Tang Hao and Tang San walked out of the Sunset Forest with dark expressions, unwilling to recall what had happened the night before.
After indulging themselves for a full day and night, the nearly kidney-depleted Tang Hao and Tang San woke up the next morning to find themselves lying on the belly of the Acacia Monkey.
The image of Xiao Wu / Ah Yin in their minds had somehow been replaced with that monkey's figure—and they both felt instantly nauseous.
The worst part? The father and son had both used the same Acacia Monkey. Tang San, having prior experience (he'd already unlocked the Giant Lizard after all), managed to mentally prepare himself somewhat.
At least this time it was a mammal. But his father... his father looked as though he'd been defiled. Even though the Acacia Monkey dropped a spirit bone after being killed, Tang Hao tossed it aside like trash, completely disgusted.
Clutching his face in pain, Tang Hao muttered,
"Ah Yin… I've dirtied myself. I'm sorry… I've wronged you…"
"Father," Tang San said, "the fact that we fell into this damn Illusion Mist trap only proves the depth of our love for our beloved ones."
Tang Hao rubbed his forehead and said,
"Alright, enough. Let's not talk about it anymore. What happened… let's just pretend it never happened. Just forget it."
"Yes, Father," Tang San nodded solemnly.
He turned his eyes to the distant Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, a glint of resentment flickering within. Now it was certain—the unexpected events there were not caused by the reborn Spirit Hall member, but by the two dragon souls haunting that place.
"Ice Dragon King, Fire Dragon King... You made me first deal with the Giant Lizard, then the Acacia Monkey.
And on top of that, you selfishly occupy the sacred land of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well—land that rightfully belongs to the people of the entire Douluo Continent!
You two are inherently evil soul beasts. But when I become a god, I will deliver divine justice upon you. I will return the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well to the people! (Our Tang Clan is merely safeguarding it 24/7—strictly on behalf of the people.)"
Next, Tang San checked his father's condition. After detonating his spirit rings, Tang Hao's physical state was horrible.
"Father, you—" Tang San asked with concern.
Tang Hao already knew how bad his body was. Not only had they failed to take back the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, but he himself was left severely injured.
What's worse, he now faced a serious reality: In his current condition, he stood no chance of defending himself against Bibi Dong's scheming at the upcoming Continental Spirit Master Tournament.
Waving his hand, Tang Hao said,
"I know someone who can heal me. They live off the grid—hard to find. I must go search for them now. The rest... I leave to you. No matter what, I'll be there when the tournament ends. When that time comes, I want to see you standing on the championship podium."
"Okay, Dad." Tang San nodded firmly.
And so, after personally escorting Tang San back to school, Tang Hao departed once again. His absence meant—yet again—he missed out on knowing what kind of bullying and grievances his son had endured back at the academy.
At this time, Shrek Academy was in total chaos over Tang San's disappearance.No one was more anxious than Yu Xiaogang.
To him, Tang San—his "precious little disciple"—was his one and only shot at redemption. He'd often tell people, "I've never had a child—Xiao San is like a son to me." Over time, he genuinely began to see Tang San as his own son. So of course he panicked when he went missing.
Everyone at the academy had been mobilized to search for Tang San.
As Tang San stood at the now-renovated entrance to Shrek Academy, he smiled happily to himself,
"I've been gone so long… Xiao Wu must be missing me by now. She's probably waiting anxiously at the gate, right?"
Just then, a figure dashed out from inside the academy. Before Tang San could react, the familiar flat-headed man had already arrived in front of him.
Yu Xiaogang thoroughly examined his precious disciple from head to toe and said in a mixture of concern and reprimand,
"Xiao San! Why did you leave the academy without a word for so many days? If something had happened to you, how would I go on living?"
Saying this, he grabbed at Tang San's tattered clothing.
"Look at you—your clothes are all torn! Take it off—I'll patch it up for you."
He reached to remove the shirt, but Tang San, already annoyed by the sight of Gangzi, shook off his hand and replied coldly,
"Gangzi, my father took me for training. You're not family—I don't have to report everything to you."
In a nearby corner, Xiao Wu's ears twitched!
Yu Xiaogang looked heartbroken,
"How could you say I'm not family, Xiao San? I'm your teacher! Once a teacher, always a father! Why can't you understand this? I care about you—this is all for your own good!"
At the academy gate, master and disciple began another round of awkward tug-of-war. Just as Tang San was about to explode, Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the others arrived, forcing him to switch back to his obedient, model-student persona.
Once they learned Tang San had been taken away by his father, the teachers no longer questioned his absence.
The reason? Well, Douluo's infamous demon, Tang Hao, was known far and wide. Who would dare meddle in his affairs?
Later, when the crowd had dispersed, the four reincarnated teammates gathered again.
