Tang San Awakens, Cultivates the Clear Sky Hammer!

On Monday morning, Nuoding City was shrouded in a thin layer of dawn mist.

In front of the gates of Nuoding Academy, a subtle distortion of space suddenly appeared in the air. As a gentle silver ripple undulated outward, Gu Tian was the first to step out from the void, while the other three girls appeared somewhat reluctant, as if they were unsure whether they were unwilling to leave the Star Dou Great Forest or simply did not want to attend classes at the academy.

"Nuoding Academy..." Gu Tian looked up at the slightly dilapidated arched stone gate.

Compared to the picturesque fairyland of the Lake of Life, the architecture here exuded the philistinism and oppression of human society. Yet, in Gu Tian's eyes, this was an excellent stage, a gladiatorial arena where he could watch that so-called Child of Destiny crumble bit by bit.

If not for this purpose, he would have no interest in wasting his time here.

At this moment, in Dormitory Seven of Nuoding Academy.

The atmosphere here had dropped below freezing. Even when the usually mischievous work-study students returned to the dormitory, they all subconsciously lightened their breathing, even walking on tiptoe.

In the innermost corner of the dormitory by the window, Tang San sat quietly on his bed.

Ever since he returned last Friday night, he had been sitting there, motionless, projecting an aura that warned others to stay away. He did not go to the cafeteria, nor did he go to the classroom. He simply stared fixedly at the bed where Xiao Wu used to sleep. It was now completely empty, not even a single rabbit hair left behind.

"Is the gap... really that large?"

Tang San raised his right hand, looking at the thin, withered, and even sickly grey Blue Silver Grass in his palm.

That was the most desperate crushing he had ever suffered in his two lifetimes. The Tang Sect techniques he took such pride in seemed like a clumsy joke in front of that youth. He could even feel that the white soul ring was not just placed upon his martial soul, but rather upon his dignity, turning him into the laughingstock of the entire school.

"Endure humiliation to carry out a mission; if I do not sing, I will surely startle everyone when I do."

Tang San bit down on the metallic taste in his mouth, his eyes turning cold. He finally realized that he currently held no trump cards. If he continued this pointless struggle, he would not only fail to win back Xiao Wu, but he would even lose his life in Nuoding City.

"Gu Tian, just you wait. Once I forge my hidden weapons, once I master that Clear Sky Hammer... I will make you kneel on the ground, unable to live and unable to die."

In the afternoon, at the office of Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang.

The room was filled with the heavy scent of tobacco and old paper.

Yu Xiaogang sat behind the large solid wood desk, his eyes behind his lenses appearing somewhat weary and distant. Over the weekend, he had scoured through almost all the ancient books on martial souls, yet he still could not explain the existence of Gu Tian's purple soul ring.

"That kind of pressure... it doesn't look like a mutation caused by the Blue Lightning Overlord Dragon either! What exactly is that martial soul?" Yu Xiaogang pondered silently.

He was weighing his options. Tang San was his primary disciple, the crystallization of the theories he had poured his heart and soul into. But the appearance of Gu Tian had shown him another path. A path that could allow him to directly achieve godhood, a smooth road to the heavens that would let him hold his head high in front of Martial Soul Hall.

One should not put all their eggs in one basket; everyone knew this simple common sense, and the same logic applied to teaching disciples.

"As long as I can cultivate Gu Tian into a talent, my, Yu Xiaogang's, reputation will no longer be subject to dispute."

Just then, the office door was pushed open.

Tang San walked in. The restlessness on his face had completely vanished, replaced by a calmness like still water.

"Teacher, I have made up my mind." Tang San stood before the desk, his voice hoarse and hollow. "I have decided to give up focusing on the Blue Silver Grass; I want to cultivate that... Clear Sky Hammer."

Yu Xiaogang looked up abruptly, a flicker of struggle flashing in his eyes.

"San, have you forgotten my requirements for you?" Yu Xiaogang's voice turned stern. "Did I not say that you should wait until you reach the Title Douluo realm before hunting for soul rings for the Clear Sky Hammer, to create a miracle where every soul ring is a ten-thousand-year ring?"

"Teacher, my Blue Silver Grass is already ruined." Tang San extended his left hand, looking at the white soul ring, his tone filled with extreme disgust. "This circle of white trash has become my inner demon. It mocks my incompetence every single moment. Without absolute power, how can I defeat Gu Tian? How can I take my revenge?"

Yu Xiaogang looked at the near-maniacal obsession in Tang San's eyes and remained silent for a long time.

If he had possessed the ability back then, he would have snatched Bibi Dong back from Qian Xunji; if he had successfully inherited the Blue Lightning Overlord Dragon martial soul, Liu Erlong would have been willing to stay with him.

Was the current Tang San not a reflection of himself?

Yu Xiaogang had experienced the feeling of having his lover taken away by another. Although he had also taken Liu Erlong from Flender, it was different; he had only taken back the Erlong who belonged to him in the first place. It was just that Erlong was not as obedient as Xiao Wu and refused to let him have his cake and eat it too; otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up with nothing today.

