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Meanwhile, at Shrek Academy.
Sunlight filtered through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows on Tang San's meditating figure. Two days had passed since the preliminary rounds ended, yet he remained in that posture, like a solidified statue.
His eyes had lost their usual luster, replaced by a gray emptiness. Scenes from recent matches continuously replayed in his mind—Shenfeng Academy's Feng Xiaotian tearing apart his carefully laid Spider Web Restraint with a hurricane; Tian Shui Academy's Shui Bing'er freezing all his control abilities into fragile ice sculptures with extreme cold.
"What… went wrong?"
Tang San's cracked lips trembled slightly, his voice hoarse and unfamiliar. For two days, this question had haunted him like a nightmare. His proud control abilities were so vulnerable in the face of powerful attributes. What was more terrifying was that he began to doubt if the path he had insisted on all these years was wrong from the start.
The food on the table had long gone cold, and the bed was neatly made without a single wrinkle. For two days and two nights, he had sat there sleeplessly, allowing his thoughts to wander in a maze of despair.
Once, he thought that with the Tang Sect's unique skills and his Grandmaster's guidance, he could make the Blue Silver Grass, a "waste Spirit," shine brightly. Indeed, before encountering the Four Element Academies, he had always been a top performer among his peers. But now, the cruel reality was laid bare—when facing truly powerful Spirits, the inherent flaws of Blue Silver Grass were exposed.
"Feng Xiao was right," Tang San smiled bitterly, looking at his right hand, where the Blue Silver Grass swayed weakly in his palm. Even with a Spirit Bone and the third and fourth over-limit spirit rings, it couldn't change its fragile nature as a plant. Those victories he once prided himself on might have just been because he hadn't met a true opponent.
Black light surged in his left hand, and the Clear Sky Hammer quietly appeared. Its heavy weight made his heart tremble—this was a true top-tier Spirit, an existence that could strike fear into all opponents. A crazy idea sprouted in his heart: abandon Blue Silver Grass and specialize in the Clear Sky Hammer.
"No!"
Tang San suddenly erupted, punching the wall. The sharp pain in his knuckles was nothing compared to the torment in his heart. He couldn't believe he would even entertain such a thought; it meant denying all his efforts over the years, denying his Grandmaster, and even denying… the hopeful self he was after becoming a disciple at Notting Academy.
A hot tear traced a path down his cheek, and Tang San was startled to realize he was crying. This discovery made him even more distraught—since reincarnating into this World, it was the first time he had lost control like this.
"Why, why is it like this? Will all my efforts these years be in vain?"
Tang San's thoughts grew increasingly chaotic. If Shrek were to encounter the Four Element Academies again in the upcoming matches, or even the unfathomable Feng Xiao, how should he respond? Should he continue to stick to the Blue Silver Grass's control path, or switch to developing the Clear Sky Hammer's offensive capabilities? This dilemma made his temples throb.
"Little San." Just as he was caught in a whirlpool of thoughts, Xiao Wu's gentle call came from outside the door. That familiar voice was like a clear spring, finally bringing a faint glimmer to Tang San's vacant eyes.
He mechanically raised his hand to wipe away the dried tear stains on his face, then wiped the blood from his hand. When he stood up, the dizziness from sitting for so long made his vision black out. The moment he pushed open the door, the summer sunlight poured in like a tide, making him unable to open his eyes.
"Ugh." Tang San instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes, but felt his legs go weak. The exhaustion, and not eating or drinking for two days, finally broke through his body's limits at that moment. He felt the World spin, and he tumbled forward.
"Little San!"
A pink figure flashed like a phantom, and Xiao Wu caught him steadily at the last moment. The girl's warm embrace carried a familiar faint fragrance. In Tang San's blurry vision, he saw Xiao Wu's worried pretty face. Her long scorpion braid hung down his chest, her hair tips trembling slightly with her hurried breathing.
"How could you…" Xiao Wu's voice was choked, but her slender arms were unusually strong, "How could you do this to yourself…?"
Sunlight filtered through her black hair, casting fragmented specks of light on Tang San's pale face. At this moment, all the confusion and pain seemed less important. He laboriously raised his hand, wanting to smooth Xiao Wu's furrowed brow, but his hand fell weakly in mid-air.
In the last moment before his consciousness faded, he felt Xiao Wu hug him tightly, and warm liquid dripped onto his cheek.
