Yu Xiaogang regrouped, seeking disciples to prove himself; Tang Hao warned him, but Tang San refused to leave

"Useless!"

"Trash!"

"Grandmaster, my ass!"

"Your lousy theories aren't worth a single hair on Li Sen's head..."

A barrage of piercing insults poured into his ears, making Yu Xiaogang's eyes redden with rage.

What he hated most in this life was being looked down on and called useless.

Yes, his talent was utterly abysmal, but his theories were invincible!

Over the years, his theories had even become renowned as the ten great theories.

Unfortunately, Li Sen had appeared, developed the theory of martial soul evolution, and pinned him down.

Just one martial soul evolution theory—what right did it have to compete with my ten great theories?!

You damned bastards! You'll regret this!!!

Yu Xiaogang roared inwardly.

He understood that obtaining the martial soul evolution theory was now impossible for him.

It was already fortunate that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect wasn't throwing stones at him while he was down, never mind helping him.

Li Sen was too powerful. He had no way to deal with him.

Now, only by raising outstanding disciples could he prove himself!

At that thought, Yu Xiaogang suddenly remembered the geniuses at Shrek Academy.

One had a mutated phoenix martial soul, a top-tier beast martial soul, with innate rank-nine soul power.

One had a food-type martial soul with innate full soul power.

One had the White Tiger, a top-tier beast martial soul, with innate rank-nine soul power, and was even a member of the Star Luo Imperial Family.

Yu Xiaogang murmured, "I was so preoccupied with Tang San these past few years that I forgot to take them as disciples."

"With my abilities, I can definitely teach them to be even more outstanding than Tang San!!!"

"As long as they all become powerful Titled Douluos, I can prove I'm not useless!"

"My talent may be lacking, but I'm a grandmaster of martial soul theory!!!"

Muttering to himself, Yu Xiaogang regained his confidence and forced his gravely injured body onward, leaving Blue Lightning Academy.

He ignored the contemptuous looks from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect disciples along the way and hired a convoy to take him to Suotuo City.

Elsewhere, after three days of travel, Tang Hao arrived in the skies above Heaven Dou City.

Holding a branch created by Li Sen's martial soul in his right hand, he searched for the right direction.

The branch had lasted too long. With less than half its soul power remaining, it had turned transparent.

If he hadn't been certain that the destination was Heaven Dou City, he would have suspected that Li Sen had designs on Tang San's soul bone and had given him something incapable of pinpointing a location.

His gaze sharpened, and he looked down.

Li Sen, who had just come out, sensed something and stepped into a deserted alley. Tang Hao flew down as well.

Li Sen smiled faintly. "Your Excellency Haotian, have you come to see Xiao San this time, or to take him to awaken his bloodline?"

Tang Hao frowned slightly, finding this very unsettling.

It seemed this brat knew every one of his secrets inside out.

"You know so much, brat. Do you know that Spirit Hall sent two Titled Douluos to find you?"

Li Sen raised an eyebrow.

"That, I really didn't expect."

"Are they Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo?"

"Spirit Hall sent someone to recruit me, and I refused. Bibi Dong certainly won't let the matter rest."

Tang Hao fell silent, waves surging through his heart.

Only now did he realize that Li Sen wasn't merely exceptional at cultivation, knowledgeable in theory, and formidable in combat—his intelligence was outrageous as well.

He could even predict Pope Bibi Dong's actions.

Tang Hao clenched his fists, inwardly relieved.

He could already fight Gu Rong back in Suotuo City. Thank goodness he truly treats Xiao San as his disciple. Otherwise, even I couldn't do anything to him now.

Having reassessed Li Sen, Tang Hao wasted no time and explained his intentions.

"I went to Suotuo City earlier to look for Xiao San and discovered that the Chrysanthemum Brat was looking for you two. Judging by his demeanor, he wasn't coming with good intentions.

"They have the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Two Extremes Stillness Domain. To be safe, I need to take Xiao San away to cultivate first and teach him the Clear Sky Sect Secret Arts."

"I also came to warn you. Keep your distance and don't get caught."

Li Sen smiled. "Understood. Xiao San is helping me recruit disciples. Just look around and you'll find him."

