The Whole Family Sacrificed

In the royal palace.

After the Ili Kingdom's royal family held a welcoming banquet for Tang Hao, they noticed the Clear Sky Douluo's impatience and did not arrange anything else for him.

Thus, while the newspapers were still being reprinted and reorganized, Tang Hao gained some free, peaceful time.

In a quiet, elegant courtyard, Tang Hao held a Spirit Bone and cultivated the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique.

At the same time, he slowly pondered the combat experience contained in Tang Hao's original memories.

His combat awareness was lacking. Only through repeated life-and-death battles could it improve.

But that did not mean he should simply wait around and do nothing.

He could study the combat experience in Tang Hao's original memories and conduct more simulated battles.

His combat awareness might still fall short of those Titled Douluo who had survived countless massacres.

But at the very least, it would not be so poor that he was no different from an ordinary person.

Or rather, studying more could help him avoid being ambushed or accidentally poisoned, couldn't it?

Bit by bit, Tang Hao recalled, contemplated, and thought.

Whenever he grew tired of thinking, he picked up the Spirit Bone and circulated the Dragon Transformation Secret Method, absorbing its spirituality to strengthen his body and soul.

Night fell.

Tang Hao continued reviewing and organizing his combat experience. He then finished his meal alone in the spacious hall.

Tang Hao found it somewhat surprising. He had assumed the Iliza Royal Family would enthusiastically try to approach him tonight, build closer ties, and engage in the usual drinking-table culture.

Yet even after he finished eating, he remained quietly alone. No one came to disturb him.

"Looks like I lack experience in upper-class aristocratic socializing."

Tang Hao shook his head, but did not care too much about it.

In his view, one of the greatest benefits of transmigrating to Douluo Continent was that he no longer had to exhaust himself running from one drinking table to another.

He had enough time to do what he wanted.

Outside, after Tang Hao finished dinner and was preparing to return to his room to immerse himself in fantasy-style "fitness training,"

Ye Xilan approached with light footsteps, carrying a letter in her hand.

"Your Excellency, there is news regarding the Qing Family's bounty."

"The Qing Family's bounty?"

Tang Hao found it strange. The newspaper had not even finished printing the information about the additional one million Gold Soul Coin reward, so how had the Qing Family already received news?

He reached out and accepted the letter. Seeing the Iliza Royal Family's seal on the envelope, Tang Hao knew that it had come from them.

Its secrecy level was not low, either.

"It was sent by Prince Ilir. He said their people in Spirit Hall spotted Qing Yuhuan."

Ye Xilan paused in a soft voice, an incredulous expression appearing on her lovely face.

"He appeared in Spirit City and was personally received by Spirit Hall's current Pope, Bibi Dong."

"It seemed that he would later be accepted as the Pope's disciple." Ye Xilan truly found it unbelievable and could not understand it at all.

After all, in her impression, Qing Yuhuan, Qing Guan Quan's grandson, had average talent, average strength, and even average aptitude in medicine.

His Innate Soul Power was only Rank Two, and his Martial Soul was merely a passable healing-type Martial Soul, the Clear Heart Crown.

As for medicine, he had studied for six or seven years and was still lingering at the beginner's level.

So she completely failed to understand why such an ordinary junior would be accepted as a disciple by the Pope of Spirit Hall, the greatest Soul Master force in the world.

Even if it was to disgust the Clear Sky Douluo and put on a show for the entire world that they cared about those who reported him, there was no need to go this far.

Seeing the disbelief on Ye Xilan's beautiful face, Tang Hao smiled.

Unbelievable?

No. When Tang Hao saw the words on the envelope—"Entire family dead, only Qing Yuhuan survived"—he understood that this was no longer unbelievable.

It was something destined to happen.

However,

His Hometown Fellow's Golden Finger had clearly been trash before. How had it suddenly become so impressive after he went to Spirit Hall, to the point that Bibi Dong herself would accept him as a disciple?

Could it be...

Tang Hao's expression turned strange. He seemed to recall that some protagonists favored by fate could only awaken the Golden Finger within them after their entire families died and their wives and children were scattered.

Then, filled with youthful passion, they would become unstoppable, defeat villain after villain, and gather every beauty into their arms.

Could his Hometown Fellow's Golden Finger only be activated in that way?

But...

Probably not.

Otherwise, wouldn't Qing Yuhuan be far too cold-blooded and ruthless? Sacrificing his entire family just to activate his Golden Finger...

Tang Hao instinctively did not believe that possibility. He felt that, as someone who had also transmigrated from a civilized society, Qing Yuhuan could not possibly become so cold-blooded.

Still,

Thinking of the rapid cultivation speed that usually came after the awakening of such a Golden Finger, Tang Hao let out a long breath and smiled.

"Since that is the case, Xilan, where is the prince of the Iliza Royal Family?"

"Your Excellency, he is outside, awaiting your summons."

A prince of an entire kingdom had to wait for Tang Hao's summons before daring to come in.

Tang Hao clicked his tongue inwardly, gaining a clearer understanding of his own status.

After considering it for a moment, Tang Hao said, "In that case, let him in."

"Also, since Qing Yuhuan's status has risen, our bounty cannot remain so low."

"Raise it to five million Gold Soul Coins."

"And," Tang Hao said with a smile, feeling that he had become a little ruthless, "this time, I do not want his life. I only want his right palm."

"One right palm can be exchanged for five million Gold Soul Coins from me."

"Or one finger for one million Gold Soul Coins."

Under the moonlight, Prince Ilir, who was waiting outside, twitched his ears. Upon hearing the words Tang Hao had deliberately allowed to carry outside, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

He gained a clearer understanding of the Clear Sky Douluo's killing intent toward Qing Yuhuan.

But then his eyes lit up.

Five million Gold Soul Coins were enough to fund a well-trained army of three thousand men in fighting a war to destroy an entire sect.

The reward could be said to be exceedingly generous.

Of course, five million Gold Soul Coins would not be enough to buy the hand of a disciple of Spirit Hall's Pope.

But using the hand of Spirit Hall's Pope's disciple to win the friendship and favor of a Titled Douluo was more than worth it!

Not to mention that the new weapons had recently been upgraded, and their power was far greater than before.

Ordinary Soul Masters would now face one-sided slaughter before an army.

Therefore, after many major powers resolved the threat posed by low-level Soul Masters, they became extremely eager for higher-level experts, especially Titled Douluo.

They needed them to guard against Spirit Hall's decapitation operations!

That was also why, despite being a prince of the Ili Kingdom, he had lowered his stance so greatly when meeting Tang Hao.

"Still, there is no rush. First, I should tell my newly returned clansmen, brothers, friends, and relatives about this, and discuss it with them."

"It will not be too late to decide afterward."

Prince Ilir murmured softly, but his eyes grew increasingly bright with excitement.