Chapter 275: Rejecting the Tang SectAs the aura of the Seed of Destruction emanated, Tianmeng Iceworm’s soul trembled with unease.

  It could clearly sense the breath of death.

  Immediately, it abandoned any thought of leaving Qin Xiao.

  “Hey, no need to be so serious! I was just trying to lighten the mood with a little joke. Hehe.”

  Qin Xiao nodded in satisfaction. “I knew you were smart and would make the right choice, isn’t that right, Tianmeng Bro?”

  Tianmeng Bro?I can’t take it!

  Hearing Qin Xiao address it this way, Tianmeng Iceworm shuddered again.

  “Please don’t call me that—I can’t live up to it! Just call me Tianmeng Little Bro. That sounds more endearing.”

  Tianmeng Iceworm was acutely aware of its position and adjusted its attitude accordingly.

  Qin Xiao was pleased with its compliance.

  He then inquired about the abilities Tianmeng Iceworm had bestowed.

  As in the original storyline, Tianmeng Iceworm granted Qin Xiao four soul skills: Mental Detection, Mental Sharing, Mental Interference, and Soul Shock, as well as an icy spirit essence devoid of its own soul.

  The rge pit in the ground, created during Tianmeng Iceworm’s emergence, had inexplicably closed.

  Other than Qin Xiao, the only evidence of the battle was the wind baboon’s corpse lying not far away.

  After expining everything, Tianmeng Iceworm fawned, “Boss, there are a few people approaching you. What should we do?”

  Qin Xiao nodded. “I’ll handle it.”

  Returning his consciousness to his body, Qin Xiao sat up from the ground.

  He gnced around. The destruction caused by Tianmeng Iceworm’s arrival had been repaired, leaving the surroundings as if nothing had happened.

  The wind baboon’s corpse y intact nearby.

  About five breaths ter, two figures emerged from the forest, swiftly approaching Qin Xiao.

  They were Tang Ya and Bei Bei.

  Qin Xiao wasn’t surprised. According to the original plot, Huo Yuhao had already crossed paths with them.

  The two had eaten Huo Yuhao’s roasted fish before.

  Especially Tang Ya, a foodie, who wanted Huo Yuhao to join the Tang Sect after finishing the meal.

  She just wanted to take advantage of him for free.

  In the original storyline, this encounter marked the beginning of Huo Yuhao’s bond with the Tang Sect.

  But that was Huo Yuhao’s story. What did it have to do with Qin Xiao?

  “Yuhao, are you alright?” Tang Ya asked as she carefully helped Qin Xiao up, her eyes filled with concern.

  Although Qin Xiao’s wounds had healed, there were still traces of blood on his body, making Tang Ya worry.

  Bei Bei, meanwhile, crouched by the wind baboon’s corpse. After confirming it was dead, he said, “The wind baboon is dead.”

  He then picked up the White Tiger Dagger lying nearby. Infusing it with a touch of soul power, the dagger gleamed with a faint bluish light.

  “This is a soul tool. Yuhao must’ve used it to kill the wind baboon. His strength is greater than we expected.”

  Tang Ya gred at him. “Why talk about that now? Check if Yuhao is injured!”

  Scratching his head in embarrassment, Bei Bei approached Qin Xiao.

  Before he could speak, a white soul ring floated up from beneath Qin Xiao, surrounding him in a soft glow.

  “Huh? Why does this soul ring look different from a normal ten-year soul ring?” Bei Bei asked, intrigued.

  “It’s probably due to the age of the wind baboon. Whatever—white is definitely a ten-year soul ring,” Tang Ya dismissed casually, then asked curiously, “Yuhao, what’s your spirit? I didn’t notice any big changes in you.”

  The soul ring had appeared, but there weren’t any visible transformations in Huo Yuhao’s body—except for a faint golden sheen in his deep blue eyes.

  Qin Xiao pointed to his eyes. “My eyes are my spirit.”

  Tang Ya and Bei Bei were both stunned.

  “Eye spirit, with mental energy? Your spirit belongs to the mental attribute?” Tang Ya asked.

  “But a mental-type spirit shouldn’t be able to fuse with a wind baboon. That doesn’t make sense!” Bei Bei added, puzzled.

  Seeing their clueless expressions, Qin Xiao sighed inwardly.

  Do these two really know anything? Can’t they even make logical guesses?

  Feigning nonchance, he replied, “Maybe it’s reted to my mutated spirit…”

  “If it weren’t for my mutated spirit, my life wouldn’t have been so miserable.”

  “A mutated mental spirit… What a pity,” Bei Bei muttered, his face full of regret. “If we had arrived sooner, we could’ve helped Yuhao find a better spirit beast to fuse with.”

  To him, a ten-year soul ring signified mediocrity, rendering most soul masters who used it useless.

