Douluo: When the piano sounds, the hidden weapon returns to the factory

Chapter 80 The Thousand-Faced Fox
The beautiful woman hurried to Tang Hao, completely ignoring Tang San beside her, and tightly gripped Tang Hao's shoulder with her slender hands. Her eyes, like autumn water, instantly filled with tears, and her voice trembled uncontrollably: "Second Brother...is it really you? How could you..."

Upon hearing the title "Second Brother," Tang San was taken aback.

Tang Hao sighed softly, a self-deprecating look appearing on his face that Tang San had never seen before: "It's me. Yuehua...you don't recognize me, do you?"

Tang Yuehua's lips trembled slightly, and suddenly she threw herself into Tang Hao's arms. This usually elegant and dignified noblewoman now burst into tears like a child. She wrapped her arms tightly around Tang Hao's waist, as if trying to meld herself into his very bones. Her heart-wrenching cries silenced the entire Yuexuan Pavilion.

A hush fell over the Moon Pavilion; everyone was stunned by the scene. Tang San stood frozen in place—he had never seen his father so gentle. Tang Hao's large hands, which had been wielding a hammer for years, were now gently patting the beautiful woman's back, and the tenderness in his eyes made Tang San almost unrecognizable as his stern father.

After an unknown amount of time, Tang Yuehua's sobs gradually subsided. She slowly raised her head, gazing intently at Tang Hao's weathered face, before turning her gaze to Tang San: "This is... your child with her?"

Tang Hao nodded silently. Tang Yuehua wiped away her tears, her hand trembling as she reached out and gently stroked Tang San's cheek. Tang San did not flinch, allowing his aunt, whom he was meeting for the first time, to touch him.

"Greetings, Aunt," Tang San said respectfully.

Tang Yuehua smiled through her tears and responded gently. At that moment, her eyes shone with a familial bond and longing that had spanned twenty years.

Tang Yuehua suddenly turned around, her beautiful eyes glaring angrily at Tang Hao: "Twenty years! A full twenty years before you remembered your sister?" Without another word, she grabbed Tang San's wrist. "Come upstairs with me!"

She hurriedly pulled Tang San upstairs, and Tang Hao watched his sister's retreating figure, shaking his head helplessly. But upon closer inspection, one would notice a relaxed expression on this tough, iron-willed man's face, an expression unseen for many years.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Tang Yuehua suddenly stopped, turning her head to coldly sweep over the head steward, Aud: "What happened today was never supposed to happen. You are responsible for cleaning up the mess." Her voice was soft, but carried an undeniable authority.

Odd hurriedly bowed: "As you command, madam." Fine beads of sweat had already appeared on his forehead.

Tang Yuehua's palm was warm and soft. Holding her hand, Tang San felt as if he had been transported back to his childhood dreams. The three of them walked to the top floor of Yuexuan Pavilion. Along the way, Tang Yuehua wiped away her tears and softly asked, "Child, what is your name?"

"Tang San."

The name made Tang Yuehua pause slightly. She turned to look at Tang Hao, her eyes filled with heartache: "Brother, how did you become like this?"

Tang Hao rarely showed a smile: "Silly girl, when did you become so prone to crying? This isn't like the Yuehua I remember."

"It's all because of you!" Tang Yuehua's eyes reddened again. "We've had no news of each other for so many years."

Tang Hao silently walked to Tang San's side and sat down, whispering, "Big brother... is he alright?"

Tang Yuehua's expression somber: "You know my brother's personality. Last time he came home, I happened to see him staring intently at our childhood portrait, not even noticing me approaching."

Tang San felt his father's body suddenly tense up. "I've let the sect down," Tang Hao's voice was hoarse.

“What’s the point of saying all this now?” Tang Yuehua took a deep breath. “This time, I’m not going to let you go no matter what. My brother… he’s been waiting for you to come home.”

A bitter smile tugged at Tang Hao's lips: "Go back? I've already been expelled from the sect, what face do I have to go back?" He raised his head, his gaze resolute. "Yuehua, although I have let the sect down, I have never regretted my choice."

He paused, then continued, "I've come to ask you for a favor."

Tang Yuehua swallowed her words of persuasion and said seriously, "Second brother, we're family, there's no such thing as asking for favors."

"For Xiao San's cultivation, I plan to send him to the City of Slaughter," Tang Hao's voice was low. "Now we only lack a head soul bone, and I'd like to ask for your help." He looked directly at his sister. "This soul bone won't be taken for nothing—Xiao San is my way of giving back to the sect."

Tang Yuehua nodded without hesitation: "I'll send a message to my elder brother immediately." She suddenly changed the subject, a stubborn glint in her eyes, "But there's a condition—you must stay at Yuexuan until the soul bone is delivered."

Tang Hao hesitated, then finally let out a soft sigh: "Fine." This usually stubborn man had no choice but to bow to family ties at this moment.

Tang Yuehua pushed open the door with a swift and decisive motion, clearly in a hurry to arrange the messenger's departure.

