Inside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's council hall, the atmosphere was unusually tense. Even the normally lively Ning Rongrong said nothing, her face merely showing a strange expression.
Ning Fengzhi sat in the seat of honor, lightly tapping the gemstones embedded in the armrest with his fingertips. His gaze was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority. Chen Xin and Gu Rong sat on either side. Though they had restrained their Soul Power, the faint pressure they gave off still weighed heavily on the air.
The captured Xiao Wu sat with her hands clasped in her lap, eyes lowered, without a word.
Yu Tianjue stood near the window, half his face hidden in shadow. His expression was as calm as still water, as though the whole affair had nothing to do with him. In truth, however, he had been quietly observing Xiao Wu all along.
She was afraid.
As a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast who had taken human form, she knew all too well what awaited her after being captured by a human Titled Douluo.
But at the same time, she felt regret.
Yu Tianjue simply couldn't tell what she regretted.
"Tian Jue, well done."
Ning Fengzhi's words drew everyone's attention to Yu Tianjue. No one could have imagined that a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form was hiding in the little Shrek Academy. Nor could they have imagined that a Soul Beast would dare to be so brazen.
Had Tian Jue not been quick-witted and perceptive, they might have missed such a heaven-sent opportunity.
"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form is a once-in-a-lifetime find. She has no power to resist. As long as your cultivation is high enough, you can kill her at once and absorb her Soul Ring and Soul Bone."
Ning Fengzhi continued, but Chen Xin frowned slightly.
"What surprised me was that Tang San. From what I've learned, this Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast had been by Tang San's side ever since he was six. And Tang San's father is Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao..."
Gu Rong picked up where he left off. "From Tang Hao's actions, it's obvious he's been quietly watching Tang San from the shadows all along. That means he knew Xiao Wu's identity—that she was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form. So... was he planning from the start to turn her into Tang San's Soul Ring?"
At this, Xiao Wu suddenly lifted her head, a flicker of panic crossing her face.
"Perhaps."
Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly. It was the only explanation he could think of.
Tang Hao had always known Xiao Wu's identity, yet he had never exposed her. Instead, he had let her stay by Tang San's side. Other than intending to make Xiao Wu Tang San's future Soul Ring, Ning Fengzhi couldn't think of another possibility.
It couldn't be that Tang Hao saw Xiao Wu as his future daughter-in-law, could it?
That would be far too absurd.
"In other words, we've snatched a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring from Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao."
As soon as Ning Fengzhi finished speaking, Gu Rong curled his lip in disdain. "Clear Sky Douluo is certainly powerful, but Old Sword and I aren't pushovers either. With your boost, Fengzhi, I refuse to believe Tang Hao would actually dare oppose us!"
"Even the Clear Sky Sect has withdrawn from the world. Even if they reemerge, I still don't believe they'd dare wage an all-out war against our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
War between the two sects?
That was the worst possible outcome, but... things might not come to that.
Ning Fengzhi furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment before letting out a long breath. "For now, keep her under guard. Tian Jue, this Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast belongs to you. You'll have to train even harder from now on and reach the required level of cultivation as soon as possible."
[Just like that, Ning Fengzhi had Xiao Wu secretly imprisoned and put under Gu Rong's personal guard to prevent her from escaping. You, meanwhile, began training even harder.]
[On the other side, Tang San was also training with all his might. Tang Hao told him that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had taken Xiao Wu and would most likely keep her Soul Ring for you. That meant he still had plenty of time to catch up. As long as he grew stronger quickly, he would be able to rescue Xiao Wu.]
[In truth, you and Tang San had never been on the same level when it came to talent. The only thing about him that had ever warranted your attention was his bizarre Hidden Weapons.]
[Before long, after day upon day of training under Chen Xin and your own relentless hard work, you broke through to level sixty and became the youngest Soul Emperor in history. At that point, the rate at which your Soul Power increased finally slowed. To raise your cultivation as quickly as possible, you decided to venture out alone to gain experience. You didn't even bring Ning Rongrong, despite her wanting to accompany you.]
[You traveled across the continent, yet for some inexplicable reason, you felt as if somewhere was calling to you. Following that call, you arrived at a place called Slaughter City. What you didn't know was that Tang Hao had brought Tang San to Slaughter City as well.]
[You and Tang San entered Slaughter City one right after the other.]
[Even though Soul Rings and Soul Skills couldn't be used in the strange environment of Slaughter City, you still won match after match with the swordsmanship Chen Xin had taught you, earning a fearsome reputation in the city's killing arena. At the same time, you finally noticed the handsome man carrying a hammer.]
[You didn't know that he was Tang San, whose Martial Soul had undergone an evolution, but he recognized you. Before long, you sensed the hostility he felt toward you. You didn't know where it came from, but it put you on your guard.]
[Soon, you and Tang San completed the killing arena's winning challenge one after the other. What puzzled you was that the King of Slaughter didn't summon you first. Instead, he summoned Tang San, who had completed the challenge later. You didn't meet the King of Slaughter until Tang San had left.]
[The moment you saw the King of Slaughter, you sensed something was terribly wrong with him. There was an aura about him that you strongly disliked, and his mental state seemed poor as well. After only a brief conversation, the King of Slaughter suddenly attacked you. But you were prepared and weren't caught off guard. Relying on your swordsmanship, you even managed to wound him.]
[Just then, a curtain of light suddenly enveloped you.]
[You began the Asura God Trial and learned everything under its guidance. It turned out the King of Slaughter had once taken the Asura God Trial too. But during the Seventh Trial, the Rakshasa God had schemed against him, and the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King had parasitized him through a symbiotic link of evil thoughts, taking control of his body and consciousness and turning him into the King of Slaughter he was now.]
[After learning the truth, you chose to leave Slaughter City for the time being. But on Hell Road, Tang San ambushed you. Having lain in wait for a long time, he opened with a deadly Hidden Weapon attack, trying to kill you.]