Chapter 147: Tang Hao's Stolen Home

The next day, Tang San left Shrek Academy.

He wasn't alone, but accompanied by his father, Tang Hao, whom he hadn't seen for several years.

Tang Hao didn't disclose their destination, but it was easy to guess it was related to Tang San's upcoming practice of the Haotian Hammer.

Tang San had long known his father's true identity and was eagerly looking forward to it.

Several days later, under Tang Hao's guidance, they arrived outside an unnamed forest.

Upon their arrival, Tang San immediately sensed a familiar aura.

Dangerous yet tinged with familiarity.

Tang Hao stopped in front of the forest and looked at Tang San.

"Before practicing the Haotian Hammer, you need to upgrade your first martial soul to Spirit Ancestor by adding a fourth soul ring. Perhaps there will be suitable opportunities for you in this forest."

Finally, was it time to become a Spirit Ancestor?

Tang San couldn't help but feel excited at the thought, with Su Cheng's figure flashing through his mind.

"Sit down," Tang Hao said, pointing to the ground in front of him.

Tang San hesitated for a moment but complied, sitting cross-legged, unsure of what his father wanted him to do.

Tang Hao didn't explain, walking over to Tang San's side. "Release your Blue Silver Grass soul, then use your heart to feel."

Without much thought, Tang San immediately closed his eyes.

Soon, his Blue Silver Grass martial soul emanated, surrounding his body and dispersing slowly, infused with the powerful spiritual power he had cultivated through the Purple Demon Eye.

The sense of familiarity he had felt earlier grew stronger.

The forest was abundant with Blue Silver Grass, akin to an excellent training ground for him. Although the feeling was intensified here, it didn't seem particularly special.

"Don't you feel anything?" Tang Hao asked, disappointed as time passed.

Then his mood calmed down.

Indeed, Tang San's spiritual power cultivation was still too low.

Although it surpassed that of ordinary Soul Masters at the same level, it wasn't significantly higher.

He had anticipated this, so he wasn't too surprised.

"Never mind, come with me," Tang Hao sighed before taking the lead and running into the forest.

Tang San couldn't help but feel uneasy, not understanding what had just happened, as he noticed the flicker of disappointment in his father's eyes.

The two of them traversed through the dense forest, surrounded by countless Blue Silver Grass and towering trees, exuding ancient vibes.

After more than an hour of travel, a giant Blue Silver King appeared before them.

"Huh?" Tang Hao was surprised to see the Blue Silver King, having only heard about it from Ah Yin.

But the aura emanating from this giant Blue Silver King was much stronger than Tang Hao had expected.

Tang Hao sensed that even with his strength, he might not necessarily win against it, especially when combined with this Blue Silver Grass forest.

This was unexpected.

Tang Hao had no reason to doubt what Ah Yin had told him; the previous Blue Silver King definitely didn't possess the strength of a Title Douluo.

And it would take a lot of time for a soul beast's cultivation to improve, let alone a plant-type soul beast like the Blue Silver King.

Clearly, for some reason, in less than twenty years, the Blue Silver King had encountered some special opportunities.

However, it was even more surprising for the Blue Silver King.

It sensed the pure blood of the Blue Silver Emperor within Tang San.

Observing the two before it, the Blue Silver King's mind raced with many thoughts but remained silent.

"Are you the Blue Silver King?" Tang Hao asked, looking at the massive, ancient face in the vines with extreme caution and politeness.

"Yes, I am," the Blue Silver King replied, its gaze, though directed at Tang Hao, focused on Tang San beside him.

Although it hadn't said anything, Tang San's pure Blue Silver Emperor bloodline had indeed been noticed by it.

This was strange.

Despite being a plant-type soul beast with naturally low intelligence, the Blue Silver King had survived for an incredibly long time and, unlike Ah Yin, had accumulated vast experience and wisdom over the ages.

Upon seeing Tang Hao and Tang San, it knew there must be extremely complex stories behind them.

However, those were irrelevant to it.

The true Blue Silver Emperor had temporarily departed, and they were no longer motherless children. Moreover, there could not be two Blue Silver Emperors in the world at the same time.

