Since it was Dai Lingfeng's wish to let Huo Yuhao go,
no one dared stop him.
He left without any trouble, even without Ma Xiaotao's help.
"Oh my, the White Tiger heir truly is a born prodigy!"
"With the heir here, our Star Luo Empire will defeat the Sun Moon Empire before long!"
Huo Yuhao had barely gone far when a chorus of flattery rang out behind him, each voice eager to curry favor with Dai Lingfeng.
His smile grew even more bitter.
He hadn't even gone far yet,
and those people were already scrambling to curry favor with Dai Lingfeng.
No one cared about his anger.
No one cared about his ten-year pact.
Still less did anyone care about his mother.
All anyone cared about was whether Dai Lingfeng was happy and whether his mood had been spoiled.
It was as if his anger and whether Huo Yun'er lived or died were nothing but jokes beneath anyone's notice.
This world was too harsh a reality...
"Just you wait."
"You bunch of snobs, sooner or later, I'll make you see me in a new light."
Huo Yuhao made a silent vow.
Sooner or later, he would return!
When that time came,
he would make everyone see him in a new light!
"Good, good."
"The child of destiny has been fired up and is full of drive. Lingfeng did well."
Tang San was very satisfied with Huo Yuhao's current state.
Only by driving Huo Yuhao to the depths of despair
could the Tang Sect's appearance bring him the ultimate salvation!
"Sea God, wasn't what you did with the Soul Bones a little underhanded?"
Dai Mubai was somewhat displeased.
Tang San had given Dai Lingfeng three Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones.
It seemed very generous,
but those three Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones were all parts of the Sea God set!
By absorbing them, Dai Lingfeng would take on the presence of the Sea God's divine power.
And the Sea God was a First-Level God!
With the presence left by a First-Level God on Dai Lingfeng, Dai Mubai's God of War Godhood and Zhu Zhuqing's God of Speed Godhood would be suppressed!
It would be exceedingly difficult for them to pass on their Godhoods.
That was the situation Dai Mubai faced.
As a Second-Level God, he would be suppressed by anything belonging to a First-Level Main God.
"What is it, Mubai?"
"Lingfeng is exceptionally gifted. I thought highly of his prospects, which was why I was willing to invest in him."
"Three Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones-what a rare opportunity for the boy."
Tang San played dumb.
In any case, he had already passed three pieces of the Sea God Divine Armor to Dai Lingfeng.
He could advance to attack or retreat to defend.
Whether he wanted to befriend Dai Lingfeng and invest in him or use the Sea God Godhood to snatch him away from Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, he had options.
"Sea God!"
Dai Mubai was furious, but all he could do was rage impotently.
His skills were inferior, and he was living under another's roof.
He could only watch helplessly as Tang San laid a hand on his inheritor.
"All right, Mubai, stop dwelling on the Soul Bones."
"Let the boy see his mother."
"He's suffered too much."
"Huo Yuhao may be in pain, but at least he doesn't know the truth. The one who knows is the one who suffers most."
"Dai Lingfeng is under far more pressure than Huo Yuhao. We need to keep him happy."
Tang San waved a hand to summon Huo Yun'er and began contacting Dai Lingfeng.
Huo Yun'er was also a pawn he had arranged, with little to do with Dai Mubai. All Dai Mubai had done was have Dai Hao sow the seed.
So the two brothers had to credit him with the grace of bringing their mother back to life!
At that moment, Dai Lingfeng was riding high.
His cultivation had broken through twelve levels in succession,
silencing everyone. No one dared mention Huo Yuhao or Huo Yun'er, and his prestige as the Star Luo Empire's foremost genius was like the sun at high noon.
The purpose of this engagement banquet had been fulfilled to perfection!
"Second Soul Skill, Hell Power."
"Increases the Hell attribute by 300 percent and speed by 300 percent. While the first Soul Skill, Shadow Stealth, is active, the speed boost doubles!"
This eight-thousand-year God-Given Soul Ring was fairly ordinary, he supposed.
It could boost Dai Lingfeng's speed by 600 percent while he was in the shadows, and that was what amazed him.
