Ta Nuo didn't waste time arguing. As soon as the words left his mouth, he summoned his martial soul. A towering gorilla, radiating raw strength, rose up behind him as his body lit with five dazzling soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, black, black.
Five rings.
Soul King!
Tang San's brows furrowed, though he remained calm on the surface. Blue Silver Grass appeared in his right hand, swaying as if sensing its master's intent. Yet his left hand twitched faintly. The Clear Sky Hammer hidden there was restless, but Tang San held himself back, tucking his left arm behind his back.
He could not use the Clear Sky Hammer in public. If he wanted to defeat a Soul King while still only a Soul Master, he would need to rely on something else—hidden weapons.
Ta Nuo looked Tang San up and down again. When he saw the martial soul really was just Blue Silver Grass, contempt filled his eyes.
"That's it?" He sneered. "So what if you can cultivate with this weak little plant? Even with spirit rings, it's still Blue Silver Grass—brittle and useless. Don't tell me you expect this to stop me?"
To him, even if Tang San's spirit skills had unusual properties, the Blue Silver Grass itself was inherently frail. He hadn't even considered activating his spirit skills to counter it—he believed brute strength alone was enough.
Ta Nuo curled his finger in a taunt, his tone dripping with disdain. "Come, kid. Let me see what you're capable of."
That gesture was the last straw. Tang San's expression hardened. An insult like that couldn't be tolerated.
"First spirit skill—Blue Silver Entanglement!"
Dozens of blades of Blue Silver Grass shot up from the ground, instantly wrapping around Ta Nuo's massive frame. The vines tightened with alarming force, barbs digging deep like thorns eager to drink blood.
"Hn? That's it?"
Ta Nuo chuckled. Flexing his bulging muscles, he swelled with raw power. With a grunt, he tore the Blue Silver Grass apart as if ripping paper.
Tang San was unfazed. This was within his expectations; after all, his opponent was a Soul King. For an enemy of that level, ordinary entanglement meant nothing.
No—the first spirit skill was just the setup.
"The second spirit skill—Parasitic Bind!"
The very fragments of Blue Silver Grass that had torn earlier—the seeds—sank into Ta Nuo's skin as if alive, rooting themselves inside his body.
And in that moment, Tang San's hand flicked forward. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Three sleeve arrows shot toward Ta Nuo's calf, their flight sharp as lightning.
"Mm."
Ta Nuo only felt a mild sting before his first soul ring lit up.
"First skill—Rock Defense!"
His skin gleamed with stone-like armor. His defense doubled instantly, shrugging off Tang San's vines and deflecting the sleeve arrows.
Tang San was already moving. Using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps, he blurred forward. His hand spun into a seal and his third spirit skill erupted.
"Spider Web Restraint!"
A thick, glistening web exploded outward, imbued with the venom of the Human-Faced Demon Spider. Unlike the paralysis poison of his Mandrake Serpent ability, this toxin was lethal.
The sticky web wrapped Ta Nuo, venom digging into his body.
Ta Nuo's eyes widened. His movements slowed, his voice edged with alarm. "Poison…?!"
He snarled through gritted teeth. "Hmph! If that's all you've got, boy, you underestimate what it means to be a Soul King!" His fourth ring ignited with a golden flare.
"Fourth skill—Power Shock!"
In an instant, every muscle in his body swelled grotesquely, his strength multiplying threefold. Bursting through the web like paper, he stomped once—and the ground shattered. He launched himself like a cannonball at Tang San.
Tang San's eyes narrowed as he flickered aside again with Ghost Shadow Steps. The spot he'd stood a heartbeat earlier was obliterated—leaving behind a crater large enough to swallow a carriage whole. Cold sweat broke out across his body.
"Dad! You're a Soul King—you can't just use the fourth spirit skill against him!" Tailong cried desperately from the sidelines, but his words went unheard.
At the same time, Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes caught sight of a distant group approaching. It was Flender, Liu Erlong, and his teacher.
Tang San exhaled, throwing a brief apologetic glance at Tailong before releasing his Blue Silver Grass. His eyes sharpened.
Mysterious Jade Hand… activate!
His fingers blurred until they seemed to grow countless afterimages. Dozens—no, hundreds—of hidden weapons flew forth as if conjured from nowhere. Small blades, needles, darts—all coated in gleaming poison—swarmed through the air like a storm of death.
Oscar yelped and dove behind a pillar. "Run! Everyone, get back! Those hidden weapons are coated with poison! If you get hit, even by accident, you'll die without an antidote!"