Oscar was first to ask,
"Ah San, where did your father take you? Was it the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well?"
Tang San nodded.
Ma Hongjun asked urgently,
"Then did you get the immortal herbs? What about my Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower—did you find it?"
Tang San said,
"I've got good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?"
"…Let's start with the good news," said Dai Mubai.
Tang San nodded,
"My father took me into the valley of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. All the immortal herbs are still there—actually, there are even more now. We can confirm it's not under Spirit Hall control. The strength of the Spirit Hall team in this tournament should be similar to last lifetime's."
"In that case, with our current setup, we can easily sweep through this year's tournament!" Dai Mubai said confidently. "So since you got in, what about the immortal herbs? Did you retrieve them?"
Tang San shook his head.
"That's the bad news. The ones occupying the Yin-Yang Well aren't from Spirit Hall—they're two cursed dragon souls under the lake. In order to take it back for the people of Douluo Continent, my father fought those two evil beasts for three hundred rounds… but in the end, he was outmatched and lost to them."
By the time he finished, Tang San's voice was filled with righteous indignation.
"Damn Ice-Fire Dragon King!" Dai Mubai cursed angrily. Though he'd been cultivating together with Xiao Wu and dual-practicing the Xuantian Skill, keeping pace with his past life's cultivation speed, this opportunity had clearly been meant for him—and now it was gone just like that.
Ma Hongjun and Oscar also chimed in, criticizing the Ice-Fire Dragon King from the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well for being unworthy of human decency.
"Those immortal herbs aren't very useful in the Ice-Fire Dragon King's hands," Tang San said, "But at least we can be sure they didn't fall into the hands of those evil forces threatening the continent."
Dai Mubai asked, "By the way, San, when is your father going to find you? Will he be by your side this time?"
"He came to see me the night I left. Before that, my father had been cultivating," Tang San replied. "During the battle with the Ice-Fire Dragon King, my father was seriously injured. For now, he can't stay to protect me. He needs to travel across the Douluo Continent to find a soul master who can heal his wounds."
Upon hearing this, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar all sighed in relief.
After all, they might be able to hide what was going on between them and Xiao Wu from Tang San, but not necessarily from Tang Hao. If Tang Hao ever found out they'd been secretly involved with Tang San's beloved, they'd be utterly doomed.
"How long until your father recovers?" Ma Hongjun asked with concern.
"That depends on when he finds Ye Renxin," Tang San said. "But my father said that no matter what, he will come find us on the day of the finals of the Soul Master Tournament."
"That's good to hear," Dai Mubai patted his chest.
Oscar placed a hand on Tang San's shoulder and said, "San, don't worry—immortal herbs or not, we'll always stand firmly by your side."
"That's right, San. We, the three Shrek brothers, share your burdens," Ma Hongjun added.
"You guys…" Tang San's eyes turned red with emotion.
Later, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar told Xiao Wu everything they'd learned from Tang San.
"So, you're saying that during this time, Tang Hao—" (as she spoke the name, Xiao Wu's eyes flashed with hatred) "—that man won't be by Tang San's side for the upcoming tournament?"
"That's right, Xiao Wu. That bastard's father went off to look for Ye Renxin," Ma Hongjun said.
"Good," Xiao Wu said venomously. "Then we'll use the tournament window to force that bastard Tang San to cultivate his second spirit."
Her hatred toward Tang Hao had already extended to Tang San. Merely killing Tang Hao would be far too merciful. If she could destroy everything Tang Hao held dear, make him spiral into despair piece by piece, that would be even better. And right now, all of Tang Hao's hopes rested on his dual-spirit son.
"But what if Tang Hao finds Ye Renxin early and returns before we're done?" Oscar voiced his concern.
"Then we'll have to gamble on whether Tang Hao returns or not," Xiao Wu said coldly. "If he comes back before Tang San adds spirit rings to his Clear Sky Hammer, then we've lost."
Capital of the Heaven Dou Empire – Heaven Dou City
The Continental Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament was about to officially begin here.
As the grandest event in the soul master world, it attracted far more than just soul masters. From royalty to commoners, people of every class considered the tournament a festival of massive importance. The opening ceremony was held in the Heaven Dou Grand Spirit Arena, and tickets for the event had sold out a full month in advance.
Yu Xiaogang led the Shrek team to the Grand Spirit Arena in Heaven Dou City.
"Isn't this little Gangzi? It's been so long!" A voice suddenly rang out—one that Yu Xiaogang hadn't heard in years but instantly made him grit his teeth in hatred.
It was an obnoxious voice, but Yu Xiaogang couldn't immediately place who it belonged to. He turned to look—and his expression shifted to shock before being overtaken by a surge of hate. "It's you—Yu Xiaomen!"
