Douluo Continent: On Becoming a God Through Science

Chapter 172 Old Friends Reunite, Master and Disciple Reunite

Therefore, this time, You Chen followed the same style as before, only maintaining his mental energy within a few meters around himself, and mainly using his five senses to collect information.

Compared to his last visit, You Chen's physical abilities have reached a completely superhuman level.

The phrase "hearing in all directions and seeing in all directions" refers to something that can be done literally.

Before long, one of his starlight avatars had found a target.

"Devan, it's been a while, what happened to you?"

You Chen leaned against the windowsill of Diwan's house, looking at Diwan's somewhat dejected expression, and couldn't help but tease him.

Divan was startled at first, then looked up abruptly, rubbing his eyes with some suspicion: "You... You Chen? You didn't go get that plastic surgery you told me about, did you?"

You Chen has a clear understanding of his current appearance; it is a divine beauty that can turn men into men and turn enemies into friends.

Seeing Devan's surprised expression, he smiled slightly: "The real deal."

"It's not just your appearance that has evolved, your aura is truly different too."

Diwan sized up You Chen for a while, then couldn't help but click his tongue in admiration: "I knew you were a repressed pervert, and now that I see it, I'm sure of it."

You Chen, who was striking a pose, suddenly darkened his expression and quickly changed the subject: "You still haven't told me, my bro, what happened to you? You look so pathetic?"

He glanced at Divan's residence and said, "This run-down place doesn't suit your status at all."

"It's all because of you, you brat!"

Upon hearing this, Divan rolled his eyes.

"I?"

You Chen nodded as if he understood, and it seemed that he wasn't completely clueless.

Diwan didn't think You Chen was putting on an act. Years of interaction had made him familiar with and aware of his old friend's keen insight and terrifying analytical ability.

After he said those words, You Chen may have already listed many possibilities in his mind and made a guess that was closest to the truth.

However, in order to save some unnecessary communication time, Divan still told the truth directly.

"Although it may not necessarily be related to my current situation, let me start from the beginning. It was about five or six years ago, a few months after you left Wuhun City. I remember that day I was cultivating peacefully when the Wuhun City enforcement team suddenly barged in, saying that I was suspected of murdering an executive officer named Bai Hu. They took me away and questioned me about my whereabouts during that period, and... whether I had any contact with you during that time."

Diwan glanced at You Chen and said, "I immediately thought it was you."

Expanding on this statement, it becomes, "I immediately thought of you as the murderer."

You Chen did not refute this.

I just found it a bit strange.

He had assumed that Bibi Dong had not conducted any investigation into Bai Hu's death, but he was surprised to find that this was not the case.

It seems that Bibi Dong doesn't think he could have such abilities at all, so she directly suspects his old friend.

You Chen said with near certainty, "So, you're not the only one who was taken in for questioning, right?"

Divan's attitude towards You Chen was practically an admission that Bai Hu was murdered. Seeing that You Chen had guessed the follow-up immediately, he gave You Chen a "as expected of you" look and sighed, "Keenekis and Orger, these are the only two I know well. As for the rest, I heard that some of your friends from your student days were also involved. However... it was just normal questioning, and there was no real harm done."

Even so, You Chen's gaze turned slightly cold.

It's obvious without even thinking that this must have been the result of Bibi Dong's order.

My friends from my student days were naturally Ye Han, Jiang Liu, and others.

As for Kennekis and Orge, these two are the two strongest among the people that You Chen once "invested" in and still maintains contact with, as mentioned before.

Eagle King Devan, Lion King Kennekis, Wolf King Org... even in Contra, they are all renowned powerhouses.

Seeing You Chen's undisguised emotions and sharp, assertive demeanor, Diwan couldn't help but laugh and said, "You really are different now! You Chen, I've always believed that you are the hidden dragon lurking in the abyss! Now, even the slightest aura you exude makes me tremble! Just how strong have you become in these few short years!?"

You Chen immediately suppressed the trace of his aura that had been leaking out, raised an eyebrow and smiled: "A Title Douluo can be destroyed with a flick of the finger."

Divan's pupils contracted, and he opened his mouth, still incredulous even as he tried to think the best of a scenario: "You're kidding me, right?"

You Chen didn't explain, but pressed on, "And then? If it were just about the white swan, you shouldn't have ended up in this mess, right?"

You Chen changed the subject, and Diwan, knowing the priorities, didn't press further. He nodded and said, "Although traveling has become a bit more troublesome because of that person's suspicion, I never really cared about the power of the Spirit Hall, nor did I take up any of those positions, so there's not much of a loss. It's just... His Holiness the Pope seems to have become somewhat unstable after that incident."

You know, while I'm a free spirit, Kenneth and Horta are different. One's in the Enforcement Department, the other in the Execution Department, and both hold high-ranking positions. The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. Although they've been cleared of suspicion, it seems His Holiness the Pope isn't satisfied with the outcome, so they've naturally become the scapegoats, facing heavy repercussions. I'm just doing my part to vent their anger…”

"And then they found a weakness in you?"

You Chen rolled his eyes: "What does that have to do with me? Isn't this your own problem?"

As he said this, You Chen secretly made a note for Bibi Dong in his little notebook.

In order not to implicate his old friends, You Chen never used the three men's intelligence network when carrying out assassination missions. But he didn't expect that even so, he would still be affected.

He could imagine that the terrible treatment they had received was far worse than they made it out to be.

Divan didn't mention it, but You Chen guessed that it was probably because his departure from Notting City had made Bibi Dong more inclined to believe he was connected to a Heavenly-level assassin. Otherwise, with such a long interval, so many things to do, and the need to contend with the influence of the Rakshasa God's power on her mind, it would have been difficult for her to recall these people who were just insignificant to her.

Diwan looked at You Chen with a deep gaze: "The fact that she would send people to target us is inextricably linked to you, isn't it? At the very least... the cause of this matter cannot be said to be unrelated to the Bai Hu incident five or six years ago."

As he spoke, Divan narrowed his eyes and suddenly grinned, "And, You Chen, if I'm not mistaken, that 'Heavenly-level Assassin' is you, right? You drove His Holiness the Pope insane, and you still say the suffering we brothers endured has nothing to do with you?"

You Chen did not show any surprise.

Combining the trace of aura he had just leaked, his own words that "a Title Douluo can be destroyed with a flick of the finger," and the familiarity the Heavenly-level assassin showed with Martial Soul City, everything pointed to this answer.

Others might not have thought of this, but Diwan had great confidence in You Chen and had deduced from Bai Hu's death that You Chen's strength had made great progress. It was not surprising that he could come to this conclusion.

"Devan, join my organization?"

You Chen extended his hand to Diwan, his tone sincere, "That's the organization I founded, called the 'Beast Soul Alliance.' I need your power."

"Do you want me to betray the Spirit Hall?" Divan asked in a deep voice.

You Chen knew that Diwan was taking this question very seriously.

Just as You Chen had a deep affection for the Spirit Hall, Divan also regarded the Spirit Hall as his home and place of belonging.

Even if it has many bad aspects, and even if he suffers from pressure and persecution from those in power while living here, this point will not change.

There are many, many people like Divan in the Spirit Hall.

Those deeply rooted clans of the Spirit Hall are only a very small part; the majority are orphans who were adopted by the Spirit Hall from a young age.

They were born here and grew up here.

This is their country.

Why did countless members of the Spirit Hall respond immediately when Bibi Dong raised her arms and established an empire?

Bibi Dong's prestige as pope was only one factor; more importantly, they had this understanding in their hearts.

So You Chen shook his head: "This is not betrayal."

You Chen's expression was resolute, his tone unwavering, as if he were completely convinced that what he said was the truth: "The Spirit Hall is now corrupt. In the hands of Bibi Dong, who inherited the position of the Evil God, the Spirit Hall is destined for destruction. Diwan… we are saving the Spirit Hall!"

You Chen naturally knew what Diwan was thinking.

It's like if your childhood friend who has been abroad for many years suddenly comes back to China and says he wants to drag you into betraying the country. His first reaction is definitely not to agree, but to dissuade you. If he has a strong sense of patriotism, he might even choose to report you!

Therefore, You Chen must tell Diwan that he did not betray him.

It wasn't because Devan's current power was so necessary to him, but because he didn't want to lose this old friend.

If Jiang Liu is You Chen's old classmate and Ye Han is You Chen's acquaintance and friend, then Diwan and the others who have always stood by him and helped him are You Chen's true friends!

"An evil god? What are you talking about?"

For a Soul Master of Divan's level, the word "god" was no longer entirely a legend, but it was still a powerful and awe-inspiring concept.

You Chen said calmly, "The realm of gods is no longer a vague illusion for me now. So-called gods are nothing more than more powerful soul masters. But that's not the point I want to make today. You shouldn't have forgotten that the previous Pope, Qian Xunji, was killed by Haotian Douluo Tang Hao, right?"

Divan's face darkened, and he nodded: "That is a disgrace to the Spirit Hall."

Most members of the Spirit Hall could not possibly have a favorable impression of Tang Hao.

They had no idea what foolish things Qian Xunji had done; to them, the Pope was no different from a national leader.

And who killed the national leader? Terrorists, of course.

Aside from certain rebellious nations, which country would have people who feel good about these terrorists?

Divan raised an eyebrow: "You mean, there's more to this than meets the eye?"

You Chen nodded and recounted the events of that year: "Qian Xunji clashed with Tang Hao because he was hunting a 100,000-year soul ring for Bibi Dong. That 100,000-year soul beast was Tang Hao's wife, whose true form was a Blue Silver Emperor. And now, the body of this Blue Silver Emperor after its sacrifice is in my hands."

Divan was shocked again; this was the umpteenth time he had been shocked today.

"You Chen, how do you know all this so clearly? Doesn't that mean...?"

"I already know where Tang Hao is. But that's not the point. The point is that I previously advised Qian Xunji not to be misled by Bibi Dong and risk becoming an enemy of the Clear Sky Sect to hunt that 100,000-year-old soul beast. I had already convinced him, but you know what happened next."

Divan frowned, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes: "You mean, the current Pope plotted and schemed to cause the death of the previous Pope. But why was he persuaded by Bibi Dong? I believe you, You Chen, with your persuasive skills, if you've already convinced him, why would he agree to Bibi Dong's request?"

"Because of guilt."

"Guilt?"

"What I'm about to say involves the biggest scandal in the Spirit Hall's history. Once you find out, there's no going back."

Upon hearing this, Diwan sighed softly, "You Chen, you've already brought this up, do I still have the option not to listen?"

Upon hearing this, You Chen couldn't help but smile slightly, but he quickly suppressed his smile and said seriously, "Because Bibi Dong fell in love with Yu Xiaogang, a good-for-nothing from the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex family, Qian Xunji raped her in order to keep Bibi Dong and forced her to give birth to a daughter. Her name is Qian Renxue, and she is my first true disciple."

Divan's eyes flickered, and after a long silence, he smiled bitterly and said, "So, those rumors were actually pieced together from fragments of the truth? But if that's the case, then everything is clear. I've always wondered why mere slander and rumors could cause the Pope to seem to have mental problems. If it wasn't anger caused by the rumors, but rather by the pain of the facts, then everything makes perfect sense."

Seeing Diwan's wise expression, as if he had finally seen through the truth, You Chen continued to drop a bombshell: "In fact, Tang Hao didn't kill Qian Xunji at all; that's just what the Spirit Hall says. Even your own assumption that he died from severe injuries is wrong. The truth is that Bibi Dong took advantage of Qian Xunji's serious injuries and killed him directly. By killing a Title Douluo with an Angel Spirit, she activated the divine trial of a god who is hostile to the Angel God. However, you can imagine the nature of this god. Because of her connection with him, coupled with the hatred of being raped and forced to have a child, Bibi Dong naturally became increasingly insane. The incident that caused countless people in Spirit City to faint that day was precisely a phenomenon of his divine power going out of control."

You Chen wouldn't have directly associated it with divine power in the past, but now that he has studied divine power for so long, it's not hard for him to figure out the truth.

This finally shocked Divan once again.

However, he couldn't help but feel puzzled. He stared intently at You Chen and said, "What you said does make sense, but the biggest problem is... You Chen, where did you get this information? Your knowledge is far too detailed!"

I can't give an explanation.

You Chen didn't hide anything; he simply said earnestly, "You can even take everything I say as mere imagination and speculation, or you can think I just want to usurp Bibi Dong's position—that's not a problem. If one day you feel that what I'm about to do will destroy the Spirit Hall, you can also leave my organization, or... turn around and stop me."

With things said to this extent, what else could Divan do?

He sighed, took You Chen's hand, and said helplessly, "Anyway, I can't beat you now. You have bigger fists, so you're right."

But after accepting this fact, his expression quickly calmed down, and he asked, "Since you invited me, what about the other two? I know you wouldn't leave them out, would you?"

You Chen smiled silently, and a flash of starlight appeared on his body, instantly creating an identical avatar.

Divan looked at it from left to right, but couldn't tell the difference, and could only say one thing...

"You're awesome."

Of the three Beast Kings, if Divan is dashing, then Kennekis is the most arrogant and intolerant of injustice, while Org is the most loyal and grateful for Youchen's kindness, regarding Youchen as his most important benefactor.

So Kennekis joined the law enforcement department, while Olger joined the executive department, which often required him to go down to the grassroots level. Essentially, one was a special agent, and the other a city official.

