Your junior, Qian Renhan, has come to return the core

"Congratulations, host, on killing Tang San, one of the Three Scourges, and obtaining the Three Purities Illusory Clone. This is an extremely powerful clone item. Item grade: red."

"Congratulations, host, on completing the mission. Would you like to remain in this world or leave immediately? If you choose to leave now, this system will begin calculating your rewards immediately."

The Three Purities Illusory Clone?

A red-grade clone item?

Why did it keep giving him things like these?

Huo Yuhao felt a pang of disappointment, but since the item was red-grade, it had to be something good.

Huo Yuhao put it into his system storage. Upon hearing the system's other announcement, he sank into thought. Soon, however, he firmly refused.

"I refuse. Give me another couple of days!"

After receiving Huo Yuhao's instructions, the system fell silent again.

He had already lost ten years anyway; another couple of days hardly mattered. Huo Yuhao was a conscientious man. Even if he was only a passing traveler in this world, he did not want to leave any regrets behind!

There were still three things he had not done. He could not leave so hastily.

After the battle, which had been like a natural disaster, ended, Huo Yuhao walked over to Xiao Wu, who was sobbing as she cradled Tang San's corpse, and watched her cry as though her heart were being torn apart.

"Foolish woman. If you're going to hide, hide properly. You're a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, yet you don't even know people have long seen you as a dish served up for their enjoyment. From beginning to end, you were nothing more than a soul ring Tang Hao had left for Tang San."

Xiao Wu froze at his words. She had already prepared herself for death, but Huo Yuhao's words suddenly caught her attention. She loathed this devil to the marrow of her bones. How could she possibly believe him?

"What are you saying? Brother San and the others are already dead-you brutally murdered them! Why are you still slandering them?"

"You don't believe me?"

Huo Yuhao chuckled, then continued, "When a hundred-thousand-year soul beast takes human form and starts cultivating anew, ordinary Soul Saints and Soul Douluos can't tell. But a Titled Douluo can see through it at a glance."

"Tang San's father discovered long ago that you were a hundred-thousand-year soul beast who had taken human form to cultivate anew. He stayed by Tang San's side all along, but in truth, he was watching you, afraid that someone of my strength would snatch you away."

"Tang Hao already had all nine of his soul rings, but his son Tang San had two martial souls. Tang San wasn't yet qualified to absorb a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, so Tang Hao kept watching over you without making a move."

"As for Tang San's kindness toward you, it was all an act. He only wanted to keep you by his side so that once he became a Titled Douluo, he could kill you, take your soul ring, and strip out your soul bone!"

The instant Huo Yuhao finished, Xiao Wu, her face streaked with tears, rejected his words. "You're lying! Brother San truly cared about me. He wasn't the kind of person you say he was."

"He wasn't? Heh..." Huo Yuhao paused, then continued, "Tang San was Tang Hao's son. Do you think Tang San wouldn't have known his father was guarding him nearby? Do you think Tang San wouldn't have known you were a soul beast? If he knew all that, why did he pretend he knew nothing?"

After speaking, Huo Yuhao regarded her with an icy gaze. "Stop deceiving yourself. You were someone else's prey from the very beginning. Take your time to think it over, and you'll understand."

"Things have already gotten out of hand here. Many people may already know you're a soul beast. I know you hate me now, but sooner or later, you'll understand. I'll take you somewhere. Someone there will protect you."

"Why?"

Hearing that Huo Yuhao not only would spare her but would even take her somewhere safe, Xiao Wu was stunned.

Her feelings for Tang San were actually only those of family. She remembered every kindness he had shown her, which was why his death left her so heartbroken.

She had thought Huo Yuhao would kill her for her soul bone, yet he intended to help her instead. This immediately stirred doubts in her mind.

"I told you, I don't kill innocent people. If you were a soul beast, I would kill you now and take your soul bone. Unfortunately, you're not. You've already been reborn as a human. Since you're human, naturally, I won't lay a hand on you."

"I had a personal feud with Tang San and his father. They killed my father, and avenging him was only right and proper. You were accidentally caught up in it because of me, so naturally, I won't simply abandon you."

With that, Huo Yuhao took Xiao Wu and sped toward a certain place.

What he had just told Xiao Wu was nine parts falsehood and one part truth. Everything about Tang San was false, but Tang Hao's intentions toward Xiao Wu were real.

After all, Tang Hao really had considered making Xiao Wu into Tang San's soul ring early on. Only after the two genuinely fell in love had Tang Hao changed his mind.

So Huo Yuhao was not entirely lying!

He had never once intended to kill Xiao Wu. He was a man with boundaries. He had no choice when it came to killing Tang San, Tang Hao, and Yu Xiaogang, but he could choose whether others lived or died.

That was the kind of contradictory, complicated man he was.

He had invented this explanation because he did not want Xiao Wu to become an enemy of Spirit Hall after he spared her.

Although Xiao Wu would certainly be the one to die, he did not want a moment of softheartedness to plant the seeds of disaster for Spirit Hall. After all, there were still two people in Spirit Hall whom he valued deeply. Compared with them, Xiao Wu was not nearly so important.

By driving a wedge between Xiao Wu and Tang San's group here, her hatred toward him would naturally fade. And since Bibi Dong had long since died, Xiao Wu's hatred of Spirit Hall had long since lost its meaning as well. Sparing her life could count as a good deed.

He was about to leave this world anyway. He did not care what Xiao Wu thought of him, as long as she did not cause trouble for his grandfather and younger sister.

Huo Yuhao moved swiftly, racing like the wind and lightning. In just half a day, he reached Sunset Forest and the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

There were only three reasons Huo Yuhao had not returned to his own world immediately. If he left them undone, he would feel deeply unsettled even after returning.

The first, naturally, was to return Dugu Bo's inner core. He was already many years overdue. Whether out of sentiment or simple reason, he had to make this trip.

Dugu Bo's Poison Formation was still there, its power undiminished from years ago. But Huo Yuhao was no longer the man he had once been.

With a gentle sweep of his arm, he instantly tore a great opening in the Poison Formation above. In a flash, the potent medicinal energy and spiritual energy within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well surged into the sky.

Then came a cold, sinister voice. "What business brings you to my dwelling?"

It was none other than Dugu Bo.

The aura of this mysterious expert who had suddenly arrived was dozens of times stronger than his own. Dugu Bo was absolutely no match for him, but he could not remember ever offending him either, so he could only steel himself and come out to ask!

"Senior Dugu, it has been decades since we parted. Have you been well? Your junior, Qian Renhan, has come to return the core!"