A certain valley.
Beside the bonfire, Tang San's face was filled with indignation.
"Father, if you hadn't appeared in time just now, I'm afraid I would have been taken away by Spirit Hall!"
"Spirit Hall is too overbearing, insisting that I hid Xiao Wu and even attacked me!"
"Damn it, when I first entered Shrek Academy, Xiao Wu was taken away by her brother!"
Recalling the past made Tang San angry.
He fell in love with Xiao Wu at first sight, but after several years, Xiao Wu had always ignored him, and finally, she happily left with a stranger who claimed to be her brother.
Tang San could naturally tell that the young man was not Xiao Wu's brother; it was just an intimate way of addressing each other.
"I haven't seen her for several years, how could I have hidden her?!" Tang San gritted his teeth, full of rage.
If Xiao Wu were with him, he would certainly hand her over without hesitation.
After all, as deep as his love for Xiao Wu once was, his hatred for her was now just as deep.
After a moment of indignant complaining, Tang San looked at his father.
"Father, what do you think Spirit Hall wants with Xiao Wu?"
Across from Tang San, the bonfire reflected Tang Hao's somewhat aged face.
He glanced at Tang San, then shook his head wearily.
"Father doesn't know either?" Tang San was surprised.
After some thought, he added, "Father, have you been watching me all these years?"
Tang Hao did not speak.
He added a piece of wood to the fire, his face melancholic, his expression pained, and slowly spoke.
"San'er, haven't you always wanted to know about your mother?" Hearing this, Tang San froze, his eyes wide as he looked at Tang Hao.
Tang Hao sighed, and slowly said.
"San'er, you've grown up, and it's time you knew some things."
"Your mother... is actually a Spirit Beast."
"A Spirit, Spirit Beast?" Tang San's expression stiffened, disbelieving.
"Yes, your mother is a 100,000-year-old Spirit Beast who transformed into human form..."
Tang Hao's face was grim, and the red flames reflected in his eyes were like two burning rages.
He recalled the past, recounting the events of that year to Tang San little by little.
An hour later.
After listening to Tang Hao's account, Tang San shot up, his whole body surging with anger, veins bulging, and he gritted his teeth, saying.
"Spirit Hall!!!"
"This is outrageous!"
"From today onwards! I, Tang San, will be irreconcilable with Spirit Hall! I, Tang San, swear not to rest until Spirit Hall is annihilated in this life!"
"Father, don't worry, I will avenge Mother!"
Tang Hao looked at the agitated Tang San and nodded with relief.
However, very quickly, he seemed to think of something and said with a frown.
"Spirit Hall wants to capture Xiao Wu; I'm afraid it's similar to your mother's situation back then."
"This..." Tang San froze.
Tang Hao continued.
"I previously gathered some information and learned that Spirit Hall has been searching for a 100,000-year-old transformed Spirit Beast."
Hearing this, Tang San was startled.
That figure, which had haunted his dreams, reappeared in his mind.
"Are you saying Xiao Wu is a 100,000-year-old transformed Spirit Beast?"
Tang Hao nodded: "It should be so; otherwise, Spirit Hall wouldn't go to such great lengths to find her."
Tang Hao had met Xiao Wu before.
At that time, he secretly went to Nuoding Academy to visit Tang San and had already seen Xiao Wu.
He felt that Xiao Wu's aura was a bit off at the time.
But he didn't think much of it then.
Now, looking back, he felt that Xiao Wu was very likely the Spirit Beast that Spirit Hall was looking for.
"Xiao Wu, she, turns out..." Tang San froze, his gaze deep, wondering what he was thinking.
Tang Hao frowned, looking at Tang San, and said: "You just said that Xiao Wu was taken away a few years ago?"
Tang San came back to his senses and nodded: "That's right, Xiao Wu was taken away a few years ago by someone who claimed to be her brother."
"Could her brother also be a Spirit Beast... two 100,000-year-old transformed Spirit Beasts?" Tang Hao was greatly surprised.
Hearing this, Tang San also froze, as if struck by lightning, and murmured: "I don't know if he's a Spirit Beast, but he's very strong; he defeated Dean Zhao Wuji with one sword!"
"Defeated Zhao Wuji with one sword?" Tang Hao was astonished.
"Yes, a casual sword strike, he didn't even open his spirit ring!" Recalling that day, Tang San still felt a lingering fear and slowly recounted to Tang Hao.
