NOVEL NEXT Chapter 176: Chapter 176: A Sentence That Silenced Four People
Chapter 176: A Sentence That Silenced Four People
The Spirit Hall had very few Platinum Bishops, as they were the individuals closest to achieving the rank of Titled Douluo.
To qualify as a Platinum Bishop, one needed to reach the Soul Douluo level of cultivation, possess significant contributions, and have extensive seniority within the Spirit Hall. While their cultivation level was comparable to that of Red-robed Bishops, their authority far exceeded the latter's.
Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, having lost their stipends, were now struggling to make ends meet. Tang San's situation was marginally better—after joining Heaven Dou Royal Academy, he no longer had to worry about food or basic cultivation resources.
Yu Xiaogang, however, was merely a temporary lodger at the academy and was already struggling to afford meals.
To make matters worse, the resources provided by the academy were clearly insufficient for Tang San's ambitious cultivation goals. He required a considerable amount of gold soul coins to purchase additional resources for his training.
These resources included pills, medicinal baths, soul-power-infused food, spirit rings, spirit bones, materials from spirit beasts, and simulated training environments.
Among these, spirit rings and spirit bones were the most critical, followed by items like pills, medicinal baths, and specialized food.
An academy's strength was primarily judged by its high-end combat capabilities (its teaching staff) and its ability to help students hunt suitable spirit beasts. Secondary considerations included simulated training environments and the quality of cultivation materials, such as medicinal baths or soul-power-infused food.
Only academies excelling in both areas could be considered elite institutions.
Academies like the former Shrek Academy, which had excellent teaching staff but lacked cultivation resources, were merely "three-nos" schools (no resources, no funding, no reputation)—barely comparable to other wilderness institutions.
In contrast, Heaven Dou Royal Academy was the premier institution of the Heaven Dou Empire. With three Soul Douluos among its staff and an abundance of cultivation resources, it stood as the pinnacle of education in the empire.
Yet despite these advantages, both Tang San and Yu Xiaogang were in dire need of gold soul coins. The two exchanged helpless glances, their frustration palpable but futile.
Yu Xiaogang had a hunch about the cause of their predicament: Bibi Dong. Her actions seemed to be a personal vendetta against him, which had unintentionally implicated Tang San. Of course, Yu Xiaogang would never admit this—it was all Bibi Dong's and the Spirit Hall's fault in his eyes.
But as the "child of destiny," Tang San was not one to be deterred by something as trivial as gold soul coins.
Forging weapons for income proved too slow and inefficient. The effort involved yielded meager results.
Finally, Tang San decided to sell some of his less potent hidden weapons.
After some deliberation, he chose to auction off his Scattered Hand Hidden Needles (Sanshou Hidden Needles).
These were less powerful tools compared to some of his other creations, such as the Zhuge Divine Crossbow, which he would never consider selling. Tang San had previously traded a blueprint and a single finished crossbow for rare spirit crystals, but that was the extent of his dealings involving powerful hidden weapons.
"Teacher, the appraisers have set the starting bid for the Scattered Hand Hidden Needles at 1,000 gold soul coins. As long as it doesn't fail to sell, it should sustain us for some time," Tang San said respectfully to Yu Xiaogang.
Had their circumstances not been so dire, Tang San would never have resorted to trading his hidden weapons.
"Sigh..."
Yu Xiaogang let out a long sigh. He couldn't understand why Bibi Dong had suddenly turned on him. For over two decades, she had refrained from taking any action against him.
Her sudden hostility had caught him entirely off guard.
"You've worked hard," Yu Xiaogang said, patting Tang San on the shoulder.
With no income and unable to continue freeloading at the academy, Yu Xiaogang now relied entirely on Tang San.
If he hadn't already burned bridges with Liu Erlong, he might have been able to stay at the Blue Tyrant Academy for a while longer. However, after Liu Erlong discovered the truth about their past, the fact that she hadn't killed him outright was already a concession to his father, Yu Yuanzhen.
Flender's decision not to intervene was also a gesture of respect for Yu Yuanzhen. Despite Yu Xiaogang's flaws, he remained Yu Yuanzhen's son, and any action against him required careful consideration.
Hearing Yu Xiaogang's words, Tang San waved them off with a neutral expression before shifting his attention to the auction house.
This was his first time in such a place, and the opulence left him both awestruck and envious. However, the attitude of the staff dampened his enthusiasm.
What, just because we're in the white section, we're not considered guests?
The staff didn't even bother to offer them professional smiles. Their indifference made it abundantly clear: in the white section, even "distinguished" guests like Tang San and Yu Xiaogang were treated as second-class citizens.
The attitudes of the staff towards guests in the yellow, purple, and black sections were completely different—far more attentive and respectful.
But wait... even some guests in the white section seemed to have personal attendants!
Why was it that when the usher had brought Tang San and Yu Xiaogang to their seats, she'd left immediately without providing further service? Was the discrimination really this blatant?
Tang San's gaze drifted towards Ning Fengzhi and Kong's group, suspicion creeping into his mind.
That blond-haired one… he seems familiar.
As their eyes met, Kong felt a laugh bubbling up but suppressed it, keeping his face neutral. He had overheard the conversation between Tang San and Yu Xiaogang—it wasn't far, after all.
To think that this pair of teacher and student were worried about something as trivial as gold soul coins!
A Soul Elder and a Grandmaster-level Soul Master, who together could earn 110 gold soul coins per month from their stipends—how was that not enough for their expenses?
Kong, however, was unaware that the Spirit Hall had unilaterally expelled both Tang San and Yu Xiaogang from their registry and revoked their stipends. Every branch of the Spirit Hall had been notified, ensuring they couldn't receive a single gold soul coin from any Spirit Hall institution.
Still wearing his eye-mask, Tang San froze as a sudden realization struck him. A shiver ran down his spine.
Good heavens, isn't that Kong?
Even if Kong turned to ashes, Tang San would recognize him.
What's he doing here? And who is the person beside him?
As Tang San's presumed rival, Kong naturally drew his attention. Tang San couldn't help but be curious about Kong's companions and the changes in his circumstances.
Despite wracking his brain, Tang San couldn't figure it out—he had never met Chen Xin or Ning Fengzhi before.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang stood to the side, his expression contemplative as he looked at Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Kong. He recognized their identities but chose to remain silent.
"Dear nephew, is that someone you know?" Ning Fengzhi asked calmly. With his Soul Sage-level cultivation (rank 79), it was impossible for Tang San's or Yu Xiaogang's stares to escape his notice.
Chen Xin also sensed their attention but remained silent, sitting quietly next to Ning Fengzhi.
"Familiar, but not close."
Kong chuckled and then added, "That's Tang San, the son of Tang Hao, the Clear Sky Douluo."
"As for the other person, he's Tang San's teacher. I'm not sure of his identity beyond that."
Tang San, Yu Xiaogang: "..."
Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin: "..."
Hearing this, of the five "notable" individuals present, only Ei remained entirely unmoved, as though this had nothing to do with her.
The other four fell into silence.
Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin were utterly shocked. They had personally witnessed Kong killing Tang Hao, and yet here was Tang Hao's son!
Yu Xiaogang's eye twitched. Though he had chosen not to reveal his identity, Kong's casual dismissal of him as just "Tang San's teacher" felt deeply disrespectful.
If I didn't say it myself, can't you at least do your research?
(End of Chapter)
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