Were the White Tiger Lineage truly willing to accept losing the throne of the Star Luo Empire?
Of course not!
If not for God of War Dai Mubai, the Star Crown Xu Family would probably have wiped them out back then.
It was one thing if they lacked the strength.
They could bide their time and keep a low profile.
But now a heaven-defying talent with the White Tiger and Hell Spirit Cat Twin Martial Souls had appeared. If they still had no ambitions,
How could they face their ancestors?
How could they face Huo Lingfeng?
Who could they face?
"Hahahaha! With a qilin child like him, our clan is destined to prosper! Our clan is destined to prosper!"
The White Tiger clan leader roared with laughter and warmly took Huo Lingfeng's hand. When he saw how thin and frail Huo Lingfeng was, his heart ached.
Their poor White Tiger Clan's qilin child
Had actually been abused by his wicked legal mother until he was reduced to such a frail state.
This was...
Outrageous!
The White Tiger clan leader was furious.
The duchess was evil by nature, and her virtue did not match her station. She was no longer fit to be the mistress of the Duke's Mansion.
She deserved punishment!
And Dai Hao, who had failed to manage his household properly, deserved punishment too!
"Someone!"
"Tell Dai Hao to crawl back here! I'm going to enforce the family rules!"
The White Tiger clan leader roared in fury.
The duchess was a member of the Zhu Family, and out of consideration for them, he could not easily lay a hand on her.
But if a wife was not disciplined, the fault lay with her husband.
There was no escaping a beating for Dai Hao.
He would beat Dai Hao until his skin split and flesh tore, and keep beating him until Huo Lingfeng's anger was appeased!
"Yes!"
"Clan leader, we'll seize Dai Hao and bring him back right now!"
The elders of several branches roared in fury and went to seize Dai Hao, united against a common enemy.
He dared abuse their clan's qilin child like that?
Dai Hao?
He was already the sworn enemy of their entire White Tiger Lineage!
"Clan leader, what about the duchess?"
Dai Tianli asked indignantly, plainly intent on punishing the duchess and securing justice for Huo Lingfeng as well.
"Does she know about Lingfeng?"
The White Tiger clan leader asked in a grave voice.
"Clan leader, of course she doesn't. I didn't let anything slip. I hurried back immediately after awakening the young master's Martial Souls."
Dai Tianli said, taking credit for his work.
Besides,
He had awakened Huo Lingfeng's Martial Souls in a secret chamber. It was seamless; he could guarantee no one else knew!
As for how they got to the secret chamber, never mind that.
"You did well."
"Since she doesn't know, there's no need for her to find out."
The White Tiger clan leader nodded. He did not deal with the duchess, but bypassed her entirely.
As for everything the White Tiger Clan did,
The duchess would know nothing at all. That was the most terrifying part.
"Now, then."
"Lingfeng, come with me."
"Enter Lingfeng's name in the clan genealogy! Let him acknowledge his ancestors and return to the clan!"
That spendthrift woman, the duchess, could not stir up any waves. The most important thing now was to have Huo Lingfeng acknowledge his ancestors and return to the clan,
And strengthen their qilin child's sense of belonging to the family.
"Lingfeng, you've suffered."
"But rest assured, from this day forward, you will be the sole heir of our White Tiger Lineage!"
"Whether it's the clan or the title of White Tiger Duke, you alone will inherit them!"
"From now on, the entire clan will be your trump card."
"I'll see that justice is done for you!"
The White Tiger clan leader held Huo Lingfeng's hand-no, he was Dai Lingfeng now-and began playing the emotional card to bring them closer.
How much could a six-year-old remember?
Could he remember a grudge?
Besides, the duchess was the one who had abused Dai Lingfeng, not their clan. They had treated Dai Lingfeng with nothing but kindness.
How could Dai Lingfeng possibly not grow close to the clan?
"I trust you, clan leader!"
Dai Lingfeng nodded obediently, accepting with a clear conscience that he had returned to his ancestral clan, been entered into its genealogy, and taken the surname Dai.
Where one's bottom sat determined how one's brain thought.
He was not like Huo Yuhao, unloved by both father and mother.
