"Did you really feel nothing?" Tang Hao was stunned, then his brows furrowed deeply. He didn't doubt whether Tang San was his biological son, as the Clear Sky Hammer was the best proof of their bloodline.
He had visited this place with A Yin many years ago and had some understanding of the Blue Silver King and the Blue Silver Clan. Logically, this shouldn't be the case. Could something have happened to the Blue Silver King?
Tang San slowly shook his head: "Father, could you explain more clearly? Maybe I'm using the wrong method."
"Try again using the method I told you," Tang Hao smoothed his brows and then gave Tang San further guidance.
After a long while, when Tang San once again said he felt nothing, Tang Hao couldn't hold back. With a single leap, he vanished from his spot and reappeared thirty to forty meters away.
Seeing this, Tang San's heart sank. He knew something serious must have happened; otherwise, his father wouldn't be so anxious. He quickly activated Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and chased after him.
This ancient and mysterious forest seemed utterly unwelcoming to outsiders.
Vines blocked the path, thickets piled up, and from time to time, Soul Beasts hidden in unknown places would suddenly charge at the father and son.
However, these Soul Beasts were relatively young. With the Clear Sky Hammer in hand, Tang Hao quickly cleared a path.
Tang San followed closely behind, continuously harvesting the Soul Beasts that Tang Hao intentionally left for him, using them to hone his skills and collect corpses for future absorption.
After about an hour, the two suddenly found themselves in a large clearing.
"It should be right here. Could something really have happened?"
Tang Hao arrived at the spot where the Blue Silver King once grew. Looking at the obvious traces of plant growth on the ground, his expression turned grim: "There are no signs of a struggle. It seems the Blue Silver King migrated on its own, but where could it have gone?"
Though this world wasn't boundless, if a Soul Beast wanted to hide, finding it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The disappearance of the Blue Silver King undoubtedly signaled that Xiao San's Blue Silver Grass could no longer evolve.
"Father, what should we do now?" Tang San slowly walked over to Tang Hao. When he saw the dense Blue Silver Grass around them, he already understood the purpose of their visit.
His father had once told him that the current Blue Silver Grass wasn't its final form. With the Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline within him, once awakened, the quality of his Martial Soul wouldn't be much weaker than the Clear Sky Hammer.
But now, all of this might come to nothing.
Thinking of this, Tang San's resentment toward Yu Xiaogang grew even stronger. If it weren't for this misleading mentor, with his mother's Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline, even without awakening, his Blue Silver Grass might have evolved on its own in the future.
Tang Hao's brows were tightly furrowed, as if he was hesitating. After a long while, he seemed to compromise: "Xiao San, I originally planned to have you train with me for a while after the Soul Master Competition."
"But now, with my strength diminished, it's not safe for you to stay by my side. I'll take you near the sect, and you can focus on cultivating within the Clear Sky Sect."
"What about you, Father?" Tang San stared blankly at Tang Hao.
"Xiao San, don't worry about me."
"Father, you should be aware of your own physical condition and understand just how formidable the combined forces of the Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School are. This is not the time to worry about face. You should think about yourself as well."
With tears in his eyes, Tang San knelt down with a thud before Tang Hao: "Father, please come back to the Clear Sky Sect with me."
On the road from Spirit City to the Heaven Dou Empire, inside a luxurious carriage, Li Xun sat on one side, looking curiously at the visibly conflicted Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er across from him.
Is this what they mean by fire and water being incompatible?
"Sister Bing'er, I didn't expect that inviting you to join the sect would bring such an unexpected bonus."
Li Xun teased with a smile: "Senior Huo Wu, have you heard about the sect's benefits from Sister Bing'er?"
"Of course I have. Otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School over the Spirit Hall!" Huo Wu rolled her eyes at Shui Bing'er, who seemed to be basking in victory.
"And my goal is very clear—it's that Explosive Right Arm Bone in your hands. I wonder what contributions I need to make within the sect to obtain it?"
Huo Wu's straightforward words caught Li Xun off guard, as few people would express their intentions so openly.
However, he didn't dislike it. After all, it was better to negotiate openly than to stumble over words and end up in conflict due to mismatched interests.
After a moment of thought, he replied: "We haven't established a specific system for this yet, but based on your talent alone, I can assure you that this Soul Bone will be reserved for you. However, when you receive it will depend on your contributions to the sect moving forward."
Huo Wu looked at Li Xun with a half-smile, her eyes curving like crescent moons: "Sect contributions? How does one earn those? Does warming your bed count?"
Faced with the sudden flirtation, Li Xun didn't respond. It was said that Soul Masters were easily influenced by their Martial Souls, and Huo Wu's fiery, passionate personality meant that if he dared to nod, she might just follow him home today.
But with three unresolved matters already at home, bringing another one back might just tip the scales.
"Scared already?" Huo Wu giggled when she saw Li Xun pretending not to hear.
"Do you really think everyone is like you?" Shui Bing'er leaned against the pillow, her tone disdainful.
Seeing the two about to argue again, Li Xun quickly excused himself and fled the carriage. As he listened to the heated argument inside, he wiped his face.
Having too many people around could indeed be troublesome.
...
Heaven Dou City, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School headquarters.
"I didn't expect so much to happen in less than two months."
Li Xun looked at the recent intelligence in his hands: "The matter with Xue Beng was decided long ago, so I'm not surprised. What's the situation with the Blue Lightning Tyrant School now?"
"I heard they've sealed off their mountain and are ignoring any external actions."
Aunt Xue thought for a moment: "A few days ago, when the Kingdom of Balak showed no movement, the Crown Prince sent the Royal Knights to the Blue Lightning Tyrant School to demand an explanation, but they didn't even get to see anyone."
"In his anger, the Crown Prince wanted to send more forces, but then news came of the rebellions in the Kingdom of Balak and the Kingdom of Silvas, so he had to let it go."
"It seems my senior sister must be having a headache right now." A hint of amusement flashed in Li Xun's eyes.
The rebellion led by Xue Beng and the kingdoms had always been within the plans of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, aiming to drain the excess energy of Qian Renxue and the Spirit Hall. This was to prevent Qian Renxue and Bibidong from being too idle and indulging in unnecessary thoughts.
Secondly, it was also in preparation for a fully unified continent. There were too many duchies and kingdoms in this world; within the Heaven Dou Empire alone, the number of kings could fill a mahjong table.
These kings each had their own armies and territories, and even if the Heaven Dou Empire issued orders, whether they obeyed or not depended on their mood. This did not align with Li Xun's vision of an empire, nor was it conducive to the authority of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
"It seems I need to hurry to the palace with Teacher, so as not to keep my dear senior sister waiting too long," Li Xun said as he changed into a more formal attire and headed out.
He and his teacher had just returned to Heavenly Dou to assist Qian Renxue, and he believed his senior sister would be deeply moved.
(End of Chapter)