Besides the varying reactions of the people present, there was another person hiding in the shadows who was also furious.
That would naturally be our slovenly blacksmith Tang Hao.
He watched as his proud son with Twin Martial Souls was beaten so badly that he was powerless to fight back, and even seemed to be on the verge of losing his Dao heart. He was both worried and anxious.
As a member of the Clear Sky Sect, known for his arrogance, Tang Hao, even in his current predicament, has not lost any of his inherent pride and has always scoffed at any kind of "advice to overcome adversity."
He never believed in the saying "failure is the mother of success" or "hardship tempers the will." In Tang Hao's view, the most perfect path to growth was to never suffer a setback, to crush everyone in his path, and to become an unparalleled genius who could dominate the world! Just like his most admired grandfather Tang Chen!
However, unlike the last time when he was knocked down with a single punch, where he could be said to have been caught off guard and suffered a loss from the first encounter, this time everyone could see that Tang San was truly giving it his all and using every means at his disposal!
Even so, it still didn't pose any threat to You Xing!
Seeing Tang San's lifeless eyes and seemingly lost soul, Tang Hao felt a pang of heartache.
But he still can't show himself!
This is not because of the conspiracy theory in the original work. Tang Hao had already seen through the fact that his son had been resurrected by someone else and then used Tang San as a tool for revenge. He would not care about the other party's mental health.
How could Titled Douluo, after so many years of getting along, not notice Tang San's unusual behavior...?
If it were anyone else, it would be impossible not to notice! But if it's Tang Hao, then everything makes sense!
Putting aside whether a person from the Douluo Continent would even consider the possibility of soul reincarnation, Tang Hao, whose character has always been straightforward, somewhat naive, and impulsive, seems even less likely to think in that direction...
Aside from his initial indifference, Tang Hao's later concern for Tang San was obvious to everyone. It was definitely not the attitude of treating someone as a tool.
It's more reasonable to say that he deliberately didn't take good care of Tang San because he was possessed, or that he was heartbroken and indifferent to everything because of the death of his wife!
Readers with an omniscient perspective might feel that Tang Hao's actions are perfectly suited to a conspiracy theory framework. But... most people overlook a very obvious possibility!
Is it possible that Tang Hao wasn't actually that calculating, and was simply... not very bright?
For example, he put Ah Yin in that dark, sunless place not because he didn't want his wife to have a good life and to revive sooner, but... he simply didn't realize that such an environment was unsuitable for plant growth and recovery! As for the Blue Silver Emperor being able to revive? He probably had no idea that such a thing even existed!
The reason he fed Tang San that scalding hot porridge, enough to kill an ordinary child, wasn't because he wanted to kill Tang San, but rather... his rough and uncouth personality, coupled with his dejected state of mind, made him completely forget that he and Tang San, who hadn't yet awakened his Martial Soul, were not in the same league in terms of tolerance!
Not to mention the most prevalent conspiracy theory, "Deliberately forcing Ah Yin to sacrifice herself." Look at Tang Hao's state afterward; if he got what he wanted, he should have focused on cultivation instead of wasting his prime years. He couldn't possibly kill his wife and then regret it afterwards, could he? That would be too nonsensical and fussy! That's the character design of Yu Xiaogang and Bibi Dong!
Many of Tang Hao's actions, which readers might find either incredibly stupid or rife with conspiracy theories, suddenly seem perfectly reasonable once you steer him toward a "super smart" persona... wow, everything just makes sense!
So, at this moment, he is genuinely worried that his child will become despondent.
That intense gaze would likely have triggered a reaction even in You Chen, without relying on his heightened sensitivity to aura gained through the Aura Concealment Art ...
You Chen's brow twitched slightly. Normally, Tang Hao would never have intervened for this. For example, when Zhao Wuji bullied the younger one, Tang Hao only secretly beat him up. Not to mention that their friendly match was fair, just, and open. He even generously agreed to Tang San's unreasonable request and didn't even prohibit Tang San's obviously external Hidden Weapon.
This man is so full of martial virtue that anyone who knows the story would have to give him a thumbs up.
But a chill still ran down his spine.
The idea was never to eradicate chives all at once; the principle of sustainable development should be followed.
More importantly, You Chen knew that Tang San would eventually realize that You Xing's existence was just an exception... This battle was not due to the Hidden Weapon, but rather because that monster was too monstrous!
With Tang San being an adult and having developed mental fortitude from training in an "assassin organization" like the Tang Sect, he'll probably figure it out on his own in a night or two.
Therefore, You Xing, being the original body, stepped forward and walked to Tang San, who was lying on the ground.
"Um?"
Tang Hao frowned slightly, immediately becoming extremely attentive.
He thought about the destructive power of the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow that had just been displayed, and Tang San's ruthless and vicious methods after he went berserk. He felt that it was very reasonable for You Xing to have developed inappropriate thoughts because of this.
However, even if it means exposing myself, I will save Tang San. At worst, I'll just take out everyone else present.
Fortunately... the situation I had anticipated did not occur.
After standing beside Tang San, You Xing stopped moving and spoke in his usual indifferent tone, "Tang San, are you just going to admit defeat like this?"
Tang San: "..."
Tang San didn't reply; the blow he suffered was immense. After all, even his most prized and proud Hidden Weapon had failed to affect You Xing.
You Xing is One-Ring Soul Master of the same level as him!
At this moment, he even began to doubt whether, even if he cultivated the Mysterious Heaven Skill to the highest level in this life and used killing moves such as Bodhi Blood and Avalokiteśvara Has Tears, he would still not be able to break through the defenses of a genius Soul Master of the same level.
Then what the hell is the point of these Hidden Weapons?!
Tang San, somewhat resigned to his fate, had a thought that he would never have considered before.
The biggest reason for his dejection was that You Xing was Soul Master of the same rank as him. This was a factor he absolutely could not ignore.
"Yeah?"
—Are you really just giving up like this?
The word You Xing) seems to convey a sense of deep disappointment.
You Xing sighed for the first time, "Your Hidden Weapon are indeed remarkable, showing me different possibilities. If it weren't for me, even if the opponent was a Soul Grandmaster... no, even if it were a Soul Elder, you would still be able to defeat them!"
Upon hearing this, Tang San's eyes suddenly became more focused.
"I never imagined that Soul Master of the same level could bring me such a surprise. But the more it is like this, the more... disappointed I feel in you!"
But You Xing's next words made Tang San's pupils shrink again.
Even Tang San himself didn't realize that at this moment, every thought and action of his was completely influenced by You Xing.