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The dark blue forest fell into a brief silence, as if it could not bear to see its people suffer further. The surging spirit power fluctuations gradually subsided. The Blue Silver Grass no longer swayed, and the suspended dew drops quietly fell. The entire forest seemed to hold its breath.
Just then, an ancient and Vicissitudes spirit power fluctuation came from deep within the forest, like a million blades of grass whispering in the wind, carrying deep reverence and guilt:
"King… please forgive your people…"
The voice was low and distant, containing the tranquility and majesty unique to plants, yet also harboring an inexpressible sorrow, as if pleading for forgiveness from a supreme being.
She Long's scarlet snake pupils narrowed slightly, and a cold arc stretched across his lips as he let out a sinister chuckle: "Heh… at least you're sensible."
His voice was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, carrying undisguised contempt.
She Long and Ci Xue exchanged glances, a ruthless glint flashing in their eyes. Ci Xue's body surged with blood mist, and his nine spirit rings suddenly bloomed. His chilling voice echoed through the forest: "Tang Hao, today is your day of death!"
Before his words finished, Ci Xue's figure had already transformed into a bloody afterimage, rushing directly towards Tang Hao. His hands formed claws, and blood-colored spirit power condensed into sharp thorns. Wherever he passed, even the air was torn with ear-piercing shrieks.
Tang Hao's gaze deepened. His right arm shook violently, and the dark Clear Sky Hammer appeared out of thin air. The heavy hammer body was wrapped in dark red spirit power, like a awakened fierce beast. He let out a low roar, and the Clear Sky Hammer bravely met the attack—
"Boom!"
The two terrifying forces collided, and a violent spirit power shockwave instantly exploded. All the Blue Silver Grass within dozens of feet was shattered, and the ground cracked with spiderweb-like fissures. Tang Hao grunted, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, his figure swaying slightly. Ci Xue was also forced back several steps, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"As expected of Clear Sky Douluo, to still possess such combat power even when heavily injured." She Long's chilling voice came from the side. He had, at some unknown point, circled to Tang Hao's side, his Snake Lance shimmering with golden light, striking directly at Tang Hao's throat!
Tang San's pupils constricted. His Purple Demon Eye operated to its extreme, and the Hidden Weapons in his hand were instantly thrown out: "Dad, be careful!"
Dozens of cold glints broke through the air, heading straight for She Long's vital points. She Long snorted coldly, sweeping his Snake Lance, and the Hidden Weapons were all sent flying. However, this brief interference was enough for Tang Hao to react. He suddenly turned, and the Clear Sky Hammer, carrying immense force, smashed fiercely towards She Long!
"Seventh Spirit Ability, Clear Sky Avatar!"
The shadowy figure of the dark giant hammer suddenly expanded, pressing down like a mountain. She Long's face changed drastically. He hastily raised his lance to block, but was still sent flying by the hammer, crashing through several ancient trees before barely stabilizing himself.
"Damn it!" Ci Xue roared in anger, the blood mist suddenly boiling, "Ninth Spirit Ability, Blood Demon Devouring Heart!"
Terrifying blood poison erupted from his body, transforming into countless ferocious blood-colored ghostly figures, howling as they pounced towards Tang Hao and his son. Tang Hao pulled Tang San behind him, and the Clear Sky Hammer heavily smashed onto the ground: "Clear Sky Protection!"
A dark red spirit power barrier suddenly rose. The blood-colored ghostly figures crashed against it, emitting a grating corrosive sound. The barrier vibrated violently, and Tang Hao's face grew paler, clearly reaching his limit.
"Can't drag this out any longer…" Tang Hao gritted his teeth, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes. The hammer body instantly erupted with dazzling blood-red light.
"Ring Explosion! Sixth Ring! Shatter!"
"Boom—"
A terrifying spirit power storm erupted with Tang Hao at its center. Ci Xue and She Long were caught off guard and sent flying by this force. When the smoke and dust dispersed, Tang Hao and his son were nowhere to be seen in the forest.
"Bastard!" She Long got up awkwardly, his snake eyes filled with venom, "Chase! They can't run far!"
Tang Hao, carrying Tang San, darted through the dark forest like a ghost. The night wind howled, and branches lashed at his face, but Tang San was oblivious, only staring fixedly at his father's blood-stained robes and increasingly pale face.
"Dad…" Tang San's voice trembled, his fingers unconsciously clenching.
Tang Hao's breathing was heavy and rapid, but his steps did not falter. He turned his head, his gaze like a torch, his voice low and hoarse: "Little San, listen carefully."
"Everything I say next, you must remember every single word."
Tang San's heart tightened, and he immediately held his breath.
"After we leave here, first find a safe place and absorb the Spirit Bone." Tang Hao's voice was very soft, but it carried an undeniable power, "Then go find your aunt, and ask her to invite your eldest uncle out of the Sect."
