Tang Yi observed Qian Renxue's earnest expression and suddenly recalled a phrase he had once heard: "A true sworn brother is one who, when you need a woman, becomes your woman for you!"
Clearly, Qian Renxue—disguised as a man—perfectly fit the criteria.
What followed was a simple and straightforward brotherhood ceremony.
Having successfully sworn brotherhood with Tang Yi, Qian Renxue felt their relationship had grown significantly closer. She set aside any pretense of reserve or dignity, casually draping one arm over Tang Yi's shoulder in a familiar manner.
"Brother Tang, my name is Xue Qinghe! From now on, just call me Big Brother Xue!"
Qian Renxue said with a smile.
Not long afterward, drawing upon the eloquence she had honed in the imperial court, Qian Renxue subtly steered the conversation back toward Tang Yi's fabricated master—Li Chungang.
She was deeply interested in such a powerhouse:
"Little Brother Tang, please tell me more."
Tang Yi chuckled inwardly: "Very well. Since you, Qian Renxue, wish to hear of Li Chungang's might, allow me to give you a proper introduction!"
Without hesitation, Tang Yi launched into a grand display of exaggeration and fabrication:
"My master, the Dragon God Douluo—Li Chungang—once declared: 'Those who have not reached the Title Douluo realm are like frogs at the bottom of a well gazing upon the moon! And even upon reaching the Title Douluo realm, when they behold my master, they are nothing more than mayflies beholding the azure heavens!'"
Qian Renxue was momentarily stunned:
"What?! Even Title Douluo at rank ninety see your master as mayflies gazing upon the azure heavens?"
Tang Yi continued with animated flair, spinning his tale with complete confidence:
"Of course!"
Observing Qian Renxue's expression of eager curiosity, Tang Yi smiled inwardly.
Since you wish to hear it, I shall fabricate to your heart's content.
After all, this was the timeline of Douluo Continent Part 1.
There remained Douluo Continent Part 2: The Unrivaled Tang Sect, Part 3: Legend of the Dragon King, Part 4: Ultimate Douluo, and Part 5: Rebirth of Tang San—vast repositories of existing stories, Title Douluo, powerful soul beasts, and endless material ready to be drawn upon!
Having thoroughly read the Douluo Continent novels, Tang Yi could summon plot points, characters, and soul beasts with effortless familiarity!
Clearing his throat, Tang Yi sat upright with crossed legs, adopting an air of profound mystery:
"Big Brother Xue, do you know how soul masters are classified in this world?"
Qian Renxue pondered briefly:
"From Soul Scholar to Title Douluo—ten ranks in total."
"Wrong."
Tang Yi shook his head with an air of mild disdain:
"That is merely the classification used by ordinary people. In my master's eyes, soul masters fall into only two categories: those worthy of a second glance, and those not worth looking at at all."
Qian Renxue was taken aback:
"Then… what of Title Douluo?"
"Title Douluo?"
Tang Yi gave a soft chuckle:
"As I just said—Title Douluo, when they behold my master, are like mayflies gazing upon the azure heavens. Do you know what a mayfly is? A tiny insect that lives only from dawn to dusk, surviving not even a single day."
Qian Renxue opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.
Tang Yi pressed his advantage:
"Let me give you an example. Are you familiar with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"
Qian Renxue nodded:
"Of course—one of the renowned upper three sects. I know of them."
"More than a hundred years ago, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had an outer sect disciple named Mu En!"
Tang Yi deliberately introduced an early version of the Sea God Pavilion Master from The Unrivaled Tang Sect.
"Mu En's martial soul was a variant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—the Radiant Sacred Dragon! A ninety-fifth-rank Super Douluo, one of the continent's hidden peerless powerhouses!"
Tang Yi spoke with deliberate calm, as though describing an ordinary passerby.
"He once had the fortune to kneel before my master's gate for three full days and nights, begging for an audience. On that day, my master was in a good mood. Speaking through the closed door, he said just one sentence to him."
A ninety-fifth-rank Super Douluo?
Was that not comparable to the Chrysanthemum Douluo or Ghost Douluo of the Spirit Hall?
To think the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan harbored such a hidden expert?
Qian Renxue thought to herself: "Does Grandfather know of this Mu En?"
She was naturally extremely curious about this figure.
"What did he say?"
Qian Renxue could not help but ask.
"Listen carefully."
Tang Yi cleared his throat again and imitated a voice both aged and languid:
"'Little child, that dragon of yours is not even fit to be the watchdog at my gate!'"
Qian Renxue was dumbfounded.
"Upon hearing those words, Mu En knelt there for three days and three nights without rising."
Tang Yi spread his hands:
"Later, he returned and cultivated bitterly for fifty years, finally breaking through to the ninety-ninth-rank Limit Douluo realm! Do you know what he did the moment he achieved the breakthrough?"
Qian Renxue shook her head blankly.
"He turned toward the direction of my master's residence and respectfully kowtowed three times."
Tang Yi sighed softly:
"When my master learned of it, he said only four words: 'Barely worth a glance.'"
Qian Renxue had been completely drawn into the story.
