Nai Zeng had been teaching at the Jedi Academy alongside Martial Soul Hall's elders for a while. Then, without anyone knowing where he had gone, he disappeared for seven or eight years. No one knew where he'd gone. They could only guess that he was alive but didn't want to be found, or dead and beyond their reach.
Still, there was always hope.
Besides, perhaps one day Nai Zeng would suddenly return and join forces with them to defeat Martial Soul Hall.
When Jade Little Sister heard that her idol was Haotian Douluo, she smiled faintly. There was a flash of hurt in her eyes, but also a little amusement. "Looks like my guess was right. You're Little San's father. So, Haotian Douluo, did you come looking for me because of Little San?"
"I only got half of it right. I came looking for you because of you."
As he spoke, Tang Qinghe glanced at Jade Little Sister's stomach. His old, dark face twitched.
"Because of me?" Jade Little Sister was taken aback. What did she have to do with this?
Apart from being a bit chubbier than before, she was taller and had a bigger belly. Her complexion was still sallow, and she always seemed a little groggy... It seemed she had picked up a few other ailments, too.
As Tang Qinghe spoke, Jade Little Sister seemed to remember something. She could no longer keep up the cool, aloof act she'd supposedly learned from that "great, cold-hearted man." She suddenly became talkative, and her voice softened. "Haotian Douluo, you're here to save me, aren't you...?"
If that were true, what a stroke of luck for Nai Zeng.
He didn't want to die. He couldn't die.
He still hadn't cleared his name. He hadn't gone to his father, his clan, or the people he'd wronged to make things right. He still had to become the great master of the world's number-one academy.
"Don't worry. You're Little San's teacher, so I came here for you. When the time comes, I'll just have to give you the million-year spirit stone I want and bring you back with me. With the spirit power from the sealed Haotian Douluo's hundred-year soul ring to help you, it won't be a big deal. Naturally, you'll have to endure a little pain, but that's to be expected." As Tang Qinghe spoke, Tang Qinghe suddenly turned and walked to the window. With his back to Jade Little Sister, he said, "Besides, it might not be a bad thing for you."
Hearing Tang Qinghe offer to help him, Jade Little Sister felt a lump in her throat. She was touched by his words, but couldn't help looking at him doubtfully. "What do you mean, Haotian Douluo?"
"You'll understand when the time comes."
Tang Qinghe spoke without hesitation. He wasn't just making an empty promise. His son, Han San, was an excellent example.
Some people were born knowing things. Han San had been able to fly almost as soon as he was born, and he'd known how to take care of the household.
Nai Zeng had awakened his dormant Martial Soul.
One son had inherited his Haotian Hammer, while the other had inherited the person he loved...
In Tang Qinghe's eyes, only the gods could explain these extraordinary phenomena.
His son, Han San, was a reincarnated god. He had to be someone who had followed a divine path in a previous life.
Otherwise, there was no way to explain such an extraordinary phenomenon.
When he heard this, and remembered that Han San had awakened his dormant Martial Soul, Tang Qinghe was convinced.
"Haotian Douluo, then do you know why I ended up like this?"
Jade Little Sister asked, feeling a little awkward.
"I don't want to go through it all again. All right, I won't say any more. Rest for a while. When I get back, I'll help you find a place to stay and solve this problem. Also, I don't want Little San to know about this. I don't want it to affect him. You can write him a letter and leave it with me. Once it's over, you can come back." Tang Qinghe sounded a little awkward.
Jade Little Sister nodded. Tang Qinghe's reasons made sense. He was someone who thought more of his son than of his own life, so naturally, he didn't want the world to know he was still alive.
Especially not his younger brother.
When Han San grew up and people asked about his teacher, Jade Little Sister, he wanted his son to think of her as the great Jade Little Sister, not as his father's lover.
At the same time, Tang Qinghe had already delivered the supplies he'd brought back to the academy village.
They were mostly things the village needed, like food, clothing, and cooking oil.
After giving Old Mu a parting gift, he left the gifts for Old Rabbit at Old Mu's place, so she could pass them to Old Rabbit the next time he came to visit. Then he had dinner at Old Mu's family home.
By the time he returned to his own home, which had long since been covered in vines and dust, night had fallen.
He didn't bother tidying up. Tang Qinghe hurriedly opened the system.
[Tang Qinghe——]
[Gender: Male]
[Martial Soul: Battle Tiger, Flower Crowned Phoenix]
[Spirit Power: Ten Ranks]
[Cultivation Method: Sky-Breaking Art (First Layer), Flower Crowned Phoenix Method]
[Spirit Essence: None]
[Affection Points: 1,008,996]
[Number of Draws: 0]
[Currently Available Items: Million Year Spirit Stone ×3, Gold Spirit Stone ×1, Spirit Essence Replacement Card ×1]
Seeing the affection points on the panel had exceeded a million, Tang Qinghe couldn't help smiling.
He hadn't expected to collect over a million affection points in less than a year. It seemed he owed a lot to Old Rabbit and Jade Little Sister.
He could already picture Old Rabbit and Little Bai San becoming the kind of sworn brothers who shared everything.
If he bullied Old Rabbit again, though, Little Bai San might end up fighting him.
And if he and Little Bai San really did fight, then Little Bai San would carry Old Rabbit home on his back and visit Tang Ritian to get the beast ring sealed on him.
Once he absorbed the first Spirit Essence, it would be time for him to enroll in the Jedi Academy.
Otherwise, he'd be held back by Tang Ritian every day, and would have no choice but to put himself in danger.
After making up his mind, Tang Qinghe opened the system shop. After a brief search, he spent 1,000 affection points to buy the highest-quality hundred-year self-condensing Spirit Essence available, one that had taken 999 years to condense.
The hundred-year self-condensing Spirit Essence looked a bit like a divine crystal. It was a crystal, but it wasn't gold. Instead, it was the same yellow as a hundred-year Spirit Essence.
It looked as though it had been carved from the purest yellow crystal. It was translucent, flawless, and truly remarkable. What was most unusual was that, inside the crystal, a faint yellow mist was constantly swirling.
Tang Qinghe poured his spirit power into the crystal. With a soft crack, it shattered, turning into a rich yellow mist that enveloped him from head to toe.
Tang Qinghe didn't dare delay. He sat down at once and used all his strength to circulate the Sky-Breaking Art, beginning to absorb the yellow mist.
As time passed, the yellow mist gradually condensed into a ring of pale-yellow light that circled Tang Qinghe.
But he wasn't going to stop at absorbing a yellow ring.
Because it was only a hundred-year Spirit Essence.
What he wanted was to push the limits.
One hundred years.
Two hundred years.
Three hundred years, three hundred and fifty years, three hundred and sixty years...
As the Spirit Essence's age continued to rise, Tang Qinghe's body began to swell. The more it expanded, the greater the change. An unhealthy purple-red flush appeared across his skin. One could only imagine how intense the pain he was enduring was.
With a roar, a burst of yellow energy surged up from his body, instantly transforming into a gigantic Battle Tiger. It stood behind Tang Qinghe and let out a deafening growl.
No one knew how much time had passed.
The yellow Spirit Essence finally solidified.
At last, the Spirit Essence's age reached six hundred years.
P.S. I didn't have a chance to ask, so I left out some of the dialogue.
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