Chapter 64: The Grandmaster's Ambition, The Assassin's Fruit
Supreme Pontiff Palace, second floor of the library.
The air was still, thick with the musty, sweet smell of ancient parchment and old wood. Shafts of afternoon sunlight, heavy with dust motes, cut through the gloom, illuminating the towering shelves.
After many long years, Yu Xiaogang finally completed his 'masterpiece'—the "Ten Core Competitiveness of Martial Souls."
It almost encompassed all the knowledge he had... 'accumulated'.
He ran a thin, trembling finger down the final line of his manuscript. A deep, profound satisfaction filled him. This was it. This was his life's work.
"Ten Core Competitiveness of Martial Souls."
"Xiao Gang, you finally succeeded. Is this... is this for me?"
A soft, melodic voice broke his reverence. As Yu Xiaogang's most loyal and only supporter, Bibi Dong was naturally the first to receive this 'masterpiece'. She had just arrived, her steps silent, her presence a mix of authority and a gentle warmth reserved only for him.
"Yes." Yu Xiaogang stood, puffing his chest out. He presented the thick manuscript to her not as a gift, but as a trophy. "For so many years, you have been the only one, silently supporting and encouraging me in the dark. Of course, this book is for you first."
He adopted his "profound" look, the one he had practiced. "You can look at the content recorded inside. There's a lot I've taught you before, and some are my latest research. You'll understand after reading it."
His voice was laced with seriousness, but his heart was pounding with ambition.
In reality, there was another hidden, desperate reason for this gift.
Although "Ten Core Competitiveness of Martial Souls" had been... researched... how to publish it was a huge problem.
Relying solely on him, a Level 29 Spirit Grandmaster, a pariah of his own clan? No one would pay him any attention. The world would laugh, just as his family had.
Only by relying on Bibi Dong, in her capacity as the Holy Maiden, could he use Spirit Hall's official channels. Only then could his invincible theory be published.
Only then could his invincible theory be revered by the various major forces and worshipped by the world.
He, Yu Xiaogang, would finally become famous on the Douluo Continent under the name of "Grandmaster." He would finally prove to his family, to his father, that he was not a good-for-nothing.
"Thank you, Xiao Gang." Bibi Dong took the manuscript, her hands cradling it as if it were a sacred artifact. She was genuinely, purely happy for him. "Tomorrow, I will find someone in the Hall to publish it in your name."
Her eyes shone with an almost fanatical belief in him. "I believe that by the time we return from the expedition to annex Sea God Island, you will have already become a Spirit theory Grandmaster, renowned throughout the entire Continent."
"I've been waiting for you to say that," Yu Xiaogang thought, but he merely nodded slowly, his expression a mask of humble wisdom. "Mm."
Bibi Dong secretly made up her mind. This was the key. After returning from the Sea God Island expedition, she would reveal their relationship to her teacher, Qian Xunji.
She believed that with Yu Xiaogang's new, unassailable status as a theoretical Grandmaster, her teacher... he should not object to the matter. He would see Xiao Gang's value.
As for Qin Xuan...
Recalling that name, Bibi Dong wavered again. The memory of him in the small forest, his "dying" confession, the feel of his lips... it lingered in her mind, a stubborn, unwelcome shadow.
She shook her head, forcing the thought away. Qin Xuan had his own wife now. That was in the past. Xiao Gang was her future.
[Ding, Emotional Value -1000. Congratulations to the host for obtaining one 10,000-year Spirit Bone lifespan amplification card (limited to Spirit Bones below 100,000 years, maximum increase to 100,000 years).]
"It's passable," Qin Xuan murmured. He was sitting cross-legged at the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, his daughter A Yan sleeping soundly in his lap. "It should be able to increase my mental force a bit."
A sapphire-blue, ethereal card appeared out of nowhere. Under little A Yan's curious, half-awake gaze, Qin Xuan placed it on his glabella. The card immediately transformed into pure sapphire energy and merged into his mind, flowing directly into his Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull.
Qin Xuan could clearly feel his mental force expanding, growing sharper and more robust. It had increased significantly, already subtly approaching the vast, ocean-like level of a Titled Douluo.
[Ding, Emotional Value -1000. Congratulations to the host for obtaining a box of 'Durex'.]
"Trash." Qin Xuan's eye twitched. "A real man doesn't use this." He silently put it into his storage spirit tool, hiding it at the very bottom.
[Ding, Emotional Value -1000. Congratulations to the host for obtaining a pack of 'Huazi'.]
[Inorin's Note: "Huazi" (中华) is a very famous, high-end brand of Chinese cigarettes.]
[Ding, Emotional Value -1000. Congratulations to the host for obtaining a pack of 'Huazi'.]
"A cigarette after the deed is better than a living immortal," Qin Xuan chuckled, a saying from his old life popping into his head. "I'll save them for later!" He put them into his storage spirit tool.
[Ding, Emotional Value -1000. Congratulations to the host for obtaining one Black Iron Blind Box.]
"Black Iron Blind Box? What kind of trash is this again? Can the lowest-grade blind box open up good things?"
