Tang Hao and Xiao Wu Weeping

The uproar in Nuoding City and the monstrous waves stirred up by Spirit Hall's announcement were, for the time being, unknown to Tang Hao, who was hiding in the blacksmith shop of Holy Soul Village.

After secretly driving that century-old Datura Snake before Tang San and ensuring that Tang San could absorb a century-grade First Soul Ring, he secretly watched Tang San return to the academy before returning to Holy Soul Village.

Originally, when Yu Xiaogang had been poisoned, Tang Hao had wanted to step in and help. Unexpectedly, Tang San could even cure snake venom, so he never showed himself.

He had long since stopped finding Tang San's strange abilities surprising.

Tang San had been able to cultivate since childhood without anyone teaching him. How could he, a Titled Douluo, possibly have failed to notice?

It was precisely because he had noticed that he had abused Tang San since childhood, because he suspected Tang San was not his son.

Yet Tang San had indeed been born from Ah Yin. Tang Hao could not bear to kill Tang San, so he chose to leave him to fend for himself.

When Tang San showed him the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul he had awakened, Tang Hao had not shown the slightest excitement.

Only when Tang San summoned his other Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, did he finally shatter the doubts in his heart and excitedly embrace Tang San while shouting, "My son!"

Only at that moment did he confirm that Tang San truly was the child of Ah Yin and himself.

After all, things like bloodlines and Martial Souls did not lie.

As for Tang San's strange behavior, he selectively forgot about it.

After all, Tang San had been born from the union of a human and a Soul Beast. It was not strange for him to have some unusual traits.

That was beside the point...

Although Tang Hao had returned to Holy Soul Village, he initially did not know about Spirit Hall's announcement or the disappearance of the Soul Beasts.

But after only a few days, villagers brought back the news.

"...Throughout Douluo Continent... all Soul Beasts have mysteriously vanished, their whereabouts unknown..."

"The Soul Beasts... have all disappeared?!"

A low, hoarse growl like that of a trapped beast came from Tang Hao's throat.

His voice was filled with terror.

His first thought was of his wife, Ah Yin.

Although Ah Yin had long sacrificed herself for him and perished, the seed of her original body—the Blue Silver Emperor that carried all her life essence and soul imprint—had long ago been transplanted by him behind a hidden waterfall!

That was the last remaining memento of his wife in his heart.

He firmly believed that as long as that Blue Silver Grass remained, Ah Yin's life had not truly been severed. One day, she would gather herself anew and reappear in the world!

But... now he was being told that all Soul Beasts had disappeared?

He had no mood to consider what the collective disappearance of Soul Beasts meant. He only knew that Ah Yin was also a Soul Beast.

All he wanted to know now was whether his Ah Yin was still there.

"No... Ah Yin must still be there..."

The next second, Tang Hao's figure vanished from the blacksmith shop.

The window stood wide open as the cold night wind howled inside.

Only a trace of violently extreme Soul Power fluctuations remained in the air, along with the lingering aftermath of heart-rending panic.

Boom—

Tang Hao turned into a streak of crimson and black light, like a meteor tearing through the night sky as he charged forward madly at a speed beyond all limits!

Wherever he passed, the violent pressure of his Soul Power snapped towering ancient trees in half, startling the remaining ordinary birds and beasts into scattering. Yet not a single Soul Beast could be seen.

The farther Tang Hao traveled, the more frightened he became. All the Soul Beasts truly were gone.

"Ah Yin... wait for me! You must wait for me!"

Tang Hao roared, his voice torn apart by the raging wind as he sped onward.

Thud~

At last, he descended behind that waterfall.

But when he looked toward the fertile ground where Ah Yin had been transplanted, Tang Hao's expression immediately fell apart.

That familiar blue plant... was gone.

"No—!!!"

It was as though Tang Hao's heart had been viciously gripped by an icy hand, nearly ceasing to beat. Staggering, he walked step by heavy step toward the place where Ah Yin's original body had once stood.

There was now only a horrifying, massive charred crater several meters wide.

There was nothing in the pit.

No remaining roots, no withered leaves, not even the faintest fluctuation of energy belonging to the Blue Silver Emperor.

There was only dead silence, as though some incomprehensible force had utterly erased everything, leaving not even ashes behind... Void!

"Thump!"

Tang Hao's knees gave out, and he crashed heavily onto his knees at the edge of the crater. Cracks spread across the hard ground beneath them.

His trembling hands stretched out, futilely clawing at the blackened soil as though he wanted to dig out even the slightest trace that Ah Yin had ever existed.

"No... no... this is impossible..."

He muttered to himself, his voice hoarse and broken, filled with unbelievable despair. "Ah Yin... Ah Yin!!!"

An anguished cry of grief, like the final wail of a wounded lone wolf, suddenly echoed through the deathly silent valley and reverberated deep within the empty Star Dou Great Forest for a long time.

Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao, the man who had once looked down upon the world and dared to raise his hammer against all of Spirit Hall for love, now knelt before the scorched earth that symbolized his wife's complete disappearance like a child who had lost everything. His shoulders shook violently as he let out a silent, deepest sob.

"Who? Who was it?"

"Who took my Ah Yin away?"

"Come out! Come out here..."

"Give my Ah Yin back..."

Tang Hao had been driven completely mad with panic. After summoning his Martial Soul, he began roaring wildly.

He rushed out from behind the waterfall, flew into the sky, and repeatedly roared at his surroundings.

No one knew how long it took before Tang Hao finally calmed down and landed again where Ah Yin had once been.

"Ah Yin..."

"Don't worry. No matter who took you away, I will definitely find you."

Tang Hao swore as he gripped the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand.

At this point, he still did not know that the vanished Soul Beasts had not merely disappeared. They had been completely exterminated.

All Soul Beasts had already been wiped out together that very night.

Xiao Wu was in the same situation as Tang Hao.

Before the dean announced Spirit Hall's proclamation, she had already heard about the disappearance of the Soul Beasts. She immediately left Nuoding Academy and Nuoding City, hurrying back toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

Along the way, Xiao Wu had been worried.

She also did not believe that all Soul Beasts could disappear, but she could not help worrying.

However, from the moment she entered the Star Dou Great Forest, the fear in her heart completely replaced everything else.

They were gone.

From the moment she entered the Star Dou Great Forest, not a single Soul Beast could truly be seen.

All the way to the Lake of Life, she had not seen any Soul Beasts. There were only human Soul Masters like herself, panickedly searching for traces of Soul Beasts.

After finally reaching the Lake of Life and seeing its empty surface, Xiao Wu's eyes immediately reddened.

She could no longer sense Da Ming's aura.

Her family, her clan... they had truly all disappeared.

"Sob..."

"Da Ming... Er Ming..."

"Come out quickly. Your Sister Xiao Wu is back..."

"Sob... come out quickly..."