"In this cave," Qian Renxue ordered, "search thoroughly. Who knows—Tang Hao might have left us a little surprise."
"Yes, ma'am."
Cixue and She Long began combing through the cave. Before long, they discovered a right leg bone lodged in a crevice in the rock wall.
The aura it gave off was unmistakable—it was a soul bone from a 100,000-year-old soul beast.
"This is… the right leg bone of the Blue Silver Emperor," Cixue said in surprise.
Qian Renxue nodded. "Yes. A 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor soul bone. Back then, the Blue Silver Emperor sacrificed herself for Tang Hao. But his soul bone slots were already full—he couldn't absorb the one his wife left behind. So he kept it for his son. Now, the Spirit Hall will gladly accept it."
With that, the three of them took the soul bone and the seed of life left behind by Ah Yin and left.
At the same time that Qian Renxue and her group were departing, Tang San and Old Jack had just arrived in Nuoding City.
Completely unaware, the future God King Tang San was full of hope for what lay ahead—blissfully ignorant that the soul ring and soul bone meant for his future wife and mother had already been stolen away.
But Tang San wasn't the only one reborn into this new timeline. It wasn't just the factions of Shrek and the Spirit Hall—others had returned too.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Academy of Heaven Dou City
Thirteen-year-old Yu Tianheng was in the middle of a one-against-two match in the arena, defeating two senior students who had already reached Soul Sect level. His performance earned him admiring glances from many of the noble girls in the crowd.
"Remember this," Yu Tianheng boasted, "There's always someone stronger. Your talents aren't bad, but with those ordinary beast spirits, how could you possibly compare to my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon?"
The two defeated students left in shame.
Yu Tianheng raised his head in pride. He was already approaching level 27, an outstanding talent and one of the "Twin Stars" of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. So why had the two prodigies of the clan chosen to attend Heaven Dou's Imperial Academy instead of their own Thunderclap Academy?
Simple—Yu Tianheng had his eyes on one person sitting in the audience: a striking young woman with long, dark green hair and a maturing figure—Dugu Yan.
Yu Tianheng's goal in joining the Royal Academy was to pursue the only granddaughter of Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo.
If he could win her over, then in a way, Dugu Bo would become aligned with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, greatly boosting Yu Tianheng's standing within his own clan.
And Dugu Yan—already a budding beauty—was sure to grow into a stunning woman in the future.
Of course, he wasn't the only one chasing her. Even the infamous playboy prince, Xue Beng, was pursuing her. But Yu Tianheng was confident—Dugu Yan would ultimately choose him, not some spoiled princeling like Xue Beng.
Yet to his dismay, despite displaying his strength and dominance on stage, Dugu Yan didn't spare him a glance. She looked thoughtful, lost in her own world.
This left Yu Tianheng frustrated and unsure where to direct his energy.
After the match, Yu Tianheng stepped off the stage and approached Dugu Yan with a smile, extending his hand. "Hey there, classmate. I'm Yu Tianheng, one of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Twin Stars."
Dugu Yan looked up when she heard his voice. She forced a polite smile and replied, "I'm Dugu Yan."
"Would you like to have dinner together tonight?" Yu Tianheng asked with a grin.
Dugu Yan shook her head. "I'm sorry. I have other matters to take care of tonight, so I can't."
"That's a pity. Well, no worries. Next time, when you're free, I'll treat you," Yu Tianheng said, slightly disappointed.
Seeing his invitation rejected, Yu Tianheng didn't linger. He turned and walked away.
Yu Tianheng… Was I really drawn to him in my past life just because of his performance in the arena? What a ridiculous reason.
Sure, Yu Tianheng's approach might work on immature girls, but Dugu Yan was no naive girl anymore. She now carried the memories of a life spanning decades, even centuries.
The tricks Yu Tianheng used to impress young girls didn't work on her anymore. She had no intention of falling for him again.
In truth, he was nothing more than a spoiled second-generation heir propped up by his family's name.
In her past life, after the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was wiped out, Yu Tianheng survived—but he was no longer the same. To outsiders, it looked like he had swallowed his pride and joined the Heaven Dou Empire to fight Spirit Hall and avenge his clan. But only Dugu Yan knew the real man behind the mask.
She eventually married him, but their marriage was anything but happy.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon spirit had a higher soul quality than her own Jade Phosphor Serpent, which meant she couldn't pass down her spirit to their children. To preserve the family line, her grandfather had to personally father more children.
Her married life with Yu Tianheng was miserable. After losing the support of his clan, he spiraled into depression, alcoholism, and decadence. The worst part? He started sleeping around.
He used his good looks to attract women, and when Dugu Yan caught him, Dugu Bo severely punished him.
Dugu Bo had even planned to plant a poison curse on Yu Tianheng to control him and make him pay for mistreating his granddaughter. But Yu Tianheng begged for mercy, and Dugu Yan—softhearted at the time—let him off.
What she didn't know was that this only made Yu Tianheng resent her even more.
He laid low for a few years, but after Dugu Bo died from his own poison and Dugu Yan's own toxins began flaring up, Yu Tianheng's true nature resurfaced. He openly resumed his debauchery, ignored her entirely, and treated her with cold cruelty.
Eventually, the two had a huge fight. Yu Tianheng even hit her—he had become a full-blown domestic abuser, nothing like the sweet first love of her youth.
In the end, Dugu Yan left with her son, and Yu Tianheng continued down his path of indulgence and self-destruction. She never learned how he died—because she died before he did.
The biggest mistake of my past life was marrying the wrong person—wasting my years entangled with someone unworthy. But in this life, I have a choice. And as for Yu Tianheng—he won't get any kindness from me again.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Dugu Yan approached her teacher. "Teacher, I'd like to take a leave of absence."
"What's the matter, Dugu Yan?" the teacher asked.
"My grandfather needs me at home. He asked me to request some time off."
"All right, just be careful," the teacher said.
As Dugu Bo's only family, and with his well-known doting nature, the teacher quickly approved her request. After securing leave, Dugu Yan left Heaven Dou's Royal Academy and set off straight for Sunset Forest.
What she didn't notice was that Yu Tianheng had been watching her from the shadows. Only after she left did he step out from hiding.
Seeing her go, he chuckled to himself.
So that's it. She wasn't rejecting me—she really did have something urgent at home. Heh. Woman, you won't escape my grasp. You'll be mine eventually. Just behave and be my woman.
(End of Chapter)
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