Clear Sky Hammer

Tang San stepped lightly into the room. Warm lamplight fell across his faithful face as he continued fulfilling his duty as a son, carefully attending to his weathered father, Tang Hao.

"Xiao San, bring me wine." Tang Hao's voice was low, like an echo from an ancient well.

Tang San moved at once, swiftly handing the wine bowl to his father. Tang Hao drained a mouthful of strong liquor, his unfocused gaze fixed on the empty bowl as though he saw the ravages of time within it.

"Are you disappointed? Do you also want to become a soul master?"

Tang San, who had still been wondering what his father Tang Hao wanted to tell him, came back to himself. Knowing that his father was in a bad mood, he spoke gently.

"No. Being a blacksmith can support us just as well."

Then he added a hint.

"Didn't you promise to teach me how to forge farming tools?"

Tang Hao remained silent, drinking one bowl after another as though trying to numb the pain in his heart with alcohol. At last, he had Tang San spread open his palm and summon the Blue Silver Grass martial soul inherited from his mother. He stared at it without blinking, complex emotions flashing through his eyes. His trembling lips finally voiced the helplessness in his heart.

"A soul master? What can a soul master do? Even with the most powerful martial soul, even the most outstanding soul master, won't they eventually return to dust?" Tang Hao's voice was filled with endless sorrow. Painful memories of the past surged over him like a tide, and his emotions grew ever more agitated.

As his emotions fluctuated, Tang Hao's Soul Power spilled out uncontrollably. That force made even the crude Thatched Cottage tremble, as though singing an elegy for a fallen Hero.

As sharp as Tang San was, he naturally sensed that fluctuation. It was clearly not something a cripple or an ordinary person could produce.

When an ordinary person got angry, they could stomp their foot as hard as they liked and only hurt themselves. His father merely had a trace of resentment and anger in his voice, yet he had made the whole house tremble. How could he possibly be an ordinary person?

Tang San thought to himself, though his expression remained calm.

Then, suddenly, Tang Hao stood up. Reacting quickly, Tang San instinctively used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and silently moved a little backward.

Tang Hao brushed past him. That invisible pressure made Tang San feel faintly suffocated. Leaving behind only a cold, "Don't disturb me!" he lifted the door curtain and disappeared into the inner room, leaving only the gently swaying curtain and the still-trembling air inside the house.

Seeing this, even Tang San began to lose patience. The way his father had looked at the Blue Silver Grass was obviously wrong, and his emotional reaction had been far from ordinary.

Those words clearly hid many stories. There had to be something his father was concealing from him, yet he simply would not tell him why. Tang San only wanted to curse. Your son has already been targeted by Blade! If you don't give me something awesome from this world, things are going to get bad!

He could not sit around and wait to die. His father had been like this for far more than a day or two. Even his Innate Full Soul Power had not shocked him on the day of awakening. If he kept dropping hints, he truly could not expect his father to tell him anything on his own. What the hell am I supposed to know?

Without hesitation, he directly said, "But I have another martial soul."

The moment Tang San spoke, the air itself seemed to freeze. His voice was neither loud nor soft, yet it was just enough to pass through the curtain and clearly enter the silence of the inner room. At the same time, his left hand trembled slightly, as though bearing some enormous pressure. Gradually, a flash of silver light gathered in his palm, and the outline of the Clear Sky Hammer became increasingly distinct. Waves of Soul Power surged out like a tide, spreading openly through the room.

Tang Hao reacted with unexpected speed, like a leopard poised to strike. The instant he sensed that unusual fluctuation of Soul Power, he rushed out from the inner room. His gaze fell upon the Clear Sky Hammer in Tang San's left hand, and his pupils contracted sharply, his eyes filled with incredulous shock.

At that moment, memories of the past burst through like a flood breaking a dam. The scene of his wife sacrificing herself to save him reappeared vividly in his mind. Her smile, her resolve, her love—everything came back to life with the Clear Sky Hammer in Tang San's hand.

Tang Hao's body dropped to its knees of its own accord. His trembling hands gently supported Tang San's left hand, and those once-unyielding eyes were now filled with tears. His voice choked, barely more than a whisper. "This is...?"

"Twin Martial Souls?" His voice gradually rose, filled with disbelieving doubt.

"Twin Martial Souls!" Excitement and pride began to well up in his voice. This was a miracle he had never imagined seeing in his own son.

"My son! My son!" Tang Hao's emotions completely erupted at that moment. He pulled Tang San tightly into his arms, with such force that it seemed he wanted to pour all his fatherly love into that embrace.

Tang San felt somewhat moved. He could feel the tremor in his father's chest. This was the first time his father in this world had embraced him. What moved him even more was the excitement in his voice. Now I really have more Trump Cards!

He now had some confidence when facing those people who sought death. All that remained was to see how his father would explain things to him. Since he had already said he possessed Twin Martial Souls, surely he would not continue hiding things from his own son.

However, very soon, the Clear Sky Hammer in Tang San's hand flashed with silver light. He realized that he seemed unable to keep supporting it. His arm began to ache and weaken, while the Clear Sky Hammer seemed to grow heavier and heavier, pressing down on him until he could barely breathe.

He was both shocked and delighted. Shocked, because the Clear Sky Hammer's power truly was extraordinary—within only a moment, it had already consumed a huge amount of his Soul Power and left him struggling to sustain it. Delighted, because he finally had a Trump Card capable of protecting himself.

But his father Tang Hao seemed too excited to let go, and Tang San truly could not hold on any longer. He hurriedly said, "Dad, I can't hold on much longer."

Tang Hao's gaze sharpened. He instantly snapped out of that torrent of emotion and quickly had Tang San withdraw the Clear Sky Hammer.

At the same time, he stood up and took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions. His voice became steady and forceful as he slowly told Tang San.

"Remember this. From now on, you must use the hammer in your left hand to protect the grass in your right hand. Forever!"

Tang San nodded firmly. His gaze was resolute, and though his voice was soft, it was full of determination. "I will!"