Tang Hao Discovered His Wife Was Gone

With a thought, Li Changqing activated the Kunpeng Method, and a transparent black-and-white barrier instantly enveloped him.

He beckoned, took his original body with him, and plunged into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, descending ever deeper.

Although Li Changqing had drained nearly all the life force and essence above the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to rebuild his body, the depths of the spring had barely been affected. Vast reserves of ice and fire power remained.

Li Changqing intended to use his original body at the very bottom of the spring to make the Thunderblade Sword real.

The remains and Soul Bones of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings were down there too. He could fuse them into the Thunderblade Sword and greatly increase its power.

The icy and fiery spring water would kill an ordinary Titled Douluo on contact, but the barrier formed by the Kunpeng Method held it firmly at bay. Inside, Li Changqing felt none of the searing heat or bitter cold.

He descended steadily. Waves of extreme heat and cold rose from the bottom of the spring, but none stopped him.

The closer he came to the bottom, the stronger those forces grew.

At the same time, Li Changqing faintly sensed an astonishing pressure: the draconic might lingering in the remains of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings.

At last, two enormous skeletons slowly came into view.

The ice and fire energy radiating from them had created the treasure ground that was the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Even now, they gave off an unending flow of ice and fire power.

Li Changqing also saw a red glow and a blue glow within the skeletons. Those had to be the Soul Bones left by the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings.

"There really are Soul Bones!"

Delighted, Li Changqing descended faster.

A moment later, he finally reached the depths of the spring, and both skeletons stood fully revealed before him.

He looked at the body he had brought down and fell into thought.

Li Changqing had controlled that body for thirteen whole years. Even though his soul now had a new home, he could still sense it.

He could feel the two Martial Souls within it: the Thunderblade Sword and Kunpeng.

With a thought, Li Changqing activated the Kunpeng Method and reached out to the Kunpeng Martial Soul inside the body before him.

Before long, two phantom figures, a Kun and a Peng, spiraled out of the discarded body.

Next, nine Soul Rings, golden Bone Wings, the Golden-Eyed Demon Wolf Right Leg Bone, the Titan Giant Ape Left Arm Bone, and the Sky Azure Bull Python Right Arm Bone appeared one after another.

Finally, the phantom Thunderblade Sword appeared above the body's head.

The Soul Rings, Soul Bones, and even the body itself gradually dissolved into motes of light, which streamed toward the phantom sword.

The Thunderblade Sword grew visibly more solid.

Soon it would become a real sword, no longer an illusory Martial Soul.

Meanwhile, in the Mountain Forest near Holy Soul Village, Tang Hao stood beside the Waterfall where he had hidden the Blue Silver Emperor.

He had just told Tang San why he had left him, and revealed the Soul Beast identities of Tang San's mother and Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu stood dazed to one side. She feared Tang San's father now that she knew he was a Titled Douluo, and she was stunned to learn that Tang San's mother had also been a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

Tang San was dazed too. Too much information had come at him in too short a time.

His dad was the Clear Sky Douluo, renowned across the continent. His mother, whom he had never met, and Xiao Wu, who had been by his side day and night, were both Hundred-Thousand-Year Transformed Soul Beasts.

Then resentment surged through him. The accursed Spirit Hall had forced his mother to sacrifice herself.

Tears welled in his eyes.

In his heart, Tang San had already marked Spirit Hall as "having a path to death." He resolved to destroy it utterly in his lifetime.

Xiao Wu thought of herself. Her mother had also died because of Spirit Hall. "Brother, Spirit Hall killed my mother too."

Tang San had been somewhat troubled by Xiao Wu's identity as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, but then he remembered that he himself had been born to one.

Besides, after six years together, he had long since come to regard Xiao Wu as family. The last trace of unease in his heart faded.

Tang San stepped forward and embraced Xiao Wu. "Don't worry, Xiao Wu," he said softly. "Once we're strong enough, we'll take revenge on Spirit Hall together."

Tang Hao watched Tang San and Xiao Wu hold each other, a wistful look in his eyes.

Gradually, the two calmed down.

Thinking over what Tang Hao had said and what Li Changqing had told them at Shrek Academy, Tang San could roughly guess why his father had suddenly taken him and Xiao Wu away. Still, he asked.

"Dad, did you bring Xiao Wu and me away because you were afraid that powerful man who suddenly showed up would hurt us?"

Tang Hao gave a bitter smile and nodded. "Yes. I was in the wrong. I coveted the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone from the Soul Beast he had hunted and tried to seize it so you could grow stronger faster."

He sighed. "I never expected someone so young-looking to be so much stronger than me."

"I almost regret provoking him."

Tang Hao suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, and his aura weakened again. The backlash from Ring Detonation had clearly hit him hard.

Tang San hurriedly leaned forward to support him, his anger plain in his voice. "Dad, was that man the one who hurt you like this?"

Tang Hao shook his head. "You're no match for Li Changqing yet. If you want to avenge me, train hard and raise your strength as quickly as you can."

"Come. First, I'll take you to see your mother."

Tang San froze. Hadn't his mother already sacrificed herself?

Tang Hao explained, "The Blue Silver Emperor's life force is powerful. It's almost impossible for one to die. Even after sacrificing herself, your mother left behind a seed. There's hope she can come back."

"But I doubt I'll live to see it."

Hearing that his mother might return, Tang San felt some of his grief lift.

Tang Hao took Tang San and Xiao Wu by the arms and brought them into the Cave behind the Waterfall.

"I planted your mother in this Cave, farther inside. I also kept her Soul Bone. You can absorb it while we're here."

Tang San nodded eagerly. He would get to see the mother he had never met and absorb a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, a treasure countless Soul Masters coveted. Excitement surged through him.

But deep inside the Cave, Tang San saw nothing. There was no Blue Silver Grass—not even a weed.

Then he noticed signs of digging on a small mound of earth. A terrible thought sprang into his mind.

He pointed at the mound, clinging to a sliver of hope. "Dad, is that where you planted Mom?"

Tang Hao was puzzled by his tone. Tang San should have been happy to see his mother. Why did he sound like that?

Then Tang Hao saw the bare mound and the unmistakable signs of digging. His heart stopped.

He hurriedly rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing.