Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Tang San took the jade box, opened it, and glanced inside. The pills were quietly placed there.

He closed the lid, applying slight pressure with his fingers.

Tang San put the jade box into his Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon and stood up.

"Let's go find Yu Xiaogang now."

This matter must be brought to Yu Xiaogang's attention as soon as possible.

……

Yu Xiaogang was in his office, writing furiously at his desk.

Before him lay a thick encyclopedia of spirit beasts and several manuscripts filled with analysis, marked with circles and dots—records of selecting candidate spirit beasts for Tang San and Cinderella's second spirit ring.

Under the lights, his brows were furrowed, his expression focused with a hint of suppressed excitement.

He was meticulously planning how, after finding a suitable soul beast, he could casually take out the two pills that allowed him to absorb soul rings beyond his level.

He eagerly anticipated seeing the expressions of shock, gratitude, and even admiration on Tang San and Cinderella's faces.

Yu Xiaogang could almost picture the scene of the two formally becoming disciples and addressing each other as "teacher" under the weight of that immense gratitude.

That will be the moment of triumph for Yu Xiaogang in his life.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door.

Yu Xiaogang was interrupted from his thoughts. He looked up somewhat displeased and pushed up his glasses.

“Master, it’s us, Tang San and Cindy.” Cinderella’s clear voice came from outside the door.

Yu Xiaogang was taken aback. What were they doing here so late?

He composed himself, trying to appear calm.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, and Tang San and Cinderella walked in one after the other.

Yu Xiaogang noticed that both of them looked rather serious, unlike when they were asking for advice.

"It's so late, what's the matter?" Yu Xiaogang put down his pen and asked.

Tang San didn't speak, but just glanced at Cinderella.

Cinderella stepped forward and said in a steady voice, "Master, Daddy is back."

"What?" Yu Xiaogang suddenly stood up from his chair, his calm expression instantly replaced by shock and a hint of panic.

Tang Hao is back? Why is he back at this time?

He subconsciously looked around, as if Tang Hao was hiding in some corner of the room, watching him with those cold eyes.

"Where is His Majesty Haotian now?" Yu Xiaogang's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible tension.

“He has already left,” Cinderella replied, “but he asked us to tell you something.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaogang breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his heart was still pounding. He sat down again, trying to calm himself down. "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"

Cinderella recounted Tang Hao's decision, including personally leading the team, aiming for a thousand-year soul ring, and the arrangement of disguising his identity.

As Cinderella narrated, the color drained from Yu Xiaogang's face, and his hand holding the glasses trembled slightly.

Tang Hao is going to lead the team personally? And he even brought pills for absorbing spirit rings from higher-level opponents? Is the target a thousand-year-old spirit beast?

Every piece of information felt like a heavy hammer blow to his heart.

He looked at Tang San in disbelief, as if seeking denial from him.

Tang San remained expressionless, simply retrieving the jade box from the Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlit Night and placing it on the table in front of Yu Xiaogang. "This contains medicinal pills."

Yu Xiaogang's gaze was fixed intently on the jade box, as if trying to see right through it. His hands trembled as he opened the lid. When he saw the familiar pills inside, his last shred of hope vanished.

This is truly a pill that allows you to absorb a spirit ring from a higher level!

The aura of the pill that his father, Yu Yuanzhen, obtained from Ge Duo to help him absorb the third ring of the millennium was almost identical.

Why? Why did Tang Hao return at this time? And why did he bring elixirs?

Chapter 180 Town

Yu Xiaogang's mind went blank; disappointment and a sense of being outmaneuvered almost overwhelmed his reason.

All his plans and all his hopes for becoming an apprentice vanished like a burst bubble at this moment.

Since Tang Hao provided the elixir, the favor should naturally be attributed to Tang Hao.

Yu Xiaogang was still just a temporary teacher, a tool responsible for laying the foundation when Tang Hao was away.

He felt like an actor who had meticulously prepared for a long time and was finally about to step onto the stage, only to be pushed off the stage the moment the curtain was drawn, leaving him to watch helplessly as others reaped all the flowers and applause on stage.

He couldn't even resist the person who pushed him down, and dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction.

He lowered his head, using the act of adjusting his glasses to conceal the distorted expression on his face and the intense resentment surging in his eyes.

The office fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the faint crackling of the oil lamp.

After a long while, Yu Xiao managed to suppress the churning emotions in her chest.

He raised his head, forcing an awkward smile, and said in a dry voice, "Since it is His Majesty Haotian's arrangement, then it is naturally the best. With His Majesty personally taking action, there will be no chance of failure."

He picked up the jade box and felt its weight was immense.

"I will determine the target as soon as possible regarding the selection of the Millennium Soul Beast."

His plan completely failed.

……

a few days later.

A dusty horse-drawn carriage rolled along the bumpy dirt road and slowly entered a small town on the outskirts of the Starry Sky Forest.

