Douluo Dalu: From Shinobi to Spirit Master

"Ignorant, incompetent, pitiful, and pathetic man."

Does the Yu Xiaogang I know deserve any of these words?

The boy's answer completely caught Bibi Dong off guard.

That man, the one who was called the most devoted to martial arts study, whose theories were well-known in the martial arts world, came from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the three upper sects. While he was often underestimated, he had still earned the family's favor and enjoyed its benefits.

Otherwise, what qualification did someone who couldn't even break through level 30 have to come to the Spirit Hall to meet her?

And now, after leaving her, he had instantly become involved with his cousin and traveled across the continent with his friends, earning a great reputation.

It could only be described as exceedingly carefree, unmatched in its grandeur.

"Well..."

Although the boy's words secretly pleased her, Bibi Dong still needed to face the truth.

Despite her lingering resentment toward the grandmaster, setting personal feelings aside, Bibi Dong couldn't deny her admiration for his theoretical prowess. After all, she herself had benefited greatly from his theories.

It was precisely because of this that she had once harbored feelings for a man with no promising future.

If Su Chen was truly determined to study it, she would have to show him the master's research.

"Little one, Yu Xiaogang's research is quite remarkable. Though I don't want you to follow martial arts theory, there's no one in the martial arts world who knows it better than him."

Bibi Dong sighed in a rare moment of loneliness.

"If you're still interested in, um, the laboratory, I'll give you his notes."

Her words were a mix of indifference and subtle hope.

Su Chen was different from his peers. He was thoughtful, mature, and unwavering. Once someone like him made up his mind, others couldn't easily change it.

It seemed that she would have to wait and slowly change his mind in the future.

Bibi Dong thought to herself.

But what took the Pope by surprise was that the young man smiled slightly, not answering her directly. Instead, he posed a question.

"Your Holiness the Pope, what do you think of my soul skills?"

Huh?

What does this little guy intend to express?

There was doubt in her heart, but Bibi Dong quickly gave her answer.

"Exquisite, exquisite, perfect."

The youngest titled Douluo in history had given a glowing evaluation.

But the Pope was convinced that the boy was fully capable of handling his first soul ring and soul skill. Whether it was the magical escape soul skill, the speed-boosting soul skill, or even the blue light orb that temporarily increased his strength, they all proved the young man's extraordinary nature.

As she thought about this, a wave of jealousy washed over Bibi Dong. Despite having a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, she didn't possess such diverse abilities.

"Then what if I say..."

A mysterious smile tugged at the young man's lips. Chakra surged through him, and his purple soul ring glowed with an intense light. His tyrannical aura erupted instantly, and translucent white energy surrounded him, rising.

The Dragon Armor!

Without the cover of the Eight Gates Dunjia's energy, this enhanced soul skill revealed its true form for the first time.

"Is this the only soul skill I have?"

As Bibi Dong wondered why Su Chen released his soul skill, she was momentarily stunned. Her beautiful eyes widened, and she stood up suddenly, her gaze fixed on the young man in disbelief.

"What did you say?"

The young man coughed awkwardly and waved his hand to dismiss the Dragon Armor. "As you can see, this is the only soul skill I've ever had."

That made sense.

After all, there should only be one soul skill for a thousand-year soul ring.

But the problem was, the boy had shown more than just one ability!

"So these aren't soul skills... they're..."

Bibi Dong, her mouth looking as though it could hold a cherry, stared at the boy in shock, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

"Yes," Su Chen nodded, taking a deep breath as he activated his chakra.

Buzz!

In an instant, the boy shot ten meters away.

"This move is called the Body Flicker Technique."

Boom!

Smoke rose, and a stone replaced the boy's previous position. He had moved to the right.

"This trick is called the Substitution Technique."

Boom!

The air around him erupted violently, and the plants in the yard quivered as if caught in a sudden storm. The young man was enveloped in a powerful green aura, his hair standing on end, and his body radiated a faint red glow.

