Meanwhile...
As for the fake reincarnator Tang Hao—after crippling Tang Xiao and abducting Ah Yin to a quiet place—he still couldn't bring himself to do what Qian Xuanji did.
A sliver of affection for Ah Yin still lingered in his heart.
Ah Yin, however, loathed Tang Hao. But when she realized that he still held feelings for her, she began to respond just enough to keep his hopes alive—bit by bit, she lulled him into dropping his guard.
Eventually, her opportunity came. Tang Hao was about to break through to the Contra level and needed to obtain his eighth spirit ring.
"Ah Yin, I'll be gone for a while," he said. Still distrustful, he sealed Ah Yin's spirit power before locking her in a room. Using a tone of guilt, he said, "Wait for me. I'll be back soon."
And then, he left.
But Ah Yin was not one to sit and wait for death. Although her spirit power was sealed, she was the Blue Silver Empress. She began to command the surrounding Blue Silver Grass with her mind, weaving vines to pry open the door and escape.
"Brother Xiao, wait for me. I'm coming to find you. I'm sorry—it's my fault. If it weren't for me, that beast Tang Hao wouldn't have hurt you so terribly. When I return, I'll command the Blue Silver King to sacrifice itself to save you. With its vast life force, you should recover." With sorrow in her heart, Ah Yin fled the house and quickly ran off.
Without support from his sect, Tang Hao could only hunt down a 60,000-year-old Titan Giant Ape as his eighth ring.
Though not ideal, he had no choice but to make do.
Anyway, most of his strength came from the Haotian Secret Technique and the protection of the Asura God.
After two hours, he finished absorbing the spirit ring and stood up, not even bothering to test the new spirit skill—after all, he was a man who had once reached the divine realm.
Now, he began to plan his next move.
According to the previous timeline, he would unite with Ah Yin and give birth to Tang San. But after Tang San's birth, Ah Yin's soul beast aura would leak, leading to a Spirit Hall pursuit. With no way out, Ah Yin would sacrifice herself to save him, giving him her spirit ring and bone. Enraged, he would then rise up, kill one Spirit Hall Titled Douluo, severely wound another, and critically injure the then-Pope Qian Xuanji.
Though it was later revealed that Bibi Dong killed Qian Xuanji, the reputation of "Pope Slayer" had stayed with Tang Hao for a long time and helped build his fame.
Thinking of this, he looked to where his ninth ring would eventually go. Having grown used to divine power, how could he settle for mediocrity?
Tang Hao sighed. "Sorry, Ah Yin. You'll have to suffer for a bit longer. But don't worry—our separation is only temporary. Once Tang San becomes a god, we'll meet again."
God Realm – Asura Temple
Tang Hao had no idea that Ah Yin had already escaped. But from Asura's perspective, everything was clear.
"What a foolish piece of trash. He can't even keep an eye on his own woman," the Asura God sneered at Tang Hao's delusional confidence.
"If Tang Xiao, my plan B, weren't already ruined, I wouldn't have had to use you as my precious one's father." With that, the Asura God flicked his finger, sending a spark of divine light down to the mortal realm.
Mortal Realm
Tang Hao suddenly jolted, his eyes flashing blood red.
"Ah Yin—!"
Just now, he had received a divine message—Ah Yin had escaped.
"Why, Ah Yin? I thought our relationship was finally normalizing. Why would you run away?" Tang Hao shouted in pain. "Could it be… you still care for Tang Xiao?"
He gripped the Haotian Hammer and charged in the direction the divine message pointed.
Ah Yin darted through the forest, using energy borrowed from the Blue Silver Grass to break through the soul power blockade set by Tang Hao, bit by bit.
She had no idea how long she had been running; the place where she was once imprisoned was now far behind her.
"This far... Tang Hao shouldn't be able to catch up," Ah Yin thought, then muttered, "Next, I should go find Brother Xiao... but..."
Thinking of how Brother Xiao was part of the Clear Sky Clan, and how she—as a 100,000-year soul beast in human form—would be like a lamb walking into a tiger's den if she went there.
"I'll wait until I reach Soul Sage level and can hide this remaining soul beast aura... then I'll look for Brother Xiao." With that thought, Ah Yin made her decision.
Just as she was about to move forward, a blood-red Haotian Hammer suddenly came hurtling from deep within the forest, landing in front of her. The violent soul power from it forced her several steps backward.
"Haotian Hammer!" Seeing the crater it smashed into the ground, Ah Yin's heart immediately filled with dread.
"I didn't expect that after all these years, the only one in your heart is still Tang Xiao—" a voice filled with anger and jealousy echoed from the forest. A figure emerged and stood atop the massive hammer's handle.
