"Father, have you really decided not to leave?" Tang San quickly pressed.
Tang Hao nodded, then turned his gaze toward Yu Xiaogang. "Master, these past years, I've troubled you with taking care of Xiao San."
Yu Xiaogang was visibly moved—after all, the other man was his idol. "Lord Hao Tian, there's no need for such formalities. Xiao San is my disciple, and teaching him cultivation is my duty."
"Teacher, you know my father?" Tang San's eyes widened in surprise as he couldn't help but ask.
Yu Xiaogang chuckled and explained, "After the first semester at Nuoding Academy ended, when you and Xiao Wu returned to your hometown, Lord Hao Tian came to see me. That's when I learned about your background."
"I see," Tang San muttered, feeling a mix of frustration and regret.
Back then, if he and Xiao Wu had returned to Holy Spirit Village a little later, they might have met his father at the academy.
Suddenly, Tang San recalled how Yu Xiaogang had addressed his father and couldn't help but ask, "Teacher, you call Father 'Lord'? Does that mean Father is…"
Yu Xiaogang smiled and confirmed, "That's right. Your father is the youngest Title Douluo on the continent, with the title Hao Tian."
"Title Douluo!" Tang San's eyes widened, his pupils trembling uncontrollably.
Growing up in Holy Spirit Village, he had always thought he was just the son of a blacksmith. Because of this, he had always felt inferior when facing nobles.
Now, he was being told that Tang Hao wasn't just an ordinary blacksmith but a Title Douluo?
How dare those lowly villagers in Holy Spirit Village treat his father with disrespect or use farming tools forged by him!
Didn't they fear death?
Before he could dwell on it further, Tang San eagerly wanted to learn more about Tang Hao.
Seeing his thoughts, Tang Hao shook his head and said, "Xiao San, your current strength is still too weak. It's not yet time for you to know about my affairs. When the time is right, I will tell you everything."
"But—"
"There's no 'but.'" Tang Hao interrupted firmly. "Don't reveal anything about me, and don't expose your Hao Tian Hammer martial soul. Xiao San, can you do that?"
Tang San nodded solemnly.
Yu Xiaogang let out a sigh of relief.
At least, with Tang Hao's words, Tang San wouldn't insist on cultivating the Hao Tian Hammer martial soul anymore.
"I'm here today because I have something important to tell you."
"For this Soul Masters Tournament, the Spirit Hall has put forward three spirit bones as rewards for the champion team. If possible, I hope you can secure all three spirit bones."
The mysterious black-robed figure who appeared in Balak City earlier was none other than Tang Hao.
However, his goal differed from Zhang Erhe's. Tang Hao intercepted a letter sent from the Spirit City to the Spirit Hall in Balak City, which contained details about the rewards for this Soul Masters Tournament.
Originally, Tang Hao hadn't planned to reveal himself at this time.
But seeing that Tang San lacked strong protectors by his side and that the finals of the tournament were to be held in Spirit City, Tang Hao felt it necessary to brief Tang San on certain matters beforehand to avoid falling into the Spirit Hall's trap.
"Three spirit bones!" Yu Xiaogang was initially shocked, then analyzed, "The Spirit Hall is certainly making a bold move this time. In my opinion, these three spirit bones are likely intended for the members of the Spirit Hall Academy team."
"Bibi Dong putting forward the spirit bones clearly shows their confidence that the Spirit Hall Academy team will win the championship."
The Tang family harbored deep enmity toward the Spirit Hall, so Tang Hao naturally hoped to deal a heavy blow to them through this tournament.
"Xiao San, based on your current strength, you have a chance to enter the top three. But whether you can win the championship depends on Master's tactical arrangements."
Tang Hao had left Tang San's side before the move from Shrek Academy to Tiandou City. He was unfamiliar with the inter-academy exchange tournament and the strength of the Seven Treasures team.
"Father, you're overestimating us," Tang San said with a bitter smile, then informed Tang Hao of the Seven Treasures team's true strength.
Not only the Seven Treasures team but also the Royal Battle and Heavenly Water teams were terrifyingly strong.
In the Tiandou City preliminary round, only five teams would advance.
The Seven Treasures team was guaranteed one spot.
Of the remaining four spots, they would have to defeat one of the Four Elements Academies to qualify.
Both Tang San and Yu Xiaogang felt that Shrek Academy's chances of advancing weren't good. If one or two dark horse teams emerged during the competition, Shrek Academy might not even make it out of the preliminaries.
"The Seven Treasures team? Is that the team formed by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?" Tang Hao asked in surprise.
Listening to Yu Xiaogang's explanation, he finally understood the situation.
Tang Hao and Ning Fengzhi were the same age, and decades ago, they used to play together. From that time, Tang Hao knew that Ning Fengzhi was a man of great talent.
The establishment of the Seven Treasures Academy by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was far from as simple as it appeared on the surface.
With Ning Fengzhi's ambition, the Seven Treasures Academy was like a cradle, continuously supplying talent to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
"Master, are you saying that you're completely no match for the Seven Treasures team?" Tang Hao couldn't help but ask.
His enemy was the Spirit Hall, and at this critical juncture, he couldn't afford to offend the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
If it were any other academy team, he might have been able to create some accidents, but the Seven Treasures team was untouchable.
If he and his son clashed head-on with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, where would they find the energy to deal with the Spirit Hall? Moreover, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect might even become allies on their path to revenge—it was absolutely crucial not to push them to the opposing side.
Yu Xiaogang objectively analyzed, "The Shrek team has never faced the Seven Treasures team directly. However, judging from the strength they displayed in the inter-academy exchange tournament, we are most likely no match for them."
He was deeply concerned about Ning Tianchen's fourth soul skill, which hadn't even been used during the academy exchange tournament. This was enough to show that the Seven Treasures team still had many hidden trump cards.
"Teacher, if I could use hidden weapons—"
Before Tang San could finish, Yu Xiaogang immediately cut him off. "I haven't yet told you about the rules of the Soul Masters Tournament. The tournament isn't like the Grand Spirit Arena—it has strict regulations and absolutely forbids the use of any weapons other than martial souls."
"Violators will be disqualified from this year's tournament."
Tang San fell silent.
Without hidden weapons, didn't that mean their chances of winning were even slimmer?
Tang Hao was deeply dissatisfied with this statement.
Yu Xiaogang, as a Great Soul Master, was entrusted with teaching Tang San because of his intelligence. If his abilities stopped here, Tang Hao wouldn't allow Tang San to remain under his tutelage.
Unconsciously, Yu Xiaogang clasped his hands behind his back, his eyes flashing with determination. "I've been researching a new tactic recently. If successful, our chances of victory will increase significantly."
"My research requires time, but it should be ready before the finals. Therefore, every match in the preliminary round is crucial for us. Advancing from the preliminaries is the top priority for the Shrek Seven Monsters."
Satisfied with the answer, Tang Hao nodded. "Master, the tournament arrangements are in your hands. Xiao San, go fetch Xiao Wu—I have something important to discuss with you both."
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