She appeared on the rooftop above the Pope's Hall. In that instant, every eye turned to focus on the golden-haired woman.
She looked just over twenty, her skin whiter than snow, her nose straight, her slender phoenix eyes carrying a trace of majesty. Her cold, austere face, with sharp, defined features, radiated both nobility and severity.
Her waist was slim, her skin pale as jade.
She wore a long golden palace gown, woven with golden threads, simple yet elegant. Her long golden hair cascaded like a waterfall, as if a deity had descended to the mortal world.
The moment she appeared, Tang San and Tang Hao both gaped so wide their jaws nearly dislocated.
The person before them—this was Qian Renxue, exactly as she appeared in their memories from the previous life.
"You… you're Qian Renxue, then you…"
Tang San stared at her, then turned to look at Xue Qinghe, whose flushed face was uncertain whether from strangulation or overwhelming shame. "So… you're the real Xue Qinghe?"
"Why wouldn't I be Xue Qinghe?" Taking advantage of Tang Hao loosening his grip, Xue Qinghe snapped back angrily and embarrassed.
"No, if you're really Xue Qinghe, then how do you explain taking in a golden-haired girl when you were nine?" Tang San pressed.
"That was just a maid in the Crown Prince's residence. Can't I have some personal hobbies?" Xue Qinghe retorted.
"Then how do you explain the mysterious deaths of Xue Luochuan and Xue Haizang?" Tang San asked.
"I don't know. It had nothing to do with me." Xue Qinghe turned his head away, eyes evasive. Of course he couldn't admit in front of everyone that he had caused their deaths.
At this moment, both Tang Hao and Tang San were filled with curses in their hearts. Damn it—so you really are Xue Qinghe. Then why the hell did you go and do the exact same things as Qian Renxue did in the previous life? Do you know how easily that causes misunderstandings?
By now, Ning Fengzhi had also figured it out—this Xue Qinghe was indeed the real Crown Prince. He stood out and said: "Tang San, Tang Hao, the situation is clear now. Xue Qinghe is the true heir, not an impostor. Release him. Or do you intend to offend both the Heaven Dou Empire and my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
Hearing this, Tang Hao had no choice but to let go of Xue Qinghe.
Once freed, Xue Qinghe pulled up his pants in humiliation and returned to the Heaven Dou Empire's ranks.
When the ruler is humiliated, the ministers must die. Marshal Ge Long shouted angrily at Tang Hao: "Tang Hao, for disgracing our Crown Prince like this, the Heaven Dou Empire will remember!"
Then, the Heaven Dou contingent left with Xue Qinghe.
"So then, Tang Hao," Bibi Dong said with amusement, "which nation's prince do you plan to use to threaten my Spirit Hall next?"
Sweat poured down Tang Hao and Tang San's backs.
Suddenly, Tang Hao's gaze shifted to the three academy teams present in the Pope's Hall, and an idea struck him.
Summoning the Clear Sky Hammer, he said coldly: "Bibi Dong, this is your Spirit Hall's stronghold, but don't forget—this place is also filled with your Hall's elites, as well as geniuses from all over the continent. Tell me, if I, Tang Hao, were to self-destruct here, what do you think would happen?"
"What—!" Everyone's faces changed dramatically.
Though Tang Hao's power had dropped to level 86 after losing his arm bone, if an 86th-level Soul Douluo were to self-destruct, it would still be a catastrophe, especially for all those below Titled Douluo level.
In other words, at this moment Tang Hao wasn't only threatening Spirit Hall, but also Starfire Academy, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and all the other forces present.
"Tang Hao, you wouldn't dare," Yue Guan said.
"Hahahaha!" Tang Hao let out a wild laugh. "You Spirit Hall dogs are set on killing me and my son. What wouldn't I dare?"
"If we father and son cannot live, then none of you will either!" His expression turned vicious. "If I self-destruct, I may not be able to hurt you Titled Douluo, but I can still cause Spirit Hall massive losses. I imagine the offering elders won't easily bear losing all these fine young talents, will they?"
Everyone was enraged. Even Ning Fengzhi was furious—after all, Tang Hao's threat included his precious daughter, Ning Rongrong.
"Tang Hao, calm down," Ning Fengzhi urged.
"Calm down? How the hell am I supposed to calm down?" Tang Hao roared.
He suddenly noticed Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo creeping closer. He shouted at them: "Yue Guan, Ghost! Don't think I don't see what you're trying. You want to trap me with your Dual Polar Static Domain? Dream on! Back off fifty meters each, or I'll blow myself up this instant. Let's see what's faster—your fusion skill, or my self-destruction!"
Yue Guan and Ghost exchanged helpless looks, then retreated as ordered.
Tang Hao, however, didn't know that aside from those two, both Bibi Dong, Huo Qiqiang, and the Snow Empress present could suppress him instantly, leaving him no chance to detonate.
But none of the three sides planned to kill Tang Hao here. Without killing him, they could allow father and son to leave smoothly. And so, Bibi Dong decided to play along with his threat. "Then what is it you want, with this threat?"
"Let us go. And you must guarantee that Spirit Hall will not pursue us for ten days," Tang Hao demanded.
"Agreed," Bibi Dong said.
"In addition, I want you to hand over the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone, the hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit right arm bone, the fifty-thousand-year Wisdom Skull Bone, and the stolen Blue Silver Emperor Seed of Life," Tang Hao pressed, emboldened by her concession.
"Impossible," Bibi Dong replied coldly.
"Bibi Dong, do you not fear my self-destruction?" Tang Hao shouted.
Bibi Dong sneered. "I can allow you father and son to leave, and I'll promise that Spirit Hall will not pursue you for ten days. But that is the limit. As for surrendering our spirit bones? That option does not exist. You can blow yourself up if you wish—it will cause some losses to Spirit Hall, yes, but you cannot threaten the true powerhouses of Spirit Hall!"
Behind her, a terrifying spider phantom appeared.
For the first time, Bibi Dong herself acted.
Yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, red, red, red—her nine spirit rings shone. The power of a level 99 Ultimate Douluo erupted in full!
Her talent was dazzling to begin with. In the previous life, under similar circumstances she had long since reached this realm, but the Rakshasa God's restraints had prevented her from revealing it. In this life, without such limitations, Bibi Dong was truly terrifying.
"If you self-destruct, then soon afterward, I will personally lead Spirit Hall's forces to the Clear Sky Sect and erase it completely. In the underworld, you can reunite with the disciples of your sect."
The atmosphere on the scene instantly froze. Tang Hao hadn't expected Spirit Hall to turn the tables and threaten him—
and to use his deadliest weakness as leverage.
Tang Hao's heart was filled with guilt toward his sect. The Clear Sky Sect, because of him—no, because Spirit Hall had deliberately deviated from the path of his previous life—was forced into confrontation with him. He had accidentally harmed so many of their powerhouses, leading to the sect's decline.
If the sect were to be exterminated once again because of him, how could he ever face the ancestors of the Clear Sky Sect in the underworld?
Tang Hao's eyes turned bloodshot, his breath like a raging ox, as he roared:
"Do you dare!?"
"As long as you dare to self-destruct, I dare to follow through," Bibi Dong replied calmly.
Tang Hao fell silent. Truth be told, even his threat of self-detonation was hollow. He was far too attached to life.
After all, only the barefoot think of fighting to the death. Those with shoes on never want to gamble their lives.
Tang Hao was one with shoes. He had experienced the Tang family's glory in his previous life: his son a God King in the Divine Realm, while he and Ah Yin ruled over all beings of the Douluo Continent.
Though this life had been filled with setbacks, it was still true that Tang San had been chosen by the Asura God. Without accident, Tang San would inherit the Asura God's position, continuing the Tang family's unfinished legacy.
How could Tang Hao die here, in such a worthless place?
His fists clenched, then slowly relaxed. He said to Bibi Dong:
"Fine. These spirit bones, and Ah Yin's seed of life, I'll temporarily leave in your Spirit Hall. But sooner or later, my Tang family will come to reclaim what is ours."
With that, Tang Hao suddenly appeared behind Xiao Wu. With a single strike to the back of her neck, her body went limp and unconscious.
He hoisted Xiao Wu over his shoulder, took Tang San with him, grabbed Yu Xiaogang as well, and turned to leave.
"Xiao Wu—!" Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and the others cried, but by the time they reacted, the figures were already far gone.
The crisis of Tang Hao's "self-detonation" ended. Everyone had been frightened for nothing.
