"Master, the Blue Silver Forest is closely monitored by the Asura God. If we take the Blue Silver Empress back to reclaim her Blue Silver Crown, it might draw the Asura God's attention," said the Evil Emperor.
Huo Yuhao replied, "Go ahead and do what must be done. I'll handle the Asura God."
He used his third divine artifact, the Binding Chains, to seal the fate and destiny of the Blue Silver Empress and the Douluo Star tightly. Outwardly, nothing seemed to change on the Douluo Continent—but beneath this hidden destiny, undercurrents began to surge.
The Blue Silver Forest glowed with a faint blue luminescence, presenting a unique and stunning scenery. The light came from the mountain-covered Blue Silver Grass—this was the sacred ground of Blue Silver Grass, the Blue Silver Forest. From here, Ah Yin once emerged. Now, the Blue Silver King stood guard over it.
"You're back, Your Majesty," the Blue Silver King said with concern. "What happened to you? Why are you in this form?"
The Blue Silver King was a vast vine with deep root systems. Before it stood a small Blue Silver Grass with golden patterns—Ah Yin.
Ah Yin's soul flickered faintly within the grass as she, filled with guilt, recounted her experience to the Blue Silver King.
"Damn those humans. Just to seize the Blue Silver Empress title, they resorted to such vile tactics," the Blue Silver King said angrily.
"King, the title of Blue Silver Empress must never fall into human hands," he declared with resolve.
Before long, a sacrificial light shone from within the forest!
A young woman with blue hair stepped out from the forest. She looked about sixteen or seventeen, beautiful and radiant.
"My name is A Lan. Ah Yin belongs to the past now." Before leaving, she turned to gaze at the Blue Silver Forest, lowered her head, and whispered, "My clan, I failed you. Thank you for giving me another chance. Once I've avenged us, I'll return and protect everything here."
Far away in Nuoding City, Tang San suddenly felt a wave of anxiety, as if he had lost something—though after checking himself carefully, he couldn't find anything missing.
The reason Tang San was able to win over Xiao Wu had a lot to do with her proactive approach at the beginning, as well as his unselfish dedication.
Tang San's attraction to many women like Meng Yiran, Huo Wu, Hu Liena stemmed from his own excellence.
In his past life, Tang San was entirely devoted to Xiao Wu, which meant he lacked broader romantic experience.
If this life had played out like before—with a duel, a pact, and six years of shared dormitory life—then their relationship would've developed naturally.
But Xiao Wu had changed.
Now, Tang San had to use his brain to chase after her and win her heart. But in this department, he was utterly inexperienced.
Being inexperienced isn't scary—what's scary is being inexperienced and unaware of it.
Since returning from the soul hunt, Xiao Wu had constantly asked Tang San for help. One day she'd ask him to help clean, the next she'd want him to run errands to buy fresh carrots.
On weekends, she'd drag him out shopping, buying everything in sight, burning through all the money Tang San had earned from blacksmithing.
"Ah San ge, this necklace is so pretty. I want it."
The nearby shopkeeper chimed in, keen to promote the item.
Tang San looked at the price and hesitated. "Xiao Wu… you've already bought so many things. We don't have much money left…"
"Ah San ge, are you saying I'm spending money recklessly? I just wanted one necklace. If even this small request can't be fulfilled, hmph… I guess I misjudged you." Xiao Wu crossed her arms and turned away angrily.
"No, Xiao Wu, that's not what I meant," Tang San said through gritted teeth. He pulled out three months' worth of blacksmith wages and said, "Fine. I'll buy it."
Xiao Wu happily received the necklace and said sweetly, "Thank you, Ah San giegie. You're so good to me!"
Seeing Xiao Wu smile, Tang San felt that all his sacrifices were worth it.
Yu Xiaogang quickly noticed that Tang San's mind wasn't focused on cultivation. Most of his time was spent fooling around with that woman, Xiao Wu.
Tang San slacking off directly affected Yu Xiaogang's personal interests, and he cursed internally: "That b*tch is ruining my disciple!"
