Tang Hao

Bibi Dong picked up an urgent dossier from the desk once more.

"If there is nothing else, you may withdraw."

This was a blatant order to leave.

Gu Qing felt no reluctance, turning around to take hold of Qian Renxue's slightly chilled hand.

With steady strides, he walked out of the suffocating Pope Palace without looking back.

It was only when the heavy purple-gold doors closed behind them.

That Qian Renxue's tense body finally went limp, as if all her strength had been drained away.

The early autumn sunlight spilled over them, bringing a long-lost warmth.

Gu Qing stopped in his tracks, turning to look at the fiancée who had remained silent the entire time.

On Qian Renxue's peerlessly beautiful face, there was an unconcealable sorrow and desolation.

After over a decade of life-and-death deception, she couldn't even receive a single word of affirmation in the end.

"What? Still upset about what just happened?"

Gu Qing reached out, cupping Qian Renxue's slightly pale cheeks in his hands.

Tears swirled in Qian Renxue's eyes, yet she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

"I've long been used to it; she has always looked at me this way."

Qian Renxue's voice was slightly hoarse, as if it had been cut by a blade.

Gu Qing pulled Qian Renxue into his broad embrace, his heart aching for her.

His right hand gently patted her trembling back.

"If she is blind to your worth, that is her loss."

Gu Qing lowered his head, resting his chin against Qian Renxue's soft golden hair.

"In the Heaven Dou Empire these past ten years, you have performed more brilliantly than anyone else."

A ring of emerald-green Life-Type Blue Silver Grass silently spread from Gu Qing's fingertips.

Pure life force flowed along Qian Renxue's meridians, slowly seeping into her scarred and weary heart.

Under Gu Qing's control, the slender vines quickly wove themselves into an exquisite grass ring.

Gu Qing lifted Qian Renxue's right hand and slid the glowing ring onto her ring finger.

"On the day of our grand wedding, I will place the most dazzling diamond ring on your finger."

Looking at the vibrant grass ring on her finger, Qian Renxue's tears finally broke through the dam.

She hugged Gu Qing's sturdy waist tightly, burying her face in his broad chest.

Her tears quickly soaked the front of Gu Qing's robes.

All the grievances and fears she had suppressed in her heart for years were released in this moment.

Gu Qing said nothing, responding to her fragility only with an even tighter embrace.

The sunlight stretched their shadows long across the bluestone path.

After a long while, Qian Renxue finally stopped sobbing and lifted her head from Gu Qing's chest.

The eyes that had been dim now glowed with a renewed, dazzling brilliance.

"Thank you, Gu Qing."

Qian Renxue carefully stroked the grass ring on her ring finger.

"Let's go, I'll take you to see how our new home has been decorated."

Gu Qing held Qian Renxue's hand, walking toward their residence against a backdrop of red silk fluttering everywhere.

That day, the news that the new Holy Son of Martial Soul Hall, Gu Qing, would have full authority over the tournament spread through the city as if it had grown wings.

The streets and alleys were all buzzing with talk of this genius who had suddenly emerged.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was shrouded in a heavy, dark cloud.

Inside the clan's main hall, located in the deepest part of Thunder Canyon, lightning raged.

Violent lightning-attribute soul power shattered the precious ornaments within the hall.

Yu Yuanzhen stood upon the high dais, his tiger-like eyes spitting literal flames of fury.

"Deception! This is nothing but pure deception!"

Yu Yuanzhen slammed his fist heavily against the load-bearing pillar beside him.

The surface of the pillar, thick enough for a man to wrap his arms around, instantly filled with spiderweb-like cracks, with fine arcs of lightning dancing wildly within them.

Several clan elders stood trembling below, not daring to even draw a full breath.

Just half a month ago, Yu Tianheng, the heir in whom the clan had placed all its hopes, had been carried back to the sect.

The miserable sight of him had caused the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to gasp in horror.

Yu Tianheng's meridians had been forcibly shattered by a tyrannical life-attribute soul power.

The ribs across his chest were almost completely pulverized, and he required precious medicinal pills just to sustain his breathing.

Yu Yuanzhen had personally examined him, only to discover that the soul power was like maggots on rotting bones, utterly impossible to eradicate.

The pride and hope of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had been ruthlessly beaten into a cripple.

And the culprit behind all of this was none other than Gu Qing, the man currently making waves in Heaven Dou City!

"Clan Head, you must remain calm."

The Great Elder stepped forward, bracing himself as he offered earnest advice.

"That Gu Qing has already become the new Holy Son of Martial Soul Hall."

"Bullshit!"

Yu Yuanzhen let out a thunderous roar, blue veins bulging on his thick arms.