After his aunt's footsteps faded into the distance, Tang San asked softly, "Father, what kind of place is the City of Slaughter?"

Tang Hao's gaze darkened slightly, and he replied briefly, "You'll know when we get there." But when he looked at his son, a rare hesitation flashed in his eyes, and his tone unconsciously softened: "You can move around in Tiandou City for the next few days, but don't leave the city. Once the soul bone is fully absorbed, we'll set off immediately."

A flicker of joy crossed Tang San's eyes—although the name "Slaughter City" suggested it was no safe place, it provided him with the perfect opportunity to prepare materials for his hidden weapons. He respectfully replied, "Yes, Father."

Deep within the Starry Sky Forest, ancient trees reach for the sky.

She Long looked around and sighed, "High-level soul beasts have become increasingly rare these days."

Bloodstain nodded in agreement: "That's true."

Suddenly, She Long turned to look at Feng Yao, a mischievous glint in his eyes: "Kid, why don't we speed things up a bit?"

Before Feng Yao could speak, he felt a tightening around his waist, and a strong sense of weightlessness suddenly overwhelmed him. He saw three figures leap and bound through the forest like ghosts, disappearing into the vast sea of ​​trees in the blink of an eye.

Under the guidance of the two Title Douluos, the search efficiency did indeed improve significantly. However, Feng Yao's luck seemed to be lacking—the soul beasts he encountered along the way were either much older than required or too young.

After traveling for a while, She Long gently put Feng Yao down, patting his shoulder with his rough hand: "Looks like your luck isn't so good, kid." He looked around at the deep forest, "But this is common in the Star Dou Great Forest." Feng Yao frowned slightly, about to ask a question, but Ci Xue explained first: "The age distribution of soul beasts is polarized. In fact, the number of high-level soul beasts over 70,000 years old hasn't decreased sharply; we sensed quite a few just now." He pointed to the depths of the forest, "Soul beasts aged 70,000, 80,000, or 90,000 years are usually only considered by Title Douluo at the ninth ring and Soul Douluo at the eighth ring; their hunting difficulty is astonishing."

She Long continued, "However, soul beasts in the 10,000 to 60,000-year range are becoming increasingly rare due to the surge in the number of soul masters." He looked at Feng Yao meaningfully, "There are two watersheds in soul master cultivation: Soul Venerable is insignificant, not even having the chance to obtain a 10,000-year soul ring; while Soul Saint is the endpoint for most people. To break through the limits of talent, one needs..."

“Soul Bone.” A glint of light flashed in Feng Yao’s eyes as he revealed the answer.

She Long nodded approvingly: "That's right. Nowadays, in the Soul Master world—even though many people don't lack Soul Rings, they still participate in Soul Hunting Groups in order to break through their cultivation levels and try to obtain Soul Bones. Therefore, the current number of Soul Beasts under ten thousand years old is abundant because they can be domesticated, but the number of Soul Beasts over ten thousand years old has decreased drastically due to overhunting." He condensed a wisp of Soul Power at his fingertips and outlined a pyramid-shaped distribution map in the air.

"Interestingly, there are relatively more high-level soul beasts that are close to 100,000 years old," Ci Xue added, pointing to the top of the pyramid. "Because the demand is extremely low. Those who can cultivate to the level of a Title Douluo are all exceptionally talented." He sneered, "Ordinary soul bones, if their attributes don't match, become a burden to them."

She Long looked at Feng Yao meaningfully: "Therefore, the stronger the expert, the more selective they are about their soul bones. After all, a suitable soul bone, with appropriate skill combinations, is worth more than a set of mediocre items."

Feng Yao nodded in deep agreement. Indeed, even for Title Douluos like She Long and Ci Xue to deal with those soul beasts approaching the 100,000-year level, it would be a huge struggle. As for true 100,000-year soul beasts? Those were even more terrifying—even someone as powerful as Bibi Dong needed to mobilize the entire Spirit Hall's resources to have any chance of hunting them down.

For ordinary soul masters, when encountering a soul beast of this level, they have no choice but to flee for their lives.

The three walked and talked, swiftly traversing among the towering ancient trees. The mist permeating the forest refracted a rainbow of colors under the sunlight. Suddenly, She Long's sharp gaze sharpened, and he raised his hand to signal them to stop. Thirty feet ahead, a cloud of mist swirling with dark purple starlight was slowly gathering.

A fox-like creature came into view, its body sleek and its fur like flowing shadows or shifting stardust, shimmering with a faint, hazy light. Its eyes were the most peculiar, like two multifaceted crystals constantly shifting images and refracting light.

"Kid, you're in luck." She Long narrowed his long, narrow eyes, his voice low and playful, as if he were enjoying a good show that was about to unfold.

Feng Yao frowned slightly, his gaze shifting between the two. His understanding of soul beasts was still limited, and the silver-gray spirit fox with its six swaying tails before him was clearly no ordinary creature.

