Xiao Wu's Sacrifice

Nuoding City, Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.

Tang Hao came to Gangzi's little dwelling and gave Gangzi the Pope Token belonging to the Clear Sky Sect's master (the original work didn't say; the Clear Sky Sect was assumed), entrusting him with the care of his own biological son, Tang San.

"Remember! No matter when, he's my son!"

As for Tang Feng, Tang Hao had long since forgotten him. There had been no word from him for a year; he was probably dead somewhere out there. A waste with zero Soul Power and a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul—if he died, he died.

That saved Tang Hao the trouble of digging a pit himself.

After leaving Nuoding City, Tang Hao decided to go see Ah Yin.

It had been nearly seven years. He wondered whether the seed Ah Yin had left behind had grown.

Swordbreak Mountain Range.

Tang Hao arrived at the place where he had once buried Ah Yin with his own hands.

A secluded valley, a cascading waterfall, and a clear pool.

It was much the same as when he had left seven years ago.

Tang Hao summoned the Clear Sky Hammer and swung it, sending the waterfall flying and briefly cutting off its flow. He leaped lightly up and pressed the switch, revealing the hidden cave.

Stepping inside, Tang Hao could hardly wait to see what Ah Yin looked like now.

Had she grown or not?

Clang.

The sound of metal striking metal rang out.

Huh!?

Tang Hao looked down. He seemed to have kicked something.

A glowing gemstone lit the ground, revealing a long, narrow box lying open ahead of him.

The Soul Bone lead box!

Tang Hao recognized it at once. It was the box in which he had stored the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone!

"Oh no!"

Tang Hao was shocked and furious. He sprang forward, unleashing Divine Slaughter's Domain to its fullest as Soul Power raged around him.

He leaped with all his might, a fierce wind howling as he shot into the depths of the cave.

The small mound of earth was still there, with a somewhat wilted Blue Silver Grass growing on it.

Seeing that the seed Ah Yin had left behind was still alive and well, with no major problems, Tang Hao breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But that was all, because when Tang Hao pressed the mechanism on the wall, the lead box that should have fallen from above failed to appear.

"Who!"

"Who was it!!!"

Tang Hao let out a low roar, his eyes flashing with murderous light and veins bulging across his forehead.

Boom!

In his fury, he smashed the entire cave apart with one blow of his hammer, blasting even the river above it into the sky.

The Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone was gone, just like that!

He had intended to leave the Soul Bone to Tang San, but now someone had stolen it, and he didn't even know who!

Ah Yin, grown anew, had become an ordinary Blue Silver Grass with no spirituality; the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone she had left behind had also been stolen.

I'm furious!!!

"Ah!!!"

Blood and Qi surged to his heart, killing intent roiled, and the tattered robe he had worn for seven years snapped in the wind. His eyes turned blood-red, and even the Clear Sky Hammer became shrouded in a layer of blood-colored Soul Power. At that moment, Tang Hao fully transformed into a god of slaughter.

He wanted to kill everything in sight!

Leave nothing alive!

But before Tang Hao could act...

Pfft!

He spat out a mouthful of dark, old blood.

The violent presence around Tang Hao vanished at once. He fell to his knees, barely keeping himself from collapsing by leaning on the Clear Sky Hammer.

The hidden injury he had suffered in his battle with Qian Xunji seven years ago suddenly flared up because of the violent fluctuation in his Soul Power. It dealt Tang Hao a heavy blow, but also brought him to his senses from beneath the killing intent that had clouded them.

But his hidden injury had grown even worse.

Tang Hao struggled to lift his head and looked at the Blue Silver Grass he had spat a mouthful of old blood onto. In the end, he could hold on no longer and fainted.

The sun sank in the west.

The last rays of sunset spilled over the mountaintop, shining on Tang San and Xiao Wu.

Tang San held the girl's hands tightly in his own. The corners of Xiao Wu's eyes were slightly red and glistening with tears as she said:

"If one day, a lot of people wanted to kill me, and they were people you couldn't beat, what would you do?"

Tang San smiled faintly and replied, "Then they'll have to step over my corpse first."

As his words fell...

Clap! Clap! Clap!

"Good!"

"Well said!"

Applause rang out as Tang Feng entered the pair's sight, a smile on his face.

His smile was radiant, and coupled with Tang Feng's already handsome face, it should have made for a pleasing sight. Yet it gave Tang San a deeply uncomfortable feeling.

He subtly adjusted the muscles in his forearm, cocking his Sleeve Arrow. Alarm bells rang in Tang San's mind at the sudden appearance of this young man.

He said coldly, "Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Tang Feng. Little San, have you forgotten me so soon?"

"I've only been away from here for a year, haven't I?"

"You're making me so sad~"

Hearing the person opposite him actually claim to be Tang Feng, Tang San immediately said, "Impossible!"

From his appearance and hair color alone, the person before him absolutely could not be Tang Feng.

Seeing Tang San hesitate, and finding the tone of the person opposite them so irritating, Xiao Wu could no longer restrain her impulse to act.

As a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast with Innate Full Soul Power, Xiao Wu was quite confident in her own strength.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have tried to become the boss as soon as she arrived at Dorm Seven.

That smug fellow opposite them looked about the same age as Little San. His Soul Power definitely wasn't as high as Little San's; after all, Little San had Innate Full Soul Power and exceptional talent.

Her own strength was more than enough, and she didn't know what Little San was hesitating for.

"Little San, why waste words on him?"

"Watch me!"

"Give him a beating and he'll spill everything!"

Before Tang San could answer, Xiao Wu charged out.

"Xiao Wu! Don't!"

Though Tang San had the same idea as Xiao Wu, seeing her act so recklessly, he hurriedly reached out to stop her, only for Xiao Wu to dodge him.

With no other choice, Tang San summoned his Martial Soul to restrain Tang Feng first.

"First Soul Skill: Blue Silver Entanglement!"

He confidently unleashed his First Soul Skill, and the young man opposite him was indeed bound by Blue Silver Grass.

Only then did Tang San breathe a sigh of relief. So he was just a pig with scallions stuck up its nose, pretending to be an elephant.

With that thought, Tang San prepared to beat the truth out of Tang Feng together with Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu's fist was just about to land on Tang Feng's face when the Blue Silver Grass binding his limbs suddenly went limp, as though it had wilted, and collapsed onto the ground.

A mere Blue Silver Grass wanted to restrain the Blue Silver Emperor? In its dreams.

"How is that possible!"

Tang San was shocked, and Xiao Wu was startled as well.

But it was too late. Tang Feng flicked his right hand, and a spherical object barely larger than a fist struck Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu vanished instantly.

The King Ball containing Xiao Wu flew back into Tang Feng's hand.

"Xiao Wu!!!"

Tang San roared, his eyes icy.

Xiao Wu can't be dead. It was that ball! Right!

That ball must have trapped Xiao Wu inside.

As he comforted himself, Tang San began using the Tang Sect Secret Arts.

Purple Demon Eye, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Mysterious Jade Hand.

Several Silent Sleeve Arrows shot out without a sound, but Tang Feng, having activated his First Soul Skill, dodged every one of them.

Being able to dodge the Silent Sleeve Arrows meant that his opponent was at least as strong as him, if not stronger...

Tang San quickly assessed the situation. By rights, running should have been his first choice, but just as he had promised, even if he died, he would get Xiao Wu back.

His Mysterious Jade Hand swept past Tang Feng's face, stirring a gust of air that ruffled his black hair.

When that strike missed, Tang San attacked Tang Feng's vital points with both hands and feet, but Tang Feng dodged every blow.

Even when a sharp blade suddenly sprang from Tang San's toe, Tang Feng's expression didn't change as he dealt with it calmly.