Just as the words left his mouth, a heavy wave of soul power pressure slammed down on him. Yu Xiaogang didn't want to kneel, but under such despair-inducing pressure, his proud knees were forced to bend.
"Yu Xiaomen, you—!" Yu Xiaogang looked up at him furiously, but the pressure was so intense that he couldn't speak another word.
Yu Xiaomen reached out, and one of the disciples behind him—also a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon spirit master—handed him a bottle of wine and a crystal goblet. He opened the wine, poured himself a small glass, and took a sip. Then he signaled to another youth—Yu Xiaozhu—with a glance.
Yu Xiaozhu understood and stepped up to Yu Xiaogang.
SLAP!
A heavy slap landed on Yu Xiaogang's face, immediately causing a large swelling.
Yu Xiaozhu sneered, "Gangzi, remember your place. You're nothing but a level 29 piece of trash. Our Young Lord Yu Xiaomen is now a level 93 Titled Douluo. You should respectfully call him 'Your Grace Xiaomen' or even 'His Grace Saint Dragon.'"
He gave Yu Xiaogang another slap, making the swelling symmetrical.
Though deeply unwilling, Yu Xiaogang had no choice but to bow his head and say, "Yes... Your Grace Xiaomen."
"That's better," Yu Xiaomen said, strolling up to Yu Xiaogang and sipping his wine leisurely. "This is the privilege absolute power brings. Just like this wine—it's simply subarashii!"
"You want a taste?" Yu Xiaomen asked mockingly, then poured the rest of his wine over Yu Xiaogang's crew-cut head. Red wine streamed down his face.
Looking down at him, Yu Xiaomen whispered regretfully, "Too bad. You're just a level 29 piece of trash. You'll never know what this tastes like."
"Gangzi, I owe part of my success today to you. If I hadn't snatched that Golden Dragon Fruit from you back then, I'd probably be just another soul douluo with a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon spirit."
He patted Yu Xiaogang's shoulder as if reminiscing, dragging up Yu Xiaogang's most painful memory.
"If you'd just eaten that Golden Dragon Fruit back then, you might have escaped the label of 'trash' by now. You might not be stuck forever as a mere level 29 Grandmaster. What a damn shame."
"You—" Yu Xiaogang's eyes turned red. Everything Yu Xiaomen said was true. That fruit had been his one real shot at transcending his limitations. And Yu Xiaomen had stolen it away.
"What are you looking at me like that for?" Yu Xiaomen said, gripping Yu Xiaogang's head. "Know your place. You're just a level 29 trash. When a Titled Douluo says subarashii to you, you should be grateful. Feel honored. Got it?"
"I... I got it..." Yu Xiaogang said with red eyes, trembling.
Yu Xiaomen's eyes scanned the group of students behind Yu Xiaogang—all wearing ugly snot-green uniforms covered in advertisements.
"I heard you're teaching some kids at a 'Shrek' something academy? Looks like your students don't care about you much," Yu Xiaomen whispered mockingly into Yu Xiaogang's ear, twisting the knife.
With that parting insult, Yu Xiaomen turned and left.
Yu Xiaomen had become a Title Douluo a few years ago, earning the title "Holy Dragon". At that time, the entire Douluo Continent was shaken—after a thousand years, a Title Douluo with the Golden Holy Dragon Martial Soul had once again appeared on the Douluo Continent.
Yu Xiaogang also received this news, but he refused to believe it, refused to think about it. He chose to numb himself, to selectively forget the fact that Yu Xiaomen had reached the peak of the Douluo Continent, while he himself remained nothing more than a level-29 loser.
Now, this brutal fact was right in front of him, and he could no longer ignore it. An overwhelming sense of humiliation and regret surged in his heart.
When he thought about how Yu Xiaomen had taken the Golden Dragonfruit, which had been his greatest chance to turn his life around, and that this was the key to his current success—Yu Xiaogang was consumed with remorse.
If only… if only he had taken the Golden Dragonfruit while fleeing back then, maybe today he would be the one standing at the summit of the Douluo Continent, the one revered by the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—not that damned Yu Xiaomen.
If—if Heaven would give him one more Golden Dragonfruit, he would definitely seize the chance to take it.
Absolutely. But now, no matter what he thought, it was already too late.
Once the spirit power suppression ended and Yu Xiaogang could finally move his legs, Tang San—who had just been watching his embarrassment—came over and helped him up, putting on the image of a devoted disciple.
"Teacher, are you alright?" Tang San asked "concernedly" while wiping the red wine off Yu Xiaogang's face with his sleeve.
"I-I'm fine now," Yu Xiaogang replied stiffly.
"Oh, that's good to hear. By the way, teacher, who was that?" Tang San asked curiously.