"A six-tailed Thousand-Faced Fox..." Ci Xue's hoarse voice rang out from the side. He leaned down slightly, his tone carrying a rare solemnity, "You should understand what the number of tails means."

Feng Yao's heart skipped a beat. The cultivation level of a soul beast is often reflected in certain characteristics—and the number of tails of a fox-type soul beast is the most direct symbol of that.

"Its ability is 'cloning'," Thornblood continued, a meaningful smile curving his lips. "This ability is something that most weapon spirit masters... would dream of having."

"A clone of a spirit beast?!" Feng Yao's pupils shrank sharply, and his breath almost stopped—if that were true, then the value of this spirit beast would probably far exceed his imagination.

Before he finished speaking, a sudden change occurred!
Seven identical phantoms suddenly emerged from the mist, each resembling an elegant, large feline, its body covered in flowing, dark purple fur, with multifaceted crystals embedded in its forehead refracting dazzling light and shadow. Most eerie were their eyes—like two constantly shifting prisms, each blink creating the illusion of distorted space.

"Seventh Soul Skill - Serpent Spear True Form!"

"Sixth Soul Skill: Blood Poison Frenzy!"

The two Title Douluos unleashed their full power instantly. She Long's Martial Soul True Form transformed into a hundred-meter-long giant python, its shimmering blue scales tearing the three clones to shreds; the poisonous soul power released by Ci Xue dyed the entire misty forest crimson, corroding the other four phantoms. However, the shattered clones instantly transformed into mist upon landing, reforming themselves in the blink of an eye and returning to their original state.

She Long frowned, the serpent spear humming in his hand. He noticed that with each clone he shattered, the crystal of the Thousand-Faced Fox's main body flickered slightly. "These clones are connected to the main body by energy."

He wiped the sweat from his brow with his blood: "My blood poison can corrode physical bodies, but its effect on this kind of energy entity is limited."

Just as the battle reached a stalemate, Feng Yao suddenly sat cross-legged, with the "Fuxi" zither lying across his lap. His slender fingers gently caressed the strings, and a clear, melodious overtone spread out like ripples. This sound wave, seemingly gentle, suddenly stirred an unusual resonance when it touched the mist in the northeast.

"Found it!" Feng Yao's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Senior, it's thirty-five steps to the northeast."

Upon hearing this, She Long instantly sprang into action, his fifth spirit ring radiating a blinding crimson light: "Fifth Spirit Skill, Thunderous Shattering Strike!" A spear, condensed to its utmost, pierced through the air, precisely striking the ground. Accompanied by the crisp sound of shattering crystal, the six phantoms froze simultaneously. The real Thousand-Faced Spirit Fox instantly dodged, but its fur was still injured. Perhaps it hadn't expected these humans to find its true form so quickly.

"I see." She Long looked at Feng Yao with sudden realization, "Although its clones can perfectly mimic the physical form, the magnitude of the energy fluctuations cannot be perfectly identical."

"Do it!"

A cold glint flashed in She Long's eyes as he exchanged a sharp look with Ci Xue. Before Feng Yao could react, his feet suddenly lost their footing, and the familiar feeling of weightlessness swept over him like a tidal wave—it was that strange maneuvering technique again!
"Kid, find out its true form for us!"

She Long's voice boomed in my ears. Before he finished speaking, he had already darted out like a ghost. As his black robe billowed, his chilling soul power tore a sharp path through the air.

Amidst the howling wind, Feng Yao only had time to tightly shield "Fuxi" to his chest. His fingertips swiftly swept across the strings, and a clear, resonant tremolo suddenly rang out—"Senior, watch your back!"

His voice was almost drowned out by the sound of something cutting through the air, serving as a warning at the critical moment.

Feng Yao's sonic lock was almost cruelly precise, rendering the Thousand-Faced Fox's illusionary clone technique, its lifeblood, utterly laughable. Under the thunderous strangulation of the Shelong Serpent Spear and the vicious pursuit of the Blood-Piercing Poison Spikes, this cunning soul beast was finally forced to reveal its true form—its elegant dark purple fur was now covered in wounds, and the primordial crystal on its chest was shattered like a spider web, its reflected light fragmented and broken.

Just as the Thousand-Faced Fox was locked in a desperate stalemate with She Long, Feng Yao's slender fingers suddenly plucked the strings of the "Fuxi" zither. The seven strings vibrated simultaneously, no longer producing clear, melodious music, but rather seven exquisitely refined sonic blades. These blades intertwined in the air, forming a vast net, the final strike piercing the fox's brow like a meteor piercing the moon. With a crisp cracking sound, the multifaceted crystal, shimmering with iridescent light, instantly turned to dust.

The moment the deep black spirit ring rose, the entire misty forest seemed to have a veil of illusion lifted. The distorted light and shadow, the false reflections, peeled away layer by layer like faded ancient paintings, revealing the forest's true form. Long-lost sunlight filtered through the now clear leaves, casting dappled light and shadow across the forest.

……

(End of this chapter)