Heaven Dou City was as bustling as ever, with carriages coming and going in an endless stream, creating a lively and prosperous scene.
Five days had passed since Tang San's return. During this time, he had been learning from Tang Yuehua how to control and suppress his killing intent.
Obtaining the Slaughter Domain had greatly enhanced Tang San's strength.
But now, he was more disheartened than ever.
Especially after hearing that Ye Hao had acquired a 100,000-year soul ring—his confidence in ever killing Ye Hao had been utterly shattered.
---
Outside the Moon Pavilion using the Death God's Heart to conceal himself, Ye Hao strode boldly into the Moon Pavilion, unimpeded and unnoticed by anyone.
Inside, he observed many things: students playing musical compositions, nobles practicing etiquette, and high-society ladies of various backgrounds mingling.
This was truly a gathering place for the elite.
Soon, Ye Hao spotted Tang San.
At the moment, he was learning to play the harp.
For Tang San, who was adept at wielding hidden weapons, being forced to learn music was worse than death.
But this was Tang Hao and Tang Yuehua's decision—he dared not disobey.
The soothing melody of the harp was meant to calm the mind, filling the room with a gentle atmosphere.
Yet, Tang San remained restless.
"Xiao Wu... Xiao Wu..." he muttered under his breath, his eyes burning with fury.
Xiao Wu was dead—turned into Ye Hao's soul ring.
The thought filled him with uncontrollable rage.
As the music ended, everyone turned to look at Tang San.
He sat motionless, his rough, calloused fingers resting stiffly on the harp strings, completely out of place among the refined nobles.
The other students, all from prestigious families, eyed him with disdain, their expressions openly scornful.
"Is he... a commoner?" one noble student whispered.
"No way, is he really?"
"What right does a commoner have to study at the Moon Pavilion?"
The mocking voices grew louder.
Gradually, Tang San's eyes darkened with a rising bloodlust.
Ye Hao, watching from the side, smirked with amusement.
In this world, imperial authority reigned supreme—followed by the nobility.
The divide between nobles and commoners was an insurmountable chasm, a distinction of status and bloodline.
Tang San, a "commoner" in this noble circle, stood out like a wolf among sheep.
"SHUT UP!"
Tang San's low growl carried a demonic resonance, like a command from the depths of hell.
A surge of killing intent erupted from his body, spreading an icy chill throughout the room.
The nobles who had been sneering moments ago now trembled in fear, their faces pale.
They scrambled to their feet, staring at Tang San as if he were a monster.
Now, they were truly terrified.
"One more word, and I'll kill you where you stand."
Tang San rose slowly, his five soul rings materializing beneath him.
Suddenly, a warm, soothing aura filled the room.
Tang Yuehua stood at the doorway, her hands clasped together, radiating a calming energy that countered the killing intent.
Seizing the opportunity, the nobles fled in panic.
In the face of death, their noble pride meant nothing.
"Help! He's going to kill us!"
The room emptied in seconds.
"Xiao San... you still can't control your killing intent," Tang Yuehua sighed, disappointment evident in her voice.
She had witnessed everything.
Tang San reluctantly reined in his aura, his blood-red eyes returning to normal as the Slaughter Domain faded.
"Nobility Aura..." Ye Hao rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Tang Yuehua may not be a fighter, but her innate domain—Nobility Aura—can suppress killing intent. It even counters the Slaughter Domain. She's a problem."
"But... this might be the perfect opening for infiltrating the Clear Sky Clan."
Tang Yuehua exhaled deeply.
"Xiao San, let's end today's lesson here. Go rest and adjust to your surroundings. This will take time."
Tang San didn't argue. He stood and walked out, his discomfort in noble society palpable.
"Now's my chance."
Ye Hao's eyes gleamed as he followed Tang San.
The Moon Pavilion was vast—so much so that Ye Hao nearly got lost.
"This etiquette academy is ridiculously huge."
The luxurious decor rivaled even the imperial palace.
Finally, he reached Tang San's private quarters at the top floor—a quiet sanctuary for cultivation.
The room was elegantly furnished, befitting the Moon Pavilion's prestige.
"Damn Ye Hao... I'll kill you one day and avenge Xiao Wu!" Tang San snarled, his face twisting with hatred.
Ye Hao, still hidden, frowned.
"Bold words for someone within my reach."
With a wave of his hand, the Death God's Heart expanded, enveloping the entire room in a gray mist.
"Who's there?!"
Tang San's instincts, honed in Slaughter City, instantly detected the anomaly.
"Tang San."
Ye Hao's voice made him whirl around.
"Ye Hao?!"
