Chapter 373: The Madman Rises
Heaven Dou Empire, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
After sending off yet another noble family's envoy, Ning Fengzhi ordered the sect gates sealed, declaring that they would no longer receive visitors.
"The internal strife within the Spirit Hall has begun."
Ning Fengzhi sighed.
Behind him, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo were still trying to process the situation.
"Isn't this just Bibi Dong's own doing…?"
Chen Xin started to comment but quickly remembered that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was now under the Spirit Hall's jurisdiction. He wasn't quite sure how to phrase his thoughts.
"She's just using this as an excuse to suppress the Holy Son. But choosing Yu Xiaogang? Ha."
Ning Fengzhi couldn't hide the sarcasm in his voice. His old rival had truly lost his mind.
After aligning with Han Li and swearing loyalty, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had begun cultivating the original version of Xuantian Technique. They had also compared it to the publicly available version, hoping to understand what made it possible for ordinary people to cultivate.
But without a doubt, their attempt at modifying it had failed spectacularly. Any slight adjustment risked catastrophic consequences.
And yet, Yu Xiaogang had dared to change it?
Even more absurd Bibi Dong actually trusted him?
Twenty years ago, the events in Spirit City had left many unanswered questions. Though they hadn't obtained the full details, their spies within the Spirit Hall had sent back scattered intelligence. Now, it seemed like those rumors were probably true.
After the advancements in Martial Soul Evolution and Soul Spirits, Ning Fengzhi had fully resigned himself to his position beneath Han Li.
There was no other choice Han Li could single handedly wipe out entire sects.
He was terrified.
As for Bibi Dong?
He wasn't afraid of her at all.
"But are we really making the right decision by shutting our gates?"
Gu Rong hesitated.
"It's necessary. These nobles are willing to spend outrageous amounts of money to come knocking at our door. What does that tell you? It means the Ye Clan hasn't given them any support. They've been abandoned."
"Don't forget, Qinghe's relationship with the Holy Son. A few nobles here and there wouldn't be an issue, but if we keep this up and draw his ire, it won't end well for us."
"Besides, Han Li hasn't even responded yet. If he's staying out of it, then so will we. Doing nothing may not earn us favor, but at least we won't make mistakes. Our stance must remain firm."
Ning Fengzhi recalled the silver haired woman he had met alongside Han Li.
With just a single glance, she had made it hard for him to breathe.
His voice was resolute.
"Alright, we'll follow your lead."
Sword and Bone Douluo nodded. They rarely objected to Ning Fengzhi's decisions this was no exception.
"Heh, I wonder what that old dragon is thinking right now."
"Let's just sit back and watch the show. This has nothing to do with us."
…
Within the grand hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, bursts of schadenfreude filled laughter echoed from time to time.
Across the continent, as time passed, more and more victims stepped forward to condemn Yu Xiaogang.
Even with the Spirit Hall attempting to suppress the news, the outrage could not be contained. Most branch halls did not even have the power to suppress it.
The most notable victim?
A Contra from the Star Luo Empire.
Originally a commoner, he had climbed his way up to Soul Douluo through sheer effort, aided by his mutated martial soul. Lacking strong background support, he had been thrilled to get his hands on Yu Xiaogang's "improved" technique.
After some brief testing, he eagerly switched to it and entered seclusion to cultivate.
That seclusion nearly became his grave.
At first, everything seemed fine.
But the moment he attempted to break through, his soul power went berserk.
He had been on the verge of reaching Rank 84.
Instead, his soul power imploded, and he plummeted back to Rank 80.
If not for his soul rings stabilizing him, he suspected he might have dropped even further.
The worst part?
His meridians had been utterly destroyed.
He would never be able to advance ever again.
He was furious.
Originally, he had a chance however slim to reach Titled Douluo. Now?
That chance was gone forever.
Blinded by rage, he publicly declared his intent to slaughter Yu Xiaogang before he died.
Other victims immediately rallied behind him.
Rumors spread that they were forming an organization "The Kill Yu Xiaogang Alliance."
It included both survivors and soul masters who had lost friends and family to the flawed technique.
Though the group's current highest level members included two Soul Douluos and four Soul Saints, Yu Xiaogang wasn't even Rank 40.
At this rate, he was destined to be hunted relentlessly.
People were hypocrites no one had forced them to cultivate the method.
But Yu Xiaogang had been exalted, treated like a savior.
He had basked in his own arrogance.
Now, it was time for retribution.
Meanwhile, Yu Yuanzhen was still in seclusion.
Before leaving, he had instructed the sect to ignore any public backlash against his son, maintaining the usual hostile stance toward him.
So, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan responded immediately
"Yu Xiaogang was expelled long ago. His actions have nothing to do with us. If you want revenge, go find him yourselves."
As for the Spirit Hall?
From the very start, they had made it clear
"This was not an official release. We take no responsibility for any consequences."
Given that the Clear Sky Clan had just been wiped out, the Spirit Hall's reputation was unshaken.
No one dared lay blame on them.
And so
Yu Xiaogang was completely ruined.
People everywhere hunted for him, eager to claim his head.
Even his past scandals resurfaced
"Oh, he was Tang San's teacher? That filthy half beast? Yeah, he deserves to die even more."
Suddenly, killing him wasn't just revenge it was righteous justice.
The entire soul master world was in chaos.
Some sought vengeance.
Others saw an opportunity for fame.
A continent wide manhunt for Yu Xiaogang began to unfold.
And Yu Xiaogang?
Pale faced and trembling, he cowered in a small residence within Spirit City.
Only within the Spirit Hall did he feel even the slightest bit of safety.
Although everyone there despised him, at least no one had tried to kill him.
Yet.
