Yu Yuanzhen did not reveal everything about his son's abilities.
Naturally, there were reasons for that.
After all, certain matters—such as Whale Glue—were not things that could be spoken of openly. If people from Spirit Hall were to discover the truth, it might become far more difficult for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect to acquire such resources in the future.
Although the Douluo Continent had appeared relatively peaceful in recent years, the truth was that various factions still stood in subtle opposition to one another.
The Upper Three Sects maintained a cooperative relationship, forming a delicate balance against Spirit Hall.
But—
No one could guarantee that such a balance would last forever.
And in a world like this, keeping one's trump cards hidden was not just wise—it was essential.
While the three Titled Douluos continued their quiet discussion, another figure slowly approached Yu Xiaogang.
It was Bibi Dong.
"Thank you for earlier."
Her voice was soft, but sincere.
Her expression carried genuine gratitude as she looked at him.
If Yu Xiaogang hadn't stepped in to block the sudden attack from the Wind Baboon, the consequences could have been disastrous.
The thought alone made her feel a chill.
If the disciple of the Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall were to be killed by a mere ten-year spirit beast…
It would be nothing short of humiliating.
The entire continent would laugh.
"It was nothing."
Yu Xiaogang replied calmly, his tone steady.
"Besides, His Excellency Dragon Scale and the others were surely watching the entire time."
"Even without me, you wouldn't have been in real danger."
His words were modest, but not entirely inaccurate.
Bibi Dong blinked slightly, then smiled.
"Well… thank you anyway."
She straightened slightly before continuing,
"My name is Bibi Dong. I am the disciple of the current Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall."
There was a faint hint of pride in her voice—but not arrogance.
More like confidence.
After introducing herself, she tilted her head curiously.
"And you? Are you also here to obtain a spirit ring?"
"Which one are you after?"
"Yu Xiaogang."
He gave a brief nod.
"I'm here for my first spirit ring."
As he spoke, he glanced at her.
A disciple of the Supreme Pontiff.
Escorted by two Titled Douluos.
Such treatment was not something ordinary individuals could receive.
Her status… must be extraordinary.
At the same time, another thought crossed his mind.
At roughly the same age as me… and already preparing for a second spirit ring.
Yu Xiaogang gave a faint, self-deprecating smile.
So what if I'm behind for now?
The future is still unwritten.
He quickly composed himself.
"Your first spirit ring?"
Bibi Dong's eyes widened slightly.
"Is your martial spirit also the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon?"
"I've heard that your sect's martial spirit is the strongest beast-type spirit in the world!"
Her curiosity grew more intense.
"I wonder how my spirit compares to yours…"
Then—
As if a switch had been flipped—
She leaned closer, her bright eyes sparkling with interest.
"And I've also heard something else!"
Yu Xiaogang's expression stiffened slightly.
"…What is it?"
"I heard that members of your sect often hunt spirit beasts, drink their blood, and even eat their meat raw!"
She spoke in a hushed yet excited tone, as though sharing a great secret.
As she said this, her gaze unconsciously drifted toward Yu Xiaogang's lips—
As if trying to determine whether he had done such things before.
By the time she finished speaking, her delicate face scrunched slightly.
"If that's true… I also have a beast-type spirit."
"Does that mean I have to do the same in the future?"
"…What?"
Yu Xiaogang's face instantly darkened.
Black lines practically appeared across his forehead.
"Where exactly did you hear such nonsense?"
He frowned deeply.
"Drinking blood? Eating raw meat?"
"Even if we do consume spirit beast meat, it is cooked first!"
"Raw meat… only someone with extremely unusual tastes would eat that!"
He shuddered slightly.
Just imagining it made him uncomfortable.
"There isn't any of that?"
Bibi Dong asked seriously.
"Are you absolutely sure?"
"I am absolutely certain."
Yu Xiaogang's tone was firm.
"You should listen to fewer rumors. Most of them are completely unreliable."
"But a lot of people say these things."
Bibi Dong tilted her head, seemingly unconvinced.
"For example…"
She began counting on her fingers.
"They say that people from the Clear Sky Sect are all rough, unkempt brutes who smell terrible."
"They say the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is full of schemers who spend all day plotting against others."
"And…"
She paused briefly before continuing.
"They say that your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect likes to use martial soul possession, smear spirit beast dung on themselves, and pretend to live as spirit beasts."
"..."
Yu Xiaogang fell completely silent.
For a moment, he didn't even know how to respond.
But Bibi Dong wasn't finished.
"A few days ago, I even heard someone say that among the Upper Three Sects… some people want to marry spirit beasts."
"...…"
Yu Xiaogang stared at her, utterly stunned.
He had no comment on the Clear Sky Sect or the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
After all, he wasn't familiar with them.
But—
He had lived in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect his entire life.
And yet—
This was the first time he had ever heard of such… absurd traditions.
Smearing spirit beast dung?
Pretending to be spirit beasts?
Living among them?
What kind of ridiculous imagination did it take to come up with such rumors?
As for the idea of marrying spirit beasts—
That was beyond absurd.
It completely violated basic human ethics.
No sect on the continent would ever accept something like that.
But what shocked him the most was something else entirely.
Bibi Dong…
Actually believed all of it.
You're the disciple of the Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall!
How could you believe street rumors so easily?!
Couldn't she simply verify these things by asking her teacher?
Yu Xiaogang felt a headache coming on.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"You… actually believe these rumors?"
His expression was slightly twisted.
"But they sounded very convincing."
Bibi Dong replied earnestly.
"They even swore that if the information was false, they would write their names backward!"
"They made oaths—it shouldn't be fake, right?"
"..."
Yu Xiaogang raised his hand—
And slapped his own forehead.
For a moment, he was completely speechless.
This is just random nonsense people say on the street!
And someone actually believed it?!
How naïve can you be?!
Taking a deep breath, Yu Xiaogang forced himself to calm down.
"Listen carefully."
He spoke slowly and seriously.
"I can't confirm the rumors about the other two sects."
"But everything about the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect—"
"Is completely false."
"We do not drink blood."
"We do not eat raw meat."
"We do not smear spirit beast dung on ourselves."
"And we absolutely do not have any thoughts about marrying spirit beasts!"
He emphasized every word.
"This is slander."
To prove his point—
Yu Xiaogang reached into his storage soul tool and took out a small bag of snacks.
"These are what we normally eat."
He handed them to her.
"See? Does this look like raw meat to you?"
But what he didn't expect was—
Bibi Dong didn't just look.
She reached out—
Grabbed a handful—
And popped one into her mouth.
She chewed twice.
Then—
Her eyes lit up.
"Delicious!"
Before Yu Xiaogang could react, she had already taken hold of the entire snack bag.
Holding it securely, she smiled brightly.
"Thank you for the snacks!"
"If you ever come to Spirit City, I'll treat you to something delicious too!"
Yu Xiaogang stood there.
Frozen.
Watching as she happily walked away with his snacks.
"…Wait."
"…Those were mine."
For the first time—
Yu Xiaogang felt that this encounter…
Might be far more troublesome than he had expected.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)