Douro Continent

Chapter 322 The Reason for Tang Hao's Retirement (Part 1)

Ning Fengzhi led Tang San to a teahouse, where they met a young man.

The young man's gaze shifted to Tang San. "This must be Brother Tang San, whom Uncle Ning speaks so highly of."

"I dare not accept such praise." Tang San nodded slightly to the young man.

Ning Fengzhi smiled and said, "Let me introduce you. Xiao San, this is His Highness Xue Qinghe, the Crown Prince of the Tiandou Empire."

Tang San was startled and immediately understood why he felt a sense of familiarity with the young man in front of him. Indeed, his appearance was somewhat similar to that of Emperor Xue Ye, the Fourth Prince Xue Beng who had caused trouble for Shrek Academy, and Prince Xue Xing.

"So it's Your Highness the Crown Prince. Tang San greets you." Tang San bowed slightly, speaking neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Xue Qinghe exclaimed, "If Uncle Ning hadn't told me, I would have found it hard to believe you're only fourteen. Back when I was fourteen, I was just an ignorant boy. It's a pleasure to meet you. If you don't mind, please call me Brother Xue. As for the title 'Crown Prince,' let's not mention it."

From the other party's words and actions, Tang San couldn't help but be greatly surprised. Were he and that Snow Blowout Prince really born of the same father? How could they be so different? Tang San had lived two lives, and from Ning Fengzhi's introduction and the identity of the Crown Prince before him, he had already guessed some things. This Crown Prince should have already gained the support of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Recalling that Emperor Snow Night was already quite old... Could it be that a power struggle was about to erupt within the Heaven Dou Empire?

Ning Fengzhi said from the side, "Alright, let's sit down and talk. The green tea here is quite good. Xiao San, you should try some too."

The three took their seats as host and guest, and Xue Qinghe personally poured fragrant tea for Ning Fengzhi and Tang San. Even without tasting it, the aroma alone was refreshing and soothing. Combined with the room's antique furnishings, it was easy to feel relaxed and at ease.

Tang San said, "Brother Xue, I heard from Uncle Ning that you know something about my father's retirement."

Xue Qinghe nodded and said, "Actually, I don't know everything. I only heard it from a court official. Your father has always been an idol of mine, so I inquired about him more back then. According to what I've learned, your father's decision to withdraw from the Soul Master world and disappear without a trace seems to be related to the Spirit Hall."

"Oh? Brother Xue, could you be more specific?" Tang San asked anxiously. According to Titan, the patriarch of the Power Clan, and Ning Fengzhi, his father was a descendant of the Clear Sky Sect, ranked first among the seven major sects, and one of the current two Clear Sky Douluo. With such a prestigious status, how could his father have fallen to the level of a blacksmith who could only drink some turbid wine? The reason behind this was something Tang San had always wanted to know.

Xue Qinghe didn't keep him in suspense. He nodded and said, "The information I received is this: About fifteen years ago, according to the timeline, you probably weren't even born yet. The Spirit Hall seemed to be searching for something. That thing was extremely important to the entire Spirit Hall. Therefore, the Spirit Hall dispatched a powerful force to search everywhere. Not only were the four Platinum Bishops involved, but even the Pope at the time and his two personal guards were mobilized. The person who gave me the information didn't know exactly what they were looking for. But judging from the fact that the Spirit Hall's top brass mobilized so much, it must be something extremely important."

"And this item seems to be in your father's possession. At that time, your father was not in the Clear Sky Sect; he was probably traveling around the continent with your mother. Encountering this sudden event must have been very difficult for him. No one knows the specifics of his negotiations with the Spirit Hall. We only heard that your father announced his departure from the Clear Sky Sect not long afterward. At that time, your father was still a Soul Douluo, not yet a Title Douluo."

"Not long after, news spread that your father had fought a duel with the Spirit Hall somewhere and was wounded. It seems they didn't manage to obtain that item. It was during that battle that news spread that your father had become a Title Douluo. The Spirit Hall itself acknowledged this fact, which is why it's said that your father became the youngest Title Douluo in the world."

Hearing this, Tang San couldn't help but ask, "What about my mother?"