"What kind of damn Holy Son? In this old man's eyes, he is nothing but a heinous little beast!"

Violent lightning erupted from Yu Yuanzhen's mouth, detonating in mid-air.

"Tianheng is my most beloved grandson, the future of my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!"

Yu Yuanzhen paced back and forth in the great hall, his entire body radiating a suffocating, terrifying killing intent.

"Who does that Gu Qing think he is, daring to ride roughshod over the Upper Three Sects!"

The Second Elder seized the moment, cautiously approaching the base of the steps.

"Clan Head, this subordinate has just received confirmed intelligence from Martial Soul City."

The Second Elder swallowed hard, presenting the secret letter in his hands with both palms.

"The grand finals of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament are being presided over entirely by that brat, Gu Qing."

"Furthermore, the day the tournament concludes is the day of his grand wedding with the Martial Soul Hall Holy Maiden, Qian Renxue."

Upon hearing this, Yu Yuanzhen abruptly stopped his pacing.

He snatched the secret letter with a rough hand, scanning its contents in the blink of an eye.

"Good! A double celebration, indeed!"

Yu Yuanzhen laughed in extreme anger, his laughter laced with hair-raising peals of thunder.

"He crippled my grandson, and now he wants to hold a grand wedding?"

Yu Yuanzhen crushed the letter in his hand into a ball of ash.

"Does he really think that with that bitch Bibi Dong backing him, he can walk sideways across the continent!"

The Third Elder stepped forward, lowering his voice to offer a scheme.

"Clan Head, why don't we take this opportunity, while all factions are gathered for the tournament, to pay a visit to Martial Soul City?"

"Aren't those people from Shrek Academy also clamoring to take revenge on Gu Qing?"

"The enemy of an enemy is a friend; we can use their blades to do our killing."

Yu Yuanzhen narrowed his eyes, the look of brutality in them not only failing to fade but growing even more intense.

"Use their blades? That would be letting him off too easily!"

Yu Yuanzhen strode to the Thunder Throne and spun around sharply.

"Go and retrieve those ancestral Thunder Prison Formation Disks from the vault!"

The expressions of the elders turned incredibly complex upon hearing this.

"Clan Head, are you planning to strike directly in Martial Soul City?"

The Great Elder's voice trembled; that was the headquarters of Martial Soul Hall.

"I am not only going to strike, I am going to take his dog life in front of the entire world!"

Yu Yuanzhen stood with his hands behind his back, his overwhelming soul power whipping up a gale within the hall.

"A wedding day? This old man will make sure his wedding feast becomes a funeral banquet!"

"I will take Gu Qing's head to pay tribute to the future that was destroyed for Tianheng!"

Yu Yuanzhen's gaze pierced through the layers of thunderclouds outside the hall, casting itself directly toward the direction of Martial Soul City.

"Immediately summon all elders of the clan at the Soul Saint level or higher."

"At dawn tomorrow, we depart for Martial Soul City!"

The war machine of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan began to churn at this very moment.

The seeds of hatred had grown into a towering tree.

A lethal trap aimed at Gu Qing was rapidly taking shape amidst Yu Yuanzhen's madness.

Meanwhile, in Martial Soul City, Gu Qing was leisurely sipping tea inside the newly constructed Holy Son Mansion.

The crisp sound of porcelain clinking was exceptionally clear in the quiet study.

Gu Qing held a cup of freshly brewed Yuqian Longjing tea, his gaze deep as he watched the busy Cardinals outside the window.

The steam rising from the teacup blurred his calm and composed face.

"A storm is coming."

Gu Qing gently placed the teacup onto the rosewood desk.

A vibrant green bird, condensed entirely from Life-Type Blue Silver Grass, flew in through the window.

This was a clandestine method of soul power transmission, used exclusively for top-secret intelligence.

The bird circled in mid-air before landing steadily on Gu Qing's fingertip.

Gu Qing closed his eyes, and a faint ripple of soul power flowed from his fingertip into his mind.

A vast amount of information was parsed and read in an instant.

The emerald bird completed its mission, dissolving into specks of light that vanished into the air.

Gu Qing opened his eyes again, a cold, mocking glint flashing in their depths.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is out in full force, with Yu Yuanzhen leading the team himself."

Gu Qing tapped his fingers rhythmically against the tabletop, creating a steady tap-tap sound.

"And over at the Heaven Dou Empire, the people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect have also begun to assemble in secret."

These so-called great sects were truly not to be trifled with.

They were all counting on this Spirit Master Tournament to diminish the prestige of Martial Soul Hall.

