No one answered. Everyone present fell silent.
They all knew about this, but Xuan Zi was a Super Douluo, and the academy was in dire need of talent. Considering the contributions he had made over the years, they had never investigated the matter too deeply.
But today, Tang An had brought it up in front of everyone, laying every bloody detail bare. No one could offer even a single word in Xuan Zi's defense.
Xuan Zi offered no defense. He stood where he was, his face ashen, repeating in a trembling voice, "This old man knows his sins... This old man is willing to accept any punishment."
Mu En slowly closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. After a long silence, he opened them again, his voice aged and heavy.
"Xuan Zi's Martial Soul, the Godly Taotie Bull, has an innate flaw. He must constantly eat. It's a physiological instinct, and though he didn't do it intentionally, a fault is still a fault."
"Effective today, Xuan Zi is stripped of his position as an elder of the Sea God Pavilion and will no longer participate in the academy's decision-making. He will follow the Vice Pavilion Master and await his orders, reflecting humbly on his own mistakes."
Xuan Zi abruptly raised his head, looking at Mu En in disbelief.
Mu En did not look at Xuan Zi. Instead, he turned to Tang An and said earnestly, "Xiao An, I'm handing him over to you. I also hope you can help him overcome the flaw in his Martial Soul. If he truly repents, he'll be a great asset to the academy."
Tang An looked at Mu En, understanding full well what he meant. Elder Mu is giving me a chance to establish my authority while also giving Xuan Zi a way to turn over a new leaf. He's punishing him without casting him aside, and he's judged the measure just right!
After a moment's thought, Tang An said, "Elder Mu has gone to great lengths. This junior understands. But I'm only a Soul Elder. If Senior Xuan Zi loses his head and has other ideas, I'm afraid I wouldn't even have time to react."
"Without a concrete restraint, this 'following' him around might just be empty words."
Mu En narrowed his eyes slightly. "The Vice Pavilion Master means..."
"His soul origin."
Tang An spoke slowly. "I ask Senior Xuan Zi to hand over a fragment of his soul origin for me to control. It will ensure my safety and keep Senior Xuan Zi in check. If he truly repents, I'll naturally return it in the future."
The entire hall was shocked. Once his soul origin was handed over, Xuan Zi's life and death would be completely in Tang An's hands.
Mu En remained silent for a long while, then finally nodded. "Very well. Xuan Zi, if you truly repent, then hand over your soul origin. If you can't even do that, there's no need for you to remain in Shrek."
Xuan Zi stood where he was, his face turning from green to white. He looked at Tang An. There wasn't the slightest hint of wavering in those clear eyes. The methods of this nine-year-old boy were far too ruthless for a child.
But when he thought back to the corpses of those disciples in the illusion, all his anger and humiliation turned into an even deeper bitterness.
After a long while, Xuan Zi raised a trembling hand. A pale golden light flew from between his brows, forming a fragment of his soul that drifted into Tang An's palm.
"This old man... accepts the punishment." Xuan Zi's voice was hollow, as if every last bit of strength had been drained from him.
The soul fragment melted into Tang An's palm, and an invisible connection formed between them.
Tang An nodded in satisfaction and stored the fragment in his Sea of Consciousness, a mild smile appearing on his face.
"Senior Xuan Zi's willingness to hand over his soul origin shows that he sincerely regrets his actions. This junior won't treat you harshly. As long as you behave yourself from now on, this fragment of your soul origin will remain safe and sound."
Mu En watched this unfold and sighed inwardly.
Tang An's methods were ruthless, yet left room for leniency. To have such guile at the age of nine—he truly was a successor of Lord Sea God, his ancestor Tang San.
After a moment's thought, Mu En suddenly said, "Xiao An, that Second Soul Skill you just used relies on stirring emotions and projecting memories. At its core, it's a subtle manipulation of spiritual power."
"This old man once created a peerless technique called 'Reign Over the World.' It is a method for wielding spiritual power."
"If you're interested, I can teach it to you. Combined with the unique properties of your Soul Skills, perhaps you can forge a path no one has ever walked before."
Tang An's heart leapt with joy.
Reign Over the World: In the original work, it was the peerless technique Mu En taught Huo Yuhao. It compressed one's spiritual power, will, and battle aura into every physical attack, so that "one punch could shatter both the body and the mind."
Elder Mu was planning to teach him everything.
"Thank you, Elder Mu." Tang An cupped his hands and said solemnly, "This junior will study it diligently and won't let you down."
