Tang San, You've Let Me Down Too Much!

"First Soul Skill: Sacred Judgment."

The single hundred-year soul ring beneath Zhu Rong's feet flashed. He chose himself as the target, then activated his first soul skill.

For a moment, Zhu Rong raised the Blade of Sanction high, and a golden shield enveloped him.

In the void, six energy holy swords circled around Zhu Rong, as though they were guarding their king.

Dozens of pebbles arrived right on cue.

They whistled through the air, only to return without accomplishing anything.

The instant they touched the golden energy shield, every stone fell to the ground, unable to stir even the slightest ripple across the shield.

"Is this invincibility?"

Zhu Rong murmured.

After the pebbles vanished, Zhu Rong waved his hand and dispersed the restless energy holy swords around him.

This soul skill did not merely grant two seconds of damage immunity. The following sword rain was no joke!

Its only shortcoming was its attack range.

Its initial range was a radius of ten meters, increasing by one meter for every level gained.

Zhu Rong was now level 14, so his attack range was a radius of twenty-four meters.

After Martial Soul Star Ascension, it would undergo a qualitative improvement...

Tang San stood over fifty meters away from Zhu Rong. For the time being, the second phase holy swords of Sacred Judgment could not reach him.

That was also one reason Zhu Rong dispersed the energy holy swords.

"Impossible! How is this possible?!"

At the sight, Tang San's eyes nearly split apart. He could not believe what he was seeing.

Using the Tang Sect's concealed weapon techniques, he had thrown dozens of pebbles, yet Zhu Rong remained completely unscathed. That was even harder for Tang San to bear than being killed!

"What exactly is that? A golden curtain of light, golden sword shadows..."

Tang San stared fixedly at Zhu Rong in midair, his heart churning with monstrous waves.

"Could Soul Masters really be so much stronger than Soul Warriors?"

"I have two Soul Bones on me, yet I still couldn't achieve something like this!"

He could not understand it. He truly could not understand it.

It was Tang San's first time fighting a "Soul Master," and he felt fear.

What Tang San did not know was that there was not another "Soul Master" like Zhu Rong anywhere on the entire Douluo Continent!

"Soul Master... Tomorrow, once Father and I obtain a soul ring, I can become a Soul Master too!"

"Then I'll be able to..."

Zhu Rong: You're thinking too much...

After Tang Hao fixed the door to their home, he thought it over and decided to take a look at the "Soul Duel" site.

Ever since Zhu Rong obtained his first soul ring, Tang Hao had yet to see him use it.

The soul ring of a divine beast like the Bright Tiger King should have an extraordinary soul skill, right?

By the time Tang Hao found Zhu Rong and Tang San, Zhu Rong had just shattered Tang San's first pebble...

"This brat just loves showing off. I already told him not to use his Soul Bones so casually, yet here he was, using a Soul Bone even against Little San..."

"Could Zhu Rong be simply showing off?"

Tang Hao stroked his chin and said doubtfully.

His presence was also why Zhu Rong did not use the second phase of Sacred Judgment.

Tang Hao was overly confident and had not concealed his aura. Moreover, he was watching from within Zhu Rong's "attack range," so Zhu Rong discovered him the instant he appeared.

Teaching Tang San a lesson was fine, but if he killed Tang San, Tang Hao might not spare him even if Zhu Rong was the "Clear Sky Sect's greatest genius"...

"Th-This is his first soul skill?"

After Zhu Rong used Sacred Judgment, even Tang Hao was stunned.

As a Title Douluo, he could still tell just how powerful Zhu Rong's soul skill was.

"This shield should absorb damage, or perhaps it's a soul skill similar to Invincible Golden Body."

"These six Soul Power sword shadows are the true killing move!"

The second phase of Sacred Judgment had a more imposing presence than even the strongest strike unleashed by an ordinary Soul Elder.

Imposing as it was, its power still fell somewhat short of a battle Soul Elder's full-force attack.

After all, Zhu Rong was only a Soul Master. Even if his Soul Power was three times that of an ordinary Soul Master, he was still only a Soul Master.

After Zhu Rong dispersed the energy holy swords, Tang Hao nodded and thought to himself:

"As expected, this brat knows his limits. He was only using Little San to test out his soul skill."

"Little San, who did he learn that throwing technique from?"

For a moment, Tang Hao fell into deep thought.

"Is this all you've got?"

Zhu Rong shook his head as though somewhat "disappointed" and said.

He knew Tang Hao was hiding nearby again, secretly observing this "spirit battle."

"Tang San, you've truly disappointed me!"

Zhu Rong continued.

Although his emotions had become rather detached at this point, Zhu Rong still had his reason.

If he was going to put on an act, he naturally had to see it through to the end.

Tang San: "???"

Tang San raised his head and looked at the figure in midair with a face full of confusion. How had he disappointed Zhu Rong?

"Slap..."

A burst of pure energy appeared on Tang San's left cheek as Zhu Rong swung the Blade of Sanction.

Only when the energy collided with his face did it make a sound.

After using the Blade of Sanction several times, Zhu Rong discovered that he could use "normal attacks" without releasing any attributes.

Such "normal attacks" only released pure energy. They consumed little Soul Power and could deal damage, though not much...

Tang San was dazed by the sudden energy strike.

After his left cheek was hit, his entire body spun 360 degrees to the right before crashing heavily onto the ground.

"?"

"Slap..."

Another energy attack appeared on Tang San's right cheek.

Tang San, who had fallen to the ground, rolled half a turn to the left before finally stopping.

Left and right—perfectly symmetrical.

Tang Hao: ...

"Zhu Rong!"

Tang San was now face-down in the dirt, with his back to the sky.

In his heart, he had already killed Zhu Rong over and over again with the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, Peacock Plume, Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle, and Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus.

"Tang San, as you are now, you are simply unworthy of being my opponent."

Zhu Rong shook his head again and said to Tang San.

As if recalling something, he stirred up his emotions slightly and shouted at Tang San, who was lying on the ground:

"How long are you going to lie there?"

"You're also a genius born with rank-eight Soul Power!"

When Zhu Rong said this, Tang San's body visibly twitched. His fists clenched tightly, though no one knew what he was thinking.

"Don't you want to defeat me? To surpass me?"

Upon hearing this, the slight anger Tang Hao had just begun to feel vanished completely.

Zhu Rong was bullying Tang San like this. As Tang San's father, how could Tang Hao possibly remain indifferent?

"Be angry, hate me, Tang San!"

Tang Hao's eyes instantly widened. What was Zhu Rong saying? Was he planning to "sever ties" with Little San?

"Take the hatred you feel toward me and cultivate diligently!"

Tang Hao: ...

"Zhu Rong, I misunderstood you!"

"You actually wanted Little San to cultivate diligently through his hatred for you."

Tang Hao had never imagined that Zhu Rong, a six-year-old child, could go this far!

No wonder he had said earlier that Little San had disappointed him!

But, Zhu Rong, have you considered something?

It wasn't that Little San was weak—it was that you were too strong!

"I will wait for you ahead, until you are too distant to see!"