Dugu Bo? I Can Smash His Soul Bone in Three Hammer Blows!

Clear Sky Sect, atop a snowy mountain.

The biting wind swept up waves of snow, rolling over the towering black walls.

Tang Hao stood before the mountain gate, gazing up at the two iron-stroked characters, "Clear Sky," on the plaque. It felt as though a lifetime had passed.

It had been many years.

At last, he had returned to this land.

The massive sect gates slowly opened amid a thunderous rumble, like a giant beast awakening.

Tang Xiao stepped out first, followed closely by the elders.

"Hao..."

Tang Xiao's gaze fell upon Tang Hao.

That old robe weathered by wind and frost, those graying temples, and those eyes that had once brimmed with youthful vigor but were now steeped in endless exhaustion.

His throat tightened.

He could no longer hold back his tears.

This call had come more than a decade too late.

Tang Hao's chest heaved violently. All the emotions he had suppressed came crashing through the dam at his brother's call.

His knees buckled, and he dropped heavily into the snow.

Bang—!

Snow scattered beneath his knees.

"Sinful Tang Hao pays respects to the Sect Master and the elders!"

His deep roar, accompanied by the dull thud of his knees striking the ground, echoed across the mountaintop.

Tang Hao's back remained straight,

but his head hung deeply,

pressing half a lifetime of hardship and regret into this heavy kneel.

The elders wore complicated expressions. Their exchanged glances held only silent sighs.

The Second Elder slowly stepped forward. His aged hand made a faint motion as though to help Tang Hao up, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"Rise, child."

He looked toward the distant mountains,

as if seeing through the years to the bloodshed and carnage of the past.

"That matter... the sect was also at fault."

"We clung stubbornly to old rules, fearful and hesitant, and placed the crushing burden upon you alone."

"Now that the Great Elder has returned, the sect has resolved to tear open this icy prison and restore the name of Clear Sky."

"Tang Hao."

The Second Elder's gaze returned, sharp as a blade.

"The sect needs your strength. If the knot in your heart cannot be untied, then join us in reclaiming this blood debt from Spirit Hall!"

"Yes!"

Tang Hao suddenly raised his head. The fire that had been extinguished in his eyes for years ignited once more.

"Tang Hao... will not fail the sect's trust!"

The resentment that had built up for decades finally found release with this oath.

Tang Xiao stood with his hands behind his back.

A relieved smile appeared at the corner of his lips as he stepped forward and patted his younger brother's sturdy shoulder.

"Enough, Hao. Come with me. Grandfather... has been waiting for a long time."

Inside Clear Sky Sect's main hall, warmth dispelled the mountaintop chill.

Tang Chen was scratching his head before a radiant treasure mirror, muttering to himself.

"These Four Swords of Zhu Xian... what fine treasures! Tsk, tsk, look at that killing intent, that formation..."

He narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to the mirror. When he saw the dizzyingly long string of numbers below, his entire body froze.

"Nine hundred and ninety-nine billion?!"

How many digits is that?

Even if I sold myself and the entire Clear Sky Sect, we probably couldn't scrape together even a fraction of it.

Damn it.

He would stop looking. It was infuriating.

The more he looked, the deeper the sense of powerlessness in his heart became.

Compared to that,

he cared more about the mission.

Though his strength was acknowledged as the greatest on the continent,

there could still be Peerless Realm experts hidden away in the wilderness.

Since that Apprentice Fellow Daoist dared challenge him again, he had presumably reached the Peerless Realm as well.

As for the Poison God...

Tang Chen had never been able to figure him out.

Just then, Tang Xiao entered the hall with Tang Hao.

"Grandfather, Hao has returned."

Tang Chen looked up at those words and met Tang Hao's weathered gaze.

"My Hao'er..."

"Grandfather..."

After that,

the grandfather and grandson, who had not met for many years, spoke at length.

Tang Hao told Tang Chen everything that had happened over the years, while Tang Xiao watched nearby, his eyes full of heartache.

