Chapter 169: Actually, I’m Not Human!

The relationship between Tang San and Xiao Wu was no secret.

Tang San assumed that his father wanted to see his future daughter-in-law, which was why he had called Xiao Wu over.

Not long after, he brought Xiao Wu into the office, while Yu Xiaogang tactfully excused himself and left.

"Xiao Wu, this is my father," Tang San introduced her. 

Tang San's father!

Xiao Wu was initially startled as she sized up the disheveled man before her. 

After a pause, she respectfully bowed. "Xiao Wu greets Lord Tang." 

Tang Hao's expression remained calm, his tone steady as he said, "Little rabbit, you've got quite the nerve. To appear on the continent at your age—do you think Title Douluos are blind?" 

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu's eyes trembled, her entire body shaking as she looked at Tang Hao in terror. 

"Xiao Wu, what's wrong?" Tang San asked, confused. 

Without the enhancement of Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew to boost his mental power, his Purple Extreme Devil Eye wasn't yet capable of seeing through Xiao Wu's true identity. 

Thinking that his father had bullied Xiao Wu, Tang San quickly stepped in front of her. "Father, what grudge do you have with Xiao Wu? She's like a sister to me—I don't want you to bully her."

Tang Hao nodded approvingly.

He seemed to see his younger self reflected in Tang San. 

However, Xiao Wu needed a stern warning. This little rabbit's audacity was astonishing—she dared to appear in Tiandou City and even participate in the Soul Masters Tournament. Did she not know how to spell the word "death"? 

"Are you going to tell him yourself, or should I help you?" 

"Tang San, what are you hiding from me?" Tang San pressed anxiously. 

Caught between two loved ones, he felt torn. 

Xiao Wu lowered her head, her rabbit ears drooping as she stammered, "Tang San… actually… I'm… I'm not human." 

"What are you saying, Xiao Wu? How could you not be human?" Tang San thought she was just frightened by Tang Hao's words and was speaking nonsense. 

"Tang San, she's not lying. She truly isn't human but a hundred-thousand-year transformed soul beast," Tang Hao added.

"A hundred-thousand-year soul beast!" Tang San was struck as if by lightning, his body stiffening in place, unsure of what to do. 

Tears streamed down Xiao Wu's eyes. "I'm sorry, Big Brother San. I deceived you. If you want my spirit ring, I can offer it to you…" 

Memories of his time with Xiao Wu flooded Tang San's mind, and his gaze gradually hardened. 

"Tang San, a hundred-thousand-year soul beast will definitely drop a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone. For you, she's an excellent spirit ring and spirit bone!" Tang Hao's tone was neither excited nor angry, just calm. 

If Tang San were to agree, Tang Hao would likely feel deeply disappointed in him. 

"Whether she's human or a soul beast—it doesn't matter. All I know is that Xiao Wu is my sister. Father, if you harm Xiao Wu, you'll have to step over my dead body." 

"Big Brother San!" Xiao Wu was overwhelmed with emotion, throwing herself into his arms. 

Tang Hao suddenly chuckled. "Tang San, I hope you remember these words today." 

"Father?" Tang San blinked, seeming to understand what his father meant. 

Xiao Wu stared blankly at the father-son pair, unsure what they were up to. 

Tang Hao turned his gaze to Xiao Wu. "Little rabbit, you should count yourself lucky for having a good relationship with Tang San while at the academy. However, there are both Soul Douluos and Title Douluos roaming Tiandou City. Who have you encountered, and have you been exposed?"

Tang San finally understood.

Now he realized why Xiao Wu had purchased herbs to conceal her presence. 

Since the herbs could mask her aura, it was likely she hadn't been exposed, right? 

Shrek Academy had encountered four Soul Douluos since entering Tiandou City. Aside from the three teaching committee members, the other was Ke Jie. 

None of them had acted against Xiao Wu on the spot, so it seemed she hadn't been exposed.

Xiao Wu knew that Title Douluos could instantly see through her true identity. But for some reason, despite encountering Dugu Bo twice, he hadn't made a move against her. 

Tang Hao sneered. "Dugu Bo isn't worth worrying about—a useless Title Douluo like him isn't even on my radar." 

After a pause, he continued, "The herbs you're wearing can block most Title Douluos' perception. But if a Super Douluo has ever seen a transformed soul beast, they'll still recognize you at a glance." 

High-grade herbs couldn't completely mask her aura. In the eyes of a Super Douluo, traces of her presence would still linger. 

"Tang San, you shouldn't participate in the Soul Masters Tournament. The Sword Bone Douluos of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect are formidable. They might see through your identity," Tang San said gravely.

"Big Brother San, I…" Xiao Wu hesitated. 

For her own safety, she really shouldn't appear at the Soul Masters Tournament. 

But for the Shrek Seven Monsters, if she backed out now as a "deserter," the team might not even make it out of the preliminaries. 

Seeing Xiao Wu's dilemma, Tang Hao smiled and retrieved a small, dull-colored flower from his soul-guided device. 

"Xiao Wu already has something to conceal her presence. If we add this flower, it should be enough to keep her safe." 

"Father."

Tang San was filled with excitement and quickly helped Xiao Wu put it on. 

---

After several days of searching, Ning Tianchen and Dugu Bo finally spotted the shadow of the Giant Claw Dragon.

The attack power of a twenty-thousand-year Giant Claw Dragon was extraordinarily strong. Its sharp claws effortlessly sliced through granite. 

"If your age exceeded fifty thousand years, Old Man might find it troublesome. Hmph, a mere twenty-thousand-year soul beast dares to dream of resisting?"

Du Gubo's assault was fierce. Within just a few minutes, he had driven the Giant Claw Dragon to the brink of death. 

Ning Tianchen didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately ended its life. He sat cross-legged, absorbing its spirit ring. 

After several hours, Ning Tianchen completed the absorption process. 

"Little one, this time there's no spirit bone drop," Dugu Bo remarked as he had already checked the soul beast's corpse during Ning Tianchen's absorption. 

The lack of a spirit bone drop was somewhat regrettable. 

After all, the spirit bones dropped by Giant Claw Dragons were often its sharp claws. If Ning Tianchen had obtained such an external spirit bone, his strength would have increased significantly.

Of course, Ning Tianchen didn't feel any regret. 

Claws were only useful for emergency attacks. His main focus wasn't on claw-based techniques. 

"What's your fifth soul skill? The spirit ring of the Giant Claw Dragon shouldn't be too shabby." 

Ning Tianchen chuckled. "My fifth soul skill was originally supposed to be a control-type ability, but instead, I gained the attack power of the Giant Claw Dragon." 

With that, the fifth black spirit ring emitted a dazzling light. 

"Fifth soul skill, All Around Massive Quake!"

(T/N: The name is awkward af but it's the name given by the wiki and is quite literal in the translation.)

The dragon-patterned Seven Kill Sword shot out under Ning Tianchen's control, landing in a nearby forest. 

The moment the blade touched the ground, a powerful surge of sword energy erupted from the sword, uprooting all the trees within a thirty-meter radius. 

But it didn't end there. This sword energy carried significant destructive power. The uprooted trees were shattered into splinters by the sword energy, scattering back to the ground like falling leaves. 

"Not bad. A forced repulsion-type soul skill with considerable power. It's enough to serve as a trump card skill to catch opponents off guard," Dugu Bo praised generously. 

All Around Massive Quake shared its name with the fifth soul skill of the Sword Douluo, but the latter's fifth soul skill only inflicted minor sword energy damage, far from achieving what Ning Tianchen had demonstrated.

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