The night wind rustled, stirring fallen leaves. Tang Hao's steps suddenly paused, and he looked back at the distance—that was precisely where they had fought to the death just now.
"Remember the location of that forest." He said in a deep voice, "When your eldest uncle arrives, take him back there. There is your fifth spirit ring there."
Tang San was about to nod, but then saw a complex expression flash in Tang Hao's eyes.
"Finally…" Tang Hao's voice suddenly became extremely soft, as if he was speaking of a secret sealed away for many years, "Take him to the waterfall where you cultivate."
"Behind the waterfall, there is a cave."
Night clouds obscured the moon, and the forest suddenly darkened. Tang Hao's face was hidden in shadow, only his eyes shining astonishingly bright.
"Once inside the cave, your eldest uncle will tell you everything."
He suddenly coughed violently, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his lips, but he still gripped Tang San's shoulder tightly: "Lastly… have him send you to Slaughter City."
The last few words were heavy as a thousand pounds.
Before he finished speaking, Tang Hao suddenly coughed violently, a mouthful of fresh blood gushing out, splattering onto the front of his clothes, blooming into a dazzling crimson. His body swayed, but he still gripped Tang San's shoulder tightly, as if this was the last strength supporting him.
Tang San's tears instantly streamed down, glistening in the moonlight. He trembled as he supported his father's tottering body, his voice choked: "Dad, don't say anymore… I remember everything, every single word."
The night wind whimpered, scattering his unfinished words. Tang Hao's blood-stained hand slowly rose, his rough thumb wiping away the tears on his son's face, leaving a dark red bloodstain.
"Good child," His voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, yet it carried a heartbreaking tenderness, "Remember. This is your… destined path."
Tang Hao's voice suddenly deepened, like a rusty knife grinding on gravel. His blood-stained hand gripped Tang San's clothes tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force: "If I die…"
A mouthful of fresh blood surged up his throat, but he swallowed it down forcefully, leaving only a dark red mark at the corner of his mouth.
"Take all my Spirit Bones to your eldest uncle." He spoke each word with extreme weight, as if to engrave them into Tang San's very bones, "This is… what I owe the Sect."
The night wind suddenly stilled, and even the chirping of insects disappeared. Tang San felt his father's hand trembling, those hands that had always been as steady as a rock, now like a flickering candle in the wind.
"No! Dad, no… you won't die!" Tang San's voice trembled, almost breaking. He gripped Tang Hao's wrist tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. Mysterious Heaven Skill internal energy surged wildly into his father's body, but upon contact with the meridians, it was like a mud ox entering the sea—those broken meridians were already shattered, like a dry riverbed, unable to carry any spirit power flow.
Tang San's pupils contracted violently. In his perception, his father's body was like a crumbling ruin, only a faint glow of spirit power still shining at his dantian and heart meridian—that was Tang Hao, relying on his powerful cultivation as a Titled Douluo, using his last strength to protect his vitality.
"Don't waste your spirit power." Tang Hao's voice was terrifyingly calm. A faint arc appeared at his blood-stained lips, "I won't die just yet. You heard the sound just now. But before your eldest uncle comes, you cannot come here alone."
Moonlight filtered through the tree shadows, casting dappled light onto his pale face. The hand Tang San was gripping suddenly turned over, firmly holding his son's trembling fingers. The warmth in his palm made Tang San's whole body tremble—that warmth was warmer than expected, yet it was a warmth that broke his heart.
"Dad, let's go back to Heaven Dou City!" Tang San's voice tightened, his fingers unconsciously clutching Tang Hao's sleeve, "Ye Lingling's Nine-Hearted Begonia can at least stabilize your injuries. As long as we buy time, I will… I will definitely find a way to heal you!"
Tang Hao's body paused slightly. In a trance, he seemed to see Tang Yuehua standing in the Clear Sky Sect's garden, a steaming teacup in her hand, her always gentle eyes looking at him with worry.
"Forget it…" He gently shook his head, his thin fingers stroking his son's clenched fist, "Don't let your aunt worry anymore."
The night wind carried away a nearly inaudible sigh. Tang Hao looked towards the faintly visible lights in the distance, which was the direction of Heaven Dou City.
"My body… I know it myself." His voice was low, but it carried an undeniable resolve, "Moreover… since Spirit Hall has already discovered my whereabouts…"
Before he finished speaking, a sharp pain suddenly struck. Tang Hao grunted, and the hand supporting the tree trunk left five bloody marks on the rough bark.
"Heaven Dou City," he gasped as he straightened up, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, "is not only unsafe, but will also bring mortal danger to your aunt…"
Before his words finished, Tang Hao's body suddenly swayed, and his keen, eagle-like eyes abruptly lost focus. His lips trembled slightly, as if he still wanted to say something, but only a trickle of dark red blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
"Dad!"
