That afternoon, Tang San left Spirit Academy alone.
He hadn't told anyone. Even Dai Mubai and the others only knew he was going back to the sect, not what he actually planned to do.
All the way there, Tang San was in a foul mood. The humiliations he'd suffered over the past two days gnawed at him like venomous snakes. Xiao Wu had kicked him flying, the entire school had laughed at him, the academy had ignored his complaint, and finally, he'd been forced to call her "Granny" in front of everyone...
Each incident was another nail driven deep into his pillar of shame.
Ever since he was a child, Tang San had been a direct descendant of the Clear Sky Sect. When had he ever suffered such indignity?
He had to get even!
The Clear Sky Sect, the greatest sect in the world, was perched atop a treacherous mountain range within the Heaven Dou Empire. Clouds and mist shrouded the sect all year round, and ordinary people could never find the path up the mountain.
Using his sect token, Tang San passed through layer upon layer of illusory formations and finally returned to a place that was both familiar and strange.
The towering mountain gate and the massive stone carved with the words "Clear Sky" all proclaimed the sect's might and majesty. Disciples came and went within its grounds, each radiating powerful Soul Power.
When they saw Tang San, many disciples stopped and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, young sect master."
Tang San merely nodded without expression and headed straight for the depths of the sect.
He didn't go to see his father, Tang Hao.
For one thing, he'd been beaten by a girl who was lower-ranked than him. It was so humiliating that he couldn't bring himself to tell his father, whose fearsome reputation was known far and wide.
For another, Tang Hao had a temper like thunder. If he found out Tang San had disgraced the Clear Sky Sect outside, he'd probably break his legs.
So Tang San decided to seek out his uncle, the current sect master, Tang Xiao.
Compared to Tang Hao's fiery disposition, Tang Xiao was far more composed and easier to talk to.
Tang San crossed the training grounds, circled around the assembly hall, and arrived before a secluded courtyard. This was where Tang Xiao, the sect master, lived.
"Your nephew, Tang San, requests an audience, Uncle," he called out from outside the courtyard.
"Come in," a deep, authoritative voice answered from within.
Tang San pushed open the door. Beside the stone table in the middle of the courtyard sat a burly, middle-aged man. He wore a plain gray robe, his black hair neatly tied back. His face bore a strong resemblance to Tang Hao's, but their temperaments were entirely different. If Tang Hao was a drawn blade, sharp and exposed, then Tang Xiao was a treasured sword hidden in its sheath, steady and restrained.
He sat there in silence, yet carried the imposing presence of a master whose bearing was as unshakable as a mountain.
This was none other than Tang Xiao, sect master of the Clear Sky Sect, a level-97 Super Douluo—the Howling Sky Douluo!
"Uncle." Tang San walked up to the stone table and bowed deeply. His voice caught with grievance. "Uncle, I... I've brought shame upon our family."
Tang Xiao raised his eyes. His deep gaze rested on Tang San as he slowly replied, "All right, Tang San. Sit down and tell me what happened."
His voice was calm, yet had a way of putting people at ease.
Tang San sat on a stone stool and gathered his thoughts. Then he launched into an embellished account.
He told how Xiao Wu had provoked him for no reason at the academy, how she'd defeated him with strange techniques, and how she'd humiliated him. He even tearfully claimed she'd forced him to call her "Granny," though it had never happened.
In his tale, Xiao Wu became an unreasonable bully who threw her weight around, while the four girls in her dormitory became a gang that colluded with evil forces outside the academy and ran wild within it.
As for himself, he was a lone hero who'd stood up for his fellow students and defended justice, only to be persecuted in return.
"...They didn't just beat me, they humiliated me and forced me to call them 'Granny'! Uncle, they weren't just slapping my face—they were slapping the face of the entire Clear Sky Sect!" By the end, Tang San's eyes were red, his voice thick with indignation.
Tang Xiao listened in silence, his face giving nothing away.
Only after Tang San had finished did he pick up the teacup on the table and take a small sip.
The courtyard fell silent. Only the wind rustling through the leaves could be heard.
Tang San felt uneasy. He didn't know whether his story would sway his uncle, a man who never let his emotions show.
At last, Tang Xiao put down his teacup with a soft click.
"Hmph."
A cold snort escaped Tang Xiao's nose. It wasn't loud, but the air around them seemed to freeze.
"A bunch of young girls—how dare they go that far!" A sharp glint flashed in Tang Xiao's eyes. "When did anyone outside the sect get to bully a direct descendant of the Clear Sky Sect like this?"
Tang San's heart leapt. He knew his uncle was on his side!
"Exactly, Uncle!" he hurried to add. "I could've put up with a little hardship myself. But the whole academy is abuzz with this now. Everyone knows the young sect master of the Clear Sky Sect was beaten helpless by a few girls. How can our sect show its face after that?"
Tang Xiao stood and paced around the courtyard. His burly figure cast a broad shadow, pressing down on those nearby.
He stopped and turned to Tang San, his gaze growing inscrutable.
"Tang San, I understand what you mean," Tang Xiao said slowly. "You want me—or one of the sect's elders—to go to the academy and help you get even."
Tang San nodded quickly.
"But..." Tang Xiao continued, "have you thought about this? If a Douluo from the Clear Sky Sect goes after a few female students who aren't even twenty, what will the world say if we win? That the Clear Sky Sect is mighty, or that we bully the weak and have no shame?"
Tang San froze. He truly hadn't considered that.
"Then... what should I do?"
A mysterious smile curled Tang Xiao's lips.
"Rather than have someone else avenge you, why not take revenge with your own hands?" He looked at Tang San and spoke each word distinctly. "That would satisfy your deepest grudge. And it would make you stronger."
Confusion flickered in Tang San's eyes. "Uncle, what do you mean?"
Tang Xiao walked over, patted his shoulder, and sent a warm yet surging stream of Soul Power into his body through his palm.
"Tang San, don't underestimate yourself." A light called ambition gleamed in Tang Xiao's eyes.
"Have you forgotten? You're a once-in-a-century... Twin Martial Souls talent!"
"Twin Martial Souls!" Tang San immediately understood what his uncle meant.
That was right. Besides his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, which seemed useless, he had another, far more powerful and secret Martial Soul—the Clear Sky Hammer!
It was inherited from his father, Tang Hao, and bore the supreme glory of being the greatest Power Attack System Martial Soul in the world!
"But Father said I have to wait until my Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul reaches level 70 and I obtain my Seventh Soul Ring before I can start adding Soul Rings to the Clear Sky Hammer," Tang San said hesitantly.
That was the rule Tang Hao had set for him. Revealing his Second Martial Soul too early might make others envious.