Gengxing City, headquarters of the Blacksmiths' Association.
Tang San's eyes were filled with disbelief at this moment. His father was actually the greatest genius in the history of the Clear Sky Sect, the youngest Title Douluo on the entire continent?
Tang San could hardly imagine it. That old man who only knew how to drink and forge iron was actually one of the most powerful people on the continent.
Now that Tang San had almost reached the level of a Soul King, he deeply understood how powerful a soul master could be. A Title Douluo was one of the absolute top existences in this world, and his own father was one of them?
But why had his father hidden this from him?
Tang San looked at his blacksmith master, Lou Gao, still digesting everything the old man had just told him.
When Tang San first realized that he was being followed, he became highly alert. After confirming that the people trailing him were from the Spirit Hall, he carefully weighed the pros and cons and decided to tell Lou Gao about it to seek protection.
For Tang San at this point, facing a group of Soul Emperors who were likely above level sixty, he stood almost no chance of winning. His best option was to seek external help.
However, Gengxing City was far from Star Luo City. Although he wanted to find Dai Mubai for protection, that wasn't possible in the short term, so he finally decided to tell Lou Gao.
But when Tang San told him everything, Lou Gao only burst into hearty laughter. Tang San was puzzled by this reaction until Lou Gao revealed his father's true identity.
It turned out that his father, Tang Hao, was the youngest Title Douluo in the soul master world and one of the three Grand Smiths of the Blacksmiths' Association, known for his unparalleled forging skill.
And not only Tang Hao , even Tai Long's grandfather, Titan, the chief of the Strength Clan, was also one of the association's Grand Smiths. According to Lou Gao, Tang Hao and Titan's relationship, or rather the relationship between Tang Hao and the Strength Clan, was extraordinary.
That was why Lou Gao had laughed after hearing Tang San's story. The Blacksmiths' Association might not dare provoke the Spirit Hall, but Tang Hao certainly would not fear them.
What puzzled Lou Gao, however, was that Tang Hao clearly did not want Tang San to know his true identity. That was why Lou Gao had remained silent when he first saw Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer and realized who his father was.
But now that the Spirit Hall had begun to target Tang San and might even take action against him, Lou Gao decided to reveal the truth about Tang San's father to ease the boy's mind.
In short, Lou Gao's advice was simple: even if Tang San couldn't find his father right now, he only needed to go to the Strength Clan, and everything would be resolved.
After much hesitation, Tang San decided to leave secretly that night with Xiao Wu to seek refuge at the Strength Clan's residence in Heaven Dou City and to ask Titan about his father.
Lou Gao agreed to help him escape through one of his private routes. Even if the Spirit Hall discovered Tang San's disappearance, he would have at least one or two days' lead.
As long as he escaped their line of sight, with his and Xiao Wu's near-fiftieth-level strength, returning safely to Heaven Dou City should not be too difficult.
At the Strength Clan's mansion, Tang Hao sat cross-legged, regulating his breath. His condition was still poor. Although he had narrowly defeated Qian Xunji and the two Title Douluo, Chrysanthemum and Ghost, the battle had left him with severe injuries.
If not for Ah Yin's sacrifice, which had granted him immense life force, he might have long been dead instead of having reached level ninety-five.
Feeling the sluggish flow of energy through his meridians, Tang Hao clenched his fists. At last, there was hope for his recovery, because Tang Yuehua had found traces of the Nine-Heart Begonia Clan.
If anyone in this world could heal his wounds, it would be them.
There had always been a rumor in the soul master world: among support-type spirits, the strongest was not actually the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda but the Nine-Heart Begonia.
However, the Nine-Heart Begonia had an innate limitation , only two individuals possessing the spirit could exist in the world at the same time. Because of this, their clan had never been able to grow large and rarely appeared in public.
Meanwhile, there were many members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, which made them the recognized top support clan in the open.
In truth, the Nine-Heart Begonia was considered the strongest healing-type spirit, capable of miraculous group healing rather than combat support.
It was said that a Nine-Heart Begonia user at the Title Douluo level could even bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones. But since there were never more than two of them alive at a time, their clan could never expand.
Now that Tang Hao had located traces of their family, he would go no matter what. As a level-ninety-five Title Douluo, he believed they would at least grant him an audience.
After tidying himself up and giving Titan some instructions, Tang Hao set out alone.
Half a month later, he arrived at the Jingyang Mountain Range in the Star Luo Empire. Several small towns lay at its base, but there were no cities here; most of the residents made their living by gathering medicinal herbs.
Tang Hao's arrival went mostly unnoticed since many merchants came to these towns to buy herbs.
Using his powerful spiritual sense, Tang Hao located the closest town to the mountains , Jingyang Town.
As he entered the town, the air was filled with the fragrance of herbs, which gave him hope. He wandered casually through the streets, his eyes and spiritual sense scanning every corner.
Soon, he locked onto a large mansion with a plaque above the gate reading "Ye Family."
