. I'm done, done with you."
A crowd of staff gave him sorrowful, bitter stares, their eyes practically burning holes in him.
Even Nan Fusheng felt the guilt gnawing at him, so he quickly dragged Qian Gu Bubei into a soul-guided car and headed straight for Tianhai Arena.
After entering the round-robin stage, the arena was far larger than it had been during the exhibition matches. Surveillance and security had also been tightened considerably.
The afternoon schedule was all youth division matches. Though they were broadcast, the seats rarely filled for these games. Perhaps only after reaching the top sixteen would the youth matches draw more attention—especially the three-on-three battles.
Private Box No. 2.
This was the exclusive box of Tianhai City's Spirit Pagoda. At every grand competition, the Pagoda would send representatives to scout for potential talent.
But this afternoon, Box No. 2 was unusually empty. After all, it was only youth division matches, and what's more, a three-on-three. Few high-ranking officials bothered to attend.
Still, the room wasn't completely deserted. Two people reclined on plush sofas, watching the match on the big screen: Nan Fusheng and Qian Gu Bubei.
"Speaking of which, how did you handle the Water Dragon team aftermath?" Nan Fusheng casually swiped across the soul screen as he chatted. "Knowing Shrek Academy's temper, they'll surely come looking for payback."
"Relax, main body. After their subsequent match, I disguised myself as an evil soul master and ambushed them. Aside from Zhang Wuji and Zhang Chulan, who are still in recovery, the rest are already dead." Qian Gu Bubei thumped his chest with confidence. "By now, the whole tournament is probably on high alert."
Nan Fusheng nearly spat blood.
"Relax, my ass! You stirred up such a huge mess that now I'll have to tread carefully with every move I make."
Still, despite his grumbling, Nan Fusheng didn't truly blame Qian Gu Bubei. He had asked him to handle the cleanup, after all.
For Nan Fusheng, the only real value in the Water Dragon team had been Zhang Wuji. The others' martial souls were merely average. They had been parasitized only because he needed seven people for the seven-in-one martial soul fusion technique.
But now, as a demi-god, using his split bodies on those sorts of people was a waste. Their backgrounds were mediocre at best. The only reason he'd left Zhang Chulan alive was to avoid suspicion—killing everyone and sparing just one looked too obvious.
Of course, thanks to Qian Gu Bubei's antics, things looked suspicious anyway. A dignified Titled Douluo-level evil soul master going after a bunch of Soul Elders? Ridiculous. Still, considering that evil soul masters were often mentally unstable, maybe it wasn't too implausible.
Nan Fusheng dropped the matter and turned his eyes back to the screen.
Box No. 2's glass wall shifted to reveal the arena's live view. On the stage, both teams had just entered.
One team was composed of three girls. The one in front had flowing light-blue hair, tall and elegant. Though not yet fifteen, she already carried herself with grace and maturity.
Behind her was a girl who looked identical, except her hair was light green instead of blue. The rarity of the color, combined with the identical features, immediately drew Nan Fusheng's attention.
The third girl had pale golden hair. Tallest of the three, she was slim and straight-backed, with piercingly bright eyes that made her presence felt instantly.
"The blonde one is Wang Dongqi. Martial Soul: Thunderflash Sword. Three rings, level thirty-two, an assault-type Battle Soul Master."
"The twins with blue and green hair are Zhou Hanyou and Zhou Tian'er. Hanyou has three rings, level thirty-one. Tian'er has two rings, level twenty-seven. Both have elemental martial souls."
Qian Gu Bubei provided a quick introduction.
"Their opponents… are Tang Wulin's team, which includes one of your avatars."
Nan Fusheng shifted his gaze to Donghai Academy's lineup. Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, Xie Xie— …Wait. Where was Nan Fusheng?
Where's my avatar? He was supposed to be there, boasting nonstop about his victories. Now that the real body had shown up, the clone was missing.
When in doubt, just ask. Nan Fusheng immediately pinged him in his mind.
"Fusheng One, Fusheng One, do you copy? Where the hell did you go?"
Fusheng One: "Message received, main body. I had no choice! Before the match, Xie Xie clung to the three of us nonstop, begging for a chance to shine. He wanted to show off in front of everyone. We couldn't fend him off, so we let him take my spot."
Nan Fusheng: "Are you sure? This isn't just you being lazy and dumping the work on him, right?" ←_←
Fusheng One: How could that be! Main body, you know me. Since the moment you created me, I've lived every day trembling in fear of failing to play my role as Nan Fusheng. How could I possibly slack off?