After Ah Yin hadn't mentioned much about the two before, it wouldn't mention it either.

It remained silent in response to Tang Hao's inquiry, as Tang Hao's questioning was of no importance to it.

The Blue Silver King could sense the powerful aura emanating from the man before it but wasn't afraid.

Previously, after Su Cheng condensed the fifth soul ring here and upgraded, it gained significant insights, as did the other plants in the Blue Silver Grass forest.

In this situation, it wasn't afraid of facing a Peak Douluo.

Not to mention, the Blue Silver Grass clan was known for its tenacious vitality.

Noticing Tang Hao's powerful aura, it remained unperturbed.

After a moment of silence, Tang Hao spoke again, "This child possesses the bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor. I hope you can help him awaken his martial soul truly."

"Blue Silver Emperor? True awakening?" Tang San's heart was already churning with waves of astonishment and excitement at Tang Hao's words.

His thoughts raced; just from Tang Hao's words, he realized his martial soul was definitely not ordinary Blue Silver Grass.

In fact, he had suspected for a long time whether his martial soul was just ordinary Blue Silver Grass.

Although his martial soul wasn't dominant, it was far from comparable to the ordinary waste martial soul of Blue Silver Grass. But he had never expected there would be an even greater opportunity.

However, the Blue Silver King's response poured cold water over his excitement.

"I'm sorry, I cannot help," the Blue Silver King said calmly.

Tang Hao furrowed his brows at the response but wasn't too disappointed; it was within his expectations.

"Indeed, it seems his spiritual power is still insufficient," Tang Hao muttered to himself.

The Blue Silver King remained silent in response to his self-talk.

After a moment, Tang Hao asked again, "When his cultivation reaches level sixty or seventy, will he have the conditions to awaken the Blue Silver Emperor?"

The Blue Silver King hesitated for a moment before speaking frankly, "It has nothing to do with cultivation. He cannot awaken the Blue Silver Emperor martial soul."

"What?!" Tang Hao exclaimed in shock, widening his eyes.

"What do you mean he can't? His body clearly possesses the pure bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor. How can he not awaken?!" Tang Hao demanded.

"There are other reasons. But your son indeed does not have the conditions to awaken the Blue Silver Emperor," the Blue Silver King replied calmly, refusing to explain further.

In its mind, no one was more important than Ah Yin, the true emperor of the Blue Silver Grass clan. It wouldn't speak of matters unrelated to her, especially as Ah Yin hadn't mentioned them previously.

It remained silent in the face of Tang Hao's inquiries.

"The forest seemed to merge into one entity, and even if the strength was somewhat superior, it would be impossible to harm it even a bit." Seeing the silent Blue Silver King, Tang Hao hesitated.

He was shallow in knowledge when it came to martial souls, only knowing from Ah Yin that the Blue Silver Emperor had a potential awakening. But as for whether martial souls were different from soul beasts or where Tang San's bloodline stood, he was clueless.

The Blue Silver King's secretive demeanor made him feel powerless.

He had considered forcefully pressuring the other party to explain the secrets or attempting an awakening ceremony. But out of respect for Ah Yin, he held back, though he was ready to use force if it came to securing Tang San's future.

The crucial issue was his uncertainty about defeating the Blue Silver King. Engaging in a futile battle would only result in irreconcilable enmity, depriving Tang San of future opportunities.

With this in mind, Tang Hao abandoned his plans for confrontation and spoke with a low voice, "I understand."

Then, he turned away, saying calmly, "San, let's go."

Tang San, whose emotions had fluctuated from anticipation to confusion and disappointment like a rollercoaster, looked at Tang Hao's dejected figure and felt a hint of dissatisfaction but chose not to voice it.

After casting a cold glance at the Blue Silver King not far away, he followed Tang Hao out of the ancient forest.

After leaving the ancient Blue Silver Grass forest, Tang Hao slowly began to tell Tang San about his origins. But instead of immediately mentioning the Blue Silver Emperor, he first brought up another matter.

"San, do you know that the girl you call your sister, Xiao Wu, is not a human but a soul beast that has transformed after hundred thousand years?"

