Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

The matches continued one after another. There were one-sided victories, there were evenly matched battles, and occasionally there were some upsets.

Lin Wan watched with some disinterest, finding most of the matches rough and inefficient in his eyes.

He spent more time observing the characteristics of the martial souls and soul skills of those soul masters, using it as data for future reference, rather than appreciating the competition itself.

As another match ended, Lin Wan stood up.

“Let’s go,” he said to Snow White.

Snow White nodded and stood up as well. She could tell that Lin Wan's patience had run out.

The two left the bustling Soul Arena, escorted by officials.

The sunlight outside was a bit too bright, shutting out the noise inside the venue.

"Back to the academy?" Snow White asked.

“Yes.” Lin Wan nodded.

"Okay." Snow White understood and asked no further questions.

The two parted ways at the street corner; one returned to the academy, while the other headed towards the palace.

……

Notting College, in that familiar grove of trees behind the work-study dormitories.

Tang San withdrew his palms and stood up, his soul power slowly calming down. The two soul rings under his feet, one yellow and one purple, disappeared.

He felt the surging power within his body. His level 22 soul power was undoubtedly a qualitative leap compared to before, especially the enhancement brought by the second ring of the millennium, which far surpassed that of ordinary soul masters.

But the joy brought by this power did not last long before it was replaced by an increasingly strong sense of stagnation.

Nottingham College is too small.

The training environment here, the knowledge available, the opponents to fight...

Everything seemed to have become invisible shackles, restricting his and his sister's steps forward.

This feeling is especially pronounced after acquiring their second spirit ring. They need a wider world, stronger opponents, and richer resources to hone their skills.

This idea didn't just come to them today; it only became incredibly clear and urgent a few days ago after the dean of Notting College had a personal conversation with them.

The dean was a kind-looking middle-aged man, but his eyes revealed a shrewd calculation. He enthusiastically praised Tang San and Cinderella's talents, calling them the most outstanding geniuses in the history of Notting Academy.

Then, he tactfully suggested that Notting Academy, being such a small institution, could no longer accommodate these two great talents. For their better development, the academy was willing to recommend them to intermediate-level Soul Master academies in Soto City, or even directly to some advanced-level Soul Master academies for further study.

The dean rubbed his hands together, his face beaming with smiles: "With your talents, it would be such a waste for you to stay in Notting City. Going to a larger academy will allow you to receive better training and access to higher-quality resources. This is a win-win situation for both you and the academy."

Tang San didn't agree immediately, saying he needed to think about it. The dean understood and told them to consider it carefully.

But Tang San knew very well that he was moved.

The dean's words merely ignited the thoughts that had already been growing in his heart.

Without the deep master-disciple bond with Yu Xiaogang as in the original work, Tang San's thinking is clear and direct.

Go wherever you can get stronger faster.

Cinderella emerged from behind the tree, handed him a clean towel, and asked in her blue eyes, "Little San, are you still thinking about what the headmaster said?"

Tang San took the towel, wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead, nodded, and said in a low voice, "Sister, we can't stay here any longer. Notting Academy can't help us anymore. Staying here is just a waste of time."

Cinderella gave a soft "hmm," she felt the same way.

Her reputation system in Nottingham City was yielding negligible benefits, as if she were stuck in a quagmire.

Going to more prosperous places and encountering more powerful Soul Masters is undoubtedly the best way to break out of the current predicament.

But Cinderella, who knew the storyline, clearly understood that Tang Hao would not agree with their ideas.

Tang San was unaware of these things, so Cinderella suggested, "Shall we go and tell Dad?"

Although Tang Hao's whereabouts were unpredictable, he would occasionally return secretly to check on their situation, leaving behind some gold soul coins or simple instructions.

Tang San pondered for a moment and said, "Wait until he comes next time."

Things happened faster than they expected. The very next evening, Tang Hao's familiar tall figure appeared outside their dormitory like a ghost.

On that quiet path again, Tang Hao looked at his children, who had clearly grown taller and whose auras had become much more solid, and a trace of complex emotion, barely perceptible, flashed across his cloudy eyes.

“Daddy,” Cinderella called out sweetly.

Tang San got straight to the point: "My sister and I are preparing to leave Notting Academy and head to an intermediate Soul Master Academy."

He succinctly stated the dean's proposal and his own decision, without any unnecessary embellishment or seeking opinions; it was more like a notification.

The air froze instantly.

The oppressive aura emanating from Tang Hao, a mixture of the smell of alcohol and blood, suddenly became heavy.

He stared at Tang San, a hint of surprise flashing in his bloodshot eyes, which was then replaced by a resolute and fierce look.

"No!" Tang Hao's voice was hoarse, but it carried an undeniable determination, like a piece of cold iron slamming onto the ground.

Tang San was stunned.

He had anticipated that Tang Hao might ask for the reason or offer other suggestions, but he never expected such a straightforward and even domineering rejection.

