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Tang Wulin arrived in the Douluo Empire and, without a moment's rest, rushed straight to the ruins of the Spirit Pagoda in Lingbo City. The site remained in a state of devastation, as if the earth itself had sunk dozens of meters. Destruction was easy—rebuilding would be far harder.
Moreover, the Spirit Pagoda had no immediate plans for reconstruction.
"Nothing… not a trace of life energy…" Tang Wulin's heart sank into despair. According to the intelligence provided by his teacher, Mang Tian, his father had been sending regular soul communications to confirm his safety over the years. It was through these exchanges that they had deduced his parents were imprisoned in the Douluo Empire's Spirit Pagoda.
But now… he was too late.
"Spirit Pagoda…" Tang Wulin's aura shifted from gold to red, his vertical golden pupils radiating an overwhelming pressure. The last of his mental defenses were crumbling.
"Wait! Sect Master! We've received news about your parents!"
!!!!
Those words instantly snapped Tang Wulin back to his senses. Trembling, he wondered if he had misheard. "What did you say?"
Li Yunzhe repeated, "Sect Master, one of our remote Tang Sect branches in the Douluo Empire received a message. The sender claimed to be your parents and asked to contact their son."
"Quick! Take me to them!" Tang Wulin's sorrow instantly transformed into joy. In mere seconds, his emotions had soared and plummeted like a rollercoaster.
"No need. I've already ordered them to be brought here. They should arrive by evening."
"Good…"
As the sun set and darkness finally enveloped the land, the soul train pulled into the station. Tang Wulin and a group of Tang Sect disciples stood outside, staring intently as two figures disembarked.
"Wulin!" Despite not having seen him in over a decade, Lang Yue, his mother, recognized her son at first glance. He had grown taller, more handsome—far surpassing his father's looks in his youth.
Tang Ziran watched the mother and son embrace with a smile, his eyes filled with pride. Their son had truly grown up, not just in appearance but in strength as well. On their way here, they had heard that Tang Wulin was now the Tang Sect's leader and had joined the continent's top academy, Shrek. He had already become an outstanding soul master.
The three of them held each other tightly, their silent tears speaking volumes of the pain of their long separation.
After an emotional reunion, Tang Wulin finally steered the conversation to the matter at hand. "By the way, Mom, Dad… do you know who rescued you?"
Tang Ziran replied, "It was Na'er and another mysterious person."
"Na'er! Is she still here?"
Lang Yue shook her head. "She left. Na'er has grown up too—she's even more beautiful than our son. You always had a good eye, picking up such a beauty off the streets when you were little."
Tang Wulin chuckled awkwardly. "Actually… Na'er already has someone she likes. I've met him, but…"
Thinking of Bai Xu's identity, Tang Wulin fell silent.
It was better not to tell his parents. It would only worry them needlessly.
Tang Ziran's eyes lit up with interest. "Na'er has a sweetheart? Could it be the person who rescued us that day?"
Lang Yue nodded in agreement. "Very likely."
"Mom, Dad, was it this person?" Tang Wulin pulled up a photo of Bai Xu and showed it to them.
"Yes! That's him! He killed all the evil soul masters who were holding us captive." Tang Ziran's voice was filled with gratitude toward their savior.
Yet Tang Wulin frowned. "He killed the evil soul masters? But Bai Xu is supposed to be a spy for them…" Soon, he realized something must have happened between Bai Xu and the Spirit Pagoda. Something was definitely amiss.
Suppressing his thoughts for now, Tang Wulin said, "Let's go, Mom and Dad. I'll take you back, but your identities must remain hidden. Once we have the strength to oppose the Spirit Pagoda, we'll need you as witnesses. This time, I'll expose the Spirit Pagoda's collusion with the evil soul masters in front of the entire Federation!"
"Good child, do what you must. We'll always support you." His parents' encouragement warmed his heart.
Having regained his long-lost family, Tang Wulin was in high spirits. He also now knew that Na'er had not disappeared—somewhere out there, she still cared for their parents.
---
Residential Area, Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, Shrek City.
"How ironic. Just this morning, I publicly announced severing ties with you, and now here I am, contacting you via soul communication at night." Gu Yuena stood in her room, dressed in pristine white robes, her tone laced with sarcasm as she addressed Bai Xu.
"You don't have to. I could always reach you through that mark. Though I'm not sure if I can activate it from this distance…" Bai Xu's curious reply instantly made Gu Yuena bristle.
