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

Tang Xiao's gaze was piercing, fixed directly on Tang San's eyes, his voice deep and powerful: "Has that head soul bone been fully absorbed?"

Tang San nodded solemnly, and his Purple Demon Eye glowed faintly in the sunset. A purple soul bone appeared on Tang San's forehead.

Amidst the howling mountain wind, Tang Xiao slowly raised two fingers: "Now, I'll give you two choices." His voice suddenly turned cold. "First, like your father did back then, fight your way through the City of Slaughter."

In the setting sun, his second finger was taut: "Secondly, return to Heaven Dou City with your aunt—" his tone suddenly became more serious, "but before breaking through to Soul Saint, you must not step out of Heaven Dou City! If you need any Soul Rings, have your aunt personally send me a message."

Tang San noticed that as his uncle spoke, the veins on the back of his hand bulged, and his massive hands, capable of wielding the Clear Sky Hammer, were trembling slightly. The distant hooting of an owl added to the somber atmosphere of this difficult choice.

Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes suddenly shone brightly in the night. He straightened his back, his voice as firm as iron: "I'll listen to my father—" Each word resounded, "If I don't avenge this, I'll be unworthy to be a son!"

Tang Xiaohu's body trembled, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and pain. He patted Tang San's shoulder heavily, making the boy stagger: "Good! As expected of Haodi's offspring!" As he turned, his gray robe fluttered in the wind. "Go and say goodbye to your aunt. We'll set off immediately."

The setting sun cast a long shadow of Tang San, and his steps toward Tang Yuehua were heavy yet firm.

Tang San turned to look at Tang Yuehua. Her gilded hairpin swayed gently in the setting sun, her skirt billowing like clouds as she approached. She reached out and embraced Tang San, warm tears soaking the young man's shoulder. "Little San..." her voice choked with sobs, almost incoherent, "Since your mind is made up, Auntie... Auntie will no longer stop you."

“Don’t worry, Aunt,” Tang San gently stroked her trembling back, his Purple Demon Eyes flashing with unwavering determination, “I will definitely emerge alive from the City of Slaughter, just like Father did.”

Tang Yuehua slowly released her embrace, her fingertips lightly wiping the corner of her eye. In the setting sun, her elegant face held an unprecedented resolve: "Good child," she suddenly lowered her voice, "use those soul bones as needed, don't hold back." She glanced meaningfully at Tang Xiao's retreating figure, "Living is more important than anything else."

A mountain breeze swept up fallen leaves, and Tang Xiao's voice came from the edge of the cliff: "Alright, we should set off now." Tang Yuehua straightened Tang San's collar one last time, her fingertips lingering on his chest for a moment.

Without another word, Tang Xiao stretched out his iron arm and lifted Tang San by the waist. Before the boy could react, the Howling Sky Douluo had already leaped off the precipice with him!
"Uncle—!"

Tang San's exclamation was instantly swallowed by the howling mountain wind. Tang Xiao's burly body leaped and bounded along the cliff face, each light touch of his toes landing precisely in the hidden grooves. Under the moonlight, the two figures plummeted like shooting stars, only to abruptly stop just before hitting the ground.

"Hurry up!"

With a low shout, Tang Xiao summoned the Clear Sky Hammer. The giant hammer slammed into the mountainside, landing steadily with the force of the impact, kicking up a cloud of dust. Tang San then realized that his back was already soaked with cold sweat. Tang Xiao's face, however, revealed a sharp glint that had not been seen for many years.

Tang San's heart skipped a beat, a hint of astonishment flashing in his Purple Demon Eyes: "Such exquisite control!" he marveled inwardly. The recoil force of that hammer blow was perfectly controlled—it both neutralized the downward momentum and left no damage to the mountainside. Not even a crack was left on the rock face. Such effortless mastery was simply...
He couldn't help but glance at Tang Xiao's resolute profile. In the moonlight, his uncle's grey robes fluttered, and his hammer-wielding movements were fluid and graceful. Tang San suddenly realized that in that leap and hammer strike, Tang Xiao had perfectly blended the power of the Clear Sky Hammer with the agility of his movements; this masterful control was something even his own father probably couldn't achieve.
Tang San's thoughts were interrupted by Tang Xiao's deep voice.

"Lead the way."

These three simple words instantly brought Tang San back to his senses. He quickly composed himself and nodded solemnly. His Purple Demon Eyes flickered slightly in the night, rapidly determining the direction.

"This way." Tang San pointed to a dense forest in the northeast, his voice regaining its usual calm. He noticed that when Tang Xiao took a step, his combat boots landed without disturbing a single leaf, a display of control over his power that secretly startled him.