At Nuoding Academy, working students were generally assumed to be born from "mud-blood" commoners—people Yu Xiaogang most despised and envied. (Why was I born noble, yet had my martial soul regress into trash, while you mud-bloods evolve your martial souls into something powerful?)
So in Yu Xiaogang's eyes, Xiao Wu's behavior was nothing less than a scheming girl trying to hook Tang San while he was young, to ride his coattails and become his wife.
Several times, Yu Xiaogang tried to advise Tang San to focus on cultivation and not waste his energy on women. But Tang San turned a deaf ear and continued doting on Xiao Wu.
Helpless, Yu Xiaogang privately arranged to meet with Xiao Wu. Standing with his hands behind his back, he spoke condescendingly:
"Classmate, Tang San's future is far beyond your imagination. His background is not something you can touch. You're not worthy of him. For your sake—and his—please don't hold him back. Stay away from him, okay?"
Xiao Wu's bunny ears drooped, her emotions low. She replied softly, "I understand, Master."
"Good." Yu Xiaogang nodded proudly.
Though Xiao Wu had innate full soul power and was a rare genius, her martial soul—the Soft Bone Rabbit—was still trash. And she had no second martial soul to fall back on. Her future achievements would never surpass Tang San's. Yu Xiaogang thought he'd have to argue more, but didn't expect Xiao Wu to be so cooperative.
Then came the carrot after the stick.
Yu Xiaogang offered the best reward he could:
"If you do as I say and keep your distance from San, I don't mind accepting you as an honorary disciple. When necessary, I'll even give you key guidance. With me, the number one theory master in the soul master world, you'll avoid many detours in your training."
"Thank you, Master," Xiao Wu said.
After that, Xiao Wu really did begin to distance herself from Tang San as instructed.
Tang San quickly noticed the change in Xiao Wu. He started looking inward, trying to figure out what he had done wrong. But he just couldn't understand why his "little sister" was pushing him away.
Finally, one day, he couldn't hold back any longer. He stopped Xiao Wu and asked in a low voice,
"Xiao Wu, why are you avoiding me? What did I do wrong? Tell me. I'll fix it."
Feeling guilty, Xiao Wu replied:
"San-gege, this isn't your fault. It's mine. Your teacher reminded me not to interfere with your training, so…"
"What—?" Tang San's eyes turned red instantly, breathing heavily in anger.
That loser Yu Xiaogang is interfering in my private life now? Where does he get the nerve? What qualifications does he have?
Tang San immediately stormed off to find Yu Xiaogang.
"If you want this to be the last time I ever call you 'teacher,' then go ahead—keep interfering in my relationship with Xiao Wu, Yu Xiaogang."
"San—" Yu Xiaogang responded sorrowfully. "I'm only doing this for your own good. Why can't you understand my good intentions?"
"I don't need your hypocritical concern, Yu Xiaogang," Tang San said bluntly. "Remember, you're just my honorary teacher. You don't have the right to meddle in my personal life. Know your place."
With that, Tang San turned and stormed off, leaving Yu Xiaogang heartbroken.
"San… you've even started calling me 'Yu Xiaogang' now. You no longer respect me as your teacher…"
Afterward, Yu Xiaogang indeed stopped interfering between Tang San and Xiao Wu. Tang San thought his warning had worked and that Yu Xiaogang finally understood his position.
But who is Yu Xiaogang?
Tang San was a genius with innate full soul power and possessed twin martial souls, including the legendary Clear Sky Hammer. How could Yu Xiaogang be content with merely being an honorary teacher?
Rather than backing off, Tang San's warning only made Yu Xiaogang more insecure.
So, Yu Xiaogang started using his own methods.
To anyone who would listen, he'd boast that Tang San was his prized disciple, personally guided by him.
He put on an act of a deeply bonded teacher-student relationship in public. He would even summon Tang San for tutoring sessions constantly. When Tang San refused to come, Yu Xiaogang would go to him personally.
To be fair, Yu Xiaogang did possess solid theoretical knowledge—suitable for a beginner-level soul master teacher. But Tang San had already learned all this in his past life. Having to listen to it all over again in this life was pure torture.