Tang San's cry of alarm was still caught in his throat when Tang Hao's imposing figure suddenly collapsed like a broken ancient pine. His black robe flapped in the wind, finally hitting the ground covered in Blue Silver Grass with a heavy thud, stirring up a circle of fine grass clippings.
The moonlight was pale, shining on Tang Hao's bloodless face. The hands that had once struck fear into Spirit Hall were now weakly spread out at his sides, their fingertips still stained with dirt and blood from the battle.
Tang San gritted his teeth, forcing down the sob that rose to his lips. He knelt on one knee, and with a single motion, hoisted his father's heavy body onto his back. Tang Hao's scalding blood immediately soaked through his back.
Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track unfolded beneath his feet, and his figure transformed into an afterimage, rapidly darting through the forest. The night wind howled in his ears; at this moment, he could not hesitate.
"Spirit Hall—"
A cold flame ignited in Tang San's eyes, a flame tempered with blood and hatred. He gripped his father's dangling wrist tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
"If this vengeance is not taken, I am unworthy of being a son!"
The oath, mixed with the scent of blood, was crushed between his teeth, and along with their figures, vanished into the vast night.
Dusk deepened, and Feng Xiao's figure quietly appeared beneath the towering city gates of Heaven Dou City. He brushed off non-existent dust from his sleeves, then looked up towards the Imperial Palace, his golden pupils shimmering with inscrutable light in the lingering sunset.
The guards at the palace gates had not yet had time to salute when the slender figure had already swept past the layers of palace walls like a gentle breeze. Qian Renxue was in her study handling state affairs when the quill in her hand suddenly paused—she sensed that familiar aura.
"Little Feng!"
As she rose, her snow-white skirt blossomed in the evening breeze. Her usually composed brows actually held a hint of girlish delight. The quill on the table was not put down properly and fell to the ground.
"How was the harvest this time?" She quickly stepped forward, her Gilded eyes shining astonishingly bright.
Feng Xiao's lips curved slightly, his fingertips gently brushing the girl's temple: "With two Crowned Douluo personally making a move," He deliberately drew out his words, "how could there be any reason to return empty-handed?"
Qian Renxue was about to smile, but suddenly frowned: "Wait, why are you alone?" Her gaze swept across the empty corridor behind Feng Xiao, "Where are Uncle She and Uncle Ci?"
Feng Xiao's smile gradually faded. He looked towards the last sliver of sunset in the west, his voice so soft as if afraid to disturb something: "On the way back… I met Tang Hao."
"Tang Hao?!"
Qian Renxue's pupils suddenly constricted, her fingertips unconsciously digging into her palms. The temperature in the study seemed to instantly drop to freezing point.
Everything about her father's death was inextricably linked to that cursed name.
Feng Xiao watched the surging cold light in Qian Renxue's eyes, his voice becoming even softer: "I found him already at the end of his rope… internal organs severely damaged, spirit power depleted." His fingertips rubbed the golden embroidery on his cuff, "I have already… subtly conveyed this intelligence to the two Crowned Douluo."
The night wind passed through the corridor, carrying the chill of early autumn.
"Perhaps…" Feng Xiao looked up towards the southwest, which was the direction where he found Tang Hao, "After tonight, Clear Sky Douluo will truly become a legend."
Qian Renxue's eyes suddenly turned cold, and her slender fingers clenched tightly, her knuckles gleaming with a chilling white light in the moonlight.
"He got off easy."
Her voice was very soft, yet it was like a poisoned ice blade, every word laced with bone-deep coldness. Deep within her Gilded eyes, surged hatred suppressed for twenty years—not being able to personally watch that man take his last breath, not being able to personally avenge her father's blood debt…
The night wind ruffled the golden hair on her forehead, but it could not disperse the thick, unresolvable killing intent.
Feng Xiao suddenly spread his arms and pulled her into his embrace, his warm palm gently stroking her tense back. As he lowered his head, his breath brushed against her reddened earlobe: "Xue'er, how about we don't go to the Ni Tai Training Field tonight?"
Qian Renxue trembled all over. The killing intent that had been as sharp as a blade just moments ago now melted inch by inch like spring snow meeting the sun. Her eyelashes fluttered lightly, and the ice in her Gilded eyes transformed into shimmering water: "No, not to the training field…" Her voice grew softer and softer, "Then where do you want to go?"
"These past few days have been rough," Feng Xiao suddenly tightened his arms, his nose brushing against the cool snow lotus scent in her hair, "Naturally, we should…"
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly scooped her up horizontally. Qian Renxue gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Wait!" Qian Renxue suddenly realized something and angrily punched his shoulder, "You don't even know which direction my bedchamber is in!"
Feng Xiao laughed heartily, twirling her around in the moonlight: "Then would Your Highness be so kind as to lead the way?"