"And then there is the Gluttonous Douluo Xuan Lao, a ninety-eighth-rank Super Douluo with the Gluttonous Divine Ox martial soul, said to be capable of devouring anything."
Tang Yi continued:
"In his youth, he was arrogant and proud. Upon hearing of my master's renown, he came specifically to issue a challenge. My master was drinking tea at the time. Without even glancing at him, he casually plucked a single tea leaf from his cup and flicked it with his finger."
He paused, locking eyes with Qian Renxue:
"That single tea leaf struck Xuan Lao's martial soul directly back into his body, rendering him unable to summon it for three days and three nights. Xuan Lao knelt on the ground and kowtowed in surrender. My master spoke only one sentence: 'Go back and train for another forty years—perhaps then you may withstand a single move from me.'"
Qian Renxue drew in a sharp breath.
A single tea leaf suppressing a ninety-eighth-rank Super Douluo for three days—what kind of power was that?
"As for the soul beasts…"
Tang Yi's tone grew even more casual:
"Are you familiar with the leader of the Ten Great Savage Beasts—the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian?"
Qian Renxue furrowed her brows deeply; this clearly exceeded her knowledge.
"To be honest, Little Brother Tang—I only know of the Titan Giant Ape and the Azure Bull Python, the two great hundred-thousand-year soul beasts! I have never heard of this Di Tian."
"Di Tian has lived for nearly a million years and is known as the sovereign of all soul beasts, considering himself invincible."
With a single casual sentence, Tang Yi left Qian Renxue utterly stunned.
"What?! A million-year soul beast?"
"Does such a creature truly exist in this world?"
Qian Renxue remained in shock for a long moment, unable to regain her composure!
The corner of Tang Yi's mouth curved into a faint smile:
"Big Brother Xue, the Douluo Continent has existed for who knows how many tens of thousands of years! If hundred-thousand-year soul beasts exist, then million-year soul beasts must also exist!"
"To return to the story—that ferocious beast Di Tian once crossed tens of thousands of li to challenge my master. Guess what happened?"
Qian Renxue asked tensely:
"What happened?"
After all, this was a million-year soul beast confronting a human?
Qian Renxue could scarcely imagine it!
"My master was sleeping that day. He was awakened by the disturbance and felt somewhat displeased."
Tang Yi extended his palm and made a gentle forward pushing motion:
"With just this one palm, from eight hundred li across empty space, he directly slapped Di Tian into the earth to a depth of three thousand meters. To this day, Di Tian still dares not show his head!"
"That is why you—and most people on the continent—have never heard of million-year soul beasts. The reason is precisely this!"
Tang Yi spoke with an air of profound mystery.
Qian Renxue's eyes widened in astonishment.
"And then there is the nine-hundred-and-ninety-thousand-year Deep Sea Demonic Whale King—only one step away from godhood!"
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King was the most powerful soul beast in the first part of Douluo Continent, the undisputed overlord of the deep ocean.
Qian Daoliu had once pursued Bo Saixi of Sea God Island.
It was highly likely that Qian Daoliu knew at least something of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
By mentioning this creature, Tang Yi intended to truly shock Qian Renxue.
He knew that afterward, Qian Renxue would undoubtedly report every word he had said to the Spirit Hall for verification.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King would serve as the perfect hook.
Tang Yi continued fabricating:
"As the overlord of the deep sea, it acted without restraint. Once, my master was fishing and relaxing on the back of a nearly two-hundred-thousand-year Evil Spirit Orca King. The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King attempted a sneak attack. My master merely yawned."
He paused, his tone growing increasingly exaggerated:
"Guess what happened? The airflow from that single yawn struck the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King so hard that blood poured from all seven orifices. It knelt in the sea and begged for mercy."
"My master waved his hand dismissively and said: 'Little whale, stop making trouble.'"
Qian Renxue was completely dumbfounded.
After all, Tang Yi spoke with such fluency, vividness, and natural conviction—it did not sound fabricated at all.
It felt as though every word described genuine events that had truly occurred on the Douluo Continent!
...…
The night wind blew gently; the campfire flickered.
Qian Renxue remained silent for a long time.
Finally, with great difficulty, she spoke, her voice slightly hoarse:
"Little Brother Tang… what exactly is your master's realm? Rank one hundred? Has he become a god?"
Tang Yi observed her utterly shocked expression and laughed inwardly, though his face remained inscrutably profound.
He gave a slight shake of his head, his tone calm yet carrying an intangible pressure:
"Big Brother Xue—whether rank one hundred or God King level—those are merely numbers. My master once said: 'True power needs no rank to prove itself.'"
Tang Yi paused, his gaze drifting toward the distant horizon as though peering into the end of the river of time:
"All those you just heard of—Mu En, Xuan Lao, Di Tian, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, the Evil Spirit Orca King—they are all frogs at the bottom of a well. As for my master…"
Tang Yi did not finish the sentence. He merely let out a soft sigh and shook his head.
The unspoken implication carried far more weight than any explicit description ever could.
A chill ran from Qian Renxue's spine straight to the crown of her head.
In that moment, she suddenly realized that swearing brotherhood with this boy might well be one of the wisest decisions she had ever made in her life.