Without hesitation, Tang Hao walked up and knocked on the closed doors. A voice soon called out from within, "Coming!"
A middle-aged man dressed as a steward opened the gate. One glance was enough for Tang Hao to see that the man was a Soul King-level expert.
The steward, however, could not see through Tang Hao's strength. The man's plain clothes and black cloak made him look more like a mercenary than a noble guest. Still, the steward politely asked, "May I ask who you are?"
Tang Hao thought for a moment and said, "I am Tang Hao, the Clear Sky Douluo. I have come to see Patriarch Ye."
He did not use the name of the Clear Sky Sect, for he had been expelled long ago and had no right to claim that title.
But the Title Douluo rank was still his to bear, and that alone commanded great respect.
No matter how secluded the Ye family was, they would surely give face to a Title Douluo.
Moreover, the Nine-Heart Begonia Clan was not entirely hidden from the world; otherwise, Tang Yuehua would not have found news of them. They still occasionally treated people in secret, earning a good reputation as skilled healers, though few knew their true identity.
When the steward heard the words "Clear Sky Douluo," his eyes widened. In his mind, a Title Douluo should be awe-inspiring and godlike , how could one look so ordinary?
Still, he dared not question it. No one would be foolish enough to impersonate a Title Douluo. He immediately smiled respectfully. "So it is the honored Clear Sky Douluo. My apologies for not welcoming you sooner."
He led Tang Hao inside. "Please, this way, Your Excellency."
Tang Hao remained expressionless as he followed. The steward asked politely, "May I ask what brings Your Excellency here?"
Tang Hao answered directly, "I have come to ask Patriarch Ye for help with something important."
Before he could finish, the steward suddenly froze, turning awkwardly to face Tang Hao. He seemed nervous, unsure of how to respond.
Tang Hao frowned. "Is Patriarch Ye not here?"
The steward apologized, "As you may have sensed, apart from me and a few guards, this mansion is empty."
Hearing this, Tang Hao finally used his spiritual sense to probe the area. Earlier, he had refrained from doing so out of courtesy, since he was asking for help.
Now, sensing no other soul masters besides the steward, his heart sank. Could the Nine-Heart Begonia Clan have gone into seclusion again?
It was possible. With the continent in turmoil, retreating into hiding was a reasonable decision for them.
Still, since he had come all this way, Tang Hao could not give up easily.
He asked, "Steward, did Patriarch Ye take the clan into seclusion?"
The steward shook his head. "If you came for herbs, we can arrange that, but I cannot answer that question."
Tang Hao frowned. "Why not? I truly have an urgent matter and would not have come otherwise. You need not tell me where they have gone , only help me pass a message."
The steward sighed helplessly. "Your Excellency, to be honest, the master and the clan left half a month ago. I don't know where they went , the patriarch specifically avoided revealing it. I suspect they've gone into seclusion again, as is their tradition."
Tang Hao nodded slightly in understanding. But if they had left, who managed their properties and herb fields?
Before he could ask, the steward explained, "I'm currently in charge of the family estate. Each year, the income is secretly sent to a restaurant in Jingyang Town, where someone collects it anonymously. I never know which day they'll come. If you truly need to see them, your best chance would be to wait there around this time next year."
He bowed apologetically. "That's all I can tell you, Your Excellency. Please forgive me."
Tang Hao felt his heart sink. He could not blame the steward , the man had told him everything he knew, even a family secret.
But Tang Hao couldn't help feeling regretful. If he had come just half a month earlier, he might have met them.
As he stood there in frustration, the steward suddenly recalled something. "Ah, Your Excellency, before the patriarch left, two visitors came to see him. They were the last to meet him. If you can find them, perhaps you could learn something."
Tang Hao's eyes lit up. "Do you know who they were?"
The steward thought for a moment. "They seemed to be from the Sword Sect. I don't know more than that , I'm only a servant."
At the mention of the Sword Sect, Tang Hao's spirits lifted. If someone from there had met Patriarch Ye, they might know his whereabouts.
He pulled a gold bar from his soul tool and pressed it into the steward's hands. "Thank you."
Without another word, Tang Hao vanished from sight, his Title Douluo speed at full force toward Morley City in the Heaven Dou Empire.
The steward blinked , Tang Hao had disappeared in an instant. Only then did he realize that the man was truly the Clear Sky Douluo.
He sighed. "I should have asked for his autograph. After all, he reached the Title Douluo level at only forty-four years old!"
...…
In Sunset Forest, a girl around eighteen or nineteen held the arm of a graceful woman and frowned at the vast poison formation before them that covered several mountains. "Grandmother, do you really think the legendary Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well is inside there?"
The woman smiled and patted the girl's head. "If he could offer that pill, then whether it's there or not, it's worth our while."
Follow me on my patreon for 60 Advanced chapters and 3 chapter daily updates pat*eon.com/GodofTranslation889