"I can't just sit here and wait for death."
Yu Xiaogang clenched his fists, walking toward the door.
But when he reached out
He hesitated.
He didn't dare open it.
He had been hiding for several days now. He had no idea whether those hunting him had already reached Spirit City. He feared that the moment he stepped outside, he would run into someone and die a meaningless death.
He told himself he needed to find a way out, but in reality, the only solution he could think of was to seek out Bibi Dong.
Every morning when he woke up, he would find a fresh set of intelligence reports about the situation, quietly placed inside his room. Clearly, only Bibi Dong could have arranged such a thing within Spirit City.
As he hesitated, the door suddenly swung open, and Bibi Dong, whom he hadn't seen in days, walked in.
"You are to stay here for now. You cannot go anywhere."
The moment she entered, she spoke with authority.
Yu Xiaogang froze.
He had been expecting a permanent solution, not to keep hiding indefinitely. Based on the reports he had been receiving, who knew how long he would have to stay locked up?
Over the past few days, he had tested his modified cultivation technique intermittently, but nothing unusual had happened. However, due to his bone replacement procedure, he didn't dare to fully commit to practicing it.
Besides, Bibi Dong had tested it herself in front of him before, and she had also experienced no issues.
This made him doubt whether the problem was actually his fault.
He refused to believe that his own brilliant mind had produced a technique that would cause such disastrous consequences.
Xuantian Technique had been released by Han Li, and Han Li was only a teenager. What could he possibly know? Could his knowledge be greater than Yu Xiaogang's own expertise?
All he had done was make minor modifications and his version was even more efficient at cultivation.
So why was everyone blaming him?
Wasn't it possible that Xuantian Technique itself was the problem?
Wasn't he just unlucky enough to be caught in the fallout when its flaws were exposed?
Yes, that must be it.
This was the conclusion he had convinced himself of during his days of fear and paranoia.
It didn't matter whether anyone else believed it.
As long as he did.
"You're keeping me under house arrest?"
Yu Xiaogang snapped his head up, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Bibi Dong.
He couldn't take it anymore. The overwhelming stress had pushed him to his limit, and he lashed out at the only person in front of him.
"No, I'm protecting you. You have no idea "
Bibi Dong's carefully maintained facade cracked. She anxiously tried to explain.
"Protect me? You won't even let me leave this room. This is what you call 'protection'?"
"If you really wanted to protect me, you'd speak out in my defense. You'd tell everyone that my version of the cultivation technique has no problems! I've been testing it these past few days, and nothing bad has happened!"
"How do we know it wasn't you and the Spirit Hall that tampered with things? Or maybe the original technique was flawed from the beginning, and you're just using me as a scapegoat!"
Yu Xiaogang's voice grew increasingly hysterical, his words twisting into accusations.
"Yes! That's it! Just like twenty years ago! When I published The Ten Core Theories of Martial Souls, your Spirit Hall immediately accused me of plagiarism, destroying my reputation and forcing me into exile!"
"Now you're using the same tricks again! I should have never trusted you! It was all fake!"
"And Liu Erlong that was definitely you too!"
His voice rose to a frenzied pitch, and he stepped closer, shoving his face directly in front of Bibi Dong's.
As his rant spiraled deeper into the past, Bibi Dong's body began trembling uncontrollably.
Her soul power fluctuated wildly, her aura turning chaotic.
But in Yu Xiaogang's delusional mind, he took this as proof she was guilty.
"You and Qian Xunji you two are the same "
He stepped right into a minefield.
"Shut your mouth!"
A shrill, murderous voice cut through the air.
Bibi Dong froze for a moment.
Then, from behind her, a torrent of pitch black energy surged forth.
Her trembling stopped, and her head snapped up.
A phantom spider flickered across her face, its ghostly purple glow casting her features in an eerie, demonic light.
Like a specter risen from the depths of hell, her twisted expression contorted into a nightmare visage.
Her hand lunged forward, clamping around Yu Xiaogang's throat, lifting him off the ground with one hand.
"What do you even know?!"
"This is something anyone can say except you!"
"You of all people have no right to say these words!"
Her grip tightened, fingers pressing deep into his flesh.
A suffocating dread settled over Yu Xiaogang as pure terror jolted him back to reality.
He scratched frantically at Bibi Dong's arm, trying to pry her fingers away.
But it was useless.
His eyes widened in horror, staring into Bibi Dong's face a face that seemed like it belonged to a completely different person.
"Xiao…Xiao Gang…"
Something flickered in Bibi Dong's eyes.
For a brief moment, she seemed to regain clarity.
She released her grip, letting him collapse to the ground.
Yu Xiaogang scrambled backward, his hands pressing against the floor as he crawled away in fear.
Bibi Dong reached out a hand as if to help him up
But she froze mid motion.
Her expression warped, shifting between rage, regret, and sorrow, as if different masks were being swapped in rapid succession.
It was horrifying to witness.
Yu Xiaogang shrank back, his body convulsing with fear, until he backed into a corner, his teeth chattering uncontrollably in the heavy silence.
Then, in his horror stricken eyes, Bibi Dong's expression finally settled.
She was… smiling.
A gentle, loving smile.
Only
The black mist behind her grew even darker, swirling like a storm.
"Xiao Gang."
"Trust me, I won't let anyone hurt you."
"Just wait a little longer. A little longer, okay?"
"I've already memorized every single person who slandered you. When the time comes, I'll kill them all. Does that sound good?"
"No one will ever harm you again."
"After that we can be together forever."
"No one will be able to stop us… ever again."
She spoke in a gentle, dreamy tone, her vision of a perfect future unfolding before her.
Yu Xiaogang, still trapped in the corner, could do nothing but watch in horror.
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