Hidden Weapons vs. Soul Tools

Tang Ya could not help but be swayed by Bei Bei, her eyes flickering slightly.

"Come with me!" A trace of a smile flashed across Bei Bei's face; his goal had been achieved.

He rose slowly, took Tang Ya with him, left Sea God Island, crossed Sea God Lake, and arrived at the outer courtyard of Shrek Academy.

Upon arriving at the Soul Tool Department of the outer courtyard, the place was still brightly lit, the soul tool lamps emitting a soft white light that dispelled the darkness.

Bei Bei took out a Level 2 Soul Master badge and pinned it to his chest. Over the past few years, he had occasionally gone to find Fan Yu to study soul tools, and he was currently capable of independently crafting a Level 2 soul tool.

Along the way, Tang Ya saw that many areas of the Soul Tool Department were still lit up. She narrowed her eyes slightly and asked with some confusion, "Do the students of the Soul Tool Department not finish class even this late?"

Bei Bei explained patiently, "The teachers and students of the Soul Tool Department are all fanatical about the research of soul tools. They often study until very late, and when inspiration strikes, they might even go days without sleep or rest."

"That is simply too crazy," Tang Ya said, finding it hard to believe.

"Although the Soul Tool Department of our Shrek Academy is among the best in terms of soul tool research and development among all the powers on the Douluo Continent, we still lag far behind the Sun Moon Empire."

Bei Bei said softly, "Whether it is in basic research, technical application, or practical combat effectiveness, there is a gap of at least several hundred years."

Tang Ya did not fully grasp the gap Bei Bei was talking about, but the level of mechanization in the outer courtyard's Soul Tool Department alone was enough to open her eyes.

Having lived in Heaven Dou City since she was a child, she had never seen so many novel things; it was as if the door to a new world had been opened for her.

Bei Bei brought Tang Ya to the Soul Tool Experimental Zone, showing her various levels of soul tools.

Melee soul tools, long-range soul tools, defensive soul tools, auxiliary soul tools, fixed-load soul tools...

As Tang Ya watched, the expression on her face gradually shifted from novelty to a pale shade, and the corners of her mouth could not help but tremble slightly.

In the past, she had only heard rumors about soul tools, and under her father's influence, she had even believed that soul tools were merely flashy, superficial things.

But when she saw them with her own eyes, the cruel reality and truth completely tore apart her father's ridiculous lies.

"How does it feel?" Bei Bei looked at her and said softly.

"The strongest soul tool on the continent right now is a Level 9 soul tool, and its power is enough to reach the level of a Titled Douluo. Even in our Shrek Academy, we do not possess such a soul tool," Bei Bei said, unable to help but sigh.

"My Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons can be triggered even without the use of soul power. Back then, our ancestor Tang San even managed to injure a god using certain technique-based Hidden Weapons!" Tang Ya insisted stubbornly, still refusing to believe that Hidden Weapons were inferior to soul tools.

"And what about after him? In the generations of the Tang Sect since, who has been able to display such feats?" Bei Bei continued.

"Who is even capable of manufacturing those Hidden Weapons now? As for you all, I fear you couldn't even manufacture a single Godly Zhuge Crossbow anymore!"

His words were sharp; he wanted Tang Ya to recognize the reality.

He wanted her to walk out from under her father's influence, to free her from the shackles of the Tang Sect's past glory, and to make her realize clearly that the Tang Sect had completely declined.

"No... that's not it..." Tang Ya could no longer find a reason to argue. Her pupils dilated slightly, and she could only mindlessly object.

"Hmph, then let us let the facts speak for themselves." Bei Bei pulled Tang Ya to a testing area.

He said to Tang Ya, "I will use soul tools, and you will use Hidden Weapons. Let's see who wins and who loses!"

"Fine." Tang Ya nodded, her eyes becoming firm once again.

"I won't bully you. I won't use soul skills; I will only use this Level 3 defensive soul tool and this Level 3 soul ray." Bei Bei took two soul tools out of his storage soul tool.

He hung the defensive soul tool on his chest and fixed the soul ray to his arm.

Tang Ya revealed the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges at her waist. Her hands swept across it, and her fingertips were instantly filled with various types of Hidden Weapons.

After the two stood their ground, Bei Bei activated the soul tool on his chest, and a thin barrier of soul power enveloped his entire body.

"Begin!" Bei Bei signaled for her to attack.

Tang Ya did not stand on ceremony. A flash of purple light crossed her eyes—this was the Tang Sect's eye-training technique, the Purple Demon Eye.

She suddenly flung her hands out, and various Hidden Weapons flew out.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!..."

The Hidden Weapons were fired at different tricky angles, and some even formed an arc, circling around to Bei Bei's rear.

However, Bei Bei did not move at all, letting those Hidden Weapons land on the soul power barrier. A dense sound of metal colliding rang out, yet they were completely unable to break through this thin layer of soul power.

Tang Ya was somewhat unwilling to give up. She raised her right hand, and a point of golden light flew straight toward Bei Bei.

Bei Bei naturally recognized this; it was the Dragon Whisker Needle, a Tang Sect weapon specifically designed to counter soul power defenses.

He raised the soul ray on his arm, gathered a surge of soul power, and fired a beam of soul power as thick as a finger, knocking the Dragon Whisker Needle out of the air.

Following that, Bei Bei launched an attack toward Tang Ya, and several beams of soul power shot toward her.

Tang Ya shifted her footsteps, executing the Tang Sect's movement technique, the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, to dodge the soul power beams.

For the ones she truly could not dodge, Tang Ya turned her hands into the color of white jade and braced herself to take the hits.

Soon, Tang Ya was panting, while Bei Bei remained calm and composed, not having moved a single step.

Seeing that Tang Ya no longer had any strength left, Bei Bei put away his soul tools and came before her, saying, "You should understand now why the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons have declined."

Tang Ya's cheeks were covered in sweat, the light in her eyes had faded, and she nodded somewhat dejectedly.

Her entire worldview had completely collapsed, and she had finally recognized the reality.

"If I go to study soul tools now, is it still in time?" Tang Ya's voice was low.

"Unless you are a soul tool genius, if you truly want to develop the Tang Sect, you must at least become a Level 8 Soul Master."

Bei Bei said mercilessly, "With your talent, relying solely on the Blue Silver Grass martial soul, unless you encounter some miraculous opportunity, the rank of Soul King will be the limit of your life."

Tang Ya's Blue Silver Grass might be somewhat special, as her cultivation speed was not exactly slow, but the very essence of Blue Silver Grass destined its potential to be limited.

Unless Tang Ya were willing to fall into becoming an Evil Soul Master, or could awaken as a Blue Silver Emperor, her achievements in the realm of soul masters were destined to be restricted.

"Is there really no chance at all?" Tang Ya knelt on the ground, her head hanging low, tears streaming uncontrollably from her eyes.

"For a faction to develop, money, technology, resources, and talent are all indispensable."

Bei Bei continued to guide her patiently, "Unless you can find a new path, innovating and merging Soul Tools with Hidden Weapons, the collision between these two things might just allow you to overtake the competition."