The students surrounding the courtyard panicked. They scattered instantly, not daring to risk their lives spectating such a dangerous battle.
Ta Nuo's confidence wavered at last. He could sense the danger in this storm. His muscles tensed, soul power coating his body like a shield.
Tang San smiled thinly. "Just like Teacher Zhao's Diamond Titan Bear, eh? Let's see how long you last."
"Dragon Beard Needle!"
Thin strands of steel wire, sharper than lightning, wove through Ta Nuo's defenses, piercing the protective aura.
Tang San didn't pause. Two Zhuge Divine Crossbows appeared in his hands, each instantly firing a barrage of bolts. The metal storm whistled with deadly force.
Yet Tang San knew the truth—hidden weapons alone were not enough. This was the Soul King before him: a man specialized in strength and defense. Even with poison, it might not be enough to bring him down.
His gaze slipped to his left hand. The hand that concealed everything. His greatest secret. His greatest weapon.
Almost everyone had cleared the field after Oscar's warning. Only his comrades and the enemies remained.
Should he take the risk? Reveal what he had kept hidden until now?
Tang San's teeth clenched. He thought of Xiao Wu's face, her soft smile, her voice. If he could not even defeat a Soul King, how could he hope to challenge Xiao Tian, to bring her back?
No more hesitation. His choice was clear.
"Ghost Shadow… Tracing Steps!"
A black hammer appeared in his grasp, materializing with terrifying weight.
The Clear Sky Hammer.
The air trembled. Clouds above shuddered, thunder rumbling in the heavens. Tang San poured every drop of remaining spirit power into it, the hammer swelling until it stood five meters tall.
With a roar, he swung.
"Drink!"
The hammer descended like a mountain, all his willpower, pain, and determination concentrated into a single strike.
At that same instant, Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and Liu Erlong arrived at the gates. Flender's face darkened. Yu Xiaogang's heart lurched. They had planned to reveal Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer at the Soul Master Tournament—but now…
Fortunately, the streets were almost empty now at noonday, and the only spectators were their own companions.
Even so, the sight of what came next would not be forgotten.
The instant Ta Nuo saw the hammer, all color drained from his face. His pupils shrank violently, and for a heartbeat, his body froze mid-motion. His voice trembled as he choked out the words:
"Th-that's… the Clear Sky Hammer!"
The hammer fell.
Boom!
The earth split. Dust and soil erupted skyward. Ta Nuo's clothes shredded, blood spraying as if dozens of whips had struck him at once. His massive frame collapsed, battered and broken.
Tang San's own body staggered. The Clear Sky Hammer flickered and vanished. His spirit power was gone, his face deathly pale. Just as he swayed to the ground, Flender rushed forward, catching him in strong arms, while Oscar shoved a Recovery Sausage into his mouth.
"Xiao San, are you alright?" Yu Xiaogang asked urgently, crouching at his side.
Tang San took a deep breath. After swallowing the sausage, warmth returned to his limbs and the vertigo faded slowly. His voice came weak but steady. "I'm fine, Teacher… I just burned through my spirit power with the Clear Sky Hammer."
Yu Xiaogang exhaled hard, eyes narrowing. "It's fine. Luckily, hardly anyone saw. And besides…" He hesitated, but his voice regained its firmness. "I had already decided that we would reveal your Clear Sky Hammer at the Soul Master Competition. Now, at least, your comrades have seen it early—they must learn to face it, to accept it."
Nearby, Liu Erlong's anger blazed. She stormed toward the battered Ta Nuo, then whirled on Tailong instead. "Tailong! What in the world happened here?! You're supposed to be comrades! Why did this escalate like this?"
Tailong looked as if he might cry. "Teacher, I didn't want this! I tried to stop him! But Father… Father insisted on challenging him, and I couldn't stop him!"
Liu Erlong's temper nearly boiled over again, but at that moment, Ta Nuo staggered upright despite his injuries. His gaze burned into Tang San, not with hostility, but with raw, trembling awe.
He ignored the blood dripping from his lips as he stepped forward. "Boy… how do you wield the Clear Sky Hammer?" His voice shook. "What ties do you have to the Clear Sky Sect?!"
--
Loving the story? Read 200+ extra chapters on my Patreon — link's in the description! 🚀
Loved this fic? 🔥 Then you'll absolutely binge my other hits — "Douluo Dalu: The Godly Drunkard System" & "Douluo Dalu: My Harem System is Bugged!" — don't miss out!