Tang Hao's Bewilderment

He had been watching the two brothers from the sky above them the entire time. Naturally, he saw Tang San take Yu Xiaogang, whom he had met a few times before, as his master. And...

He actually knelt down to the man!

Naturally, he also saw Grandmaster take Tang San and Tang Liu to the Soul Hunting Forest to obtain their soul rings.

Naturally, he saw Tang San kill a century-old Mandala Snake all by himself.

Naturally, he also saw Tang Liu obtain his first soul ring, and saw that Tang Liu already possessed a Third Martial Soul with two soul rings that defied the understanding of every soul master.

Naturally, he also saw the team from Martial Soul Hall pursuing them into the Soul Hunting Forest.

Hovering in the air, he had been nervously monitoring the situation below. Seeing Tang San and Grandmaster successfully hoodwink Su Yuntao, he let out a sigh of relief. But shortly after, he began to worry about Tang Liu.

Yet, Tang Liu truly shocked him; the boy handled his tracks like a seasoned veteran. Perhaps due to the physical limitations of his age, or simply a lack of time, there were still some flaws in how he covered his trail, so he had to step in and help.

Seeing Tang Liu successfully evade the people from Martial Soul Hall, he breathed a sigh of relief once more, but not long after, a five-thousand-year-old Mandala Snake lunged out and launched an attack on Tang Liu.

Knowing his youngest son was an auxiliary-type soul master and unsure of the actual combat power of his son's Third Martial Soul, Tang Hao felt his heart jump into his throat. He was ready to rush out and smash that snake to death with a single hammer blow.

But Tang Liu's response made him pause.

Seeing that Tang Liu was temporarily safe from the Mandala Snake under the effect of his own first soul skill, Tang Hao calmed down. He wanted to see how this boy would deal with the beast.

Although, in his eyes, Tang Liu, with only the cultivation of a Soul Grand Master, could never defeat a Mandala Snake with the cultivation of a Soul Ancestor, escaping should still be possible. Besides, with him watching from the sidelines, what could possibly go wrong?

And so, he was subsequently blinded by Tang Liu's display.

What was that?

Teleportation?

He had never seen anyone use a teleportation soul skill so seamlessly; did it not consume soul power?

Moreover, what shocked Tang Hao was that the speed of Tang Liu's teleportation was simply too fast.

A few times, Tang Liu kept teleporting around the Mandala Snake. In Tang Hao's eyes, the snake was surrounded by Tang Liu at that moment; it felt as if he had suddenly gained a dozen younger sons! Tang Hao was left speechless.

Afterward, Tang Hao saw Tang Liu stop teleporting, apply his first soul skill to himself, and then walk to the side to sit down, looking as if he were about to cultivate.

But not long after, Tang Hao nearly choked.

Because he saw Tang Liu raise a hand and clench it into a fist, and that Mandala Snake shattered!

In the end, it even exploded!

Fortunately, although Tang Hao was astonished, he did not forget to save Tang Liu from the explosion of soul power.

The purple light, radiating an aura of death, reached Tang Liu in an instant.

Although Tang Liu's soul power was nearly exhausted, his consciousness remained crystal clear.

Watching the purple light close in, he found himself completely helpless.

Because of the exhaustion of his soul power, he couldn't even use his teleportation.

This was the first time he had felt how close death was to him.

Although he had been poisoned to death by that wretched "Haolan Spell" in his previous life, the feeling that time was completely different from now—or rather, he hadn't felt anything at all back then.

But right now, he could practically feel his life force slipping away rapidly, like water held in the palm of his hand.

Am I going to die?

Tang Liu's mind went blank; only this single thought remained, leaving him no time to consider anything else.

Yet in the blink of an eye, he discovered that the purple light had suddenly moved away from him; the once intense purple glow now looked like a dim, flickering lamp.

His thoughts were still sluggish, but it didn't take long for Tang Liu to realize he was being held in someone's arms.

Turning his head stiffly, he saw the man's perpetually cold expression.

Two seconds later, Tang Liu's crashed brain rebooted, and a wave of grievance and lingering fear surged into his heart.

Tears instantly welled up and spilled from his eyes.

"Why did you only come now!"

Amidst his sobbing, he wrapped his arms around the man's neck.

And who else could that man be but Tang Hao?

After all, Tang Liu was only a child of ten-odd years.

In his previous life, although he had been somewhat precocious, when had he ever faced the thrill of a life-or-death situation?

If he had remained alone in this life just as he had in his past, he might have become even more mature after surviving such a lethal crisis, allowing him to remain calmer the next time he faced one. How could he have lost his composure like this?

Furthermore, he had been maneuvering against a Mandala Snake far stronger than himself. Although he had appeared relaxed, it was impossible for him not to be nervous or afraid; one slip-up would have meant death!

But the difference was that in this life, he had a father, a brother, and a mother who was currently in the process of "reloading" her resurrection. This brought a glimmer of warmth to his once lonely, icy heart, allowing him to finally and truly experience the feeling of having someone to rely on.

That was why, the moment he saw Tang Hao, he felt aggrieved, why he could safely cry in front of him, and why he said those words: "Why did you only come now."

Only after experiencing the absence of something can one become like this upon finally obtaining it.

This is humanity, complex humanity.

Watching Tang Liu, who burst into tears with a "waa" the moment he was in his arms and clutched him tightly, Tang Hao's cold expression couldn't help but stiffen, a sudden sense of panic rising in his heart.

Indeed, Tang Hao had been a very incompetent and incomplete father.

Both Tang San and Tang Liu were transmigrators, and neither had cried from birth until now. There was no need to mention Tang San, as he had been an adult in his previous life. As for Tang Liu, he was a fifteen-year-old high school student with a precociously mature mental age.

In his original world, even ordinary high school students of the same age rarely cried, let alone someone like him who was a helpless orphan.

Therefore, Tang Hao had never experienced the days of coaxing a crying child, and he had absolutely no experience to speak of regarding this matter.

And so, right now, Tang Hao felt bewildered, flustered, and also felt a touch of heartache, along with a tiny bit of helplessness...

What should he do?

Those four words were the only things left in his mind.

Thus, he, a grown man, just stood there blankly in the forest, his expression rigid, holding a wailing child in his arms.

If anyone were to see this, they would surely mistake him for a child trafficker.

Hmm, it felt great when I was writing these plot points, but how come when I check for typos and re-read them by chapter before posting, I get this faint sense of shame? (/w＼)