Smack!
Tang San's left cheek puffed up as his body lifted into the air, only to crash heavily onto the ground.
"Dai Mubai!!!"
Tang San roared, his eyes brimming with killing intent.
Dai Mubai had brazenly slapped him again—how could he possibly accept this?
The body is a gift from one's parents; how could Dai Mubai treat him like this, slapping him as if it were nothing?
"Enough, Tang San. Stop shouting."
Dai Mubai nonchalantly dug his finger into his ear as if Tang San's anger was a mere annoyance.
"Your father said that I should slap you occasionally, whether or not there's a reason. If I don't, he'd beat me instead."
Hearing this, Tang San's tightly clenched fists slowly relaxed. He ground his back teeth so hard they nearly shattered, utterly confused as to why Tang Hao would make such a demand.
What exactly had happened that day?
Tang San didn't dare question his father's orders. He was a filial son, deeply respectful (and fearful) of his father, who had shown him nothing but... tough love. How could he possibly defy Tang Hao's decision?
"Tang San, perhaps Haotian Douluo does this to temper you?"
Dai Mubai offered this suggestion, feigning deep thought.
"Haotian Douluo?"
"You're saying my father is Haotian Douluo?" Tang San asked, his eyes lighting up with curiosity.
"Of course. If he weren't a Titled Douluo, why would I listen to him?"
Sigh... Dai Mubai sighed dramatically, as if this were simply the truth.
Tang San: "..."
He truly hadn't known his father was a Titled Douluo!
He had thought Tang Hao was, at most, a Soul Douluo. Learning this revelation brought a surprising sense of pride.
"Tang San, what exactly did you do to make Haotian Douluo request such a thing?"
Dai Mubai asked, feigning curiosity.
Tang San: "..."
If he knew, he wouldn't be so confused!
Half a month had passed since the conclusion of the preliminaries of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.
The participants were given a two-week rest period before traveling to the next venue for the qualifiers.
For security reasons, the location remained a secret. Only three days before the matches would the Heaven Dou Empire announce it.
In their last match, Shrek Academy had obliterated Thunderclap Academy in a single round.
No one thought Thunderclap Academy was weak—it was just that Shrek Academy was overwhelmingly strong, utterly ruthless in their dominance.
Three Soul Kings and a direct descendant of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan—Thunderclap Academy's loss was as justified as it was crushing.
Tang San had tried to make sense of his father's actions.
Why would Tang Hao insist he go to Dai Mubai for beatings?
It wasn't as though he had slacked off in his cultivation. He had never been careless about his training, not even sacrificing his pursuit of love to ensure his progress.
Why would his father assign someone to discipline him?
Thinking about it, this method was... very much in line with Haotian Sect's style.
The Haotian Sect's strict training of its disciples, both inner and outer sect, was legendary. Their rigor was what had elevated them to the number one sect on the continent.
The Haotian Sect wasn't just strong because of the Haotian Hammer. Their secret techniques and self-created soul skills were what truly set them apart.
However, one could also argue that their strength was all thanks to one unparalleled genius: Tang Chen.
Tang Chen had reached Level 99, the pinnacle of humanity, suppressing even the Two Godly Douluo Grand Worshippers.
If not for his impatience to become a god before Bo Saixi aged and died, he could have created his own divine position.
Sadly, after completing the Asura God's Eight Trials, Tang Chen fell victim to the Rakshasa God's schemes.
Perhaps the Asura God never intended to pass on the Asura divine position to Tang Chen. Otherwise, how could the Rakshasa God have triumphed over him?
Back to the present...
Tang San touched his swollen face, glaring at Dai Mubai with hatred.
Even if Tang Hao had ordered it, Tang San swore he would get back at Dai Mubai somehow.
"Tang San, could you at least pretend a little?"
"The way you're glaring at me makes me scared, you know. If you keep this up, I might just slap you even harder next time."
Dai Mubai smirked as he spoke, clearly amused by Tang San's frustration.
Tang San: "You're the one who deserves to die!"
Suppressing his anger, Tang San managed to rein in his murderous glare, at least for the moment.
Seeing this, Dai Mubai dismissed him with a wave, then took Xiao Wu's hand and headed toward the dormitory.
Tang San's barely subdued emotions erupted again.
It felt as though a green light was shining brightly over his head.
The girl he had vowed to protect for life... had walked away, hand in hand with Dai Mubai.
"Damn it!"
"Dai Mubai! You truly have a death wish!"
Tang San collapsed to the ground in frustration.
At that moment, a short but burly figure appeared before him: Zhao Wuji.
After learning of Tang Hao's death, Zhao Wuji's gaze toward Tang San had changed.
There were many times when Zhao Wuji had been tempted to slap Tang San to death, yet for some reason, he always held back.
However, he decided not to kill Tang San for now. Instead, he resolved to teach him a lesson.
His justification? Tang Hao's "instructions."
Tang San: "..."
In the border region between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire, there stood a "giant."
It was because of this giant that the Douluo Continent had not seen a large-scale war in years.
It was also a place of faith for most civilian soul masters—a place they aspired to reach.
Here, even Soul Masters and Soul Elders who lorded over small towns were mere nobodies. A simple waiter in a restaurant might very well be a Soul Ancestor.
This place was Spirit City.
After a grueling journey with little rest, Yu Xiaogang finally arrived in Spirit City.
Producing his Honorary Elder Token from Spirit Hall, he was granted an audience with Pope Bibi Dong.
Yu Xiaogang held two Honorary Elder Tokens—one from the Haotian Sect, gifted by Tang Hao, and one from Bibi Dong herself during her time as Spirit Hall's Saintess.
"Oh, so it's you, Honorary Elder Yu Xiaogang," Bibi Dong sneered from her throne.
She had known who her visitor was the moment the guards announced his arrival. Her words carried a deliberate undertone of mockery.
(Chapter End)