"You wouldn't dare!" She hastily lifted her robes, revealing the mark on her abdomen, which was faintly glowing as if responding to his words.
In the next moment, she found herself in a strange space, face-to-face with Bai Xu, who was meditating atop a vast ocean. His eyes snapped open in surprise upon seeing her.
"You shameless scoundrel!" Gu Yuena immediately restrained him, pinning him beneath her. She had wanted to do this for a long time.
And Bai Xu didn't resist.
Her fair foot pressed against his chest, Gu Yuena glared down at him disdainfully. "So it really does work. What exactly did you do to my body?"
"I'm not entirely sure. Most of these techniques are still experimental for me." Bai Xu made no move to rise—this angle offered a rather… interesting view.
Noticing his wandering gaze, Gu Yuena unconsciously increased the pressure under her foot, forcing a grunt from him.
"You're playing a dangerous game." Her expression turned serious. "The Spirit Pagoda plans to retrieve your adoptive parents and your teacher, Leng Jiuming. They'll likely use them to force you out. And when that happens… I might be the final straw."
"Is that so? Well, it's within expectations." Bai Xu sighed as he looked up at her.
Boom!
A sudden force slammed into him as Gu Yuena stomped down, as if trying to crush him into the abyss of this mental space.
"That calculating look again. Are you thinking that even if they die, you can just resurrect them? Or that you can protect them while facing the entire Spirit Pagoda—no, the entire Federation? You never should have dragged them into this."
Bai Xu sighed. "I tried my best to keep my parents and teacher out of it. But in the end, I couldn't shield them. Since this is how things stand, we'll just have to adapt."
Gu Yuena took a deep breath. "Bai Xu, you're far too detached, far too accepting. But not everyone is like you. They're just ordinary people. Your parents have been living in fear ever since learning of your identity as an evil soul master. The Spirit Pagoda and Federation officials have practically worn out their doorstep investigating every detail about you."
"…"
"Though they found some clues, the only 'evidence' they have is the fragmented memories of a few Spirit Pagoda attendants from the Spirit Ascension Platform. Any recordings of your battles were long deleted by Leng Jiuming. Your teacher trusts you deeply—he refused to hand over the half-completed Five Elements Manual to the Spirit Pagoda. But now, he's under their control."
Gu Yuena continued, "Perhaps you've already made arrangements for them. Perhaps you can ensure their survival. But you still can't change your nature—always overlooking others. Or perhaps this is just how celestial demons are: lofty, untouchable, toying with the Douluo Continent as you please."
As she spoke, her foot pressed down harder, as if venting her frustration on him.
"I suppose you're not entirely wrong," Bai Xu admitted.
Gu Yuena yanked him up by the collar. He offered no resistance, letting her hold him as she pleased. "I've more or less figured out Qiangu Dongfeng's plan. With the success of the ten-thousand-year spirit soul project, my contributions no longer matter. My only remaining use is to lure you out. He's betting that you still have some lingering feelings for me."
"Another martial arts tournament for marriage?" Bai Xu had already guessed. In the original timeline, Qiangu Zhangting had used this very method to draw out Tang Wulin. Now, the target was Bai Xu.
"Yes."
"Will you come?"
"Of course."
Gu Yuena fell silent for a long moment before saying, "I won't hold back."
Bai Xu chuckled. "We'll see about that."
The mental space dissolved, and Gu Yuena found herself back in her room. "It's almost time. Tang Wulin's adoptive parents are proof of the Spirit Pagoda's collusion with the Holy Spirit Cult. Once he's strong enough, he'll expose Qian Gu Dongfeng's true face. All I need to do is wait… and the position of Spirit Pagoda's master will still be mine."
"The Beast Platform is already in use. Without the dispersal of spirit seeds, the number of controlled soul masters is far fewer than in my past life. But as long as I can secure enough high-level combatants, it'll suffice. The only uncertainty is Bai Xu's future. I can't predict whether the Plane's Will will risk attacking him…"
"According to the future glimpsed in the 'The Heaven of Selfless Transformation,' if the Abyss Sage Emperor detects the existence of a Plane's Will in Douluo, he would never merge the Abyss Plane with it. Moreover, Tang San's 'Unfixed Storm' was the key to Tang Hao's victory over the Abyss Sage Emperor. And then there's this damned planar suppression…"
"What should I do… How can I ensure a future for the soul beasts?"