"Slow, slow, slow, slow!"

"Too slow!"

"With your current strength, you think you can take Xiao Wu back from me?"

"Dream on!!!"

Spotting his chance, Tang Feng decisively threw a punch straight into Tang San's abdomen.

"Ah!"

After taking Tang Feng's punch squarely, Tang San's eyes bulged, his face flushed red, and drool ran from the corner of his mouth. Bent double and clutching his abdomen with both hands, he staggered backward.

I'm no match for him at all...

Whether in Soul Power Level or physical condition, I'm completely outclassed in every respect. Not only that, his evasive movements are almost like he can see the future, making it impossible for me to deal any effective damage.

Having taken away Tang San's ability to fight with one punch, Tang Feng threw out the King Ball. White light flashed, and Xiao Wu appeared.

"Master."

Xiao Wu turned around and looked at Tang Feng.

Her expression wasn't wooden, and there was none of the feeling that she had been completely hypnotized into a mindless machine. Her expression was entirely natural, respectful, humble, and adoring, without the slightest thing amiss.

Whoa, is this the power of the King Ball?

Terrifying indeed.

"Xiao Wu, what's happened to you?"

Still half-kneeling on the ground from the pain in his abdomen and unable to act, Tang San saw that Xiao Wu hadn't even looked him in the eye after being released and had even called the person who captured her master. In anguish, he pleaded:

"Xiao Wu, turn around and look at me~~~"

Xiao Wu remained unmoved by Tang San's words.

Perhaps it's time to obtain my Second Soul Ring.

Tang Feng asked Xiao Wu:

"Do you know about sacrifice?"

Xiao Wu nodded, her voice gentle:

"I do, Master."

"Do you need me to sacrifice myself to you? Even if you haven't reached the level where you need to obtain a Soul Ring, I can still sacrifice myself for you."

Tang Feng fell silent, but for less than a second.

Although Xiao Wu was cute and gentle—at least she was after being captured by the King Ball—but!

A living Xiao Wu wasn't a good Xiao Wu. Only by becoming a Soul Ring could Xiao Wu strengthen him to the greatest extent.

"Yes. Sacrifice yourself to me. Offer me your soul, life, and body."

Hearing this, Xiao Wu chose without the slightest hesitation to sacrifice herself to Tang Feng, offering up everything she had.

"What on earth are you saying? Why do you want Xiao Wu to sacrifice herself?"

"Xiao Wu, don't!!!"

Tang San screamed hysterically, stumbling to his feet and rushing toward Xiao Wu, but it was already too late.

A blood-red light bloomed from the center of Xiao Wu's forehead and quickly spread in all directions. Everything in its path came to a standstill, not just in movement but in thought as well.

At that moment, the only one able to move was Xiao Wu, who stood at the very center of the area covered by the red light and was performing the sacrifice. Her entire body was crimson, and her clothes had all been destroyed by the red light she had just released.

Looking at the young man before her, her master, Xiao Wu walked slowly forward, embraced Tang Feng, and gently kissed his lips.

She showed no regret, as though all of this was what she ought to do.

In an instant, blood-red flames surged around Xiao Wu and enveloped her. At the same time, the red light spreading outward began gathering back toward the center.

A blood-colored Soul Ring encircled Tang Feng and Xiao Wu, who stood within the bloody flames.

The bloody flames continued to burn. Xiao Wu pressed her Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone against Tang Feng's right arm, then rested quietly against his shoulder, savoring their final moment of tenderness.

Watching it all, Tang San's heart bled.

"Xiao Wu..."

The sacrifice was nearing its end. Just as Tang Feng thought everything would end smoothly, Xiao Wu, who had by then become little more than a translucent figure of light, showed a look of terror.

She hurriedly let go of Tang Feng, turned, and ran toward Tang San.

"Little San, save me!!!"

"Ah—"