Her Fate Was Much Like Yours

Several days passed in the blink of an eye. On the official road outside Notting City, one tall and one short figure slowly came into view.

The young man walking in front was strikingly handsome. He loosely held a longsword in one hand, while his plain-colored robe fluttered violently in the mountain wind. His bearing was cool and detached, carrying the ethereal grace of an immortal who stood apart from the world. He was impossible to overlook at a glance.

Xiao Wu followed closely behind Chen Ling, her lively eyes constantly darting around, her face filled with curiosity.

Returning to this familiar place, memories of the past instantly flooded her mind.

This place held her days at Notting Academy. It could be considered the happiest and most carefree period of her life since arriving in the human world.

Thinking back, she had once been Sister Xiao Wu, the renowned boss of Notting Academy, basking in endless glory. How could that compare to now, when she had become a captive Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast kept by someone else? The difference in her circumstances was like heaven and earth.

"Why did we come all the way to Notting City?" Xiao Wu could not help asking.

"Just follow me. Don't ask so many questions." Chen Ling gave her an indifferent glance and strode onward with calm, unhurried steps.

Xiao Wu pursed her lips resentfully. Not daring to say anything else, she obediently scampered after him.

It had to be said that Xiao Wu, this "Rascal Rabbit," possessed truly exceptional adaptability.

Her purpose in taking human form and entering the human world had clearly been revenge, yet the moment she arrived, she completely let herself go. She ran off to an academy and became the local tyrant, tossing her original intentions straight into the clouds.

The same was true now. After being captured by Chen Ling, she had simply forgotten Tang San completely.

Every day, she wore an attitude of utter resignation. Aside from mugwort, he could kill or torture her however he pleased. At this point, her shamelessness and adaptability were practically comparable to a cockroach's.

Chen Ling did not mind this in the least. Having someone at his side who could serve tea, run errands, and handle miscellaneous chores was not bad.

The only flaw was that this rabbit was occasionally rather unruly and terribly mischievous. He always had to give her a small lesson before she would obediently behave herself for a few days.

Still, to be fair, although Xiao Wu could be rather foolish, her looks and figure were unquestionably top-tier. She truly deserved to be the female lead of the first part of Douluo Continent.

Setting aside her value as a prospective Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and Spirit Bone, Chen Ling also harbored a rather interesting thought. Wasn't Xiao Wu the Asura Sword's sheath in the original story? Then why could she not become the Qingming Sword's sheath instead? It was simply making full use of available resources.

After renting a room, Chen Ling set up the Skyedge Swordfeather and prepared to lock Xiao Wu inside so he could go dig up Tang San's mother.

But when those familiar sword shadows floated around her once again and tightly surrounded her, a chill immediately surged through Xiao Wu's heart. Her body trembled uncontrollably as the tormenting memories of being watched over by flying swords flooded back into her mind.

Seeing Chen Ling turn to leave, Xiao Wu hurriedly called out to stop him.

"Can I go with you?"

She put on a pitiful expression, her eyes glistening with moisture. She had truly been traumatized by those ever-present flying swords and did not want to remain behind alone under their watch no matter what.

Chen Ling raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you want to come along? There may very well be a Titled Douluo where I'm going."

He did not know where Tang Hao was either. His main goal this time was to obtain the Blue Silver Emperor's Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone. Even if he did not absorb it himself for now, he could keep it in reserve. It might come in handy someday.

Xiao Wu curled her lip dismissively. "Hmph, a Titled Douluo is just a Titled Douluo. I'm a reserved spare Soul Ring anyway. Waiting wherever I am is still waiting, so what is there to be afraid of?"

Chen Ling said no more. Raising a hand, he picked Xiao Wu up, and the two of them suddenly shot forward as swiftly as the wind.

In the blink of an eye, they crossed several miles and arrived at the back mountain of Holy Soul Village.

Along the way, Xiao Wu's heart was filled with confusion. No matter how much she thought about it, she could not understand.

She recognized this place immediately. Wasn't this Holy Soul Village, Tang San's hometown?

The sights along the road even reminded her of the past, of when she had first taken human form and Tang San had acknowledged her as his sister.