  Tang Ya rolled her eyes. “Why are you saying such things now? Yuhao, don’t listen to him. Becoming a true soul master is already a huge achievement, especially for a commoner. A ten-year soul ring is more than enough. You’re already ahead of many others.”

  Qin Xiao: “…”

  Tang Ya clearly knew how to comfort someone.

  Inside Qin Xiao’s mental space, Tianmeng Iceworm was ughing hysterically, its stubby cws spping its belly repeatedly.

  These two are something else, aren’t they? One wonders how Tang Ya and Bei Bei would react if they learned Qin Xiao’s true identity. Would they be so embarrassed they’d want to dig themselves a three-bedroom apartment out of sheer awkwardness?

  However…

  Tang Ya misinterpreted Qin Xiao’s silence as him being moved by her kind words.

  At the end of the day, he’s just a kid, she thought, her sympathy swelling.

  Driven by a sense of pity, she decided to bring Qin Xiao into the Tang Sect.

  Even if he’s a nobody, at least he’s a good person, right?

  Besides, the current state of the Tang Sect was abysmal—it was difficult to recruit anyone. Better to rope in one than none.

  Having made up her mind, Tang Ya asked, “Little Yuhao, now that you’ve obtained your soul ring, what are your pns?”

  Pns?

  Qin Xiao instantly caught on to Tang Ya’s intentions. The girl was clearly plotting to recruit him into the crumbling Tang Sect.

  But could he agree to that?

  Everyone, please remember the Tang Sect’s core principle.

  Tang San, the God King himself, kept a close watch on the Tang Sect. Joining it would be like walking into the lion’s den.

  And what exactly did the Tang Sect have to offer now?

  Its outdated hidden weapons? Or its Mysterious Heaven Technique, which could be cultivated in any world?

  Qin Xiao’s heart remained unmoved, though he did find it amusing.

  There’s no way. This really isn’t happening.

  “I pn to return to my vilge, find an elderly woman to marry, and live out my life raising a family,” Qin Xiao replied nonchantly.

  “What?”

  Tang Ya and Bei Bei were both stunned.

  “Yuhao, after going through so much hardship and even risking your life to become a soul master, don’t you want to push yourself further?”

  “I’ve already pushed myself. That battle with the wind baboon made me realize that everything is fleeting. It’s more meaningful to cherish the present and enjoy life. You said it yourself.

  "Besides, I know my talent well enough. No matter how hard I train, I won’t achieve much. Instead of wasting decades chasing an impossible dream, I’d rather settle for being called a soul master lord. That’s already better than most people.”

  Qin Xiao id his cards on the table before Tang Ya and Bei Bei, acting as though he was genuinely satisfied with his current accomplishments.

  Tang Ya was speechless.

  How had the determined, spirited young man she met transformed so drastically in such a short time?

  Still…

  She had already decided to bring Qin Xiao into the Tang Sect. How could she give up so easily?

  She shot Bei Bei a meaningful look, signaling him to try persuading Qin Xiao.

  After all…

  As the Tang Sect’s leader, she had to maintain some dignity and couldn’t bring herself to say certain things outright.

  But Bei Bei?

  He didn’t need to worry about dignity.

  “Ahem,” Bei Bei cleared his throat, catching on immediately. “Yuhao, if we hadn’t met, it’d be one thing.

  "But since we have, you’ve stumbled upon an extraordinary opportunity—a chance to change your fate.

  "Do you know who we are?”

  Qin Xiao shook his head.

  “Have you heard of the Tang Sect?”

  Qin Xiao shook his head again.

  Tang Ya’s eyes lit up at this.

  He hasn’t heard of it? That’s perfect!

  Bei Bei also breathed a sigh of relief. It’s much easier to sell the Tang Sect to someone who doesn’t know it.

  “Our Tang Sect, ten thousand years ago, was the most powerful sect on Douluo Continent. Its legacy endures to this day. And your Tang Ya sister…”

  Bei Bei paused as Tang Ya coughed sharply.

  Who are you calling Tang Ya in public?

  Realizing his slip, Bei Bei quickly corrected himself. “Your Sister Tang Ya is the current leader of the Tang Sect.

  "If you’re willing, I can help you join what was once the number one sect on Douluo Continent!”

  Qin Xiao shook his head again. “I still want to go back to my vilge.”

  Keep boasting. No matter how much you embellish it, I’m not interested.

  “Go back? Go back?” Tang Ya was baffled. “What’s so great about your vilge that you can’t stop thinking about it?”

  “Rural people are simple and honest,” Qin Xiao replied calmly.

  Tang Ya: “…”

  Did he figure out my motives?

  But…

  His grilled fish was really delicious. Slurp.

  In fact, Tang Ya’s initial desire to recruit Huo Yuhao into the Tang Sect wasn’t just because of his potential. It was also for the convenience of eating his grilled fish anytime she wanted.

