Chapter 108: Yu Xiaogang's Pain, Tang San's Hatred
"Up!"
Feng Ling and Feng Li, emboldened by excitement, shouted as they lunged forward.
One grabbed Dugu Feng's arm, the other his leg, while the rest of the students joined in, hoisting him up and tossing him into the air.
"Dugu Feng!"
"Dugu Feng!"
The cheers grew louder, shaking the entire Heaven Dou Imperial Academy to its core.
Dugu Feng was momentarily suspended midair, caught between laughter and disbelief.
Ge Ying truly knew how to stir things up.
He understood, though. Everyone had been holding it in for too long.
For two months straight, the academy had been humiliated repeatedly, stifling the spirits of Heaven Dou City. Was it possible that such a vast empire had no true geniuses left?
Now that Dugu Feng had stepped forward and defeated Yan, he was celebrated like a hero.
After quite some time, he was finally set back down.
Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan had long since departed.
Only Qian Renxue remained on site.
When Dugu Feng walked down from the stage alongside Feng Ling and the others, he received more praise from her before being ushered, like a star among stars, to meet the three academicians.
There, Dugu Feng also met Qin Ming.
"This is Teacher Qin," Ge Ying introduced, "the leader of the Emperor Battle Team, responsible for preparing for the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament in two years."
Qin Ming looked plain, even ordinary—like a man with no soul power at all.
But Dugu Feng knew him as one of the most gifted commoners, the second youngest Soul Emperor on the entire continent.
"Student Dugu," Qin Ming said, eyes shining, "with your strength, if you joined the Heaven Dou Battle Team, our academy could easily reach the finals in two years—and maybe even take the championship!"
Dugu Feng smiled slightly. "I'm still young. Maybe the tournament after the next one would suit me better."
He declined politely.
Qin Ming blinked in surprise, a flicker of disappointment showing on his face.
If Dugu Feng joined, their chances would skyrocket.
Currently, the team's strongest members were Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, Shi Mo, and Shi Mo's brother. He was confident they could reach the finals in two years—but winning the championship? Impossible.
Dream God Machine, Zhi Lin, and Bai Baoshan all looked regretful as well.
Still, given Dugu Feng's status, they couldn't press him.
They could only hope he would reconsider over the next two years.
After some brief conversation, Dugu Feng returned to his training ground and resumed cultivating, reviewing the gains from his fight.
Meanwhile, in Soto City's Shrek Academy—
Inside a dorm room, Tang San sat bare-backed while Yu Xiaogang examined him carefully.
The longer Yu Xiaogang looked, the grimmer his expression became.
His pupils contracted sharply, his eyes filled with distress, regret, and pain.
For a long moment, he fought to steady his emotions before speaking in as calm a tone as he could manage.
"Xiao San, this was definitely the work of an evil soul master. You're lucky to have survived at all."
Yu Xiaogang's sigh carried deep helplessness.
"Teacher, how's my body? And what exactly were those eight spider legs?" Tang San asked urgently.
Yu Xiaogang tapped a few points along Tang San's back and replied, "You're recovering well. Thanks to your Blue Silver Grass martial spirit's third soul skill, your body's toughness and vitality are far above normal.
A few more months, and you should be fully restored."
He noticed the once-weakened ribs steadily regrowing—a testament to Tang San's astonishing regenerative ability.
"And the eight spider legs? Is there any hope they can grow back?" Tang San asked, clinging to hope.
Yu Xiaogang's face darkened, heavy with sorrow.
He stood up slowly and said with weariness, "Xiao San, you're the most gifted soul master I've ever taught—not just in cultivation, but in composure, maturity, and intellect.
The stronger a soul master becomes, the more vital indomitable willpower is.
I believe it was that willpower that allowed you to absorb the Man-Faced Demon Spider's spirit ring far beyond your limit—and granted you an extraordinary inheritance.
But fate is cruel. Great fortune often walks hand in hand with great peril. That same fate made you cross paths with an evil soul master."
Yu Xiaogang's eyes grew moist as he spoke.
He knew too well how great Tang San's loss was.
"Teacher, tell me. I can handle it," Tang San said firmly, though he could already read the gravity in his teacher's expression.
No matter how much it hurt, since the spider legs were gone, he needed to understand what they were and if they could ever return.
"What you gained," Yu Xiaogang began, "was not a simple spirit ability.
Do you remember our talk about spirit bones? In the world of soul masters, spirit bones are the most precious treasures.
They not only grant new abilities but greatly amplify a soul master's attributes.
But your eight spider legs were even more extraordinary—they were an external spirit bone."
Tang San's heart sank. He had expected something rare, but never this.
"An external spirit bone?" he echoed.
"Yes," Yu Xiaogang continued, "if the odds of a normal spirit bone appearing from a spirit beast are one in a thousand, then for an external spirit bone, it's less than one in ten thousand.
The greatest feature of external spirit bones is their ability to grow.
A normal spirit bone has a fixed age when dropped from a beast, but an external one evolves alongside the soul master, growing in power every time the soul master's strength evolves."
Tang San's hands trembled slightly. A spirit bone that could grow and evolve—just thinking about it made his heart ache.
Yu Xiaogang went on, "Normally, an external spirit bone can't be stolen.
When a soul master dies, their internal bones fall out; but external ones remain fused and vanish with the body.
However… there's one exception—at the very moment it's first formed.
At that point, the external bone hasn't fully fused with the host's skeleton.
Xiao San, that was your situation.
And tragically, that's when you encountered the evil soul master.
Ah… Xiao San, should we call you lucky to be alive, or cursed by fate?"
Yu Xiaogang's anger had ebbed, replaced by helpless resignation.
Out of millions, barely one soul master ever acquired such a treasure—and yet his disciple had lost it at the moment of its birth.
If only time had passed a little longer, long enough for complete fusion—no one could have taken it away.
"Since the external bone was born from absorbing my spirit ring," Tang San pressed, "and I still have my third ring, shouldn't it be possible to grow the spider legs again?"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head bitterly. "That's the horror of the evil soul master's technique.
He didn't just seize your bone—he devoured every bit of its energy.
Even the marrow within those eight ribs was consumed.
Had Xiao Wu not reached you in time, even your life force would have been drained completely."
Tang San clenched his fists, his teeth grinding in pain as the nightmare replayed in his mind.
That was the moment—it had to be—when the evil soul master tore the external bone from him.
He hated himself for not waking sooner, for not seeing his face—
Because if he had, he would never stop until he tore that monster apart in revenge.
(END CHAPTER)
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