Conflict

Rustle—

The fallen leaves in the woods crunched softly beneath footsteps. Lin Xuan, who had just finished a steamed bun and roast chicken and was lying on the ground to rest and recover his strength, instantly became alert.

Thanks to the tremendous boost in his Physical Fitness after synchronizing with the Tang Wulin Template, he sprang smoothly to his feet and cast a sharp gaze toward the source of the sound.

"Who is it? Tang San?!"

When he saw who it was, Lin Xuan's brow immediately furrowed, and Alarm Bells Ring in his mind.

He had never expected Tang San to come looking for him on his own.

Tang San had always been disdainful of the children in the village.

There was always a detachment in his eyes that did not match his age. Forget approaching anyone on his own initiative—even seeing him was difficult.

For him to act so unusually now, he definitely had no good intentions.

Why had he come?

Had he discovered my secret, or did he have some other purpose?

Lin Xuan's vigilance instantly rose to the maximum. Every muscle in his body tensed as he prepared for any sudden situation.

"Your hammer-swinging posture is wrong. Exerting force like that can easily damage your meridians and leave you with internal injuries."

Tang San walked up to Lin Xuan with a serious expression, speaking as though he were instructing a junior.

???

A trace of confusion flashed through Lin Xuan's eyes. Would Tang San really be this kind-hearted?

Setting that aside, the more important question was—

How did he know there was something wrong with his hammer-swinging movements? Had he been secretly watching him the whole time?

Why had he been watching him?

Had he noticed his extraordinary talent and wanted to recruit him into the so-called Tang Sect? Or did he have some other scheme?

A string of questions flashed through his mind. Lin Xuan's paranoia immediately flared up, raising his guard against Tang San to the highest level.

"So what? What does that have to do with you?"

Lin Xuan remained expressionless, his tone cold. He had no intention whatsoever of accepting the "guidance."

Tang San did not care about Lin Xuan's attitude. His gaze fell upon the pair of Small Hammers by Lin Xuan's feet, and his eyes lit up slightly.

"I'll teach you the proper way to use a hammer. In exchange, how about you give me one of them?

"You have two anyway. One extra is useless to you."

He had already recognized that the pair of hammers was made of tungsten steel.

That was the core material used to make top-tier Hidden Weapons like the Storm Pear Blossom Needle, and it was worth a fortune.

Yet this pair of tungsten steel hammers had actually been made into ordinary hammers. What a terrible waste!

What shocked him even more was that the forging craftsmanship of these hammers had actually reached the Hundred Refinements Level.

Whether in the world of his previous life or on the current Douluo Continent, forging techniques were not particularly advanced.

Hundred Refinements was already an extremely profound technique. On Douluo Continent, Thousand Refinements was an almost legendary limit, and most could not even reach the standard of Thousand Refined Grade One.

In Tang San's eyes, the value of such a pair of Hundred Refinements Tungsten Steel Hammers had long surpassed what ordinary Soul Masters could imagine.

Lin Xuan's mouth twitched as understanding dawned on him.

Sure enough, Tang San would never act without profit. So he had set his sights on these Tungsten Steel Hammers. But could he give them away?

The answer was obviously no.

They were the only weapons he could rely on over the next three years, as well as the key to practicing hammer techniques. If he gave them to Tang San, his ability to protect himself would be greatly reduced.

Besides, he could now exert more than two hundred jin of force with one arm. Was he supposed to fear Tang San?

He clearly remembered that Tang San had not yet made any decent Hidden Weapons. His strength was only somewhat greater than that of an ordinary child.

The only person he needed to fear was Tang Hao. But that old drunkard could not even be bothered to care whether Tang San was hungry, so how could he possibly step in over such a trivial matter?

In Tang Hao's eyes, this pair of Tungsten Steel Hammers might not even be worth mentioning.

If he had had any other choice, he truly would not have chosen Sacred Soul Village as his starting point.

It was too close to Tang Hao, a potential source of danger.

"No!"

Without even thinking, Lin Xuan bent down and instantly picked up both small tungsten steel hammers, gripping them tightly in his hands.

What a joke. These were proof of his growth. Even if he no longer needed them in the future, they would still be worth keeping as a collection. He would never give them to anyone.

"Are you sure?"

Tang San's gaze darkened, and his tone carried a hint of temptation.

"The hammer techniques I can teach you are far better than the blind practice you're doing now. They can save you a lot of detours."

Seeing how resolute Lin Xuan was, he instinctively reached out to snatch them.

To the current Tang San, any material that could be used to make Hidden Weapons was a treasure that had to be fought for.

But though he was fast, Lin Xuan was faster.

With reaction speed and bodily coordination far beyond those of his peers, Lin Xuan shifted sideways and easily avoided Tang San's hand.

"What are you doing? Trying to rob me?!"

Lin Xuan quickly stepped back to widen the distance as he shouted his question, deliberately raising his voice.

He knew Tang San feared drawing the villagers' attention most of all.

"You!" Tang San's expression stiffened. Afraid that Lin Xuan's shout would alert others, he immediately flew into a rage from embarrassment and glared fiercely at him.

"If you won't trade, then forget it. You'll regret this someday!"

With that, he turned and prepared to leave quickly.