The White Tiger Clan was his foundation now. There was no need for him to make things difficult for himself.
"It's good that you trust me."
"Your body is too weak to withstand strong tonics. This is our clan's inherited Soul Bone, the seventy-thousand-year White-Eyed Demon Tiger King Right Arm Soul Bone. It once belonged to our ancestor, God of War Dai Mubai."
"Back when the White Tiger Lineage fell into decline,"
"Ancestor Dai Mubai himself bestowed this Soul Bone upon us as a token, deterring the Xu Family and allowing the White Tiger Lineage to get through that time safely."
"Although it's a Seven Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, it bears traces of Ancestor Dai Mubai's presence, so its power is enough to rival a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone!"
"It's also quite spiritual and very proud. Even Dai Hao and Dai Yueheng couldn't earn its recognition, but it shouldn't be much of a problem for you."
"First absorb this Soul Bone to restore your health. Then I'll use herbs and nourishing food to gradually improve your constitution, and find you a piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue to absorb."
"Once you've absorbed the Soul Bone and Whale Rubber, your First Soul Ring can be a thousand-year one!"
The White Tiger clan leader took a lead box from his Storage Soul Tool and handed it to Dai Lingfeng.
He had spared no expense, entrusting everything to him.
To a great extent, this Soul Bone was the White Tiger Lineage's gold medal of immunity from death, yet the clan leader had brought it out without the slightest hesitation.
No one else objected either.
Dai Lingfeng was indeed worthy of it.
If a genius with the White Tiger and Hell Spirit Cat Twin Martial Souls was not worthy of this Soul Bone, then no one was.
"This..."
"Rest assured, clan leader. I won't let the clan's hopes down!"
Dai Lingfeng accepted the Soul Bone, though inwardly he had some complaints.
Dai Mubai really was stingy.
He had become a god, yet he had only given them a Seven Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. Couldn't he have rounded it up and raised its age to a hundred thousand years? At least that would have given it another Soul Skill.
Still, given Dai Mubai's family of origin,
It was good enough that he had deigned to give them a Seven Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone.
"Mm, it's enough that you have the heart to repay the clan."
"There's no time to lose. Hurry and absorb it."
"I'll stand guard for you."
The White Tiger clan leader was very pleased with Dai Lingfeng's response.
He had spirit!
The Enslavement Path Immortal Gu, Family Honor Gu, was very effective. Now this was a talent worth nurturing!
"Hurry and absorb it. We'll stand guard for you."
The heads of the several branches chimed in one after another. They were thoroughly convinced that Dai Lingfeng should absorb this Soul Bone.
If Dai Lingfeng did not absorb it, they would be the ones who refused to let the matter rest.
"All right!"
It was hard to refuse such warm hospitality, so Dai Lingfeng could hardly turn them down. He immediately activated his White Tiger Martial Soul and drew on his Soul Power to guide the presence of the White-Eyed Demon Tiger King Soul Bone,
Pressing the Soul Bone against his right hand.
Hum...
"Roar!"
The Soul Bone was indeed domineering and highly spiritual. The instant it sensed Dai Lingfeng's presence, it erupted with a tiger's roar.
But the roar was not hostile. It was a sign of recognition.
Just as the White Tiger clan leader had said, this Soul Bone was sure to recognize Dai Lingfeng.
It was spiritual, after all!
For something with a spirit, sizing people up and serving them accordingly was instinct!
Dai Lingfeng's talent far surpassed even Dai Mubai's back then. How could the Soul Bone possibly refuse?
It was almost fawning over him.
Absorbing the Soul Bone was unusually easy.
It flowed as naturally as water forming a channel.
The Demon Tiger King Soul Bone cooperated with Dai Lingfeng as hard as it could, afraid he might feel even the slightest discomfort.
Amid such indulgence and favoritism,
Dai Lingfeng's consciousness gradually sank into the process. Suddenly, he found himself in an unknown, mysterious space, though he did not know when he had arrived.
A voice as majestic as a mountain rang out, deafening him:
"God of War's Nine Trials, begin!"
Before Dai Lingfeng could react,
Another ethereal voice rang out immediately afterward:
"God of Speed's Nine Trials, begin!"