Chapter 30: The Next Ye Cheng
Nuoding City.
Work-Study Student Dormitory.
After watching the Video, Xiao Wu's face was deathly pale, and her entire body trembled uncontrollably!
Because from the Video she had just watched, she had captured crucial information!
Tang San, her third brother, was the son of a Titled Douluo!
And that Titled Douluo had actually always been hidden in the shadows, silently protecting him.
This meant that the fact she was a 100,000-year soul beast in human form could absolutely not be hidden from that Titled Douluo.
But why hadn't he made a move?
A 100,000-year soul beast that takes on human form loses all its power, starting everything from scratch. Moreover, after leaving the Star Dou Great Forest and arriving in the human world, she was all alone.
Such a fragile and easily hunted 100,000-year soul beast held an unparalleled temptation for any Soul Master!
Even a Titled Douluo, despite having a full set of soul rings and being unable to absorb a 100,000-year soul ring, would absolutely not refuse to possess a 100,000-year soul bone. After all, a soul bone is, in some aspects, even more precious than a soul ring.
A soul ring can only be used by one person, but a soul bone can be passed down. After one's death, it can be inherited by descendants, passed down from generation to generation to become a clan's heirloom!
Such a precious treasure would tempt anyone.
Yet Tang San's father did not make a move; he merely hid in the shadows, silently watching.
Why was that?
This was an extremely illogical situation.
Xiao Wu was no longer the naive and ignorant girl who had first emerged from the forest. Having gotten by in the human world for several years, she hadn't yet been blinded by love. Thus, she easily arrived at a very logical answer.
That was, he was saving this soul ring for his son. For Tang San!
He was just waiting for Tang San's rank to be high enough, then he would have him kill her and take her soul ring!
Xiao Wu was terrified by her own speculation.
Recalling every little detail of their six years together, as well as Tang San's promises and protection, Xiao Wu truly didn't want to believe that he was a vile hypocrite who outwardly cared for her while secretly coveting her soul ring.
But with the facts laid bare before her, Xiao Wu had no choice but to believe, no matter how unwilling she was.
After all, she had only been with Tang San for six years and had not yet experienced the many subsequent events that would deepen their feelings. Therefore, Xiao Wu could not yet, like in the original story, risk exposing her identity for his sake by participating in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, parading around right under the noses of numerous Titled Douluo.
At most, she now had a good impression of Tang San and trusted him far more than she would an ordinary person.
So, upon learning that a Titled Douluo had been secretly watching her, and caught between ensuring her own survival and betting on the small chance that Tang San's Titled Douluo father was a good person who wouldn't covet her soul ring and soul bone, Xiao Wu decisively chose survival.
Escape!!!
At this moment, only this one thought remained in Xiao Wu's mind.
She wanted to go home.
The human world was too dangerous.
These humans were too despicable.
Mom, I want to go home!
...
When the father and son pair of Tang Hao and Tang San arrived at the Work-Study Student Dormitory, they were informed by the other students that after watching the Video, Sister Xiao Wu had left in a hurry, and no one knew where she had gone.
Tang San's heart tightened. He quickly checked the luggage in the dormitory and found that Xiao Wu hadn't even taken her belongings. It looked as though she had fled for her life in a rush.
Could it be true, as his father had said? Was she so afraid of her identity being exposed that she immediately fled for her life?
Tang San immediately felt utterly dispirited.
I promised to protect you for life, Xiao Wu. Why did you run away? Do you distrust me that much?
Watching his son's dejected state, Tang Hao shook his head, yet he didn't tell him that the rabbit hadn't gone far. If he were to give chase now, he could still catch her.
Because he believed that Xiao Wu and Tang San being together would only bring him endless trouble. Just like him and Tang San's mother, A Yin—the moment her identity as a soul beast in human form was exposed, they faced the collective assault of the entire Soul Master world!
Everyone coveted his mother A Yin's soul ring and soul bone. Even he, the Haotian Douluo who once had boundless prospects, became an oddity in the eyes of some for falling in love with a soul beast. Therefore, Tang Hao did not want his son to follow in his footsteps.
Although he didn't regret being with A Yin, his son was a possessor of the world's rarest Twin Martial Soul. As long as he could suppress the backlash of the Twin Martial Soul, then in time, he would be the next Ye Cheng!
As long as his son could grow to Ye Cheng's level, then upon returning to the Clear Sky Sect, he could rally their surviving forces. By uniting with other sects and clans, it might not be impossible to contend with the powerful Spirit Hall.
The prerequisite for all of this was that his son needed to grow up and not perish midway.
After all, in this world, there were countless instances of undeveloped geniuses being killed prematurely by others.
Therefore, Tang Hao decided to have Tang San emulate Ye Cheng: first, live anonymously and bide his time. Once he cultivated his Twin Martial Soul to Great Accomplishment, he would fear no one!
"Xiao San, we should go."
Having made his decision, Tang Hao turned and walked towards the door.
"Father, where are we going?"
Tang San quickly followed.
"You'll know when we get there."
Tang Hao did not explain.
...
Half a month later.
Under Tang Hao's guidance, Tang San arrived at an unknown forest.
As soon as he arrived, Tang San immediately sensed a familiar aura. At the same time, his body instinctively sensed danger.
Tang Hao stopped before the forest, turned his head, and looked at him, saying, "I originally intended to bring you here when you became a Soul King or Soul Emperor, but since your identity has already been exposed and you've just reached rank 30, I'll bring you here first to see if you can obtain your third soul ring."
Tang San's soul power was already at rank 29, only half a step away from rank 30. Now, having experienced the various shocks from the future Video—revealing his father as a Titled Douluo and Xiao Wu as a 100,000-year soul beast—a butterfly effect was triggered, allowing him to reach rank 30 ahead of schedule.
Seeing this, Tang Hao decided to simply bring him here early.
"Sit down."
Tang Hao pointed to the ground.
Tang San was momentarily stunned, but he still sat down cross-legged as instructed. He just didn't quite understand what his father wanted him to do.
Tang Hao didn't explain. He walked over to Tang San and said, "Release your Blue Silver Grass and use your heart to feel it. With your current spiritual power, you should barely be able to sense anything. Give it a try. If you can't, I'll take you somewhere else to get a soul ring. We can come back here later, when you're stronger."
Tang San didn't understand the meaning behind his father's words, only vaguely grasping that the soul ring he was about to obtain seemed to have been part of his father's pre-arranged plan.
Without overthinking it, he immediately closed his eyes. The Blue Silver Grass automatically released itself, slowly emerging around his body. His spiritual power condensed and spread outwards.
The Blue Silver Grass was an exceedingly common plant on the Douluo Continent. Soon, Tang San, in a trance, seemed to enter a mystical state. He could feel the surrounding Blue Silver Grass seemingly calling out to him.
He could even vaguely discern the emotion of each individual stalk of Blue Silver Grass.
His senses extended as his spiritual power gradually spread, and the aura of the Blue Silver Grass he felt grew increasingly vast. Gradually, he became immersed in this feeling. He discovered that all the Blue Silver Grass seemed to harbor a feeling of deep affinity for him, as if they were his own children excitedly confiding in their father.
(end of chapter)