"Tang Hao." Ah Yin's legs went weak upon recognizing him. Despair and grief filled her heart. "How... how did you find me?"
"Why?" Tang Hao was silent for a moment, gazed up at the sky, then looked at her with sharp eyes. "It was fate that brought me to you, Ah Yin. So, all these years, you've only been pretending with me."
"Fine then. I'm not afraid to tell you—I never loved you. It's always been Brother Xiao. Accept the truth, Tang Hao," Ah Yin said resolutely.
"Why? Why is your heart always only for Tang Xiao? What does he have that I don't? What did he do to you? We were supposed to be together!" Tang Hao's voice cracked with pain and fury.
Ah Yin replied coldly, "He didn't do anything to me. I just love him deeply. Tang Hao, in my eyes, you're not even worth a strand of his hair!"
Her final words pierced Tang Hao's heart. In a past life, Ah Yin had always looked at him with love, calling him the best man in the world. But now... Why was it like this?
His eyes turned red as rage overtook him. Muscles bulging, fists clenched, he pounded his chest and let out a baboon-like roar: "AHHHHHH—"
When the outburst ended, his bloodshot eyes locked onto Ah Yin as if he had made up his mind.
He leapt down, summoned the Haotian Hammer back into his hand, and walked toward her. "Come back with me, Ah Yin." His voice was now calm and cold, more terrifying than when he had raged.
"What are you... No, I don't want to," Ah Yin said, shaking her head and stepping back.
"Ah Yin, be good. Come back with me. Don't throw a tantrum," Tang Hao said with a voice that brooked no refusal.
Ah Yin spun around and fled into the forest, calling on Blue Silver Grass to delay Tang Hao's pursuit. As she ran, she looked back and saw Tang Hao just standing there silently, watching, not chasing.
She dared not stop, ran until her strength gave out, collapsing against a tree stump, panting heavily.
"Done running?" A chilling voice came from behind.
"You—" Ah Yin turned in horror and saw his face. A moment later, pain struck the back of her neck—and she lost consciousness.
Tang Hao looked down at her unconscious body with pained, conflicted eyes. Finally, he sighed, "Ah Yin, seems we really must go that far."
He hoisted her over his shoulder and returned to a secluded hut where he had constructed a secret chamber—now, it would be of use.
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong's attempt to elope with Yu Xiaogang was intercepted by Jin Zhong Douluo and brought before Qian Xuanji.
Trailing behind the elder, Bibi Dong felt uneasy. Though her teacher had always treated her gently, she didn't know how he would react to this.
She had played out many scenarios in her mind—but upon seeing Qian Xuanji on the Pope's throne, all explanations felt useless.
"Bibi Dong, you really planned to betray Spirit Hall for Yu Xiaogang?" Qian Xuanji immediately interrogated.
"Teacher, Dong'er never meant to betray Spirit Hall," she quickly defended.
"Then how do you explain packing your things, arranging to meet him in Qiukui Town, and planning to flee?" he pressed.
"I... I..." Her face paled. She realized that whether she intended betrayal or not, her actions already constituted it.
She opened her mouth to explain but was cut off: "Bibi Dong, remember this—without my permission, you are never to leave Spirit Hall again."
Her desire to explain vanished. Her teacher had already confirmed her 'betrayal' and used it to restrict her.
She remembered how, since age six, she had been raised within Spirit Hall, rarely allowed outside.
She recalled what Xiaogang had once told her: "You're like a bird trapped in a cage. Spirit Hall is that cage. Dong'er, you're the most beautiful woman in the world—you shouldn't be imprisoned, you should soar into freedom."
And another thing he said: "Your teacher never loved you. He only values your talent—he brainwashed and shaped you into a weapon for Spirit Hall. He's using you. Only I, Yu Xiaogang, truly love you."
Bibi Dong clenched her fists, eyes hidden under lowered lashes. With a trembling voice, she said, "Even if you're my teacher, you can't restrict my freedom."
"You belong to Spirit Hall. I gave you everything. So, you must obey everything I say," Qian Xuanji replied coldly.
"Then..." She seemed to make a decision and knelt. "Teacher, please allow me to leave Spirit Hall. I don't want to stay here anymore."
"What did you say?" His sharp gaze pierced her. "Say it again."
"Please let me leave Spirit Hall," she repeated.
"Hahaha..." Qian Xuanji laughed. "Dong'er, you've grown bold. Let me tell you—you were born to Spirit Hall, and you'll die as its ghost. Leave? Impossible."
Bibi Dong felt as though the very words "Spirit Hall" pressed on her chest like a thousand-pound weight.
"Xiaogang was right—Spirit Hall is my cage. If you won't let me go, then I'll leave myself!" She turned to walk out.
