Tang San had a questioning look on his face. At the same time, he had a vague ominous premonition.
As if, if he asked on any further, he might hear something outrageous and shocking from Yu Xiaogang.
But, even if he didn't ask, Yu Xiaogang still said something with vague meaning.
"Xiao San, don't worry. You're definitely the most talented. A person more talented than you, especially one who could potentially side with Spirit Hall, doesn't live in this world."
Hearing this, Tang San's ominous premonition got stronger.
He remembered that he hasn't seen any glimpse of his father during this time.
Logically speaking, his father Tang Hao would've definitely showed up when he was under the oppression of the Six Spirits of Creation.
It is very much unlike his father to stay hidden when he — Tang Hao's son — is in grave danger.
Finally, he couldn't help it and ask with a slightly gloomy tone.
"Teacher, have you met my father recently?"
"No. Your father is a blacksmith, far away in Nuoding city. How could I meet him often."
There was a strange atmosphere in the air.
"Teacher." Tang San said after a pause, his tone calm—too calm.
"Do you remember… what happened six years ago, at Nuoding academy?"
Yu Xiaogang blinked. "Nuoding academy? What about it?"
Tang San turned his head slowly, his eyes narrowing.
"A boy named Rayne was enrolled there. White hair. Blue eyes. A monster among monsters. Ring any bells?"
Yu Xiaogang's expression changed subtly.
"…Rayne? Oh, him. Yes, I remember. A Spirit Hall child. Had some talent. But he went missing. Probably taken in by Spirit Hall for training or… eliminated."
"..." Tang San took a deep breath.
Based on Yu Xiaogang's words, he vaguely confirmed some of his ominous guesses.
"Yu Xiaogang, my father is Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao. I know it, and you know it too. Don't try to hide it. Now say it. Have you met my father recently or not. And whether you have done anything about Rayne."
Yu Xiaogang's lips parted, speechless.
He didn't know how to say it.
"Xiao San, that boy called Rayne won't be a threat for you. Your father — Clear Sky Douluo — will make sure of that. You just focus on training and steady improvement."
As soon as Yu Xiaogang said this, Tang San muttered, "As I thought."
Tang San's eyes gleamed coldly.
"Rayne... He wasn't taken in. He wasn't lost. He was targeted."
"By my father. Isn't that right, Gangzi."
Yu Xiaogang's smile froze.
Tang San stood tall, his aura trembling slightly.
"Six years ago, you told my father to 'remove a potential threat.' You incited him to act against a six-year-old boy."
"A six-year-old boy who was Rayne."
"Even if Rayne's father had enmity with my dad, he wouldn't know of it. Unless... You informed my dad about it. You incited my dad into targeting Rayne, just for your vain pride, didn't you?!"
Yu Xiaogang took a step back unconsciously.
"He was dangerous. Spirit Hall would've nurtured him. He had twin martial souls! And that strange eye—"
"SHUT UP!"
Tang San's roar shook the air in the surroundings. His soul power flared up violently.
Yu Xiaogang's breath hitched. He had never seen Tang San so unhinged.
Flender and Zhao Wuji were also shocked.
"..." Dai Mubai, Oscar and Ma Hongjun speechlessly looked on.
They vaguely guessed what had happened.
They just sighed at their bad luck. A powerful protective umbrella like Tang Hao was gone before they had even met him.
Tang San's chest heaved with emotion.
"Do you even know what kind of being he was?! He wasn't just talented—he was a disaster in disguise! A cosmic anomaly! The Infinity…! The Supreme Dragon! You sent my father to kill that?! While he was injured?!"
"Do you have a death wish, or are you just that stupid?!"
"If my father died at Rayne's hands, then not even a trace of his soul will remain! Even if I become a God, it's impossible to resurrect my dad!"
"You plagiarizing clown! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"
"Yu Xiaogang, you already have a way to die!"
...
Back to the core area of Great Star Dou Forest.
In the hidden realm of the Great Beasts.
Rayne was having his little sweet time with Bi Ji, when a system quest alert suddenly came to him.
[Ding! Congratulations!]
[A hidden fate quest has been completed.]
[Quest: Healing the Silver Dragon.
Heal the Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena, so that she can walk among the world thousands of years ahead, improving the survival rate of many 100,000-year-old soul beasts that were fated to become the soul rings of human soul masters, for the next 20,000 years.
Task: (1). Remove the remnant will and divine power of Asura God from Silver Dragon King's wounds. (2). Allow Silver Dragon King to retain at least a combat strength of Second-class God.
Reward: Blank Divine Inheritance (x1), Fully Loyal Combat Soul Masters from Parallel worlds with level 75 Soul Saint Cultivation (x5).
Task Status: Complete.]
[A reward multiplying critical strike has been triggered.]
[300 Times!]
[Finalized Rewards: Blank Divine Inheritance (x300), Fully Loyal Combat Soul Masters from Parallel worlds with level 75 Soul Saint Cultivation (x1,500).]
"... What the hell? System, have I done something to make you happy? Why are you rewarding me like this?"
"This system... It's pleasantly overbearing and overgenerous when it comes to rewards."
Rayne muttered, looking at all the items in his Gate of Ashburn.
Blank Divine Inheritance, or Myriad Laws Blank Divine inheritance.
Rayne knows what this is. Or rather, he is the creator of this rule breaking item.
Back in his days as God of Infinity Ouroboros, he had created this item — about fifty or so of it — in preparation for his current self. The targets are naturally his wives, descendants, family, and trusted subordinates.
