Douluo Dalu: The Legend of The Spider Emperor

Tang Hao's sudden slap left Tang San completely stunned.

He looked at Tang Hao, his face full of disbelief.

His father had hit him.

This was the first time in his life.

For a moment, Tang San didn't know what to say. His emotions were a complicated mess.

"Xiao San, before you left for Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy, what did I tell you?" Tang Hao asked sternly.

Hearing this, Tang San instinctively replied:

"Without your permission, I must never add a soul ring to my Clear Sky Hammer."

Tang Hao nodded heavily, his heart weighed down by disappointment. As Tang San's father, he could barely tolerate what his son had done.

"Since you knew, why did you do it anyway?"

"Do you understand how dangerous it is to add a soul ring to the Clear Sky Hammer before reaching Title Douluo?"

"If I hadn't arrived in time, you'd already be dead—"

"Dead! Do you understand?!"

Tang Hao grabbed Tang San by the collar, his voice booming with anger.

"Tell me, what the hell were you thinking?!"

Tang San fell silent, his eyes darkening.

"..."

The atmosphere became unbearably awkward.

What was done was done—what was the point of arguing now?

"Xiao San… you have failed me."

Tang Hao sighed, his disappointment immeasurable.

A perfectly gifted twin martial soul—completely ruined.

"Father, I haven't let you down. I've reached level fifty." Tang San spoke again.

But this only made Tang Hao's fury skyrocket.

He glared at Tang San, his entire body trembling with rage.

Then, he let out a deep sigh and said,

"So what if you've reached level fifty? Even if you became a Title Douluo right now, what does it matter?"

"Xiao San, you have failed both me and your teacher."

Tang Hao placed a heavy hand on Tang San's shoulder, his tone solemn.

"Do you know why your teacher and I forbade you from absorbing soul rings into your Clear Sky Hammer so soon?"

Tang San shook his head, confused.

He barely understood twin martial souls.

Ever since his awakening, Tang Hao had strictly prohibited him from revealing his Clear Sky Hammer in front of others.

He only knew that he couldn't add soul rings to it—but he had never truly understood why.

Tang Hao shook his head in disappointment.

Today was the biggest failure of his entire life—as a father, he had utterly failed.

Because his own son, a once-in-a-lifetime genius, had just destroyed himself.

Right under his own nose.

"Blue Silver Grass may be a waste martial soul, but think about it—"

"If a waste martial soul could bring you this far, is it really a waste?"

Tang Hao's words struck Tang San like a thunderclap.

His mind instantly cleared.

His eyes widened in shock.

What had he done...?

Tang Hao continued, his voice low and heavy:

"Your teacher and I planned for you to become a Title Douluo."

"When your Blue Silver Grass reached nine soul rings, then we would allow you to enhance your Clear Sky Hammer."

"At that time, your second martial soul would have had no soul ring limitations—not even on ten-thousand-year soul rings!"

"Whether ten thousand years or even one hundred thousand years, you would have been able to absorb them all!"

Tang San felt as if he'd been struck by lightning.

His mind went completely blank.

"But look at you now!"

"Xiao San, you have completely disappointed me."

Tang Hao sighed bitterly.

"You're a Soul King now—and you could already absorb a five-thousand-year soul ring when you were at the Soul Ancestor level."

"But the thing that angers me most—"

"Your first soul ring on the Clear Sky Hammer is only a hundred years!"

At this, Tang Hao was beyond furious.

A twin martial soul genius—and his second martial soul's first soul ring was only at the hundred-year level?!

If word got out, he would become the laughingstock of the world!

Even if Tang San had absorbed a thousand-year soul ring, Tang Hao wouldn't have said a word.

After all, Tang San was only at the Soul Ancestor level, and absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring would have been suicide.

(In the original story, Tang San only absorbed ten-thousand-year soul rings because of immortal herbs and the special Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.)

Tang San stiffened, looking down at his left hand.

For the first time, he felt deep regret.

If only he had listened to his father and Grandmaster—this wouldn't have happened.

