Time Zero was a Soul Skill Tang San had condensed after using Sea God Divine Power to strengthen the Laws of Time.
An invisible ripple of time spread out from him, and within a radius of ten zhang, the flow of time abruptly changed.
Xuan Zi's movements slowed to a crawl, each one seeming to drag through an invisible swamp, while Tang An's figure moved as swiftly as a ghost.
With Time Zero's boost, he circled Xuan Zi and hammered him with blow after blow, each strike landing precisely on a weak point in his defense.
Then, his Third Soul Skill—Space Flash—activated.
Tang An vanished from where he stood, only to appear behind Xuan Zi the next instant. The Crimson Annihilation Hammer swept toward him, wrapped in an aura of destruction.
Xuan Zi had an abundance of battle experience. The instant he sensed the spatial ripple behind him, he turned to block, but Tang An's figure flashed away again and reappeared on his left.
The soundless blade of Space Slash sliced through the air and struck Xuan Zi's defensive barrier, leaving crack after crack in its wake.
The senior elders watching were astonished.
Qian Duoduo gaped, murmuring, "Time and space... These are Soul Skills granted by his First Soul Ring? Damn, that's outrageously overpowered!"
Under Tang An's relentless attacks, Xuan Zi's cultivation kept climbing: level sixty-three, level sixty-five. When he reached level sixty-five, Tang An's offensive was finally suppressed somewhat.
Using two powerful time-and-space Soul Skills in succession, on top of switching between six elements, consumed an astonishing amount of Soul Power. Tang An's breathing grew ragged, and a fine sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"That's about enough." Tang An gauged the situation, took a deep breath, and poured all the Soul Power he had left into the Crimson Annihilation Hammer.
Black mist of destruction roiled from the dark-red hammer. Origin Destruction Fire ignited at its core. This was the Destruction Fire inherent to the Crimson Annihilation Hammer, a flame superior to Ultimate Fire. Its heat was so intense that even the void seemed to warp.
Deep-purple Dark Demon Evil Thunder coiled around the outer layer of the flames, and the thunder and Destruction Fire intertwined to form a beam of purple-red Light of Destruction.
"Xuan Zi, take my final strike!"
The Crimson Annihilation Hammer crashed down with the force to destroy everything. Xuan Zi's pupils contracted as his cultivation surged to level sixty-nine in an instant, and he brought his Soul Power defense to bear with all his might.
Boom!
A purple-red pillar of destructive light shot into the sky, and the bluestone ground across the entire Martial Arts Arena shuddered, spiderweb cracks spreading across it.
The shock wave snapped the surrounding trees in half. Several senior elders threw up defensive barriers, narrowly avoiding the blast.
As the dust settled, Xuan Zi stood where he was, his arms trembling slightly and much of his robe scorched black.
He looked down at his damaged sleeve, then at Tang An across from him, breathing hard with his hammer braced against the ground and his aura in disarray. His eyes were full of shock.
"That strike..." Xuan Zi began slowly, his voice trembling. "If I hadn't raised my defense to level sixty-nine at the last moment, I doubt I could have blocked it."
Xian Lin'er drew in a sharp breath. "He barely blocked it with a level-sixty-nine defense. The Vice Pavilion Master's all-out strike was close to the power of a Soul Saint!"
Just then, Yan Shaozhe suddenly came to his senses and blurted out, "That flame just now—Ultimate Fire! That was the aura of Ultimate Fire!"
His words sent a wave of shock through the senior elders.
Ultimate Attributes were practically the stuff of legend in the Soul Master World. The Soul Masters on the entire continent who possessed one could be counted on one hand.
And this nine-year-old boy not only possessed Twin Martial Souls and a million-year Soul Ring, but also commanded the ultimate power even Titled Douluo dreamed of wielding.
Xuan Zi was silent for a moment, then added, "It wasn't just Ultimate Fire.
"The quality of the Vice Pavilion Master's Soul Power is more than five times that of an ordinary Soul Master with an Ultimate Attribute. I'm afraid the aura of this flame is even more terrifying than Ultimate Fire."
The hall erupted in an uproar.
Soul Masters with Ultimate Attributes were already one in ten thousand. Soul Power with a quality five times greater than that of an Ultimate Attribute Soul Master was beyond anything the conventional cultivation system could comprehend.
