Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Tang Yuehua, holding the jade box, walked back to Tang Hao and handed it to him.

"Second brother, this is the elixir."

Tang Hao took the jade box; it felt slightly heavy in his hand.

He opened the box and glanced inside. Inside were several jade bottles neatly arranged, which were his initial targets for this trip. He closed the lid, put the jade box away, and his gaze towards Tang Yuehua softened slightly, carrying a hint of gratitude and apology.

"Yuehua, you've had a tough time these past few days."

This expression of gratitude made Tang Yuehua unable to contain her emotions any longer.

She abruptly turned her head away, not wanting Tang Hao to see her in such a disheveled state, her voice choked with suppressed sobs: "What do you mean by hardship? You're my second brother."

Tang Hao looked at her slightly trembling shoulders and felt a mix of emotions.

Chapter 178 The goal is set for a thousand years.

Tang Hao wasn't heartless; he had seen Tang Yuehua's devoted care and worry these past few days. But he carried too much on his shoulders, too heavy a burden, making it impossible for him to stop or give her more in return.

He remained silent for a moment, but eventually hardened his heart.

"I'm leaving." He said succinctly, without lingering, and turned to walk towards the terrace.

"Second Brother!" Tang Yuehua turned around abruptly, her eyes blurry with tears as she watched his departing figure, and called out instinctively.

Tang Hao stopped at the edge of the terrace, but did not turn around.

"Take care." A thousand words choked in Tang Yuehua's throat, but in the end, they all boiled down to these two. She knew she couldn't keep him.

Tang Hao's figure paused slightly, and then, like a wisp of smoke, he silently merged into the night and disappeared.

……

Notting City, Notting Junior Soul Master Academy.

As evening fell, Cinderella, having finished her classes, walked alone toward the work-study dormitory.

Tang San went to the blacksmith shop in the afternoon, saying he needed to process a batch of newly arrived metal materials and would be back later.

As she walked, she checked her system panel in her mind. The increase in reputation points was still slow, which made her somewhat anxious.

Although life in Nottingham is relatively stable now, Cinderella knows the importance of strength, especially after Tang Hao left, this sense of unease has become even stronger.

We must find a way to gain reputation points faster and exchange them for resources in the system in order to better establish ourselves in this world.

As she was pondering, she unknowingly walked onto a relatively quiet path near the dormitory area.

Just then, an indescribable aura, carrying a faint smell of blood and a sense of oppression, appeared without warning not far in front of her.

Cinderella felt a chill run down her spine and abruptly looked up.

In the shadows around the corner of the path ahead, a tall figure stood quietly, seemingly out of nowhere.

The man was dressed in a long, black robe, his hat almost completely obscuring his face. But those eyes were all too familiar to Cinderella.

It's Tang Hao!

Cinderella's azure eyes widened instantly, she subconsciously took a half step back, her fingers involuntarily clenching her sleeves, her face filled with undisguised surprise.

She truly hadn't expected it. So much time had passed, and after she had almost gotten used to life without Tang Hao, this man would suddenly reappear without any warning.

Tang Hao looked at his adopted daughter, who had clearly grown taller and had become more and more beautiful. The pure astonishment on her face seemed genuine.

He stepped out of the shadows, his heavy footsteps landing on the stone pavement, making almost no sound, yet carrying an invisible pressure.

He walked up to Cinderella, his tall figure almost completely engulfing her.

The smell of him, a mixture of dust and herbs, hit you immediately.

"Cindy," Tang Hao said, his voice hoarse and deep, with a rough, weathered quality.

Cinderella quickly suppressed the turmoil in her heart, forcing a slightly uneasy and dependent expression on her face that was befitting her age and status.

"Dad?" Her voice trembled with uncertainty.

"Why are you here? Where have you been all this time? My mistress and I were very worried about you."

Cinderella subtly revealed her concern and grievance, her gaze quickly sweeping over Tang Hao. She noticed that although his aura was still imposing, his complexion seemed much better than when she left.

Tang Hao didn't answer her question. His gaze, almost tangible, swept over Cinderella, seemingly assessing her condition. He went straight to the question he cared about most.

"What level is your soul power at now?"

Cinderella's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately understood Tang Hao's intention in suddenly appearing. It was for their second spirit ring.

She answered honestly, "I'm already level 20. Xiao San is cultivating a bit slower than me; he just reached level 20 a few days ago."

As expected. A look of understanding and a barely perceptible urgency flashed in Tang Hao's eyes.

At this rate, they have indeed reached the point where they need to obtain their second spirit ring.

Fortunately, he arrived not too late.

"Did Yu Xiaogang take you to hunt soul beasts?" Tang Hao continued to ask, his tone scrutinizing.

Cinderella shook her head: "Not yet. Master and I have just begun to look for a suitable spirit beast for our second spirit ring."

Upon hearing this, Tang Hao remained expressionless, simply uttering a single word: "Okay."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Cinderella's puzzled face, before continuing, "This time, I will personally lead you to obtain the spirit rings."

