In reality, Tang Hao learned that his home had been robbed even earlier than Lin Yang had expected.
In a mountain range not far outside Holy Soul Village, what should have been a beautiful mountain valley had now become a pile of ruins.
Above the ruins, Tang Hao's stubbled face was covered in dark clouds, filled with anger and killing intent.
He had been in this state for more than half a month.
Half a month ago, Tang Hao had come from Nuoding City to this valley, intending to talk to Ah Yin. The sight inside the cave had struck him like lightning.
Gone!
Everything was gone!
The valley was still the same valley, and the stone cave was still the same stone cave.
Even the pile of earth in the center of the cave… was the one he had personally piled up back then.
But his wife Ah Yin, and the hundred-thousand-year right leg bone he had left behind, were all gone. There was only an empty stone cave and an empty… lead box.
At that moment, Tang Hao had been consumed by rage. Ignoring the backlash from his old injuries, he had smashed the entire valley into pieces.
Fortunately, Tang Hao was ultimately the Clear Sky Douluo. His breadth of mind was extraordinary. In just half a month, he had forced himself to accept it:
He still had his son. Xiao San was the hope he carried everything on.
What was one right soul bone? The most important thing was still the Blue Silver King that could help Tang San awaken his second martial soul.
As long as the Blue Silver King was still there, Xiao San's Blue Silver Grass would definitely awaken into the Blue Silver Emperor.
A soul bone was merely the icing on the cake.
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Tang Hao didn't bother with anything else and headed straight for the forest where the Blue Silver King was located.
On the way there, his heart was filled with anxiety, truly afraid that the Blue Silver King had also been dug up.
Fortunately, the Blue Silver King was still there. Everything remained unchanged.
"Thank goodness… thank goodness…"
Tang Hao breathed a sigh of relief, but then thought of the lost soul bone and Ah Yin. His heart ached terribly, and killing intent surged in his chest.
"Don't let me find you, or… I will make you regret ever coming into this world!"
...
Heaven Dou City, Butterfly House.
Lin Yang placed the letter he had written along with the newly developed body-forging potion into the box on Ah Da's back and had it delivered to Xiao Wu.
He had no idea that Tang Hao wanted to eat him alive.
Even if he knew, he wouldn't care. The soul bone had already been used, and Ah Yin had completely taken his shape.
Was he supposed to return it?
Then what would that make Tang Hao?
The previous husband's…?
Ugh~ Too evil.
After handling some trivial matters, Lin Yang looked out the window. The midday sun was just right, warm on the body.
He stretched lazily, and his bones let out a series of crisp "crack" sounds.
At this moment, Lin Yang recalled Xiao Wu mentioning her battle record at the Great Soul Arena in her letter.
Although she had only written a few sentences, he could imagine how difficult the process had been.
This made him feel an itch in his heart that was hard to endure.
For the past few months, he had been cooped up in Butterfly House.
Either cultivating, treating patients, or shutting himself in the laboratory to tinker with herbs.
Other than the two soul masters who had delivered themselves to his door, it seemed like a long time since he had taken action.
He touched the storage bracelet. The mask representing "Blade Demon" was still quietly lying inside.
The corners of Lin Yang's mouth lifted. It was time to stretch his muscles.
Lin Yang had always been a man of action. Without much hesitation, he headed alone to the Great Soul Arena.
The Great Soul Arena in Heaven Dou City was even more luxurious than the one in Suotuo City.
Magnificent crystal chandeliers hung from the dome, illuminating the entire space as bright as daylight.
Inside, it was impossible to tell whether it was day or night.
There were more than forty reception windows around, each with lines of people of all kinds.
Some were there to participate in soul fights, others to watch the matches.
Lin Yang scanned around and walked toward the line with the fewest people.
The queue moved quickly. In just a few minutes, it was Lin Yang's turn.
Behind the window was a young woman in uniform, wearing a standard smile that couldn't be faulted.
"Are you here to compete or to watch?"
Lin Yang took out his silver soul fight badge and placed it on the table. "Compete!"
The staff nodded, scanned the badge on a machine, and said,
"You hold a silver soul fight badge. We will arrange a match for you as soon as possible. In Heaven Dou City, points start from zero."
Lin Yang acknowledged that he understood.
All Great Soul Arena soul fight badges were universal.
However, points were calculated separately by each arena. No matter how many points you accumulated in Suotuo City, you had to start over in Heaven Dou City.
Simply put, the badge was just an identity credential. What truly determined your opponents was the points you earned in that particular arena.
For example, the silver soul fight badge in his hand had already accumulated enough points in Suotuo City to promote to gold, but once he changed locations, no one recognized the old record.
None of that mattered, though.
He was a three-ring soul master. No matter how he was matched, his opponents would at least be of the same level.
After completing the simple registration, the staff returned the badge to Lin Yang.
"Wish you a victorious start!"
Lin Yang nodded, took the badge, and turned toward the resting area. All that was left now was to wait…
It was worth mentioning that the Great Soul Arena in Heaven Dou City did not have separate life-or-death and sparring zones.
In other words, the entire arena only had a sparring zone. Fights could only go until one side yielded. Killing was strictly forbidden.
The reason was something Lin Yang could guess with the back of his head.
Heaven Dou City was the foundation of the Heaven Dou imperial family. Throw a brick anywhere and you could hit several noble descendants.
If they opened a life-or-death zone and one day some duke's son or prince was beaten to death on the stage, who would be held accountable?
The Great Soul Arena wasn't afraid, but it didn't want unnecessary trouble either. They simply made everything a sparring zone.
It saved worry and trouble.
At the same time, in the VIP resting area of the sub-arena, two men and two women were sitting on wide, soft sofas.
One of the men was in his thirties. Although dressed simply, he had an extraordinary bearing. The other man and two women looked to be in their teens.
"Yanzi, be more careful with your strikes next time."
Qin Ming looked at Dugu Yan with a stern face and serious tone.
"You've nearly killed someone several times in a row. The people from the Great Soul Arena have already complained to me multiple times."
The charming-looking Dugu Yan smiled faintly.
"Teacher Qin, you can't blame me entirely. You know that the poison in my body sometimes even I can't control. You can't expect me not to use my soul skills."
"That's right, Teacher Qin," the tall young man beside Dugu Yan said with a cold and arrogant expression, picking up the conversation.
"We're here for actual combat. If we can't even use soul skills, then what's the point of actual combat? If anyone is to blame, it's them for being inferior."
Qin Ming looked at the two of them echoing each other and felt a headache even with his experience.
Dugu Yan, Yu Tianheng, and the always silent Ye Lingling were the "seeds" he had personally selected. They were the absolute core for the future Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Competition.
Their martial souls and cultivation talents were naturally excellent.
But geniuses tended to be arrogant. Moreover, the three of them didn't come from ordinary backgrounds.
One was a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one was the granddaughter of the Poison Douluo, and even Ye Lingling, who fit in the least, had an unusual identity.
When these people gathered together, even he sometimes felt powerless.
At this moment, Yu Tianheng suddenly said,
"Teacher Qin, at the two-ring level, Yanzi and I basically can't find any opponents. Can you let me try challenging a three-ring Soul Venerable?"
Qin Ming's mind stirred. He thought for a moment.
With Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan's strength, ordinary two-ring soul masters couldn't even warm them up. Their power was already not inferior to average Soul Venerables.
Fighting against Soul Venerables might allow these little fellows to truly recognize their own strength.
"Alright, I'll arrange it," Qin Ming nodded, but then warned,
"However, remember that you are still young. The future is your stage. Don't act recklessly for a moment of glory."
"Understood, Teacher Qin!"