Tang Hao Refuses to Accept Reality

The others at the Creation Institute no longer looked at Yu Xiaogang with scrutiny, but with admiration.

Whew—

Yu Xiaogang quietly let out a sigh of relief as well.

It seemed no one had realized that his proposal still had not fundamentally solved the problem of condensing Soul Rings.

But that was fine. As long as he could keep them in line, it was enough.

He believed he could do it.

He simply had not thought of a solution yet.

With Spirit Hall backing him, he believed he would definitely succeed.

He had even developed the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls. What was so impossible about Self-Condensed Soul Rings?

"Very good. It seems I truly did not misjudge you!"

Bibi Dong lightly tapped her Scepter against the ground.

Yu Xiaogang's idea had also caught Bibi Dong's attention. As expected of her Xiao Gang.

Yu Xiaogang was right.

The current Soul Master world only needed Soul Rings to break through their realms. Soul Skills and such did not matter.

Spirit Hall itself had researched quite a few simple Self-Created Soul Skills. They could release them later, so those Soul Masters would not be left without Soul Skills to use.

"Deliver my order. Effective today, Yu Xiaogang will officially assume the position of head of the Soul Master Creation Institute, overseeing all research matters. All personnel, resources, and materials of the Creation Institute will be at his disposal."

Bibi Dong then directly announced Yu Xiaogang's appointment.

Her voice echoed through the hall, every word seeming to carve itself into the hearts of everyone present. "I do not care what prejudices you previously held against Yu Xiaogang, nor do I care which factions you belong to. From this day onward, the Creation Institute has only one goal: fully cooperate with Yu Xiaogang in completing this research. Those who can do so will be generously rewarded by Spirit Hall. Those who cannot need not remain in the Creation Institute."

"Yes, Your Holiness!"

The scholars throughout the hall answered in unison, though their voices contained all kinds of emotions. Some were confused, some unconvinced, and some delighted.

Bibi Dong turned and headed toward the hall doors.

As she passed Yu Xiaogang's side, her steps paused slightly for an instant.

Then she continued out.

There were no unnecessary words, nor any extra glance.

It was as though she had come only to issue an appointment.

Only she knew how difficult it had been to remain so restrained upon seeing Yu Xiaogang.

She truly wanted to throw herself into Yu Xiaogang's arms and pour out her heart to him.

But she could not.

Xiao Gang, wait for me.

One day, I will openly take you back.

"Release the news to the public!"

"Announce that our Spirit Hall Creation Institute has invited the Grandmaster to serve as the institute's director and is fully researching a replacement for Soul Beast Soul Rings!"

"Let all Soul Masters rest assured. Even if they ultimately cannot find Soul Beasts, our Spirit Hall will certainly find a way for everyone to break through."

After leaving the Creation Institute, Bibi Dong glanced back once before issuing the order to her subordinates.

At the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, in an unnamed valley.

The dying embers of a campfire still glowed a dark red, and the air was thick with a pungent smell of blood.

Tang Hao leaned on the Clear Sky Hammer, standing amid a pile of shattered rocks. At his feet lay a blood-covered middle-aged man.

One of the man's arms had twisted into an unnatural angle. At least three ribs in his chest had been broken, and every breath came with a wheezing hiss, as though air were leaking out. Bloody foam kept spilling from the corners of his mouth.

But he was not dead yet.

Tang Hao crouched down, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the fear-twisted face before him.

"I'll ask one more time. What did you see that night?"

The middle-aged man was an old Soul Beast hunter who had long frequented the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, making a living by hunting Soul Beasts and selling their meat.

He shook like a sieve, his lips trembling for a long while before he forced out a few words.

"I... I'll tell you... y-you won't kill me?"

Tang Hao did not answer. He merely slammed the Clear Sky Hammer into the ground.

The earth split open with a palm-wide crack, and broken stones rattled as they rolled down.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" The Soul Beast hunter broke down. "That night... that night, I was waiting on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest for an injured Hundred-Year Nether Wolf... Just after midnight, that beast suddenly..."

His pupils abruptly dilated, and his voice turned shrill from overwhelming terror. "It exploded! It wasn't killed by something—it exploded on its own! From the inside out, as if an invisible hand had grabbed it, and then... then crushed it apart!"

Tang Hao's breathing suddenly grew heavy.

"It wasn't just that one." The Soul Beast hunter spoke faster and faster. "The whole forest was echoing with sounds. Soul Beasts were screaming everywhere, but every scream stopped halfway through, cut off before it could finish! I was scared stupid. I climbed up a tree and looked down, and I saw..."

He suddenly shut his eyes, his face contorted in agony. "Soul Rings everywhere. White, yellow, purple, black, red—densely packed together. The entire forest was lit as brightly as day. After those Soul Beasts exploded, their Soul Rings rose up and hung in the air, then began to dissipate. In the end, there was nothing left."

Tang Hao's hand trembled.

What the man described was exactly the same as what the last person he had tortured had said.

"You can go," he said hoarsely.

The Soul Beast hunter froze for a moment, then scrambled to his feet and staggered into the shadows of the trees, dragging his broken arm behind him.

Only after running far away did he dare look back. He saw that blood-soaked man still standing where he was, the enormous Clear Sky Hammer hanging at his side, his silhouette looking especially solitary in the light of the dying campfire.

Tang Hao did not pursue him.

He stood on the ground pitted by the Clear Sky Hammer and looked up at the pitch-black northern sky.

The wind swept through the valley, letting out low, mournful howls like the lingering wails of countless Soul Beasts.

All Soul Beasts died in the same instant, crushed apart from the inside out. What kind of power could do something like that? Ah Yin was also a Soul Beast. Had that Blue Silver Grass holding her origin been crushed to pieces that night as well?

Tang Hao did not dare think any further.

But he could not stop himself from thinking further.

He had no way not to think about it.

"Ah Yin..."

"You merely disappeared, right?"

"You definitely won't be like those other Soul Beasts, right?"

Tang Hao trembled as though hypnotizing himself.

But the trembling hand clutching the Clear Sky Hammer had already betrayed him.

Tang Hao knew very well that if all Soul Beasts had perished at the same time, then his Ah Yin could not possibly have escaped disaster.

The place where he had transplanted Ah Yin was remote and rarely visited.

If Ah Yin had truly been all right, she would not have vanished without a trace.

Moreover, the place where Ah Yin had originally been was indeed as if it had been blown apart.

Everything matched.

"No, no, no..."

"That can't be..."

"Ah Yin underwent a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Transformation. She should be special. She had already become human..."

"Yes, yes, Tang San's classmate also underwent a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Transformation!"

"I'll return right now. If she's all right, then Ah Yin must be all right too."

Thinking of Xiao Wu, Tang Hao immediately turned and rushed back to Nuoding City.