"Do they really think a few old fossils can stir up a storm in Martial Soul City?"

Gu Qing stood up and walked to the bookshelf, pulling out the tournament bracket.

It was densely packed with detailed information on the teams that had advanced from each division.

The name Shrek Academy was heavily circled, appearing particularly jarring.

A light sound of footsteps came from outside the door.

Qian Renxue walked in, carrying a plate of delicate snacks.

Having shed her military attire, Qian Renxue was now dressed in a simple, elegant pale gold gown.

The rigidity she wore while disguised as Xue Qinghe had faded, replaced by a touch of feminine softness.

"What are you so absorbed in?"

Qian Renxue placed the snacks on the desk, her gaze falling upon the tournament bracket.

"A few insects who don't know the meaning of death, lining up to meet their end."

Gu Qing picked up a piece of Osmanthus Cake and popped it into his mouth; it was sweet but not cloying.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has made a move?"

Qian Renxue was sharp and immediately guessed the source of the intelligence.

"That old man Yu Yuanzhen couldn't swallow his pride; he's bringing his people to storm Martial Soul City."

Gu Qing brushed the crumbs from his hands, his tone as relaxed as if he were discussing tomorrow's weather.

"Are they planning to use the tournament as an opportunity to challenge you?"

Qian Renxue's brows furrowed slightly; Yu Yuanzhen was a long-renowned Titled Douluo.

His strength was not to be underestimated, especially with the foundation of his entire clan to support him.

"I actually hope they jump out sooner rather than later."

Gu Qing braced his hands on the desk, leaning in to look into Qian Renxue's beautiful eyes.

"I can use this opportunity to kill the chicken to scare the monkey."

"I want the whole world to know exactly what weight this Holy Son of Martial Soul Hall carries."

Qian Renxue looked at the man before her, radiating such overwhelming dominance, and her worries instantly vanished.

"The wedding date is set for the dusk of the tournament finals."

Qian Renxue placed an invitation embroidered with a dragon and phoenix pattern onto the tournament bracket.

"Grandfather said he will personally preside over our wedding."

Deep within a dark, damp underground cavern, water droplets slid slowly down the stalactites.

With a plip, a bead of water struck the muddy surface of the rock.

Tang Hao leaned against the rough stone wall, gasping for breath.

His tattered black cloak was already soaked through with blood, sticking to his flesh.

His right shoulder was empty; the once-thick arm was gone.

It was a smooth, charred, and terrifying wound.

The flesh at the edges of the wound was curled outward, and dark red blood continued to seep out incessantly.

Intense pain, like countless sharp blades, scraped incessantly against his nerves.

Tang Hao gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging.

Sweat mixed with grime rolled in large droplets down his stubble-covered cheeks.

The fierce battle outside Martial Soul City just a few days ago remained vivid in his mind.

He had intended to launch a surprise attack on the eve of Gu Qing's wedding, using the death of Zhao Wuji as a pretext to sacrifice Qian Renxue to his late wife.

Who would have thought that the brat named Gu Qing would be so formidable?

Not only did he scoop Qian Renxue up in his arms right before his eyes, shielding her completely, but he had also unleashed that bizarre and powerful Life-Type Blue Silver Grass, forcibly severing one of his arms.

"Damn little beast!"

Tang Hao slammed his remaining left hand into the ground beside him.

Violent soul power poured out through his fist, smashing a deep crater into the solid rock.

Debris flew, slicing across his cheek.

Yet he felt no pain at all; his eyes held only endless spite and hatred.

The dignified Clear Sky Douluo had actually been forced into such a pathetic state by a junior.

This was nothing short of a supreme humiliation.

Tang Hao forcibly suppressed the blood surging in his meridians and channeled his remaining soul power.

He had to seal the wound and stabilize his condition as quickly as possible.

The phantom of the Clear Sky Hammer flickered behind him, releasing a heavy pressure.

Black soul power transformed into thin threads, forcibly stitching together the severed blood vessels of his right shoulder.

Every pull was accompanied by heart-wrenching agony.

A roar like that of a wounded beast escaped Tang Hao's throat, his eyes bloodshot.

"Gu Qing, Martial Soul Hall, Bibi Dong..."

He chewed on these names repeatedly, wishing he could tear them apart and devour them alive.

The day of the wedding, when the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament finals concluded.

He would never let these people have their way.

The Shrek Seven Devils had already sworn a blood oath to seek justice for Zhao Wuji on the tournament stage.

And Tang Hao would surely deliver a fatal blow at the moment Gu Qing was most triumphant.

He would make that brat watch with his own eyes as Qian Renxue died beneath the Clear Sky Hammer.