The Clear Sky Hammer materialized in his grip, four soul rings spinning around it.
At the same time, his Slaughter Domain activated, white killing intent coiling around him.
"You're not the only one with a Slaughter Domain."
Ye Hao smirked, unleashing his own.
Two Slaughter Domains clashed, filling the room with suffocating bloodlust.
The sheer force made the Death God's Heart tremble, shattering furniture and sending debris flying.
"Damn it!" Tang San gritted his teeth.
Ye Hao's Slaughter Domain was stronger—far stronger.
An overwhelming pressure bore down on him, crushing his will.
"AHH—!"
With a final surge, Tang San's Slaughter Domain shattered.
He was sent flying, his body frozen with terror.
"You... bastard!" he gasped, struggling to stand.
"Is that all you can say?"
Ye Hao retracted his domain and flicked his wrist, summoning six chains that bound Tang San tightly.
Inside the Death God's Heart, Ye Hao was invincible.
"Ye Hao! What do you want?!" Tang San roared, thrashing against his restraints.
Ye Hao smiled.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you... yet."
He raised a hand.
"I just want you to reunite with an old friend."
"An old friend?"
Before Tang San could react—
Xiao Wu appeared before him.
"Xiao... Xiao Wu?!"
Tears of joy streamed down Tang San's face.
She was alive!
"Brother!" Xiao Wu cried out, equally overjoyed.
But their reunion was short-lived.
"This isn't a happy reunion."
Ye Hao's cold voice shattered the moment.
Both Tang San and Xiao Wu glared at him with hatred.
"Ye Hao! You @#%$—! Let me go!" Xiao Wu screamed.
Ye Hao's expression darkened.
He strode forward—
SLAP!
The brutal strike sent Xiao Wu reeling, two teeth flying from her mouth.
"NOOOO!!!"
Tang San's heart shattered.
Seeing Xiao Wu hurt drove him into madness.
---
"Rabbit... Tang San."
Ye Hao's lips curled into a sinister smile.
"Today will be your last meeting—your final farewell in this lifetime. I guarantee it."
A cold dread seeped into Tang San's bones.
"Ye Hao! Let Xiao Wu go!" he roared.
"Let her go?" Ye Hao tilted his head mockingly. "Would you let me go? If you can promise that, I might consider it."
Tang San froze.
Let Ye Hao go?
Impossible.
"..."
Seeing his silence, Ye Hao chuckled.
"See, rabbit? He doesn't love you enough to even lie."
Xiao Wu's eyes widened before fury overtook her.
"Don't you dare twist our feelings!" she spat, her swollen face distorting her words.
"Feelings?" Ye Hao sneered. "What feelings can a soul beast and a human have? Humans slaughter your kind, yet instead of hatred, you love him? You're a traitor—a disgrace to all soul beasts!"
Xiao Wu's protest died in her throat.
Her rabbit eyes darted frantically, as if searching for a rebuttal.
"Time's up."
Ye Hao clapped his hands.
Behind him, the Death Spider Emperor materialized, its six soul rings gleaming—each one making Tang San's eyes burn with envy.
"Century... Millennium... Millennium... Ten-Thousand Year..."
Tang San's breath hitched.
"A 100,000-Year Soul Ring!!!"
Jealousy seared through him.
A 100,000-year soul ring—something even elite Title Douluo could only dream of!
And Ye Hao, barely older than him, already had one!
He deserves to die!
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu trembled violently.
That crimson ring foretold her fate.
Ye Hao's right arm morphed into a razor-sharp spider lance, pressing against Xiao Wu's throat.
"NO!!!" Tang San thrashed against his chains, his voice raw with desperation.
"Ye Hao! If Xiao Wu suffers even a scratch, I swear—I'll annihilate Spirit Hall with my own hands!!!" Blood trickled from his clenched teeth.
"Even if I spare her, you'll still vow to destroy Spirit Hall."
Ye Hao's grip tightened.
"So why should I?"
Then—
"AHHH—!!!"
Xiao Wu screamed as the lance pierced her chest, her body convulsing.
Crimson blood soaked her clothes, dripping onto the floor.
Ye Hao remained expressionless, savoring the warmth of her blood on his blade.
"XIAO WU!!! NOOOO—!!!"
Tang San's anguished howls filled the void.
Tears of blood streaked down his face, veins bulging on his forehead.
Helpless.
He could only watch as Xiao Wu's light faded.
The six chains held him fast, rendering him powerless.
Xiao Wu's breaths grew shallow, her weakening hand reaching for Tang San—
Before it could lift, her head slumped.