When Tang San slowly opened his heavy eyelids, what greeted his sight were the Shrek Academy members gathered around his bed. In the dim room, everyone's faces were shrouded in a haze.
"Little San, you're awake!" Xiao Wu's tearful cry broke the silence. Her swollen red eyes showed her sleepless vigil, and her slender fingers tightly clutched the corner of Tang San's blanket.
Everyone looked up at the sound, their gazes a mix of concern and worry. The once high-spirited "Monster Academy" team was now enveloped in the shadow of defeat. Even the usually optimistic Flender stood silently in the corner, his eyes behind his glasses having lost their usual sparkle.
"Grandmaster…" Tang San's hoarse voice made everyone's hearts tighten. He struggled to prop himself up, looking at Yu Xiaogang, who stood by the window.
Yu Xiaogang sighed heavily and walked to the bedside: "Little San, you are still young, several years younger than them. Next time…" His words caught in his throat halfway through. This Grandmaster, invincible in theory, was now in an unprecedented predicament—the inherent flaw of plant-type Spirits being countered by elements, even he couldn't compensate for it with theory.
The air in the room seemed to solidify. Everyone understood that without Tang San's control, Shrek would be a disorganized mess; but even if Tang San played, facing powerful elemental suppression, Blue Silver Grass would struggle to be effective. Dai Mubai's clenched fists tightened and loosened, Ma Hongjun was uncharacteristically silent, and Ning Rongrong bit her lip, wanting to speak but hesitating.
"Grandmaster." Tang San suddenly spoke, his voice soft but unusually firm, "I want to change to cultivating the Clear Sky Hammer."
These words were like a thunderclap in the room.
Yu Xiaogang's body visibly swayed. Just as he was about to refuse, he saw the resolute determination in the eyes of his most favored disciple, a determination that spoke of breaking through and then standing tall.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang swayed by Tang San, Flender suddenly slammed the table, his eyes wide behind his glasses: "No! Absolutely not!" He grabbed Yu Xiaogang's arm, with such force that the Grandmaster frowned slightly, "Come out with me!"
After the door was heavily closed, Flender pushed Yu Xiaogang against the corridor wall, his lowered voice carrying a rare sternness: "Are you crazy? Tang Hao entrusted his son to us, not for you to mess around like this!" His fingers trembled as he pointed towards the room, "If anything goes wrong, all of us will have to be buried with him! Even if everything goes smoothly, do you have confidence in the Clear Sky Hammer's spirit ring combination? If you cripple his twin spirits, will Tang Hao let us off?"
Yu Xiaogang calmly looked at his agitated old friend, and said softly: "Flender, I see my old self in Little San."
"So what?!" Flender almost squeezed these words through his teeth.
"If we keep losing…" Yu Xiaogang's gaze went past Flender, looking into the distance, "What do you think will happen?"
"That's none of your business!" Flender roared at Yu Xiaogang.
"Some things are the meaning that supports a person's life. Little San now is like a candle blown by wind and rain, and the confidence brought by victory is the best wax." Yu Xiaogang said softly.
Flender grabbed Yu Xiaogang's collar, "The promotion match is a solo competition, which is our strong suit! Shrek will definitely win it back!"
Yu Xiaogang gently pushed Flender's hand away, his voice so soft it was like he was talking to himself: "This is escaping, just like I did back then." He looked up, meeting Flender's gaze directly, "Even if we win the promotion match, what about the finals? Facing those monsters from Spirit Hall, the result will still be the same."
Flender's expression suddenly froze. He slowly took a step back, his voice colder than ever: "I said, this has nothing to do with you." Every word was as sharp as a knife, "Don't ruin that child with your obsession."
The air between the two seemed to solidify.
Flender knew Yu Xiaogang too well; he knew better than anyone the obsession buried deep in his dear friend's heart for many years. Tang San's success was not only about the future of a genius Spirit Master but also the most powerful proof of Yu Xiaogang's lifelong theories.
Inside the room, Tang San heard the argument outside clearly. He lowered his head, gazing at his open hands. The Clear Sky Hammer in his left hand shimmered faintly, its dark hammer body radiating a deep luster. Xiao Wu worriedly held his arm, but he gently pushed her away. The girl's palm still held the dampness of tears, but Tang San's eyes had become unusually firm.
"My own path…" Tang San's voice was very soft, but it made everyone in the room fall silent, "I will walk it myself."