Yet Tang San couldn't do much about it. He was someone who carefully crafted his public persona, and "respecting teachers" was a key part of that image. Until the moment came to formally sever ties, he couldn't publicly fall out with Yu Xiaogang.
As a result, Tang San became known throughout Nuoding Academy as Yu Xiaogang's proud disciple.
The first semester break finally came, and Tang San eagerly invited Xiao Wu to visit his home. Xiao Wu agreed without hesitation.
Tang San was overjoyed. He vividly remembered that in his previous life, this exact moment led to him making a heartfelt vow to Xiao Wu. It was the beginning of their official relationship—starting as siblings, ultimately becoming husband and wife.
But what Tang San didn't know was that this trip would be the beginning of a nightmare.
After returning to Holy Soul Village, Tang San found that Tang Hao was no longer home. Although he already knew where his father had gone, he still formally asked Old Jack.
Old Jack said: "That drunkard Tang Hao, who knows where he went? But he did leave a note for you." He then handed the note to Tang San.
The note itself wasn't important. What mattered was the name: "Tang Hao."
Upon hearing the name "Tang Hao," Xiao Wu immediately became alert. Her red rabbit eyes began to glisten.
She clearly remembered the name of the person who had killed her mother—Tang Hao.
While Tang San was reading the note and Old Jack stepped outside, Xiao Wu seized the chance to slip away and ask Old Jack about Tang San's father.
"Young lady, you're asking about Tang Hao? Don't tell me… you've taken a liking to our little San?" Old Jack teased.
Xiao Wu blushed and acted shy, and Old Jack looked like he had seen through it all:
"I knew there was something special between you two. Tang San's father, well, he's a…"
Is there a possibility that Xiao Wu might fall in love with Tang San now? The answer is yes.
Because when Xiao Wu was bitten by the Black Maned Python and was on the brink of death, it was Tang San who saved her life. With such a life-saving grace, it's hard to say that Xiao Wu doesn't harbor even a bit of affection toward him.
However, due to years of influence from her mother, the now-changed Xiao Wu has made Tang San's path to love as difficult as the 81 tribulations faced by Sun Wukong on his journey to the West.
But once she heard that Tang San's father was named Tang Hao, even that slight possibility disappeared entirely.
Even if Tang Hao wasn't the one who killed her mother, Xiao Wu would still be unwilling to call someone with the same name as her mother's killer "Father-in-law."
According to Old Jack's account, Tang Hao was just a blacksmith in Holy Spirit Village, a drunkard with no self-restraint—completely inconsistent with the image Xiao Wu had in her mind of the Tang Hao who killed her mother and ascended to become a Titled Douluo. Such a person should be prestigious and renowned in the human world, not a village blacksmith.
Moreover, Xiao Wu had also heard of the Clear Sky Hammer—it's the top-tier tool spirit on the Douluo Continent. Based on the inheritance laws of human martial spirits, if Tang San really were the son of her enemy, he should have inherited the Clear Sky Hammer, not the trash spirit Blue Silver Grass.
This could possibly clear Tang Hao of suspicion. But Xiao Wu still noticed a key point from Old Jack's story: Tang Hao's family moved to Holy Spirit Village six years ago.
Six years ago—that was the year her mother died.
Though she hadn't confirmed whether Tang San was the enemy's son, Xiao Wu had already grown suspicious of both Tang San and Tang Hao.
If Tang San wasn't Tang Hao's son, then she could mold Tang San into a loyal dog who only listened to her—a top-quality simp, as her mother had described.
But if Tang San was Tang Hao's son, then Tang Hao must know her identity. So why hadn't he killed her yet? Could it be…
Xiao Wu thought of a chilling possibility—that Tang Hao was secretly observing and raising her, waiting for the day Tang San becomes a Titled Douluo to take her spirit ring.
If that were the case, she really couldn't leave easily. She couldn't confirm whether Tang Hao was monitoring her, and leaving might trigger him to act. For now, staying beside Tang San was actually safer.