The simple, unadorned black iron box slowly opened in his mind. A strangely shaped, pale-purple fruit with unique swirl patterns appeared out of nowhere and landed in Qin Xuan's hand.
The moment he touched the fruit, Qin Xuan was instantly dumbfounded.
What did I get?
He recognized it instantly. It was actually the Silent-Silent Fruit, known in the Pirate World as something even dogs wouldn't eat, one of the most "useless" Devil Fruits.
[Inorin's Note: This is a reference to the Nagi Nagi no Mi or Calm-Calm Fruit from the One Piece (Pirate World) franchise, eaten by Donquixote Rosinante.]
However, there was no dissatisfaction on Qin Xuan's face. On the contrary, he was ecstatic.
He was unable to stop the corners of his mouth from curling up, outlining a profound, chilling smile. He murmured in his heart, "Even Heaven is helping me."
A Silent-Silent Fruit ability user can create a soundproof barrier within a certain range of themselves, shaped like an igloo. All sounds emitted by people or objects within this dome will be blocked, unable to transmit outside the wall. People inside the wall also cannot hear any sounds from outside the wall.
Isn't this specifically prepared for our Qin Xuan to assassinate Qian Xunji?
In the dead of night, he could create a dome around Qian Xunji's entire bed-chamber. No matter how much they fought, no matter how much Qian Xunji screamed for his guards, no one would hear a thing. It was the perfect assassination tool.
One Devil Fruit. Under normal circumstances, a person can only consume one in their lifetime.
Although Qin Xuan wouldn't consume this "trashy" fruit himself, it didn't stop him from using it for his subordinates.
Mo Ya is an excellent choice.
[Inorin's Note: Mo Ya (Moya) is a character from the Qin's Moon (The Legend of Qin) franchise, a skilled assassin and tracker whom Qin Xuan has a recruitment card for.]
Combined with his existing light-footed skill and assassination techniques, he would be simply the best candidate for assassination and intelligence gathering.
As for the Devil Fruit's weakness—the fear of seawater—Qin Xuan didn't care. The reason ability users in the Pirate World fear seawater is entirely because seawater contains the unique "Seastone" factor of that world.
And in this world, even if there is... Qin Xuan wasn't worried. He quickly checked the system mall.
"Devil Fruit Side Effect Removal Potion: 500,000 Emotional Value."
It was expensive, but he'd buy it when he got a truly suitable Devil Fruit for himself in the future.
[Ding, Emotional Value -1000. Congratulations to the host for obtaining one 500-year spirit ring lifespan amplification card (only for spirit rings below 1,000 years).]
"Now, my spirit ring configuration is finally, barely, acceptable."
Qin Xuan immediately applied the card to his second spirit ring. The spirit ring's lifespan, which was from a 700-year beast, instantly increased, its yellow light deepening until it stabilized at a 1,200-year-old purple.
Six spirit rings—Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black—rose from his feet.
Qin Xuan summoned his Spirit, the Changming Sword. He looked at his new, respectable spirit ring configuration with a slight sense of relief and nodded. His "simp" past was one step further behind him.
Time, minute by minute, gradually passed by the tranquil well.
Because Jing Ni's own strength and foundation (as a Qin's Moon expert) far surpassed anyone in the original Shrek cast, and she possessed a superior internal cultivation technique, it only took her one hour to complete the absorption of the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone.
A faint, jade-colored light, as clear as water, spread over her entire body. As the medicinal effect was fully released, she went from sitting cross-legged to standing upright, her hands held in a prayer-like gesture below her snow-white neck, quietly absorbing the last vestiges of the medicinal power.
After about half an hour, the jade color gradually faded into her skin. Jing Ni slowly opened her eyes.
Qin Xuan, who was now feeding A Yan a small bit of softened jerky, was surprised to find that after Jing Ni absorbed the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone, her already creamy, flawless skin became even whiter and more lustrous. It was translucent, like the finest jade.
Coupled with her delicate, doll-like face and her perfectly curvaceous figure (now returned to its pre-pregnancy state), she looked like a white jade beauty who had descended from the heavens.
"What's wrong?" Jing Ni asked, her voice soft. "Why are you suddenly looking at me like that?" She felt a little embarrassed by Qin Xuan's aggressive, appraising gaze and smiled, averting her eyes.
"Didn't you notice that your skin became even better after absorbing the Immortal Herb?" Qin Xuan smiled and stepped forward, unable to resist pinching Jing Ni's doll-like face. "If it weren't for other important matters to attend to, I'd really want to devour you right now."
This quickly drew A Yan's dissatisfaction. She babbled and spread her two chubby little hands, looking as if she wanted some attention, too. Qin Xuan laughed and gently kneaded her little face, and only then did she quiet down.
Jing Ni showed a helpless, maternal smile. She looked sideways at the massive, scaled corpse of the Medusa, the Empress of Snakes, which lay not far from the well's edge.
She sighed, "What a pity. That spirit ring's lifespan has already dissipated. Otherwise, it would have been enough to serve as my first spirit ring."
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