Tang Hao: Blue Silver King, That Abandoned Child?!

Inside the Imperial Study.

Emperor Xue Ye looked at the letter of surrender sent by the Star Luo Empire on the desk before him, his expression incomparably complicated.

Was he happy?

Of course he was.

Expanding territory was an achievement worthy of an emperor for the ages.

But even more than that, he was afraid.

That Tang Yuan was too powerful—so powerful that he was somewhat beyond control.

At sixteen, he had beaten the Star Luo Empire into submission. He commanded the Undying Army, and his prestige was at its peak.

If he led his forces back to the capital now and wanted this throne, who could stop him?

"His achievements overshadow his sovereign..."

Emperor Xue Ye sighed and set down his vermilion brush.

"Attend me."

A trusted eunuch appeared silently behind him.

"Draft an edict."

"Blue Silver King Tang Yuan has glorified our nation's might and rendered outstanding military service."

"I am greatly pleased."

"However, Heaven cherishes all life. Since Star Luo has shown remorse and is willing to cede land, pay reparations, and offer a daughter in marriage to seek peace, I cannot bear to see the people suffer the ravages of war."

"Grant their request."

"Order the Blue Silver King to return to court at once and receive his rewards."

After saying this, Emperor Xue Ye seemed to have exhausted all his strength.

He had to summon Tang Yuan back.

Only by keeping him under his watch, in this prosperous Heaven Dou City, and using wealth, luxury, money, and beautiful women to wear down his fighting spirit could he sleep peacefully.

As for that Undying Army...

Once Tang Yuan returned, even if he had to empty the treasury, he would find a way to reclaim military authority.

Outside Heaven Dou City, in a dilapidated alley.

This was a place where commoners and beggars gathered, the air thick with a sour, rotten stench.

A tall, ragged middle-aged man slumped in a corner against the wall.

He held a broken wine bottle in his hand. His face was covered in stubble, his hair was a tangled mess, and his clouded, lifeless eyes were bloodshot.

He was Tang Hao, once the Clear Sky Sect's youngest Titled Douluo, now a drunken wreck.

"Have you heard? That Blue Silver King is practically a god!"

"Isn't that so? They say with a wave of his hand, dead soldiers can come back to life. It's practically a miracle!"

"Sixteen years old... truly, heroes emerge in their youth."

"I heard he's an orphan too. I wonder which family was so blind as to throw away such a gifted child."

"Oh, right. I heard from relatives in Nuoding City that when the Blue Silver King left, he took a child named Tang San with him, saying he was his Younger Brother."

"Tang San? That name sounds familiar..."

The idle chatter of the two passersby reached Tang Hao's ears.

Clang.

The wine bottle in Tang Hao's hand fell to the ground and shattered.

The remaining cheap ale splashed all over him, but he did not notice in the slightest.

In that instant, a terrifying gleam burst from his once-clouded eyes.

"Tang Yuan... Blue Silver King..."

"Sixteen years old..."

"Tang San..."

These few words collided wildly in his mind like thunderclaps exploding one after another.

Tang Hao abruptly rose to his feet. His once-hunched back straightened instantly, and a terrifying aura erupted from him, frightening the two passersby so badly that they fell on their asses before scrambling away.

Tang Hao paid no attention to those ants.

His breathing grew rapid.

That eldest son he had abandoned, the one he had assumed had long since been eaten by Soul Beasts or starved to death...

He was alive?

Not only had he not died, but he had also awakened the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline?

He had even become the Blue Silver King, whose name shook the world?

A baby's face surfaced in Tang Hao's mind.

That child had shown no Soul Power fluctuations at birth. He had been frail, and even his cries had been pitifully weak.

Back then, Tang Hao had planned to deceive Ah Yin into sacrificing herself, so he had simply abandoned the child.

But now, that stain had not only survived, but had also achieved something that made his heart tremble.

"He took Xiao San away..."

Tang Hao clenched his fists until they crackled.

"Does he know who I am? Does he know I was the one who threw him away?"

"If Xiao San stays with him, will he still acknowledge me as his father?"

An intense sense of crisis welled up in his heart.

But soon, that feeling was replaced by another thought—one far more frenzied and far darker.

Tang Hao thought of those rumors.

Golden Blue Silver Grass.

Life force vast enough to revive an army.

That was power even Ah Yin had never possessed.

That was... the purest, most supreme Blue Silver Emperor origin!

Tang Hao's hands trembled.

Not from guilt, but excitement.

Ah Yin was now only a sapling. To cultivate herself back into human form would take at least a hundred thousand years.

He could not wait that long.

But what if...

What if there were enough life energy from the same source to nourish her?

That Tang Yuan had Ah Yin's blood flowing through his body.

His martial soul was an evolved version of the Blue Silver Emperor.

If Tang Yuan were killed, his origin extracted, his blood essence refined, and all of it poured into Ah Yin...

Perhaps Ah Yin could be revived in a short time!

As for father-son affection?

A cruel, icy smile curled across Tang Hao's lips.

From the moment he had thrown that child away, there had been no father-son bond between them.

In his heart, only Ah Yin and Xiao San, who had inherited the Clear Sky Hammer martial soul, were family.

As for Tang Yuan...

He was nothing more than an accident—an exceptionally valuable "supplement," now that he thought about it.

"Bastard child..."

Tang Hao muttered softly, his voice carrying a greed that sent chills down one's spine.

"Since you didn't die, then make some contribution toward your mother's resurrection."

He bent down, picked up a shard of broken porcelain from the ground, and casually slashed open space. His figure vanished instantly from the filthy alley.

The gates of Heaven Dou City stood wide open.

A red carpet stretched from the main hall of the imperial palace all the way to the city gates. The streets were packed with citizens, while every imperial guard stood fully armed, long halberds in hand, maintaining order.

There was not a single sound of clamor.

When that tall warhorse appeared at the end of the road, the somewhat restless crowd instantly fell silent.

Tang Yuan wore a suit of bright silver armor without a helmet. His long black hair hung loosely behind him, swaying gently with the warhorse's steps.

There was no expression on his face—neither the wild joy of victory nor the arrogant disdain of one who thought himself above all others.

Calm.

Far too calm.

As though he had not just wiped out sixteen cities, but merely gone on an outing beyond the city.

There was no army following behind him. Only Xiao Wu, the maid who had always accompanied him, walked at his side with downcast eyes, holding the reins.

"That's the Blue Silver King..."

Someone in the crowd muttered softly, followed by the sound of people swallowing hard.

The officials stood on the steps before the imperial palace, each bowing so low they practically wished they could press their faces to the ground.

They were afraid.

Before this, they had revered Tang Yuan because he was a King by Other Surname, because he enjoyed the Emperor's favor.

But now, what they feared was that invisible yet palpable stench of blood.

It was a majesty built upon the lives of hundreds of thousands of Star Luo Army soldiers.

Crown Prince Xue Qinghe stood at the head of the officials, her eyelid twitching as she watched the youth seated atop his horse.

She straightened her robes and hurried forward.