After that, the challenge came to an end, and everyone returned to the front courtyard of Clear Sky Castle.
"Elders, about Xiao San acknowledging his lineage and returning to the sect?"
Glancing at the still-unconscious Seventh Elder Tang Lie at the side, Tang Xiao looked with a smile at the pale Second Elder Tang Bo and the remaining three elders.
At his words, the four exchanged looks, then nodded.
The third-generation chief disciple Tang Hu was defeated by Tang San. Tang San proved that he not only had immense potential but also solid strength, and Tang Yuehua had forcefully defeated two first-generation elders.
The continent values strength above all. The Clear Sky Sect's elder, middle, and young generations were all defeated by the aunt-and-nephew pair with absolute strength. Add to that Tang San's sect master eldest uncle, the strongest in the sect, and what reason did they have not to let Tang San acknowledge his lineage and return?
"Very good. Yuehua, you prepare Xiao San's ceremony to acknowledge his lineage and return to the sect. It will be held tomorrow morning."
Tang Xiao nodded in satisfaction and spoke to Tang Yuehua.
"Yes, Sect Master!"
Overjoyed, Tang Yuehua answered, then hurriedly bowed to the elders. "Thank you, Elders, for making this possible."
Tang Bo: Do I dare not go along? This old man still wants to live a few more years.
At this moment, Tang San stepped forward a few paces and bowed to the four elders. He took a long case from his storage soul tool, then raised it high in both hands. In front of Tang Xiao he dropped to both knees and said, "Sect Master, years ago my father left the sect and took away two legacy spirit bones. Now that I, Tang San, acknowledge my lineage and return to the sect, my father has ordered me to bring back two legacy spirit bones as a sign of his remorse."
"!!!"
In an instant, Chu Chengzhou's eyes widened.
Could it be that Tang Hao, like in the original work, severed a leg and an arm and removed the Clear Sky Sect's legacy spirit bones he had fused back then?
No, no. Although Tang Hao had not appeared earlier, he could sense that Tang Hao's strength was still a level 96 Titled Douluo without a doubt. The two spirit bones in Tang San's hands definitely were not ones Tang Hao had removed from his own body.
After all, Tang Hao did not have that level of skill. If he removed spirit bones, he would have to chop off limbs, and his soul power rank would plummet before the bones could be taken out.
Moreover, unlike the original work where he was covered in old injuries, Tang Hao's old wounds had long been healed by Tang San using the 100,000-year healing-type spirit bone skill of the Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone: Wildfire Burns Without End, Spring Wind Brings New Life. With no old injuries dragging him down and his good son Tang San not yet truly grown, how could Tang Hao be willing to mutilate himself?
If they were not the Clear Sky Sect's legacy spirit bones, then what was the origin of these two spirit bones?
"Tsk, my brother-in-law really is a ruthless one."
Where did these two spirit bones come from? No need to ask. They obviously dropped from spirit beasts. It is not as if Tang Hao has no prior record of that.
"What? Xiao San, then your father…"
Coincidentally, Tang Xiao's first reaction was similar to Chu Chengzhou's. He did not focus on the two spirit bones but hurriedly gripped Tang San's shoulder and asked anxiously.
Tang Xiao knew well the price of forcibly removing one's own spirit bones.
His younger brother Tang Hao was one of the top experts in the world, stronger even than himself. Though two legacy spirit bones were important, for the Clear Sky Sect how could two legacy spirit bones compare to a whole and uninjured Tang Hao?
Not only Tang Xiao. The faces of the four elders of the Clear Sky Sect also changed abruptly.
They did harbor prejudice and hatred toward Tang Hao, but it was undeniable that Tang Hao was indispensable to reviving the Clear Sky Sect.
As for Tang Hao having long been expelled from the sect and no longer being one of them?
That was just for Spirit Hall to hear. Blood ties are not so easily severed.
Alive, he is a man of the Clear Sky Sect. Dead, he is a ghost of the Clear Sky Sect.
As for Tang Yuehua, she did not jump to that conclusion at first. When returning to the sect earlier, Chu Chengzhou had told her that Second Brother Tang Hao was following in secret. If Second Brother Tang Hao had severed limbs to remove two legacy spirit bones and his strength had plummeted, Chu Chengzhou would not have failed to mention it to her.
Moreover, Tang Yuehua knew her eldest nephew Tang San had four spirit bones, and she knew exactly how the three legacy-level head, left arm, and right arm spirit bones (apart from the Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone that was his mother's keepsake) had been obtained.
"Eldest Uncle, you misunderstand. These two spirit bones are newly obtained by my father. One is a right arm spirit bone, and one is a left leg spirit bone. Each is over eighty thousand years."
"Phew."
Hearing this, Tang Xiao let out a breath.
Fortunately his younger brother had not done something foolish, or the Clear Sky Sect would have been as if it had cut off one of its own arms.
But then Tang Xiao frowned.
Although the Clear Sky Sect had sealed the mountain and hidden from the world, it was not completely cut off. As early as two years ago, he had heard that his younger brother Tang Hao behaved utterly without conscience, opening a killing spree in the Star Dou Great Forest, slaughtering high-level spirit beasts, and even killing a Spirit Hall elder who went to investigate.
Killing a Spirit Hall elder was nothing. Spirit Hall was the Clear Sky Sect's enemy. Tang Xiao would have been glad for his younger brother to kill a few more.
But slaughtering high-level spirit beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest to harvest spirit bone drops was tantamount to cutting at the foundation of the soul master world. After that incident, his younger brother Tang Hao became notorious in the soul master world.
He had not expected that now Tang Hao had pulled an even bigger one. Two spirit bones over eighty thousand years. At a one-in-a-thousand drop rate, would that not mean killing around two thousand high-level spirit beasts of over eighty thousand years?
Thinking of this, Tang Xiao could not help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.
He hoped that when the sect announced its return to the world in the future, the Clear Sky Sect would not face a coalition crusade from all sides of the continent's soul master world.
In fact, Chu Chengzhou and Tang Xiao were both off the mark. They had not noticed that both spirit bones were water-attribute spirit bones.
Tang Hao might be ruthless, but he knew the truth that the monk may run, but the temple cannot. If he went too far and others could not find him, they would settle the score with the Clear Sky Sect.
Therefore this time Tang Hao did not go to the Star Dou Great Forest but to the ocean. These two high-age water-attribute spirit bones both came from the sea spirit beasts that were abundant in the ocean.
Otherwise, if a large number of high-level spirit beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest had been slaughtered again, the soul master world would already be in an uproar.
Taking the two spirit bones, Tang Xiao patted Tang San on the shoulder and pulled him up. Then his gaze swept over the many Clear Sky Sect disciples present, and he said in a loud voice, "I will temporarily keep these two spirit bones. When a disciple renders outstanding service to the sect in the future, I will award the spirit bones."
He paused, then turned to Tang San and said, "Tang San, I will state this in advance. You are not qualified to receive these two spirit bones, because these two spirit bones are what your father owes the sect, and you ought to contribute your strength to the sect."
"Yes, Sect Master. I understand."
Tang San stood straight and answered solemnly.
T/N: For 40 chapters ahead on my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle