Clashing with Tang San

"Is this the caliber of an academy teacher?

"Is this the prestige of the famous Grandmaster of the Soul Master World?"

Lu Yan questioned him bluntly, his words forceful, his voice clear and full of vigor.

He had no intention of swallowing this humiliation.

If they had the guts, they could just kill him. He had died once already, after all.

Yu Xiaogang's expression darkened.

Never before had he been insulted like this. He said in a low voice:

"Xiao San, let him go."

Upon hearing this, Tang San stepped aside, his gaze fixed on Lu Yan as his fingertips twitched slightly.

Lu Yan glanced at him, his pupils narrowing.

As a Spirit Master, his senses and perception were exceptionally sharp.

In that instant just now, a faint, cold aura had come from Tang San.

That was—killing intent.

Tang San wanted to kill him. Over nothing more than a verbal dispute, he was ready to take a life at the drop of a hat.

Hidden in his sleeve was likely a Tang Sect Hidden Weapon Sleeve Arrow. Once fired, it would surely injure someone.

He truly had been an assassin in his past life.

As Lu Yan left, he thought, I have to speed things up.

I must get my hands on the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record and the Immortal Herb Illustrated Record.

After that, the skies and seas would be boundless, and he could soar freely.

"Teacher, he was far too disrespectful to you." Tang San was indignant.

Lu Yan's attitude made him want to strike.

Had they been somewhere deserted, Lu Yan would already be dead.

"A mere child, with no one backing him. Even if he has some talent, he absorbed soul rings recklessly. At best, his cultivation will reach Soul Ancestor. Does he truly think clinging to a single Soul Skill will amount to anything? Utterly foolish."

Yu Xiaogang's voice carried a trace of anger.

"Xiao San, find an opportunity to teach him a lesson and force out his Soul Skill. Since he refuses to tell us, we'll observe it through battle."

"Teacher, is his Soul Skill truly that important?" Tang San asked in confusion.

Why make such a fuss over one Soul Skill?

Yu Xiaogang rose and walked over to Tang San. Patting him on the shoulder, he said earnestly, "Xiao San, it isn't the Soul Skill that matters. It matters because he is a Spirit Master."

"In the early stages of a Soul Master's cultivation, one relies on one's Martial Soul and Soul Power. But once one reaches higher realms, one must cultivate Spiritual Power. Lu Yan happens to be someone I can study.

"As your teacher, I must prepare for your future."

Tang San was stunned, his nose stinging.

He had never expected his teacher to be doing this for his sake. No one had ever treated him so well.

Yet because of him, his teacher had suffered such humiliation.

Thud!

Tang San knelt on the ground.

"Teacher, this disciple will never fail your teachings."

He would definitely defeat Lu Yan and obtain the abilities of his Soul Skill.

He would fulfill his teacher's research for him.

Yu Xiaogang was deeply moved. He helped Tang San up from the ground. "Xiao San, I believe in you.

"Teacher will certainly nurture you into the strongest Soul Master."

With such a disciple, what more could a teacher ask for?

Master and disciple looked at each other, their eyes filled only with one another.

Lu Yan had no idea that after he left, the pair had shared such a heartfelt moment.

If he had known, he would have said one thing at least: birds of a feather flock together.

As the sun set in the west, rosy clouds spilled across the academy field.

Tang San blocked Lu Yan's path once again.

"What now?"

He was truly annoyed right now and had no mood to waste time with Tang San.

"Fight me." Tang San spoke directly.

Lu Yan shook his head. "Not interested."

He would not do something so thankless. Instead of wasting time on that, he might as well return to the Seventh Dormitory and use Dream Entry to absorb the power of others' dreams, strengthening and restoring his Spiritual Power.

Seeing that Tang San would not move aside, he prepared to go around him.

"You're not allowed to leave."

Tang San reached out and grabbed at Lu Yan's shoulder, his movement raising the sound of rushing wind.

The move was sudden, fast, and precise, yet it did not escape Lu Yan, who had been watching him closely. He kicked off with his right foot, moved away from his original position, and avoided the attack.

