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Though Yu Xiaogang wanted to write a letter to his family to report the situation, he feared being caught by Tang Hao.
Yu Xiaogang was consumed by inner turmoil, constantly cursing Tang Hao in his mind.
But there was nothing he could do. In this altered version of the Douluo world crafted by Ye Wen, though the Hao Tian Sect remained secluded, its reputation had grown even more notorious. Any soul master faction associated with the Hao Tian Sect would inevitably face suppression from the Spirit Hall.
The only entities still secretly supporting the Hao Tian Sect's survival were the two great empires.
Meanwhile, Tang Yuehua was still toiling away in Tian Dou, teaching etiquette to nobles.
As the daughter of a Title Douluo, Tang Yuehua's situation was rather tragic.
But there was no helping it—Title Douluos still needed to eat. A group of men now relied on Tang Yuehua's innate talents to earn money for food.
Even so, the members of the Hao Tian Sect continued to look down on Tang Yuehua because she had never broken through the threshold of becoming a soul master. The weak had no voice within the sect.
However, Ye Wen had recently visited the Hao Tian Sect's hidden retreat. Originally reduced to just two Title Douluos, they had somehow gained three more initial Title Douluos in a short period, leaving them just three short of the eight Title Douluos that appeared in the original story.
The Asura God truly had no shame.
Where did the Hao Tian Sect find so many elder members with innate soul power above level eight to reach the Title Douluo rank so quickly? It was impossible to believe no one was secretly aiding them.
Returning to the matter at hand—
From the shadows, Tang Hao watched as Tang San entered the commoner dormitory and immediately asserted dominance over the lower-level soul masters. A proud smile spread across his face.
"Indeed, he is my son."
But suddenly, Tang Hao's eyebrows twitched. He sensed a faint, non-human soul power slowly approaching from nearby.
Having experienced the allure of soul beast women before, Tang Hao immediately understood what this soul power signified. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he leapt toward the source.
"Hahaha, heaven aids me! My son truly possesses extraordinary talent—he is the chosen one. Spirit Hall, your days are numbered!"
At the same time, outside Notting Academy, Ye Wen, hiding in the shadows, spotted a little girl dressed in short clothes with long braided pigtails happily walking toward the academy.
"So this is Xiao Wu? Truly a natural beauty. She's adorable even as a child—when she grows up, she'll surely be a heartbreaker. No wonder Tang San, that old man, developed impure thoughts about her. Still, I prefer the gentle type like Ah Yin."
However, Ye Wen soon noticed something unusual. As a god-level powerhouse, his perception was even sharper than Tang Hao's.
Gazing into the distance—
A stunning woman stood there, clad in a white feathered dress, her voluminous pink hair swaying gently in the wind.
"This is… Ah Rou?" Her appearance strongly resembled the mother of Xiao Wu as depicted in the manga adaptation.
She exuded both beauty and the elegance of a noblewoman, completely different from Ah Yin or Bo Sai Xi.
Yet despite her breathtaking presence, the people around her instinctively ignored her. With Ye Wen's sharp eye, he immediately recognized this as the result of Ah Rou's precise manipulation of spiritual energy, causing those around her to subconsciously overlook her existence.
"No wonder a ferocious beast with less than 200,000 years of cultivation could transform into human form. With such meticulous control over soul power, Ah Rou is clearly no ordinary character.
It's no surprise that in the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, where powerful bloodlines abound, so many rabbit-type soul beasts—despite being at the bottom of the food chain—managed to reach the level of hundred-thousand-year soul beasts."
Ye Wen then pondered why Ah Rou had appeared.
According to supplementary lore, Ah Rou had ventured deep into the true Lake of Life in search of her husband but was nearly beaten to death. By chance, she encountered Bibi Dong, whom she had met before, and in her dying moments, offered herself as a sacrifice to Bibi Dong, entrusting her daughter's care to her.
Xiao Wu, on the other hand, mistakenly believed that Bibi Dong had killed her mother. Thus, she resolved to transform into human form and rapidly cultivate her strength to one day seek revenge against Bibi Dong.
No—
I'll admit that Xiao Wu's 100,000 years of cultivation make her formidable, but Bibi Dong's twin martial souls are among the most supreme in existence.
Moreover, after transforming into human form, Xiao Wu indulged in laziness and frivolity, wandering aimlessly through human society. There was no trace of her desire to avenge her mother.
Never mind. Dwelling on the original story is meaningless. Ye Wen had already altered so much of this world since his arrival—it wouldn't hurt to tweak the fates of Xiao Wu and her mother further.
Still, it seemed an interesting show was about to unfold.
In the distance, Ah Rou's exquisite face suddenly shifted, her gaze locking onto the direction of Notting Academy. That was precisely where Tang Hao was hiding.
Though Tang Hao's combat prowess was formidable, his mastery of spiritual energy paled in comparison to Ah Rou's.
In the blink of an eye, Ah Rou launched her attack. Her long, graceful legs lashed out toward Tang Hao, who was concealed in the shadows.
The moment Ah Rou attacked, she fully exposed herself. Tang Hao also detected the presence of this powerful opponent, though he didn't immediately associate her with a transformed soul beast.
There was no time to summon their martial souls—they engaged in pure physical combat.
Tang Hao, caught off guard, was kicked hard and sent flying into the distant sky.
Ah Rou cast a worried glance at Xiao Wu and transmitted a message: "Run! There's a Title Douluo here—I'll hold him off!"
With that, Ah Rou moved forward to tangle with Tang Hao, striving to keep him as far away from Xiao Wu as possible.
The battle unfolded so swiftly that the people of Notting City barely had time to react. They felt a gust of wind rush past, saw nothing amiss, and returned to their daily lives.
By now, Xiao Wu had lost all traces of her earlier cheerfulness. Her face pale, she turned to flee.
From the shadows, Ye Wen wore a peculiar expression.
"The two trailing parents have clashed. It seems Tang San, you're destined to never be with Xiao Wu in this lifetime—it's not my fault."
Ye Wen paid no heed to the battle between Tang Hao and Ah Rou, dismissing it as mere child's play. Instead, he idly shifted the blame onto others in his mind.
However, with a 100,000-year soul beast right under his nose, there was no way he could let her escape.
Xiao Wu, rushing to flee, suddenly felt darkness envelop her as she collided with a towering figure.
"Ouch! Who's there? Can't you watch where you're going?"
The impact left Xiao Wu dazed, her nose throbbing painfully. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up at Ye Wen.
Ye Wen smiled faintly. By now, they had already vanished from the sight of the surrounding crowd.
"Hello there, Miss Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Boned Rabbit."
Though his tone was gentle, Xiao Wu felt as though she had fallen into an icy abyss.
Ye Wen harbored no guilt for intimidating a young girl. After all, the mischievous Xiao Wu of the original story was entirely spoiled by Tang San.
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