Tang Chen: You father and son are exactly alike

Di Yue's tail paused for a moment.

Five.

Three and a half.

Four.

"Deal." Jiang Lan put the small porcelain bottle away and patted Di Yue's head. "See you at the usual place tomorrow morning."

Di Yue snorted, stood up, shook her fur, and walked into the depths of the forest.

Xiao Wu cleared away the dishes, turned off the stove, and turned to look at Jiang Lan.

"I'm going tomorrow too," Xiao Wu said.

Jiang Lan asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why?"

Xiao Wu thought for a moment and said seriously, "I'm worried about your safety. As your older sister, I want to stay with you."

Jiang Lan looked at Xiao Wu's serious face and tilted her head.

"Sister Xiao Wu, I'm level 71 now." Jiang Lan patted her chest. "Di Yue is Emperor Auspicious Beast, who in the Star Dou Great Forest dares to mess with us?"

"That's not how it works." Xiao Wu put her hands on her hips, her expression even more serious than before. "Deep in the Star Dou Great Forest, there are many Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, and they all have bad tempers. Although Di Yue has a high status, there are always some who are blind to her. You're just a little bean sprout running around everywhere. What if you get snatched away by some ignorant Soul Beast? How am I supposed to explain that to Rongrong and the others?"

Jiang Lan thought about it and felt that it made some sense, but something still felt off.

"And," Xiao Wu added, "When you're wandering around in the forest, someone has to help you carry your things, right? If you find any local specialties, I'll help you carry them."

"I found something to store my Storage Soul Tool."

"Storage Soul Tool aren't omnipotent; what if they get full?"

I have three.

Xiao Wu choked for a moment.

"Never mind, Sister Xiao Wu will go with her."

That's more like it.

On the other side, the Clear Sky Sect.

"Great-grandfather, I want to participate in the All-Continent Genius Soul Master Tournament," Tang San said, looking at Tang Chen who was drinking tea.

Tang Chen put down his teacup and looked up at Tang San.

"The All-Continent Genius Soul Master Tournament?" Tang Chen placed his teacup on the table, tapping the rim lightly with his fingers. "Tell me first, why do you want to participate?"

Tang San stood in the center of the study, back ramrod straight, hands at his sides, speaking calmly and deliberately, "Great-grandfather, I am currently level 45, which puts me among the top in the younger generation of the Clear Sky Sect. For the past few years, I've been cultivating within the sect, lacking real combat experience. The All-Continent Genius Soul Master Tournament is a large-scale event jointly organized by six parties, attracting numerous experts; it's the best opportunity for me to hone my skills."

Tang Chen didn't reply immediately, but picked up his teacup and took another sip.

"Anything else?"

Tang San remained silent for a moment.

I want to see Xiao Wu.

Tang Chen paused for a moment.

"Xiao Wu?" He put down his teacup, raising an eyebrow. "The little girl who came out of the Shrek Academy with you?"

"Yes." Tang San nodded, his tone lower than before. "After she left Heaven Dou City, she returned to the Star Dou Great Forest. I haven't heard from her for the past few years. The All-Continent Genius Soul Master Tournament is a major event jointly organized by six parties. If she's still cultivating, she should be paying attention to it. I want to go to Spirit City to see if I can see her."

Tang Chen leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

He turned to look at Tang Hao, who was sitting by the window.

Tang Hao hadn't said a word since he entered the room. He stood against the wall, his bronze face expressionless, as if he had known this would happen all along.

"Tang Hao," Tang Chen began, "Who is this Xiao Wu?"

Tang Hao remained silent for two breaths before speaking in a low voice, "The Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit has taken human form."

Tang Chen's finger stopped on the table.

The study remained quiet for a while.

"What did you say?" Tang Chen's voice was flat.

"Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit transformed," Tang Hao repeated. "Like Ah Yin, she Soul Beast Transformation again. She met Little San at the Nuoding Academy, and later they went to the Shrek Academy together. Then, for some reason, she returned to the Star Dou Great Forest."

Tang Chen slowly turned his gaze away from Tang Hao and looked at Tang San.

Do you know what she is?

"I know." Tang San did not avoid Tang Chen's gaze.

"Knowing I still want to go see her?"

"Great-grandfather, Xiao Wu is different from other Soul Beast," Tang San said steadily. "She has never harmed anyone. She fought alongside us at the Shrek Academy and saved my life. She returned to the Star Dou Great Forest because... because of some things, she had to leave."

Tang Chen stared at him for a long while, then let out a long sigh through her nose.

"Your father found a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, and you found one too." Tang Chen picked up his teacup, then put it down, and finally pushed it aside. "Is the Clear Sky Sect obsessed with Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?"

Tang San remained silent.

Tang Hao leaned against the wall and added in a low voice, "Grandpa, I've met Xiao Wu, and she certainly doesn't seem like the type to harm anyone."

"Shut up." Tang Chen glanced at him.

At this moment, he really didn't want to say anything.

It's fine for the father and son to like Soul Beast, but liking other people is fine, but don't fixate on their Soul Ring and Soul Bone!

Tang Chen slammed his teacup on the table, his gaze shifting from Tang Hao's face to Tang San's, then back again.

"You two are cut from the same cloth." Tang Chen's voice carried a hint of anger that had somehow calmed down. "Tang Hao, back then you took a liking to Ah Yin. What was Ah Yin's identity? The Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor. When you were with her, did you ever think that the Spirit Hall would be after her? Did you ever think that you could protect her?"

Tang Hao leaned against the wall and lowered his head.

"Now it's Tang San's turn." Tang Chen pointed to Tang San, who was standing in the center of the study. "Xiao Wu, the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit has transformed. Do you know what the transformation of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast means? It means that her Soul Ring can help someone rise to the top in one step, it means that her Soul Bone will be fought over by the entire Soul Master World, it means that as long as someone discovers her identity, she will become the most valuable prey on the entire continent."

Tang San's lips moved, but he did not refute.

"Your father couldn't protect Ah Yin back then," Tang Chen's voice deepened, "How do you plan to protect Xiao Wu?"

"I will become stronger." Tang San raised his head, his gaze steady, "Strong enough that no one will dare to touch her."

"Empty talk." Tang Chen slammed his hand on the table.

Tang San did not back down, nor did he avoid Tang Chen's gaze.

"Great-grandfather, I know you think what I'm saying now is empty talk. But I will participate in the competition, I will win a prize, and I will prove my strength to all the Soul Master on the continent. Once I have enough fame and strength, Xiao Wu will no longer be prey in other people's eyes."

Tang Chen stared at him for a long time.

"You're just as stubborn as your dad," Tang Chen said.

Tang Hao muttered from the side, "Grandpa, back in my day..."

"Shut up." Tang Chen glanced at him again. "If you had been strong enough back then, Ah Yin wouldn't have needed to sacrifice herself. What's the point of you standing here saying all this now?"

More importantly, Tang Hao had other ideas.

If Tang San hadn't been there, and if he hadn't said it, it would have caused discord between him and his son; otherwise, he would have said it already.

Tang Hao swallowed back what he was about to say.