"Martial Soul: Clear Sky Hammer, twenty-fourth rank Great Soul Master, Tang San. Pleased to meet you." Tang San cupped his hands toward his opponent ahead. As the son of the Clear Sky Douluo, formalities were never neglected.
Upon hearing Tang San announce his Soul Power level, the audience didn't praise him—instead, they frowned, their eyes tinged with displeasure.
"Twenty-fourth rank? I thought he'd be at most twenty or twenty-one."
"To drag it out until twenty-fourth rank... the son of Clear Sky Douluo is a bit cowardly, isn't he?"
It wasn't just the audience. Even Tang Lihui opposite him furrowed his brows. Among the disciples of the Clear Sky Sect, there was an unwritten rule: as a member of the sect, one did not stall their rank in the Soul Duel Arena.
What did that mean? It meant that as soon as you reached the 20th, 30th, or 40th rank, you entered the Soul Duel Arena—without deliberately lingering at the 9th rank to farm points or badges.
Undoubtedly, a 29th-rank fighter against a 20th-rank one would have an overwhelming advantage. Though Tang San wasn't at the 29th rank, he had already reached the 24th. To those who held expectations for Tang San as the son of Clear Sky Douluo, this seemed like an intentional stalling tactic.
After all, everyone had assumed Tang San would appear in the Soul Duel Arena at the 20th rank. Many 29th-rank fighters had been waiting, hoping to defeat him with their level advantage.
What they didn't know was that Tang San hadn't deliberately stalled his rank. Absorbing a thousand-year Soul Ring alone had significantly boosted his Soul Power level. On top of that, after eating Tang Niu's delicacies and shifting away from his slaughterous mindset, his Soul Power had naturally risen by another rank, bringing him to his current 24th rank.
"No wonder he waited over four years to register for the Soul Duel Arena—he was raising his rank to 24th first."
"But he's only a little over ten years old, and he's already at the 24th rank?!"
"I feel like he's actually slow. Don't forget, he started with Innate Full Spirit Power—he began cultivating from the 10th rank."
"Oh, right!"
For a moment, the arena buzzed with discussions about Tang San's rank.
"Tang Lihui, inner disciple of the Clear Sky Sect. Martial Soul: Clear Sky Hammer, twenty-ninth rank Great Soul Master. Let's begin." The moment Tang Lihui finished speaking, he summoned his Clear Sky Hammer. Instantly, two yellow Soul Rings materialized beneath his feet.
With Tang San's cultivation, he naturally heard the audience's murmurs. And as for those comments? Of course, he cared!
Tang San stepped forward with his right foot. The instant his sole touched the ground, his left hand activated the Slaughter Martial Soul. His internal Soul Power erupted like a nuclear blast, and a razor-sharp wave of killing intent surged toward the spectator stands—shattering all the drink cups in the front row!
Tang Lihui was so startled he stumbled back two steps, his eyes wide. "What the hell?! This is twenty-fourth rank?!"
Seeing both sides ready, the referee wasted no time. With a single shout of "Begin!" the battle—already the center of attention—officially started.
The sound of the referee's voice had barely reached everyone's ears when a thunderous explosion followed. The stone tiles on the ground cracked, and a white streak flashed past—swift as lightning.
In less than a tenth of a second, Tang San activated his Slaughter Martial Soul, circulated his Soul Power, and unleashed Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. His speed was so absurdly fast that he appeared before Tang Lihui almost in the blink of an eye.
Tang Lihui, as an inner disciple who had awakened the Clear Sky Hammer, lived up to his reputation. Reacting instinctively, he employed the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique, hurling his Clear Sky Hammer with tremendous force.
Facing the rapidly approaching Clear Sky Hammer, Tang San's gaze remained calm yet sharp. A flash of purple light flickered in his Purple Demon Eyes as he twisted his body, sidestepping the hammer. With his left hand, he effortlessly caught the hammer's handle mid-flight, borrowing its momentum like Tai Chi's principle of using an opponent's force against them. He spun with the hammer in hand.
A whoosh of wind later—before the audience could even process what had happened—Tang Lihui found himself staring at the face of his own Clear Sky Hammer, now just a centimeter away from his forehead. Had Tang San not held back, the hammer would have shattered his skull.
"I... I surrender."
Most spectators hadn't even seen the sequence of events. The match ended in the blink of an eye, and only when Tang Lihui's words of surrender reached their ears did they snap back to reality.
"My god!" Several people in the front row jumped to their feet in shock.
"Did he... not even use his Martial Soul?"
"No, no, no—that can't be right! If he didn't use his Martial Soul, how was he so fast?"
"Wait, did he just catch the Clear Sky Hammer barehanded??? What the hell—is he some kind of humanoid Spirit Beast?!"
For a moment, everyone present was dumbfounded. This defied all common sense—how could someone be this strong without relying on their Martial Soul?
Meanwhile, in a shadowy corner of the Soul Duel Arena, a figure cloaked entirely in black robes frowned deeply. Pulling out a pen—bearing the faint emblem of the Spirit Hall—they began recording: "The son of Clear Sky Douluo is far stronger than anticipated. Initial suspicion points to the Clear Sky Sect's body-forging methods combined with the medicinal aids of the Po Clan, resulting in an exceptionally powerful physique."
"Preliminary estimates suggest his current physical strength rivals that of Clear Sky Douluo at age ten."
To the Spirit Hall, Tang San had never been their primary concern. Their true focus was the Clear Sky Sect—or more precisely, Tang Hao. The last thing they wanted was a second Tang Hao. As for Tang San himself, he was inconsequential in their eyes.
According to the Spirit Hall's analysis, Tang Hao had forged a path no one had walked before—his physical strength rivaled that of Spirit Beasts!
The Clear Sky Sect's unique body-forging methods were no secret. The Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique, seemingly a blacksmithing method, was fundamentally designed to temper the body. Through repeated strikes on metal, every muscle was honed to perfection—this was the very foundation of the Clear Sky Sect.
Among them, Tang Hao's physical prowess surpassed even that of the sect's past leaders. Yet, no one knew how he achieved it.
Now, the Spirit Hall's worst fear had materialized: Tang Hao's son also possessed a physique that defied logic—at least, that's how it appeared to them.
With a thud, Tang San placed the Clear Sky Hammer on the ground and said, "The essence of the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique isn't about recklessly throwing your hammer. Unless you're certain of victory, don't toss your Clear Sky Hammer carelessly."
Tang Lihui was also getting anxious. Seeing Tang San's terrifying speed had thrown him off balance, and he directly threw out the Clear Sky Hammer, only for Tang San to seize the opening.
Tang Lihui retrieved the Clear Sky Hammer and forced a bitter smile. "Thank you for your guidance, Young Master."
Hearing this, Tang San was momentarily stunned before denying it. "I'm not the Young Master."
Tang Lihui raised an eyebrow and flattered, "It's only a matter of time, Young Master. With your talent and strength, who could possibly defeat you?"
Tang San didn't respond, but strangely, he didn't leave the Soul Duel Arena immediately either. Instead, he looked toward the high platform and said meaningfully, "Since there's an arrangement, then step forward. I haven't expended much Soul Power—I can keep going."
(End of Chapter)