Mu En nodded in satisfaction and asked, "Xiao An, what is your strength like now? I can tell your aura is steady and your spiritual power far surpasses that of your peers, but do you have an estimate of your actual combat strength?"
Tang An thought it over, then answered frankly, "My Soul Power is at level thirty, but I'm not entirely sure of my upper limit in battle. Still, I should be invincible among Soul Kings."
His words sent a shock through the entire hall.
"Invincible among Soul Kings?" Qian Duoduo was the first to stare wide-eyed.
"Vice Pavilion Master, you're only level thirty, and you have just one Soul Ring. Soul Kings are above level fifty—that's a full twenty levels between you. Are you sure?"
Xian Lin'er also furrowed her brow, concern in her voice. "Little Vice Pavilion Master, it's not that big sister doesn't believe you, but fighting across realms isn't child's play. Especially at the Soul King level—the fifth Soul Ring's Soul Skill often marks a qualitative leap..."
"If I dared to say it, naturally I have confidence."
Tang An smiled faintly and turned his gaze toward Xuan Zi, who was still in the corner, coming to terms with the fact that his soul origin had been taken.
"Since we're here, I'd also like to test the power of the First Soul Ring skill of the Crimson Annihilation Hammer. Why not ask Senior Xuan Zi to exchange a few moves with me? You can suppress your cultivation to the Soul King level."
Xuan Zi raised his head and looked at Tang An, his expression complicated.
Now that he was under Tang An's control, he had no reason to refuse. Besides, Xuan Zi wanted to see with his own eyes just how capable this nine-year-old boy really was.
Xuan Zi said in a low voice, "Very well. I'll suppress my cultivation to level fifty-five. Vice Pavilion Master, be careful."
Everyone moved to the Martial Arts Arena outside the Sea God Pavilion.
Xuan Zi took his position, his Soul Power gradually subsiding as he suppressed it to the Soul King level. Tang An stood ten zhang away. He flipped his right hand, and the phantom of the Crimson Annihilation Hammer appeared in his palm.
A scarlet Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring slowly revolved around the dark-red hammer.
First Soul Ring: Dark Demon Evil God Tiger Soul Ring. First Soul Skill: Four Elements Control.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger possessed six attributes: evil, darkness, thunder, wind, time, and space. With the added power of Tang San's Sea God Divine Power, the attributes of time and space had been especially enhanced, becoming his Second and Third Soul Skills.
Tang An could now freely call upon all six elements and imbue them into the hammer. Each strike could switch to a different attribute.
"Senior Xuan Zi, forgive me."
Before the words had left his mouth, Tang An shot forward like a cannonball.
Lightning burst across the Crimson Annihilation Hammer, purple arcs coiling around its head—Thunder Element, imbued!
There was nothing fancy about this strike. It was pure strength and speed, crashing down on Xuan Zi with the might of a destructive thunderstorm.
A flicker of surprise crossed Xuan Zi's eyes. He crossed his arms to block, and his Soul Power formed a defensive barrier.
Boom! Lightning exploded. The bluestone beneath Xuan Zi's feet cracked apart inch by inch, and he himself was forced half a step back.
Tang An's second strike was already upon him.
The lightning around the hammer vanished, replaced by strange black mist—Darkness Element! The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's darkness attribute could corrode Soul Power. As the hammer came down, fine cracks appeared in Xuan Zi's defensive barrier.
Next, a whirlwind surged, the Wind Element lending speed to the hammer until it was a blur;
The Evil Element struck directly at the soul, forcing Xuan Zi to divert his spiritual power to resist the malice surging straight toward the core of his consciousness.
The four elements shifted freely, each transition as smooth as flowing water. Xuan Zi retreated step by step, his expression growing graver by the moment. Even with his cultivation suppressed to the peak of the Soul King level, he was still completely overwhelmed.
Tang An seized his chance. Darkness and thunder erupted from the hammer at the same time, their powers intertwining around its head to form a purple-black sphere of energy. A destructive aura spilled out in every direction—Dark Demon Evil Thunder.
Boom! Xuan Zi was blasted several zhang back, the sleeves of his clothes torn to shreds.
"Good!" Battle intent blazed in Xuan Zi's eyes as he abruptly raised his cultivation to the Soul Emperor level, level sixty.
He stopped merely defending. The phantom of the Godly Taotie Bull appeared behind him, and he charged straight at Tang An.
Tang An was not the least bit afraid. The light of the Soul Ring on the Crimson Annihilation Hammer changed.
Second Soul Skill—Time Zero, activate!
Before you continue