"What?!" Tang San's footsteps halted abruptly, stunned by this revelation.

Tang Hao glanced at him and asked, "Now that you know this truth, what are your thoughts? Are you still willing to consider her as your family? Or are you planning to keep her confined, using her as a reserve for your soul rings and soul bones in the future?"

"...," Tang San remained silent for a moment, then his expression hardened. "So what if she's human or a soul beast? All I know is that she's my sister."

And the person I love.

He added silently in his heart.

"I see. I understand," Tang Hao's eyes flashed with complexity.

His reaction surprised Tang San. "You don't oppose?"

"I only object to her being exposed blindly to the world. But the bond between you, I will always support."

With a hint of sigh, he continued, "But the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is indeed formidable. After she used the concealment elixir they sold, even I couldn't see through her true form."

"I see."

Tang San finally understood. No wonder Xiao Wu was so excited after trying that breath concealing elixir.

"If not for that, she wouldn't be able to participate in the Spirit Master Tournament. In the eyes of Titled Douluos, the existence of transformed soul beasts is as conspicuous as the bright moon in the night sky."

"But if Xiao Wu is a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form, why is her strength so weak?"

"This involves the secrets of transformed soul beasts."

As Tang Hao spoke, he looked at Tang San with a mix of emotion and nostalgia, recounting his own past.

"In fact, your mother was also a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form. She was the Blue Silver Emperor of hundred thousand years..."

...

As Tang Hao finished his story, Tang San's expression changed from shock to a hint of ferocity.

"Wu, Soul, Palace!"

Although his teacher Yu Xiaogang had warned him not to antagonize the Spirit Hall after he returned to the academy half a month ago, how could he not seek revenge for his father and mother's deaths!

This matter had nothing to do with his teacher. He would bear all the consequences himself.

"Remember it well. Now that the Spirit Hall is powerful, we can't afford to fight head-on. Wait until you achieve higher cultivation in the future before planning major actions."

"I understand." Tang San nodded, his expression cold and resolute.

In the following days, the two of them practiced while traveling.

Tang Hao didn't mention their final destination, and Tang San didn't rush him, trusting that his father had a plan.

During the journey, Tang San added a fourth soul ring, a seven-thousand-year one, to his Blue Silver Grass martial soul. With this additional ring, he felt more confident about adding ten-thousand-year soul rings to his Haotian Hammer in the future.

Several days later, they arrived at a massive waterfall.

"Follow me."

With that, Tang Hao leaped up and swiftly reached the rocks behind the waterfall, using his Clear Sky Hammer to push through into the cave behind the waterfall.

Given Tang San's current strength, reaching that position was still quite difficult. But with the assistance of his external spirit bone, the Eight Spider Legs, and the hidden weapons Flying God Claws, along with the Blue Silver Grass maintaining balance, he managed to catch up.

When he entered the cave after exerting considerable effort, he immediately felt a shiver run down his spine.

A piercing killing intent swept from all directions, making him feel as though he were standing naked in a freezing wasteland, unable to move.

"Ah Yin!"

Tang San saw Tang Hao kneeling not far ahead, trembling before a mound of soil.

It was indeed Tang Hao.

Tang San had never seen his father display such a vulnerable gesture before.

From his vantage point, Tang Hao's face was already contorted beyond recognition, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Who... who are you!"

A low growl of fury escaped through gritted teeth.

Tang San felt the surrounding killing intent intensify.

Cold, ruthless, evil, terrifying – the overwhelming aura was akin to a ferocious beast charging at him.

Even though Tang Hao emitted it unconsciously, without any intent towards him, Tang San struggled to breathe under the extreme pressure.

He had experienced something similar before.

Su Cheng's sword intent had also subjected him to immense mental pressure.

But the two were different in essence.

In comparison, for the current Tang San, this killing intent appeared even more terrifying and direct.

Enveloped within it, Tang San felt like he was in an icy dungeon, with his body covered in goosebumps and his thoughts seemingly dulled.

What's wrong with Dad? And is this killing intent materialized?

Yu Xiaogang had once told him that when a person's strength reached a terrifying level, killing intent could even materialize, transitioning from invisible to tangible.

