Even though Xiao Wu had something to disguise herself with, it was not enough to fool Tang Chen, who had been paying extra attention to her. With just one glance, Tang Chen saw through Xiao Wu's true form—a 100,000-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit.
In his eyes, Xiao Wu's body was encased in the shadow of a Soft Bone Rabbit, with an aura that seemed extremely weak. This indicated that, whether before or after her transformation into a human, this little rabbit's strength was pitifully poor.
Recalling his memories, Tang Chen remembered that when he was hunting for his ninth soul ring in the Star Dou Forest, he once encountered a rabbit at the level of a fierce beast.
Although the rabbit's strength was nothing remarkable—practically unworthy of its fierce beast status—it had an exceptional ability to escape. It had managed to slip away right under Tang Chen's nose.
At the time, Tang Chen knew his body couldn't endure the strain of a fierce beast's soul ring for his ninth ring, not even the weakest one. Thus, he didn't bother chasing after the rabbit any further and instead hunted a 100,000-year-old Titan Giant Ape to obtain his ninth soul ring.
Later, when he went hunting for soul bones, Tang Chen never saw that rabbit again. Losing the chance to acquire a 200,000-year-old soul bone left him with a lingering regret.
Now, Tang Chen noticed that this little rabbit's aura bore some resemblance to the fierce beast rabbit he had encountered in the past. Considering that rabbits were not particularly high-level soul beasts, Tang Chen suspected there might be a bloodline connection between the two.
However, Tang Chen couldn't be bothered to dwell on such matters.
To be honest, if it weren't for his great-grandson having the same peculiar taste as his unfilial grandson Tang Hao—falling for 100,000-year-old soul beasts in human form—Tang Chen would have crushed this little rabbit on the spot.
Tang Chen had always disliked soul beasts and looked down on those that took human form. Over the decades, after being controlled by the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King and failing the Divine Trial, falling from the path to godhood to become a mere High Priest, Tang Chen's attitude toward soul beasts had only worsened.
He wasn't the kind to randomly slaughter soul beasts in a fit of rage, but if any soul beast dared to cross his path—whether it was ten years, a hundred years, or even a hundred thousand years old—Tang Chen wouldn't hesitate to smash it to death.
"But," Tang Chen thought, "this brat Tang San also has half the bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor, which is a soul beast. If he has a child, wouldn't that make the human bloodline only one-quarter?"
"Even the scum of the Wolftaken—beasts among beasts—are only half-human and half-soul beast. Some second- or third-generation Wolftaken don't even have half soul beast blood. If my Clear Sky Clan's bloodline were to be tainted and produce a beast like a Wolftaken…"
The mere thought of a Wolftaken with his bloodline calling him "great-great-grandfather" made Tang Chen's Clear Sky Hammer itch to smash Xiao Wu to death on the spot.
Though he ultimately suppressed the urge, the thought remained a thorn in his heart.
As Tang Chen pondered this, Xiao Wu and Tang San embraced, while Dai Mubai, smiling as if basking in the sun, waved his arm in exaggerated motions. Meanwhile, the sly Huang Yuan peeked out of his room, secretly observing the scene in the courtyard.
Yu Xiaogang, who had been hiding inside, had overheard Tang San and Xiao Wu's conversation and, feeling emboldened, stuck his head out to watch. Upon seeing Tang Chen standing there, Yu Xiaogang's mind began racing as he recalled a rumor he had heard recently.
"Could this man be the legendary Clear Sky Douluo?"
As Yu Xiaogang speculated, a peculiar thought suddenly came to him.
"If Xiao San recognizes me as his adoptive father, doesn't that make me the adoptive grandson of this Clear Sky Douluo? For years, I've raised and guided Xiao San, even helping him choose his soul rings. Without me, there would be no Xiao San today. As an adoptive father, I've done my part admirably."
"Surely, someone like me, who has both contributed immensely and endured great hardships, will earn the respect of this legendary figure in the soul master world. Despite losing my soul power, my knowledge and brilliant mind remain intact. I'm still the unrivaled theorist of this era."
"Even if I still had soul power, this senior might not think much of me as a mere Soul Grandmaster. And my martial soul? He'd look down on it even more. But now, I'm a victim—someone who was framed, lost martial soul, and yet retains vast knowledge. As a true Master of theory…"
"Perhaps I can win this senior's favor?"
As Yu Xiaogang's mind raced with wild thoughts, he grew more and more confident.
Quietly brushing the dust off his clothes and straightening the wrinkles at his cuffs, Yu Xiaogang opened the door and walked out with an air of composure, as if everything were under his control. He saluted Tang Chen respectfully.
"Junior Yu Xiaogang greets Senior Tang Chen."
"Hm?" Tang Chen glanced at Yu Xiaogang and snorted in disdain.
"What, a eunuch like you wants to form ties with me?" Tang Chen said, then glanced at Dai Mubai.
"As expected of the Star Luo Empire's royal family—traveling with eunuchs. This is truly disgraceful."
Hearing this, Dai Mubai forced an awkward yet polite smile, not daring to retort, though his arm waved awkwardly in response. Yu Xiaogang, on the other hand, seemed to change faces like a chameleon, his complexion shifting between pale, flushed, dark, and ashen in rapid succession.
The sheer complexity of Yu Xiaogang's expressions momentarily caught Tang Chen's attention. He wondered if this useless man's martial soul was perhaps one of the legendary Body Martial Soul—a face.
"Senior, I am not a eunuch; I was framed…"
Yu Xiaogang began to explain, but upon realizing that Tang Chen wasn't paying attention, he reluctantly revealed what he didn't want to say.
"Senior, I am the son of Yu Yuanzhen, the patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and a renowned researcher of soul master theory. I have studied the clan's texts extensively and furthered my knowledge at Spirit Hall."
"So?" Tang Chen asked with disdain, unimpressed by Yu Xiaogang's self-proclaimed credentials.
"If Senior does not mind, I am willing to dedicate all my knowledge from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Spirit Hall to the Clear Sky Clan. All I ask is to be allowed to remain by my disciple Tang San's side, continuing to guide him."
"You?" Tang Chen, who had already heard from Tang San about how his bloodline had been tainted, looked at Yu Xiaogang with nothing but contempt. Initially, he planned to dismiss him outright. However, a sudden thought made him reconsider, and he decided to take Yu Xiaogang back to the Clear Sky Clan.