Chapter 192 Anger

"Why?" Tang San's brows furrowed instantly. The goodwill he had felt, which had slightly increased because of the pill, plummeted to rock bottom, replaced by deep confusion and a hint of suppressed dissatisfaction.

"Notting Academy can no longer meet our cultivation needs. What's wrong with going to a better academy and obtaining more resources?"

Tang Hao's face was terribly gloomy.

why?

He certainly had his reasons: a deep-seated blood feud, the Spirit Hall's ever-present spies, and the risk of being exposed to the spotlight too early...

How could he possibly speak of these things that had been gnawing at him like venomous snakes for over a decade?

He didn't want these two children, especially the exceptionally talented Tang San, to be crushed by heavy hatred or brought to their deaths before they were fully developed.

Staying in Nottingham, under the guise of Yu Xiaogang, the theoretical master, is the best cover right now.

Although Yu Xiaogang's strength was weak, his relationship with Bibi Dong and his identity as the son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan could explain why Tang San and Cindy could have spirit ring configurations that surpassed ordinary people, without immediately attracting the attention of the Spirit Hall's higher-ups.

He couldn't express these painstaking efforts verbally.

"There's no reason why." Tang Hao's voice was even lower, carrying a tired yet unyielding arrogance.

"I said no, and that means no."

This arbitrary and unreasonable despotism instantly ignited the rebellious spirit that Tang San had suppressed for so long.

In his past life, he was a genius of the Tang Clan. In this life, he has his own ideas and has never been forced to follow his path.

"You won't allow it?" Tang San sneered, a sharpness and stubbornness beyond his years appearing on his face.

"My legs are my own body, and it's none of your business where I want to go!"

"presumptuous!"

Tang Hao roared, and an extremely terrifying pressure, like a tangible mountain, descended and instantly enveloped Tang San.

Even a slight leak of the pressure from a Title Douluo is far beyond what a Great Soul Master can withstand.

Tang San felt the air around him freeze instantly, and immense pressure squeezed in from all directions, making it difficult for him to breathe. His bones made a faint sound of being unable to bear the weight, and he stumbled, almost falling to his knees.

He gritted his teeth and frantically circulated his Xuan Tian Gong, barely managing to keep his body from collapsing, but the veins on his forehead bulged and his face turned deathly pale in an instant.

The eyes that looked at Tang Hao were filled with shock, anger, and a sense of humiliation at being crushed by overwhelming power.

Is this Tang Hao's power? Is this how he claims to treat his son as a father?

"Without my permission."

Tang Hao approached step by step, his shadow completely enveloping Tang San, his voice as cold as ice.

"You can't go anywhere."

"father!"

Although Cinderella had anticipated a conflict, she was still taken aback by Tang Hao's actions.

Seeing Tang San struggling in pain again, she felt a pang of anxiety and quickly stepped forward to shield him.

She looked up at Tang Hao, her voice urgent and pleading: "Dad, don't be angry! Xiao San just wants to become stronger, he doesn't mean anything else! We won't go, please let him go first, okay?"

As she spoke, she subtly tugged at Tang San's sleeve, signaling him to stop resisting.

Feeling the slight tremor and worry in Cinderella's fingertips, and seeing Tang Hao's cold, uncompromising gaze, Tang San's anger and resentment surged like magma, but were forcibly suppressed in the face of the absolute difference in power.

He stared intently at Tang Hao, his teeth grinding together, and finally, he squeezed out a single word: "Okay."

Tang Hao looked at Cinderella, who was standing in front of Tang San, her face pale but still forcing a smile, and then at Tang San behind her, whose eyes were as cold as knives and who was stubborn and unyielding. He felt a mix of emotions.

He slowly withdrew his oppressive aura.

The stagnant air around them instantly began to flow. Tang San felt lighter, took a few deep breaths, his chest heaving violently, and looked at Tang Hao with nothing but icy indifference.

"Stay at Notting College and follow Yu Xiaogang."

After saying this, Tang Hao didn't look at them again. He turned around, and his tall figure, just as he had come, silently blended into the deep night and disappeared.

After Tang Hao left, the edge of the woods fell silent.

The night wind rustled the leaves, but it couldn't dispel the heavy atmosphere that permeated the two of them.

Tang San stood there, his body still slightly numb from the pressure he had just felt, and the suppressed anger in his chest was making him feel like he was about to explode.

His hands, hanging by his sides, were clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white from the force.

He didn't understand.

why?

Why did Tang Hao so forcefully prevent them from pursuing better development?

Notting Academy, this tiny place, can clearly offer no help. Are we supposed to let them waste their time here until they are stuck at a bottleneck like Yu Xiaogang, unable to make any progress in their lives?

Just because he is stronger than himself, does that give him the right to so arrogantly decide someone else's life path?

“The other woman…” Cinderella looked at him worriedly and called out softly.