Xue Qinghe shook his head and said, "My information didn't include anything about your mother. It's just that less than a month after that battle, the Spirit Hall suddenly announced the Pope's death and the succession of a new Pope. So, the person who gave me the information judged that the former Pope was likely severely injured in his battle with your father, which is why he died not long after. Your father also chose to go into seclusion for this reason. Although he had left the Clear Sky Sect, he was still one of the most important members of the Clear Sky Sect's direct lineage. His retirement was probably to avoid implicating the sect. After all, the Spirit Hall's strength was too great, even comparable to the two great empires, and not something a single sect could contend with. Not even the number one sect in the world could. It was from that time that the Clear Sky Sect gradually faded from people's sight and rarely appeared in the spirit master world."

Ning Fengzhi interjected, "If this is true, then the most important questions are what exactly the Spirit Hall was fighting over, and the true circumstances of that battle. Only those directly involved would likely know the answers. However, one thing is certain: your father's retirement was closely related to that battle."

Tang San nodded silently. Although Xue Qinghe's words differed slightly from his guess, they were extremely reasonable. In the Douluo Continent, only the Spirit Hall possessed the power to force a Title Douluo into retirement and the number one sect into semi-retirement. If his father had indeed killed the Pope, then the enmity between him and the Spirit Hall would be considerable. To avoid implicating his sect and to evade pursuit, it was understandable that he would take Tang San to live in seclusion in a small mountain village.

However, Xue Qinghe's mother doesn't appear in his entire story. Could it be that his mother was killed by the Spirit Hall during that battle?

Unconsciously, Tang San's fists clenched tighter. Although he had no emotional connection with his mother in this life, this body was, after all, given to him by her. Her and his father's blood flowed through his veins. The hatred for one's parents was irreconcilable. If it truly was the Spirit Hall's doing... then...

Thinking of this, Tang San's eyes uncontrollably revealed a chilling light.

Xue Qinghe said, "That's all I know. I'm really sorry. I've already had someone investigate this matter. But more than ten years have passed, so I'm afraid it will be difficult to get any results."

"Thank you for the information, Brother Xue. Knowing this is already very useful to me." Tang San's expression quickly returned to normal.

Xue Qinghe smiled slightly and said, "Brother Tang, you don't need to be so polite. It was just a small favor."

After finishing their business, the three chatted over tea. Tang San discovered that Xue Qinghe was not only very talkative but also knowledgeable, exuding a calm and magnanimous air. Throughout their conversation, he never mentioned recruiting anyone. Tang San observed carefully and realized that this man was very open-minded, quite unlike the Avalanche Prince and the Snow Star Prince he had met before.

"Brother Tang, why don't we have lunch together?" Xue Qinghe suggested.

Tang San shook his head and said, "No, I'd better go back to the academy."

Xue Qinghe smiled slightly, took out a gold medal from his pocket and handed it over. The gold medal had a simple design, but it contained a special energy flow, and the character "天" (heaven) was engraved on it.

"Since that's the case, I won't keep you any longer. Take this token; if you ever need anything, feel free to bring it to the palace to find me."

Looking at the gold medal in front of him, Tang San hesitated for a moment. Ning Fengzhi, who was beside him, smiled and said, "Qinghe has no other intentions, so you can take it. This medal is just Qinghe's personal symbol and has no other purpose."

Hearing Ning Fengzhi say this, Tang San couldn't refuse, so he picked up the heavy gold medal and put it into his Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon.

Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi personally escorted Tang San to the entrance of the teahouse. Tang San bid farewell to the two of them and returned to Shrek Academy.

Watching Tang San's figure gradually disappear into the distance, Xue Qinghe exclaimed, "Teacher, you're right. He really doesn't seem like a child who's only a teenager. Not only does he know how to hide his thoughts, but his speech and behavior are also very composed. He truly deserves to be a disciple of the Clear Sky Sect."

Ning Fengzhi smiled slightly and said, "This child's excellence is not a gift from the Clear Sky Sect; it's entirely due to his own abilities. Even I can't foresee his future. If it were any other Soul Master, with only Blue Silver Grass as their Martial Soul, it would be difficult for them to achieve anything, but he's different. At such a young age, he has not only reached level forty, but the strength he has shown is in no way inferior to a level forty Soul Master with a top-tier Martial Soul. If he can resolve the major problem of the backlash from twin Martial Souls in the future, this child will definitely become a powerful figure on the continent, and may even surpass his father."

Xue Qinghe nodded in deep agreement. "I will investigate the matter of Haotian Douluo's withdrawal from the Spirit World as soon as possible, and hopefully find accurate information soon. As for Tang San, I will try my best to maintain a good relationship with him. Although he is outstanding, he is still too young."

(End of this chapter)