Godfather and Godmother

"He used to call me 'Dad' when we were together, but now that he's all grown up, he's turned his back on me?"

"Su Cheng!"

Upon hearing those two words, Zhu Zhuqing's vision went black, her pretty face flushed red, and steam seemed to rise from the top of her head.

Whether out of shame, anger, or resentment, she gripped Su Cheng's arm tightly, her long black hair moving without wind.

Seeing the flirtatious expressions and conversation between the two in front of him, Tang San felt a pang of unease.

He and Xiao Wu used to joke and bicker like that.

However, things have changed, and that pretty girl has disappeared from his life forever.

One of the culprits responsible for all of this is now very close, yet he is almost powerless to stop it.

His hatred for Su Cheng, his guilt towards Xiao Wu, and his anger towards Zhu Zhuqing caused his eyes to turn bloodshot.

"Su Cheng, if you're a man, don't hide behind a woman!"

As he spoke, eight ferocious Spider Spear suddenly burst forth from his back.

His body moved with lightning speed, his eight Spider Spear stretched straight out like long spears, aiming straight for the vital points of the person in front of him.

While seemingly attacking Su Cheng, Tang San was actually keeping a close eye on Zhu Zhuqing's movements, ready to intercept her if she needed to provide support.

The reason for not thrusting out all the Spider Spear at the same time was to completely block the opponent's room to dodge, while leaving room for himself to change his moves.

Moreover, Su Cheng's Sword Martial Soul is also extraordinary. If he disperses his Soul Power too much, he may find it difficult to achieve anything.

He was certain that at such close range, in this Slaughter City Soul Skill could not be used, Su Cheng and Zhu Zhuqing would have no chance of dodging his Eight Spider Lances!

Once stung by the Spider Spear, the mixed venom flowing within will instantly mix into the victim's bloodstream.

Even if they cannot kill them immediately, it will inevitably lead to a significant reduction in their condition.

Combined with the Tang Sect's secret Hidden Weapon techniques, they can definitely gain the upper hand.

Unfortunately, all of that was just wishful thinking on his part.

Su Cheng had no intention of using his Martial Soul at all, and instead pointed his finger forward as if slashing with a sword.

The Innate Power flows within the meridians and flesh, without being revealed to the outside.

Whether it's the powerful perception brought by the Soul Power, or the Innate Power within the body that is far superior to the Soul Power, plus Su Cheng's ability to accelerate energy circulation using the Severing Meridians and Continuing Qi Method.

In terms of attack speed, even with Tang San's External Soul Bone, how could he possibly compare to Su Cheng now?

Then, under Tang San's slightly mocking gaze, the sword finger that looked like nothing more than a mortal body actually blocked the first spearhead with ease.

Not only that, the Eight Spider Lances shattered instantly upon impact.

Tang San immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.

The intense pain caused his body to spasm.

Su Cheng's strength far exceeded his imagination.

But he understood the importance of pressing on with one's momentum, and he knew he couldn't stop at this point.

The sound of the second Spider Spear piercing the air rang out.

Then it was easily shattered again.

Tang San's face grew increasingly pale.

As External Soul Bone, these eight Spider Spear have long since become a part of his body, just like his own bones.

The shattering of the Eight Spider Lances brought him extreme and intense pain.

However, this is only the beginning.

The even more brutal collisions continued. The third, the fourth, the fifth...

Under Su Cheng's indifferent gaze, only the last intact Spider Spear remained on Tang San's back.

He used the last bit of his Soul Power to stab it out.

With this strike, his aura had weakened to a point where it was almost imperceptible.

"Laugh--"

A harsh, screeching sound rang out.

Tang San watched in despair as his last Spider Spear was also cut into pieces by Su Cheng's fingertips and scattered on the ground.

He knew all too well how tough the Eight Spider Lances were.

He simply couldn't understand how Su Cheng had managed to do it. With just his flesh and blood, he had easily shattered his trump card.

As all eight Spider Spear shattered, his back was stained with blood, and his face was completely devoid of color.

Zhu Zhuqing didn't look at Tang San, but instead stared thoughtfully at Su Cheng's right hand fingers.

