A Few Days Later.
Driven by the rage of his home being robbed, Tang Hao hurriedly returned to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and headed straight for the Royal Fighting Team's training ground.
Soon, he stood atop a tall building, his eyes overlooking the training ground not far away, his gaze fixed on Lin Mu.
"Lin Mu."
Unlike before, Tang Hao's eyes held a scrutinizing gaze. Ever since the theft, he had felt that Lin Mu harbored deep ambitions.
Even so, he still dared not directly confront him openly.
Even after so many years, his identity remained sensitive; once exposed, it would inevitably attract the pursuit of Spirit Hall.
Although he didn't take ordinary Titled Douluos seriously, those few Elders in the Worship Hall (Douluo Palace) were all quite powerful. Especially Qian Daoliu, whose soul power reached Level 99 and who hated him to the bone for killing his son.
If Qian Daoliu knew his whereabouts, he would definitely hunt him down at all costs.
Furthermore, Lin Mu was crucial to the revenge plan against Spirit Hall; unless absolutely necessary, Tang Hao didn't want to push Lin Mu to the opposite side.
He couldn't even handle Spirit Hall alone; adding Lin Mu, whose potential was immeasurable, would make revenge even more difficult.
Therefore, before destroying Spirit Hall, as long as Lin Mu didn't cross his ultimate bottom line, he'd rather tolerate him than start a war.
After some thought, Tang Hao used his soul power to transmit his voice: "Lin Mu, it's me, Tang Hao. I need to talk to you."
Hearing this sudden transmission, Lin Mu's pupils constricted slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He had expected Tang Hao to come looking for him eventually.
Ah Yin and the hundred-thousand-year right leg bone in the cave had been taken, and he had just left for a while recently. Even if Tang Hao wasn't very intelligent, he would suspect him due to the timing.
Then, Lin Mu looked up at the top of a building not far away and saw a man wearing a gray robe, dressed exactly like Tang Hao had been a few years ago.
"This guy isn't so lazy he doesn't even change his outer clothes, is he?"
Thinking this, Lin Mu couldn't help but sigh inwardly. 'No wonder Tang San's childhood was so miserable; with such a lazy father, how could he possibly have a good life?'
At this moment, Tang San noticed his master's unusual behavior and immediately followed his gaze.
"Why is he here again?"
Seeing the gray-robed figure on the roof, Tang San frowned deeply. Ever since he was slapped last time, he had resented this unworthy father from the bottom of his heart.
Clearly not even a fraction as good as his master, yet he acted with such self-righteousness, utterly unworthy of being called a father.
Seeing that Lin Mu didn't respond for a long time, Tang Hao's face showed a hint of displeasure, and he urged again through telepathy, "Lin Mu, this matter concerns Little San; you can't just sit idly by."
Sensing Tang Hao's urgency, Lin Mu's lips curled up slightly. He loved seeing Tang Hao's anxious yet helpless expression.
As time passed, Tang Hao grew increasingly impatient, even planning to forcibly abduct Lin Mu to talk.
Just as he was about to make his move, Lin Mu flew towards them.
Seeing this, Tang Hao breathed a sigh of relief, then flashed through the air, weaving between the rooftops of the buildings, leading Lin Mu away from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
This place was too crowded and noisy; it wasn't a good place to talk about secrets.
However, just as they left, Tang San quietly followed. The Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone proved invaluable here.
Although both skills of the bone were support-type, their advantage lay in their incredibly low soul power consumption, making them perfect for Tang San, whose cultivation level was not yet high enough for sustained flight. The "Flight" skill allowed him to trail them silently.
A few minutes later, Lin Mu followed Tang Hao to a secluded spot in the nearby mountains.
At this moment, Tang Hao slowly stopped, abruptly turning to look at Lin Mu. His eyes blazed with barely suppressed anger as he demanded, "I told you to come out and see me. Why did you waste so much time?"
He clearly heard the telepathic message, yet he hesitated to act; perhaps he had something to hide!
Facing Tang Hao's angry glare, Lin Mu stepped forward, his gaze sharp, and said coldly, "You still have the nerve to mention Little San to me? You injured my disciple before, and I haven't even settled the score with you yet!"
Hearing this, Tang Hao's pupils dilated, and he staggered back a step.
That slap had indeed made him feel guilty.
However, being treated like this by a junior, Tang Hao couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. He said righteously, "It's only natural for a father to discipline his son!"
In his eyes, it was perfectly normal for a father to physically discipline his son; there was no need for explanation.
Even if Lin Mu was Little San's teacher, he was still an outsider. No matter how good he was to Little San, it couldn't compare to him, the biological father. The bond of blood was unshakeable!
Hearing this, Lin Mu was so angry he laughed. 'No wonder he so readily handed over the housework to his four-year-old son; everything made sense now.'
He took a few steps forward, his gaze sweeping over Tang Hao's weathered face, a hint of mockery in his eyes. "Tsk tsk. No wonder you're the renowned Clear Sky Douluo. You use that same ferocity towards enemies to discipline your own son."
Hearing this, Tang Hao's brows furrowed, his eyes turning cold.
He could naturally hear the sarcasm in the words, but he hadn't expected Lin Mu to dare speak to him like that.
A few years ago, Lin Mu was merely a lowly Soul Ancestor he could easily eliminate. But in just a few years, his strength had reached a level comparable to a Super Douluo, and his ambition had soared accordingly.
To mock a senior who had once helped him showed no understanding of humility.
After a moment of silence, Tang Hao slowly spoke, "Lin Mu, don't forget, I helped you hunt down your fifth Soul Ring!"
"What, now you want your reward?" Lin Mu retorted without backing down.
Seeing that this guy wouldn't budge, Tang Hao's anger intensified, but remembering the threat from Spirit Hall, he could only control his emotions.
Then, Tang Hao looked up at Lin Mu and said in a gentler tone, "Lin Mu, you're Little San's teacher, and I'm his father. There shouldn't be any conflict between us."
Hearing this, Lin Mu shrugged silently.
Seeing that he didn't deny it, Tang Hao breathed a slight sigh of relief and continued, "I came to see you mainly about one thing: did you take the hundred-thousand-year soul bone I left in the cave?"
"That's right, I took it," Lin Mu admitted frankly.
Seeing his straightforwardness, Tang Hao was taken aback. He had thought this guy would try to bluff or deny it, but his honesty left him momentarily speechless.
After a moment, Tang Hao took a deep breath and asked, "Where is this hundred-thousand-year soul bone now?"
"I saw that this soul bone was very compatible with the Blue Silver Grass, so I gave it to Little San to absorb."
Hearing Lin Mu's explanation, the weight in Tang Hao's heart finally lifted. Since Lin Mu hadn't snatched the precious bone for himself, it meant he likely hadn't used Tang San maliciously.
Having clarified this matter, Tang Hao then began to inquire about the most important thing: Ah Yin's whereabouts.
"There was a Blue Silver Grass in that cave. Did you take it?"
"This... I'm sorry, I cannot tell you."
Lin Mu crossed his arms, looking calmly at Tang Hao, clearly not intending to reveal Ah Yin's location.