Tang San bit through the tip of his tongue. The sharp pain brought him back to his senses.
He remembered Xiao Wu's hateful face, the humiliation on Dai Mubai and the others' faces, and the mocking gazes of the entire student body!
An unprecedented hatred and unwillingness surged up from the depths of his heart, transforming into a powerful mental force.
"Get... out of me!"
Tang San let out a furious roar in his heart, and the domineering will of the Clear Sky Hammer suddenly erupted!
As if sensing this unyielding will, the impact of the black Soul Ring finally began to weaken.
The violent energy began to be absorbed and assimilated, bit by bit, by Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul.
Time passed, second by second.
Outside the dungeon, night fell, and then dawn came again.
As the first ray of morning light passed through the vent at the top of the dungeon and fell upon Tang San, his tightly shut eyes snapped open!
Boom!
A powerful shock wave burst forth around him!
The entire dungeon trembled. Gravel on the ground was swept up by the blast and smashed against the walls with sharp cracks.
Black light flashed across his body and vanished.
Tang San slowly rose to his feet. Feeling the unprecedented, explosive power within him, he couldn't help throwing his head back and roaring!
His cry rang like a dragon's roar, piercing through the dungeon and soaring into the heavens!
His Soul Power had leaped from level 69 to level 72!
A Soul Saint! He had finally entered a whole new level as a Soul Master!
"Excellent." Tang Xiao appeared at the dungeon entrance, a satisfied smile on his face. "How do you feel?"
"Like... I've never felt better!" Tang San clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking like popping beans. He felt as if he could kill a thousand-year Soul Beast with a single punch!
"Try out your new Soul Skill."
"Yes, Uncle!"
Tang San focused his thoughts and opened his right hand. "Clear Sky Hammer!"
A pitch-black Clear Sky Hammer, a full size larger than before, appeared in his palm.
A black Soul Ring hovered quietly around the hammer, radiating a terrifying aura that made one's heart tremble.
"First Soul Skill, Titan Hammer!"
Tang San growled and poured his Soul Power into the Clear Sky Hammer with all his might.
The black Soul Ring suddenly blazed with light!
The Clear Sky Hammer swelled even larger! A lifelike phantom of a Titan Giant Ape appeared on the hammerhead, roaring up at the sky!
An overwhelming sense of power emanated from the hammer, as if a single strike could shake the mountains!
Tang San swung the Clear Sky Hammer at a Dark Iron Chain nearby, one that bound the corpse of the Titan Giant Ape, and smashed down with all his strength!
Clang! A deafening crash rang out, and sparks flew everywhere!
The Dark Iron Chain, as thick as a barrel and too strong even for the Titan Giant Ape to break, was smashed inward by the blow, leaving a dent several inches deep!
The ground around the chain was also shaken, spiderweb cracks spreading out in a ring!
Tang San looked at his handiwork, his eyes brimming with fervor and excitement.
Too powerful!
And this was only the effect of his level 72 Soul Power. If he reached the level of a Titled Douluo, just how terrifying would this blow be?
"Hahaha! Excellent! What a Titan Hammer!" Tang Xiao couldn't help clapping and laughing. "As expected of a thirty-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape Soul Ring. It's truly domineering!"
Tang San put away the Clear Sky Hammer, turned to Tang Xiao, and dropped to one knee.
"Thank you, Uncle, for making this possible!"
"Get up." Tang Xiao helped him to his feet. "You are the hope of the Clear Sky Sect. Your strength is the sect's strength. Remember, the Clear Sky Hammer's dominance lies not only in its power, but also in its will to press forward without hesitation and never yield. When you return to the academy, use the hammer in your hand to show everyone who the true genius is!"
"Yes! I won't let you down, Uncle!" Flames of revenge burned in Tang San's eyes.
Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, Bai Chenxiang! Your days are numbered!
That afternoon, Tang San returned to his dormitory at Spirit Academy.
Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun were anxiously waiting for him in the room.
The moment Tang San stepped through the door, the three of them crowded around him.
"Third Brother, how did it go? Did you find someone?" Dai Mubai asked impatiently.
Tang San said nothing. He merely smiled faintly, raised his right hand, and focused his thoughts.
Hum! A pitch-black Clear Sky Hammer appeared out of thin air.
A heavy, domineering aura instantly filled the room.
Dai Mubai and the others felt their chests tighten, as though a mountain were pressing down on them. Even breathing became difficult.
Their eyes were fixed on the hammer.
And on the black Soul Ring... around it!
"Your... Second Martial Soul?" Dai Mubai's voice trembled.
"A black... black Soul Ring? A Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring?" Oscar's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
"Third Brother, you... you..." Ma Hongjun pointed at Tang San, unable to get the words out.
Tang San put away the Clear Sky Hammer, and the oppressive feeling in the room vanished with it.
He spoke slowly, his voice calm but brimming with unquestionable confidence. "We don't need to find anyone now."
He briefly explained how he had obtained the First Soul Ring for his Second Martial Soul and broken through to level 72.
Dead silence fell over the room.
Dai Mubai and the others stared at Tang San as if he were a monster.
He'd been gone for just one day, and a level 69 Soul Emperor had become a level 72 Soul Saint!
And he'd awakened a Second Martial Soul, with a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring as its very first Soul Ring!
What kind of freakish genius was this?! Their brief shock gave way to wild excitement!
"Hahaha! Third Brother, you're amazing!" Dai Mubai was the first to react, slapping his thigh in excitement. "A level 72 Power Attack System Soul Saint! And you've got the Clear Sky Hammer! That Xiao Wu is dead!"
"Right! We'll kill them!" Ma Hongjun cheered, waving his fists.
Oscar was so excited that the dentures in his mouth fell right out as he laughed. "Third Brother, when do we make our move? Right now! I want to see them beg for mercy!"
"No rush." Tang San waved his hand, a calculating glint passing through his eyes.
"Just giving them a beating would be letting them off too easily," he said with a cold laugh. "Next month is the academy's annual Freshman Arena Tournament. I'll cripple every last one of them at the tournament, in front of the entire student body and faculty!"
"On the arena, fists and feet fly without warning. If one or two people accidentally get killed, that's perfectly normal, isn't it?"
Exactly! Kill someone in private, and you could be punished and expelled at best, or sent to prison at worst. But the tournament was another matter!
At those words, Dai Mubai and the others couldn't help shivering.
Third Brother was still the same ruthless Third Brother! But they liked the plan!
"Excellent! That's a great idea!" Dai Mubai nodded repeatedly. "Humiliating them in public will feel the best!"
"So," Tang San said, looking around at his brothers, his voice growing utterly resolute, "for the next month, we're doing nothing but one thing—getting stronger! We'll do whatever it takes to improve our strength! At the tournament, I want the name 'F4' to resound throughout the entire academy!"
"Well said!" Dai Mubai thumped his chest with grand confidence. "Leave the cultivation resources to me! I'll send word to my family right now and have them send over a batch of the finest Immortal Herbs and medicines! There'll be plenty to go around!"