While Tang Hao and his group were busy executing their bone replacement plan, and Yu Xiaogang was trying to persuade Tang San, elsewhere in Heaven Dou City, inside a luxurious mansion owned by the merchant guild...
Han Li stood by the training field, watching as his women sparred with a blonde-haired woman in the center. They weren't using any soul skills, relying solely on their refined techniques.
After a rapid exchange of blows, Qian Renxue was sent flying by a palm strike from Xiu'er.
"Forget it, let's stop. Under these circumstances, I can't win."
Qian Renxue dismissed the Holy Angel Sword she had summoned and waved her hand, signaling the others to stop. She then walked over to Han Li.
She sat down in the chair beside him, picked up a cup of tea from the table, and gracefully raised her swan-like neck to take a drink.
Beautiful people do look good no matter what they do.
Han Li withdrew his appreciative gaze and said with a smile, "It's normal that you couldn't win. If you could beat them in this situation, there'd be no point in me training you. You've done quite well."
He didn't have the heart to tell her that without using soul power, Qian Renxue was quite weak in terms of pure technique and physical combat.
Xiu'er and the others had fought their way out of the Slaughter City. If they didn't hold back, Qian Renxue might not even be able to win a one-on-one fight.
She could only dominate Ye Lingling and Zhu Zhuqing, the two amateurs who hadn't been training for long.
"Hmm, you're right," Qian Renxue nodded, realizing the others were holding back, which was why she chose to end the fight herself.
"Alright, let's talk business. I don't believe you're here just to train," Han Li said, taking the initiative to change the subject.
Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue put away her playful expression.
"I'm mainly here to confirm the timing of when you plan to reveal yourself and whether any special arrangements need to be made."
"The fact that Crown Prince Xue Qinghe has a close relationship with the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall, Han Li, naturally falls on my shoulders," Qian Renxue said with a slightly helpless shake of her head. She was focused on her cultivation, but this was a task she couldn't easily avoid.
"Just send a token invitation to Salas. No need for any grand arrangements. I don't like too much fuss. If things get too elaborate, it'll just be the two of us who suffer," Han Li, who also disliked formalities, promptly refused.
"Alright, we'll keep things simple. I wasn't in the mood to make a big deal out of it anyway," Qian Renxue agreed casually. Given the current changes in the Heaven Dou Empire's situation and her frequent contact with Han Li, her outlook had shifted somewhat.
Han Li even had a playful thought: he could turn Qian Renxue into an Angel Gabriel-type character, always carrying a horn, ready to blow and trigger a world-ending plan. That would be quite entertaining.
"Hey, what are you thinking about?"
Qian Renxue waved her hand in front of Han Li's face. He always seemed to space out when talking to her.
"Nothing," Han Li smiled, giving up on his whimsical thoughts.
"By the way, when do you plan to fully take over?"
Han Li asked seriously, curious why she was still delaying.
"Probably after the Soul Master Tournament. Although many people have their suspicions, Xue Qinghe still needs to be conveniently absent to minimize public resistance."
"Also, I'll need to take this opportunity to return to Wuhun City and prepare additional manpower."
Qian Renxue paused for a moment, her emotions somewhat complicated. It was unclear whether her feelings stemmed from the completion of the plan or from the prospect of returning to Wuhun City and seeing certain people again.
"As long as you're prepared," Han Li said, sensing something and deciding not to press further.
"Give me a few of those pendants you have that can change appearances and conceal auras. I'll return them after I'm done using them. Once we succeed, you can take whatever you want from the royal treasury," Qian Renxue said, looking at Han Li somewhat awkwardly. This was the main reason she had come today. She didn't need the pendants for herself, but they would make her plans run much more smoothly.
"Ah, now I see why you came personally," Han Li chuckled, realizing this was what she had been waiting for. However, he didn't refuse. He took out a few spare pendants from his wristband and handed them to her without saying much.
The royal treasury of the Heaven Dou Empire no longer held much appeal to him. He had already scanned it, and even the few soul bones there were only a few thousand years old and of poor quality.
If there had been anything truly valuable, he would've had Qian Renxue raid the place long ago. There was no way anything worth having was still there by now.
"Thanks," Qian Renxue accepted the pendants and seriously expressed her gratitude.
"You're welcome."
After discussing business, Qian Renxue showed no signs of leaving. Since she rarely had the chance to sneak out, she pulled the other women over to join them, and they all began chatting casually.
With the Soul Master Tournament approaching, soul masters of the same generation were gradually emerging. Although they didn't care much about their opponents' strength, gossip and commentary always piqued interest.
This was also Qian Renxue's way of building good relationships with her future companions in advance—so it wasn't exactly slacking off.
Han Li watched with a smile, occasionally chiming in. The atmosphere was quite harmonious.
...
Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang finally managed to persuade Tang San.
At first, Tang San resisted, genuinely repulsed by the idea of losing parts of his body through such a procedure. However, when Yu Xiaogang mentioned that achieving good results in the tournament would grant him the chance to see Tang Hao again, Tang San hesitated.
Next, Yu Xiaogang demonstrated his martial Soul possession, revealing that his soul power was now on par with Tang San's. He explained the strength boost he had gained from the bone replacement and the enhancements to the Clear Sky Hammer as described by Tang Hao. This tempted Tang San.