Bibi Dong turned to the other faction leaders. "I must apologize for letting you witness such chaos."
"On the contrary, we must thank Your Holiness the Pope for your generosity. Had Spirit Hall truly pushed Tang Hao to the brink, even our people might have been caught in the carnage," the Snow Empress replied.
At that moment, Yue Guan stepped forward and gestured at the Shrek group who had remained in Spirit Hall. He asked,
"Your Holiness, Tang Hao has left. How should we deal with these people?"
Bibi Dong's gaze shifted toward the Shrek team.
Immediately, Zhao Wuji, Flender, Liu Erlong, and the rest of the Shrek monsters tensed nervously.
They had only just realized: Tang Hao had raised such chaos, offending Spirit Hall completely. But then he had taken Xiao Wu and Yu Xiaogang and left—leaving them behind.
Now their fate lay in Spirit Hall's hands. Would they be released, or charged with colluding with fugitives?
"There's no need. The ignorant are blameless. Let them go," Bibi Dong declared.
Of course, she understood the Tang father and son's plan: to borrow Spirit Hall's blade to kill. Unfortunately for them, these troublesome Martial Spirit Fusion partners of Xiao Wu's would not be handled by her, but by Shrek themselves.
The Shrek group exhaled in relief. They bowed before the Pope:
"Thank you, Your Holiness."
Thus, the Soul Master Tournament concluded on this note. The participating teams departed Spirit City, returning to their homelands.
On the way back, Xiao Wu's "men" gathered together.
"Tang San's father has taken Xiao Wu. What should we do?" Xue Beng asked urgently.
"Don't panic. At least for now, we can be sure Xiao Wu is safe with him," Dai Mubai said.
"How can you be so sure she's safe with that brat?" Yu Tianheng retorted.
Oscar explained:
"From the start, Tang San knew Xiao Wu's true identity as a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. Tang Hao's spirit ring configuration is already full—he can't absorb more. Only Tang San can. But unless Xiao Wu sacrifices herself, Tang San doesn't have the strength to absorb a hundred-thousand-year ring yet. So, the most likely case is that Tang Hao plans to keep Xiao Wu captive."
Hearing this, Yu Tianheng and the others who lacked reincarnated memories thought about it and agreed the logic made sense.
"Let Xiao Wu sacrifice herself to that brat?" Er Ming growled in disgust. "With that sharp-nosed, monkey-cheeked face of his, he's not worthy of Sister Xiao Wu's sacrifice! And besides, his father is the murderer of her mother—absolutely impossible."
"For now, the most urgent task is to locate Xiao Wu," Yu Tianheng said. "When I return, I'll mobilize the power of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect to search for the Tang father and son."
"Then I'll use the Heaven Dou Empire's resources to search as well. Though I don't hold as much authority as my brother, I still have influence," Xue Beng added.
"The Star Luo Empire side will be handled by us brothers," Dai Mubai and Davis said.
"I'll also contribute to the search," Feng Xiaotian offered.
"Our Strength Clan has one-way contact with Tang Hao. If he reaches out to us, I'll immediately inform all of you," Tai Long swore.
"Our strength may be limited, but we'll also give everything we have to find Xiao Wu," Oscar and Ma Hongjun said together.
"As long as we're united, we will one day reunite with Sister Xiao Wu," Bu Le said firmly.
Thus, Xiao Wu's men made a pact to rescue her from Tang San's hands.
In a darkened room, Tang San bandaged Tang Hao's wounds and used the Xuan Tian Skill to stabilize him.
"Dad, how are you feeling now?" Tang San asked once he finished.
"Xiao San, your father can still endure," Tang Hao reassured him.
But the truth was, losing an arm had greatly reduced his combat strength.
"Dad, should I go find Master Ye Renxin for you?"
"No need. No need to find him. I can handle this injury," Tang Hao said guiltily.
In the past, when he was injured, he had searched across the continent for Ye Renxin, the Contra of the Nine-Heart Begonia, to heal him. He found him, but Ye Renxin's clinic had a long queue. Tang Hao, impatient, had barged in, kicked out a pregnant woman who was being treated, and strangled Ye Renxin until he healed him. Though he got what he wanted, he had completely earned Ye Renxin's enmity.
For now, the most important thing is securing your inheritance. That is the top priority.