"But you won't get that chance," Qian Xuanji said coldly, appearing before her in a flash.
"Teacher, you—"
Pain struck her neck—then darkness.
"I... What's going on?" Ah Yin slowly woke up, surrounded by the darkness of an underground chamber. Instinctively, she reached for the edge of the bed—only to feel iron bars. "Where is this... Ugh, it hurts..."
She moved slightly, feeling a tearing pain through her body.
Frowning, she recalled what happened before losing consciousness. A wave of dread hit her.
Could it be—
"You're awake," Tang Hao said, sitting outside the iron cage, his face conflicted.
"You... Tang Hao, did you...?" As her mind cleared, her heart sank.
"What had to be done—was done," Tang Hao said quietly.
"You—Tang Hao—you..." Her expression changed from shock to rage, then to utter hatred. "You're no man. You're a beast!"
Tears streamed down her face.
Her gaze made Tang Hao's heart ache. He had wanted to be with her—not like this. He wanted the love they shared in a previous life—mutual, gentle, harmonious.
"You can call me a beast, or a monster—but I love you," he said earnestly.
"Shut up! You think beasts like you deserve to talk about love? If you really loved me, you'd have let me be with Tang Xiao!" she cried through tears.
Tang Hao's eyes turned red. "No! You're mine. How could I give you to Tang Xiao?" He thought of the immense stakes—the Child of Destiny Tang San,the support of a God King, a future as master of the realm. He couldn't give that up. Not even for his brother.
"Ah Yin, don't you understand? I'm the only one who truly loves you," he insisted.
"Ha! Love? Whatever it is you're plotting, Tang Hao, your intentions are clear," she snapped. "Kill me. My body's already been defiled by you. I'm dirty—I can't face Brother Xiao again."
She thought herself soiled by what had happened—was he really that vile? Tang Hao couldn't breathe from the pain.
"Then I'll kill myself!" Ah Yin shouted. Spotting a pair of scissors by the bed, she snatched them and aimed at her throat—but Tang Hao caught her just in time.
"Ah Yin..." Tang Hao sighed. Then, he played his final card. "You're the Blue Silver Empress—I know your forest holds the royal legacy. If you die... I'll destroy that legacy. You don't want the Blue Silver line to end, do you?"
Ah Yin trembled. She turned, eyes fierce. "So you finally reveal your true purpose. You want my spirit ring and bone to help you reach Rank 90, right?"
Tang Hao looked away. He couldn't explain—because no explanation would make it right. He turned toward the exit. "Just listen to me, and I'll keep the Blue Silver legacy safe." He couldn't face her hateful gaze.
All he needed was to get her to give birth to Tang San. Once that was done, she'd sacrifice herself under Spirit Hall's pursuit, leaving behind the Blue Silver seed. Then, once Tang San became a god, he could revive her—erase all memory of Tang Xiao—and return to the loving couple they once were. Together, they would rule the Douluo world.
Divine Realm – Asura God Palace
From the divine vantage point, everything Tang Hao did was visible to the Asura God, including that. He scoffed, "Pathetic. You destroyed Tang Xiao, kidnapped the Blue Silver Empress, caged her—and still dream of her love? You should've just taken her by force."
Then, he worried, "If my precious inheritor gets half this guy's bloodline, will he become a weakling ruled by emotion too? Hopefully not..."
(In Qian Xuanji's Chamber)
After regaining consciousness Bibidong found herself locked somewhere and in front of her stood her teacher (.. nothing really happened he just knocked her out)
"You... you beast... just kill me already!" Bibi Dong glared hatefully at Qian Xuanji.
Qian Xuanji said, "Dong'er, I won't kill you. Your talent is extraordinary—a twin martial soul. You are destined to surpass even me one day. And your bloodline is excellent, perfect for bearing a superior offspring for me."
"Qian Xuanji—" Bibi Dong looked at him with venomous hatred. "Do you really think, after what you did to me and Xiaogong, that I would give birth to a bastard for you?"
A cold smirk curled Qian Xuanji's lips. "Whether you will or not is not up to you. You seem to care a lot about that man Yu Xiaogang, don't you? Dong'er... you wouldn't want something bad to happen to him, would you?"
Bibi Dong fell silent at his words.
What happened filled her heart with hatred and despair. She would rather die than suffer this humiliation—but then there was Xiaogang.
She recalled every moment with that man. In this moment, his image was magnified endlessly in her mind, becoming the last ray of light in her descent into darkness.
That buzz-cut boy once said to her with such deep affection, "I truly love you. In this world, probably only I, Yu Xiaogang, truly love you." Yes, Xiaogang... you were right.