"I never imagined Hao had endured such hardships all these years, while his elder brother knew nothing..."

Tang Xiao's voice was filled with self-reproach.

Tang Hao looked at Tang Xiao and smiled softly.

"Big Brother need not blame yourself. As the Sect Master, the hardships you face are far greater than mine."

Seeing the two brothers getting along so warmly, Tang Chen felt at ease. Then, he suddenly recalled something.

He looked at Tang Hao, his eyes blazing.

"Hao'er, are you saying this old man has a great-grandson?"

Tang Hao nodded and answered.

"Yes, Grandfather. His name is Tang San, the child of Ah Yin and me."

"Little San's talent exceeds even mine. Not only does he possess Innate Full Soul Power, he also has Twin Martial Souls, a rarity seen only once in a century."

Tang Chen was overjoyed upon hearing this.

"Good! Good! Good!"

"My Clear Sky Sect has successors at last!"

"Where is my great-grandson now?"

Tang Hao slowly said,

"Little San is currently studying at Shrek Academy. I am considering whether to bring him back to Clear Sky Sect."

Clear Sky Sect was hailed as the number one sect under heaven and possessed numerous secret arts and cultivation methods.

In terms of cultivation efficiency alone, it far surpassed Shrek Academy.

However, Tang Hao knew that his son cared deeply about his bonds and might not be willing to leave his companions.

Tang Chen nodded and said calmly,

"Let Little San decide for himself. But at the very least, you must bring him back so that I, his grandfather, may see him."

"By the way, this old man has been gone for many years and knows little of what is happening on the continent now."

"Do you know of any Peerless Realm expert who is particularly skilled in poison?"

At these words,

Tang Xiao and Tang Hao looked at each other and answered in unison.

"Dugu Bo."

"Dugu Bo?"

Tang Chen murmured the name.

Could he be that senior Poison God from the chat group?

"Other than him, are there any other poison experts?"

Tang Hao and Tang Xiao shook their heads at that.

"Absolutely not."

"There is one poison user in Spirit Hall, but he does not follow the pure Path of Poison. It is merely a secondary discipline for him."

"Dugu Bo is the only person on the continent who follows the pure Path of Poison. His title is Poison."

However, Tang Hao added,

"Grandfather, although Dugu Bo is the only person on the continent to become a Titled Douluo through the path of poison, he probably does not qualify as a Peerless Realm expert."

"I can take him down and smash out his soul bone in three hammer blows."

Tang Chen: ...

"Truly?"

"Truly."

Tang Chen fell silent.

The other party was merely an ordinary Titled Douluo, yet he had called him Senior in the group for so long?

That Apprentice Fellow Daoist was likely living in seclusion and unaware of that Poison God Fellow Daoist's true identity.

Otherwise, why would he grovel before him in the group every day?

It was somewhat embarrassing,

but that was fine too.

Since the other party's strength was far below his, the only one left in the group who could compete with him was Apprentice Fellow Daoist.

That Apprentice Fellow Daoist had once said that he had lost to him.

Tang Chen had roamed the world his entire life.

Other than suffering a setback at Bo Saixi's hands, he had never been defeated.

What was more, his opponent had once been defeated by him.

Realm Master's blessing,

was in the bag!

Inside Unrestricted Bookstore in Heaven Dou City, Chen Luo was browsing the Myriad Worlds Mall.

His gaze lingered on the "Ancient Mythical Beasts" section.

"Who would be more suitable to summon?"

"How about Qiongqi?"

"Not suitable. It feels a little too overpowered... If I am not careful and wipe out Chen Xun and the others, wouldn't that be a huge loss?"

Just as he was weighing his options,

the bookstore door was gently pushed open.

Xue Qinghe walked in.

Chen Luo looked up.

He saw that Xue Qinghe had deep dark circles beneath his eyes,

and an intense sense of resentment nearly washed over him.