The pressure bore down on Ye Fan and Xiao Wu, leaving them struggling to breathe.
Ye Fan forced himself to stand, every bone in his body creaking under the immense pressure.
Yet his gaze remained full of defiance as he looked at Tang Hao.
"If you have a problem, come at me. Xiao Wu has nothing to do with it."
"You two are exactly who I'm looking for. Tell me, does she have anything to do with it?"
At those words, Xiao Wu trembled even harder.
Despair crept into her heart.
"Enough bullshit. What exactly do you want?"
Tang Hao found the brat who refused to back down before him rather interesting.
Of course, he hadn't appeared out of nowhere and exposed himself just to show off.
He had watched everything, from their time in the Soul Hunting Forest to this boy absorbing his Soul Ring.
Following them along the way, he had discovered that the boy not only had considerable talent, but also heaven-defying luck and the guts to put everything on the line.
The continent's first genius to successfully absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring as his first ring.
Someone like that getting rather close to Spirit Hall made him very uneasy...
Otherwise, he wouldn't have appeared to put these two children in their place.
As for Ye Fan's insults... plenty of people had cursed him before. A couple more made no difference.
"Heh, I'm neither a good man nor a bad one... I came here for just one thing."
While Ye Fan and Xiao Wu waited anxiously, Tang Hao spoke slowly.
"You know what a Titled Douluo represents. I came here to give you a warning.
"If you don't want to die, you are absolutely forbidden from joining Spirit Hall. Understood?"
Spirit Hall?
At those words, Ye Fan sneered inwardly.
So this bastard had been following us all along.
He probably even saw that Spirit Hall bishop bribing us with Gold Soul Coins.
No wonder he was in such a hurry to come out and throw his weight around.
"If we join Spirit Hall, do you really think you can stop us?"
Tang Hao scoffed at Ye Fan's naïve words.
"Boy, in this world, unless the Supreme Pontiff steps in, not one of Spirit Hall's Titled Douluo can stop me. If you want to die, you're welcome to try."
With that, bone-chilling killing intent enveloped Ye Fan, making him feel as though he had plunged into an ice cavern.
Ye Fan clenched his fists tightly.
"Hmph. If you don't come looking for trouble with us, we naturally won't become your enemies."
After hearing Ye Fan's answer, Tang Hao slowly withdrew his killing intent.
Seeing this, Ye Fan seized his chance.
You offended the abbot and still think you can walk away?
Ye Fan's eyes narrowed slightly, and his lips and tongue moved.
[Here, let all injuries reveal themselves!]
This was what gave him the confidence to face Tang Hao.
The man's hidden injuries were extremely severe, constantly eating away at his body.
Setting off even a little would be like tugging a single hair and moving the entire body.
That would give the bastard a bitter cup to swallow!
This time, Ye Fan conveyed the Prohibition back to himself through his inner voice. At the same time, he exhausted his remaining Soul Power to unleash one final Prohibition with his first Soul Skill.
He wasn't about to let Tang Hao direct his hatred toward him.
Your hidden injuries flaring up has nothing to do with me.
As the Prohibition took effect, Tang Hao's figure, hovering in the sky as he showed off, suddenly swayed. The Soul Rings beneath his feet began flickering on and off like a failing signal.
Damn it... why are those injuries flaring up again?
Tang Hao let out a muffled groan. His internal condition was terrible.
In that instant, it felt as though countless sharp blades had plunged into his body and begun twisting viciously.
He couldn't even circulate his Soul Power properly.
Tang Hao endured the pain of his flaring injuries as he looked at Ye Fan and Xiao Wu.
He hadn't properly tamed these two yet.
All he could do was reluctantly leave them with a final warning.
"You two brats, remember what I said...
"If you want to achieve what I have someday, study hard under Yu... the Grandmaster. We'll meet again."
With that, Tang Hao vanished.
Peace returned to the alley.
After Tang Hao left, Ye Fan remained standing where he was.
Looking at his back, Xiao Wu grew worried and hurriedly scrambled to her feet.
"Ye Fan!"
Only after looking him over and confirming he was all right did Xiao Wu relax.
"You're all right... thank goodness..."
Tears spilled from her eyes in lingering fear. Overwhelmed by the feeling of having escaped death, she threw her arms around Ye Fan and cried.
She had been terrified just moments ago.
If that man had discovered her true identity... not only would she have died, but Ye Fan would have been dragged down with her and killed here too.
Ye Fan reached out to stroke Xiao Wu's head and tried to muster a smile.
Unfortunately, the moment he opened his mouth, blood involuntarily trickled from its corner.
The backlash had been too brutal. With his Soul Power exhausted, his own injuries had begun to flare up as well.
Ye Fan had already memorized Tang Hao's aura. If he dared to appear nearby, Ye Fan would make the bastard's injuries flare up every single time.
Tang Hao... you really fucking deserve to die... let's see who can torment whom...
As that thought crossed his mind, Ye Fan's vision went black, and he passed out.
The next day.
Amid the sensation of his head splitting apart.
Ye Fan frowned and slowly opened his eyes.
The familiar ceiling came into view.
"Am I... back in the dorm? Right, Tang Hao!"
Ye Fan abruptly sat up, then couldn't help raising a hand to his forehead. His head was still spinning.
His movement disturbed Xiao Wu, who was sleeping slumped beside his bed.
"Ye Fan, you're awake..."
She lifted her head drowsily and rubbed her eyes.
Afraid something might happen to Ye Fan during the night, she hadn't even dared to sleep in her own bed.
"Xiao Wu, how did I get back? That guy didn't come back, did he?"
Seeing Ye Fan's anxious expression, Xiao Wu stretched.
"Yesterday, you passed out after using up your Soul Power. It took me a lot of effort to carry you back... that guy didn't return, so don't worry. Do you want something to eat? I'll go buy it."
Ye Fan shook his head and leaned back against the headboard.
"No need. I think I still need some time to digest what happened last night. I don't have much of an appetite."
"Oh..."
Silence suddenly settled between them.
Only after a long while did Xiao Wu speak.
"Next time, don't stand in front of me... if you get hurt, I don't have the money to find you a doctor."
Ye Fan reached out and pinched her cheek, saying gently, "I can't do that. Even if it happened all over again, I'd still do the same thing. I swore I would never let you..."
Halfway through, Ye Fan hurriedly stopped himself.
[That was close. I nearly blurted out the vow I made in my previous life.]
Seeing him like this, Xiao Wu pursed her lips and muttered under her breath.
"All you do is act cool... hmph."
With that, Xiao Wu lay down across Ye Fan's legs, burying her flushed face.
Humans really know how to toy with a rabbit's feelings. He's actually managed to get me twice...
Ye Fan smiled and reached out to stroke Xiao Wu's head.
It felt better than ever beneath his hand.
Xiao Wu didn't resist either, letting him stroke her head.
Tang San, who had returned to fetch money and a change of clothes for Yu Xiaogang, pushed open the door and saw this scene. His heart instantly turned to dead ashes.
"No!!!"
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