Afterwards, the challenge matter came to an end, and everyone returned to the front courtyard of the Hao Tian Fortress.
"Elders, regarding Xiao San's matter of recognizing ancestors and returning to the clan—"
Glancing at the still-unconscious Seventh Elder Tang Lie beside them, Tang Xiao looked at the pale-faced Second Elder Tang Bo and the remaining three elders with a smile.
Hearing this, the four exchanged glances, then nodded.
The third-generation chief disciple Tang Hu had been defeated by Tang San, proving that Tang San not only possessed tremendous potential but also considerable strength. Tang Yuehua had even more forcefully defeated two first-generation elders.
On the continent where strength was the standard, the Hao Tian Sect's old, middle, and young generations had all been defeated by this aunt and nephew with absolute strength. Plus, Tang San had the sect's strongest expert—his uncle Sect Master Tang Xiao—on his side. What reason did they have left to prevent Tang San from recognizing his ancestors and returning to the clan?
"Excellent! Yuehua, you prepare the ceremony for Xiao San to recognize his ancestors. It will be held early tomorrow morning!"
Tang Xiao nodded in satisfaction and said to Tang Yuehua.
"Yes, Sect Master!"
Tang Yuehua was overjoyed and responded immediately. She then hurriedly bowed to the several elders: "Thank you all elders for your understanding!"
Tang Bo: Dare I not understand? This old man still wants to live a few more years!
At this moment, Tang San stepped forward a few paces, bowed to the four elders, took out a long box from his storage soul tool, then raised the box high in his hands. He knelt on both knees before Tang Xiao and bowed, saying: "Sect Master, years ago when my father left the sect, he took two inheritance soul bones with him. This time, as Tang San returns to recognize his ancestors, my father ordered me to bring back these two inheritance soul bones as a sign of his repentance."
"!!!"
Instantly, Chu Chengzhou's eyes widened.
Could it be... Tang Hao, like in the original story, had cut off one leg and one arm, removing the Hao Tian Sect inheritance soul bones he had refined into his body years ago?
No, no—that couldn't be right. Although Tang Hao hadn't shown himself earlier, Chu Chengzhou could sense that Tang Hao's strength was still undoubtedly at Level 96 Titled Douluo. The two soul bones in Tang San's hands definitely weren't taken from Tang Hao's own body.
After all, Tang Hao didn't have his level of skill. Removing soul bones would definitely require cutting off hands and feet, causing a dramatic drop in soul power level to extract the soul bones.
Moreover, unlike the original story where Tang Hao was covered in old injuries, Tang San had long since healed Tang Hao's old wounds with the 100,000-year healing-type soul bone skill from his Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone: Wildfires Cannot Burn It All Away, Spring Breeze Blows and It Grows Again. Without the burden of old injuries, and with his good son Tang San not yet fully grown up, how could Tang Hao possibly be willing to mutilate himself?
Since these weren't the Hao Tian Sect's inheritance soul bones, then the origin of these two soul bones—
'Tsk~, my second brother-in-law really is a ruthless one!'
Chu Chengzhou secretly clicked his tongue.
Where did these two soul bones come from? Wasn't that obvious? They must have dropped from spirit beasts. After all, Tang Hao didn't lack such past records.
"What? Xiao San, then your father—"
Coincidentally, Tang Xiao's first reaction was similar to Chu Chengzhou's. He didn't focus on the matter of the two soul bones—instead, he immediately grabbed Tang San's shoulders anxiously and asked with a worried face.
Tang Xiao knew very well the price of forcibly removing one's own soul bones.
One must understand—his younger brother Tang Hao was one of the few strongest experts in the world, with strength surpassing even his elder brother Tang Xiao. Though the two inheritance soul bones were important, for the Hao Tian Sect, how could two mere inheritance soul bones compare to Tang Hao with all four limbs intact?
Not only Tang Xiao—even the four Hao Tian Sect elders' expressions changed drastically.