The more she observed, the more she realized the unusual nature of that power.

For ordinary Soul Master, Soul Power is just Soul Power. Although it flows through the meridians, it is completely different from the body.

While Soul Master's body is important, it is essentially just a vessel to hold Soul Power. The stronger the physique, the more powerful and older the Soul Ring can be absorbed, and the more powerful the Soul Skill can be unleashed, especially for Beast Soul Master who can Martial Soul Avatar.

Therefore, people like the royal White Tiger Dai Family of the Star Luo Empire, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan (one of the Upper Three Sects), and even the Elephant Armor Sect members in the Element Academy are all physically strong and healthy, and they constantly strive to temper their physical bodies.

However, the fundamental reason that determines the strength of Soul Master lies in their level and Martial Soul.

No matter how strong one's physical abilities are, no one would choose to give up their Martial Soul and attach their Soul Power to their physical body to fight; that would be like throwing an egg against a rock.

However, Su Cheng's move just now was beyond reason.

He did indeed use that so-called "Innate Power," but when he exerted it, he used his fingers as a medium, rather than his Longevity Sword.

That wondrous energy was completely integrated with his physical body, as if it were not Soul Power at all, but a power generated by his flesh and blood.

At present, Su Cheng is using his hand as a sword to deal with Tang San, which is certainly not as direct as fighting with his Martial Soul.

But aside from the extra bonuses brought by the quality of the Martial Soul, it's actually not much different from using one's own body as Martial Soul.

"Strange, how did he do that?" Zhu Zhuqing was somewhat puzzled.

On the other side, Tang San had begun to go somewhat insane.

All eight Spider Spear were shattered, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Without hesitation, he summoned a small black hammer and held it in his hand.

Clear Sky Hammer!

Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer!

However, just as he raised his hand, the next moment—

"Clang!"

The heavy, domineering black hammerhead was intercepted and blocked by two slender white fingers before it could even begin to spin and gather power.

Innate Power is a fusion of blood, Soul Power, and soul. Under the blessing of this mysterious energy, Su Cheng's physical body is not much different from that of an ordinary Soul Master using his Martial Soul Avatar.

This kind of attack was something Tang San, with his Soul King cultivation level and inability to use Soul Skill, could not withstand.

With a flick of his fingertip, the Clear Sky Hammer was instantly released from his hand.

Su Cheng pointed his fingers like a sword at Tang San's forehead, who had fallen to the ground. "I forgot to tell you, I have already advanced to the Soul Saint level."

"What?!"

Whether he was knocked to the ground, had all his External Soul Bone severed, or had his entire back soaked in blood, Tang San's expression, which had remained largely unchanged, suddenly turned extremely ugly at this moment.

His eyes widened, his pupils flickered slightly, and he seemed to be momentarily lost in thought.

His right hand, gleaming with a jade-like light, also paused instinctively.

At this moment, he was holding a handful of fragments from the Eight Spider Lances he had previously used—he had not given up and planned to use other throwing Hidden Weapon to launch a sneak attack with these Soul Bone fragments.

Su Cheng also looked at his hand, "So you shouldn't use those underhanded sneak attack methods of yours to embarrass yourself."

"Damn it, how dare they insult the Tang Sect Hidden Weapons!"

Tang San's palm trembled, and he gritted his teeth inwardly, "Soul Saint... it's only been a little over a year, how is that possible!"

Prior to this, he had indeed not sensed the specific depth of Su Cheng's cultivation level, only assuming that Su Cheng had concealed his aura well.

After all, Su Cheng had always been very good at doing this kind of thing in the past.

It was precisely because he regarded him as Soul King or Soul Emperor who was not much different from himself that Tang San dared to make a reckless move.

Otherwise, given his personality, he would never have acted so impulsively.

Seeing that things had come to this, he stopped throwing Hidden Weapon in vain and began to think of other ways to escape.

Upon learning of Su Cheng's cultivation level, he wisely abandoned the idea of continuing the fight.

In Tang San's heart, the Tang Sect Secret Arts are supreme, and that is no exaggeration.

But what exactly is a "Hidden Weapon"?