To be honest, Tang San had been questioning himself for some time, wondering whether he should give up on the Blue Silver Grass and focus solely on the Clear Sky Hammer.
Yu Xiaogang's words became the final straw that helped him decide.
He would go ahead with the bone replacement to enhance his strength, and once he saw his father again, he would ask about switching to the Clear Sky Hammer.
Seeing that Tang San had agreed, Yu Xiaogang finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, he didn't mention that he had considered obtaining the method for cultivating twin martial souls from Bibi Dong.
It was easy to convince Tang San, but when it came to Tang Hao, Yu Xiaogang knew he had to hold something back. After being around Tang Hao for so long, he had learned that he always needed to keep some cards up his sleeve.
Such a crucial piece of information might one day serve as a life-saving trump card.
"Go back and ask for some time off, but don't mention me. Here's the address. I'll head back to prepare, and you can come later."
Yu Xiaogang handed Tang San a piece of paper with the address, being careful not to provide too many details.
He was just a messenger in this, and he needed to quickly inform Tang Hao. When he left earlier, he didn't see any soul beasts or healing soul masters, and with the Soul Master Tournament approaching, time was of the essence.
"Alright."
Tang San glanced at the paper before tucking it away. He was familiar with the address and wouldn't need any help finding it.
Watching Yu Xiaogang walk away, Tang San's eyes flickered.
Lately, too many things had felt off, but it seemed like they were all done with good intentions.
He was no longer the naive Tang San who had been ignorant of the world back at Nuoding Academy.
Ever since Tai Long transferred schools, Tang San had sensed something was going on. He had even gone to the academy's library to secretly research.
The Strength Clan, the Clear Sky Clan, the Clear Sky Hammer, Tang Hao—everything he discovered shattered his previous understanding.
In a pavilion, a small, pitch-black hammer appeared in his left hand, and Tang San smiled.
He knew everything. This martial soul was the best proof of it.
And the Vajra Baboon—how could his teacher have possibly obtained it with his strength? If Yu Xiaogang could do that, he would've already replaced his soul bones.
So, there was only one truth: this was all Tang Hao's doing. His father had already returned to his side.
Because of what had happened before, Tang Hao had to remain hidden in the shadows. This upcoming Soul Master Tournament was his father's way of testing him. As long as he met the standard, his father would reveal himself.
Like father, like son—this would be the beginning of their revenge against Spirit Hall.
No wonder he had always disliked Spirit Hall from a young age. It was because they were natural enemies. This was the legacy of his bloodline.
After sorting through his thoughts, Tang San quickly returned to the academy. He told Xiao Wu that he was going into seclusion, and then he quietly left Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, heading toward Heaven Dou City.
At Yu Xiaogang's residence, Tang Hao had already retrieved the fresh corpse of the Vajra Baboon he had hunted the day before. The healing soul master provided by the Strength Clan was also in place.
Not long after, Tang San appeared at the residence, and Tang Hao once again hid in the shadows.
After inspecting the Vajra Baboon's corpse to ensure its freshness, Tang San confirmed his suspicions.
He then declined Yu Xiaogang's help and took charge of the procedure himself.
Watching Tang San's skilled movements, Tang Hao, observing from the shadows, couldn't help but nod with approval.
As expected of my son. He mastered the bone replacement method just by observing.
With such a performance, the title of discoverer would be far more fitting for him.
The entire process went exceptionally smoothly. Unlike Yu Xiaogang, Tang San, knowing that Tang Hao was likely watching from the shadows, and after noticing the Strength Clan's insignia on the healer's pouch, chose to replace all four limbs in one go.
If not for his lingering doubts about the healer's abilities, he might have replaced the bones in his chest as well.
Even so, his decisiveness earned the admiration of both Tang Hao and Yu Xiaogang.
...
Meanwhile, after sending Qian Renxue off, Han Li retreated into his mental space and cast a curious glance toward Tang San.
It had been so long without any movement, and given Tang San's history, both past and present, Han Li hadn't expected him to make such a bold move.
Oh well, why bother? Han Li activated the rules and, smiling, accepted this unexpected gift. It seemed like Lingling could use some further strengthening. He'd take care of that when he sent her back to the academy.
...
After receiving meticulous treatment, Tang San felt the changes in his body and nodded in satisfaction.
Most importantly, he was pleasantly surprised to find that his Blue Silver Grass martial soul no longer appeared to be rejected. Could there be any better news than this?
Upon learning of Tang San's transformation, both Yu Xiaogang and Tang Hao were elated. This was truly excellent.
However, Tang San declined Yu Xiaogang's offer to celebrate. He needed to return to the academy quickly to avoid worrying Xiao Wu, especially since he had used seclusion as an excuse.
In high spirits, Tang San bade farewell to Yu Xiaogang, feeling the changes in his body and sensing that his soul power, already at level 39, was still increasing. He couldn't help but clench his fists. With one month left, he could still break through to the Soul Ancestor level. This was just the beginning!
With that, he walked toward his room. As expected, he found Xiao Wu at the door, placing a food box in front of his room.
"Brother? When did you go out?"
Xiao Wu looked at Tang San, surprised to see him returning from outside.
"Not long ago. I broke through, so I just went out for a walk. Thank you, Xiao Wu."
He took the food box from her, knowing that this time, he could eat it all.
Then, Tang San noticed Xiao Wu staring at him in a daze. She said something that left him utterly confused.
"Brother, you smell strange."