If he had waited until becoming a Title Douluo, his Clear Sky Hammer would have had nine all ten-thousand-year soul rings.

At that time, who in the world could have stopped him?

Now, it was too late.

Tang San was ruined—completely ruined.

Even though he was a Soul King, he had achieved it at the cost of ruining his twin martial souls.

The father and son walked silently back toward Heaven Dou City.

Neither spoke a single word along the way.

It was obvious—Tang Hao was completely heartbroken.

As a father, he was utterly disappointed.

Tang San followed behind silently, knowing exactly what he had done.

He also understood how his father felt.

The Clear Sky Hammer was powerful, but the process of absorbing soul rings had been far too dangerous.

Had Tang Hao arrived even a moment later, Tang San would have exploded into dust.

This realization deeply unsettled him.

From now on, he would never dare to add another soul ring to his Clear Sky Hammer.

With four soul rings stacked onto the Clear Sky Hammer, Tang San had reached the bottleneck of level fifty.

What he needed now was a crucial fifth soul ring for his Blue Silver Grass.

Once he obtained it—

Tang San made a silent vow.

The next time he faced Ye Hao—

He would utterly destroy him.

Meanwhile...

After three days away from Heaven Dou City, Ye Hao had returned.

With victory in hand.

As soon as he stepped into his long-awaited home, Ye Hao immediately went to find Qian Renxue.

At that moment, Qian Renxue was sitting in a pavilion in the back garden, accompanied by Zhu'er.

During Ye Hao's absence, Zhu'er had stayed by Qian Renxue's side, acting as her protector.

The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament was still in full swing.

As the Crown Prince of the Empire, "Xue Qinghe" had to make regular public appearances.

And today, as soon as the tournament ended, Qian Renxue had rushed back home in a hurry.

For one, the tournament was too dull.

For two, without Ye Hao, Qian Renxue had no interest in watching it.

Yet, due to her damned identity, she had no choice but to sit through the childish battles below, pretending to care.

"It's been three days. Why isn't Xiao Hao back yet?"

Qian Renxue looked at Zhu'er, who was calmly flipping through a book across from her.

"Zhu'er, do you think… something might have happened to Xiao Hao? Or maybe…"

Zhu'er remained unbothered, casually turning to the next page.

"Master's abilities are beyond comprehension. On this entire Douluo Continent, almost no one poses a real threat to him."

After saying that, Zhu'er gently closed the book, glanced toward the entrance, and smiled slightly.

"Master is back."

Qian Renxue turned her head toward the door.

Just as Zhu'er had said, Ye Hao had returned—completely unscathed.

And behind him followed Zhuzhu.

"Xiao Hao!"

Qian Renxue's face lit up with joy.

Nothing mattered more than Ye Hao returning safely.

"Sister, I'm back."

Ye Hao smiled and stepped forward to hug Qian Renxue.

"As long as you're back. How did the plan go?"

Ye Hao grinned confidently.

"The plan was a complete success. From this day forward, Tang San will never be able to evolve his Blue Silver Grass martial soul."

"A waste martial soul will always be a waste martial soul."

Hearing this, Qian Renxue's smile widened.

"Then everything went perfectly. That's all that matters."

As the siblings sat down, Qian Renxue spoke first.

"While you were away, Yu Tianheng's team continued to dominate. They've won every match and currently hold first place in the qualifiers."

Ye Hao wasn't surprised at all.

The Heaven Dou Imperial Academy Second Team being ranked first was within his expectations.

"What about Shrek Academy? If they lose one more match, they'll fail to qualify for the knockout stage."

Ye Hao asked with great interest.

Without Tang San—their so-called backbone—Shrek was nothing but a pile of scattered sand.

People might think Shrek Academy was strong, but in reality, Tang San was their core.

At the mention of this, Qian Renxue pouted.

"During the time you were gone, Shrek Academy won their matches. Including today's match, they've now won two in a row."

"Two consecutive wins?" Ye Hao raised a brow.

"Are they just bullying the weak?"

Qian Renxue sighed.