Her body shimmered, reverting to its true form—a small, lifeless pink rabbit, its fur matted with blood.
Then, a radiant crimson ring materialized above it.
A 100,000-Year Soul Ring.
And from Xiao Wu's remains, a pink-glowing bone emerged.
"100,000-Year Soft Bone Rabbit... Right Arm Bone."
Ye Hao examined it approvingly.
"Good quality. Thanks, Tang San."
Tang San's pupils dilated, his entire being shaking with uncontainable rage.
"XIAO WU!!! YE HAO!!! YOU'RE DEAD!!!"
"I'LL KILL YOU! YOU DESERVE DEATH A THOUSAND TIMES OVER!!!"
Ye Hao merely yawned, settling cross-legged on the floor.
Under his soul power's guidance, the ring floated toward him—destined to become his seventh.
For a month, he'd waited at the 70th rank.
Now, the final piece had arrived.
He'd killed the rabbit before Tang San's eyes.
Now, he'd absorb its ring in front of him.
True cruelty was breaking the heart before the body.
Ignoring Tang San's howls, Ye Hao focused.
This time, he took no chances—the Sky Blue Bull Python's last interference had nearly cost him dearly.
His Death God's sickle mark glowed, unleashing a black beam onto the soul bone.
"AH—!"
Xiao Wu's final scream was cut short.
"What did you do?!" Tang San snarled.
"Eternal damnation. No reincarnation."
Eight words.
Eight words that shattered Tang San completely.
His curses turned incoherent—until the chains' lightning silenced him.
---
Hours later...
As the sun set, Ye Hao opened his eyes.
The 100,000-Year Soul Ring pulsed at his feet, now his.
He rose, stretching lazily.
Tang San, hoarse from screaming, could only glare with hollow, broken eyes.
Ye Hao smirked.
"Congratulations, Tang San."
He kicked the rabbit's corpse toward him.
"You get to bury her."
Ye Hao gazed contentedly at the seventh soul ring now stabilized beneath his feet.
"Reaching rank 73 is decent progress."
At that moment, the Death God's voice echoed in his mind:
"Death God Second Trial: Obtain a 100,000-year soul ring for your seventh ring. Trial complete. Reward: 10% affinity with Death God and Shura God, total affinity now 15%."
A surge of energy coursed through Ye Hao's body, elevating his entire being. The black sickle mark on his forehead pulsed with an eerie glow.
"I'll... kill you..."
Tang San lay twitching on the ground, smoke rising from his electrocuted body, his face streaked with tears and snot.
Then—a different voice spoke:
"Third Trial: Prevent the destruction of Slaughter City and eliminate its hidden threats. Time limit: one year. Reward: 15% affinity with Death God and Shura God."
It was the Asura God's voice.
"This third trial is almost too easy." Ye Hao rubbed his chin before turning to Tang San.
Observing the battered Tang San, he asked coldly:
"Tang San, after leaving Slaughter City, did you poison the magma in the Hell Road?"
Tang San's eyes widened.
How did he know?
"N-no! I didn't!"
Ye Hao's fist slammed into Tang San's gut without hesitation.
"ARGH—!"
Bile spewed from Tang San's mouth.
"Did you ever consider the consequences of destroying Slaughter City? That place houses the most dangerous criminals—ones even Spirit Hall couldn't execute. By erasing it, you're unleashing those monsters onto the continent!" Ye Hao snarled.
Tang San lifted his head, lips curling into a bloody smirk.
"What does the continent matter to me? Everything that causes me pain deserves to burn. Slaughter City was an abomination—it disgusted me."
Another brutal punch sent him sprawling.
"You understand nothing!" Ye Hao hissed.
"Slaughter City is cruel, but every soul there chose damnation. Every entity, every structure has its purpose—even that hellhole!"
He grabbed Tang San by the collar.
"Who gave you the right to decide what lives or dies? To deny the worth of others? Hm? Tang Sect's Tang San?"
Tang San's entire body locked up.
"Y-you..." His voice trembled. "What did you just say?"
"Nothing important." Ye Hao released him with a smile, bending to pick up the lifeless rabbit.
"Time to make stew~" He tossed it into his spatial ring—a 100,000-year-old ingredient was top-tier nourishment.
"STOP! Put Xiao Wu down! And—what did you mean by that?!"
Ye Hao waved dismissively. "Figure it out yourself. How dull."
With that, he retracted the Death God's Heart.
Freed from restraint, Tang San lunged like a poisoned arrow—
Only for Ye Hao to kick him through a wall with contemptuous ease.
The gap between a Soul King and a Soul Sage was insurmountable.