Battle of the Two Haos

"Is that it?"

Tang Hao, who had been listening with a serious expression, immediately grew annoyed.

What was the difference between saying that and saying nothing?

"What I gave you were only guesses and ideas. As for how to verify, refine, and develop them, that's your business. You can't expect a level-one Soul Master like me, without even a soul ring, to handle all that, can you?"

Tian Hao shot him a glance, the contempt in his eyes utterly undisguised. Tang Hao's blood pressure nearly spiked, yet he had no way to refute him.

That was true. The kid was only a level-one Soul Master without even a soul ring. Asking too much would only make him a laughingstock.

Still, being unable to vent his anger made him feel even more stifled.

"You're a grown man, yet you're getting worked up with a child!"

Ah Yin said with an amused smile, then gently took Tang Hao's hand to comfort him.

Though she did not understand why her fiancé was acting so strangely today, comfort was still in order.

"Why isn't there any tea for me?"

Feeling the softness of her hand against his, Tang Hao felt somewhat better. But when he saw that there were only two tea bowls on the stone table and none for him, the anger he had just suppressed surged back up.

"My house only has these two bowls."

Tian Hao spread his hands, genuinely not trying to treat anyone differently.

He simply did not usually cook, so there was no point in keeping that many bowls.

Tang Hao turned to look toward the Forge Room and found that where Tian Hao had just taken the bowls from, there really were no others. There were not even any cups. He was so depressed he wanted to cough up blood.

This thing really was his nemesis!

"Alright, alright. Drink mine!"

Ah Yin found it even more amusing and pushed her bowl of tea toward him.

Tang Hao did not refuse. After shooting the boy opposite him a resentful glare, he lifted the tea bowl and gulped it all down, even swallowing the Blue Silver Grass leaf and chewing it to pieces. Then he saw an expression of shock and admiration appear on the boy's face.

"Aren't you afraid of getting burned?"

Tian Hao looked at the tea still steaming fiercely before him, then at Tang Hao, who had downed an entire bowl, filled with utter admiration.

That had been freshly boiled water. It was still at least ninety degrees after such a short while. Did he have a bronze throat and iron stomach?

"The strength of a Soul Douluo is beyond your imagination."

Tang Hao gave him a contemptuous look, making it clear that strength meant he could do whatever he wanted.

Yet Ah Yin noticed that his left hand, resting on his thigh, was clenched tightly enough for veins to bulge. That bowl of hot tea had clearly not felt good going down.

And Blue Silver Grass leaves were bitter. That was how they protected themselves.

The leaves were fine for brewing tea or soaking in water, but chewing them up and swallowing them... tsk, tsk...

He was such a grown man, yet he behaved like a child.

"Your house doesn't even have a pot. How do you usually cook and eat?"

Ah Yin inspected the little courtyard again but still could not find a kitchen.

"I've always eaten at other people's homes."

Tian Hao answered, then glanced at the sun. "Help me get your room and bedding sorted out quickly. I need to go eat later."

"You're already an adult, yet you still mooch meals off others. Aren't you ashamed?"

Tang Hao shot him another contemptuous look. The brat had irritated him badly earlier, and he had to win some ground back.

"Have you hit menopause?"

After a moment of silence, Tian Hao looked genuinely puzzled.

According to what he knew of the original story, Tang Hao did not seem to have this sort of personality. Could this have been his true nature, and only after his wife died did the blow turn him into what he later became?

"I'm going to teach you a lesson today, brat."

The word "menopause" nearly made Tang Hao explode on the spot. He rose to his feet, ready to deal with the kid. At the very least, he would hang him up and beat him.

"Come on, then! If you've got the guts, don't use your Martial Soul or Soul Power. Let's see who teaches whom a lesson!"

Tian Hao refused to back down. He had never fought a soul master before.

Tang Hao was only a Soul Douluo now and had yet to become the Titled Douluo from the beginning of the original story, but his strength was still not to be underestimated. Even without using his Martial Soul or Soul Power, his physical attributes were terrifying.

