Tang Hao's consciousness gradually returned from the chaos. The first thing he heard was not the sound of wind, nor the familiar fluctuations of Soul Power, but a low and unfamiliar voice talking. His body felt as if it were being pressed under a boulder, and his meridians were in a tearing pain. He tried to mobilize his Soul Power, but found that his body was empty, and he could not even summon the Clear Sky Hammer.
" Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring... a life signal... Sacrifice..."
Intermittent sounds reached my ears.
Tang Hao's previously confused consciousness suddenly cleared when he heard the last two words.
Sacrifice.
That word he could never forget instantly tore open the deepest, most painful Remembrance in his mind. Blue Silver Grass covered the valley, blood stained the ground, and that figure gradually turned into light before him, until finally only a scarlet Soul Ring remained on his body.
Tang Hao suddenly opened his eyes.
What came into view was not the familiar forest, nor the night sky Spirit City, but a completely unfamiliar silver-white space. Numerous metal instruments surrounded the area, and several researchers in uniform stood beside different devices, with pale blue screens displaying data that he couldn't understand at all.
Not far away, Lin Yuan, Qian Daoliu, and Aventurine were watching him.
Tang Hao's eyes instantly turned icy cold.
" Spirit Hall!"
He suddenly tried to sit up, but the metal device holding him in place immediately lit up, and the powerful restraints pressed him back onto the platform. The movement aggravated the wound on his chest, and the intense pain made his face turn pale instantly, but his eyes remained fixed on Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan laughed when he saw this.
"You woke up pretty quickly. I have to say, Tang Hao, sometimes you really make me wonder if the Clear Sky Sect only teaches people to swing hammers, but not to use their brains."
The veins on Tang Hao's forehead throbbed.
Lin Yuan showed no sign of stopping, leaning against the metal table beside him and continuing, "You're now Titled Douluo publicly wanted by the Spirit Hall. Six years ago, you attacked the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City, and this time you brazenly walked into Spirit City, even daring to unleash Titled Douluo- level Soul Power directly outside the city. Do you think you're invincible, or do you think all those Titled Douluo in Spirit City are idiots who have to pretend they don't recognize you?"
Tang Hao's anger grew stronger. He didn't reflect on his actions last night at all; instead, his mind quickly connected the events that had happened recently. Astral Express, Xianzhou Alliance, Interastral Peace Corporation —one after another, names he had never heard of before suddenly appeared in Spirit City. Various creations far beyond the comprehension of the Douluo Continent followed closely behind. Now, he had just entered Spirit City and was immediately besieged by so many powerful figures.
A thought quickly took hold of his mind.
Tang Hao suddenly looked at the Aventurine, then glanced at the researchers from the so-called Interastral Peace Corporation around him, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger. "What extraterrestrial visitors, what overseas forces, it's all lies fabricated by your Spirit Hall! You really went to great lengths to lure me out, even creating so many bizarre things to put on this show!"
The lab suddenly fell silent.
Lin Yuan turned to look at Qian Daoliu.
Qian Daoliu also glanced at him.
The spinning chip on Aventurine's fingertip even paused for a moment.
The three looked at each other for a moment, but none of them spoke immediately.
Lin Yuan finally looked at Tang Hao again, his gaze shifting from initial mockery to an indescribable pity.
This person seems to have really gone a bit mad.
In order to capture Tang Hao, the Spirit Hall first established the Interastral Peace Corporation, then acquired a complete technological system from the Star Sea that far surpassed that of the Douluo Continent, then enlisted the help of the Xianzhou Alliance and the Astral Express to stage a charade, while also renovating the entire Spirit City, and finally held a continent-wide academy competition.
If this plan can be successfully implemented, the Spirit Hall probably wouldn't need to specifically target Tang Hao.
Dr. Ratio, standing next to him, clearly had no interest in listening any further.
"Gambler, I don't waste my time explaining my worldview to a paranoid person."
He raised his hand to close the several light screens in front of him, saving all the data he had just collected, and then turned and walked deeper into the research room.
Aventurine watched his retreating figure and asked with a smile, "Looks like you already have a new idea?"
Dr. Ratio didn't stop.
"The core imprints left by these Soul Ring have proven that Soul Ring are not a naturally occurring product that cannot be replicated. As long as we can analyze the pattern of the connection between the Martial Soul and the Soul Ring, and find a stable structure that can carry attribute and Soul Skill information, the creation of Artificial Soul Ring becomes feasible."
The metal doors to the research lab slowly opened to both sides.
Dr. Ratio walked to the door, but suddenly stopped. He glanced back at Tang Hao, who was still lying on the testing platform, and then turned his gaze to Lin Yuan.
"As for the Martial Soul itself, it's not as mysterious as you imagine."
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly.
Dr. Ratio's tone remained calm, as if he were discussing a perfectly ordinary research topic.
