Meanwhile, at Thunderclap Academy, Yu Xiaogang had finally leveraged family connections to locate Tang Hao's last known whereabouts and sent for him, requesting him to come to the academy for matters concerning Tang San.
Upon hearing it was related to his son, Tang Hao immediately set out for Thunderclap Academy.
In Flender's office at Thunderclap Academy, Yu Xiaogang, Flender, Tang San, and Tang Hao were gathered.
Tang Hao spoke gravely, "Master, what happened that required me to come so urgently?"
The messenger had provided only limited information: that Tang San was at Thunderclap Academy and had been attacked by someone of likely Spirit Saint or even Spirit Douluo strength. Tang San had learned of Tang Hao's identity, and it was essential for Tang Hao to come quickly.
Yu Xiaogang explained in a low voice, "Lord Haotian, shortly after we arrived at Thunderclap Academy, Tang San was attacked by a powerful individual claiming they couldn't locate you but had traced your son's whereabouts and decided to teach him a lesson."
"During the assault, the enemy discovered Tang San's external spirit bone, the Eight Spider Lances. Since Tang San had not fully integrated with the spirit bone, it was forcibly removed, resulting in his spirit rank dropping to thirty-four."
Flender added, "Tang San mentioned that the oppressor's pressure didn't exceed the level of a Spirit Saint; otherwise, he would have been crushed instantly. I estimate the attacker to be a high-level Spirit Saint, possibly even a Spirit Douluo, with at least one space-concealment skill, allowing them to infiltrate the academy unnoticed."
"Thunderclap Academy has several Spirit Saint instructors, and the principal is a Spirit Douluo, yet this intruder managed to slip in undetected. This was no small feat."
Tang San turned to his father, resolute. "Father, can you tell me about the past? With your strength, why did you stay in a small place like Holy Spirit Village?"
Tang Hao sighed, recalling past events. He had planned to wait until Tang San had participated in the Spirit Master Tournament before training him and revealing everything. But now, he had no choice.
"Alright. I didn't want to tell you so soon to spare you from this burden, but since Spirit Hall has come after you, there's no choice."
An hour later, Tang Hao had recounted most of the story. Since Flender and Yu Xiaogang were present, he omitted the detail that Tang San's mother was the Blue Silver Emperor, a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast in human form, saving that for a private discussion.
Upon learning of his father's suffering, Tang San felt hatred toward Spirit Hall, which had caused his mother's death, forced his father into hiding in Holy Spirit Village, and implicated the Clear Sky Clan, leading them to close their gates. Added to his previous grievances, Tang San now felt that Spirit Hall had no right to exist.
A fierce hatred burned in Tang San's eyes.
Yu Xiaogang warned him, "Tang San! Don't let hatred cloud your judgment. You're still not strong enough to face Spirit Hall. You must endure and wait for the right moment."
"I understand, Teacher."
Yu Xiaogang then turned to Tang Hao, "Lord Haotian, is there any way to increase Tang San's strength? He has lost an external spirit bone, and the Spirit Master Tournament is only ten months away."
Yu Xiaogang had high hopes for his talented disciple to shine in the tournament, which would prove his own abilities as a mentor.
Tang Hao considered the situation. At Tang San's current level, he could reach Spirit Power rank forty within ten months if he trained intensely, though that would still be modest within Thunderclap Academy, which would likely have two or three Spirit Elders by then.
"In that case, I'll take Tang San for training. I'll teach him some techniques for the Clear Sky Hammer. Whether he can learn them in time will depend on him."
"Even without additional spirit rings, the Clear Sky Hammer's weight and hidden techniques should enable him to hold his own."
"As for his teammates, I'll leave them to you. I'll bring him back in time for final team preparation."
After this, Tang Hao took Tang San and departed. On the way, Tang San asked curiously, "Father, where are we going?"
After some distance, Tang Hao replied, "We're going back to the village. I want to visit your mother, and there's something I need to give you."
"My mother? But you said she was dead."
Tang Hao's eyes were filled with sorrow. "Yes, she is...sort of. I couldn't explain it earlier, but your mother was a hundred-thousand-year-old Blue Silver Emperor who took human form. She was hunted by the Spirit Hall's Pope, and in the end, she sacrificed herself for me. Because plant spirit beasts are resilient, she was reborn as a Blue Silver Grass seed. She's alive, but she'll never regain her human form."
"We're returning to Holy Spirit Village to visit her. When she sacrificed herself, she granted me a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and a spirit bone, which I've saved for you."
"Since you now know the truth, you can absorb her spirit bone. It will greatly strengthen you."
"I have the spirit bone with me, but I need to let your mother know. She deserves to see how you've grown."
Hearing how Spirit Hall had driven his mother to such a fate filled Tang San with anger. However, knowing he could receive a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone brightened his mood; it would surely elevate his spirit power significantly.
