Fatherly Love, Filial Piety, Piety Breeds Strength!

Just as Tang San was filled with anticipation for the upcoming soul-hunting trip and carefully packing his bags, he remained completely unaware that a cold figure had already appeared in his room.

It wasn't until a biting, bone-chilling aura suddenly enveloped the entire room that, relying on the sixth sense from his past life, Tang San jerked his head up before Tang Hao could even speak, his eyes locking onto a pair of murky, icy orbs.

The moment he saw who it was, Tang San froze, but immediately after, a surge of immense joy flooded his heart.

It was Tang Hao.

The father who had given him life.

"Father, you actually came too? Are you here to see me? And to think you could even find this place... never mind, that doesn't matter.

Father, sit down and rest for a moment.

You must be exhausted from the journey. Have you eaten? I'll go make you something.

Also, also, Father, let me tell you, I met someone at school today..."

He had originally thought Tang Hao wouldn't come, so he never expected such a huge surprise.

For someone like Tang San, who grew up an orphan, he couldn't have been happier at this moment.

However, unlike Tang San's excitement, as time passed, even the most oblivious person would have sensed that the atmosphere was wrong.

What met his eyes now was no warmth of a long-awaited reunion, no intimacy between father and son, and certainly not a shred of the gentle paternal love he had longed for.

Dressed just as he had been in Holy Soul Village, Tang Hao remained in his usual disheveled, down-and-out state.

His messy hair covered his face, his beard was tangled, and his body reeked of alcohol mixed with dust and grime. His eyes were as cold as ten-thousand-year glacial ice, looking at Tang San with a detached, indifferent gaze.

It was as if the boy before him was not his own son, but merely a tool to be manipulated for his own ends.

Six years—six whole years!

Tang San had thought he was used to such gazes, but today, he realized he still wasn't.

Deep down, he still desperately craved Tang Hao's approval.

But what about Tang Hao?

During that battle with Qian Xunji, Tang Hao had clearly felt that the child in his arms had completely lost all signs of life for a period of time.

He had assumed the boy had unfortunately perished, but what was the result?

It was one thing that Tang San had miraculously survived, but what else had Tang Hao discovered during these years of seclusion in Holy Soul Village?

Early intelligence and maturity were one thing; those could be explained away as genius.

But!

Beyond that, Tang San had actually been sneaking off to the mountain behind the village to engage in systematic, inherited cultivation!

Tang San thought he had been very careful and that no one could discover him, but in front of a Title Douluo like Tang Hao, his methods appeared so childish.

Was such a person truly his child?

Over the past six years, Tang Hao had asked himself this question more than once!

However... once Tang San awakened his Twin Martial Souls and confirmed he possessed the Clear Sky Hammer, these things no longer seemed important.

A mere tool, nothing more; it didn't really matter!

The temperature in the room plummeted to freezing. The candlelight flickered gently, casting Tang Hao's face in an increasingly gloomy and icy light.

Tang San subconsciously stopped what he was doing. The warmth in his heart vanished in an instant, leaving only an inexplicable tension and panic.

He had assumed that if father and son were to meet, even if there wasn't much warmth, there would at least be a few casual pleasantries.

Yet Tang Hao remained silent from beginning to end, standing coldly in place, scrutinizing his every move. The icy pressure was so heavy it made him feel as if he could barely breathe.

After a long while, Tang Hao finally spoke. His hoarse, low voice carried no emotion, sounding like two non-negotiable military orders—stiff and cold.

"Little San, time is limited; I cannot stay here long.

I have come to give you two instructions. Do not ask why; you must carry them out. Do you understand?"

"...Please enlighten me, Father!"

No preamble, no inquiry, and no regard for Tang San's own wishes—it was entirely overbearing and dictatorial.

Tang San's hands, hanging at his sides, clenched quietly. A sudden sense of bitterness and resistance welled up in his heart.

But considering the ancestral law of "Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Kin, and Teacher," even though Tang San was unhappy, he still nodded.

"First!"

Tang Hao's tone was cold and hard, each word falling like shards of ice.

"Withdraw from the Tang Sect that Qin Yun established on his own. I have traveled the continent for many years and have never heard of any Tang Sect.

I imagine that even if it exists, it is nothing more than a third-rate faction, not worth mentioning!

That so-called sect is nothing but a child's game—absurd and ridiculous.

But you need not worry; I have already settled the matter of your tutelage. From now on, you are to apprentice under Yu Xiaogang. Follow his arrangements and let him take full charge of guiding your cultivation path.

He comes from a prestigious background and possesses extraordinary insight; he is recognized across the continent as a master of theory.

Little San, do not be so easily influenced by the opinions of others. The Master's abilities are beyond your imagination!"

At these words, Tang San's frame shuddered violently, his face instantly turning deathly pale.

The "Grandmaster" or whatever else didn't matter in the slightest!

Even though he had been defeated head-on by a six-year-old child, and even though the manner of his defeat was being knocked unconscious by a fart.

However, Tang San was not one to be overly harsh toward the weak.

But... the Tang Sect was different!

The Tang Sect was his home, the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record was the foundation of his existence, and Qin Yun was his greatest benefactor.

Whether it was the memories of his past life or the experiences of this one, this bond and connection had long since taken deep root in the bottom of Tang San's heart.

To make him abandon the Tang Sect and betray Qin Yun was no different than severing every reliance and hope he held in both his past and present lives!

"Father..."

Before Tang San could open his mouth to argue, Tang Hao's second order followed in immediate succession, his tone remaining cold and rigid, devoid of any shred of sentiment.

"Second, I don't care what method you use, you must befriend Xiao Wu, maintain your relationship, and draw closer to her."

The moment he saw Xiao Wu from afar, the pale pink light emanating from her had allowed Tang Hao to instantly discover that she was a transformed soul beast, just like the Blue Silver Emperor from all those years ago!

The instant he made this discovery, Tang Hao had nearly laughed out loud with joy.

Back then, by exploiting the feelings of the Blue Silver Emperor, he had become one of the few people on the continent to possess a hundred-thousand-year soul ring.

And now, if everything went according to plan, his own child, Tang San, might be able to replicate that very same path!

Two orders, every word cold, every sentence utilitarian.

Completely disregarding Tang San's own wishes, his preferences, or his choices, he treated him merely as a chess piece to be deployed at will, a tool to be used for mapping out the future.

Becoming a disciple under Yu Xiaogang was meant to polish his foundation using the man's profound martial soul theories.

Befriending Xiao Wu was likewise driven by hidden, deep-seated calculations.

From beginning to end, there was only plotting in Tang Hao's eyes, never familial affection.

This cold and utilitarian attitude completely shattered Tang San's psychological defenses, pushing him to the brink of losing control and plunging him into a state of acute stress.

The grievances and resistance accumulated over the past few days, combined with the overwhelming disappointment and indignation he felt at this moment, surged upward, colliding repeatedly within his chest.

He gritted his teeth so hard that the veins on his neck stood out, his eyes filled with suppressed fury.

Deep in his heart, a phrase he had been holding back with extreme restraint churned over and over—the very words Qin Yun often reminded him of: Way of Seeking Death!

If not for Qin Yun's prior guidance, Tang San would have nearly lost control of his emotions and blurted those words out right then and there!