He slowly pushed open the door. Under the dim light of the corridor, Flender and Yu Xiaogang's figures appeared particularly desolate. Tang San walked in front of them, his gaze calmly meeting Flender's: "Dean, changing to cultivating the Clear Sky Hammer is my decision, and it has nothing to do with Grandmaster." He paused, his voice soft but every word clear, "No matter the outcome, I will personally explain it to my father."
Flender took a deep look at Yu Xiaogang, then turned to Tang San, and finally let out a long sigh: "You two, master and disciple, sigh…" He took off his glasses and wiped them, his voice suddenly much older, "Are you truly sure?"
Tang San raised his left hand, and the Clear Sky Hammer fully appeared: "Father once said to use the hammer in my left hand to protect the grass in my right." His fingertip gently traced the hammer's body, "I think, now is the time."
In the shadows, Tang Hao's tall figure trembled violently. The former Clear Sky Douluo clenched his fists, his rough palms marked with blood from his fingernails. "If the Blue Silver Grass is just a tool to lay the foundation for the Clear Sky Hammer…" he thought bitterly, "Then how can it protect?"
Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San's straight back, suddenly reminded of his own stubborn self thirty years ago. Only this time, someone chose a different path than he did back then.
The Shrek Academy members also came out of the room one after another, each with complex expressions on their faces. The atmosphere in the corridor became so heavy it almost solidified.
Just then, heavy footsteps sounded from the shadows. Tang Hao's tall figure slowly emerged from the darkness, the sunlight outlining his weathered yet still upright silhouette.
"I agree to your change of cultivation." Tang Hao's deep voice echoed in the corridor.
Tang San's whole body trembled, and his eyes instantly burst with light: "Father!"
Seeing this, Flender's tense shoulders finally relaxed. With the Clear Sky Douluo present, all risks and worries were no longer an issue.
"Your Excellency Clear Sky." Flender and Yu Xiaogang led the way in saluting, and the Shrek Academy members also respectfully greeted him.
Tang Hao waved his hand, his iron-like voice uncharacteristically softening a bit: "No need for formalities. At this moment, I am just a father." His deep gaze fell on Tang San, "I agree to your change of cultivation, but I don't agree to you attaching spirit rings to the Clear Sky Hammer now. Little San, do you know what is most important for a Tool Spirit?"
Tang San paused slightly, and Feng Xiao's figure playing the zither suddenly flashed in his mind. That young man's unique understanding of Spirits had left a deep impression on him. "It's understanding." He replied softly, "An understanding of the Spirit's essence."
A hint of approval appeared on Tang Hao's unruffled face: "Not bad. It seems that child gave you a lot of inspiration." He looked up at the bright moon outside the window, his voice suddenly drifting away, "His way of understanding Spirits reminds me of someone."
"Who?" Tang San asked curiously.
"My grandfather." Tang Hao's voice carried a rare reverence, "Your current spirit power, body, and combat wisdom are already top-tier among your peers. Next, I will personally teach you how to truly use the Clear Sky Hammer."
Tang Hao's gaze slowly swept over the Shrek Academy members, silently glanced at Xiao Wu, and finally rested on Yu Xiaogang: "Grandmaster, thank you for your guidance to Little San all these years."
Yu Xiaogang bowed slightly: "It's my duty. Little San's talent is indeed worthy of the best cultivation."
Tang Hao nodded and turned to Tang San: "Tomorrow at dawn, I will wait for you in the back mountain of the academy." With that, his figure disappeared into the shadows of the corridor as silently as he arrived.
After Tang Hao left, the atmosphere in the corridor truly relaxed. Xiao Wu also looked at Tang San with a complex expression and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Ma Hongjun was the first to rush to Tang San's side, his chubby face wrinkled with joy in his eyes: "Little San's father is too cool, with him personally guiding you…"
Ning Rongrong blinked her big eyes and asked curiously: "But Big Brother San, are you really deciding not to attach spirit rings to the Clear Sky Hammer for now?"
Tang San looked in the direction his father had left, his eyes firm: "Father is right, what I need most now is to understand the essence of the Clear Sky Hammer." He turned to the others, a long-lost smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, "Besides, who says a Clear Sky Hammer without spirit rings can't fight?"
Flender pushed up his glasses, a smile finally reappearing on his face: "Good! This is the Spirit a monster of my Shrek Academy should have!" He surveyed the crowd, "Everyone, cheer up! We must make everyone look at us with new eyes in the promotion match and the subsequent competitions!"