The carriage looked ordinary, and the horses pulling it showed signs of fatigue from their long journey.

The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing Yu Xiaogang's face, which showed obvious signs of fatigue. He pushed up his glasses and looked around at the noisy and rough place in front of him.

The town is small, but it is unusually lively. The streets are bustling with people, almost all of whom are Soul Masters carrying swords and exuding a powerful aura.

The air was thick with the smells of dust, sweat, and the distinctive stench of soul beast materials, as well as a tense atmosphere befitting a hunter.

The sounds of shouts, bargaining, and clashing weapons filled the air. Everywhere along the roadside, people could be seen setting up stalls to sell soul beast pelts, bones, or some unknown herbs. There were also groups of three or five soul masters, loudly discussing their harvests or dangers in the forest.

This is one of the countless towns near the Star Dou Great Forest, remote yet brimming with a distorted vitality due to its proximity to this treasure trove of soul beasts.

The carriage stopped in front of a reasonably clean-looking inn. Yu Xiaogang got off first, his steps unsteady from the long journey.

He took a deep breath of the air, which was filled with a wild and dangerous atmosphere, and tried to calm himself down.

Tang San and Cinderella followed closely behind as they got out of the car. Tang San's gaze quickly swept over the surroundings, his eyes calm, only lingering briefly on the passing Soul Masters as he assessed any potential threats.

Cinderella frowned slightly and gently covered her nose with her handkerchief; the smell and atmosphere here made her feel uncomfortable.

"Let's stay here for the night and rest," Yu Xiaogang said to the two, his voice a little hoarse.

His mood was far from as calm as it appeared; Tang Hao's presence weighed on his heart like a boulder.

The three entered the inn and booked two adjacent rooms. Yu Xiaogang stayed in one room by himself, while Tang San and Cinderella shared the other.

After settling in briefly, Yu Xiaogang locked himself in his room, sat on the hard bed, and looked out the window at the gradually darkening sky and the still bustling crowds on the street, feeling uneasy.

He knew Tang Hao must be nearby. That man was following them like a shadow, and could appear at any moment.

As night deepened, the footsteps in the hostel corridor gradually diminished.

The oil lamp in Yu Xiaogang's room was still lit. He was wide awake and waiting for Tang Hao to arrive.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open silently.

Yu Xiaogang froze and turned his head sharply to look.

A tall figure flashed in like a ghost and gently closed the door behind him.

The person who came was dressed in coarse linen clothes and wore a wide-brimmed straw hat with the brim pulled low, covering most of his face.

But Yu Xiaogang would never mistake that oppressive feeling that, even when deliberately restrained, still made people's hearts tremble.

It's Tang Hao.

Yu Xiaogang practically sprang to his feet, staring nervously at the other person, his throat tightening, unsure of what to say.

Tang Hao took off his straw hat and casually placed it on the table beside him, revealing his weathered, stubble-covered face. His gaze swept across the simple room, finally settling on Yu Xiaogang.

"Have you found a target?" Tang Hao asked, his voice low and hoarse, without any pleasantries.

Yu Xiaogang nodded quickly and took out a notebook from his bag and handed it to Tang Hao.

"Based on my and Cindy's analysis, we have initially selected several potentially suitable thousand-year-old soul beasts."

Tang Hao took the notebook and casually flipped through a few pages. It was filled with the names, characteristics, and possible soul skills of soul beasts, along with some rudimentary sketches. His gaze swept over it quickly, almost in a flash.

Yu Xiaogang stood to the side, his heart pounding in his chest, his palms sweating.

He was afraid that Tang Hao might find something wrong with his choice or question it.

These candidate spirit beasts were carefully selected from a vast amount of spirit beast data, after he had spent a lot of effort combining the characteristics of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass and the agility of Cinderella's strange crystal dancing shoes.

But Tang Hao was clearly not very interested in these theoretical things.

He closed the notebook and handed it back to Yu Xiaogang, his movements swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

"Hmm." Tang Hao uttered a short syllable through his nose, which was his way of expressing approval.

Tang Hao didn't care about the specific types of soul beasts or the combinations of soul skills that Yu Xiaogang treasured.

He only needed to confirm that Yu Xiaogang had done his best and hadn't just found some random people to fool his child.

As for the thousand-year-old soul beasts themselves, in the eyes of Haotian Douluo, who once stood at the top of the continent, as long as the age is sufficient and the attributes are not particularly conflicting, the specific type doesn't matter much.

Strength is the fundamental element.

"Yes, Your Majesty Haotian."

Yu Xiaogang quickly took the notebook with both hands, secretly relieved. He had passed this hurdle.

Tang Hao glanced at Yu Xiaogang and said calmly, "From now on, there is no Lord Haotian. I am just a mercenary you hired to help hunt for spirit rings, surnamed Wu."