Speaking of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Tang San couldn't help but think of Yu Xiaogang.
This man's personality likely developed from the chasm between his expectations and reality after awakening his martial soul. He was the clan leader's son, the heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—regarded as the chosen one since childhood. He had likely been instilled with pride in the clan's legacy from a young age.
Then, when he awakened his martial soul, it mutated from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon into a detached variation—not too terrible on its own. But his innate soul power was only half a rank.
That gap between his proud upbringing and his dismal talent must have devastated him.
The mix of pride and deep inferiority formed Yu Xiaogang's current personality. It also led to his emotional issues. Speaking of that, Tang San had to admit: much of the original Douluo Continent story stemmed from Yu Xiaogang's two complicated relationships.
But Yu Xiaogang was also irresponsible.
Forget Bibi Dong's tragic relationship arc for a moment—just look at Liu Erlong. When Yu Xiaogang was told she was his cousin, he couldn't accept it and ran away. That, at least, was understandable.
After all, any ordinary person would probably break down if, on their wedding day, their uncle told them the bride was his illegitimate daughter. Anyone's mind would explode.
Choosing to run away in the moment—that was human nature. It could be forgiven.
But disappearing for years, never writing back, never checking in—that was excessive.Could it really be that he still hadn't come to terms with it? That was plain cowardice.
Tang San pulled his wandering thoughts back to the present and continued explaining to Xiao Wu.
"And the bottom four sects are: the Elephant Armor Sect, Holy Dragon Sect, Star Crown Sect, and White Tiger Sect."
"The Elephant Armor Sect uses the Diamond Mammoth martial soul—immense defense and strength.The Holy Dragon Sect has the Yalong, also called the White Armored Earth Dragon.The Star Crown Sect has the Star Crown, said to harness star energy for cultivation.And the White Tiger Sect is directly tied to the royal family of the Star Luo Empire. Its main purpose is to ensure that the White Tiger lineage doesn't die out. After all, the Star Luo royal family is involved in a lot of political messes. If something happens to them, the White Tiger bloodline would be endangered."
"The upper three sects each have Titled Douluo. The lower four? Their strongest members are only Soul Douluo."
Xiao Wu carefully memorized the names. She quietly thought to herself: Next time I fight someone, I need to ask where they're from first. If I beat up the grandson and the grandpa shows up—whether Soul Douluo or Titled Douluo—I'm finished.
By the time Tang San finished explaining, the two of them had arrived at a small restaurant in Nuoding City.
"You order—but don't waste," Tang San said.
"Don't worry. I'm famous for cherishing food at Nuoding Academy."Xiao Wu patted her flat chest with confidence, then tucked her long scorpion braid into her arms. It was so long that when she sat down, it touched the floor.
Tang San frowned."Your hair is too long. And since you don't have long-range abilities, it puts you at a disadvantage in close combat."
If it were a regulated soul master duel, it wouldn't matter—there were rules against pulling hair or attacking certain weak spots.
But out in the wild, if they encountered robbers or fallen soul masters, no one would care about martial ethics. They would use any dirty trick they could.
Tang San had read in the Spirit Hall's Continental Travel Biography that many civilian soul masters were killed not by other soul masters—but by ordinary people. Soul masters were still made of flesh and blood. If someone threw lime powder in their eyes, even a strong soul master might not react in time.
In Tang San's view, Xiao Wu's braid—if it couldn't be turned into a weapon—was just a liability. It would be better to cut it off.
"I can't cut it."Xiao Wu guarded her braid like a treasure, her eyes full of wariness."My mom used to comb my hair all the time. It's a beautiful memory."
"Alright, I'll help you find a way to turn your hair into an advantage."Tang San gave in and stopped talking about cutting it.
As for how to use it? He recalled an old cartoon from his previous life, about assassins. The female lead had a scorpion braid like Xiao Wu's—except hers had a blade tied at the end. It could function like a short sword, extremely flexible.
Wait... if you tied a short sword to the end of a braid, could it be passed off as a decorative hair accessory instead of a weapon?
It was an interesting question—and one that might depend on the interpretation of tournament judges.
By now, Xiao Wu had finished ordering. The dishes came quickly—mostly vegetarian, with a few meats like chicken and lamb.
After the meal, Xiao Wu said she wanted to return to Nuoding Academy, and asked,"Are you heading back too?"
"Yes. I need to ask Teacher Mo Hen for a long leave of absence," Tang San nodded."Also, I want to search the school library for some reference materials. You should come too—it'd be good for you."
"No way! Just looking at all those characters gives me a headache. Let alone those thick books..."Xiao Wu instantly tried to think of an excuse to escape.
"Do what you want," Tang San said calmly."You haven't even memorized all the common words yet. Just come to my place each day and train—I'll track your progress."
He wasn't going to force her to study. That was pointless. Forcing someone to read never worked.
"Oh, and don't tell Wang Sheng and the others about the tree-climbing technique."
"Why not? Afraid they'll learn it?" Xiao Wu asked, confused.
"I'm afraid someone will follow the trail and find me," Tang San replied."They don't even have rank ten soul power. They'll exhaust themselves after three or four attempts and give up. Plus, this technique is a form of self-created soul skill."
"Do you know how valuable self-created soul skills are?A powerful self-created soul skill can be worth more than a hundred-thousand-year soul bone."
"I don't want to be roped into some sect or clan just because of my techniques. Before I grow strong enough, I don't want to be anyone's pawn."
"And training in the Spirit Hall keeps things more secret."
Hearing the words "soul masters" and "Titled Douluo," Xiao Wu quickly agreed and promised not to say a word to Wang Sheng and the others.
Compared to Tang San, Xiao Wu had even fewer options.
When the two returned to Nuoding Academy, they found Yu Xiaogang still waiting at the gate. As soon as he saw them, he hurried over, full of self-confidence.
Xiao Wu frowned in disgust."Is this guy stupid? He's been standing outside all this time?"
Tang San replied calmly,"He probably guessed we'd come back to school for lunch. After all, we're work-study students—we don't have much money. He didn't want to give up on taking us as disciples. I bet he ate early and waited at the door."
At that moment, Yu Xiaogang reached them. He looked at them sincerely and said,"Xiao Wu, Tang San, are you really unwilling to take me as your teacher?"
"Unwilling," Xiao Wu said flatly, her tone filled with disdain."You can't protect us as we grow. What's the point of taking you as a teacher?"
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, suppressing the rising frustration in his heart. He forced a smile and said gently,"But I'm a theory master. I can help you choose better soul rings—and get the best possible soul skills."
(Author's aside)The bottom four sects truly only had Soul Douluo at best. In the original story, Huyan Zhen, the sect leader of the Holy Dragon Sect, only became a Titled Douluo after joining the Spirit Hall. Before the final battle, he was only level 90—and hadn't yet acquired his ninth soul ring. He was killed by a harpoon.