Huo Yuhao's Defense Shatters

After hearing Feng Piaoling's words, the worldviews of Tang Ya, Bei Bei, and Huo Yuhao suffered an unprecedented shock.

Even Tian Meng was stunned; good heavens, it turned out that the fellow who ascended to godhood ten thousand years ago was actually such a black-hearted individual.

Tang Ya completely broke down. She tightened her grip on Feng Piaoling's shoulders and forced a smile, saying, "No, this is impossible. How could it be like this? Little Piaoling, you're just joking with your big sister, right?"

It was fortunate that Feng Piaoling had warned her earlier, allowing her to maintain a shred of rationality; otherwise, she and Bei Bei might have been trapped in the soil and suffocated to death.

As for Huo Yuhao, with the protection of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, he had no need to worry about any life-threatening danger.

Feng Piaoling stopped, turned to take Tang Ya's trembling hand, and while bringing them up to the surface, said with an expressionless face:

"Do you think I look like I'm joking with you? In the end, you descendants of the Tang Sect are also pitiful people. You guard the rules left behind by that hypocrite, shedding blood and tears for him, only for the fame to go to that hypocrite while you are left to bear the bitter consequences."

"Do you know why your Tang Sect declined so rapidly after the impact of Soul Tools? The inability to steadily produce powerhouses and the blind adherence to outdated hidden weapons are only part of it."

"The main reason is that you sold those hidden weapons to the three empires of the Douluo Continent. Those who were harmed by your weapons didn't dare to retaliate against the powerful of the three empires, but did they not dare to retaliate against your Tang Sect, a toothless paper tiger? This is the main reason I say you profited from war."

"The fact that you mentioned every sect master donated most of their income to support commoners, keeping only a small portion for themselves, is ironclad proof. And you also said that some of the Tang Sect's hidden weapons once threatened gods."

"Even if that were true, let me ask you, where are those weapons that could threaten gods? Were they lost, or were they never passed down at all? In the end, you are not that hypocrite's descendants, or rather, given that hypocrite's ugly face, even if you were his descendants, he wouldn't necessarily have passed them on to you."

"You are just like me—poor souls poisoned by that hypocrite."

By the time he finished speaking, Feng Piaoling had already brought Bei Bei, Tang Ya, and Huo Yuhao to the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Tang Ya let out a wail, unable to hold it in any longer; she crouched on the ground and began to sob bitterly.

Bei Bei abandoned his previous gentleness, his hair standing on end with rage as he roared at Feng Piaoling: "Enough, Feng Piaoling! All of this is merely your one-sided story."

He did not know whether what Feng Piaoling said was true or false.

But he knew that Xiao Ya was in great pain right now, suffering so much that her entire body and mind were on the verge of collapse.

It was unimaginable what kind of immense pain Xiao Ya would suffer if all of this were true.

While speaking, Bei Bei did not forget to give Huo Yuhao a wink.

Because of the ten-year Wind Baboon first soul ring, Huo Yuhao had long been dissatisfied with Feng Piaoling. Seeing this, whether to help Bei Bei or to air his own grievances, the emotions he had been bottling up finally erupted:

"Brother Feng Piaoling, this is the last time I will call you that. You have disappointed me too much. How could you say such things about Teacher Xiao Ya?"

"I lost my family just like you, but I know clearly who my enemy is, and sooner or later, I will take revenge with my own hands."

"And you? You clearly have such formidable talent and strength, and it was Evil Soul Masters who killed your parents, yet you vent your anger on our Tang Sect because of rumors you heard from who knows where. This is a cowardly act."

"Feng Piaoling, from this day forward, you are no longer my big brother. Let us sever all ties here and now."

Huo Yuhao's words were righteous and awe-inspiring, causing Bei Bei to cast a look of approval at him.

Even Tang Ya, who had been mentally collapsing, seemed to have a glimmer of light return to her eyes.

But to Feng Piaoling's ears, it was laughable. He wasn't angry; he simply looked Huo Yuhao up and down and said with a calm, indifferent expression:

"What a grand severance of ties. On the way to the Star Dou Great Forest, when you were under my protection, why didn't you sever ties then? After I killed the Wind Baboon that ambushed you, when you begged me to let you absorb its soul ring, why didn't you sever ties then? You kept calling me 'Brother Feng' back then, but now that you've joined the Tang Sect, you've changed your tune to 'Feng Piaoling.' Your speed at changing faces is truly impressive."

Faced with Feng Piaoling's mockery, Huo Yuhao felt his face burning, but when he thought of his first soul ring, his non-existent shame turned back into anger:

"Public is public, private is private. We are talking about you insulting my Tang Sect; don't bring up irrelevant matters. Besides, I gave you grilled fish along the way. I don't owe you anything."

Feng Piaoling smiled, a very calm smile. "Huo Yuhao, do you know why I took such good care of you along the way?"

Huo Yuhao did not speak, or perhaps he didn't know what to say.

Feng Piaoling continued: "Huo Yuhao, illegitimate son of the White Tiger Duke of the Star Luo Empire. Since you were young, the current White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, ignored you and your mother, allowing you both to suffer the bullying of the White Tiger Duchess, which indirectly led to your mother being tortured to death."

"Who... who exactly are you?" Hearing Feng Piaoling reveal his background, Huo Yuhao could no longer sit still. Beyond the shock, there was a trace of fear in his eyes that even he hadn't noticed.

Bei Bei and Tang Ya, upon hearing Feng Piaoling reveal Huo Yuhao's background, also looked at him with shocked expressions. Clearly, they hadn't expected that this little brother who had just joined their Tang Sect would be the illegitimate son of the current White Tiger Duke.

Feng Piaoling said faintly: "Just a passerby who was heading to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain a soul ring, passed by the White Tiger Duke Mansion, and happened to hear the wicked servants of the mansion discussing you and your mother's past after you left. As for confirming your identity, that wasn't difficult."

Saying this, he pointed. "The five-level Soul Tool, the White Tiger Dagger, unique to the White Tiger Duke Mansion at your waist, is a good piece of evidence. I am not a person who likes to meddle in other people's business. But seeing the same fate in you as in myself, I felt a touch of compassion."

"Now it seems you and that hypocrite belong to the same type of person. No, I should say you have surpassed your master."

"A spoonful of rice creates gratitude, a bushel creates enmity. You've only just become a Soul Master, yet you can't wait to step on your benefactor to climb higher, can't wait to be that hypocrite's dog... no, I should say you are even worse than a dog."

"If you give a dog a bone, it at least knows how to wag its tail. You are just an ungrateful wolf that cannot be tamed."

As the last three words fell, the entire scene went silent. Huo Yuhao felt his head buzzing. He clutched his head and roared at the sky: "No, I am not an ungrateful wolf! I am not... I am a man, a man who stands tall and upright! I am not an ungrateful wolf!"