"Because of the tournament rules, Shrek Academy's last two opponents were teams at the bottom of the rankings, similar in strength to them."

"Given Shrek's poor performance earlier, those teams underestimated them, which led to their defeat."

"I see."

Ye Hao smirked, deep in thought.

Then he laughed.

"Honestly, I hope Shrek Academy makes it to the knockout stage."

"That way, I can wipe them out all at once."

Then, Ye Hao asked, "Sister, have Elder Snake Spear and Elder Bloodthorn returned yet?"

Qian Renxue shrugged, her expression slightly bored.

"There's still some distance between Heaven Dou City and the Spirit Hall. At their speed, it'll take four or five more days before they return."

"I've been bored for three days already. I thought with you gone, at least Zhu'er would keep me company, but…"

"Sigh—"

Seeing this, Ye Hao couldn't help but chuckle.

Zhu'er's personality was just like that—cold and distant.

Forcing her to be lively was impossible.

At that moment, Ye Hao retrieved a lush, emerald-green soul bone from his soul guide ring.

The moment the life-rich aura spread across the pavilion, Zhu'er, who had been quietly reading, immediately looked over.

Not far away, Xiao Hong, who was basking in the sun, lazily opened one sleepy eye.

"An 85,000-year Blue Silver King Left Leg Bone. Not bad."

With that, Xiao Hong yawned, rolled over, and continued sleeping.

"A soul bone?"

Qian Renxue was well-versed in rare treasures.

The moment Ye Hao took it out, she immediately recognized it.

"This soul bone is of exceptional quality. Hao, you're not going to absorb it?"

She took a sip of fragrant tea as she asked.

"I'm not interested." Ye Hao replied casually.

"Cough—Cough—Cough—"

Qian Renxue nearly choked on her tea, staring at Ye Hao in amusement.

"Soul bones are more valuable than life itself for most soul masters, and you're not interested?"

She couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

"This 85,000-year soul bone isn't as valuable as a 100,000-year soul bone."

"Besides," Ye Hao continued, "I already have the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone. If I absorb this Blue Silver King Left Leg Bone, it would be a waste."

"That's why I'm waiting until after this tournament—when our mother kills the Titan Giant Ape. I want to see what soul bone drops from it first."

"If I rashly absorb this one, I might regret it later."

Qian Renxue pondered for a moment.

Ye Hao had a point.

If the soul bone abilities overlapped, then absorbing this one would be a waste.

"Sometimes, you shouldn't be too greedy."

"Do you think 100,000-year soul bones are as common as cabbages?"

Ye Hao pointed at Zhu'er and Zhuzhu.

Seeing this, Qian Renxue smiled awkwardly.

For most people, 100,000-year soul beasts were extremely rare.

But for Ye Hao?

They really weren't.

Meanwhile, at the Spirit Hall…

After three days of travel, Snake Spear Douluo and Bloodthorn Douluo finally arrived.

They brought back a collection of hidden weapons and various blueprints, presenting them to Bibi Dong.

"Well done, both of you."

Bibi Dong smiled slightly.

After personally testing the hidden weapons, she immediately ordered mass production, ensuring they would be ready as soon as possible.

These hidden weapons were incredibly lethal and would play a crucial role in the Spirit Hall's next phase of operations.

The Soul-Hunting Operation.

A chilling gleam flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes.

Once the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament ended—

That would be the moment she unveiled her grand plan.

At this moment, Bibi Dong suddenly asked,

"How has Ye Hao been getting along with her?"

Snake Spear Douluo responded,

"Reporting to Your Holiness—the two young masters get along very well."

"Is that so?"

Hearing this, Bibi Dong's smile deepened.

"Any news from Heaven Dou City?" she asked again.

Bloodthorn Douluo replied,

"Everything remains stable. Right now, the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament is in full swing, with all major forces gathered in Heaven Dou City. Since everyone's focus is on the tournament, things have been peaceful—no major incidents have occurred."

"However…"

Bloodthorn Douluo hesitated.

"However, what?"

Bibi Dong's brows furrowed slightly.