Weapons that are fast to activate, highly concealable, and convenient for surprise attacks are called Hidden Weapon.

When the opponent is on guard, the power of this thing drops sharply, and even if he uses mysterious means to unleash it, it is difficult to reverse the decline.

At this moment, Su Cheng looked at Tang San and said calmly, "Tell me, how do you want to die?"

After saying that, the powerful and terrifying sword intent swept over, instantly drawing back the killing intent that Tang San had initially gathered in the few days since arriving in the Slaughter City.

His face turned even paler in an instant, and he spat out another mouthful of blood.

Only now did he truly realize the enormous gap between the two of them.

"How can he be so strong?!"

Tang San's eyes trembled, somewhat incredulous.

He had seen Soul Saint before, but he had never seen any Soul Saint possess such powerful suppressive force.

However, he quickly recalled Su Cheng's past performance when he was at the Soul King stage, and his mind calmed down again.

This blow, however, is not enough to break him.

As time passed, the oppressive feeling coming from the other side grew stronger, and cold sweat began to seep from Tang San's forehead.

I can't die here!

"I haven't avenged Xiao Wu yet, and I haven't fulfilled my father's expectations. And my mother is still imprisoned in the Spirit Hall, suffering, waiting for me to rescue her!"

"Su Cheng's ability to improve so much in such a short time must have involved many unorthodox methods. According to the teacher's theory, he is prematurely exhausting his potential."

"I possess Twin Martial Souls, giving me immense potential for the future. Given more time, surpassing him is only a matter of time..."

Tang San's mind raced as he searched for a way to escape.

"Are you scared stiff?" Su Cheng pointed his finger forward, aiming straight for Tang San's heart. "Then I'll make the decision for you."

"Wait!" Upon hearing this, Tang San suddenly stood up, straightened his chest, and shouted loudly.

Because of this action, even her pale cheeks flushed an unnatural red.

As his blood and qi surged throughout his body, the wound on his back reopened, sending waves of excruciating pain through him.

"How?"

"Su Cheng, I know you've always been arrogant. But your victory today was unfair. Do you dare to make a bet with me for a rematch another day?"

Su Cheng chuckled upon hearing this. "Didn't you provoke me first today? What, now that you realize you're outmatched, you're begging for mercy?"

"I never beg for mercy." Tang San endured the excruciating pain in his back and stared coldly at him.

"Then tell me, how did I win unfairly?"

"Firstly, you took advantage of your numerical superiority to bully the few; secondly, you relied on your higher cultivation level to bully my Soul King, even though you are Soul Saint. Naturally, I am not convinced!"

"..." Su Cheng was speechless after hearing these words.

After a moment, he finally spoke, "Let's not even talk about the fact that we didn't join forces to fight you at the same time. Before this, you launched a sneak attack and spoke disrespectfully. What do you mean by that? Besides, you said before that when you come here, you should naturally follow the local customs. How come it's considered an unfair victory when we fight according to the rules?"

"You don't need to argue here. That's just the way the Tang family fights."

"As expected of you." Su Cheng sighed, somewhat speechless.

So he retorted, "You've already said I'm a petty person. Since that's the case, why should I make a bet with you? Wouldn't it be simpler to kill you here? Besides, what can you possibly offer as a wager?"

"..."

Seeing that Tang San did not answer, Su Cheng rolled his eyes, glanced at Zhu Zhuqing beside him, and a playful smile appeared on his face.

He held up his fingers, gesturing between himself and Zhu Zhuqing, and said calmly, "How about this, you sincerely bow and apologize to me, then call me godfather and her godmother, and I might let you off the hook."

"You! Cough—"

Before he could finish speaking, and before Zhu Zhuqing, whose pretty face was flushed red beside him, could say anything, Tang San opened his eyes wide and shouted angrily.

Overcome with anger and anxiety, he spat out another mouthful of blood, his face turning ashen.

"Make a decision quickly, you don't have much time left," Su Cheng said with a light laugh.

"Just call him, don't call me," Zhu Zhuqing suddenly added.

However, whether it was out of shyness or anger, her voice seemed to tremble slightly.

