To save money, Chen Ci had no intention of hiring a carriage for this trip to the Star Dou Great Forest.
Holy Soul Village was quite far from the Star Dou Great Forest, so the fare would be steep.
For Chen Ci, an orphan born in an ordinary village and raised on meals from a hundred households, it was simply unaffordable.
If he had not needed to seize the window while Tang Hao was away protecting Tang San, Chen Ci would not have spent money hiring a carriage to Holy Soul Village either.
It was too expensive.
If only he had a powerful backer. At least he would not have to worry about food, clothing, shelter, and travel.
Still, with his Blue Silver Emperor bloodline, someone should be willing to become his angel investor.
Chen Ci used the flight soul skill granted by the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone to speed from Holy Soul Village toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
The flight soul skill granted by the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone consumed very little soul power, and its flying speed was considerably faster than an ordinary horse.
While Chen Ci flew close to the ground, the unease in Tang Hao's heart grew stronger and stronger in the Soul Hunting Forest.
As a Titled Douluo, there were very few things that could make him uneasy.
The most likely explanation was that something had happened to someone close to him.
But Little San was right before his eyes, and he had absorbed a first soul ring of a respectable age.
According to that Grandmaster, adding poison to Blue Silver Grass seemed like a very good choice.
Little San should be fine. As for the Clear Sky Sect, his elder brother had sealed the sect off and withdrawn from the world.
He had heard no talk of the Clear Sky Sect in the wider world, either. Nothing should have happened to it.
Could it be Ah Yin?
Had something happened to Ah Yin?
At that thought, Tang Hao's heart tightened. No, I can't delay any longer. I have to get Little San's martial soul to evolve as soon as possible.
Tang Hao stepped straight out of the shadows and walked up to Yu Xiaogang and Tang San.
At the sight of Tang Hao, Tang San cried out in delighted surprise:
"Dad!"
Yu Xiaogang also greeted him respectfully:
"Your Excellency Haotian."
Tang Hao nodded slightly and said:
"Grandmaster, I need to take my son somewhere now."
Without waiting for Yu Xiaogang's answer, Tang Hao grabbed Tang San with one hand and swiftly left.
Seeing Tang Hao completely disregard his plight, Yu Xiaogang wanted to clench his fists, but the Mandala Snake venom in his body left him unable to muster any strength.
Damn that Clear Sky Douluo. How dare he humiliate me like this.
Once I get the Clear Sky Manual from you, I'll definitely tell Dong'er where you are.
I'll make you pay!
Fortunately, I'm a rank twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster. A mere Mandala Snake's venom won't kill me.
Poor Yu Xiaogang was poisoned by a Mandala Snake and all alone, leaving him unable to get out of the Soul Hunting Forest anytime soon.
To avoid being discovered by other soul beasts, he could only drag his body along with great difficulty and hide somewhere dark and damp to mask his human scent.
Meanwhile, Tang Hao traveled with Tang San without pausing for breath.
First, he brought Tang San back to the mountain behind Holy Soul Village.
With the departure of the Blue Silver Empress, Ah Yin, the Blue Silver Grass in Holy Soul Village had returned to its ordinary appearance, as though nothing had happened.
Seeing this, Tang Hao could not help letting out a sigh of relief.
Seeing the relief on his father's face, Tang San felt that something important to them lay behind that waterfall, and he asked:
"Father, what's wrong?"
Tang Hao glanced at Tang San and said:
"Little San, come with me. Your mother is behind that waterfall."
Carrying Tang San, Tang Hao leaped behind the waterfall in a few swift bounds.
He ran his hand over the rock wall and pressed lightly on an inconspicuous spot. A doorway opened in the stone.
Tang Hao said to Tang San:
"Little San, your mother is inside. What she left you is in there too."
"My... mother?"
Tang San murmured as he made his way into the stone chamber in the dark and searched around inside.
But all he found was a small mound of earth that had been dug open from within and an iron box.
Other than those, there was nothing in the small stone chamber.
Tang San turned back to Tang Hao:
"Dad, there's nothing here."
Tang Hao's eyes widened at once, and he roared in shock and fury:
"What?!
"How is that possible?!
"I clearly buried Ah Yin's Seed of Life here, and I stored the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Soul Bone she left you here too."
With that, Tang Hao ran to the little mound that had opened from within and clawed through the dirt like a madman, trying to find Ah Yin's Seed of Life.
But he found nothing.
Tang Hao's face trembled as panic and rage spread through him, and he said instinctively:
"Impossible. This is absolutely impossible..."
His soul power began leaking out uncontrollably as well.
The contingency Ah Yin had left behind sensed Tang Hao's soul power and activated.
A woman with long blue hair draped over her shoulders and a long blue dress appeared in the stone chamber. Ah Yin looked at Tang Hao and said:
"Tang Hao, I'm here."
Tang Hao looked at Ah Yin in shock:
"Ah Yin, is that you?"
Ah Yin answered:
"It's me."
Tang Hao walked over and wiped his dirt-covered hands on his clothes before trying to embrace Ah Yin, saying:
"Ah Yin, do you know how much I've missed you all these years...?"
But Ah Yin took a step back, avoiding his embrace.
Tang Hao was bewildered:
"Ah Yin, why?"
Ah Yin merely shook her head, walked over to Tang San, and stroked his head before addressing father and son:
"Tang Hao, Little San, forget about me.
"I already have a master. I've given both the right leg soul bone and the Seed of Life I left behind to my master.
"Forget about me.
"Forgive me. I haven't been a worthy wife or a worthy mother..."
With Chen Ci's appearance, Ah Yin had seen a chance for the resurgence of soul beasts. Naturally, she would no longer have any ties to Tang Hao or Tang San.
As the Blue Silver Empress, a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, she had long since had countless offspring. What did a mere one of them matter?
Now, willingly allowing her form to dissipate was already the greatest mercy she could offer father and son.
Tang Hao sank helplessly to his knees beside the little pit and buried his head inside, taking in the last traces of Ah Yin's presence like an infatuated fool.
Beside him, Tang San watched, utterly dumbstruck.
He had never experienced a mother's love growing up, so he had little reaction to his mother's departure.
He was simply deeply shocked:
"My mom has a master, and she ran off with someone else?"
Meanwhile, Chen Ci, who was still on his way, noticed something unusual about Ah Yin and asked:
"Ah Yin, what happened?"
Ah Yin hid nothing, telling Chen Ci everything about Tang Hao and Tang San.
Chen Ci said with amusement:
"I'd like to see how they're reacting to your departure right now. You must tell me everything."
Ah Yin nodded and said tenderly:
"Yes, my lord. I will. I've already offered every part of myself to you..."
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