  “Leader, don’t worry. Let me try again,” Bei Bei reassured her, stepping forward to continue the persuasion.

  Bei Bei quickly interrupted Tang Ya and Qin Xiao’s conversation, analyzing Qin Xiao’s earlier words and realizing a key point.

  Qin Xiao had mentioned feeling limited by his talent.

  What if, by boosting his confidence, they could reignite his fighting spirit?

  “Yuhao, I know what’s bothering you. You’re worried about your talent, right?” Bei Bei began.

  “So what if your innate soul power is only level one? You can still achieve great things!

  "My ancestor had only half a level of innate soul power and still became a rank-29 Great Soul Master. With the help of rare treasures, they even broke through that limit.”

  “Talent is just one of many hurdles in cultivation. Your mindset is what truly matters,” he continued passionately. “With your level-one innate soul power, you could at least reach the level of a Soul Elder!”

  Qin Xiao: “…”

  He hadn’t expected Bei Bei to bring up Yu Xiaogang, the infamous failure.

  Are there seriously no better examples of grassroots success?

  “And don’t forget,” Bei Bei added, “our Tang Sect has powerful cultivation techniques and formidable hidden weapons to enhance your strength.

  "More importantly, we also have a special recommendation slot for Shrek Academy—the number one academy on Douluo Continent. With that slot, you can join Shrek without needing to pass the entrance test.”

  Bei Bei’s tone turned serious. “Yuhao, I hope you’ll consider this carefully. Joining Shrek means gaining unlimited opportunities, including the ability to improve your physique effortlessly.”

  Qin Xiao nodded slightly, understanding the logic.

  The Peerless Tang Sect era’s Douluo Continent was vastly different from the era of the Spirit Hall. There were plenty of resources avaible to enhance talent and cultivation.

  For instance, medicinal pills like the Profound Water Pill and Soul Enhancement Pill could improve physique and cultivation. Though their effects weren’t as miraculous as celestial herbs, they were much easier to mass-produce and obtain.

  Seeing Qin Xiao’s thoughtful expression, Bei Bei sighed in relief. It seemed his words had made an impact—at least Qin Xiao hadn’t immediately said he wanted to return to his vilge.

  However…

  Qin Xiao suddenly asked, “Do you have any of those treasures right now? I’d like to see one.”

  “Pfft.”

  Tang Ya nearly spat out blood.

  Does this kid even understand the concept of over-promising?

  Does he know what it means to paint a picture of the future?

  Besides, their Tang Sect was so impoverished that pulling out something valuable was nearly impossible.

  Bei Bei shook his head helplessly. “Those treasures… are a bit hard to come by. I don’t have any on me.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “If I join the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy, everything will be provided, right?”

  “Of course!” Bei Bei nodded earnestly.

  “Sorry, not interested. I’m heading back.”

  Qin Xiao delivered his rejection without hesitation, a fwless trifecta of refusal.

  At that moment, he had already made up his mind to head to the Sun and Moon Royal Academy to seek resources for himself.

  With the talent of this body, he was confident that the Sun and Moon Empire would value him highly, ensuring he received priority training. Wouldn’t medicinal pills be handed out in abundance then?

  As for concerns about unstable foundations from relying on pills?

  Ha, why would I care?

  With his cultivation realm already established, Qin Xiao faced no bottlenecks.

  Some might argue that Huo Yuhao’s limited talent wouldn’t guarantee him immediate recognition in the Sun and Moon Empire.

  But…

  That’s Huo Yuhao. What does it have to do with me, Qin Xiao?

  “Hey, wait!” Tang Ya called out as Qin Xiao turned to leave without a second thought.

  “What is it?” Qin Xiao asked, turning slightly.

  “Can you tell me why you’re so determined?” Tang Ya asked, genuinely curious.

  She wanted to know why she had failed.

  After all, under her direction, Bei Bei had tried every tactic—yet nothing worked. She was even tempted to use her beauty as a bargaining chip, though that strategy had already been wasted on Bei Bei.

  However…

  Qin Xiao’s response was calm and indifferent: “The city is full of tricks, so I’m returning to the countryside.”

  “Pfft.”

  He still doesn’t trust us!

  Tang Ya was frustrated. “This kid wasn’t like this before!”

  “Maybe he was pretending,” Bei Bei suggested, his expression complicated as he stood by Tang Ya. “Honestly, being wary of everything is normal. In a world like this, anyone who’s as pure as a bnk ste would get devoured without even leaving bones behind.”

  Tang Ya frowned. “Was that an indirect insult?”

  Bei Bei quickly ughed it off. “I was just speaking generally. Don’t take it personally!”

  Meanwhile, Qin Xiao left the Great Star Dou Forest, officially embarking on his journey toward the Sun and Moon Empire.

  This time, he would rise to greatness in the Sun and Moon Empire!

  (End of Chapter)

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