The Gap Between Soul Tools and Tang Sect Hidden Weapons

As these words fell, Tang Ya's eyes instantly reddened. She couldn't help but interject, her voice laced with unconcealable disappointment and grief:

"But the damage the Soul Tool has caused to the Tang Sect is real and indelible! If it weren't for the sudden emergence of the Soul Tool, which completely replaced the status of the Tang Sect's hidden weapons, how could our Tang Sect have declined step by step to this point, falling into such a state!"

Seeing Tang Ya's emotional distress and sorrowful expression, Bei Bei immediately stepped forward and reached out to hold her slightly cool hand tightly.

He gently rubbed the back of her hand with his fingertips, offering silent comfort with a tender yet firm gesture, as if telling her: Don't be sad; no matter what happens, I am here, and I will always be by your side.

Caught off guard by this sudden display of affection, Su Ming felt goosebumps rise all over his body. He couldn't help but shiver, quickly picking up the fruit juice on the table to take a large gulp, trying to suppress the awkward feeling in his heart.

Setting down the juice glass, Su Ming simply rolled up his sleeves, stood straight up, and brazenly planted one foot on the stool beside him.

His other hand still clutched the half-eaten, glistening chicken leg, his posture radiating an aura of someone ready to have a serious debate.

"First of all, you have fundamentally committed a cognitive error by failing to distinguish between the primary and the secondary!"

Su Ming took a bite of the chicken leg, speaking loudly while chewing, his tone resonant and forceful.

"What do you mean the emergence of the Soul Tool directly led to the decline of the Tang Sect? That is an absurd argument that puts the cart before the horse!"

He paused, scanning the group who looked unconvinced, and continued:

"The reason Tang Sect hidden weapons were eliminated by the times and gradually declined was never fundamentally about the emergence of the Soul Tool."

"It was because the Tang Sect itself remained stagnant and refused to make progress! Generation after generation of disciples guarded the old hidden weapon techniques and manuals passed down by the ancestors, treating them as immutable treasures."

"They never thought about adapting to the development of the times to improve, to innovate, or to keep pace with the progress of the world of soul masters!"

Having said this, Su Ming quickly softened his tone, fearing he might anger Bei Bei and the others, and added:

"Of course, I am not saying this to deliberately belittle the Tang Sect. The hidden weapon arts passed down by the Tang Sect for tens of thousands of years are by no means useless trash; on the contrary."

"Tang Sect hidden weapons once shone across the entire continent, and the fact that they could be passed down for so long is proof enough of their power and value. No one can deny this."

The introduction of the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Tool to the original three empires, which ultimately led to the Tang Sect's decline, was merely a secondary cause.

The true root was never a single external impact, but the fact that the Tang Sect itself had long been set in its ways, unable to keep up with the changes of the era.

Look, Bei Bei, and everyone else, if you still refuse to believe it, I will calm down and calculate this account for you clearly.

We can see the vast difference just by looking at the most basic classification.

First, the types of Soul Tool from the Sun Moon Empire alone are countless, covering every aspect of a soul master's cultivation, combat, and daily life.

For battle, there are offensive Soul Tool specialized in slaughter—long-range bombardment or close-quarters assault, with power that escalates layer by layer;

For defense, there are impenetrable defensive Soul Tool—protecting the body, the team, or even constructing defensive positions to isolate danger from all sides;

If you want to travel quickly and seize the initiative, there are agile and convenient flight-type Soul Tool, allowing you to break free from terrain constraints and move freely;

Auxiliary Soul Tool for cultivation and combat enhancement are even more diverse, providing soul power replenishment, soul power amplification, and spiritual detection;

Beyond that, there are many special Soul Tool suitable for daily life and combat details, such as illuminating soul lamps, long-range detection instruments, soundproof soul barriers, and so on. There is no field that the Soul Tool does not cover.

Now, look back at the Tang Sect hidden weapons you treasure so much. Just in terms of scope and functional diversity, they have already fallen behind and simply cannot compare to the Soul Tool.

Of course, I know that the Tang Sect has been passed down for thousands of years, and its foundation is not as shallow as it appears on the surface.

There must have been peerless hidden weapons back then capable of shaking the heavens and earth, with power comparable to top-tier Soul Tool; I have never denied this.

But ask yourselves, how many of those sect-protecting treasures and peerless hidden weapons remain in the world today?

I fear the vast majority have long been drowned in the long river of history and are completely lost, right?

The Tang Sect has experienced ups and downs and broken lineages. Even if you still have incomplete manuals and secret books in your hands, none of you have been able to figure out the complete forging methods after all these years.

No one can replicate those peerless hidden weapons; they remain stuck in memories and legends, unable to be truly used in actual combat to revitalize the Tang Sect.

In contrast, in the Sun Moon Empire, top-tier Soul Tool with power far exceeding the lost hidden weapons of the Tang Sect are everywhere.

From low-grade to high-grade, they have formed a complete inheritance system, and there is a vast number of Soul Engineer who are proficient in their production.

Passed down and refined from generation to generation, new Soul Tool are being developed continuously, showing a state of vigorous development.

At this point, Su Ming slowly raised his head, his gaze falling on Tang Ya, whose expression had gradually become solemn. Tang Ya had been struck in the Tang Sect's most painful spot by these words.

Her heart felt sour, yet she had to admit the facts, and she could only nod slightly.

"You are right. Our Tang Sect did indeed have peerless hidden weapons with heaven-shaking power, but after the passage of time..."

"Most of them are indeed lost now. The sect doesn't even have complete forging techniques left, and we are simply unable to restore them."

Tang Ya's voice carried an unconcealable desolation, but as the Tang Sect Master, she was unwilling to admit defeat just like that. She clenched her fists and retorted once more.

"Even if we have lost the vast majority of our powerful peerless hidden weapons, and even if those sect-protecting treasures can never reappear in the world..."

"We still have basic hidden weapons like the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, Silent Sleeve Arrow, and Sand-Shooting Shadow. They are easier to produce and suitable for mass production."

"They can still be useful in actual combat, still shine, and guard the final inheritance of the Tang Sect!"

Su Ming looked at Tang Ya's unwilling and stubborn appearance, sighed softly, his face full of helplessness, yet his tone remained objective and blunt, without the slightest mercy:

"I admit that these basic hidden weapons you mentioned were indeed quite useful in past eras and could be effective against weaker soul masters."

"But you have overlooked the most critical issue: the limitations of these hidden weapons are too great, and their functions are too singular; they simply cannot adapt to the rhythm of modern soul master combat."

"The Godly Zhuge Crossbow has a limited range, and its penetration is useless against high-level soul masters. The Silent Sleeve Arrow and Sand-Shooting Shadow can only be used for close-range sneak attacks; once detected by the enemy, they are useless, and they have no other function besides attacking."

"But what about the Soul Tool? Offensive Soul Tool can be used at long or short range with adjustable power; defensive Soul Tool can protect the body at any time; flight-type Soul Tool allow for flexible positioning; and auxiliary Soul Tool provide endurance and amplification."

"A single Soul Tool can often serve multiple purposes and adapt to various combat scenarios. Comparing the two, to be honest, Tang Sect hidden weapons are truly comprehensively behind and simply cannot compare to the Soul Tool."