On the western edge of Holy Spirit Village, three dilapidated mudbrick houses stood silently.
In the center, above the middle house, hung an old, battered sign carved with a crude hammer.
Who would've thought that the once legendary Clear Sky Douluo—Tang Hao—would be reduced to a reclusive blacksmith in such a place?
Inside, Tang Hao swung a heavy hammer with one arm, forging a lump of iron the size of a human head. His movements were so fierce that the hammer trailed afterimages with every strike.
Clang! Clang! The sound of pounding metal seemed to make the entire house tremble.
Before long, that massive lump of iron had been forged down to the size of a man's palm.
Tang Hao's eyes gleamed with a cold, sharp light.
It seemed...
His Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique hadn't dulled after all!
Thinking of his son, Tang San—born with full innate soul power and a rare twin martial spirit—Tang Hao's chest surged with pride and ambition.
One day, he would lead his son to destroy the Spirit Hall, avenge Ah Yin's death, and return gloriously to the Clear Sky Sect.
Father and son, together, would restore the sect's former glory!
Of course, before Tang San awakened his martial spirit, Tang Hao had treated him coldly, almost like a stranger. When the boy was a baby, he barely fed him properly—porridge if lucky. Any money he earned went straight to buying wine. By the age of four, Tang San had to learn to cook just to avoid going hungry.
Even after learning that Tang San possessed full innate soul power with Blue Silver Grass as a martial spirit, Tang Hao had barely reacted—showing no intention of letting his son become a soul master.
Until—
Tang San said he had another martial spirit... the Clear Sky Hammer!
At that moment, Tang Hao embraced him tightly, choking with emotion. "My son! My good son!"
For a fallen noble of a sect, Tang Hao had dreamed day and night of returning to the Clear Sky Clan.
Now, Tang San had become his only hope—for revenge, for redemption.
And because of this son, Tang Hao, after years of decadence, had finally chosen to rise again.
It was time for the name Clear Sky Douluo to shine across the continent once more!
Just as Tang Hao was lost in his burning determination—
The forge fire beside him abruptly went out.
Tang Hao's eyes narrowed instantly, gaze piercing the horizon.
In that moment, he sensed it—a fierce, overwhelming fluctuation of soul power.
A Titled Douluo!
Without hesitation, his body tensed. He gripped the hammer tightly—his knuckles cracking like exploding beans.
Dormant soul power surged violently through his veins.
Tang Hao growled lowly, face darkening with rage.
"All these years… Spirit Hall's vermin still managed to find me!"
The words had barely left his mouth when Tang Hao vanished from sight—like a ghost melting into thin air.
High above Holy Spirit Village—
A woman stood in the sky, her figure proud and graceful, robes flowing like silk, eyes locked on Tang Hao below.
It was Bibi Dong.
Her expression shifted slightly at the sight of the disheveled man beneath her… then she let out a soft, mocking laugh.
"Who would've thought? The once-mighty Clear Sky Douluo... reduced to a filthy blacksmith."
Had it not been for the unusual presence of three children with innate full soul power in tiny Nuoding City, she never would have discovered Tang Hao's whereabouts.
"You…"
"Tang Hao," Bibi Dong said coldly, descending with queenly grace. "It's been a long time."
Tang Hao's gaze turned deadly sharp. "Bibi Dong…"
So, the one who came… was none other than Spirit Hall's new Supreme Pontiff!
But his face didn't waver.
So what if she was the Supreme Pontiff?
He, Tang Hao, had killed Spirit Hall one before!
Once she was dead, he'd take Xiao San and flee.
"There's no need for introductions," Bibi Dong interrupted, voice like cold jade. "You only need to know one thing—"
"I came here... to kill you!"
She raised her hand—and a terrifying aura erupted from her body.
Boom!
One by one, soul rings rose from beneath her feet, slowly but steadily—each one darker, heavier, more ominous than the last.
Yellow… Yellow… Purple… Purple… Black… Black… Black… Black… Red!
That final ring—a blood-red halo of power—cast a crimson glow across the sky.
Tang Hao's pupils shrank sharply.
A red ring?!
A 100,000-year soul ring!
---
Meanwhile, at the gates of Nuoding Academy—
A beautifully decorated carriage came to a gentle stop.
"We're here, children. Welcome to Nuoding Academy!" Qi Tian called out.
Qi Lin, Xiao Wu, and Qi Yue immediately leaped out.
Stretching his arms lazily, Qi Lin glanced up at the tall arched gates. "Alright, Dad. We'll handle things from here."
"Alright then," Qi Tian shrugged. If the kids wanted to go in alone, he was more than happy to let them.
What could possibly go wrong at the gates of an academy?
After watching Qi Tian depart, the three walked up to the two gate guards stationed at the entrance.
The guards didn't look pleased, and their expressions carried a faint air of impatience.
Qi Yue was so nervous he shivered—after all, he was just a normal six-year-old child.
But when the guards saw them up close, their attitudes shifted quickly.
They'd come from a luxurious carriage, and the two children at the front didn't look like commoners at all—neither in dress nor bearing.
The gatekeeper bent forward slightly with a polite smile. "You three must be this year's new students, right?"
Qi Lin nodded.
"Then please show me your Spirit Hall certifications," the guard continued. "We can't let anyone in without proper verification."
Qi Lin exchanged a glance with his companions and took out his proof. Xiao Wu and Qi Yue followed suit.
The guard's eyes fell on Qi Lin's certificate, and when he saw the words "Mutated Blue Silver Grass, Innate Soul Power: Level 10," his expression froze.
Blue Silver Grass… again?!
Just a while ago, he'd seen another kid with full innate power and Blue Silver Grass. Was today cursed?
His gaze toward Qi Lin cooled noticeably, but knowing the boy wasn't one to mess with, he simply muttered, "Alright, you're cleared."
He checked Xiao Wu and Qi Yue's next.
When he saw Xiao Wu was also listed as having full innate power, his eyes twitched with suspicion.
Did some noble families bribe Spirit Hall to fake these certificates?
And yet, deep down, he was just a little envious.
Clearly, he had mistaken Qi Lin for a young noble.
As for Qi Yue, with only Level 1 innate power and registered as a working student, the guard barely glanced at him before waving him through.
Once the three had passed, the guard resumed whistling, ready to greet the next batch of students.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu pouted and grumbled, "What was that guy's deal? At first he acted so fake and friendly, then suddenly like we owed him something."
"I really wanted to punch him in the face," she muttered.
Qi Lin chuckled, patting her head. "Xiao Wu, you're a girl. Don't be so aggressive all the time."
Xiao Wu lifted her chin proudly and huffed as if to say:
Not listening! Not listening!