"Please, sirs, calm down! Let's talk this out!"
At that critical moment, a middle-aged man hurried into the hotel lobby, led by the nervous waiter. Seeing that Dai Mubai had already released his martial soul, the man couldn't help but shudder.
"Manager Wang, what kind of people are you hiring these days? Your service standards are really slipping," Dai Mubai said, glancing at the man with an indifferent expression.
The manager trembled as he wiped sweat from his forehead, bowing deeply to Dai Mubai with an apologetic smile. "Young Master Dai, please don't say that. This boy just started yesterday—he doesn't know the rules. I'm so sorry. I hope you can forgive his ignorance. Don't worry, I'll arrange your room for you right away!"
Tang San's mouth twitched. So they're just going to ignore me, huh? he cursed inwardly.
He was about to speak up, but Manager Wang cut him off. "Sir, I'm terribly sorry, but the last room in our hotel was already reserved by Young Master Dai. Please, find another hotel elsewhere."
Although his words were apologetic, his posture was stiff and his tone was dismissive. It was a completely different attitude from the groveling respect he had just shown Dai Mubai. It was obvious that in the hotel manager's mind, a wealthy and powerful person like Dai Mubai was far more important than an unknown kid like Tang San. He knew exactly which side to choose.
"What? You think I'm easy to bully?" Tang San's face darkened. He had no intention of backing down. "You're nothing but a bootlicker who looks down on others!"
Hearing this, a flash of disdain and anger crossed Dai Mubai's face.
"Hmph." He scoffed. "Even if you wanted to leave now, it wouldn't be that easy. You think you can just curse at me and walk away?"
When had Dai Mubai, the Evil-Eyed White Tiger, ever been humiliated like this? Especially by a kid who looked three or four years younger than him.
"Then please, enlighten me," Tang San said, stepping forward. Even with a battle about to break out, he didn't forget his formal challenge. So what if this guy was a Spirit Elder? With his Xuantian Treasure Record and Tang Sect's secret skills, Tang San didn't believe he stood no chance at all.
"Boom—!"
Suddenly, a powerful white light erupted from Dai Mubai's body. He stretched his arms out to his sides, puffed out his chest, and a sharp crackle of bones echoed as his muscles swelled, instantly ripping his shirt to shreds. At the same time, his long golden hair transformed, becoming streaked with black and white. Four faint lines appeared on his forehead, forming the Chinese character for "King" (王).
But the most shocking change was to his hands. They grew to nearly twice their original size. Ten sharp, blade-like claws extended from his fingertips, gleaming with a cold light.
"Young Master Dai, please, don't be impulsive! I..." Manager Wang glanced around at the expensive furnishings in his lobby, his face pale with panic. The cost of replacing all this would be astronomical. It seemed there was no stopping what was about to happen.
"I will cover all losses the Rose Hotel suffers!" Dai Mubai announced proudly, his eyes fixed intently on Tang San.
"Dai Mubai. Martial Soul: White Tiger. A Level 37 Spirit Elder!" he declared. "I await your instruction!"
Even though he looked down on the boy in front of him, he still followed the proper etiquette of a spirit master's duel by announcing his name, martial soul, and rank.
"What?!" Tang San thought, his heart sinking. Level 37!
His own spirit power was only at level 25. The man in front of him, Dai Mubai, had reached a terrifying Level 37. That was a twelve-level gap, not to mention the power boost from a thousand-year purple spirit ring. That was a difference far too great for his second-level Xuantian Treasure Record to overcome.
If this gets bad, I'll have to use my hidden weapons, Tang San thought grimly. He was trapped. Who would have thought the very first spirit master he met in Soto City would be so powerful?
"Buzz!"
Activating his Xuantian Treasure Record, a faint purple glow appeared in Tang San's eyes. He then raised his right hand. A dark green light emerged from his palm, and a cluster of Blue Silver Grass sprouted and grew rapidly. Each blade of grass was slender, but covered in intricate snake-like patterns and densely packed with tiny thorns.
A milky white light surged from Tang San's body, and the dark green grass suddenly expanded as if stimulated by it. In the blink of an eye, the blades grew to the thickness of an adult's arm. The black snake patterns on them flickered with a faint light. After being strengthened by his second spirit ring, the Blue Silver Grass coiled around Tang San's body like dozens of giant serpents, ready to strike.
"Buzz!"
Activating his spirit power, two spirit rings—one white and one yellow—rose from under his feet and hovered around his body.
"Tang San. Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. A Level 25 control-type Spirit Grandmaster. I await your instruction!"
"Huh?"
Dai Mubai, who had been on high alert, was momentarily stunned. His face was a mask of disbelief. After all that, this is all he has?
He instantly felt like he had made a big deal out of nothing. A Level 25 Spirit Grandmaster whose first spirit ring was only a ten-year white one. And his martial soul was... Blue Silver Grass? Was a fight even necessary?
"Your martial soul is just Blue Silver Grass?" Dai Mubai was speechless. Fighting someone like this felt like a complete waste of his time. He could have been discussing life with those twin sisters instead.
"There are no useless martial souls, only useless spirit masters!" Tang San said, his voice filled with absolute conviction. It was the core lesson his teacher had taught him, and he had taken it to heart for the past six years.
"Hahahaha, that's hilarious!"
From a corner of the lobby, the twin sisters, who had been watching from a safe distance, could no longer hold back their laughter. The way they looked at the two fighters was completely different. Their gazes toward Dai Mubai were filled with admiration. They felt incredibly lucky to have caught the eye of such a young and powerful Level 37 Spirit Elder. In contrast, they looked at Tang San with undisguised mockery, as if he were a complete fool.
Blue Silver Grass, the most useless martial soul of all! they thought. How dare he speak so arrogantly to Young Master Dai? He really doesn't know when to quit.
"Well said. There are no useless martial souls, only useless spirit masters," Dai Mubai said, his expression turning serious again. Seeing how calm Tang San was, he became cautious. "Let's see just how special your Blue Silver Grass really is."
Could this kid really have some hidden trump card?
Thinking this, Dai Mubai's figure flashed. In the span of two breaths, he crossed the distance and appeared right in front of Tang San. He clenched his claws into a fist and threw a powerful punch. The explosive force rushed toward Tang San like a raging wave.
Without hesitation, Tang San retreated, activating his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to suddenly increase his speed. At the same time, dark green vines shot out from his body, spiraling toward Dai Mubai from all directions.
"Blue Silver Entanglement!" Tang San shouted.
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