"You, you all—"

Tang San's eyeballs bulged out, covered with blood vessels, and even the corners of his eyes had faint traces of blood seeping out.

If Su Cheng's previous words had only broken his defenses, Zhu Zhuqing's serious tone now was far more devastating.

"Su Cheng! A scholar can be killed but not humiliated! Don't even think about it!"

"Very good, what a spirit!" Su Cheng clapped and exclaimed. "So it seems you're prepared to face death with equanimity?"

"Wait a moment!"

Su Cheng paused slightly, his voice turning cold, "If you're going to call, then call quickly, I have other things to do."

"Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer! My Clear Sky Sect's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer is available as a wager!" Tang San shouted. "As a member of the Spirit Hall, you couldn't possibly be unaware of the value of my Clear Sky Sect's ultimate technique!"

"Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer? You're quite the dutiful son." Su Cheng raised an eyebrow and mocked, "But unfortunately, I have my own Self-Created Soul Skill and look down on that stuff."

"..." Upon hearing this, Tang San's eyes showed despair, and he quickly thought of other bargaining chips he could still offer.

He simply didn't believe the claims that calling him "godfather" or "godmother" would get him released.

Tang San wasn't stupid; those words were utterly worthless. Even if he were to be obsequious, the final decision would still rest with the other party. In the end, it would only make the other party more smug, serving no real purpose.

Only through the exchange of interests can a glimmer of hope be seized.

"However, although I'm not interested in the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, you have something else that can be used as a wager," Su Cheng suddenly said.

Tang San's eyes lit up, and he waited quietly for him to continue.

"If I'm not mistaken, you must have cultivated some special method that can accelerate the increase of your Soul Power, right?"

Hearing Su Cheng's words, Zhu Zhuqing, who had just calmed down after her wild thoughts, was stunned for a moment.

He then looked at Tang San, who was severely injured.

She understood the implied meaning in Su Cheng's words, but she never expected that he would also possess such a cultivation technique.

But then some doubts arose in my mind.

To be honest, she didn't believe Tang San could have developed such a method.

Even when she was training at the Shrek Academy, she never had any opinions of her own and always let Yu Xiaogang make arrangements for her.

He seems like an ignorant and incompetent fellow with a very shallow understanding and knowledge of the basics of Soul Master. How could he possibly have done this?

But Su Cheng's judgment should be correct.

I underestimated this guy. Where did he get his cultivation technique?

On the other side, Tang San's eyes glowed red.

What a beast! How dare he covet his Tang Sect's secret techniques!

This is his Achilles' heel; anyone who dares to covet it will face certain death!

But the current situation is beyond our control; compared to life, everything else can obviously be put aside for the time being.

He gritted his teeth and decided to stall for time before making any further moves.

"You're right, I do indeed possess a cultivation technique that allows me to cultivate Soul Power. Let's fight again another day, and use this as the wager!"

"No rush." Su Cheng looked at Tang San with a half-smile and said bluntly, "I don't trust you. If you run away after you leave, where am I supposed to find you?"

"What do you want?!"

"Leave something as collateral. For example, the first half of your cultivation technique."

He then took out paper and pen from his Soul Tool and tossed them over, saying, "Write half of it here. The rest can wait until later."

"..."

Tang San stared blankly at the paper and pen in front of him, his expression somewhat dazed.

This was not what he had imagined.

"Hurry up," Su Cheng said impatiently.

His aura fluctuated, silently pressuring Tang San.

Seeing this, Tang San hesitated for a long time before finally starting to write.

He gritted his teeth inwardly, "It's just half of the Mysterious Heaven Skill. Even if I gave it to him, he wouldn't be able to master it, and it might even hinder his own cultivation..."

"I've also studied Self-Created Soul Skill. You can tell whether they're real or fake at a glance. Don't even think about trying to fake them," Su Cheng said calmly. "However, with your knowledge, I doubt you'll be able to figure out anything that can be modified in such a short time."

Before long, the pages were completely filled with writing.

Su Cheng took the manuscript, glanced at it a few times, and then stopped looking at it closely.

He turned his gaze to Tang San, gently patted his shoulder, and whispered, "I'll be waiting for you to keep our appointment."