Upon hearing this, Cinderella's eyes flashed with obvious surprise. She truly hadn't expected Tang Hao to make this decision.

After all, to cover their tracks when they obtained their first spirit ring, Yu Xiaogang led them to hunt spirit beasts.

Tang Hao noticed Cinderella's confusion. He raised his hand, and a simple jade box appeared in his palm.

He opened the box, and inside lay two small jade bottles side by side.

"I have found this pill for you, which allows you to absorb spirit rings from higher-level spirit rings. This time, your second spirit ring is set for a thousand-year spirit ring."

Cinderella was somewhat incredulous. She looked at the pills, then looked up at Tang Hao.

A pill that allows a higher-level spirit ring to be absorbed? A thousand-year spirit ring as a second spirit ring?

She originally thought that Tang Hao had disappeared for so long perhaps to find a way to heal his injuries or to deal with his own affairs, but she never expected that it was for this reason.

Under Cinderella's shocked gaze, Tang Hao closed the jade box, handed it to her, and calmly explained the reason for his decision.

"Yu Xiaogang's strength is far too poor." Tang Hao's words were direct and without any euphemism.

“I secretly observed you when you obtained your first spirit ring. His two spirit skills are too weak in attack power.”

He recalled Luo Sanpao's soul skills, "farting like thunder" and "farting like smoke," and his brows furrowed subconsciously.

That kind of soul skill might be able to scare and interfere with weak soul beasts that are only ten or a hundred years old, but it is impossible to cause fatal damage to thousand-year-old soul beasts that are thick-skinned, tough, and have strong vitality.

“He can’t kill a thousand-year-old soul beast,” Tang Hao concluded. “Therefore, this time I will personally lead you there.”

He glanced at Cinderella and added the details of the operation: "You, along with Yu Xiaogang, will head to the Star Dou Great Forest. On the surface, I will disguise myself as a Soul Master he has sought out to help him hunt for Soul Rings."

Cinderella took the jade box, and could feel the cool touch of the jade on her fingertips.

The shock she felt surged like a tidal wave. Tang Hao had not only brought back the elixir, but had also planned it so meticulously.

Chapter 179 A Lucky Break Ends

Cinderella looked up at Tang Hao and asked the crucial question: "When do we leave? What do Xiao San and I need to prepare?"

Tang Hao looked at Cinderella, who quickly calmed down, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

He replied, "After you and Yu Xiaogang find a suitable soul beast."

Tang Hao emphasized again, "Note that it must be a thousand-year-old soul beast."

He still entrusted the preliminary work of selecting soul beasts to Yu Xiaogang, after all, although Yu Xiaogang was not strong, he was still a master of theory.

"Once you find your target, prepare your own travel supplies," Tang Hao instructed. "I will be there then."

He informed Cinderella of the whole matter and asked her to convey the plan for changing the age of the elixir and the soul ring to Tang San and Yu Xiaogang.

Having explained everything, Tang Hao did not intend to stay a moment longer.

He looked deeply into Cinderella, or rather, through her, into a distant place.

"I've been gone for so long, I should go see Ah Yin," he said softly, his voice filled with a longing and weariness that Cinderella had never heard before.

After speaking, without waiting for Cinderella's response, Tang Hao's figure drifted backward like a ghost, instantly merging into the deeper darkness at the end of the path and disappearing without a trace, as if he had never appeared.

Cinderella was left standing alone, holding the jade box containing the elixir that would change their current cultivation path.

……

That evening, when Tang San returned from the blacksmith shop to find Cinderella, he noticed that her expression was somewhat unusual. Unlike her usual gentle and smiling demeanor, she appeared more serious and thoughtful.

"Sister, what's wrong?" Tang San immediately noticed something was wrong and quickly walked to her side, his tone full of concern.

"Did someone bully you?" His eyes sharpened instantly.

Cinderella shook her head, gesturing for him to sit down.

"Little San, Daddy's back," she said, getting straight to the point.

Tang San's body stiffened abruptly, and his face instantly turned frosty.

The man who abandoned them, leaving only a note and some money before disappearing without a trace, has returned? What is he doing back?

Seeing Tang San's instantly cold and stern expression, Cinderella knew what he was thinking. She immediately added, "He brought pills. Pills for absorbing spirit rings beyond one's level."

The coldness in Tang San's eyes was replaced by surprise, and his brows furrowed tightly.

Cinderella told Tang San everything about her encounter with Tang Hao that evening, as well as Tang Hao's decision.

This includes all the details, such as personally leading them to obtain spirit rings, setting their target as a thousand-year-old spirit beast, and ostensibly disguising themselves as helpers invited by Yu Xiaogang.

Tang San listened in silence, his expression shifting from initial coldness to surprise, and then to deep thought.

He also didn't expect that Tang Hao had been doing this during his time away.

The second ring of the millennium is indeed far beyond what he and Yu Xiaogang had planned.

Cinderella took the jade box out of her soul tool and handed it to Tang San.

"The elixir is here. He told us to give it to the master and tell him the plan."