Qian Xuanji stood up, ready to leave the secret chamber. From behind came Bibi Dong's resentful question, "Aren't you afraid I'll take revenge on you one day?"
Qian Xuanji sneered. "You have the potential to say such a thing, but Dong'er, potential is not strength. Until you become a Titled Douluo, you're not qualified to speak to me like that."
And with that, he left the chamber.
God Realm — Eternal Divine Palace
Huo Yuhao sat down, fingers interlocked, watching what had happened in Tang Hao's secret chamber. Then, his divine vision shifted to another plane: Tang Sect, where Tang San was mastering his cultivation and hidden weapons.
"Ah Yin and Tang Hao have already consummated their relationship, but whether they can give birth to Tang San depends not on them, but on the Asura God. How pitiful," Huo Yuhao sneered. "But a pawn that follows the player's plan and becomes the player themselves—it's not so pitiful, just something for another time. As long as I exist, Tang Hao, do you really think your Tang family still has a glorious future?"
"Tang San is almost here… Little brat, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for you," Huo Yuhao muttered as he closed his eyes, memories of his past surfacing.
He had fully relived the experiences of his original self—the humiliation package was no lighter than before.
The original Huo Yuhao had no idea what would happen in the future. Step by step, he fell into Tang San's traps, ending up like a dog who wagged his tail for a bone—one that was none other than the patched-together Frankenstein type monster Tang Wutong. And that dog was grateful just for the chance to lick that bone.
But he, Huo Yuhao, was different. He had lived through the original story and knew from the start that the God King Tang San had his eyes on him! Knowing your fate yet being forced to go through it step by step, losing Wang Dong'er and Wang Qiu'er, watching his beloved mentor Electrolux fade into nothing under Tang San's manipulations—powerless to resist.
What was worse than being tamed into a dog was knowing you were going to be tamed... and still pretending to be a happy dog.
Tang San's method of taming him could be summed up in one word: emotion.
Yuhao's affection for his mother Huo Yun'er, his love for Tang Wutong—yet they were never the same people anymore. In Yuhao's eyes, they had long been altered by Tang San.
His mother's soul had clearly been tampered with. A real mother would always stand with her child, but Huo Yun'er always chose Tang San whenever their interests clashed. She was no different than the Goddess of Life to the God of Destruction—a mouthpiece.
And Tang Wutong was the same.
Whether he had truly loved her or not didn't matter. She was nominally his woman. And yet, even being with her had to be approved by his father-in-law.
Tang San had turned his mother and his lover into collars around his neck—leashes to control him.
Over the years, Huo Yuhao's hatred toward Tang San had become so ingrained, it even affected his own cultivation path.
To him, torturing Tang San was a form of spiritual practice—a way to reconcile his Dao heart.
Tang San hadn't even arrived in Douluo yet, and Huo Yuhao could barely contain himself.
He opened his eyes and shifted his divine vision toward the Star Dou Forest, sending a wisp of divine thought to Douluo Continent while concealing his traces using the Eternal Narrative Book.
Somewhere in Star Dou Forest
A group of Evil Soft Bone Rabbits were gnawing on the vegetation, destroying swaths of greenery. Grasses and leaves vanished into their giant buckteeth, leaving devastation behind.
Even the roots were dug out and eaten.
At that moment, a Heroic Man-Faced Demon Spider stood up to protect the forest's ecosystem. With its sharp limbs, it slashed into the rabbit pack, killing them one by one.
The rabbits scattered in fear, but the spider fought on.
Suddenly—
A blur shot out of the bushes and kicked the demon spider, sending it flying. Its armor cracked, its body immobile.
The pink-and-white blur landed—a plump Soft Bone Rabbit.
Her eyes filled with rage as she saw the rabbit corpses. "Damn demon spider! You killed so many of my kin! I'll make you pay with your life!"
She stomped down—
The poor spider, the guardian of nature, perished heroically.
Who could save the forest now from the rabbits' destruction?
"Thank you, Ancestor!"
"Thank you, Ancestor!" the other rabbits chorused in gratitude.
The pink rabbit waved her paw and said, "Don't call me ancestor anymore. I'm going to transform into a human like Mom did. Just call me Sister Xiao Wu!"
"But Sister Xiao Wu, my great-great-great-grandpa is your son. Isn't it weird to call you sister?"
"It's fine, don't overthink it," Xiao Wu said casually. "Just remember—don't call me ancestor!"
"Yes, Ancestor!" the rabbits shouted in unison.
Suddenly, the ground shook.
"Don't panic, it's Er Ming," Xiao Wu said. She knew that familiar tremor from the Titan Giant Ape.
Sure enough, the huge ape appeared and greeted her shyly, "Sister Xiao Wu..."