Clash!

"Xiao San." Lin Yu walked into a hotel with a smile on his face, spotting Tang San's figure at a glance.

After all, an ordinary person among the crowd was still relatively easy to pick out.

"Xiao Yu, you're here." Seeing Lin Yu, Tang San also broke into a smile.

"I didn't expect you to be a Soul Ancestor already." Tang San looked at Lin Yu with a complicated expression.

Ever since awakening his martial soul, Tang San had been full of confidence in himself—the continent's only Twin Martial Souls, and an Innate Full Soul Power possessor to boot.

Add to that the fact that Tang San possessed strange cultivation techniques that didn't exist on the Douluo Continent, and all of it pointed to him being the protagonist of this world.

But now, seeing that a childhood friend he knew had a Soul Power Level more than ten ranks higher than his own, Tang San felt a considerable blow.

"As the top power on the continent, the Martial Soul Hall naturally far surpasses other forces in terms of resources." Lin Yu just smiled faintly at Tang San's lament.

This visit to see Tang San was meant to shake his confidence, to make him doubt his own talent, and to push him toward cultivating his Second Martial Soul in pursuit of Lin Yu's own longevity.

As a transmigrator, Tang San had his own ideas and wouldn't change his decisions just because of some people's suggestions.

Even if that person gave him the fatherly affection he had always dreamed of, it still wouldn't be enough—let alone a teacher who had once shown murderous intent toward him.

"Looks like you're being treated pretty well at the Martial Soul Hall." Tang San looked at Lin Yu with some envy, a trace of killing intent surging deep in his eyes.

But Tang San hid it well, and it went unnoticed.

"You're not bad either, now a Soul Grand Master." Lin Yu shifted the topic from himself to Tang San, stating Tang San's Soul Power Level in a flat tone.

"Xiao Yu, have you ever thought about leaving the Martial Soul Hall?" The smile vanished from Tang San's face.

"Why would I leave the Martial Soul Hall? There, I have top-tier cultivation resources that let me improve my strength extremely quickly.

I actually think you should join the Martial Soul Hall, since you're also an Innate Full Soul Power user. Talent like that is rare across the whole continent.

If you had joined the Martial Soul Hall with me back then, your Soul Power Level would probably be at the Soul Ancestor rank by now." Instead of agreeing with Tang San, Lin Yu actually invited him to join.

Lin Yu naturally knew Tang San wouldn't join the Martial Soul Hall—after all, with Yu Xiaogang's influence, Tang San had already developed a bad impression of it.

"Xiao Yu, don't you think the Martial Soul Hall is an evil organization? It interferes in the internal affairs of the empires.

Not only that, it takes money from the two empires to subsidize soul masters, but it's the Martial Soul Hall's name that gets praised—they're buying people's loyalty..." Tang San listed the Martial Soul Hall's various crimes to Lin Yu, his tone full of righteous indignation.

But if one looked closely, they would find Tang San's eyes were utterly calm, without a trace of real agitation—it was all an act for Lin Yu's sake.

Hearing Tang San's words, however, Lin Yu simply shook his head.

"Xiao San, what makes you think the Martial Soul Hall is an evil organization? Because it stands between the two empires, preventing war and saving countless common people?

Or because it forces the two empires to fund civilian soul masters, so those from poor families don't have to worry about not being able to afford schooling?

If the two empires were willing to subsidize those civilian soul masters, would it have fallen to the Martial Soul Hall to do it?" Lin Yu shook his head at Tang San, his expression turning disappointed.

"Tang San, I thought you were someone who could tell right from wrong, but I was wrong. I didn't expect you to be this kind of person.

Without the Martial Soul Hall, do you think you could have awakened your martial soul? Aren't you still collecting the subsidies issued by the Martial Soul Hall?" Lin Yu sneered at Tang San.

Hearing this, Tang San's face immediately darkened.

He was always the one lecturing others—when had it ever been his turn to be lectured?

But Tang San didn't lash out. For one, he was no match for Lin Yu; for another, Lin Yu had a Titled Douluo backing him, so he naturally didn't dare make a move.

"Six years without seeing each other, and I didn't expect you to no longer be the Tang San I once knew. Looks like whoever taught you isn't anything good." Lin Yu shook his head and left the place directly.

After Lin Yu left, Tang San's expression calmed down.

"I didn't expect Lin Yu to be so hard to fool." Tang San narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the spot where Lin Yu had left.

"The Martial Soul Hall? For others, it might be a good organization, but with the Martial Soul Hall around, how can this continent fall into chaos? If the continent doesn't fall into chaos, how can I have the chance to establish my Tang Sect?

I'm grateful to the Martial Soul Hall for awakening my martial soul, but they do their job too well—awakening martial souls for commoners across the continent, inevitably producing geniuses like Lin Yu.

That's not something I want to see." Tang San left his seat and walked straight back to the Rose Hotel.

This time, Tang San hadn't come to catch up with Lin Yu; his purpose was to probe Lin Yu's stance.

If Lin Yu would help him, overthrowing the Martial Soul Hall would become much easier. But now, it seemed his wishful thinking had been wrong.

"My talent is no worse than Lin Yu's, and I have Twin Martial Souls—my cultivation speed should be faster than his. But now his Soul Power Level is higher than mine." Tang San sat on the bed, summoning the Blue Silver Grass martial soul on his fingers.

A faint blue light illuminated Tang San's face, reflecting his complicated expression.

In the end, Tang San withdrew his martial soul, his expression still troubled. The instructions from his teacher Yu Xiaogang and Tang Hao kept him from daring to cultivate his Second Martial Soul directly, forcing him to accept that his Soul Power Level was inferior to Lin Yu's.

"Tang San... so it was all just an excuse from the start. From the very beginning, he was set on overthrowing the Martial Soul Hall.

That makes sense. Being expelled from the Tang Sect is a pain in his heart. A man who thinks so highly of himself can't accept that fact, so he wants to establish a Tang Sect on the Douluo Continent to prove himself.

And to establish the Tang Sect, the first obstacle he'll face is the Martial Soul Hall." Lin Yu was also deep in thought.

"So, even if I eliminate those who influence Tang San now, it won't do any good. I have to get rid of Tang San himself." Lin Yu's gaze grew resolute.

"No matter who stands behind you, it won't change your fate." Lin Yu stared coldly into the sky.

"Lin Yu... this kid is worth winning over. With his talent, he can still be Xiao San's helper." Hidden in the shadows, Tang Hao muttered to himself after seeing Lin Yu.

He never considered whether Lin Yu would agree.

In his mind, it was only natural for Lin Yu to help Tang San—he never imagined being refused.