Though they held prejudice and hatred toward Tang Hao, it couldn't be denied that Tang Hao was an indispensable figure for restoring the Hao Tian Sect's glory.
As for Tang Hao having already been expelled from the sect and no longer being a member of the Hao Tian Sect?
That was merely words spoken for the Spirit Hall to hear. The connection of blood couldn't be so easily severed.
Alive, he was a person of the Hao Tian Sect; dead, he was still a ghost of the Hao Tian Sect!
As for Tang Yuehua—she didn't immediately think the worst. After all, earlier when returning to the sect, Chu Chengzhou had already told her about her second brother Tang Hao secretly following them. If Tang Hao had cut off his limbs to remove two inheritance soul bones and his strength had plummeted, Chu Chengzhou surely would have mentioned it to her.
Additionally, Tang Yuehua knew that her eldest nephew Tang San possessed four soul bones, and she also knew exactly where those three soul bones—his head, left arm, and right arm bones, which could be called inheritance soul bones—had come from, besides his mother's legacy Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone.
"Uncle, you misunderstood. These two soul bones are newly obtained by my father—one right arm bone and one left leg bone, both with cultivation years exceeding eighty thousand."
Tang San shook his head and explained.
"Phew~"
Hearing this, Tang Xiao let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, his younger brother hadn't done anything foolish—otherwise, the Hao Tian Sect would undoubtedly have been cutting off its own arm.
However, Tang Xiao immediately frowned again.
Although the Hao Tian Sect had sealed their mountain and retreated from the world, they weren't completely isolated from the outside. As early as two years ago, he had heard that his younger brother Tang Hao had acted inhumanely, opening a killing spree in the Star Dou Forest, slaughtering high-level spirit beasts, and even killing a Spirit Hall elder who had come to investigate.
Killing a Spirit Hall elder wasn't a problem—after all, the Spirit Hall was the Hao Tian Sect's enemy. Tang Xiao even hoped his younger brother would kill more of them.
But slaughtering high-level spirit beasts in the Star Dou Forest to obtain soul bones was no different from cutting off the foundation of the soul master world. After the incident, his younger brother Tang Hao could be said to have an infamous reputation in the soul master world.
Unexpectedly, now Tang Hao had done another big thing—two soul bones with cultivation years over eighty thousand. If calculated based on the one-thousandth drop rate for soul bones, wouldn't this require slaughtering over two thousand high-level spirit beasts of over eighty thousand years?
Thinking this way, Tang Xiao couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.
He hoped that when the sect announced its return to the world in the future, the Hao Tian Sect wouldn't face a joint punitive army formed by various powers from the mainland soul master world.
Actually, both Chu Chengzhou and Tang Xiao had misunderstood. What they failed to notice was that these two soul bones were both water-attribute soul bones.
Though Tang Hao was a ruthless person, he understood the principle that "a monk may run away, but the temple cannot." If he truly went too far, others couldn't find him, but they would definitely blame the Hao Tian Sect.
Thus, this time Tang Hao didn't go to the Star Dou Forest—he went to the sea instead. These two water-attribute soul bones with considerable cultivation years both came from sea spirit beasts that were practically abundant in the ocean.
Otherwise, if a large number of high-level spirit beasts in the Star Dou Forest had been slaughtered again, the soul master world would have been in an uproar long ago.
Taking the two soul bones, Tang Xiao patted Tang San's shoulder, pulled him up, then swept his gaze over the many Hao Tian Sect disciples present and announced loudly: "These two soul bones, this sect master will temporarily keep. In the future, when disciples make outstanding contributions to the sect, this sect master will bestow the soul bones upon them!"
Pausing for a moment, Tang Xiao turned to Tang San and said: "Tang San, I must make this clear in advance—you have no qualification to obtain these two soul bones. This is because these two soul bones are what your father owes the sect, and you should naturally contribute your own strength to the sect!"
"Yes, Sect Master! Tang San understands!"
Tang San stood straight as a rod, his face serious as he responded.
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