As her thoughts drifted, the two landed steadily from midair.

Before them stood a towering waterfall. Water rushed down from the cliff above and smashed violently into the smooth rock wall and pool below. The endless roar of water echoed throughout the valley.

Xiao Wu stared at the scene before her, momentarily lost in thought.

The next instant, Chen Ling casually tossed her into the shallows.

The icy pool water soaked through her clothes, and the piercing cold instantly jolted her awake. Xiao Wu shuddered sharply and hurriedly scrambled out of the water with both hands and feet.

She paid no attention to her drenched and bedraggled state. In two hops, she reached Chen Ling's side and asked curiously, "What are we here for? And where's that Titled Douluo you mentioned?"

Chen Ling was repeatedly examining and comparing the waterfall's rock wall, as though searching for some hidden flaw.

"You'll find out soon enough."

Chen Ling picked Xiao Wu up again with one hand. The Skyedge Swordfeather instantly appeared beneath his feet, steadily supporting them both.

He raised his hand and gathered strength, then sent a condensed, razor-sharp sword qi slashing forward.

How could Tang Hao possibly have failed to set up defensive measures? Chen Ling's earlier inspection had been testing whether the Falsehood-Piercing Sword Intent could penetrate this layer of protection.

Fortunately, after some probing, he really did find a weak point in the restriction.

The fierce sword qi struck the waterfall barrier with precision. An invisible Soul Power shield hidden behind the flowing water immediately surfaced, then shattered with a thunderous crash.

Without this move, Chen Ling would indeed have needed to spend some effort breaking through this defense.

As the shield crumbled, the wisp of spiritual power attached to it dissipated as well.

Chen Ling did not care in the slightest. Carrying Xiao Wu, he walked directly through the curtain of water and entered the stone cave behind the waterfall.

It was noon. Bright sunlight streamed through the gaps at the top of the cave and fell precisely upon its center.

A stalk of Blue Silver Grass covered in golden veins was quietly rooted there, doing its utmost to absorb the hard-won warmth of the sun. Its tender leaves slowly unfolded, revealing tenacious vitality.

"This is... the Blue Silver Emperor?" As a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, Xiao Wu recognized it immediately. She was deeply puzzled as to why a Blue Silver Emperor with such formidable life force had been reduced to this state.

Chen Ling raised his hand and lightly tapped the surrounding stone walls. Before long, he retrieved a heavy lead box from a hidden compartment. Inside lay the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone left behind by the Blue Silver Emperor.

"Her fate was much like yours," Chen Ling said slowly, deliberately drawing Xiao Wu's attention back to the present.

"She was also a Soul Beast who took human form. She fell in love with a human, gave birth to a child, and was forced to sacrifice herself. In the end, she was reduced to barely clinging to life like this."

"Her child is Tang San. And the Titled Douluo I mentioned is his father, Tang Hao."

Chen Ling lowered his gaze toward Xiao Wu beside him, his tone carrying deeper meaning. "Isn't it quite a coincidence? Tang Hao had a lover who was a Soul Beast in human form, and now his son Tang San also happens to have you, another Soul Beast in human form, by his side."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu suddenly stiffened. Her body trembled slightly, and her face was filled with disbelief.

Every word Chen Ling had said was true. Ah Yin's experience was fact.

He had not deliberately embellished anything. He had merely stated the truth calmly, yet it gave Xiao Wu more than enough room to project herself into the situation and let her imagination run wild.

The love curse of Douluo Continent was not so easily broken. Unless one's heart was utterly dead, one would generally keep walking down the same path until the end.

And at a time like this, all that was needed was to shatter her final illusions and place the bloody reality before her.

Just then, an enraged roar suddenly exploded outside the cave. Vast Soul Power shook the valley, and the entire stone cave rumbled and trembled with terrifying force.

"You little thief in the cave! Get the hell out here!"

"The owner has arrived."

Chen Ling lowered his head to look at Xiao Wu, whose eyes had gone vacant, and a faint smile quietly flickered in his eyes.

Haozi really was giving him excellent support.