This item allows ascension to godhood through personal trial and resonance with laws that matches your essence the most, instead of just inheriting a handout divinity.
Basically, Rayne now holds 300+ God Positions with unlimited potential, in his possession.
The other reward was what he was quite surprised by.
Summoning people from parallel worlds, those with great combat power within the range of Soul Saint cultivation.
1,500 of them.
The overall power of his Ouroboros Tower organization just shot up like a rocket.
While he was viewing these rewards, another system notification suddenly rang out in his mind.
[Ding! A Fate Quest has been triggered.]
[Quest: Make Tang San understand the horror of Butterfly Effect.
Tang San — the regressor — had the courage and audacity to seek treasures in your blessed land, Divine Punishment Meteor Fall Region.
While he didn't get his hands on the special immortal herbs, his inner confidence hasn't faltered.
He is of firm belief that Asura God and Sea God divine positions are reserved for him.
Give him a beating of reality. Have people — Tang San never expected or looked down upon — inherit those two divine positions.
Asura God candidates: Bibi Dong, Hu Liena, Dugu Yan, Dugu Bo, Xie Yue, Ghost Douluo, Zhu Zhuqing, Zhu Zhuyun, Tang Xiao, Liu Erlong, Yu Xiaogang.
Sea God Candidates: Bo Saixi, Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er, Feng Xiaotian, Xue Ke, Xue Xing, Xue Beng, Sea Maiden Douluo, Great White Demon Shark Xiao Bai, Deep Sea Demon Whale King, Chrysanthemum Douluo, Qian Daoliu, Tang Yuehua, Ah Yin, Yu Xiaogang.
Tasks: (1). Have a candidate from the given list inherit Sea God position. (2). Have a candidate from the given list inherit Asura God position. (3). Have Tang San witness the ascension of the two new deities.
Rewards: Fully Grown Ancient Golden Tree (x5), Level up by 10 levels, World Upgrade Card (x1).
Task Status: Not Complete.]
"... Good grief. I thought I was an extreme Tang San hater. But compared to this system, I seem to be quite merciful."
"Well, whatever. I'll do this later. Now, it's time to meet my cat."
...
The moon hung low over the dense canopy of Star Dou Forest, its silver light casting twisted shadows on the ground.
Trees rushed past in a blur as Zhu Zhuqing ran with all the strength she had left, panting heavily, her heart pounding in her ears.
"Don't let her escape!" a cold shout echoed from behind her.
Zhu Zhuqing gritted her teeth. Her black cat-like martial soul lent her speed, but even then, she was only a Level 27 Soul Grandmaster.
Against her sister's elite pursuers, she was barely surviving.
Rustle!
A streak of light passed her shoulder and slammed into a nearby tree, exploding bark and leaves into the air.
She rolled to the side, avoiding the next attack just in time.
Her legs burned, her breathing grew ragged, but she couldn't stop.
Behind her, Zhu Zhuyun stood tall on a tree branch, her eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
She was dressed in tight black battle robes that matched her panther-like martial soul.
She looked ruthless, calm, and in complete control.
"Zhu Zhuqing, you can't run forever."
Her voice rang out cold and emotionless, just as expected of a trained agility-attack soul master from the Zhu Clan.
Zhu Zhuqing felt her heart clench at those words, but she didn't stop.
She leapt across a fallen log and stumbled down a slope, scratches forming on her arms as thorny branches cut her.
Still, she pressed forward. She couldn't afford to be caught. If they brought her back to the Star Dou Empire… it would be the end of her freedom.
From the trees, three figures emerged—Soul Kings. Each one of them easily above level 50. Behind them were Soul Ancestors at level 40.
They didn't even try hard to hide their spirit power fluctuations. It was overwhelming. Crushing.
"I won't go back…" Zhu Zhuqing whispered to herself. "I won't…"
Another flash of spirit power shot toward her, but this time it missed—by a wide margin. Again.
She didn't notice. But Zhu Zhuyun narrowed her eyes from afar.
"She's too slow," one of the subordinates whispered beside her. "Shall we—"
"Don't kill her," Zhu Zhuyun interrupted sharply. "We need her alive. I'll handle this myself."
The subordinates looked confused. Some frowned. But they didn't dare disobey her command.
Zhu Zhuyun leapt forward, chasing again, but her strikes only cut near trees, blasted rocks, or carved paths ahead of her sister. She wasn't aiming to catch. She was guiding.
'She's headed east. The border's not far now. Go, Zhuqing… this is all I can do for you.'
Zhu Zhuyun's gaze was sharp, but her heart was heavy. She had trained her whole life to be a weapon for their clan.
But just this once, she wanted her sister to live free — even if for a limited time.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't understand.
She thought her sister hated her. That she wanted her dead. That she was just another obstacle to remove.
But as her exhausted legs finally crossed the river at the border, and she stumbled into the wilderness beyond the Empire's reach, she collapsed, breathing in the cool night air.
"I… I made it…"
Far behind her, Zhu Zhuyun stood in the shadows, silently watching.
Her lips moved without a sound.
"…Live well, Zhuqing."
Then she vanished into the night, like a ghost that had never been there.
Or that's how it was supposed to be.
"Hello there, beautiful cat maiden. You seem to be in need of help?"
A playful yet pleasant and magnetic voice caused Zhu Zhuqing to look up.
What came to her vision was a breathtakingly handsome young man with white hair and blue eyes hidden by sunglasses.
But what shocked her the most was...
Her older sister, Zhu Zhuyun, was being held under the arms of this handsome young man, with a dumbfounded and shocked look on her face.
......
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