Tang Wulin staggered backward as though struck by a heavy blow, mumbling to himself, "Wha... What? Mom... she's dead!"
Seeing this, Elder Ya'li spoke soothingly, "Child, you must stay calm! I know how hard this is for you..."
But Tang Wulin interrupted her, his voice dark and grim, "Elder Ya'li, I need some time alone to think."
With that, he turned around and left without another word...
As his figure disappeared, all Ya'li could do was sigh helplessly...
Then, she returned to the group...
When the others saw only Ya'li return, they asked in confusion, "Elder Ya'li, where is Wulin?"
Ya'li pursed her lips and said, "His mother was tortured to death by a Holy Spirit Cult's Evil Soul Master. He needs some time alone to cool down."
Upon hearing this, Gu Yue and the others' pupils shrank...
They could already imagine how devastating this news must be for Tang Wulin!
Tang Ziran, having heard the same thing, covered his face in unbearable grief, "It's all... all my fault. If I hadn't been so eager to communicate with the outside world, Langyue wouldn't have died!"
If only he had delayed contacting them a bit longer, could the outcome have been different?
Xie Xie's heart softened, "Uncle Tang, it's not your fault. The ones to blame are those evil Soul Masters from the Holy Spirit Cult!"
Yuanen Yehui said coldly, "Exactly, one day we will utterly eradicate all the evil Soul Masters!"
Yue Zhengyu sighed, "What's done is done, please, Uncle Tang, accept our condolences!"
...
Meanwhile, Tang Wulin had arrived at the floor Ya'li mentioned and found the interrogation room...
As he stepped inside, a strong, foul stench assaulted his nostrils, and the blood-stained floor made it resemble a purgatory...
Clearly visible were over a dozen lifeless bodies on the cold ground, none of them intact!
Moving forward, he found a woman with her eyes wide open in death. Unlike the others, her face and body were unharmed!
Yet she was devoid of any sign of life!
Tang Wulin rushed over and held her tightly, exclaiming with a heavy voice, "Mom!!"
This face, even after so many years, he could recognize it instantly...
This was his mother, Langyue!
At that moment, his mental defenses completely collapsed, and he wept, "Mom, I'm sorry, I'm too late..."
"It's all my fault, I'm so useless. If only I had come sooner, you wouldn't have..."
Suddenly, Old Tang's voice echoed in his mind, "Child, you've done well, don't blame yourself!"
Hearing this voice, Tang Wulin clung to it desperately, his face filled with agitation, "Old Tang, isn't there any way to bring my mom back?"
Old Tang spoke again, "Child, I can't revive her in the Lower Realm, but it's time to tell you some truths!"
Tang Wulin froze, "Old Tang, what do you mean?"
But before he could ask more, his consciousness was forcefully pulled into the sea of knowledge...
When he opened his eyes again, he saw a figure holding the Sea God's Trident, a long-haired handsome man materialize in front of him!
Tang Wulin exclaimed in astonishment, "You... you're Old Tang?"
Wasn't this the phantom who taught him how to use Thousand Men's Point?
Tang San said calmly, "To be precise, my name is not Old Tang, for this is merely a sliver of divine consciousness I've infused into you."
"My real name is Tang San! Tens of thousands of years ago, I founded the Tang Sect and became the Sea God Tang San!"
Suddenly, Tang Wulin seemed to think of something and incredulously said, "Sea God Tang San? Could it be..."
Tang San nodded slightly, "As you suspect, I am indeed your biological father. As for your mother, her name is Xiaowu."
"You also have an older sister named Tang Wutong; that Golden Dragon Spear was a gift from her to you!"
Tang Wulin gasped, "Tang Wutong, the Dragonfly Douluo Tang Wutong! She is actually my sister!!"
No wonder he had felt an indescribable sense of closeness the first time he saw her mural!!
Seeing Tang Wulin's reaction, Tang San continued, "As for Tang Ziran and Langyue, they can be considered your foster parents. It's thanks to them that you were able to survive in the Lower Realm, instead of becoming nothing but bones!"
Tang Wulin solemnly said, "I need some time to adjust to all this, but as the Sea God, can you... bring my foster mother back to life?"
Tang San shook his head, "Langyue is dead; that is an unchangeable fact. I cannot revive her in the Lower Realm, but, I can guide her soul to the Divine Realm!"
"In the Divine Realm, reshaping a human form is not a difficult task! However..."
Tang Wulin pressed, "However, what?"
Tang San looked at him with a complex expression, "However, guiding a soul requires tremendous power, and the piece of my divine spirit I left in you is likely to be completely exhausted!"
"That is to say, I won't be able to offer you any help in the future!"
Tang Wulin's body trembled, and he clenched his fists, "Then how can I see you, Mother, and my sister again...?"
Tang San spoke gravely, "Reaching the Hundredth Level and becoming a God is the only way for you..."
...
Soon after, Tang Wulin, expressionless, returned to the top floor, "Dad, how are your injuries?"
Tang Ziran, with red eyes, said, "Thanks to the treatment from Saint Crown, I've made a full recovery, but Langyue, she..."
Tang Wulin, "Yes, as Elder Ya'li said, Mother has already..."
Tang Ziran closed his eyes in pain, "I see..."
As for Gu Yue and the others, seeing Tang Wulin's unnervingly calm demeanor, they couldn't help but say, "Wulin, are you okay? If you want to cry, just let it out. No one will laugh at you!"
"Yeah, Wulin, we know the pain of losing a loved one. You don't have to force yourself!"
"Wulin, we know this must be a tremendous blow to you, but you absolutely cannot let it drag you down!"
Tang Wulin glanced at everyone and said indifferently, "Don't worry, I'm fine! We've already cleared out the members of this Spirit Pagoda and the Holy Spirit Cult's Evil Soul Masters. It's time to return to the academy!"
Elder Ya'li and Yuan En Zhentian exchanged glances, with a somber look on their faces....
The former followed up, "Child, are you really okay? Your mood... it seems off!"
If not properly guided, it could potentially affect his future path!
Tang Wulin showed a smile, "Elder Ya'li, Elder Yuan'en, I've come to terms with it. No matter how much I grieve, Mother won't come back."
"I'd rather focus on my cultivation and slaughter more evil Soul Masters in the future, to avenge her!"
Ya'li watched him for a few seconds, "Child, it's good that you can think this way. If there's anything you can't come to terms with, you can come to me anytime!"
She too had lost someone dear to her and understood all too well how fragile his heart must be at this moment!
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