Moonlight filtered through the trees, dappling the path through the woods, and the two figures quickly disappeared into the dark depths of the forest. Tang San led the way, but he could clearly feel the piercing gaze behind him—a gaze that held both scrutiny and a hidden, unspoken expectation.

Watching Tang San's agile figure darting through the forest, a hint of satisfaction appeared on Tang Xiao's resolute face. His sharp eyes captured every subtle change in the boy's steps—those seemingly casual footsteps actually contained hidden secrets.

"Wonderful," Tang Xiao thought to himself. He could clearly see that many aspects of this footwork incorporated the power generation method of the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique, only transforming the fierce power of the hammer technique into the lightness and agility of the movement. What was even more remarkable was that this footwork had already achieved a state of complete integration, forming a unique system on its own.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on Tang San. Tang Xiao noticed that every time the boy's toes touched the ground, a faint fluctuation of soul power would arise—this was the ultimate manifestation of the "borrowing force to strike" essence of the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique.

"The agility that gives the cloak its movement, Brother Hao, is even better than you were back then," Tang Xiao murmured to himself. The night wind ruffled his graying temples, and in his weathered eyes, a complex light shone, a mixture of relief and pain.

Just a few days later, when Tang San led Tang Xiao back to the Blue Silver Forest of his memories, the scene before him struck him like a thunderbolt—

"How is this possible?!"

Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes contracted sharply as he scanned his surroundings in disbelief. The once lush Blue Silver Grass Sea had vanished without a trace, replaced by an ordinary woodland. The remains of trees shattered by the battle were still there, and the scorched earth still bore the marks of the soul skills' bombardment, but the Blue Silver Grass that should have been ever-growing had completely disappeared.

Tang Xiao keenly noticed that Tang San's hands were trembling uncontrollably. The boy squatted down, his fingertips digging deep into the soil, but he couldn't even find a single Blue Silver Grass seedling.

"Something's not right," Tang San's voice was terribly hoarse. "The Blue Silver Grass has extremely strong vitality; even if it's burned, it should still leave some behind."

Tang Xiao paid no heed to Tang San's shock, his gaze drifting into the depths of the forest, as if piercing through time to see the past. His rough fingers gently traced the mottled bark of an ancient tree, his voice low and nostalgic: "Ah Yin back then also possessed this ability." A gentle smile unconsciously curved his lips. "Seemingly untraceable, yet truly omnipresent." A gentle breeze swept by, stirring up scattered fallen leaves. Tang Xiao suddenly knelt on one knee, pressing his broad palm into the soil: "Look." He gestured for Tang San to come closer, "The soil is loose; this land shows signs of being disturbed. They're gone."

Tang San kept digging into the ground, only to find that the surface of the soil appeared the same as usual, but was unusually soft. Tang Xiao stood up, seemingly unconcerned, and said, "Back then, your mother could make all the Blue Silver Grass in the entire forest migrate overnight. Those Blue Silver Grass should also possess that ability."

Upon hearing the word "mother," Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes suddenly lit up, and his voice trembled slightly: "Uncle, you...you know my mother? Can you tell me?"

Tang Xiao slowly shook his head, his rough hand pressing down on Tang San's shoulder with such force that the boy's knees sank. "Brother Hao never told you until his death; he had his reasons." His gaze was piercing, as if trying to see into Tang San's soul. "With your current strength, the less you know, the better."

Having said that, Tang Xiao turned and looked into the distance, his gray robe fluttering in the night wind: "Lead the way to the waterfall your father spoke of." As he took a step, his footsteps left deep imprints on the ground. "There... lies your destiny."

A few days later, as dawn broke, Tang San led Tang Xiao to the familiar waterfall. The rushing water cascaded down from a height of a hundred feet like a silver ribbon, creating a deafening roar at the bottom of the pool.

“Uncle,” Tang San pointed to the center of the waterfall, his Purple Demon Eyes gleaming in the morning light, “Father said that there’s a cave hidden behind this waterfall.”

Tang Xiao narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze as a Title Douluo piercing through the roaring water curtain, his brows furrowing suddenly.

"Uncle, what's wrong?" Tang San keenly sensed something was amiss and asked softly.

Tang Xiao didn't answer, but suddenly stretched out his iron arm and lifted Tang San up in his arms. With a thunderous roar, the Clear Sky Hammer appeared, and boundless soul power surged forth like a tidal wave. He swung the hammer, and the violent soul power actually cleaved a crack in the waterfall!
"Walk!"

