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"Who... who exactly are you?!"
Xiao Wu's back faintly glowed as if she sensed something, and she abruptly turned her head. Instantly, a demonic red light burst from her eyes.
She saw an extremely burly middle-aged man sitting in a chair in the center of the room. He was wearing a tattered gray robe, his skin was bronze, his hair was messy like a bird's nest, and his gaze appeared dull and hazy.
This person was none other than Tang Hao!
"Dean Flender! Vice Dean Liu Erlong... Brother! Save me!" Xiao Wu's face changed dramatically, and she lunged toward the door, screaming with a voice that was almost tearing. However, her voice merely echoed within the room, as if it were sealed tightly by a heavy, invisible barrier, unable to transmit even a whisper.
Watching this unfold, Tang Hao's voice resonated, low and indifferent. "Didn't I already tell you? This room has been sealed by my spirit power. Screaming until your throat breaks won't help. Of course, even if your voice did get out, no one could save you."
As he spoke, he slowly stood up, his spirit power surging. Two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red—a total of nine Spirit Rings ascended from beneath his feet, their dazzling light instantly illuminating the entire room.
In that instant, Xiao Wu froze in place. Her breathing stopped, her body heavily suppressed by this overwhelming pressure, rendering her unable to move.
"Nine... nine rings? Titled Douluo?!" Staring intently at the middle-aged man before her, Xiao Wu's face immediately showed despair. She could clearly feel that the strength of this person was far greater than that of the Poison Douluo the Shrek Academy group had encountered at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Xiao Wu's body couldn't help but tremble as she looked at the extremely burly middle-aged man. Her eyes filled with unwillingness, and sorrowful thoughts surged continuously in her heart. I haven't even had a chance to marry my Third Brother yet. Am I going to die here today? No, even if I commit suicide, I cannot let others obtain my Spirit Ring and Spirit Bone. But under the suppression of a Titled Douluo, how can I possibly kill myself?
"When... when did you discover me?" The more Xiao Wu thought, the more her heart collapsed. Deep resentment erupted from her blood-red eyes. A moment later, she mustered her courage and asked.
Tang Hao clasped his hands behind his back and said indifferently, "I noticed you as soon as you stepped into the human World."
As his voice fell, Xiao Wu's face suddenly changed, filled with disbelief. She couldn't believe that after all these years of careful concealment, she had been discovered from the very beginning. Her voice trembled as she pressed on.
"Then... then why did you wait until now to act?"
Sighing, a complex look flashed in Tang Hao's eyes. His originally stern face softened a little. "Why? Because I am Little San's father. My name is Tang Hao!"
"You... what did you say!?" Hearing this, Xiao Wu's delicate body trembled violently, her face changing again. She stared at the middle-aged man with eyes full of doubt, still asking with disbelief in her tone. "You... you're really Third Brother's father?"
Tang Hao slowly nodded, then stepped over to Xiao Wu, reaching out and gently patting her shoulder. His tone was surprisingly gentle. "Don't be nervous. I didn't come with any ill intentions today."
Seeing that Tang Hao really didn't seem to be here to hunt her, Xiao Wu's anxiety finally subsided. She no longer felt as apprehensive as before. Instead, she took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and said very politely.
"Uncle Tang, may I ask why you've suddenly come to see me?"
However, no sooner had she spoken than Tang Hao's gaze suddenly turned cold, his voice once again becoming deep and sharp, and an invisible sense of oppression instantly enveloped Xiao Wu. "If I were to speak from a Spirit Master's perspective, I should confine you and, when Little San needs you, let him personally kill you and absorb your Spirit Ring and Spirit Bone."
Hearing this, Xiao Wu's face instantly turned pale, and even her breathing became a little rapid.
"However... if I were to look at it from a father's perspective, I think I would make a different choice." Seeing that Xiao Wu's expression was a little off, Tang Hao changed the subject.
"Is... is it because of my relationship with Third Brother?" Xiao Wu was slightly puzzled.
"No." Gently shaking his head, Tang Hao's gaze moved away from Xiao Wu and looked out at the crescent moon, his voice carrying a hint of sorrow. "Actually, Little San's mother, like you, was a 100,000-year Spirit Beast."
"The only difference is that Little San's mother was a 100,000-year Spirit Beast in her mature stage, while you are merely a Spirit Beast in your larval stage."
"You... what did you say?" Xiao Wu's pupils slightly contracted, and she immediately covered her mouth, exclaiming, "Third Brother's mother was also a Spirit Beast?"
At this moment, she finally understood why she had felt an inexplicable sense of closeness when she first met Tang San; it was simply because Tang San had half a Spirit Beast Bloodline within him.
Tang Hao smiled slightly, but his eyes held a hint of complexity as he slowly said, "It's quite a coincidence, actually. Little San's mother was one of your food sources."
"Uncle, are you saying... Auntie was a 100,000-year Blue Silver Grass?" Xiao Wu's body trembled slightly upon hearing this, a glint flashing in her eyes as she said in disbelief.
Tang Hao gently nodded. "It should be Blue Silver Emperor, not Blue Silver Grass," he corrected seriously.
"Then where is Auntie now? I want to see her." Her heart fluttered, and Xiao Wu's eyes sparkled with surprise and curiosity as she quickly pressed on.
Tang Hao's expression, however, suddenly darkened, a look of pain appearing on his face, and his voice carried a hint of a sob as he said tremblingly, "Little San's mother... was killed by people from Spirit Hall."
"You... what did you say?" Xiao Wu's body stiffened, her face instantly turning incredibly pale. She stared at Tang Hao in disbelief, her voice trembling. "I never thought Auntie would also be... by Spirit Hall, just like my mother."
"In that case, don't Third Brother and I have a common enemy?"
Slowly exhaling a turbid breath, Tang Hao's tone was heavy. "It is precisely because Little San's mother, like you, was a Spirit Beast, that I have never harbored any covetous thoughts towards you." At this point, an almost imperceptible light flashed in his eyes, and his voice deepened slightly. "Xiao Wu, would you like to hear the story of Little San's mother and me?"
Xiao Wu nodded without hesitation.
Immediately after, Tang Hao began to tell the story of him and Ah Yin. He recounted how they met, how good he was to Ah Yin in those years, how they were accidentally discovered by Spirit Hall, how he desperately fought to lead his family out of Spirit Hall's encirclement, and finally, how Ah Yin was forced to sacrifice herself for him.
By the end of the story, Xiao Wu was already in tears. "I never thought that Auntie would choose to sacrifice herself to save you all... She's truly great. Wuwu... Does Third Brother not know about these things yet?" Her voice was choked, and she was practically a weeping mess.
"Yes. To love someone, one should sacrifice everything for them, even life itself." Seeing Xiao Wu's emotions running high, a peculiar look flashed in Tang Hao's eyes. He looked into the distance and sighed deeply. "If only it had been me who died back then."
At this point, he paused, then slowly turned to Xiao Wu beside him, his gaze deep and carrying a faint, almost imperceptible hint of killing intent. "Xiao Wu, if one day, Little San also encounters the same danger. Will you... be willing to sacrifice yourself for him?"