That roar wasn’t a physical sound, but one born from Divine Thought. It came from the Immortal Gang, its target none other than Yi Xiaoyao!
As such, only Yi Xiaoyao could hear this furious roar.
As for everyone else, they only saw blood trickling from the corner of Yi Xiaoyao’s mouth and the color drain from his face.
"Xiaoyao! What’s wrong?" Tang Ruoxue asked, rushing to help him up.
Yi Xiaoyao gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
His attempt to communicate with the Ninth Grade Immortal Soul had started off smoothly. But just as he was about to gain its recognition, something strange and sudden happened.
Just as the Ninth Grade Immortal Soul was about to enter Yi Xiaoyao’s soul via Divine Thought, it was suddenly gripped by an inexplicable sense of fear.
Then, it erupted with boundless fury, violently repelling Yi Xiaoyao’s Divine Thought and injuring his Heart Spirit.
Tang Long frowned from the side. "Xiaoyao, did you fail?" he asked.
"Yes." Yi Xiaoyao frowned and nodded.
The crowd within the estate erupted in discussion, the voices thick with unconcealed glee at his misfortune.
"Serves him right for failing! An outsider thinking he could become the Fortress Master of our Tang Family? He deserves it!"
"Haha! And here I thought he could actually communicate with a Ninth Grade Immortal Soul. He failed, just as I’d hoped. I pray his next two attempts fail as well!"
"Did he really think communicating with a Ninth Grade Immortal Soul was that easy? This is what happens when you overestimate yourself!"
Yi Xiaoyao had long grown accustomed to hearing such voices, but listening to them now sent a chill through his heart.
Tang Long turned and shouted angrily, silencing the crowd. He then said to Yi Xiaoyao, "Xiaoyao, don’t lose heart. You still have two more chances."
Yi Xiaoyao nodded heavily. He didn’t know why that Immortal Soul had been so frightened and resistant, but he would simply try another one next.
After taking a moment to compose himself, he once again sent his Divine Thought skyward and began to communicate.
This time, to be on the safe side, he chose an Eighth Grade Immortal Soul.
By all rights, his aptitude was far superior to Tang Ruoxue’s. Since she had successfully communicated with a Seventh Grade Immortal Soul, he should have no problem.
But what happened next stunned the crowd once again!
"GET OUT!!!"
Another furious roar boomed from the Immortal Gang, and Yi Xiaoyao spat out another mouthful of blood!
"WHY!!!"
He was half-crazed by now. He didn’t even need Tang Ruoxue’s support as he defiantly rose to his feet to try one last time!
This was his last chance!
But the moment Yi Xiaoyao connected with an Immortal Soul, he once again felt its profound fear and hatred, followed by a single roar—
"GET OUT!!!"
The third failure completely extinguished Yi Xiaoyao’s hopes.
The soul and Heart Spirit are connected. Having his soul repelled three times in a row had severely damaged his Heart Spirit!
At the same time, three failures meant he had forever lost the right to inherit an Immortal Soul.
A moment ago, he was the number one genius of the Tang Family Castle. But now, without an Immortal Soul inheritance, he would be unable to practice Cultivation. What was the difference between that and being trash...?
Only one word could describe Yi Xiaoyao at this moment: devastated.
His head hung low, a trail of blood dripping from his lips. The jeers and taunts of the crowd were like daggers plunging into his heart, filling him with utter despair.
"Three failures! He actually failed three times! Haha, did he do something to piss off the heavens?"
"Isn’t he supposed to be a genius? A three-time loser? Turns out he’s just trash."
"The higher you climb, the harder you fall! Seeing him so pathetic is just so satisfying!"
"He’s not part of the Tang Family, he should get out of the Tang Family Castle! How can our Castle tolerate a good-for-nothing freeloader like him!"
This time, neither Tang Long nor Tang Ruoxue made any move to stop the jeering. The faces of the father and daughter showed only disappointment and loss, and even a trace of distant coldness.
Tang Ruoxue didn’t rush over to comfort Yi Xiaoyao as she had before. Instead, she just frowned and looked toward her father, Tang Long.
Tang Long sighed, then turned and ordered, "Take the Young Master of the Castle back to rest."
Now that Tang Ruoxue had received the inheritance of a Seventh Grade Immortal Soul, she had replaced Yi Xiaoyao as the Tang Family’s foremost genius. As a result, Tang Long’s own status naturally soared.
Therefore, the clan members swarmed him, eager to curry favor.
"Tang Long, my son, Tang Ji, just received the inheritance of a Sixth Grade Immortal Soul. What do you say to a marriage alliance between our families?"
"Let me consider it. I will give you an answer in a few days," Tang Long replied coolly.
Just then, Yi Xiaoyao, who was being dragged away, snapped his head up.
’A marriage alliance? Consider it?’
’He and Ruoxue have been engaged for years—everyone in the Tang Family Castle knows it. And yet Long, who has always treated me so well, is actually saying something like this?’
’And what about Ruoxue?’
He looked back for Tang Ruoxue, only to find she was already gone.
’I’m already disappointed in myself. It’s no wonder Ruoxue is too...’
Yi Xiaoyao gave a bitter smile, his head sinking once more as he let the servants drag him away.
...
"Young Master of the Castle? What a joke. You’ll be kicked out to beg on the streets soon enough, you good-for-nothing."
The two servants dragging Yi Xiaoyao threw him into a room. With a final, disdainful sneer, they left.
Yi Xiaoyao lay on the floor, no longer caring about the servants’ vicious words.
He stared blankly at the ceiling beams. An unknown amount of time passed before his mind began to clear.
"Why did it turn out like this? Failing to communicate with the Immortal Souls had nothing to do with my aptitude. It was because they’re afraid of me... they hate me! But I’m just an ordinary person. Why would Immortal Souls be afraid of me and hate me?"
What Yi Xiaoyao didn’t expect was for his muttered words to receive a strange reply.
"Those Immortal Souls aren’t afraid of you, they’re afraid of me! They don’t hate you, they hate me!"
The voice was like both clear water and a sharp sword—limpid, yet piercing. It resounded from within Yi Xiaoyao’s mind.
"Who’s there!"
Yi Xiaoyao was startled. After his initial cry of alarm, he slowly calmed himself and began to process what the voice had said.
"Why are the Immortal Souls afraid of you? And why do they hate you?" Yi Xiaoyao asked.
The voice chuckled. "Because every single one of the countless Immortal Souls on this Immortal Gang died by my sword! You tell me, shouldn’t they be afraid? Shouldn’t they hate me?"
Yi Xiaoyao’s mind reeled at these words. The Immortal Souls on the Immortal Gang had all been powerful Immortals in life, yet this person was claiming to have killed every last one of them.
Before, Yi Xiaoyao would never have believed such a claim, but after everything that had just happened, he had no choice but to.
At the same time, the anger in his heart finally found an outlet.
"So it’s your fault I couldn’t get an Immortal Soul inheritance! Who the hell are you? Stop playing games and show yourself!"
The voice immediately burst into roaring laughter.
"An Immortal Soul inheritance? Even a Ninth Grade one is nothing but a fart compared to my inheritance!"
Then, the voice continued, "Kid, if you want me to show myself, you must first answer me this: are you willing to accept my Sword God inheritance?"
Yi Xiaoyao was stunned speechless by the question.
’Did a question like that even need an answer?’
’If what this person said was true, then he’s a being who stands above even Immortals! His inheritance would be infinitely greater than any Immortal Soul’s!’
’Besides, I’ve already lost my chance to receive an Immortal Soul inheritance. I have no other choice.’
"The Sword God’s inheritance?"
A bright light ignited in Yi Xiaoyao’s eyes. He nodded decisively. "I accept!"