Tang San had no idea that he'd been blacklisted by Xiao Wu just because of his father's name. Trying to recreate a romantic moment from his past life, he suggested Xiao Wu accompany him to the back mountain of Holy Spirit Village.
Once Xiao Wu agreed, Tang San took her there.
The back mountain was filled with blooming flowers and fresh air. The view was excellent, allowing one to see the entirety of Holy Spirit Village from above.
Tang San asked, "Xiao Wu, would you like to be my little sister?"
"A-San giegie, you want to be my giegie?" Xiao Wu replied.
"Of course. If you're my sister, I'll never let anything hurt you—not even a little," Tang San said.
"Oh?" Xiao Wu suddenly turned her back to Tang San. "If one day, many people want to kill me and you're not strong enough to stop them, what would you do?"
Here it was—the ultimate giveaway question. Get this right and you win three 100,000-year spirit rings. Tang San answered firmly, "Then let them step over my corpse first."
Even if one of them is Tang Hao? Xiao Wu didn't dwell on Tang San's answer.
Still uncertain of Tang San's father's identity, Xiao Wu decided to keep Tang San by her side.
If Tang San's father was just an ordinary villager, then she would turn Tang San into a tool for her revenge against Tang Hao. If Tang San's father truly was Tang Hao…
A cold light flashed in Xiao Wu's rabbit-like eyes—where Tang San couldn't see.
Let's shift our focus to another location: the distant Star Luo Empire.
There, the royal family maintained a cruel tradition known as the "Gu Reared Heir System."
Every generation of succession involved battles between two pairs of Spirit Beasts—specifically the Netherworld White Tigers. Only one could survive, and the losers were either abolished or killed. The victor would inherit the Star Luo throne.
Wouldn't such a system eventually lead to a single surviving heir, and risk the royal line dying out if anything happened to him?
Of course not—
First, the Dai family emperors never had just one wife. They fathered a whole group of princes far down the line in succession.
Second, even among the legitimate sons born of empresses, not every Zhu Clan girl had enough resources to nurture all the princes. So, to even qualify for this brutal competition, a prince needed to resonate with a Zhu Clan girl's martial spirit.
However, this generation's contest was a bit unique—Crown Prince Dai Weisi and the Zhu Clan's eldest daughter Zhu Zhuyun were much older than the other princes and the younger Zhu Clan daughter, Zhu Zhuqing. Their seniority gave them a significant head start.
What used to be the most coveted position—the throne—had become a hot potato that the other princes avoided.
Finally, the day of Zhu Zhuqing's spirit awakening came. The young girl successfully awakened the Netherworld Civet martial spirit.
Despite her youth, she already understood some things. There were many Dai princes, and only those who resonated with her martial spirit would be in danger. But she was destined to face this cruel fate.
After her spirit awakened, the Duke of Netherworld and the royal court quickly organized a grand selection event. In it, Zhu Zhuqing would resonate with one prince—determining who would fight for the throne.
The result was that Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai shared a martial spirit resonance.
Once everything was settled, Crown Prince Dai Weisi clapped Dai Mubai's shoulder with a sneer. "Good little brother. Looks like it's you. We'll have to give it our all now. No one wants to be eliminated, right?"
The other princes also came over to jeer at Dai Mubai.
"Third Brother, congratulations. You've got a spirit resonance with the Zhu girl. Good luck, ha!"
"Good luck, Third Brother. Zhu Zhuqing's such a little beauty already—enjoy your last peaceful days, haha."
"So jealous of you, Third Brother. You get to compete with our big brother for the throne. Unlike us—we'll just be idle lords with no worries."
Once the princes had all left, Dai Mubai's blank expression cracked into a cold sneer.
"Hmph. Foolish brothers. You can laugh at me now, but in a few decades, when the Shrek Seven Devils ascend to godhood, you'll be the ones looking up to me."
Dai Mubai had a secret: he was a reincarnator, returned from tens of thousands of years in the future to this timeline.
In the past, he had been a revered War God. Now, back in his weaker youth, Dai Mubai felt a trace of leisure and nostalgia—returning to the beginning of his journey.