The Clear Sky Hammer was indeed the last hope for Tang San at this moment.

"Fine." Yu Xiaogang nodded heavily. "Since you have this level of resolve, I will grant your wish. The Clear Sky Hammer is the number one tool martial soul in the world. As long as the soul rings are chosen correctly, its explosive power is enough to compensate for your current disadvantage in level. Tomorrow, I will take you to the Soul Hunting Forest to hunt for the first soul ring for your Clear Sky Hammer."

After leaving the Grandmaster's office, Tang San wasted no time and went to a large blacksmith shop located in the south of Nuoding City to find a part-time job.

The blacksmith shop was called Iron Gall Workshop, where the furnace fires never went out, and the scorching temperature made the air itself seem distorted.

He decided that after school every day, he would no longer pay attention to Xiao Wu's movements, nor would he care about Gu Tian's mockery. Every day, he would stand by the smoky, fiery forge and swing that heavy iron hammer.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Sparks flew, and every impact echoed through the empty shop.

Sweat slid down his thin yet taut back, dripping onto the red-hot pig iron and making a "hissing" sound. Tang San treated every hammer blow as if he were striking Gu Tian, using this extreme physical exertion to suppress the madness within his heart.

Tang San chose this side job at the blacksmith shop not just to earn wages, but more importantly, he could use the materials here to personally forge his own hidden weapons.

When it came to the manufacture of hidden weapons, Tang San pursued perfection, even for the Silent Sleeve Arrow he carried with him.

Gu Tian was currently sitting in the pavilion in the academy's back garden, holding a dozing Na'er in his arms, completely unaware that the state of mind on Tang San's side had undergone a massive change. But even if he knew, so what? A piece of trash is trash after all.

Rotten wood cannot be carved, and walls of dung cannot be plastered.

This saying was perfectly suited for Tang San.

Just then, the lean figure of Yu Xiaogang appeared in his line of sight. He walked very slowly, as if weighing his words.

"Gu Tian, can we talk?" Yu Xiaogang stopped outside the pavilion, his tone carrying a hint of humble ingratiation.

Gu Tian didn't even lift his eyelids, lazily teasing Na'er's hair. "What advice does the Grandmaster have? If it's about your martial soul theory, I don't think I'm interested in listening."

Yu Xiaogang coughed awkwardly twice and, thick-skinned, took a step forward. "No, I wanted to ask you for a favor. You have seen San's situation; due to some previous misunderstandings, he is now a bit too eager for success. I am taking him to the Soul Hunting Forest again tomorrow to hunt for the first soul ring for his second martial soul, the Clear Sky Hammer."

"The first ring of the Clear Sky Hammer is critical. It not only concerns the foundation of its power attributes but also requires extremely precise guidance of Soul Power Level. Although I will accompany him, my cultivation is limited... You are the strongest in our class—no, the entire school—so I would like to ask you to accompany us as a guard."

Gu Tian almost couldn't help but laugh out loud upon hearing this.

Asking an enemy to protect an enemy?

Yu Xiaogang's train of thought was truly uniquely bizarre.

Gu Tian sneered in his heart. Since Yu Xiaogang had delivered the bait right to his mouth, wouldn't it be a disservice to this "generous gift" if he didn't swallow it?

"Sure. Since Grandmaster thinks so highly of me, I will certainly help with this favor." Gu Tian put on a playful smile and stood up. "Then... let's set off first thing tomorrow morning!"

Watching Yu Xiaogang's back as he left, full of joy, the curve of Gu Tian's mouth gradually turned cold and sinister.

Xiao Wu tugged at the corner of Gu Tian's clothes, pouting with a face full of grievance. "Brother Gu Tian, I don't want to go tomorrow. Why are you helping that Tang San hunt for a soul ring?"

"Alright, I'll have Na'er stay behind to keep you company tomorrow, and I'll just take Gu Yue with me." Gu Tian stroked Xiao Wu's hair and then pulled her onto his lap. "This time, helping Tang San hunt for a soul ring, not only will I not cause trouble, but I will do my utmost to help him obtain the best possible soul ring!"

Xiao Wu was a bit puzzled. "Doesn't Brother Gu Tian get along with Tang San? Why would you want to help Tang San become stronger?"

"Xiao Wu, you know that Tang San has Twin Martial Souls. What do you think would happen if he chose to prioritize raising his Soul Power Level first, becoming a Titled Douluo, and only then adding soul rings to his Clear Sky Hammer?"

"Once he reaches the Titled Douluo level, every one of his soul rings could be ten-thousand-year level!" Xiao Wu felt a shiver of fear. If things really went according to Gu Tian's thoughts, how terrifying would the future Tang San be!

"Exactly. So, while it looks like I am helping him, I am actually restricting his potential." Gu Tian set Xiao Wu down, stood up, and looked into the distance. "Besides, I've heard that for a soul master with Twin Martial Souls, if the attributes of the two martial souls are inconsistent and they are cultivated simultaneously, they will clash with each other and hinder the soul master's growth!"