A Solemn Invitation

Tang Hao has recently noticed something unusual about Holy Soul Village.

He always felt as if there was a pair of eyes secretly watching him from the village.

To find out the reason, he secretly investigated.

Holy Soul Village wasn't very large, so it wasn't difficult to get a lot of information. Although some villagers tried to hide information, Tang Hao still managed to get it out of them through various means.

"Are the Spirit Hall people investigating me?" Tang Hao was surprised and suspicious, wondering if someone might have discovered his true identity, but he wasn't entirely sure.

Regardless, he felt a sense of crisis.

Upon returning home, he immediately asked Tang San to pack his things, but the latter was puzzled. "Dad, what happened?"

"Don't ask any more questions, just do it!" Tang Hao's tone was cold and hard, but fortunately Tang San was already used to his attitude, so he just silently packed his luggage.

There wasn't much of value in this dilapidated house, so Tang San only took a few changes of clothes and some money, leaving the rest behind.

Just as the two were leaving their house with their luggage, Old Jack from the village rushed over.

"Mistress, mistress!" Old Jack was panting as he ran, but his eyes were bright and he was in great spirits.

Upon seeing Tang San, he didn't even notice the bundle on the other's body. He pulled him into his arms and patted Tang San's shoulder forcefully.

Tang Hao's muscles were tense, and he had already imagined the worst-case scenario, such as Old Jack finding out his true identity and coming to intercept him.

But upon seeing the old man's appearance, he suddenly realized that if that were the case, the person who came should be Titled Douluo, or at the very least Soul Douluo, not just a decrepit old man.

It's no wonder he's so easily frightened; the effects of that great war back then still trouble him to this day.

In a fit of rage, he fought against Qian Xunji and other Titled Douluo, achieving an astonishing feat of killing one and injuring two, but he himself was also seriously injured.

To escape the Spirit Hall's pursuit, he fled to a place called "Yingyang Village," only to unfortunately run into the Snake Lance Douluo was there on official business.

Left with no other choice, he could only take Tang San and continue to flee to avoid disaster. Unexpectedly, his departure revealed his whereabouts, and he was tracked down and caught up by the Snake Lance Douluo.

So, despite his still-healing injuries, he fought another battle with Snake Lance Douluo. This time, he was even more seriously injured. If he hadn't been holding on to his last breath, wanting to fulfill his promise to Ah Yin and raise their child, he might have just given up that time.

Fortunately, Tang Hao was indeed resilient. With sheer willpower and formidable cultivation, he survived the fatal injury and brought Tang San to this remote Holy Soul Village.

The world of Soul Masters is, after all, a small circle. Ordinary people cannot know what the so-called "Upper Three Sects" are. Even though Holy Soul Village claims to have produced Soul Saint, they actually know nothing about the world of Soul Masters.

Therefore, Tang Hao openly used his real name here. Although Clear Sky Douluo is renowned throughout the Soul Master World, the name "Tang Hao" is not unusual, and there are others with the same name.

But now, Tang Hao suddenly felt a little regretful. Perhaps he should have used a false name back then. If the person in charge of the Spirit Hall here had been interested and knew some of the secrets from back then, his identity would undoubtedly have been exposed.

Although several years have passed since the last battle, Tang Hao's injuries have only remained stable and have not improved significantly. If he were to encounter Titled Douluo again now, he would most likely be unable to withstand the attack.

However, Old Jack was clearly not there for him.

The old man said to Tang San with great interest, "Little San, you've struck gold!"

"Grandpa Village Chief, what happened?" Tang San was a little dizzy from being shaken.

"Look at me, I was so happy I forgot that the Spirit Hall has sent people from the city!"

When Old Jack got to this point, Tang Hao's heart jumped again.

"That Battle Soul Master named Su Yuntao informed the city's bishop about your situation, and the bishop has decided to give you a chance to study at an academy under the jurisdiction of the Spirit Hall..."

"No way!" Tang Hao shouted before Old Jack could finish speaking.

This time, Old Jack is in hot water again!

"Tang Hao!" Old Jack was thin, but his voice was surprisingly loud, momentarily drowning out Tang Hao's voice.

Old Jack lamented, "It's one thing for you to give up on yourself, but Tang San is a good kid. He could have a better future. If you don't want to support him, fine, but why are you stopping him?"

"Do you want him to rot away in this dilapidated blacksmith shop like you, until he dies? Do you even deserve to be called a father?"

Unexpectedly, Tang Hao remained unmoved, coldly stating, "Even if Tang San wants to become Soul Master, he absolutely cannot become Soul Master of the Spirit Hall."

"You, do you know what you're saying?" Old Jack trembled with anger. "Do you know what conditions the Spirit Hall officials offered? They're willing to cover all of Tang San's tuition and fees; he won't need to work part-time while studying."

However, no matter how good Old Jack's terms sounded, Tang Hao's suspicions only grew.

Why would the Spirit Hall value a mere "Blue Silver Grass," Trash Martial Soul?

But Old Jack quickly explained the reason. He looked at Tang San, who was standing to the side in a daze, and his attitude immediately became gentle.

"A high-ranking figure from the Spirit Hall just told me that your situation is very special, and Grandmaster may have misjudged you."

"Is there a mistake?" Tang San asked instinctively.

Old Jack nodded vigorously. "That's what that important person said: Your Innate Soul Power is level ten, so logically it shouldn't be Trash Martial Soul. This doesn't make sense."

Upon hearing this, Tang Hao frowned. Although he deeply hated the Spirit Hall, he had to admit that these people were quite capable, which was indeed a point of suspicion.

Old Jack continued, "So that important person believes that either your Martial Soul isn't Blue Silver Grass at all, but a much rarer Mutated Martial Soul that just looks like Blue Silver Grass."

"Another possibility is that you possess Twin Martial Souls, and the potential of your Second Martial Soul is extremely high..."

Tang Hao and his son were both startled and instinctively met each other's gazes, both seeing a look of shock in each other's eyes.

But Old Jack quickly changed the subject. "However, that important figure also said that the second possibility is less likely, because normally, you're unlikely to deliberately hide a second Martial Soul, and the difference between two Martial Souls is generally not that great..."

"I don't really understand what he meant either, but that's what he said... which means!"

While father and son were still in shock, Old Jack hugged Tang San tightly again. "Little San, you might not be Trash Martial Soul, but a true genius. You should go, and you must go to the Spirit Hall, to see a bigger world, and to have a brighter future! No one should stop you, not even your father!"

At this point, Old Jack glared fiercely at Tang Hao, his eyes seemingly saying: I'm talking about you!

Tang San wanted to defend his father, but after opening his mouth for a long time, he found that he couldn't say anything.

Because Old Jack was thinking entirely from Tang San's perspective, without any personal feelings involved. Although he had no kinship with Old Jack, he had received a lot of help from him over the years.

He couldn't, and didn't want to, hurt this old man who had been so kind to him.