The two moved with lightning speed, instantly passing through the curtain of water. The cave was damp and cold, but Tang Xiao's gaze was fixed on the ground—the lead box that had been overturned was empty, and the mound of earth next to it showed obvious signs of being disturbed.

"As expected." Tang Xiao's voice was terrifyingly low, the veins on the back of his hand gripping the Clear Sky Hammer bulging. The temperature inside the cave seemed to plummet, even the splashing water droplets condensed into ice crystals three feet away from him. Tang San had never seen his uncle in such a state; the suppressed anger made the entire cave tremble slightly. Tang Xiao's eyes narrowed, his sharp gaze as a Title Douluo piercing through the roaring water curtain, his brows suddenly furrowing.

Tang Xiao's voice, deep and rumbling like thunder, echoed in the damp cave: "Did your father bring you here before?"

Tang San shook his head, his Purple Demon Eyes gleaming faintly in the dim cave. Although he didn't yet understand his father's true intention in having his uncle bring him here, the scattered lead boxes and the dug-up mounds of earth before him spoke volumes—someone had gotten there first and taken what was hidden here.

Water droplets dripping from the stalactites at the cave ceiling struck the lead box with a crisp sound. Tang Xiao held his Clear Sky Hammer in his hand, the soul power coiling around it distorting the surrounding air. Tang San could sense the suppressed rage emanating from his uncle, like the deathly stillness before a storm.

Tang Xiao's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his knuckles turning white from the force. His deep voice echoed through the cave, each word seemingly carrying the fury of thunder:
"What a formidable Spirit Hall!"

The patterns on the Clear Sky Hammer suddenly lit up, and a terrifying surge of soul power caused rubble to fall from the cave ceiling. Tang Xiao's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was terribly hoarse:
"Pushing Hao to the brink isn't enough." He suddenly slammed his fist into the rock wall, causing the entire cave to tremble. "You even scheme against a child!"

Tang San saw that when his uncle spoke, the veins on his forehead bulged like dragons, and the anger that had been suppressed for many years finally erupted at this moment. The temperature inside the cave suddenly rose, and even the splashing water droplets vaporized instantly, forming a hazy mist in the dim light.

"Uncle." Tang San was about to ask when Tang Xiao raised his hand to stop him.

Tang Xiao took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently. When he spoke again, his voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority: "Third Brother, now take out those soul bones and begin absorbing them." His gaze was piercing. "Next, I will take you to find your fifth, sixth, and even seventh soul ring."

Tang San's pupils contracted slightly: "But..."

"No buts!" Tang Xiao's voice boomed like a bell, shaking the entire cave. His imposing figure stood as immovable as a mountain in the dim light. "Remember—"

A surge of powerful soul energy flowed around him, and the nine soul rings on the jet-black Clear Sky Hammer lit up one after another, illuminating the entire cave as if it were daytime: "I am not only your uncle, but also the current sect master of the Clear Sky Sect!"

"Yes, Uncle." Tang San took a deep breath and gently stroked the Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moonlit Night with his fingertips. As a faint light flashed, the crystal-clear soul bones emitted a soft glow in the dim cave.

Tang Xiao's gaze fell on the soul bones with a complex expression, his rough fingers unconsciously stroking the handle of the Clear Sky Hammer. The departure of the Blue Silver Clan, the mysterious disappearance of the Blue Silver Emperor's soul bone, and the traces of someone else sneaking into the cave—all of this made the Clear Sky Sect Master feel a chill run down his spine—as if an invisible net had already enveloped them all.

"Let's begin." Tang Xiao's voice was deep and resolute. Nine soul rings slowly rotated around him, forming a solid soul power barrier. He looked at the traces of energy breaches at the cave entrance, a resolute glint in his eyes—the situation no longer allowed them any further hesitation.

Tang Xiao stared intently at Tang San's figure as he began to absorb the soul bone, his gaze growing increasingly grave. He knew all too well that if all of this was truly the work of the Spirit Hall, they must have also anticipated Tang San's eventual return. The roar of the waterfall could not mask the alarm he felt—on this continent, there was no place that was absolutely safe for Tang San anymore.

“This kid must learn to protect himself as soon as possible.” Tang Xiao gripped the Clear Sky Hammer tightly, his knuckles turning white. He looked at Tang San’s pained yet resolute face and made a decision: rather than letting Tang San struggle in the perilous environment outside, it would be better to send him to the City of Slaughter. At least there, there would only be one enemy—the City of Slaughter itself.

Thinking of this, a bitter smile appeared on Tang Xiao's lips. Who could have imagined that, for Tang San now, the dangers of the outside world were far more terrifying than that bloody killing city? (End of this chapter)