Snake Spear Douluo glanced at Bloodthorn Douluo before continuing,

"Your Holiness, do you remember the one that escaped in Star Dou Forest all those years ago?"

"The one that escaped?"

Bibi Dong fell into deep thought.

In Star Dou Forest, back then, she had personally killed that…

"It's her!"

Bibi Dong's expression shifted in shock.

"You've found that rabbit?"

Back then, she had killed a 100,000-year Soft Bone Rabbit—a mother and daughter pair.

The mother was slain, but the child escaped.

She had sent people to track it down, but after so many years with no leads, she eventually dismissed it as a lost cause.

She never expected today would bring an unexpected development.

Snake Spear Douluo continued,

"Yes. That escaped rabbit is now at Shrek Academy. She goes by the name Xiao Wu and is one of their students—as well as a participant in this tournament."

"A participant?"

Hearing this, Bibi Dong couldn't help but laugh coldly.

A 100,000-year soul beast… actually dares to participate in the tournament?

Not to mention that the knockout stage would be held in Spirit Hall, but even in Heaven Dou City, a 100,000-year soul beast was openly walking around—and no one had noticed?

Ridiculous.

Humanity had only two ways of dealing with soul beasts:

Either they were tamed… or they were killed for their soul rings and bones.

Bibi Dong's eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

"Can you capture that rabbit?"

Snake Spear Douluo considered carefully before answering,

"Your Holiness, with the tournament in progress, we cannot make a move inside the city."

"Even if we did, Shrek Academy's Tang Hao would never sit idly by."

"Tang Hao?"

Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed sharply.

She asked suspiciously,

"What does Tang Hao have to do with this?"

At that, Snake Spear Douluo and Bloodthorn Douluo began detailing everything they had discovered about Shrek Academy.

After hearing everything, Bibi Dong's expression darkened.

"The rabbit actually said that?"

Her voice was low and icy.

The atmosphere in the Papal Palace became oppressively tense.

Snake Spear and Bloodthorn Douluo felt an immense pressure descend upon them.

Neither dared to speak further.

They simply nodded.

"A damn beast!"

Bibi Dong's eyes turned murderous, her killing intent exploding outward.

Her piercing gaze felt sharp as arrows, and the entire Pope Palace became drenched in a suffocating, bloody aura.

Snake Spear and Bloodthorn Douluo instinctively swallowed hard, their hearts pounding in fear.

Though they were both Title Douluo, compared to Bibi Dong, it felt as if a single glance from her could pierce right through them.

Clearly, someone had provoked Bibi Dong beyond her limits.

Otherwise, she would never have lost her composure like this.

The reason for her rage?

It was one simple sentence from Snake Spear Douluo:

"Ye Hao… I will kill you."

(These were the very words spoken by Xiao Wu.)

A soul beast—a mere rabbit—actually dared to threaten her son?

How could she tolerate this?!

And now that she knew Ye Hao was the one who had obtained the hidden weapons, Bibi Dong's regard for him had only grown stronger.

Furthermore, not long ago, she had officially declared to the Spirit Hall's upper ranks that…

Ye Hao was her biological son.

At first, everyone had been shocked beyond belief.

But upon reflection, they realized it was not their place to question the Pope's personal affairs.

However, that rabbit's arrogant words had completely ignited Bibi Dong's fury.

The killing intent in her eyes was now undeniable.

"The rabbit must die!"

Bibi Dong spoke coldly.

There was a saying—"A debt must be paid by its rightful owner."

If that rabbit wanted revenge for her mother's death, Bibi Dong wouldn't care.

After all, a 100,000-year soul beast alone couldn't shake her position.

But the rabbit had dared to target her son?

Unforgivable.

She wanted nothing more than to skin that rabbit alive right now.

"When you return to Heaven Dou City, keep a close watch on that rabbit."

"If she's lucky, and her academy enters the knockout stage, then once the tournament ends, I will personally end her life."

"But… if she fails to qualify…"

Bibi Dong's voice turned even icier.

"Then I will go to Heaven Dou City myself…"

"And make her my son's soul ring."