Tang Hao and Yu Xiaogang were old acquaintances of a sort. He knew Yu Xiaogang's "character," so he could rest easy entrusting Tang San to him.
In just fifteen minutes or so, Tang Hao arrived at Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.
It was already late at night, and the academy was silent.
Tang Hao found Yu Xiaogang's residence, stood at the door, and drew a deep breath.
He straightened his gray robe, tucked his disheveled black hair behind his ears, and knocked.
Bang, bang, bang.
Footsteps sounded inside, and then the door opened.
A middle-aged man with a lean face and sharp eyes appeared in the doorway.
It was none other than Yu Xiaogang.
Seeing a stranger dressed in gray standing at his door, Yu Xiaogang frowned.
"Who are you?" Yu Xiaogang asked warily.
For some reason, the moment this gray-clad man stood at the door, Yu Xiaogang's whole body instinctively tensed, and even his Soul Power unconsciously spread throughout his body.
This man gave him a sense of extreme danger!
The gray-clad man spoke calmly, his voice low and somewhat hoarse.
"Hello, Grandmaster. Come to think of it, we haven't seen each other in twenty years, have we? Given how I look now, it's no wonder you don't recognize me."
The gray-clad man paused, then uttered a name that nearly sent Yu Xiaogang's soul flying from his body.
"My name is Tang Hao."
"Tang Hao?!"
Yu Xiaogang's usually still-as-an-ancient-well expression changed drastically. His eyes focused almost instantly, fixing a deathly stare on the man before him.
His hands gripped the doorframe, his fingers turning bluish-white from the force.
"You, you're Clear Sky..."
Tang Hao waved a hand, stopping Yu Xiaogang from continuing.
"There's no need to mention my old title."
Tang Hao said coldly:
"We met a few times back then. Others might think you're just a madman, but I know you're a persistent man."
Yu Xiaogang gradually calmed down, but his body still trembled slightly.
A Titled Douluo!
The man before him was a Titled Douluo!
And he was the very Clear Sky Douluo who had once shaken the world, opposing the entire Spirit Hall single-handedly!
Yu Xiaogang was merely a rank-twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster. Before a Titled Douluo, he was less than an ant.
He drew a deep breath, striving to keep his voice steady.
"It seems I guessed correctly. You really are Xiao San's father."
Yu Xiaogang's stiff face twitched slightly as he asked, "Why are you here?"
Tang Hao nodded and said calmly:
"I only just learned that you've taken Xiao San as your disciple. As his father, I should have come to meet you long ago."
"But I have more important matters to attend to, and I must leave. Xiao San is my only concern, so I hope to entrust him to you."
"You're leaving? Where are you going? He's your son."
Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang Hao and spoke in disbelief.
Tang Hao remained just as cold.
"He's also your disciple. I must leave. There are many things I have to do."
"He won't find happiness following me. I have no other requests. Let him choose his own life."
Yu Xiaogang drew a deep breath.
"I don't know what has happened to you, but I can see that Xiao San is deeply attached to you. Don't you think leaving like this is too cruel to him?"
Tang Hao said calmly, "He chose to walk an extraordinary path himself. Staying with me would be the true cruelty."
"Enough. I've said everything I came to say. No matter when, please remember that he is my son."
With those words, Tang Hao raised his hand and waved.
A jet-black token landed with a clang on the table before Yu Xiaogang.
The token was unmistakably like the one Yu Xiaogang had shown when he first took Tang San into the Soul Hunting Forest, except this token bore a full six symbols...
The Pope Token!
Yu Xiaogang looked at the Pope Token on the table, and his whole body shuddered.
He knew what this token signified.
It was Spirit Hall's highest-ranking token. Its bearer held an extremely high status throughout the continent.
Tang Hao had given him the Pope Token so that he could protect Tang San at a critical moment.
"Your Excellency, you..." Yu Xiaogang raised his head, wanting to say something.
But when he looked up, the doorway was already empty.
Tang Hao had already left.
Yu Xiaogang stood at the door, staring down the empty corridor, unable to collect himself for a long time.
His back was already drenched in cold sweat.
Speaking with a Titled Douluo was far too much pressure.
Especially a Titled Douluo like Tang Hao, who carried such a thick killing aura.
Yu Xiaogang drew a deep breath, picked up the Pope Token from the table, and carefully put it away.
"Your Excellency, rest assured. I'll take good care of Xiao San," Yu Xiaogang murmured to himself.
After leaving Yu Xiaogang's residence, Tang Hao had originally intended to head straight back to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
But he glanced down at the Blue Silver Emperor, protected by Soul Power in his arms, and suddenly stopped.
Tang San.
His son, Tang San, was right here in Nuoding Academy.
Tang Hao hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to make a detour to see Tang San.
Tang Hao released his Soul Power, completely concealing his presence, then flew toward the student dormitories.
He landed outside a dormitory window and peered inside.
Inside the dormitory, Tang San was talking to a little girl with pink hair.
The little girl was very cute, with a scorpion braid, large eyes, and two little dimples when she smiled.
But the instant Tang Hao saw her, his pupils contracted sharply!
A hundred-thousand-year soul beast!
This little girl was actually a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form!
Tang Hao's breathing instantly quickened. A hundred-thousand-year soul beast!
As long as he killed this hundred-thousand-year soft bone rabbit, he could obtain a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone!
These were things countless Soul Masters dreamed of obtaining!
Tang Hao unconsciously gripped the Clear Sky Hammer, a trace of killing intent flashing through his eyes.
But just as he was about to act, he saw Tang San interacting with the little girl.
Tang San shared half his quilt with the little girl and gave her some of his dry rations to eat.
The little girl hugged Tang San's arm with a bright smile, calling him "Brother San" over and over.
The two seemed very close.
Tang Hao's grip on the Clear Sky Hammer slowly loosened.
He glanced down at the Blue Silver Emperor in his arms, and an idea suddenly occurred to him.
Ah Yin, his wife, was also a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form.
Back then, he and Ah Yin had met and fallen in love just like this.
Now his son, Tang San, had also met a little girl who was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form.
Could this be heaven's will?
Tang Hao watched the two inside the dormitory, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
If this ten ten-thousand-year soul beast could stay by Xiao San's side all along, that would be nice, too.
Once Xiao San grew up, this ten ten-thousand-year soul beast would be his best "helper."