CHAPTER 92: The Scorpion’s Sting and Shifting Loyalties

Chapter 92: The Scorpion's Sting and Shifting Loyalties

Without hesitation, Elder Xuan made his judgment about Xiao Qiang's nature. With Elder Xuan's decision made, Yan Shaozhe didn't argue further. He simply nodded in agreement.

"What Elder Xuan said is true," Yan Shaozhe said plainly. "They forced spirit rings onto his second martial spirit before reaching rank 50. This is yet another example of the recklessness of Mingde Hall in the Sun Moon Empire."

"You should understand that the true strength of twin martial spirits lies in their timing. Only when a soul master reaches rank 80 should they begin adding spirit rings to their second spirit. At that point, they can accelerate their path to Titled Douluo, while gaining over ten powerful spirit skills—many above 50,000 years—that make twin-spirited Titled Douluo truly terrifying."

"With denser soul power and high-level soul skills that even other Titled Douluo covet, twin-spirited cultivators can rival Super Douluo. But Xiao Qiang wasted that potential. He used drugs and forced spirit rings onto his second martial spirit prematurely. The slight advantage of denser soul power granted by his twin spirits was destroyed by those shortcuts. That's all he'll ever be."

In Yan Shaozhe's eyes, Xiao Qiang might be a genius—but not by Shrek Academy's standards. First, he wasn't a Shrek-trained genius. Second, he wasn't among the best of his generation. And third, he was someone walking a path toward self-destruction. To Yan Shaozhe, Xiao Qiang had no future worth investing in.

Even though twin martial spirits were powerful, Shrek already had students with that rare gift. A self-destructive genius who fused a thousand-year soul ring with a second spirit prematurely held no appeal. Shrek had no need for him.

So, Elder Xuan and Yan Shaozhe mocked Xiao Qiang's path and laughed at Mingde Hall for wasting such a rare talent.

But just as they were chatting casually, Ling Luochen ran over in a panic.

Upon seeing Elder Xuan and Yan Shaozhe, she fell to her knees.

"Elder Xuan! Dean Yan! Please—save my grandfather!"

"What happened? What's wrong with your grandfather?" Yan Shaozhe asked, heart suddenly uneasy.

It wasn't concern for Ling Tian himself that shook him. Rather, it was the implications. Without someone like Ling Tian—an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo with an ultimate attribute—Ma Xiaotao's training couldn't be managed. Ling Luochen and Xu Sanshi weren't strong enough to suppress her condition alone.

Ma Xiaotao was Yan Shaozhe's final disciple. Her Phoenix martial spirit mirrored his own. He might ignore others, but not her.

Even Elder Xuan, who usually remained indifferent, grew tense upon hearing the news. Ma Xiaotao's potential and her connection to Shrek made this situation urgent.

"Dean Yan, Elder Xuan," Ling Luochen began breathlessly, "a soul bone from the Ice Jade Scorpion appeared in today's auction. The Xingluo Royal Family won the bid. Then the Emperor personally came to my grandfather and asked our family to join the Xingluo Empire. He wanted my grandfather to serve as the Empire's Protector of the Nation and offered the soul bone as a gift."

"The Ice Jade Scorpion soul bone was almost comparable to a hundred-thousand-year-level soul bone. My grandfather believed this was his opportunity to finally break through to Titled Douluo, so he accepted."

"But after absorbing the soul bone, something went horribly wrong. Instead of assisting his breakthrough, the soul bone began destroying his body. At first, my grandfather thought it was just the normal pain of fusion and tried to suppress it. But now, it's been three hours—and his entire arm has frozen solid. He's being consumed by the soul bone!"

Yan Shaozhe's first instinct was Ma Xiaotao.

"Let Xiao Tao help him suppress it."

"No," Ling Luochen shook her head. "I already called her, but her flames only burned my grandfather's skin. They couldn't suppress the Ice Jade Scorpion's power at all."

Elder Xuan frowned. "Didn't he sense anything wrong when the fusion began?"

It was a rhetorical question. Absorbing powerful soul bones was always painful. But the more painful the fusion, the greater the reward. Many soul masters endured agony for a shot at tremendous power.

Ling Tian had misjudged. He thought the soul bone's resistance was his opportunity to break through. But the Ice Jade Scorpion's unique traits made the pain relentless. What he assumed was a chance at ascension had become a death sentence.

When Ling Tian finally realized something was wrong, he called for help. The students from Shrek responded first. Ma Xiaotao tried to use her flames, but they worsened his condition. With no other option, Ling Luochen had come for Elder Xuan and Dean Yan.

But even with both of them present, they were helpless.

Asking another Titled Douluo to forcibly extract the soul bone was out of the question. Even if the Xingluo Empire had an ice-attribute Titled Douluo willing to help, they wouldn't want to lose such a treasure.

And even if someone of that level existed, no one would dare absorb a soul bone already corrupted by such instability.

"Dean Yan, Elder Xuan, please—you two have the ten core theories of martial spirits, right? Use that knowledge to come up with a solution!" Ling Luochen pleaded in desperation.

But neither Elder Xuan nor Yan Shaozhe responded. They both knew the truth.

The so-called ten core theories were a patchwork of flawed or impractical concepts—either misleading or already widely known by experienced soul masters. If those theories were truly reliable, Yu Xiaogang wouldn't have been expelled from his own clan.

Helpless, Elder Xuan and Yan Shaozhe racked their brains—but reached the same conclusion: there was no solution.

Ling Tian wasn't a Titled Douluo. He couldn't amputate his arm and survive. Only someone at the Title level could safely remove a fused soul bone and live. For a Soul Douluo, doing so meant death either way.

And so, Ling Tian's screams echoed throughout the day.

Then… silence.

The Ice Jade Scorpion soul bone had devoured him.

All Ling Luochen could do was collect the corrupted soul bone and use Shrek Academy's prestige to pressure the Xingluo Empire for an explanation.

The cost was high: Shrek offended the Xingluo Empire, lost an ally, and gained nothing from the conflict. And that soul bone… no one could use it.

In the palace of the Xingluo Empire, Emperor Xu Jiawei held his head in frustration.

Their already limited resources had been squandered. The situation had only worsened.

"I'm sorry, Brother," Xu Jiujiu knelt before her brother in shame. "I never imagined even a Soul Douluo couldn't absorb that Ice Jade Scorpion soul bone…"

"It's not your fault," Xu Jiawei said with a sigh. "Who would've thought that soul bone was cursed? If I had known, I would've let the Sun Moon Empire win the bid. Let them suffer the consequences."

But then, a cold glint flashed in the emperor's eyes.

"No… That's exactly what we'll do. We can't be the only ones to suffer. Jiujiu, prepare a gift for Shrek Academy. Something valuable. Make sure this incident doesn't spread. That soul bone—"

He paused, then finished coldly, "—will be our weapon. Let's see if the Sun Moon Empire dares to absorb it."