"That day, a young man wearing a black metal mask and wielding a black greatsword came to Shrek Academy to take Xiao Wu away."
"Teacher Zhao Wuji naturally disagreed and stepped forward to stop him."
"However, Teacher Zhao Wuji, known as the Immovable Ming King, couldn't even block one sword strike from that young man."
"Finally, the sword-wielding young man took Xiao Wu away and left a message: Shrek Academy is not qualified to teach Xiao Wu."
After listening to Tang San's account, Tang Hao remained silent.
After a long while, he suddenly said, "Black metal mask? Black greatsword Spirit?"
"Father, have you seen this person?" Tang San was curious.
Tang Hao nodded slightly: "A year ago, I also encountered a young man with a black metal mask and a black greatsword Spirit in the Star Dou Great Forest. Perhaps out of a desire to challenge a strong opponent, I fought him."
"He looked to be less than twenty years old, yet he fought me to a draw..."
"Now, a year has passed, and his strength has probably surpassed mine..."
There was one more thing Tang Hao didn't say.
In fact, he had lost.
That young man, from beginning to end, was relaxed and at ease, not even activating his spirit ring.
As for himself, he went all out, and in the end, he was even forced to activate his 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor spirit ring.
Yet, even so, he couldn't do anything to the other party.
"This, is he that strong?" Tang San swallowed, somewhat disbelieving.
His father was an existence who, facing several Titled Douluo from Spirit Hall, had smashed down Spirit Hall's divine elephant with one hammer!
A young man under twenty, actually able to fight his father to a draw?
How was this possible!
Even if such a person truly existed, it couldn't be Xiao Wu's brother!
Black metal mask, black greatsword, it was just a coincidence!
From the bottom of his heart, Tang San was unwilling to admit such a thing.
The young man in his memory was clearly not much older than himself!
How could he be so ridiculously strong?!
Looking at his agitated son, Tang Hao shook his head and sighed.
"San'er, this World is vast; there are always people stronger than you, and there's always a higher heaven beyond the sky. Never be arrogant and conceited. Cultivate well in the future."
While speaking, Tang Hao extinguished the bonfire and said with concentration: "Let's go, I'll take you somewhere."
"Where?" Tang San was startled.
"A place that can make you stronger. I will personally guide your cultivation from now on," Tang Hao said.
However, just then, dazzling golden lights burst forth from the horizon, quickly illuminating every corner of the continent.
Then, golden scrolls hung upside down across the sky, astonishingly so.
"What, what is this?" Tang San stared blankly at the sky.
"A heavenly phenomenon?" Tang Hao murmured to himself.
At the same time, one of the scrolls hanging upside down in the sky suddenly trembled, then slowly opened.
Then, golden characters appeared in the sky, clearly illuminating every corner of the continent.
Tang San looked at the sky with disbelief, staring blankly at the characters appearing in the sky and the slowly opening scroll.
"Divine manifestation descending?"
"Heaven bestowing grace upon all beings?"
"Martial Soul Ranking? Ranked according to Spirit quality from high to low. Those who make it onto the ranking can receive immense benefits?"
"For those with the same Spirit, a maximum of two Spirit Masters can receive rewards? The one with the greatest potential, and the one with the greatest strength?"
Seeing this, Tang San became excited.
"With the quality of the Clear Sky Hammer, it will definitely be at the top of the ranking!"
"I have twin spirits and innate full spirit power, so my potential goes without saying. I will definitely get a share of the rewards!"
"I, Tang San, am about to rise!"
...
At the same time, in various corners, discussions about the Martial Soul Ranking reached an unprecedented level.
"My goodness! This is incredible! So those golden lights are the rankings!"
"Hahaha! Those who are on the ranking can receive immense benefits!"
"Hiss! I hope there's a place for me on the ranking! That way I can join Spirit Hall and enjoy wealth and glory!"
Spirit Hall.
Bibi Dong stared intently at the sky.
"Those who are on the ranking can receive immense benefits?"
"I wonder how high my Undying Spider Emperor and Soul Eating Spider Emperor will rank?"
Bibi Dong frowned.
She had twin spirits and also possessed a 100,000-year spirit ring, making her extremely powerful, already among the top tier on the continent.
Now, even when facing Qian Daoliu, she was confident of victory.
But her two Spirits were not considered top-tier.
They couldn't compare to the Clear Sky Hammer Spirit, nor could they compare to the Seraphim Spirit.