"Yu Xiaomen. My younger brother." Yu Xiaogang said, his face stiff and words few.
Another variable? Tang San thought to himself. Seeing that Yu Xiaogang didn't want to talk about the past, Tang San didn't ask further. After completing the formalities of a master-disciple relationship, Tang San returned to his group, no longer concerned with Yu Xiaogang.
But this behavior only made Yu Xiaogang feel even more heartbroken!
Clearly, when he was being bullied by Yu Xiaomen, Tang San—his "obedient disciple," his "good disciple who believed 'once a teacher, always a father'"—didn't even say a word in his defense. Even if he couldn't fight back, couldn't he have at least stood up and said something?
Instead, he just stood there, watching him being humiliated like it was a joke. That really broke the teacher's heart.
Though he had complaints about Tang San, Yu Xiaogang knew very well that Tang San was his last hope. No matter what happened in this life, he had to cling to Tang San and never let go.
Yu Xiaogang thought bitterly:
Yu Xiaomen, even if you're a Golden Holy Dragon, even if you're a Title Douluo—so what?
Just wait—when I train my precious disciple Tang San, with his twin spirits and eighteen soul rings, he'll surely surpass you.
I have no children of my own, but Tang San is like a son to me, and he'll surely honor me for life as his teacher. Wait for the day when my disciple becomes great—he will definitely avenge me!
Meanwhile, Yu Xiaomen strolled through Heaven Dou City, enjoying the flattery from everyone around him. Those who used to bully him as a child while siding with Yu Xiaogang had now turned around to become his loyal lackeys.
Now, over twenty years later, after humiliating Yu Xiaogang, members of the clan surrounded Yu Xiaomen with flattery:
"Young Sect Master, if you want to see more fun from Yu Xiaogang, I've got a great idea. Why don't we cripple him even more? He's already a level-29 loser—we could push him down to level 19!" Yu Xiaoke said with a sinister grin.
"Level 19? That's nothing. I say we should just completely destroy him. Make him less than a spirit master, turn him into a useless worm squirming in the muck!" Yu Xiaoren added maliciously.
But Yu Xiaomen merely waved his hand and righteously said:
"Sigh… Even though he was cruel to me back then, I mustn't return cruelty with cruelty. After all, Yu Xiaogang is still my brother. I can't bear to see him living in such misery. Who would've guessed that the once proud Young Master Xiaogang would awaken a pig-like martial soul? Life really is full of surprises."
Yu Xiaomen arrived at a garden villa in Heaven Dou City, one of his personal properties. He often came here to vacation when he had free time.
He waved his hand and said, "Wait here. Without my permission, no one is allowed to enter this garden."
"Yes, Young Sect Master."
Then Yu Xiaomen entered the garden.
He passed through jagged rocks and artificial hills until a pavilion came into view. By the pavilion stood a man.
Yu Xiaomen quickened his pace and approached. Before he could speak, the man said:
"You're now the Young Sect Master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. How does it feel?"
"Respected One, this feeling is intoxicating," Yu Xiaomen replied.
"Yu Yuanzhen holds you in high regard. He's already made you the clan's heir. I suspect in a couple of years, he'll abdicate. Then, the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will be yours." Huo Qiqiang turned to face Yu Xiaomen and asked, "How do you view the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"
Yu Xiaomen responded,
"In the past, my father was indifferent to my mother's death. The entire clan allowed Yu Xiaogang and his mother to bully me without restraint.
Their attitude toward me now has only changed because of my current strength and potential. If I hadn't proven my value at the martial soul awakening ceremony when I was six, then my fate would have been worse than any of the clan's illegitimate children. My mother died because of this clan, and I will never forget that."
He then said to Huo Qiqiang,
"Everything I have today is because of you—from the changes in my talent to the Golden Dragonfruit that altered my martial soul—it's all your doing."
Yu Xiaomen had always known exactly who gave him everything.
Huo Qiqiang nodded with satisfaction, walked up to Yu Xiaomen, and patted him on the shoulder.
"I'm glad you understand. Let me share some good news: Death is not the end. As long as the soul still exists, your mother can be resurrected. Her soul did not enter reincarnation. As long as you work hard, one day you will see your mother again."
"Yes, Respected One! I will do everything I can to complete your mission!" Yu Xiaomen said with excitement.
Once Huo Qiqiang left the garden, Yu Xiaomen also emerged.
At that moment, Yu Xiaoren approached and respectfully said,
"Young Sect Master, Sect Master Ning has invited you."
Yu Xiaomen was slightly surprised. "Ning Fengzhi invited me? Did he say why?"
"Sect Master Ning said he has matters to discuss. He also invited Sect Master Huo from the Body Sect," Yu Xiaoren replied.