Tang Hao's Hatred

In a secluded valley somewhere in the Star Dou Great Forest, dense clusters of Blue Silver Grass several zhang tall covered the inside and outside of the valley. In a hidden hollow within the valley, an exquisite little house flickered in and out of view.

This was where Tang Hao and Ah Yin lived in seclusion. Forget humans—even Soul Beasts rarely found this place. And even if they did, in a place covered with Blue Silver Grass, there was no way they could escape Ah Yin's senses.

That was more than enough for her to transfer away silently before any enemy arrived. No one could possibly surround and trap them in this place.

"Hao, our child is about to be born. Why do we have to leave the forest now?"

Inside the house, Ah Yin, her belly swollen, looked puzzled.

Seven months had passed since the battle with Zhu Huang. Ah Yin had been pregnant for nearly nine months; in less than a month, she would give birth to the child in her womb.

At this moment, Ah Yin was at her weakest. The aura of a Soul Beast on her body could not be concealed at all. If she left the Star Dou Great Forest and happened to encounter any Title Douluo, she would be like a torch in the dark night—her identity as a Soul Beast would definitely be seen through.

She had thought she would give birth to the child in the forest, at least finish her confinement and recover her strength to its peak, and only when no one could see through her identity anymore would it be time for them to leave the forest and return to the human world.

But she had never expected that Tang Hao would suddenly say at this time that he wanted to take Ah Yin out of the forest and back to the Clear Sky Sect.

"Ah Yin, the New Year is almost here outside. If I don't go back, my father will definitely worry about me. He is old, plagued by illness, and in very poor health. I can't let him worry."

A trace of concern showed in Tang Hao's eyes. His gaze turned into the distance, as if he could see through empty space to his old father's graying temples, and to those eyes filled with longing and worry.

"But our child is just as important. If we go back a little later, Father should understand us, shouldn't he?"

Ah Yin still did not want to leave now. It was far too dangerous. She knew how many people outside coveted her.

On the contrary, this Star Dou Great Forest seemed very dangerous, but in truth it was incomparably safe.

Tang Hao was more than capable of dealing with those Soul Beasts below a hundred thousand years old, and those above a hundred thousand years old would not covet her. As long as Tang Hao did not go looking for trouble with those Soul Beasts, those Soul Beasts would not harm her.

After all, last time she had fallen into the hands of that Death Spider Emperor, yet the other party had still released her on account of them both being Soul Beasts.

A trace of hesitation appeared in Tang Hao's eyes, but in the blink of an eye, it turned firm. He looked into the distance, avoiding Ah Yin's gaze, and the pain in his eyes flashed past and vanished.

"Ah Yin, I don't just want to take you back to see my father. I'm also thinking about your safety and the child's. I checked the nearby area these past few days, and that Death Spider Emperor's aura appeared around here. He must have come to hunt me down. If he finds this place, it doesn't matter if I die, but what about you and the child?"

At the mention of that Death Spider Emperor, deep venomous hatred flashed through Tang Hao's eyes.

That battle half a year ago had already become his nightmare.

It was the most miserable defeat of his life. He had charged over full of excitement to hunt the other party down, only to be crushed by him like dry weeds and rotten wood. He had even needed Ah Yin to sacrifice herself to buy him a chance to escape with his life.

That alone would have been one thing, but what made him gnash his teeth in hatred even more was that he had still been injured in that battle, almost losing everything below.

But what Tang Hao had not expected was that although he had managed to preserve both, it seemed not much different from having lost them.

Those spider legs had actually contained a terrifying poison. That poison was filled with the aura of death, seeming able to devour and annihilate all vitality.

Although he had relied on his profound Soul Power, along with the help of Ah Yin's life force, to finally expel that deathly poison, under the poison's corrosion, he had already been ruined.

This left Tang Hao in unbearable pain. A man's dignity had shattered all over the ground.

Every night, his breathtakingly beautiful wife lay beside him, yet he had no reaction at all. He did not dare let Ah Yin know, but she would find out sooner or later. He could hide it from others, but he could not possibly hide it from his own wife.

