Lin Tian's Death

To keep Tang Hao from making a move against him and Xiao Wu, Lin Tian suddenly said to Tang San:

"Little San, I've always felt that you, Xiao Wu, and I get along well. How about the three of us become sworn siblings?"

"Sworn siblings?" A confused expression appeared on Tang San's face.

Before he could answer, Xiao Wu's eyes lit up as she shouted, "Sure, sure! I want to be the eldest sister. From now on, you two have to call me Sister Xiao Wu."

"Xiao Wu, stop messing around. We have to go by our actual ages." Lin Tian's mouth twitched as he reprimanded her.

Upon hearing that, Xiao Wu pouted gloomily and said nothing more, merely muttering inwardly, If we're talking actual age, I'm eighteen generations older than your ancestors.

Lin Tian naturally understood this, but he did not expose it. He continued asking Tang San, "Little San, what do you think?"

"Alright."

Although Tang San was jealous of Lin Tian, he had lived two lives and had lacked love since childhood. He possessed a yearning for affection far beyond that of ordinary people.

Thus, even though his father had neglected him since he was young, he still loved him without hesitation.

Now that Lin Tian wanted to become sworn brothers with him, and with Xiao Wu as well, he naturally had no reason to object.

After revealing their respective birthdays, the three confirmed Tang San as the eldest brother, Lin Tian as the second brother, and Xiao Wu as the youngest, their third sister.

After establishing their order, Lin Tian deliberately brought Xiao Wu and Tang San beneath the academy dormitory building so Tang Hao would know the three had become sworn siblings.

He also called over Xiao Chenyu, who was about to graduate, and had him gather the academy students.

Beneath the teaching building, before everyone present, the three became sworn siblings.

Standing amid the crowd, Lin Yuan watched the three "bow to Heaven and Earth" and secretly sighed. Lin Tian did have some brains, thinking to use his sworn brotherhood with Tang San to avoid Tang Hao's threat.

Unfortunately, he still overestimated Tang Hao's moral limits.

A man who, in order to achieve his goals, could even betray his own wife—

How could he care whether his son's sworn brother lived or died? So long as someone dared set their sights on Xiao Wu, regardless of their relationship with Tang San, they would not escape death.

Not to mention that Lin Tian was still the ever-victorious second brother in Douluo Continent's classic love triangle.

In the end, Xiao Wu still asked that classic line from the original story: "If one day, someone wants to kill me, what would you do?"

Lin Tian answered first. "Then they'll have to step over my corpse first."

After freezing for a moment, Tang San gave the same answer.

To sum it up in one sentence: "Same here."

But because he had been half a beat slower, his words were fated to carry less weight than Lin Tian's.

Meanwhile.

In a secluded corner of Nording Academy, a gray figure in tattered robes revealed himself slightly.

From afar, he watched Lin Tian and Xiao Wu become sworn siblings with his son, a trace of coldness flashing through his eyes.

No matter what, Tang Hao had never expected that his son would one day repeat his own fate.

The difference was that Tang San had taken on the role of his elder brother Tang Xiao.

And Lin Tian had taken on his role.

Setting aside the matter of Twin Martial Souls, no matter how one looked at it, Lin Tian was more outstanding than his son, and Xiao Wu was also closer to Lin Tian.

This stirred his killing intent.

Xiao Wu was the key to his revenge against Spirit Hall. She was a tool meant to sacrifice herself for his son in the future, while also igniting his son's hatred for Spirit Hall. Anyone who dared set their sights on her had to die.

Originally, you could have become Little San's right-hand man. If you want someone to blame, blame yourself for touching something that should never have been touched—something that was never yours to begin with.

Tang Hao murmured inwardly, then turned and vanished into the shadows.

Early the next morning, Lin Yuan rented a carriage and waited for Xiao Wu and Lin Tian at the academy entrance.

Naturally, Lin Yuan would not take such a risk and chose to stay home obediently.

He merely instructed the coachman to tell the two that he had something urgent to handle and would return a few days later.

Lin Yuan was merely a minor nobody with level-three Innate Soul Power. Before this pair of siblings, he was insignificant, so they did not look into it too deeply.

However, it was worth mentioning that Lin Tian had originally wanted to accompany Tang San back to Holy Soul Village, or have Tang San accompany them back to Emperor Soul Village. That would have been safer.

But Xiao Wu did not dare go to Holy Soul Village because Tang San's father might be a Titled Douluo.

Tang San, worried about his father, could not go to Bamboo Ridge.

Thus, he could only part ways with the two.

They agreed to meet again after school began.

Everything was proceeding according to plan, even more smoothly than Lin Yuan had imagined.

By evening.

After cultivating in the carriage all day, Lin Tian and Xiao Wu settled down in Bamboo Ridge.

"Lin Tian, get out here."

After nightfall, Lin Tian had just washed up and was about to sit cross-legged on the bed to cultivate when a sudden voice stopped him.

What was coming had come... Lin Tian's heart filled with bitterness.

He had expected Tang Hao to come looking for him.

He simply had not expected it to happen so soon.

Of course, he was not worried that Tang Hao would kill him. After all, he had already become sworn brothers with Tang San and acknowledged Tang San as his elder brother.

With that thought, Lin Tian no longer hesitated. He leaped out through the window and went outside.

He sprinted in the direction of the voice.

Having cultivated the Supreme Sacred Heaven and Earth Technique and the Five Thunder Heavenly Heart Formula, he was extremely fast. Before long, he spotted Tang Hao at the cliff behind the mountain.

"Will you jump down yourself, or shall I send you down?"

That was the first thing Lin Tian heard upon seeing Tang Hao.

"What? You want to kill me?"

Lin Tian was startled out of his wits.

Tang Hao did not answer him, merely saying calmly:

"You could have lived well. You might even have become a Titled Douluo in the future and served as my son's right-hand man. But you should never have set your sights on that rabbit. Now, I can only ask you to die."

As he spoke, he slowly raised his right hand. Black light surged in his palm, transforming into an enormous black hammerhead.

At the same time, nine soul rings—two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red—silently rose and settled at different positions around him.

They completely enveloped his body.

Then he approached Lin Tian step by step.

The Clear Sky Hammer in his hand dragged across the ground, carving out a deep trench.

Seeing that Tang Hao truly intended to attack him, bean-sized drops of sweat instantly rolled down Lin Tian's face. He hurriedly said, "Wait... Tang San and I are brothers. Tang San is my elder brother. You can't kill me."

Tang Hao paused. "It seems you have already guessed my identity. In that case, you deserve to die even more."

As he spoke, he continued dragging the massive hammer toward Lin Tian.

"I can leave Nording Academy and never appear before Xiao Wu or Tang San again."

Lin Tian staggered backward as he tried to find one last chance to turn things around.

But Tang Hao remained unmoved.

Only when Lin Tian, filled with unwillingness, said these words did Tang Hao finally stop: "I can acknowledge Tang San as my master."

Tang Hao stopped, seemingly considering whether this was feasible.

Lin Tian had also panicked. To display his own value, he actually raised both hands at once. Lightning surged from his left hand as a bamboo stalk appeared, while blue aura rose from his right hand as a lotus flower appeared.

The moment his Twin Martial Souls emerged, just as he thought he was safe, Tang Hao suddenly vanished from before his eyes.

By the time he reacted, he had already lost consciousness, his body falling uncontrollably down the cliff.