He then glanced around a few more times, chuckled, and said, "Be careful. In your current state, you might not even make it to find me."

After saying that, he didn't linger any longer. He took the half of the Mysterious Heaven Skill and left with Zhu Zhuqing.

As the two walked away, the sounds of fierce fighting soon rose behind them...

"Why do you want him to apologize so much?" As she walked down the street, Zhu Zhuqing was still thinking about the scene just now, and glanced at the man beside her with a strange look.

"Because I know he won't apologize." Su Cheng smiled. "This person has an extremely strong sense of self and his own set of thought processes. But for a cultivator, that's not necessarily a bad thing. He's probably feeling proud of his unwavering persistence right now."

At this point, he waved the paper in his hand, "Fortunately, it wasn't a bad deal. Having this thing has given me a lot of ideas."

Even if it's only half of the technique, it's enough for him.

Su Cheng hadn't originally planned to learn Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill; he only used it as a reference.

Although this cultivation technique does not completely conform to the cultivation rules of this world, it is still valuable because it is the result of many years of research and accumulation by the Tang Sect, where Tang San was in his previous life.

In particular, the research on meridians and the so-called "internal strength" are worth comparing with one's own beliefs.

He never intended to completely break Tang San's spine right now.

If this results in the other party having no hope of inheriting the divine position in the future, then it would be a loss that outweighs the gain.

"Oh." Zhu Zhuqing nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

Su Cheng turned his head and laughed, "What, you really want to be Tang San's godmother? If you want, how about we have one?"

"If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll tear your mouth apart," Zhu Zhuqing said coldly.

Then she looked at him suspiciously, "You seem to care about that Tang San? Is it because of his father?"

In her opinion, given Su Cheng's personality, it was impossible for him to waste so much time talking to irrelevant people.

Either kill them directly, or ignore them.

Unless it has other uses, it wouldn't take this long.

If it's truly for that particular skill, there are better ways to obtain it, and even a complete one.

She knew that Su Cheng had some schemes against Tang San in the past, but at that time, his goal was Xiao Wu Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Transformation, and he didn't seem to have much interest in Tang San himself.

Why does it seem like the goal has changed now?

Su Cheng didn't mince words, nodding slightly and saying, "Even if he improves further, he won't pose a significant threat, but he might play a crucial role in the future, so we need to keep him."

"Aren't you afraid he'll die there?" Zhu Zhuqing raised an eyebrow. "The Slaughter City is full of desperados, and he doesn't look too good right now."

"So what if he's dead?" Su Cheng said calmly. "If he really dies in that place, it only proves that he's hopeless. Tang San like that is of no use to me. He's just the most suitable choice at this stage, but not my only choice."

Not long after, Su Cheng and Zhu Zhuqing walked hand in hand into the Outer City.

Not far ahead, Bibi Dong, Xie Yue, Hu Liena, Yan, and the Slaughter King were standing silently waiting near the city gate.

Under the powerful aura of Bibi Dong and the Slaughter King, the surrounding area was deserted, and the streets of the Outer City were completely silent.

Su Cheng glanced at the group, but instead of letting go of Zhu Zhuqing's hand, he pulled her along and walked over.

During this time, he tried his best to soothe the other party's emotions and continuously transmitted diluted Innate Power.

At the same time, the five people in the distance also noticed Su Cheng returning, as well as the hot-bodied but aloof figure in black beside him.

Apart from the Slaughter King, the gazes of the other four all fell on the two people's tightly clasped hands.

Bibi Dong's eyes instantly darkened.

Hu Liena swallowed silently, and suddenly the words that Qian Renxue had spoken to her before she left echoed in her ears.

Xie Yue's Adam's apple bobbed gently as he sighed inwardly at how thrilling this trip had been.

Compared to the Pope's secrecy and Qian Renxue's future wrath, even this currently murderous and eerily chaotic city of Slaughter City doesn't seem so terrifying anymore.

Staying to face the test was indeed the right choice; going back with them might have been even more dangerous.

Even Yan, who usually has a low profile and a simple mind, noticed the problem.

She blinked and quickly turned her gaze elsewhere.