Tang Hao muttered under his breath, frowning warily.
All his attention was fixed on Ghost and Chrysanthemum Douluo.
His relationship with Spirit Hall was essentially one of mortal enmity. He had held back only out of concern for the consequences.
So how could he not be tense when Bibi Dong's right-hand men suddenly appeared beside his son?
He focused intently on the sounds in the courtyard and soon pieced together the truth from their conversation.
"That woman Bibi Dong has a pretty good sense of her own situation. She's already realized how much of a threat the Holy Demon Federation poses."
"She wants to bind the two great empires, Heaven Dou and Star Luo, to Spirit Hall's chariot and unite against an unknown enemy? Not a bad idea."
"But... could she really pull it off? The three factions have been secretly at odds for years. They're not going to just shake hands because someone asked. Whatever, none of my business."
Tang Hao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Soon, he pushed the matter from his mind.
The only thing on his mind was his son's safety. In his despondent state, he couldn't be bothered with the mainland's conflicts.
He stayed hidden in the shadows, making sure Tang San was safe, completely unaware that an even greater threat was lurking.
On the other side, Long Xingyu had also been listening the whole time. Unlike Tang Hao, who couldn't care less, Long Xingyu was deeply shaken.
He hadn't expected that while coming to kill the Child of Destiny, he'd stumble across an unexpected windfall: knowledge of the plan the three factions of Douluo Continent had devised against the Holy Demon Federation!
"So that's what's going on. These people don't want to be recruited by the imperial family, so they're planning to slip out of Heaven Dou City and head to another empire?"
"It's not convenient to make a move in the city, but there'll be more opportunities on the road. Fine, I'll keep watching. I might learn even more."
Long Xingyu quickly sorted out the situation.
The Shrek group felt little loyalty to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
And one of them happened to be a prince of the Star Luo Empire, so he could easily switch sides.
The two Titled Douluo in the courtyard weren't there specifically to protect Tang San. They were more concerned with Dai Mubai.
In other words, once they left the guarded area, the two would eventually let their guard down. Completing the mission shouldn't be difficult.
And if all else failed, he could wait until they entered the remote mountains and forests, then make a grand entrance. Under normal circumstances, two mid- to low-level Titled Douluo wouldn't be able to stop him.
"Everyone, that's settled, then. Hurry up and pack. We're leaving Spirit Hall's jurisdiction."
Below, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan held his fingers in an orchid pose and smiled at Dai Mubai, doing his best to make a good impression.
Bibi Dong had said they needed to build a relationship of trust. If the Star Luo Emperor proved unyielding, they could then support a puppet ruler.
So when Spirit Hall learned the Shrek group planned to flee Heaven Dou City, it immediately offered them a route out and even volunteered to escort them along the way.
It was both a gesture of goodwill and a way to keep them under surveillance.
Tang San and Dai Mubai both understood this perfectly.
But since Spirit Hall had made things convenient for them, they weren't about to turn down a good deal. They agreed, all smiles, while keeping their real thoughts to themselves.
Soon, the group set out under cover of night. It included more than a dozen Shrek members, along with a contingent from the Strength Clan.
What did it mean to be the Child of Destiny? This was it!
The Four Affiliated Clans had once been betrayed by the Clear Sky Sect.
They had suffered heavy losses, were furious, and had sworn never to associate with the sect again.
But after Tang San learned who they were, he casually demonstrated a few moves and talked them out of their hatred.
He even persuaded these Soul Masters, whose strength was nothing to scoff at, to go with him to the Star Luo Empire, greatly bolstering his forces.
"Heh, just as I thought. There's another one hiding."
Long Xingyu watched the group leave, keeping his composure.
Once the courtyard fell quiet, Tang Hao emerged from the shadows and silently followed them.
Long Xingyu immediately picked up on him and realized he was another Titled Douluo. He couldn't help feeling surprised deep down.
Good heavens, was this what His Majesty meant by the Child of Destiny's pull? The kid barely had any strength to speak of, yet he was surrounded by so many experts?
And that man who, like himself, had been secretly watching from the shadows—who was he? Would he interfere with the attempt on Tang San's life? The situation felt a little strange.
With that thought, Long Xingyu carefully followed them as well.
With Spirit Hall clearing the way, the imperial checkpoints were completely useless.
Just like that, the group easily strode out of Heaven Dou City and plunged into the woods beyond.
The Holy Demon Federation was currently at war with the Heaven Dou Empire, and both sides were frequently deploying troops to the front lines.
To be safe, Tang San and the others took a detour, heading far off toward the Star Luo Empire along a relatively safe route.
That made it easier for Long Xingyu to follow them. As he watched the group travel farther and farther away, he gradually grew impatient and finally decided to make his move.
"The two Titled Douluo from Spirit Hall are average in strength, and they're mainly focused on the Star Luo prince. Dealing with them alone won't be a problem."
"The one hiding in the shadows is more troublesome. If he has nothing to do with Tang San, then this will be easy."
That was how Long Xingyu reasoned it out.
For some reason, though, he had an odd premonition.
His father-in-law had stressed that Tang San was the Child of Destiny of Douluo Continent, so he must have something exceptional about him.
The expert lurking nearby might really have something to do with Tang San. But even so, Long Xingyu had to act.
After obtaining Divine Slaughter's Domain from the City of Slaughter and perfectly fusing with the Divine Throne of Apocalypse and Slaughter, Long Xingyu had truly established himself at the late ninth rank.
At that level, if he still hesitated over killing a weak, helpless boy, it would be humiliating if word got out.
So once they were well clear of Heaven Dou City and he was sure there was no more information to be gained, he acted without hesitation. Holy light burst forth.
Although a surprise attack would have given him a better chance of success,
Long Xingyu was a knight, not an assassin.
The moment the holy light appeared, the entire Shrek group noticed.
Ghost and Chrysanthemum Douluo instantly went on alert. A grave look flashed in their eyes as they realized at once that their attacker was terrifyingly powerful!
"Who are you, sir? Why are you attacking us?" Yue Guan shrilled, putting on a bold front as he demanded an answer. He immediately summoned his Martial Soul Avatar.
"There are no Soul Rings, but there's a fluctuation similar to Soul Power. So he really is from the Holy Demon Federation!" Gui Mei snorted, recognizing the key detail.
If the newcomer had released a Martial Soul, it would have been hard to say for certain which faction he belonged to.
But since he used a different cultivation system, there was no need to think twice. There was only one possible answer.
Aside from the mysterious Holy Demon Federation, no one on the whole of Douluo Continent used techniques like that.
Once they had figured that out, many other things no longer mattered. Whatever his motive, he was definitely their enemy.
So Ghost and Chrysanthemum Douluo exchanged a glance. They weren't asking questions to get answers; they just wanted to distract him. As they spoke, they unleashed two Soul Skills.
In truth, if the two of them had communicated properly and learned that Long Xingyu's target was Tang San, they might not have needed to fight at all. Spirit Hall only needed Dai Mubai.
But now it was too late...
In the shadows, Tang Hao's aura shuddered.
He had been just a moment away from revealing himself and joining the fight, but then Ghost and Chrysanthemum Douluo became the "fall guys."
Since Spirit Hall's people were willing to take on the mysterious powerhouse, he would stay hidden for now and wait to see how things unfolded.
"Why would an expert from the Holy Demon Federation be here instead of staying at the front lines? Was it really just a coincidence?"
Before you continue