"Since Martial Soul can be inherited, mutated, and even manifest in completely different forms within the same bloodline, they must possess some kind of stable underlying structure. As long as the structure can be observed, it can be analyzed; and as long as it can be analyzed, there is the possibility of reconstruction."
As he said this, he raised his hand and pushed up the plaster cast on his face.
" Artificial Soul Ring can be researched, so Artificial Martial Soul are certainly not out of the question."
The metal door closed again.
Lin Yuan stared at the spot where Dr. Ratio had disappeared for a few seconds before turning his gaze away, then couldn't help but chuckle, "As expected of the Dr. Ratio from the Genius Society, he's already preparing to dismantle his Martial Soul after only just beginning to understand the Soul Ring."
Aventurine picked up his chips again and walked out.
"Let's go. Leave the rest to the R&D department. If Artificial Soul Ring can really be achieved, it will be enough to change the cultivation system of this planet. As for Artificial Martial Soul..."
He slowed his pace slightly, and the smile on his face deepened.
"If that thing can eventually be widely adopted, its value will likely far exceed what a few cooperation agreements can measure."
Lin Yuan followed.
Qian Daoliu took one last look at Tang Hao, who was still strapped to the platform, and did not stay any longer. The heavy isolation door closed behind the three of them, leaving only a group of researchers to gather around the equipment again.
Tang Hao lay there, his face terribly grim.
Even now, he still believes that the so-called Interastral Peace Corporation is nothing more than a facade fabricated by the Spirit Hall.
The next morning, at the central arena of Spirit City.
The Shrek team gathered early in the rest area to discuss their upcoming match strategy. Tang San sat at the table, laying out all the information on potential opponents from the recent matches, preparing to analyze the lineups for the next round, when the door was pushed open from the outside.
Flender walked in slowly.
He was pushing a wheelchair with both hands.
Tang San hadn't paid any attention at first, but when he saw the person in the wheelchair clearly, he instantly stood up.
" Grandmaster?"
Yu Xiaogang sat in a wheelchair, both legs wrapped in thick splints. One leg was an old injury, and the other was clearly recently treated. His already pale complexion was now even paler, and he seemed to have aged considerably overnight.
Tang San strode over and knelt down beside the wheelchair, taking Yu Xiaogang's hand in his.
"Teacher, what happened to your other leg? What happened last night? Who injured you like this?"
His eyes darkened immediately after he finished speaking.
"Are they from the Spirit Hall?"
Yu Xiaogang's lips twitched violently.
Spirit Hall?
What does this have to do with the Spirit Hall?
The person who broke his other leg last night was your own father!
The thought of Tang Hao grabbing his neck and questioning him about why he let Tang San add a Soul Ring to the Clear Sky Hammer ahead of time made Yu Xiaogang feel a dull ache in both legs.
But he simply couldn't talk about this kind of thing.
Should I tell Tang San that his father thought I had ruined him last night, so he came and broke his other leg too?
Yu Xiaogang remained silent for a moment, and finally managed to force out a relatively calm expression.
" Little San, it wasn't the Spirit Hall. Last night, I didn't see the steps clearly when I went back and accidentally fell from a height. My already injured leg lost its balance, and my other leg broke too. It was just a normal accident, don't overthink it."
Tang San didn't relax at all after hearing this.
Falling from a height?
Even if a Soul Master already has injuries in both legs, it's unlikely that a single fall would completely break one leg. Besides, the teacher was clearly avoiding eye contact while speaking.
The teacher must have some unspeakable difficulties.
Tang San gripped Yu Xiaogang's hand tightly, his expression growing increasingly resolute.
"Teacher, you don't need to cover for them. Whoever did it, I will find out the truth. You've suffered too much because of me; this leg won't have been broken in vain."
Yu Xiaogang opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to explain.
Tang San, however, had already raised his head and was looking towards the VIP area at the highest point of the arena.
There, Lin Yuan was sitting next to Qian Renxue, holding a small bag of snacks he had bought from somewhere. March 7th stood beside him and reached out to snatch it, but Lin Yuan deliberately held the bag a little higher, making her so angry that she stood on tiptoe to reach it.
The anger in Tang San's eyes grew stronger.
Spirit Hall.
Sooner or later, he will settle all accounts.
In the VIP section, Lin Yuan was playing with March 7th when he suddenly noticed a hostile gaze.
He turned his head following his instincts.
Their gazes met across most of the arena.
Looking at Tang San's expression, which seemed to want to rush up and fight to the death, and then glancing at Yu Xiaogang sitting in the wheelchair, Lin Yuan quickly guessed what was going on.
A slow smile crept onto his lips.
Then he moved his lips silently.
Inside the rest area, Tang San stared intently at his lips.
Seems like, an idiot???
Tang San's face instantly turned ashen, and the veins on his clenched fists bulged. Dai Mubai noticed his abnormality and followed his gaze to the VIP seats, but Lin Yuan had already turned his head away nonchalantly.