Though Huo Yu'er's remaining power was less than one-tenth of her peak strength, both she and Ye Wen had been favored by the world's consciousness during their reincarnation, making them chosen children of destiny.
Over the years, the world's consciousness quietly aided Huo Yu'er's recovery. By now, her latent power had recovered to about twenty percent of its former strength.
Though still far from her prime, even this level of power was more than enough to overwhelm the Asura God backing Tang Hao.
Moreover, Huo Yu'er had no intention of confronting the Asura God. After detecting Tang Hao's presence, she subtly adjusted her power to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
The difference between the power of a Supreme God King and the mortals of the Douluo continent was akin to that between a whale and an ant. For Huo Yu'er, releasing such immense power without crushing the "ant" beneath her feet was a delicate and challenging task.
Fortunately, after years of effort, Huo Yu'er had finally managed to control the faint traces of her power, capping it at the level of a 99th-rank Limit Douluo.
Even at this suppressed level, her so-called "99th rank" was among the most elite quasi-gods in existence—far surpassing the watered-down Limit Doulous of this era, like Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen.
Just as Tang Hao harbored malicious intent, a terrifying spiritual will descended upon him.
This will didn't affect others, but on Tang Hao alone, it felt as though a mountain of unimaginable weight had been placed on his shoulders, leaving him gasping for breath.
"What is this power!?"
Tang Hao was first astonished at being discovered, then terrified by the realization that the spiritual force displayed could effortlessly crush him.
Having never faced the true pinnacle of strength in the Douluo world, Tang Hao's mind raced with fear. Instinctively, he labeled this hidden figure exerting pressure on him as a peerless powerhouse akin to his grandfather.
Unspoken assumptions were often the most lethal.
Before Huo Yu'er even spoke, Tang Hao's mental defenses had already crumbled. He collapsed to his knees, trembling and barely able to speak.
"N—"
He tried to say something, but under the overwhelming spiritual pressure, even his ability to speak was stripped away, leaving him even more frightened.
Under this oppressive aura, Huo Yu'er's perception was at its sharpest. A disdainful smirk crossed her lips internally.
Huo Yu'er didn't know much about Tang Hao personally, save for the little she'd gleaned from the legends of the Shrek Seven Monsters in her own world.
In those tales, Tang Hao was portrayed as a fearless hero who stood against the evil Spirit Hall, embodying the qualities of a benevolent father as steadfast as a mountain.
But now, seeing him in person, he was nothing like that.
When she first noticed Tang Hao's presence, Huo Yu'er had carefully observed him. Disheveled and reeking of alcohol, he lacked the air of a heroic figure and instead resembled a broken man crushed by life's burdens.
As for the image of a loving father—
From the moment she saw Tang San, Huo Yu'er dismissed any connection between Tang Hao and that ideal.
After all, Tang San was far from the handsome, elegant youth described in the stories. His emaciated frame made it hard not to suspect he hadn't been properly fed, giving him the appearance of a child neglected or even abused at home.
If this were an ordinary family, it might be understandable. But Tang Hao was a Title Douluo! Even if he did nothing else, simply robbing a noble would have ensured his son didn't come to school looking like this!
It was clear that Tang Hao had never truly cared for Tang San, not even bothering with the bare minimum effort to maintain appearances.
Reflecting on this, Huo Yu'er sighed inwardly. History and stories were merely clowns painted by whoever held the brush; their truths and falsehoods could only be discerned through personal judgment—they couldn't be fully trusted.
Initially, after awakening her powers and struggling to control them, Huo Yu'er hadn't bothered with Tang Hao. But now, with a complete plan in place, she felt free to act as long as she avoided provoking the God of Retribution behind Tang Hao. Thus, she decided to drop the pretense and confront him directly.
For caution's sake, however, Huo Yu'er altered her voice to sound ancient and raspy before speaking slowly:
"You're the current generation's Hao Tian Douluo, correct?"
Tang Hao couldn't speak, but fearing instant death at the hands of such a supreme being, he frantically nodded, hoping the name "Hao Tian Douluo" would deter the other party.
But Huo Yu'er had never given the title of Hao Tian Douluo much thought. She continued:
"I trust you've realized that the young girl is a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast in human form. I don't intend to interfere with anything else. However, my disciple wishes to become her sister and grow together. So, I hope you won't be foolish enough to disrupt their bond.
Understood?"
Terrified beyond measure, Tang Hao dared not object. He nodded repeatedly like a frantic pestle pounding rice.
In an instant, the suffocating pressure vanished, as if it had all been an illusion.
But Tang Hao knew it was real. With a complex gaze, he looked toward Dorm Seven in the shadows, inwardly sighing: It seemed this hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast and his son were destined to remain apart.
After calming his emotions, Tang Hao's expression grew conflicted. With such a terrifying powerhouse nearby, should he transfer Tang San to another place to study?
Instinctively, he wanted to—but then a sudden flash of insight struck him.
"From what that elder said, his disciple must be the girl with the Eye martial soul. Moreover, this elder doesn't seem biased against soul beasts, or they wouldn't allow their disciple to associate with one.
Alas, I shouldn't have been so blinded by ambition as to make Tang San pursue that soul beast's favor. I should have sought out this young lady instead. What a pity."
Tang Hao shook his head slightly, but soon his eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Though it's too late for Tang San to become this young lady's lover, befriending her could indirectly bring that immensely powerful elder over to our side!"
With this thought, Tang Hao's lips curled into a wide, scheming grin.
Fortunately, Huo Yu'er wasn't currently probing Tang Hao's schemes. Instead, she focused on subtly influencing Ye Wen's thoughts to accept Xiao Wu.
Otherwise, Huo Yu'er feared she might lose control and toss Tang Hao into some terrifying place.
After a brief moment of excitement, Tang Hao seemed to recall something. He turned an inquisitive gaze toward Ye Wen.
"He's more handsome than Xiao San, no wonder so many girls are fond of him. But becoming the partner of such a heavenly favored girl likely requires more than just good looks. In the world of soul masters, strength is everything. Even if the partner agrees, their elders would typically separate them due to the disparity in cultivation levels."
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