But those who could achieve this level were rare even among Titled Douluos.

Nearly half an hour passed like this.

During this time, Tang San silently endured the terrifying pressure without uttering a word.

When Tang Hao finally recovered, Tang San's face was already pale and shaky.

"...San, come here."

The icy killing intent receded like a tide, and Tang Hao's slightly weary voice awakened Tang San from his numbness.

At Tang Hao's words, Tang San slowly dragged his body forward with what little strength he had left.

He looked at Tang Hao, wanting to ask what had just happened. But the expression on Tang Hao's face made him hesitate to speak.

When Tang San approached, Tang Hao glanced at the empty mound of soil in front of him, then turned and struck the nearby rock wall with the back of his hand.

However, there was no response.

Tang Hao fell silent.

He had actually mentally prepared himself.

Since this place had been discovered and the seedling of the Blue Silver Emperor had disappeared, the probability of the hundred-thousand-year soul bone being lost was high.

"...Dad, what's this about?" After a long silence, Tang San couldn't help but ask.

Tang Hao sighed and said softly, "As I told you before, after your mother's sacrifice, she left behind a seed. I originally planted it here."

As he spoke, Tang Hao pointed to the empty mound of soil in front of him.

Tang San was momentarily stunned.

Then, he realized and went from being blank to shocked, and finally, his shock turned into intense anger.

"My mother, she...?"

"Not only that, after Ah Yin's sacrifice, she also left behind a hundred-thousand-year soul bone. I was planning to give it to you. After you absorbed it, it would have strengthened your physical foundation, making it easier to add high-level soul rings to your Haotian Hammer."

Seeing Tang San's bewildered expression, Tang Hao sighed again. "That soul bone has also disappeared."

Tang San's heart sank.

He knew exactly what a hundred-thousand-year-old soul bone was.

His expression darkened further. "Despicable thieves!"

"Ah, you should leave for now and let me be alone."

After saying this, Tang Hao ignored Tang San and instead stared blankly at the empty mound of soil in front of him.

He wasn't particularly concerned about the loss of the soul bone. He hadn't planned on absorbing it in the first place.

But the disappearance of the Blue Silver Emperor's seed was something he couldn't accept.

He feared that the thief might have destroyed the seed or ingested it as a precious herb.

Every time he thought about it, he felt like his heart was bleeding.

The next day, Tang Hao emerged from the cave, his expression returning to its usual calmness.

However, he seemed even more gloomy and desolate than before.

He looked at Tang San, who was sitting cross-legged beside the pool, and said lightly, "I'll find out what happened. For now, come with me to add soul rings to your Haotian Hammer."

Upon hearing his voice, Tang San immediately stood up and walked over.

"Dad, that terrifying aura you emitted yesterday..."

That terrifying killing intent still lingered in his mind.

Tang Hao pondered for a moment before responding.

Although he hadn't planned to let Tang San delve into the realm of the God of Slaughter just yet, since his son asked, he explained, "That was killing intent, the purest form of killing intent."

A glint flashed in Tang San's eyes as he recalled being immobilized by Su Cheng's sword intent.

To him, that feeling didn't compare to the overwhelming tangible killing intent.

"Having such powerful killing intent means you can completely overwhelm your opponent in terms of momentum during battle, right?"

Tang Hao shook his head.

"Wrong. The greatest function of killing intent isn't to affect your opponent but to help yourself.

"It allows you to disregard life and death, increase your attack speed, maximize your strength, and even perform beyond your limits.

"Even when facing opponents much stronger than yourself, you won't feel the slightest fear.

"Killing intent is a part of momentum. In some ways, it can be equated with courage. Or you could say, killing intent is the sublimation of courage."

If Tang Hao's words were heard by Su Cheng, he would surely scoff and mock his shallowness.

But Tang San was extremely admiring and convinced of his father. He immediately said firmly, "Dad, please teach me how to cultivate killing intent."

Tang Hao, however, waved his hand, rejecting his request.

"No need to rush. Your task this month is to improve your Haotian Hammer. As for anything else, after this Spirit Master Tournament ends, I'll take you for further training."