But on second thought, if the Jade Spirit Fox stayed with Xiao Liu, he would no longer need to worry so much about Xiao Liu's safety.
The Jade Spirit Fox had already passed its weakened period, so it would not fear even an ordinary Rank 95 Titled Douluo. Anyone below Rank 95 could be crushed with ease.
And if it faced the siege of two or more Titled Douluo, protecting Tang Liu while escaping would at least not be a problem.
Even if it could not escape, it could still buy Tang Liu enough time to use Teleportation and leave.
With that thought, Tang Hao immediately made up his mind. He asked Tang Liu, "Xiao Liu, what do you think?"
"Sure, let it stay with me." Tang Liu immediately beamed with joy.
Since Tang Hao had asked him that, it meant he had agreed to let Tang Liu take this hundred-thousand-year-old Jade Spirit Fox with him. How could Tang Liu not be happy?
"Good." Tang Hao nodded, then looked at the Jade Spirit Fox and said in an incomparably solemn tone, "You may follow my son, but I want you to swear in the name of the Goddess of Life that you will never harm him and will protect him whenever he is in danger. Can you do that?"
The Jade Spirit Fox hesitated for a moment before gritting its teeth and agreeing. "Fine. With the Life Goddess as witness, if I break this oath, may my cultivation dissipate and my intelligence be destroyed!"
Seeing it swear the oath, Tang Hao's expression eased considerably, and he put away the Clear Sky Hammer.
Tang Liu looked at Tang Hao in slight surprise, unable to understand how he knew of the Life Goddess's existence.
But after giving it some thought, he came up with a possibility.
Ah Yin was also a Soul Beast, so it was not strange that she knew what kind of oaths could bind Soul Beasts.
The Life Goddess governed the power of life, and all living beings in the world were sources of her power. Soul Beasts were naturally no exception.
Therefore, swearing in the name of the Life Goddess carried an extremely strong binding force for any living being. This was especially true for a Soul Beast like the Jade Spirit Fox, one with a trace of the life attribute.
To them, the Life Goddess was as supreme as the Ice God was to the Soul Beasts of the Far North Ice Plains.
Tang Liu stepped out from behind Tang Hao, walked over to the Jade Spirit Fox, and crouched before it. Looking into its eyes, he said, "Don't worry. I'll show you the human world properly. As long as you still want to follow me, I won't let other Soul Masters hurt you. Of course, I won't hurt you either. And if one day you grow tired of the human world, I'll send you back to the Star Dou Great Forest, all right?"
The Jade Spirit Fox nodded, a trace of gratitude showing in its emerald-green eyes.
From the human before it, it sensed something called sincerity.
"Since the matter has been settled, Xiao Liu, begin absorbing the Soul Ring now. It is almost time for the Shrek Academy your brother is attending to begin registration and classes. Prepare yourself today. I'll take you there tomorrow," Tang Hao said calmly.
"Okay." Tang Liu nodded, then sat cross-legged beside the Jade Spirit Fox and began absorbing the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring borrowed from it.
The Jade Spirit Fox also stood up, then walked over and sat in front of Tang Liu, watching him curiously.
After all, it was also very interested in the Soul Ring extracted from its own body.
Tang Hao silently walked beneath a large tree some distance away and leaned against it, quietly watching Tang Liu absorb the Soul Ring.
Tang Liu's method of obtaining Soul Rings could be said to have set a precedent in the world of Soul Masters. However, he might very well be the only one capable of doing this in the future; it could not be widely adopted.
Gradually, Tang Hao became lost in thought.
Xiao Liu was leaving tomorrow too.
That was good. With neither Xiao San nor Xiao Liu by his side, he could finally go and do those things without worry, reclaiming what had originally belonged to him.
It's better that they leave, so they won't keep causing me trouble.
It's better that they leave, so I won't hold them back.
Balak Kingdom, one li north of Suotuo City's northern gate.
In a small patch of woods commonly found along the roadside, Tang Hao slowly descended from the sky while holding Tang Liu.
"This is as far as I'll take you. Keep going straight ahead, and you'll reach Suotuo City. Can you find Shrek Academy?" Tang Hao set Tang Liu down and looked at him as he spoke.
"Mm, I can find it." Tang Liu recalled the map and nodded. "If I get lost, I'll ask someone for directions."
Tang Hao gave a quiet "Mm" before saying, "Be careful when you're alone. Don't casually speak to strangers, or you might get deceived. After entering the city, don't linger too long. It would be best to hurry to Shrek Academy, register, and meet up with your brother. That way, I can rest easy..."
Tang Liu stood blankly before him, listening as Tang Hao, whose tone was cold yet no different from any parent worrying about a child traveling far from home, gave him instruction after instruction. All at once, Tang Liu felt his nose sting.
These were the words parents often said to their children, yet after living two lives for more than twenty years, this was the first time Tang Liu had ever heard them...
He smiled, stepped forward, and hugged Tang Hao.
As a result, the Jade Spirit Fox tucked inside his collar was nearly squeezed to death.
"Dad, remember what you promised me. Don't stay too far away from me and my brother."
"Mm."
"If I miss you, I'll use Teleportation to come see you. You're not allowed to refuse."
"Mm."
"You need to take care of yourself too. Eat on time, don't drink too much, and don't fight anyone at your own rank!"
After releasing Tang Hao, Tang Liu seemed to have suddenly opened the floodgates and earnestly began giving Tang Hao one piece of advice after another.
Although Tang Hao only responded with "Mm," he listened patiently to every word.
But when he heard that final sentence, he froze. He wanted to ask why, but in the end, he held back.
Then, he took out an ancient-looking black bracelet from somewhere and handed it to Tang Liu.
"This was one of my old Storage Soul Tools. It's yours now. I put some things inside, so take a look at them yourself while you're on the road later. That's all. I'm leaving. Take care of yourself."
After hurriedly saying that, Tang Hao immediately shot into the air and swiftly vanished into the sky.
Because if he stayed even a moment longer, he might truly never be able to bear leaving again.
"Take care too, Dad." Tang Liu kept looking up at the place where Tang Hao had disappeared. Only after a full minute did he turn around and leave.
At that moment, the Jade Spirit Fox poked its head out from his collar.
The creature, which had originally been the size of a cougar, was now only as large as a kitten, looking exceptionally adorable.
"Little Funi, it'll just be the two of us for the next few years."
Tang Liu put the bracelet, which still faintly carried warmth, around his left wrist. It then shrank until it fit snugly against his skin.
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