As an Agility Attack System soul master, his mobility had greatly improved.
As for the Hell attribute,
it could attack the soul, giving his Hell Spirit Cat mental attacks and making it even harder to withstand.
Dai Lingfeng's Hell Spirit Cat also had Yin-Yang Eyes.
Once he activated Hell Power, he could even seek out and hunt wandering souls and Chang Ghosts.
"That's right. Now that's what you call a Hell Spirit Cat."
Only with Hell Power did his Hell Spirit Cat deserve the name Hell.
The Zhu Family's Hell Spirit Cat was more like a cat that knew only three tricks.
Other than being fast and serving as a White Tiger's accessory,
it had no distinguishing features.
It didn't even have Yin-Yang Eyes, yet it dared call itself Hell?
"I've also fused with two Hundred Thousand Year leg Soul Bones. My speed is even more outrageous now!"
"With Hell Power enhancing me,
"it wouldn't be an exaggeration at all to say it's like giving a tiger wings."
Dai Lingfeng felt the power in his legs again.
They really were Tang San's Soul Bones.
The Blue Silver Emperor's Soul Bone focused on flight and healing, while the Evil Spirit Orca's focused on slaughter. His combat power was already quite terrifying.
Just as Dai Lingfeng was about to continue familiarizing himself with his power,
his consciousness spun.
In the blink of an eye, Tang San had pulled him away for another private talk.
"Lingfeng, your ancestor should have told you. Your mother didn't die; we brought her to the Divine Realm to enjoy a life of comfort."
"I'll let you see your mother."
Tang San waved his hand,
and Huo Yun'er instantly appeared before Dai Lingfeng.
To make a horse run, you had to feed it grass.
Letting Dai Lingfeng see Huo Yun'er from time to time could make him more eager to work.
As for Huo Yuhao, a donkey didn't need grass.
"My son!"
"You've been wronged. I've made you suffer!"
The moment Huo Yun'er saw Dai Lingfeng, her heart ached and tears streamed down her face. She pulled him into her arms.
Dai Mubai had already told her how it had all begun.
Dai Lingfeng had had no choice.
The hardships she and Huo Yuhao had endured in the mortal world hadn't been real hardships; they had only been putting on an act.
Now she had successfully completed her task and could come to the Divine Realm to enjoy a life of comfort.
But
Dai Lingfeng's and Huo Yuhao's hardships had only just begun.
Huo Yun'er's heart ached for Dai Lingfeng.
He clearly loved her and Huo Yuhao dearly, yet because of his task, he had to pretend to despise them and bully them.
Dai Lingfeng was probably in more pain than anyone!
When they were in the mortal world,
every time they were beaten or scolded, Dai Lingfeng's heart must have hurt even more!
A six-year-old child had borne all of that without being able to tell anyone. Huo Yun'er didn't dare imagine how much pressure Dai Lingfeng was under.
Enough. Her heart ached for Lingfeng!
"Mother, I'm fine. You're the one who's suffered."
Dai Lingfeng sighed.
Huo Yun'er's lot had been miserable, but she had already won without lifting a finger.
He and Huo Yuhao hadn't made it up yet, while Huo Yun'er had ascended straight to the Divine Realm to become a divine official.
If he hadn't been born into Tang San's schemes,
perhaps he could have enjoyed this family bond in peace.
Unfortunately, there were no ifs.
As a transmigrator who had parents in his previous life, how could he, while on guard, be manipulated by Tang San into developing a strong sense of belonging with Huo Yun'er in such a short time?
All he could do
was hold on to his resolve, wait until he overthrew Tang San, and then give Huo Yun'er freedom and peace to repay her for giving birth to and raising him.
"I haven't suffered."
"Everything is fine for me here. Lord Tang San is good to me too."
"Everything Lord Tang San does is for your sake.
"Lingfeng, you must be obedient, work hard in Lord Tang San's service, and do your best to build up the Tang Sect.
"Be loyal to Lord Tang San, and be loyal to the Tang Sect!"
"Lord Tang San and the Tang Sect are the great benefactors of our family of three!"
Huo Yun'er earnestly and patiently instructed him.