"Something's not right!"
Tang Hao's brows knit tightly.
This young man seemed to be only at the Soul Sage level, but as someone experienced, Tang Hao could instantly sense the difference. This was no flashy, harmless move—each of these ice spikes contained an extreme, bone-chilling cold. Even an ordinary Title Douluo, if pierced by just one, would likely have their veins frozen solid.
But this wasn't just one spike—it was thousands.
Even Tang Hao felt his scalp tingle.
"Qian Xunji is dead, Ah Yin has already sacrificed herself for me, and yet Spirit Hall still refuses to let go?" Tang Hao gritted his teeth.
"No, no, no. You misunderstand," Su Wen lightly fanned his feather fan, his tone relaxed. "Qian Xunji is dead. I refuse to acknowledge Bibi Dong. So, you could say I'm not really from Spirit Hall."
At that moment, from the cave behind them—
A giant ice scorpion, nearly twenty meters long, with a translucent blue body tinged with green, like a massive, exquisite sculpture, crawled out slowly. Its stinger pointed sharply at Tang Hao. Even for someone like Tang Hao, facing such a beast was tricky.
"A soul beast from the Extreme North?" Tang Hao's eyes narrowed.
The northern border of the Heaven Dou Empire adjoined the Extreme North. After Tang Hao advanced to Title Douluo, he'd wandered there; nearly all of the continent's ice-type soul beasts gathered in that region.
"Correct," Su Wen nodded. "Remember now?"
"Back then, I recall someone like you. Got along pretty well with Qian Xunji. Always wore snowy white. But don't think changing your appearance over the years means I don't recognize you!" Tang Hao said coldly.
"Hahahaha..."
Su Wen couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
Of course, only someone with nothing to fear would dare so boldly "impersonate" a person who didn't truly exist—after all, half of those Qian Xunji brought out back then were killed when Tang Hao advanced to Title Douluo, and the other half... died mysteriously in Spirit Hall over the years.
Truly: dead men tell no tales.
"What's so funny?" Tang Hao was annoyed, racking his brain to recall if he was mistaken.
"You're right!" Su Wen nodded, folding his fan away.
Tang Hao was the sole survivor from back then.
With his acknowledgment, Su Wen's "identity" was now firmly established. If his strength was just a bit higher, even in Spirit Hall he'd be treated as an honored guest.
No matter how dominant Bibi Dong was in Spirit Hall, it couldn't be denied: she only inherited the Pope's position because she was Qian Xunji's direct disciple, personally named Holy Maiden. Even if she hated him, she dared not openly criticize him...
So his "Spirit Hall identity" was now secure.
"As for Ah Yin—you're not worthy of her." Su Wen clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze growing cold.
"What did you say?! She's my wife!" Tang Hao lost control, yelling.
"Then why did you make her stay here?" Su Wen shook his head. "Why not let her return to Star Dou Forest? There are two old soul beasts there who knew her well. The Lake of Life would be better for her to recover her strength, wouldn't it?"
"So..."
Su Wen stared at Tang Hao. "What are you afraid of?!"
"Huff... huff..." Tang Hao gasped, "How could I know what Da Ming and Er Ming would do to her while she's weak? Two tigers can't share a mountain. Soul beasts' struggles are as fierce as humans'. If Ah Yin recovers to a hundred thousand years, wouldn't she threaten their survival?"
"That's reasonable," Su Wen nodded thoughtfully, the corners of his mouth curling up.
"But I don't buy it..."
"AAAAAAH!" Tang Hao grew more frantic. "What do you want to give Ah Yin back to me?!"
"She sacrificed herself to save you. So... why not do the same and end your own life?" Su Wen said with a smile.
"Ha!"
Tang Hao's figure flickered, and the Clear Sky Hammer unfolded in the wind, swelling to the size of a small mountain, covered in crimson patterns, exuding an ancient, heavy aura.
"Tsk tsk, a sneak attack..."
But what Tang Hao saw was not the fear he expected from Su Wen, but a hint of mockery.
At some point—
A figure as white as snow appeared at Su Wen's side. She simply stood there, looking almost small compared to the Clear Sky Hammer. Yet, with a slender jade hand, she effortlessly caught Tang Hao's blow...
Ripples of energy swept out, shaking the entire canyon.
"What?!" Tang Hao's eyes widened.
There's more?!
He withdrew the Clear Sky Hammer, his hand trembling under his sleeve.
This person... such terrifying power!
Now he truly believed it.
This youth was definitely at the level of an old monster—his face appeared young, but there's no doubt he was a Title Douluo. Tang Hao felt a bit lucky—if this person had pursued him back then, he'd have died for sure.
"Boring," Su Wen said, lightly fanning himself, looking at the now disheveled Tang Hao with amusement.
The Snow Empress stood quietly in front, exuding a glacial aura. Tang Hao clenched his teeth, unwilling but wary.
He really wasn't a match for this person...
"Let's go," Su Wen smiled and shook his head.
His figure blinked away, disappearing from the canyon.
The Snow Empress glanced at Tang Hao with disdain, then turned and left.
"AAAAAAH!"
Only Tang Hao's impotent rage remained.
…
"Eh? Who are you?"
Up in the sky.
Su Wen was on guard, staring at the child before him, narrowing his eyes.
Strange. Too strange.
This child had suddenly appeared before him, scrutinizing him while muttering all kinds of odd words...
"I am the spirit of this continent's plane, but the Chosen One I picked shouldn't be you, right?" The child looked bewildered and countered, "Big bro, where did you come from?"
"..."
Su Wen was speechless.
Was the luck he carried that strong, that even the Spirit of the Plane called him the Chosen One? But thinking about it, maybe so.
He had probably stolen Huo Yuhao's luck.
Otherwise, someone so blessed wouldn't have died so easily, nor would Su Wen have avoided the backlash. Which meant...
He'd already replaced Huo Yuhao, becoming the Chosen of the Continent a thousand years later?
"No way!" The child grew more frustrated. "I personally picked the Chosen One. They all carry my aura..."
…