As Bibi Dong and Yu Yuanzhen followed Yu Xiaogang into the underground crypt within the heavenly screen, Bibi Dong's earlier evaluation of the Upper Three Sects was clearly heard by the members of those very sects.
---
Clear Sky Sect
"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"
"A mere Spirit Hall dares to judge our Clear Sky Sect like that?"
"What is Qian Xunji, anyway? What right does he have to evaluate us?"
"Even his father, Qian Daoliu, would have to show some respect to the Clear Sky Sect!"
"Qian Xunji was nothing more than a loser who was beaten into a miserable retreat by a junior from our sect who had only just broken through to Titled Douluo. He later died from his injuries, yet he still dares to speak so arrogantly?"
"Wuwuwu... Old Sect Master, where have you gone?"
"Our Clear Sky Sect is being bullied by Spirit Hall!"
"Back then, we should have convinced the Old Sect Master to unite the Upper Three Sects and the two empires to destroy Spirit Hall once and for all!"
The meeting hall was filled with angry voices.
The elders' resentment had finally found an outlet.
At the head of the hall sat the current Sect Master, Tang Xiao.
Watching the furious elders below him, he understood their feelings perfectly.
The Clear Sky Sect, once the strongest of the Upper Three Sects, had been forced into seclusion by Spirit Hall.
To these proud elders, it was an unbearable humiliation.
Hearing Qian Xunji's evaluation naturally ignited the anger they had suppressed for years.
Even Tang Xiao, who was normally calm and rational, couldn't help but feel disdain.
"A man who was beaten back by Brother Hao after a three-against-one fight has the nerve to speak like this?"
As memories surfaced, his eyes gradually dimmed.
Back then, he, Tang Hao, and Ah Yin had traveled across the continent together.
They had been carefree and full of dreams.
But in the end...
Because of the feelings between Tang Hao and Ah Yin, Tang Xiao had silently withdrawn.
That decision eventually led to Ah Yin's identity being exposed.
When Spirit Hall launched its pursuit, only Tang Hao and Ah Yin remained.
If he had been there...
Perhaps Ah Yin wouldn't have died.
Perhaps Tang Hao wouldn't have disappeared.
Perhaps his father wouldn't have died from anger.
Perhaps the Clear Sky Sect wouldn't have been forced into isolation.
Unfortunately...
There were no second chances.
Tang Xiao looked up at the heavenly screen.
"I wonder how Brother Hao and Ah Yin are doing in that parallel world?"
Although he hoped for a better outcome, he wasn't optimistic.
After all, why would someone unrelated to them intervene?
And judging from what he knew of Dragon God Douluo Yu Xiaogang...
If Yu Xiaogang discovered Ah Yin's identity, he would likely covet her hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and spirit bone.
Who in the world could resist such a temptation?
---
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School
"Good at reading situations."
"Excellent at recruiting talented individuals."
"Skilled at befriending the strong."
"And yet... the least worth mentioning among the Upper Three Sects."
Ning Fengzhi quietly listened to Qian Xunji's evaluation.
His expression wasn't pleasant.
However...
He couldn't completely disagree.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was fundamentally a support-type martial soul.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School lacked enough direct combat power.
As a result, they naturally relied on recruiting powerful allies.
Over time, that became the school's defining characteristic.
Understanding the truth was one thing.
Hearing someone else point it out so bluntly was another.
No matter how reasonable the evaluation was, it still felt unpleasant.
---
Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect
"What does he mean by saying we'd be kicked around like stray dogs if the Sect Master disappeared?"
"That damned Qian Xunji!"
"How dare he insult our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect!"
The Grand Elder was so angry that his beard trembled.
The Second Elder wasn't much happier.
"Calm down, Grand Elder."
"There's no point getting angry over words spoken decades ago."
Although he tried to comfort the old man, he felt equally dissatisfied.
After all, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect wasn't held up solely by Yu Yuanzhen.
The sect still possessed numerous elders, powerful guest elders, and generations of accumulated heritage.
Across the entire continent, only Spirit Hall and the other two Upper Three Sects could rival them.
Even the Lower Four Sects were far behind.
Yet as the Second Elder looked at Yu Xiaogang's figure within the heavenly screen, another feeling surfaced.
Resentment.
Resentment toward the Yu Xiaogang of their own world.
"Why?"
"Why couldn't you have been even half as capable as the Yu Xiaogang in the parallel world?"
If not for that failure...
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect would never have become a laughingstock.
The Second Elder sighed deeply.
"I wonder if the Yu Xiaogang in the heavenly screen will eventually develop something unique for our sect."
"If he does..."
"Perhaps even we could benefit from it."
His thoughts drifted into fantasy.
---
The Heavenly Screen Continues...
After entering the crypt, Yu Yuanzhen and Bibi Dong soon reunited with Yu Xiaogang.
"Come this way."
"There's no danger here."
"Judging from the traces left behind, this was probably once the nest of a spirit beast. The original owner likely fled after the arrival of the Radiant Elemental Dragon."
Yu Xiaogang spoke while leading them forward.
Bibi Dong immediately asked the question she cared about most.
"Have you found any treasures yet?"
"Not yet."
"This cave extends very deep."
"I was worried that if I explored too far ahead, you wouldn't hear me calling, so I waited for you first."
After explaining, Yu Xiaogang continued leading the way.
Soon, the group arrived before an even deeper tunnel.
The three exchanged glances.
Yu Xiaogang nodded.
Activating his elemental transformation once again, he jumped down first.
Watching him disappear into the darkness, Bibi Dong couldn't help commenting,
"I always feel like he's unusually skilled at using that spirit bone ability."
"I've never seen anyone adapt to a spirit bone so quickly."
"Even the historical records don't mention anything similar."
Yu Yuanzhen laughed proudly.
"Hahaha!"
"That child has been clever since he was young."
"Getting accustomed to a spirit bone is nothing special for him."
The smile on his face carried unmistakable pride.
Soon, Yu Xiaogang's voice echoed upward.
The two followed him down.
This time, the descent seemed endless.
The deeper they traveled, the more difficult it became to estimate the cave's true depth.
Even Yu Yuanzhen eventually lost all sense of direction.
Just as they began to wonder whether the tunnel reached the center of the earth itself...
Something finally appeared.
A trace of human activity.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes immediately lit up.
"Could this be where the treasure is hidden?"
Excitement surged through him.
Walking forward, he carefully examined the surroundings.
After a brief inspection, he reached a conclusion.
This place appeared to be a specially constructed Mimicry Cultivation Field.
Normally, only earth-attribute spirit masters built cultivation environments underground.
However, there was one problem.
Most people built such facilities beneath cities or sect grounds.
Who would construct one deep beneath a spirit beast forest?
The thought immediately sparked Yu Xiaogang's curiosity.
"Could there be some hidden secret here?"
As he surveyed the area, something caught his attention.
Partially buried among the dirt and rocks was a strange object.
Yu Xiaogang stepped forward and pulled it free.
After brushing away the dust, he discovered what it was.
A storage soul tool.
The three immediately exchanged surprised glances.
If a storage soul tool had been abandoned here...
Then whoever built this underground cultivation field might have left behind far more than they originally imagined.
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