"Uncle Tang? What are you doing here?"
Gu La asked, feigning ignorance.
Tang Hao didn't follow Gu La's question. "Don't try to change the subject. Keep going."
Gu La inwardly scoffed. For six years, Tang Hao had been wallowing in despair, neglecting even his own child. Now that he saw Tang San's twin martial souls and realized there was hope for revenge, he finally decided to step up. Where had he been all this time?
Though Gu La looked down on him, he kept his gaze lowered, avoiding eye contact with Tang Hao to prevent being caught.
"Uncle Tang, is there anything wrong with what I said? Judging by your presence, you must also be a soul master, and likely not a low-level one at that."
"In which case, you must know that martial souls can undergo mutations later in life—either evolving or devolving—often due to the absorption of spirit beast soul rings."
"A Jade Phosphorous Serpent can evolve into a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor; why can't Blue Silver Grass evolve into Blue Silver Emperor?"
"Since Xiao San has twin martial souls, the second one must be your martial soul, Uncle Tang. Do you really think your martial soul is on the same level as ordinary Blue Silver Grass?"
Tang Hao was speechless. Of course, the Hao Tian Hammer was incomparably superior to Blue Silver Grass.
But this meant that no matter how you looked at it—whether from a positive or negative angle—the Hao Tian Hammer was the weaker link. The disparity in martial soul quality prevented balance, leaving Tang San's Blue Silver Emperor bloodline incompletely awakened.
Realizing he couldn't outwit Gu La in verbal sparring, Tang Hao snapped, "Then tell me, how should Xiao San fully awaken the Blue Silver Emperor? Just pointing out problems doesn't prove your reasoning is correct!"
Tang San hesitated, wanting to speak but ultimately holding back. He felt his father was being unreasonable, but after some hesitation, he decided not to say anything.
This was exactly what Gu La wanted—Tang Hao asking him directly. He had already figured out that the system resembled the pirated Pokémon game he used to play. Training Pokémon earned rewards, and "Tang San," with such potential, wasn't someone Gu La would let Yu Xiaogang waste.
So Gu La continued confidently:
"Blue Silver Grass's defining trait is its tenacious vitality—it can be found anywhere on the continent. If Blue Silver Grass were to evolve, the most promising path would be enhancing its vitality, becoming a healer and control-type soul master."
"When it reaches the level of a Title Douluo, its vitality might reach the realm of bringing the dead back to life. Not only would it be immortal, but it could also heal and even resurrect others!"
This was Gu La's vision for Tang San: the team's healer and controller, who could later train in the Hao Tian Hammer and transform into a powerful attacker at any time.
Tang Hao was struck like lightning. He couldn't hear anything else; his mind was fixated on the word "resurrection." His expression became dazed, his eyes trembling. Thinking of the golden-patterned Blue Silver Grass behind the waterfall, he murmured, "A'yín… can be resurrected."
His eyes reddened as he turned to Tang San:
"Xiao San, promise me—you can only add life-attribute soul rings to your Blue Silver Grass."
"I understand, Father."
Tang San obediently nodded, not questioning why. His father wouldn't harm him, so he simply followed the instruction.
Moreover, he had faint memories from birth and vaguely recalled a gentle figure. He had already formed a guess.
Tang Hao calmed down somewhat and now regarded Gu La with seriousness.
At just six years old, Gu La had analyzed Tang San's twin martial souls and cultivation path with great insight. Clearly, his mind was sharp.
Furthermore, Gu La himself possessed full innate soul power. As long as he didn't die, he was almost guaranteed to become a Title Douluo. In the future, he might even become an ally in avenging the Tang Sect against the Spirit Hall.
Curious yet testing, Tang Hao asked, "Then tell me, what kind of soul ring should Xiao San's first soul ring be? If your answer satisfies me, I'll take care of your first soul ring."
Gu La smiled. An unexpected bonus! He wouldn't turn it down.
"Since Uncle Tang insists, I'll humbly share my thoughts."
"In the books I've read, soul masters who reach the level of Title Douluo always have very solid foundations."
"Xiao San needs a spirit beast with strong life essence for his soul ring. It should primarily be life-attribute, with wood-attribute secondary, followed by water and earth attributes."
"Considering compatibility with Blue Silver Grass, I recommend a spirit beast called Orchid Mantis Grass. It has a certain ability to camouflage itself, with sharp leaves and the ability to release soul skills to heal itself and accelerate growth. It's perfect as Xiao San's first soul ring."
"No matter what soul skill he gains in the end, the strengthened life essence will become a foundation. When the right opportunity arises, Xiao San's martial soul will evolve!"
Tang Hao was bewildered, unsure if Gu La's explanation was correct, but it sounded very reasonable.
Based on his experience as a Title Douluo, everything Gu La said was logically consistent, without any flaws. The likelihood of success was high.
"Good. Let's go now—to the Soul Hunting Forest!"
Tang Hao wasted no time, grabbing Gu La and Tang San, and soared into the sky, speeding toward the distance.
Under the azure sky, Tang Hao used his soul power to shield them from the strong winds, allowing Gu La to enjoy the sensation of flight.
From high above, people below became tiny black dots, and fields and houses formed a harmonious pastoral landscape.
Freedom, unrestricted and boundless—that was Gu La's feeling.
The only downside was being held by Tang Hao's grip on his shoulder, which wasn't very comfortable.
Tang San, however, had no heart to admire the scenery. He was too shocked to feel anything else. He had to accept the reality that his father was a powerful soul master who had been deliberately acting weak for some hidden reason.
Though he wanted to resent his father, the deeply ingrained values of respecting heaven, earth, ruler, parents, and teachers stopped him. In the end, he chose to forgive.
---
Soul Hunting Forest
An hour later, Tang Hao bypassed the Spirit Hall guards and flew straight into Soul Hunting Forest.
Rules meant nothing to a Title Douluo. Besides, the fact that Tang Hao didn't slaughter everyone from the Spirit Hall present was already an act of mercy.
"We're here. There are people in Soul Hunting Forest who specialize in capturing spirit beasts to maintain ecological balance. There must be Orchid Mantis Grass here."
Gu La added helpfully, "Orchid Mantis Grass has distinct characteristics. Its leaves mimic mantis shapes, and its colors are very noticeable."
Soul Sages knew how to use mental energy, and Tang Hao was no exception. He nodded slightly and released his mental energy to search for the Orchid Mantis Grass Gu La described.
"Leaves are emerald green, branches are light red, resembling crouching mantises. Found it."
Tang Hao brought the two down to a clearing in the forest. Amidst the gaps between trees, a large patch of plant vines grew. The light red branches were hard to see clearly under the sunlight, hidden beneath elongated leaves. The leaves trembled with the wind, resembling countless mantises.
Sensing the pressure of Tang Hao's soul power, the Orchid Mantis Grasses, lacking intelligence, instinctively resisted. Their leaves rustled, ready to attack.
Tang Hao snorted. His soul power crashed down like an avalanche onto the Orchid Mantis Grasses. Using the fluctuations of their soul power, he identified a four-hundred-year-old Orchid Mantis Grass.
He suppressed all the Orchid Mantis Grasses effortlessly—a simple task for a Title Douluo, especially since the strongest one here was only seven hundred years old.
Approaching the target, Tang Hao uprooted it and tossed it at Tang San's feet. "Xiao San, act now. Absorb the soul ring using the method I taught you."
Even after being uprooted, the Orchid Mantis Grass remained alive, its leaves flailing as it tried to attack Tang San. The damaged branches and leaves healed rapidly under the sunlight.
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