Although he was eager to absorb the spirit bone, he also felt a strong desire to meet his mother. In his previous life, he had been an orphan. In this life, he had only ever known his father. Learning that his mother was still with him, even in a different form, gave him a sense of warmth he hadn't expected.
With no more words, father and son traveled swiftly toward Holy Spirit Village.
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A few days later, Tang San and Tang Hao arrived in Holy Spirit Village, only to find it unexpectedly dilapidated. The gate sign was tilted, looking as though it would fall with a gust of wind.
Tang Hao asked in confusion, "Little San, do you know what's happened here?"
He hadn't returned since he left six years ago.
Tang San looked equally puzzled. "I haven't been back in years either. After discovering you had left on my first trip back from Nuoding Academy, I had little reason to return. But I remember Su Ming visits every year—there's no reason for the village to end up like this."
Tang Hao entered the village, examining the buildings. He casually broke off a piece of wood and noted the layers of dust and decay, concluding the villagers had likely left some time ago.
Shaking his head, he dismissed it. "Let them be. They're just commoners, after all."
"Come on, Little San. Let's go to the back mountain. Your mother's resting in a cave there."
Upon reaching the back mountain, Tang Hao approached a blue-silver grass plant with blue-gold stripes. He looked at it with a trace of sadness and said, "Ah Yin, I brought our son to see you. I've told him everything. Little San, come meet your mother."
Tang Hao found it odd that the blue-silver grass didn't respond by wrapping its leaves around his fingers as it usually did.
Tang San approached the plant and whispered, "Mother…"
Calling a plant "mother" felt strange, even for Tang San.
Tang Hao, noticing his son's discomfort, explained, "Ah Yin, I brought Little San not only to visit you but also to tell you that I plan to let him absorb the spirit bone you left behind. The Spirit Master Tournament is approaching, and Little San, with his rare twin martial souls, is destined to shine."
"Don't worry about any threats from Spirit Hall. If they dare to harm him, my Clear Sky Hammer will make them regret it. I'm no longer the same Tang Hao, though I still have a hidden injury. But I can keep Little San safe."
Hearing about his father's injury, Tang San became concerned. "Father, you still have injuries? Why haven't you sought out a healing spirit master?"
Tang Hao shook his head. "Ordinary healing spirit masters can't cure me, and powerful ones are typically within Spirit Hall or major clans, well-protected and hard to access."
Tang San's eyes lit up as he recalled something. "Father, I know two skilled healing spirit masters! They're powerful, although their levels are low. Perhaps it's worth a try?"
Tang Hao guessed, "One of them is Su Ming, isn't it?"
Tang San was surprised his father knew.
Tang Hao explained, "I was secretly watching when you joined Shrek Academy and witnessed Su Ming's healing ability. He instantly healed your severely injured classmates. His wood-element spirit's healing capabilities are unique."
"I had planned to seek him out once he got stronger to see if he could help with my injuries, but things have become complicated. Su Ming is now closely connected with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Taking him would mean confronting two Title Douluos. Though I don't fear them, defeating them would take considerable effort and might worsen my hidden injury."
"If Su Ming's healing proves ineffective, it would be a waste. Besides, I've realized he may have become a fixation of yours. You need to overcome him yourself, or it will obstruct your progress later."
Tang Hao referred to insights required past level ninety-five. He could see that Tang San's attachment to Su Ming, though inconsequential now, could become a hurdle at higher levels where personal clarity was crucial.
Tang San felt a pang of regret, as he had indeed wanted his father to teach Su Ming a lesson. But considering the cost, he let the matter drop.
"That leaves the second option. Father, have you heard of the Nine Heart Begonia martial soul?"
Tang Hao shook his head. "No."
He'd focused only on cultivating his strength and had little interest in the theories of martial souls, hence why he entrusted Tang San's education to Yu Xiaogang.
Tang San explained, "The Nine Heart Begonia martial soul is unique, with only one user per generation. It has only one skill: healing. Its healing effectiveness scales with the user's spirit rings and power."
Tang Hao's eyes lit up. "Are you certain, Little San?"
Tang San nodded, "Yes. However, her level is low, so I'm not sure if it would be effective on you. Her name is Ye Lingling, and she's at around level thirty-five, attending Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."
This revelation dampened Tang Hao's excitement, but Tang San continued, "Even though she's currently weak, Nine Heart Begonia's healing potential is immense. At its peak, it's rumored to have near-miraculous effects."
Tang Hao exhaled heavily, "Alright, it's something to consider. My injuries aren't urgent; we can address it closer to the tournament and see if we can get this girl to treat me."
Tang Hao silently hoped that in ten months, Ye Lingling's rank would increase and that her healing might help. He didn't expect complete recovery but hoped for noticeable improvement. If her treatment worked, he wouldn't hesitate to "borrow" her for as long as necessary.
After all, he saw no issue with this. He hadn't heard of Ye Lingling or her martial soul, so she likely had no powerful backers—no one to stop him.
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