Early the next morning, a carriage left Yuexuan and headed for the east gate of Heaven Dou City.
"Xiao San, where's your father? Isn't he coming with us?"
Outside the east gate, helping the big sister down from the carriage, Chu Chengzhou asked Tang San.
"I don't know, but Father said before that he would go with me to the Haotian Sect."
Tang San shook his head.
To be honest, Tang San was nervous.
As the former number one sect under heaven, the Haotian Sect's strength was beyond doubt. Even forced into seclusion by Spirit Hall, it could not be underestimated.
According to his aunt, aside from his eldest uncle Tang Xiao, the sect still had several elders who had reached nine-ring Titled Douluo.
Tang San knew why his father Tang Hao had been expelled from the Haotian Sect. Returning to acknowledge his lineage this time would certainly involve the elders making things difficult.
He knew his own strength. His soul power had not yet reached six rings. Even counting his domain and soul bone, he could at most match an ordinary seven-ring Soul Sage.
His aunt had broken the shackles of her martial soul by taking immortal herbs, but it had not been long. Her strength was definitely still below his.
As for Chu Chengzhou, though he had heard that this old thief Chu had crushed the Star Luo Empire's evil plot and cut down multiple Titled Douluo, Tang San did not believe it.
He admitted old thief Chu was not weak, but cutting down multiple Titled Douluo was too ridiculous.
After all, it had been just over two years since the Soul Master Tournament, and back then old thief Chu's soul power had only been four rings, a Soul Sect.
In Tang San's view, the many experts from Star Luo who were wiped out were taken down by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong. Old thief Chu at most cheered from the sidelines.
Sword and Bone Douluo, famed across the soul master world, did not need empty fame, so they let old thief Chu take the credit.
The elders of the sect held deep prejudice against his father and son. Without the deterrence of his powerful father Tang Hao, if it was only him, his aunt, and old thief Chu going to the Haotian Sect, the odds of a smooth return were vanishingly small.
Thinking of this, Tang San clenched his fists.
Chu Chengzhou glanced at Tang San, raised his hand, and manifested the True Spirit Banner martial soul. Nine soul rings appeared: black, black, black, red, black, red, red, red, red.
"Hiss."
A sharp intake of breath sounded.
"One, two, three… seven, eight, nine—nine-ring Titled Douluo? Four black and five red?!"
Rubbing his eyes and counting carefully to confirm he had not misseen, Tang San exclaimed in disbelief.
"Making a fuss."
Seeing Tang San's shocked face, Chu Chengzhou spoke lightly.
Since condensing the yin-yang complementary triple soul cores and advancing to nine rings, his strength had skyrocketed. Chu Chengzhou no longer cared if others saw his soul ring configuration.
So long as the gods did not appear, there were few alive who could surpass him. Perhaps only the two half-divines Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi.
But Qian Daoliu was Qian Renxue's grandfather, and Bo Saixi was far away on Sea God Island and would not move against him. Chu Chengzhou was unconcerned about anyone learning his configuration and trying to harm him.
Going to the Haotian Sect today, his goal was to announce to his brother-in-law Tang Xiao and the sect that Tang Yuehua was his woman. Keeping a low profile would not do. He had to flex, lest anyone look down on him.
Of course, bringing his "good nephew" Tang San to acknowledge his lineage was also one of his aims. Tang Yuehua's goals were his goals. This was just along the way.
After the shock, Tang San turned to look at his aunt.
As if to say, did you know old thief Chu was this strong?
Tang Yuehua smiled and said nothing.
Though she was a bit surprised that Chu Chengzhou had already reached nine rings, in her view, this was only proper.
Things seem unbelievable only because one's knowledge is limited.
Even she had gone from a total waste to an eight-ring Soul Douluo with all-red rings in a few short months. Then Chu Chengzhou becoming a nine-ring Titled Douluo with four black and five red would not make her gasp.
Tang San: "…"
So I was the only one who thought old thief Chu was stronger than me, but only by so much?
At this moment, Tang San could not help doubting whether, even with twin martial souls, he could surpass old thief Chu in the future.
Even after attaching rings to his second martial soul, he did not dare guarantee that his Clear Sky Hammer's ring configuration would beat Chu Chengzhou's four black and five red.
For a while, Tang San fell silent.
Geniuses both. Why was this old thief so flashy?
He had seen the power of Chu Chengzhou's summoned spirits and knew they were no weaker than wild soul beasts of the same ring years.
Five hundred-thousand-year summoned spirits, including top-tier beasts like the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear and the Titan Giant Ape.
In other words, with those five hundred-thousand-year summoned spirits alone, old thief Chu could already rank among the continent's peak experts. Even his mighty father Tang Hao might not be his match.
Maybe I, Xiao San, should stop thinking about breaking my uncle-in-law's legs?
Damn it.
How did I, the pure and noble Tang San, ever entertain such an evil thought? That was so wrong.
My good uncle-in-law, you must forgive Xiao San.
Old thief Chu? No, no, no—this is my real uncle-in-law!
Thinking this, Tang San's gaze toward Chu Chengzhou changed.
Tang San: Hugging a thigh is fine.
Chu Chengzhou keenly noticed the change in Tang San's expression. A smile tugged at his lips, and he nodded inwardly, satisfied.
Everyone curses "Tang Buddha," but the current Tang San is not that "Tang Buddha." If he keeps behaving, and is filial later, then his uncle-in-law will not go for the knees.
In any case, soul masters cannot become gods. After hundreds of years, they are only a handful of yellow earth.
"All right, let's go."
Chu Chengzhou waved his hand. His ninth ring lit. As soul power surged, a Light Holy Dragon suffused with a faint golden glow and clad in pure white scales manifested in all its majesty. The summoned spirit Xiao Guang took shape.
Mm, Xiao Guang was the name Chu Chengzhou gave the Light Holy Dragon summoned spirit.
"This is… a Light Holy Dragon?"
Taking in the majestic Light Holy Dragon, Tang San could not help clicking his tongue.
The Light Holy Dragon was a light-attribute dragon soul beast with formidable strength. At a hundred thousand years, it could definitely match an ordinary rank 97 Titled Douluo.
My uncle-in-law is indeed incomparably powerful. Worthy of being Xiao San's real uncle-in-law.
T/N: For 40 chapters ahead on my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle