Facing Zhongli, Tang San had no confidence at all.
"Lord Martial God, what is the story behind this soul bone?"
Despite his lack of confidence, Tang San still asked.
If he didn't get a clear answer, he wouldn't even know why he was about to die.
"Do you remember our first meeting?"
Their first encounter was at the gates of Heaven Dou City.
At that time, Dai Mubai had provoked Zhongli, bringing trouble upon Shrek Academy.
Somehow, a box had flown out of nowhere, and Zhongli had said it was compensation.
Wait… a box?
Compensation?
Seeing Tang San's expression of sudden realization, Zhongli continued,
"It seems you've remembered."
"That's right, inside that box was this very hundred-thousand-year soul bone."
"And this soul bone was the compensation offered by your father, Tang Hao."
Tang San fell silent. He had never imagined that the box from back then had contained his mother's remains… her bone.
"Should I snatch it from him?"
That thought flickered through his mind but was quickly dismissed.
What a joke, trying to seize a soul bone from Zhongli?
That would be even more difficult than hunting a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
This man was far more terrifying than a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
At this moment, though the surroundings of the Supreme Pontiff Hall were packed with people, absolute silence reigned, one could hear a pin drop.
No one had expected such a convoluted story behind this soul bone.
The most outrageous part was that it had been given as compensation by Tang Hao!
Using his wife's hundred-thousand-year soul bone as compensation, what an absolutely insane decision!
Thinking of this, everyone couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
Wait a moment…
As if realizing something, the crowd turned their eyes to Tang San once again.
Truly, like father, like son. If Tang Hao was this outrageous, then Tang San was not far behind.
He had also used a soul bone from someone who sacrificed themselves for him… as a gambling stake!
"Tang Chen was such a hero, yet his descendants are… hard to describe."
"Don't say that. Think about the eldest brother…"
It was unclear which of the elders spoke.
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere fell into silence once more.
Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen had lived their lives with honor and integrity, yet their descendants were utterly absurd.
And then there was Yu Yuanzhen…
Suddenly, under the astonished gaze of the crowd, Tang San fell to his knees with a thud, looking at Zhongli with utmost sincerity.
"Lord Martial God, please return my mother's remains."
"I, Tang San, swear that within ten years, I will present two hundred-thousand-year soul bones in return!"
A flicker of unreadable emotion flashed deep within Tang San's eyes.
He hadn't mentioned a hundred-thousand-year soul bone outright, only his mother's remains.
This way, he would earn the reputation of a filial son while also forcing Zhongli to face moral pressure.
He understood Zhongli's character well, this man was someone who placed great importance on "tradition."
Would such a person refuse to return a soul bone to a filial son?
As for delivering two hundred-thousand-year soul bones in ten years… he could think about that later.
He was confident that if he could defeat Xiao Feilian in five years, he would have the strength to defeat Zhongli in ten.
If he could defeat Zhongli, why would he bother returning the soul bones?
And where did his confidence come from?
Entirely from the foundation of the Tang Sect!
Even if he couldn't defeat Zhongli by then, he was sure he could escape. After all, Zhongli wouldn't be able to do anything to him.
"Lord Martial God! Tang San's words are not to be trusted!"
"He dared to wager his girlfriend's right arm soul bone. How could such a person possibly keep his word?"
"And look at Tang Hao, he used his wife's remains as compensation! This father and son are both untrustworthy!"
To win Zhongli's favor, the crowd immediately exposed Tang San's nature.
A filial son? My foot!
Based on Tang San's behavior, he didn't seem like a normal person at all. How could he possibly be a filial son?
"You're talking nonsense!"
Tang San turned around and roared at the crowd in fury.
This was the first time he had been so visibly rattled, he even resorted to cursing.
Exposing him like this, did they even consider his feelings?
"Lord Martial God, I truly only want to reclaim my mother's remains…"
Before Tang San could finish his sentence, a voice interrupted.
"Heh, and once you take it back, I bet you'll absorb it immediately."
"A so-called remains? This is nothing more than the bone of an evil soul beast!"
Usually, Tang San was the one accusing soul beasts of being evil.
For the first time, he had met someone who turned the tables on him.
"Do you dare say that if you take it back, you won't immediately absorb it?"
"Tang San, oh Tang San, you've truly disgraced that old man Tang Chen."
Hearing these words, Tang San's rage skyrocketed.
His eyes burned with fury as he turned toward the speaker.
Among a group of white-robed elders adorned with golden embroidery, the one who had spoken bore the image of a golden crocodile, so lifelike it seemed ready to pounce.
"This old man is courting death!"
Tang San's eyes turned red, his fists clenching tightly.
"Who are you?"
If he didn't kill this man, his anger wouldn't subside.
…Wait, who was Tang Chen again?
The elder crossed his arms and looked at Tang San with disdain, speaking bluntly,
"I am Golden Crocodile, the second Worship of the Spirit Hall, a Rank 98 Assault-type Titled Douluo."
"If you seek death, I am more than happy to oblige."
Tang San trembled all over. The "friendly greeting" that had been on the tip of his tongue was forcefully swallowed.
Good grief, a terrifying Rank 98 powerhouse.
Even if he was slightly weaker than Zhongli, the gap couldn't be that large.
Choosing to back down wasn't shameful, after all, he was facing absolute terror!
Standing beside Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin's expression changed.
He had heard of the Golden Crocodile before.
He never expected that this old man was still alive, let alone that he had broken through to Rank 98.
Back when Chen Xin was a child, Golden Crocodile had already been a Titled Douluo.
Now, even as he was half-buried in the grave, this old monster was still as powerful as ever.
There was no need to say more, his strength spoke for itself.
To ease the awkward atmosphere, Tang San turned his gaze back to Zhongli, hoping the Martial God would speak a fair word.
Unfortunately, Zhongli seemed to have no intention of saying anything.
Left with no choice, Tang San gritted his teeth and continued,
"Lord Martial God, I am willing to swear an oath, an oath upon my martial soul!"
"You don't need to go that far, young one."
"If you can defeat Chi Yu in five years, this soul bone will be yours."
Zhongli waved a hand dismissively. From start to finish, he had never planned to return the soul bone.
Even though he didn't need it.
"You used a hundred-thousand-year soul bone as a stake, so naturally, the wager should also be a hundred-thousand-year soul bone."
Zhongli's expression remained unchanged.
Using a hundred-thousand-year soul bone to match another, that was true fairness.
Of course, torso and skull soul bones were separate matters.
At those words, the crowd was stunned.
Even Golden Crocodile and the others were taken aback.
This was perhaps the greatest wager ever proposed since the establishment of the Soul Master world.
After a brief moment of thought, Tang San nodded in agreement.