The shadow's words left Tang San and the others completely stunned.
The shadow looked down at Ju Douluo and Ghost Douluo and said faintly, "Get lost!"
"Thank you for sparing our lives!"
"Thank you!"
Ju Douluo and Ghost Douluo did not flee immediately but knelt down to repeatedly express their gratitude.
Tang San and the Seven Monsters exchanged glances; this shadow was too powerful!
After showing their gratitude, Ju Douluo and Ghost Douluo fled in a panic, as if pardoned.
The shadow simultaneously began to fade and walked up to Ye Yu.
The shadow raised its right hand and gently caressed Ye Yu's cheek, then patted Ye Yu's head.
The shadow's voice was no longer imposing but softened.
"You've grown so much."
Ye Yu reached out to touch, but his hand passed through the dark air, unable to grasp anything substantial.
"Dad... what happened back then? How are you now?" Ye Yu asked with concern.
"Xiao Yu, I am just a shadow now. When you become a Titled Douluo, I may be able to appear in my true form."
A cold glint flashed in Ye Yu's eyes: "Dad, who caused this to happen to you? What about Mom..."
The shadow gradually dissipated, and said coldly, "Those people from back then will die eventually."
Ye Yu asked, "Was it done by the Martial Soul Hall?"
The shadow scoffed, "Martial Soul Hall? Hmph, they're not that powerful. Even when I faced my tenth Celestial Tribulation back then, just them alone were far from being my match. Even ten Martial Soul Halls couldn't hurt me. Xiao Yu, the enemies are not just Martial Soul Hall. Keep strengthening your powers; sooner or later, we will meet again as father and son."
The shadow scattered, flowing into Ye Yu, leaving behind one last message.
"With your current strength, I'll be able to make another appearance soon. When you get to the Martial Soul Hall, don't hold back when facing anything. No matter what happens, don't worry; I'm here for you."
With these words, the Power of Extreme Evil completely dissipated.
Ye Yu felt a warm and solid comfort in his heart.
Suddenly, Dai Mubai and the Seven were filled with admiration and amazement: "So domineering!"
Oscar gasped: "Boss Yu's father? How formidable! No wonder he's Boss Yu's father!"
Dai Mubai admired: "Just a shadow reduced those two Titled Douluos to such a state, unable to fight back or even speak, stomped on by us Soul Sect level beings, too scared to even fart; it's so fierce!"
Ma Hongjun was envious: "If you cause trouble at the Martial Soul Hall, just do it; your father has got your back. My god, how I envy and admire that. I wish I had such a powerful and domineering father. Boss Yu, do you need a younger brother? I'd like to be your honorary brother."
Flande rolled his eyes at Ma Hongjun: "Ma Hongjun, look at yourself."
With a disdainful comment, Flande then smirked at Ye Yu and said, "Next time your dad shows up, ask him if he needs brothers."
The Seven Monsters all immediately felt a wave of disdain.
Ye Yu: "..."
...
Dai Mubai and the others' eyes lit up with admiration and envy, wondering how great it would be to have a father like that.
From the shadow's appearance to now, its presence had been constantly exuding dominance, leaving even Sword Douluo stunned.
Ning Fengzhi asked, "Uncle Jian, do you know who Xiao Yu's father is?"
Sword Douluo shook his head: "I have no idea."
Flande marveled: "Ten celestial tribulations... Is Xiao Yu's father a Soul Beast?"
Liu Erlong was amazed: "And to have crossed ten celestial tribulations, not just a ferocious beast, but a god?"
Flande sighed lightly: "Perhaps many things happened during the tribulation crossing. Even if he succeeded, he suffered tremendous damage, preventing his true form from appearing now."
Ye Yu declared firmly: "I will become a Titled Douluo as soon as possible!"
Ye Yu understood that the stronger he became, the faster his father would recover.
Flande turned to Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your help this time."
Though they thought they'd be fine without Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo, the two had indeed deterred the two Titled Douluos.
Ning Fengzhi said, "There's no need to thank us. Rongrong is my daughter, so naturally I must intervene. Moreover, thanks to Tang San, Rongrong now possesses the Nine Treasures Glaze Tower. This is a great favor, and we cannot just stand by and watch."
Flande frowned: "It seems Martial Soul Hall has figured out Xiao San's identity and knows who his father is. They probably fear Xiao San might become the new Vast Heaven, posing a threat to Martial Soul Hall in the future."
Ning Fengzhi suggested: "Tang San, why don't you return to the Seven Treasure Glaze Sect with me? There I can ensure your safety."
Tang San shook his head: "I want to compete; I don't want to quit. Having come this far, I can't abandon my teammates because of my personal safety. Otherwise, it would become a mental barrier, hindering my future cultivation."
Ning Fengzhi praised: "What you say makes sense. But if you participate and win the championship, Martial Soul Hall's pursuit of you will only intensify, and we might not be able to protect you then. The Seven Great Sects, though the Upper Three Sects are united, the Lower Four Sects are virtually Martial Soul Hall's subordinates. So, Martial Soul Hall's strength is formidable, even the Two Great Empires are wary of them. The number of Soul Masters they control together does not exceed half of what Martial Soul Hall possesses."
Ning Fengzhi's voice became grave: "Moreover, the Pope's strength is unimaginable; he is likely the strongest Titled Douluo. You are still young and shouldn't risk your future over a single competition."
Tang San remained steadfast: "I want to participate in the competition; it is also an important trial in my life."
Ning Fengzhi, helpless, said: "Alright, then I wish you good luck."
Ning Fengzhi reckoned that Ye Yu would eventually be pursued by Martial Soul Hall as well. Besides them, no one else knew that the shadow was Ye Yu's father.
Ye Yu's talent was terrifyingly immense. If Martial Soul Hall couldn't recruit him, they'd surely eliminate him.
However, there was absolutely no worry, as it was already known Ye Yu had a formidable father who didn't even regard Martial Soul Hall as a threat.
Soon, the others awoke; those at Soul Emperor and Soul Saint level were puzzled upon waking to find their superiors gone, startling them: how did they all pass out suddenly? What kind of terrifying powerhouse arrived?
They fled immediately, not daring to linger.
Black-clad men awoke and fled in succession, while some lower-powered ones who didn't wake were killed.
Everyone wondered in confusion why they had suddenly lost consciousness.
Seeing that the black-clad men were either dead or gone, they sighed in relief and continued on their way.
Ten days later, the group arrived at Martial Soul City.
Martial Soul City wasn't large; it had only a tenth of Tian Dou City's area, about the size of a county, yet it was quite prosperous.
The walls of Martial Soul City stood eighty meters high, grand and imposing, with a thickness of thirty meters, all built from granite.
Martial Soul City, unlike most cities, had six walls forming a hexagon. Each wall bore a sculpture representing one of six powerful Martial Souls.
Entering Martial Soul City, it felt spacious with few shops.
In the center, a very conspicuous hill revealed that Martial Soul City was built around it. At the peak stood two majestic buildings, clearly visible.
These two structures, splendid and magnificent, were the Pope Hall and the Douluo Hall—the most grandiose buildings on the continent.
Dai Mubai and others gazed at the buildings and sighed: "Martial Soul Hall is wealthy; these buildings are so luxurious."
Ning Rongrong admired: "Indeed beautiful, even richer than the Seven Treasure Glaze Sect."
Ye Yu said meaningfully: "Take a good look now; within a few days, these buildings might not be here anymore."