"This technique is called the Eight Gates Technique."

With a swift motion, he formed a rapidly rotating blue sphere of light in his hand. The swirling energy produced a soft yet distinct hum, vibrating in the air.

"This," he said calmly, "is called the Rasengan. I believe Your Majesty the Pope is already familiar with it."

Bibi Dong nodded absentmindedly, her mind still processing the implications of his words, but in the next instant, her wine-red eyes widened in shock.

The young man took a deep breath and formed three unusual hand seals.

Boar-Snake-Ram.

With a loud pop, smoke erupted once more. This time, however, it wasn't a stone or a flower that appeared, but a figure—exactly like Su Chen—emerged beside him.

"This is the Clone Technique," he explained nonchalantly.

Bibi Dong stood frozen, staring at the clone, her eyes widening as the figure's aura was indistinguishable from Su Chen's own. Her shock was palpable.

She had witnessed soul skills involving illusions and clones before, but they were usually of higher levels, and the differences from the original body were always noticeable. But this clone, this mere illusion of Su Chen, was perfect in every way—its energy fluctuations and presence were identical to his own.

"That's right," Su Chen continued, his tone as casual as ever. "This is the result of my research. It is a self-created soul skill of my own."

Self-created soul skills?

Bibi Dong was momentarily speechless, the sheer audacity of his claim overwhelming her. Her mind raced as she tried to comprehend what she had just heard.

"How could this be? How could a self-created soul skill be so powerful?" she murmured, almost to herself.

Bibi Dong paused, regaining some of her composure. She had heard of the power of the Haotian Sect's Chaotic Cloak Hammering Technique, but that was the result of generations of refinement and collaboration. Yet here was a six-year-old child—one who had developed such terrifying soul skills on his own.

If Su Chen's origins weren't so mysterious, she would have suspected that some ancient monster had taken residence in his body.

"Your Majesty the Pope," Su Chen asked, his voice steady, "have you ever fully understood your body and martial soul?"

Bibi Dong blinked, her thoughts momentarily derailed by the question. She had never been asked such a thing before.

"I've studied it," she answered slowly, "there are over 130 trillion cells in the human body that provide energy. The eight extraordinary meridians help absorb and transform soul power. This power is stored in the Dantian and then absorbed by the martial soul, allowing soul rings to circulate."

Su Chen's gaze turned piercing as he continued, his voice filled with purpose.

"And here lies the problem. Does the grandmaster know the shortest and most efficient route for soul power absorption? Does he understand how to use soul power for more than just releasing soul skills?"

Bibi Dong felt a shiver run down her spine at his words. The young man before her was speaking with such confidence, such clarity, that it was impossible to dismiss his insight.

At that moment, she could almost see a towering figure within his small frame, someone far beyond what she had expected.

"Theory is important," Su Chen continued, his voice steady, "but without practice, theory is just a castle in the air. These are the results of my preliminary research. So, does the grandmaster have such results?"

Bibi Dong was left speechless. She had intended to defend the master, but her words died in her throat.

She finally understood why Su Chen looked down on the master. What he had shown her was too impressive. His research, his understanding, was profound and applied. It was clear that Su Chen had already formed his own style, a style that had been put into practice for years.

Bibi Dong's thoughts drifted back to when she first came across Su Chen's data—she had once assumed it was just a child's play, but now...

Her train of thought was interrupted, and suddenly, a terrifying realization struck her.

If these are the results of a child's research, does that mean these techniques can be replicated?

A new sense of urgency gripped her as she imagined her own followers learning the Body Flicker Technique, the Clone Technique, the Substitution Technique, the Rasengan, and even the Eight Gates.

Her breath quickened, and her crimson eyes burned with intensity as she stared at Su Chen, as if seeing a rare and valuable treasure.

It seemed that Su Chen had successfully piqued her interest.

The young man couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. Seeing the Pope's eyes gleam with such intensity, he allowed himself a brief smile.

Well, well… I never thought I'd see the Pope so eager.