In the original story, he had not even used the Clear Sky Hammer. Relying solely on the strength of his body enhanced by Soul Power, he had brutally beaten Zhao Wuji.

Of course, that was mainly because Zhao Wuji had not dared use his Martial Soul for fear of enraging Tang Hao. Otherwise, if he had used his Martial Soul Avatar, which could temporarily contend head-on with the Titan Giant Ape, Tang Hao would not have been able to take down Zhao Wuji with only his fists.

This was a formidable opponent, and also a perfect sparring partner.

He could also take this chance to test the Jade Disc of Creation's enlightenment function in battle.

Besides, with kind-hearted Ah Yin standing nearby, he did not believe this guy would beat him to death.

"I'll make you cry with my fists all the same!"

Tang Hao clenched both fists, his fury mounting. No matter what, today he would beat this brat until even his mother could not recognize him.

"Come on, let's fight outside!"

Tian Hao picked up the steel spear leaning against the wall, gestured to Tang Hao with it, and strode outside.

"Can't you two just settle down?"

Ah Yin could not stand it anymore. How had a simple conversation turned into a fight?

"I know my limits. Besides, that kid was provoking me and challenging me on purpose. This is a good chance to see what he's made of."

The anger on Tang Hao's face vanished, replaced by a smile. He was no fool; how could he fail to see through Tian Hao's provocation?

He had simply been looking for an excuse to teach the brat a lesson, so he went along with it.

"You men..."

Ah Yin stared blankly for a long while before sighing with both exasperation and amusement. She truly could not understand men.

Without hesitation, she hurried after them, just in case Ah Hao really hit too hard and hurt the child.

Before long, Tian Hao arrived at a flat clearing. He leaped onto a smooth stone ball, held his spear out, and pointed at another stone ball of the same size by the edge of the clearing, signaling Tang Hao to get on it as well.

Tang Hao looked at the stone ball beneath Tian Hao's feet, then at the rarely used stone ball at the edge of the clearing. He roughly guessed Tian Hao's intention.

"It's not too late to admit defeat."

Seeing that Tang Hao had figured out the trick, Tian Hao taunted him.

He had specially used these stone balls to train his legwork and balance, imitating the acrobatic acts from circus performances in his previous life.

At first, he had suffered greatly on them, falling until his face was bruised and swollen every day. Only after several years of practice had he adapted.

Tang Hao might be powerful, but standing steadily on such a stone ball would not be easy, much less exerting force to fight.

At the same time, Tian Hao wanted to see whether demonstrating and teaching this training method could harvest another wave of Tang Hao's fortune.

"I'll teach you a lesson: before absolute strength, every little trick is useless."

Tang Hao pushed the stone ball, which stood as tall as a person, opposite Tian Hao. He leaped onto it and barely adjusted to it, then replied with a cold smile.

"Fine, then. Fight!"

"Fight!"

After exchanging that single word, Tian Hao made the first move. The steel spear in his hand thrust out rapidly and repeatedly, attacking only Tang Hao's lower body.

The area below Tang Hao's waist, including both feet, was entirely shrouded in the spear's edge. Tian Hao even shook out a flurry of spear shadows, making the points of attack even harder to predict and impossible to guard against.

This vicious Lower Body Spear Art made Tang Hao's face go dark, but he had no choice but to crouch down and defend himself.

He had no desire for that sharp spear to stab him somewhere vital, especially with Ah Yin watching from nearby.

If he really got hit there, he might as well die.

But only when they truly exchanged blows did he fully understand how difficult this style of fighting was.

Having to crouch and defend passively was secondary. The key issue was that the ground beneath them was smooth stone, making the round stone ball under his feet impossible to stabilize. The slightest exertion made it roll, leaving him unable to fight at all.

This was far harder than practicing the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer beneath a waterfall.

(Tang Hao: Whoever gives me some recommendations to kill that brat, I'll give him my wife!)