Damn it, Lin Xuan actually dared to disrespect me like this!

Tang San cursed inwardly as he walked briskly away.

I was even going to give him some guidance. He truly doesn't know what's good for him!

But after only a few steps, he suddenly stopped, a trace of confusion flashing through his eyes.

Wait, how could an orphan like him have Hundred Refinements-level tungsten steel hammers?

The question streaked across his mind like lightning, instantly making him alert.

He seriously suspected that Lin Xuan had stolen these Tungsten Steel Hammers from his home.

After all, aside from his family's Blacksmith Shop, who else in Sacred Soul Village could forge Hundred Refinements weapons?

Who would be so extravagantly wealthy as to use tungsten steel to make hammers?

Thinking of this, Tang San no longer hesitated. He immediately turned around and hurried back in Lin Xuan's direction.

Meanwhile, Lin Xuan was preparing to pack up and leave, muttering inwardly: What rotten luck. How could I run into Tang San everywhere I go?

He only wanted to peacefully get through these three months before going to Nuoding Academy. Why was that so difficult?

"Wait!"

Just as Lin Xuan slung his basket over his back and prepared to set off, Tang San blocked his path again, his eyes filled with scrutiny and suspicion.

"What exactly do you want?"

Lin Xuan looked at Tang San, his tone growing impatient.

Tang San was like a lingering ghost. He had to find a way to get rid of him for good.

"Where did these hammers come from?

"Don't tell me you stole them from my house?"

Tang San stared intently into Lin Xuan's eyes, trying to find even the slightest hint of panic on his face.

As long as Lin Xuan showed the smallest flaw, he would immediately make his move, subdue him, and naturally reclaim the Tungsten Steel Hammers.

Lin Xuan had been prepared for this. Hearing the accusation, he immediately retorted without hesitation.

"If you're sick, go get treated. You're acting as if your family's Blacksmith Shop is the only one in Sacred Soul Village.

"How many years has your family even been here? Before your family arrived, could there not have been blacksmiths in the village?"

He paused, his tone becoming even more certain.

"These hammers were left behind by my Maternal Grandfather.

"My Maternal Grandfather used to be the village's blacksmith. He only had one daughter—my mother—and my father did not know forging. After he passed away, the Blacksmith Shop fell into neglect.

"These hammers have nothing to do with your family, so stop falsely accusing people!"

The story was half true and half false, but it was enough to convince the villagers.

The elderly people of Sacred Soul Village all knew that Lin Xuan's Maternal Grandfather had indeed once run a Blacksmith Shop. It had only gradually been forgotten because there was no successor.

Using his Maternal Grandfather as an excuse was flawless. No one could find even the slightest problem with it.

Tang San was left Stunned by Lin Xuan's rebuttal and did not know how to respond for a moment.

He had not expected Lin Xuan's hammers to have such an origin, and a blank look appeared on his face.

Seizing the chance, Lin Xuan pushed past him, carrying his basket and gripping the Tungsten Steel Hammers as he jogged back toward the village without looking back.

He secretly resolved that he could not come to the Back Mountain anymore. He should even leave the village as little as possible, lest Tang San latch onto him again.

Tang San was only suspicious for now, but if he ever truly went mad enough to kill for the Tungsten Steel Hammers, that would be troublesome.

"Damn it!"

Tang San stood there in a daze for a long time before finally coming to his senses. Looking at Lin Xuan's receding Back View, he clenched his fists tightly.

He darkly thought to himself:

Lin Xuan had definitely done it on purpose!

Why had he not explained himself at the start? Why had he waited until Tang San asked a second time?

He clearly wanted to watch him make a fool of himself!

"No, I can't let this go!"

A trace of stubbornness flashed through Tang San's eyes.

"What he said might not be true. I have to go back and ask about it clearly!

"What if he lied to me, and the hammers really were stolen from my house?"

Thinking of his father, who was drunk all day long, it was entirely possible that something had been stolen without him ever noticing.

Having made up his mind, Tang San did not linger. He turned and hurried home, intending to seek confirmation from Tang Hao.

Lin Xuan jogged all the way home. Only after setting down his basket and the Tungsten Steel Hammers did he finally let out a breath of relief.

Leaning against the doorframe, he recalled his conflict with Tang San and thought to himself: It seems I need to keep an even lower profile from now on.

Tang San was meticulous and extremely protective of his own interests. Since he had failed to obtain the Tungsten Steel Hammers this time, he might look for a chance to retaliate in the future.

However, Lin Xuan did not take it too seriously.

With his current strength, he would basically not be in danger so long as he did not encounter an opponent at the Soul Master level.

Besides, in another Two Months, he would be going to Nuoding Academy. There would be many people there, along with the protection of the teachers. Even if Tang San wanted to do something, he would have to think twice.

"The most urgent task is to quickly improve my strength and adapt to this body's power and control over Soul Power."

Lin Xuan gripped the Tungsten Steel Hammer in his hand, his gaze turning firm.

He knew that the world of Douluo Continent was full of danger and opportunity. Only by becoming strong enough himself could he establish a foothold in this world.

And the Tang Wulin Template he possessed was his greatest source of confidence.

As long as he grew steadily, he would one day stand at the pinnacle of this world.