Needless to say, Olger...

You Chen is basically someone who will grant any request you make.

If it weren't for Divan's ability to fly, which made things much easier, You Chen would probably have delegated a large portion of the tasks he entrusted to Divan to Orger.

"Since you need my help, I will do my best."

Orge, the handsome and aloof but actually kind-hearted black-haired man, accepted You Chen's invitation immediately, as always.

However, as for Kennekis... You Chen knew from the beginning that inviting this guy wouldn't be as smooth as inviting the other two.

This guy, to put it nicely, is arrogant; to put it bluntly, he's self-centered.

If Olger is a loyal dog who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and Divan is a carefree and easygoing friend, then both loyal subjects and friends can be used and leveraged. But Kenneth is different.

Kenneth was a meritocrat who always looked down on the weak.

Even if she is grateful for You Chen's guidance, she will never obey You Chen's orders or accept his commands.

On the other hand, when You Chen is in danger or is slandered, this guy will take the initiative to stand up for You Chen.

The three have different personalities, but they all have a deep affection for You Chen.

Given Kenneth's personality, You Chen initially thought that, based on his understanding of him, it wouldn't be difficult to complete the invitation after he displayed overwhelming strength.

However, the reason for the failure was not due to a lack of ability, but rather to Kennekis's intolerant personality.

"You say the Pope will harm the Spirit Hall? Where's the evidence? Hmph! You Chen, you're really getting worse as you get older! In my opinion, how can your own rumors be considered evidence? If I weren't weaker than you, I would arrest you right now!"

This tall man with thick, wild red hair like a lion's mane, a rugged and majestic face, and a strong physique, even managed to show disdain and make sarcastic remarks towards You Chen under You Chen's imposing presence.

Despite clearly saying they couldn't win, they were still confident and assertive, showing no weakness in their demeanor.

Seeing that Kenneth was completely unmoved, You Chen rubbed his forehead with a headache, having already made up his mind.

……

Meanwhile, You Chen had two other clones left, one of which had already completed the "Mermaid Guardian" mark on Hu Liena.

The other one quietly hypnotized Yan, who was in training, and led him to a corner where he could avoid being seen by others.

Snapped.

You Chen snapped his fingers, and Yan woke up instantly.

His first reaction was to be wary and alert, but upon noticing the face and aura of the person in front of him, his expression instantly lit up with surprise, and he exclaimed, "Teacher!? What are you doing here? Am I dreaming?"

"Of course not. Yan, I came here specifically to see you."

You Chen smiled and rubbed Yan's head.

Although this was specially divided into five parts, can you say that he didn't come specifically to find his good apprentice?

Therefore, You Chen spoke these words frankly and openly.

Yan was deeply moved upon hearing this. Although it had been five or six years since they last met and he had grown into a strong young man, he was still on the verge of tears.

"Teacher, I haven't received a reply from you since the second letter! I even took leave to go to Nottingham to look for you, only to find that you've been gone for a very, very long time! Teacher, I really miss you! And..."

Yan rambled on and on, rambling incoherently, while You Chen simply listened to him with a silent smile.

After a while, Yan finally finished venting his emotions and asked with intense curiosity, "Teacher, where have you been all this time? Why are you suddenly here again?"

You Chen shook his head and said in a gentle but undeniable tone, "Yan, it's not that I don't want to see you, but that I can't. Even appearing here today was a huge risk. Although you're not particularly intelligent, you're not truly stupid either. Perhaps you've already guessed and thought about it in your heart?"

In fact, I've always had conflicts with the existing system of the Spirit Hall. The current Pope, Bibi Dong, has been targeting and suppressing me at every turn for some reason. It's safe to say that a conflict between us is inevitable... You don't need to give me an answer now. If you intend to side with me, give me your answer when we meet again on the day of the Spirit Master Competition.”

"Teacher—" Yan's eyes widened, the sheer volume of information causing his brain to malfunction.

You Chen didn't give Yan time to regain his normal thinking ability. He directly tossed Yan a storage ring and said, "Inside is a celestial herb I specially selected for you, called the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower. It can greatly improve your aptitude and control over flames. I've confirmed that no one will notice here for a while, so you can digest and absorb it here. Cultivate well. No matter what, no matter what choice you make, you will always be my disciple."

"teacher!!!"

Yan reached out to try to stop him, but in the end he only managed to grab the ring. You Chen himself was just an avatar, and he immediately turned into starlight and vanished.

"I have so much more to say to you..."

(End of this chapter)