When it came to the "Fallen," Xiao Lin had always despised such beings.
According to the normal development of the original timeline, after Tang San became a god, the number of fallen soul masters should not have increased.
The entire continent was practically Tang San's back garden, and the people of Shrek Academy prided themselves on their so-called righteousness.
By all logic, there should be fewer fallen ones now than during the era of the Spirit Hall, not more.
So—what exactly happened in the future?
Xiao Lin didn't dwell on it. Since he had arrived in this world, he couldn't just let it fall into a worse state than before.
He couldn't save everyone—but he could at least reduce the number of bad people.
He thought to himself that, at the very least, Qian Renxue must not be allowed to die. The Angel inheritance of the Spirit Hall could not be cut off.
A martial soul lineage dedicated to fighting evil soul masters must never be lost—it should be properly passed on.
That much, Xiao Lin resolved, and he knew he would have to find a chance to explain it clearly to Tang San someday.
After all, the Qian family of the Spirit Hall and Tang San's family had a blood feud—Qian Xunji had killed Tang San's mother. To both Tang San and Xiao Lin, such a grudge was irreconcilable.
It was impossible for Xiao Lin to make someone let go of such hatred.
But perhaps… it could be redirected.
Tang Hao and A Yin had truly loved each other. Yet one day, someone discovered A Yin's true identity.
That discovery led to an attack, forcing A Yin to sacrifice herself.
Many people blamed Tang Hao—calling him foolish or reckless.
But in terms of logic and behavior, Tang Hao shouldn't have made such an idiotic mistake.
If you looked at how he acted later—willing to disregard even Tang San's safety just to find a way to resurrect A Yin—it was clear his feelings were genuine. Tang San's tragedy was more of an accident.
And when a hundred-thousand-year soul beast sacrifices itself to form a soul ring and soul bone, it usually loses all consciousness.
But there are exceptions.
A Yin, being the Blue Silver Emperor, possessed extraordinary vitality. Even if she lost awareness, her soul might still have lingered within Tang Hao's body.
That way, she could have still sensed Tang Hao's love for her—making it even less likely that he betrayed her.
So… was it just stupidity then?
Tang Hao was not bright, but he wasn't foolish enough to expose A Yin's identity.
As for Tang Xiao being jealous—that was even less likely.
Would Tang Xiao really hand over a hundred-thousand-year soul ring and bone to Spirit Hall? That would make him the fool.
And Tang Xiao… well, he wasn't exactly clever to begin with.
He practically sold out the four great clans.
Even though the Min Clan was related to him by blood.
Still, humans shouldn't be that stupid.
If they truly were, then Xiao Lin would have to admit his own lack of insight.
After ruling out all other possibilities, only one remained—
A Yin exposed herself.
She was already pregnant, and when she gave birth to Tang San, her aura likely leaked. That must have been the true reason.
Coincidentally, that was also around the time Spirit Hall was searching for a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
But even if that were the reason, it wouldn't help Xiao Lin redirect Tang San's hatred toward the Qian family.
In the end, Xiao Lin gave up on the idea of trying to make Tang San "let go" of revenge.
When planning for the future, he had to remember—he was Tang San's brother first and foremost.
If the Qian family couldn't bear the burden, then he would do it himself.
So what if it meant becoming a "fallen" soul master?
Once he achieved the dual godhood of Ice and Fire, he would establish his own inheritance.
Each trial in his legacy would require the killing of evil soul masters—but would forbid nurturing or protecting them.
That way, the future would turn out far better than in the second part of the original timeline.
Inside the carriage, Tang San noticed Xiao Lin's changing expression—
From hesitation and contemplation at first… to calm and ease in the end.
He didn't know what Xiao Lin was thinking, but he guessed it probably had something to do with himself.
After all, he'd seen that kind of expression many times before.
"Brother Lin, what are you thinking about?" Tang San asked directly.
"Nothing much," Xiao Lin replied casually. "I was just wondering whether the consciousness of a soul beast remains within its soul ring—and if so, whether that could allow a soul beast to resurrect."
He wasn't lying—that was something he'd been thinking about recently.
His inspiration came from wondering whether A Yin's consciousness might still exist somewhere—and from that, his thoughts began to expand outward.
After all, he still needed a way to resurrect the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, and he had no leads yet.
The Ice and Fire Dragon Kings weren't ordinary hundred-thousand-year soul beasts—they were far beyond that.
At the same time, Xiao Lin was also thinking—could he develop the concept of Soul Spirits from this line of study?
After all, his Azure Dragon Staff still contained the complete consciousnesses of soul beasts like the Titan Giant Ape and the Dali Vajra Bull.
Researching soul spirits would greatly help strengthen his combat power.
Upon hearing Xiao Lin's explanation, Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Tang Ni all looked intrigued—
Especially Xiao Wu.
When she heard that Xiao Lin was researching the possibility of reviving soul beasts, her eyes shimmered faintly with tears.
Had Xiao Lin not been observant, he might have missed it entirely.
"Brother Lin… can soul beasts really be resurrected?" Xiao Wu asked excitedly, unable to hide her hope.
For once, she spoke before Tang San.
Both Tang San and Xiao Lin knew what she was, of course—but still…
"I'm not sure," Xiao Lin admitted, frowning slightly. "A soul beast's cultivation is mostly contained in its soul bone or soul core, but its spiritual power and life force become the soul ring. The mental shock from a ten-thousand-year ring is proof of that."
"And for a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, it's quite possible that consciousness is retained."
He didn't dare make firm promises.
He knew that million-year soul beasts definitely retained their consciousness—the Deep Sea Demon Whale King had even tried to seize Tang San's body.
But looking at the hope in Xiao Wu's eyes, Xiao Lin couldn't bring himself to give false reassurance.
He knew too well what kind of person Bibi Dong was—an inheritor of an evil god's power.
If Xiao Wu's mother's consciousness still existed, that would be a miracle.
Not giving Xiao Wu false hope was the kindest thing he could do.
"However," he added, "for a soul beast like the Blue Silver Emperor, the possibility is very high. Just look at Tang San's current vitality—there's your answer."
This time, Xiao Lin was deliberately giving Tang San a bit of hope.
After all, Tang San would successfully resurrect his mother one day.
"Brother Lin," Tang San said thoughtfully, "so according to you, for a soul beast to revive, it must have both powerful life force and a complete consciousness, right?"
"Exactly," Xiao Lin nodded.
But Tang San frowned. "If that's the case, how can a soul beast's life and consciousness be preserved?"
"Besides," he added, "humans and soul beasts are natural enemies. How could a soul ring ever revive into a soul beast?"
Tang San gently hugged Xiao Wu as he spoke. "Xiao Wu is… special."
"And besides, I'd never absorb Xiao Wu's ring. Wouldn't that make your research pointless?"
He looked genuinely puzzled—surely his brother wouldn't study something so useless.
Xiao Lin chuckled. "To tell you the truth, the soul beasts my Azure Dragon Staff has slain still have intact consciousnesses. I plan to turn them into soul spirits that can fight alongside me."
Tang San quickly shook his head. "Brother Lin, that won't work. So what if their consciousnesses remain? They're too weak."
"Small thinking," Xiao Lin said, smiling faintly. "Yes, they're weak now. But what if I find a way to strengthen them? In the future, when my soul rings are all above a hundred thousand years… those soul beasts will be anything but weak."
(End of Chapter)