Ever since Tang San had released killing intent toward him at noon, he had remained on guard against a sneak attack.

Tang San looked at Lu Yan in surprise.

That grab had not used the Tang Sect Unique Skill—Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon—nor had he used the Mysterious Jade Hand. From only a shoulder's distance away, among all the academy's students, probably only Xiao Wu could have reacted and dodged.

He had not expected Lu Yan to be able to do the same.

"Are all disciples taught by Yu Xiaogang this rude?"

"You can even stoop to sneak attacks."

Lu Yan sneered disdainfully, fury burning in his chest.

If he had failed to dodge that grab, his shoulder would likely have been left bruised and aching for days.

"Don't drag my teacher into this. This was my personal action."

Tang San did not want his teacher's reputation tarnished.

"I did say 'stop,' so it doesn't count as a sudden sneak attack."

Hearing such sophistry, Lu Yan laughed in anger.

He really knew how to twist logic.

"Today, I told you about my own Soul Skill. By the terms of our exchange, you should also tell me all of yours. Only then would it be fair."

Hearing that scoundrel-like tone, Lu Yan decided he would no longer endure it.

Since he had been reborn, if he had to yield and compromise everywhere, he might as well die. He retorted directly, "You want to know? Fine. But everyone already knows your Soul Skill. If we're talking equality, then trade me the footwork you use, or the Soul Skill you practice on the roof every day."

Being disgusting? It was not as though he could not do that too.

"You dare spy on my cultivation?" Tang San flew into a rage.

The Tang Sect Unique Skills absolutely could not be leaked.

Lu Yan had actually set his sights on the Tang Sect Unique Skills.

He had to die!!!

"You wish."

Anyone who dared covet the Tang Sect Unique Skills had to die.

Tang San waited no longer—Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.

His figure became ghostlike as he rapidly closed in. His palm turned the color of Mysterious Jade, and he had already formed the intent to kill.

If they were not at the academy, and if he did not want to expose his hidden weapons, he would have fired his sleeve arrow already.

With a thought from Lu Yan, Soul Power surged.

A pair of blue Butterfly Wings unfolded, shimmering with seven-colored light. Their surfaces were dotted with silver radiance, forming an overall V-shape.

Though the wings were only phantoms, their light was entirely real.

The sky had already darkened, but when Dream Butterfly appeared, the field lit up once more.

Lu Yan's toes rose half a meter from the ground, leaving him suspended in midair. At that moment, he shone as brightly as the sun.

"Ah—"

Cries of surprise rang out without end. The students on the field stopped in their tracks, staring unblinkingly at the flawless Butterfly Wings.

Xiao Wu was among them. She even stopped chewing her carrot and stared blankly, murmuring:

"So... beautiful!"

Even when Lu Yan cultivated normally, he would summon Dream Butterfly, but it had never shone as brilliantly as it did today, when he was driving it with all his strength.

Its light had always been dim.

This was the first time they had seen Dream Butterfly bloom in full splendor.

At the same time, a Yellow Soul Ring appeared around Lu Yan.

Tang San's movements paused because of it, then sped up by another thirty percent.

After Lu Yan summoned his Martial Soul, his speed and Spiritual Power increased once more. He nimbly avoided Tang San's charging attacks in midair.

"If you want to fight, then let's fight."

He feared no battle.

This was exactly what Tang San wanted. Blue Silver Grass appeared in his palm, without the slightest glow or any distinguishing feature.

Entangling.

Tang San used the Soul Skill he had obtained through great hardship.

The Blue Silver Grass surged from his hand, splitting into several vines that twisted toward Lu Yan in midair.

A petty trick.

Lu Yan smiled disdainfully.

He saw the movements of the Blue Silver Grass clearly. His Spiritual Power granted him perception far beyond others of the same rank, allowing him to easily evade the vines' Entangling.

Trash Soul Skill.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several sounds of air breaking came at him.

They were stones Tang San had thrown using Hidden Weapon Techniques.

They sealed off his paths of evasion.