After their brief exchange, Tang Hao turned and left.

In his view, Li Sen could avoid trouble if he listened to the warning. If he ignored it and died, that didn't matter either.

His son Tang San had already grown strong, after all. All of Heaven Dou City was talking about how he had defeated a Soul Saint with a Soul King's cultivation.

Tang Hao left, flying straight into the sky. Before long, he found Tang San helping recruit disciples in the city, inwardly troubled.

Tang San had summoned his martial soul and was idly toying with it, gaining insight into the converging source blue silver king that had evolved twice.

He was torn.

If I recruit disciples for Li Sen, will I fall out of favor?

If I don't recruit anyone, will he despise me for being incapable of getting things done?

Many nobles came running up to Tang San, brimming with hope. "Thousand-Hand Asura! My idol! I have innate rank-seven soul power and can offer a hundred thousand gold soul coins as an apprenticeship gift. Can I become his disciple?"

Tang San glanced at the lavishly dressed youth and silently handed him a sheet of paper.

"Write down your martial soul, innate soul power, family background, and apprenticeship gift. If my master takes an interest, he'll come find you."

What had reassured him most these past few days was that none of the applicants had humble backgrounds. None met the requirements.

With the sun high overhead, a figure wrapped in a black robe approached Tang San and called softly.

"Xiao San."

A familiar voice, a familiar appearance.

Tang San spoke in surprise.

"Dad, why are you here?"

Tang San's voice held surprise and politeness, but no warmth.

Although Li Sen had never told him how to judge Tang Hao, he had given him a thorough understanding of the continent's affairs and common knowledge.

After piecing things together, Tang San knew that his mother had been a soul beast transformed into a human: the Blue Silver Emperor.

A transformed soul beast could conceal their aura at level seventy, unless they were pregnant.

Yet while his mother had been carrying him, Tang Hao had taken her wandering everywhere. Spirit Hall had discovered her, leaving him motherless from birth.

Would a young genius, a Soul Douluo in his forties, really be ignorant of the basic facts about concealing a transformed soul beast's aura?

What's more, Tang Hao had happened to be at level ninety, lacking only his ninth soul ring.

Tang San couldn't help suspecting that Tang Hao had deliberately plotted it all.

Moreover, he had been conscious from birth and had experienced Tang Hao's nearly murderous childcare.

Scalding rice porridge poured straight into his mouth, meals forgotten now and then, filth only cleaned when Tang Hao remembered—the longest stretch had been an entire week.

When he awakened his martial soul at six, revealing Blue Silver Grass and innate full soul power, Tang Hao still wouldn't let him cultivate.

Only upon learning that he also possessed the Clear Sky Hammer and twin martial souls had Tang Hao beamed with delight, shown a tiny sliver of fatherly love, and then dumped him on his master.

Never mind a Titled Douluo—even an ordinary person wouldn't be that careless raising a child.

Tang Hao looked at Tang San. "Xiao San, let's leave first. Dad has something to tell you."

Tang San knew that wording meant the matter wasn't suitable for outsiders to hear. He looked at the people around him and said,

"Everyone, today's apprenticeship registration is over. Please come back another day."

The two booked a private room, and Tang Hao got straight to the point. "Xiao San, I've come to take you away.

"You've already reached Soul King. It's time to add soul rings to your second martial soul and learn the Clear Sky Sect's inherited soul skills."

Tang San smiled. "Dad, I don't need to leave for now, and I don't want to leave my master either."

"This bloodline awakening should concern Mother's Blue Silver Emperor bloodline, right?"

"Master said that martial souls like Blue Silver Grass have a single sovereign who can help them grow through their bloodline.

"Mother was the Blue Silver Emperor. By borrowing the power of her subjects, I can transform my martial soul into an emperor and even obtain a growth-type soul ring.

"For soul masters, Martial Soul Avatar has the most comprehensive effects. I'll wait until level seventy before going to awaken it."

"As for the inherited secret arts, you can teach me directly. I just need to find somewhere to practice."

Tang Hao's brows knitted tightly. He sensed that Tang San's attitude was respectful, yet somewhat distant.