"Death Spider Emperor, I, Tang Hao, will never coexist with you. No matter what price I have to pay, I will definitely tear you into ten thousand pieces."

Tang Hao clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his flesh. Every time he thought of this, the pain in his heart was like ten thousand ants gnawing at it. His hatred for the Spider Emperor could not be washed clean even by the waters of three rivers.

"Death Spider Emperor?"

Ah Yin frowned. She had not discovered anything at all, and judging from the Death Spider Emperor's tone that day, he did not seem to have planned to drive Hao to utter extinction.

Thinking of what the Death Spider Emperor had said that day, Ah Yin's heart trembled. Could Hao really be...

No, impossible. How could Hao possibly be scheming for my Soul Ring and Soul Bone? I'm carrying his flesh and blood!

Ah Yin forcibly snuffed out that terrifying thought. After a moment of silence, she said faintly, "Do you absolutely have to leave here and return to the Clear Sky Sect?"

Tang Hao took a deep breath. "Ah Yin, it's not that I have to leave. It's that we have no choice but to leave. As long as we return to the Clear Sky Sect, no one under heaven will be able to make things difficult for us. At that time, even if your identity is exposed, we won't be afraid."

"All right, then let's leave!"

Seeing Tang Hao's resolute attitude, Ah Yin knew she could not persuade him, just like last time, when she had also been unable to stop him from insisting on hunting the Hundred-Thousand-Year Death Spider Emperor.

"This peach forest has existed for who knows how many years. It is filled with terrifying Peach Blossom Miasma. Even if I entered, I wouldn't be able to last long. There was once a human Title Douluo who relied on his strength and wanted to enter the peach forest to hunt that peach tree, but after going in, he never came out again."

In a dead-end valley somewhere in the Star Dou Great Forest, peach trees covered the mountains and plains, and the valley was also filled with peach trees. Even the thinnest required several people to encircle with their arms, while the thickest even exceeded a hundred meters in diameter. The towering trees bloomed in vivid profusion, never withering through the four seasons, dyeing the entire mountain and valley peach-pink.

Very few people knew that within this Peach Valley, which was like a forbidden land, there hid a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

It was a peach tree that had gained sentience. Much like Xiao Wu, it had also lived for a full hundred thousand years, and had existed for far longer than the Death Spider Emperor.

At this moment, Zhu Huang had brought Da Ming, Er Ming, and Xiao Wu outside the peach forest, surrounding it from four directions.

During this period, they had already begun searching for Xiao Wu's mother in the core region while also starting to subdue the other Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.

The Sky Azure Bull Python Da Ming looked at this peach forest, his expression somewhat grave, and said in a deep voice, "My Emperor, if we wish to subdue the peach tree, we must first break this ten-thousand-year Peach Blossom Miasma. My Annihilation Thunder has a certain restraining effect against the Peach Blossom Miasma, but it is still not enough to break this miasma that has been condensing for who knows how many tens of thousands of years."

Zhu Huang carefully looked over the peach forest and sensed that unbelievably dense miasma. Just perceiving it with his mental power gave him a dizzy, spinning feeling, which showed how terrifying it was.

After pondering for a moment, Zhu Huang said, "I can break this Peach Blossom Miasma, but let's try courtesy before force. If that peach tree is willing to submit to me, there isn't necessarily a need to make a move."

Reverence appeared in Da Ming's eyes. He had not expected that His Majesty the Sacred Emperor could actually break even such terrifying Peach Blossom Miasma. His strength was truly unfathomable.

Thus, Zhu Huang stood outside the peach forest and said loudly, "Peach tree friend, I am the Death Spider Emperor Zhu Huang. I have brought my subordinates, the Sky Azure Bull Python Da Ming, the Titan Giant Ape Er Ming, and the Soft Bone Charm Rabbit Xiao Wu, to pay you a visit. Please grant us a meeting."

His voice traveled out for a long time, but there was no response at all, as if there were no Soul Beast inside whatsoever.