Yan Shaozhe suddenly remembered something. He quietly tugged on Cai Mei'er's sleeve and lowered his voice.
"Mei'er, go talk to the Vice Pavilion Master. Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire backlash is severe. Even the senior elders of the inner court are helpless against the power of that Ultimate Fire, but the Vice Pavilion Master might have a way to suppress the Evil Fire inside Xiaotao."
Cai Mei'er's expression turned solemn. She replied quietly, "Ma Xiaotao's situation is indeed urgent. If the Vice Pavilion Master really can help, I'll agree to any price. I'll ask him tomorrow."
Yan Shaozhe nodded, looking at Tang An with newfound hope.
Mu En gave a light cough, quieting the discussions filling the hall. His eyes were full of approval and amazement as he looked at Tang An. "That will be all for today. I believe everyone now understands the Vice Pavilion Master's strength, so there's no need to say more. Meeting adjourned."
The senior elders filed out one after another. Xuan Zi kept his head lowered as he followed behind Tang An, step by step.
Mu En called out to Tang An. His tone was gentle. "Xiao An, stay a moment. That Reign Over the World technique..."
"Mu En."
Without even turning his head, Tang An waved a hand and quickened his pace. "It's too late today. Please optimize it based on the characteristics of my Soul Skills first. Once it's ready, I'll come back to learn it. I'm heading back."
Mu En stood frozen, watching the white-robed figure disappear at the end of the corridor. It took him a moment to react.
"That little brat. He asks a Limit Douluo to optimize his cultivation technique, then turns around and pats himself on the backside and goes home to sleep."
Mu En shook his head, but a helpless smile tugged at his lips.
Tang An hurried out of Sea God Island, thinking that sleeping with a soft little girl and a little rabbit in his arms was far more comfortable than suffering through Soul Skill lessons. Besides, the techniques weren't going anywhere.
When Tang An pushed open the dormitory door, Huo Yutong was already curled up in her bed under the covers, breathing evenly as if she were asleep.
But Tang An's spiritual perception was exceptionally keen. At a glance, he could tell the girl's eyelashes were still trembling slightly.
Pretending to sleep.
Tang An had spent half the night in Sea God Pavilion showing off his Soul Rings, subduing Xuan Zi, and testing his combat strength. At this point, all he wanted was to sleep.
He climbed into bed as quietly as he could and, out of habit, reached out and scooped the slightly stiff little body into his arms.
Huo Yutong stiffened for a moment in his embrace, then quietly relaxed and pretended to turn over, snuggling closer to him. Tang An's lips curved up as he closed his eyes and drifted off.
Morning light seeped through the curtains and spilled into the dormitory.
Huo Yutong woke groggily to find herself wrapped in a pair of long, strong arms, her back pressed against the warmth of his chest.
Her face flared red, and she held her breath, not daring to move.
Stiff as a board, she asked in a trembling voice inside her mind, "Silver Fox Sister... Tang An..."
In the Sea of Consciousness, the Nine-Tailed Silver Fox lazily rolled over. Her curves shifted beneath her sheer veil. Casting a glance outside through Huo Yutong's senses, she curled her lips into a meaningful smile.
"Oh, that." She paused, her tone teasing. "Your Tang An brother is practicing a boy's cultivation technique. His yang energy is just too strong."
Huo Yutong blinked. "A b-boy's cultivation technique? When will it get better?"
"It'll be fine once your Tang An brother circulates his energy."
The Silver Fox yawned languidly, then added, "But if someone helped guide his Soul Power, it would probably go a lot faster."
Huo Yutong felt there was more to Silver Fox Sister's words than she was letting on. Her face grew even redder, and she curled up in Tang An's arms, not daring to move.
She wanted to shift away a little, but his arm was wrapped too tightly around her. The moment she moved, the person behind her woke up.
Tang An opened his eyes and calmly withdrew his arm, then rolled over and sat up.
His gaze swept over a certain part beneath his robe. He sighed inwardly. The Life-Death Cycle was great in every way, except for this little problem every morning.
He had no idea when the Power of Life and Death would truly reach balance. He took a deep breath and circulated his Soul Power through one small cycle, and only then did the heat slowly subside.
"Since you're awake, wash up. We'll head to class for roll call in a bit."
Before you continue