[In the end, Ye Tianyun took his winnings and left the Soul Fighting Arena, leaving behind a conceited Tang San, who felt utterly ashamed.]
"Useless. Incompetent."
Main Timeline Tang San grumbled and cursed. He wouldn't have been able to win either, but that didn't stop him from berating another version of himself.
[Although Tang San had been defeated, he quickly found the reason. He believed he'd lost because he lacked Battle Armor. There was nothing wrong with him personally.]
[That was Tang San for you. When looking for reasons, he only ever looked outward. He would never mention his own shortcomings.]
Tang San: "..."
Another critical hit.
Outside the arena, the Soul Saint Brothers chuckled and teased him:
"I think Tang San failed because he didn't have a good teacher."
"Yeah, but who could that teacher be? What a dilemma. I have no idea who it is."
Yu Xiaogang: "..."
You might as well just say my name. No need to act so conflicted. These three brothers are so annoying.
[So Tang San resolved to get his hands on Battle Armor, no matter what. But what could he do if he didn't have any?]
The Live Broadcast Room suddenly stopped playing.
Everyone laughed. They could all guess what Tang San was thinking.
"If he doesn't have any, he'll just steal it."
"He's definitely planning to steal it."
Everyone began chattering, making Tang San's face turn red with embarrassment.
Tang San blushed and explained:
"Everyone, that's another version of me from a different world. It has nothing to do with me. I'd never steal. I'd only research it myself."
Besides, how could a Spirit Master's business be called stealing? He only wanted to collect the Battle Armor to keep a human treasure from being lost, so he was preserving it as an emergency measure.
The Live Broadcast Room began explaining again.
[So the Tang San from the Parallel Timeline resolved to get his hands on the Battle Armor blueprints and preserve them as an emergency measure, so that this human treasure wouldn't be lost.]
"Pfft. That sounds so noble. What a shameless guy."
"'Preserving it as an emergency measure'—stealing is stealing. Ye Tianyun's something else, making it sound so righteous."
"How can someone be so shameless? Ugh, I'm ashamed to be associated with him."
The Soul Saint Brothers laughed again and took the opportunity to tease Yu Xiaogang.
"Little Gangzi, could it be that your scholars' business can't be called stealing either?"
"Of course."
Yu Xiaogang nodded instinctively, then fell silent. He wouldn't admit it was stealing. At most, it was borrowing something to preserve it and keep the information from being lost.
He deeply despised those self-important people who hoarded knowledge instead of sharing it, causing it to be lost.
The Spirit Hall was a good example. Many years ago, he'd helped the Spirit Hall organize information about a Martial Soul and publish it. It was just that his name had accidentally been written wrong.
[In the days that followed, Tang San kept a close watch on Ye Tianyun, intent on stealing the Battle Armor blueprints. He had no idea Ye Tianyun had already noticed him, and that the two were about to clash for a second time.]
The scene shifted to Tang San secretly following Ye Tianyun.
Ye Tianyun had noticed Tang San tailing him long ago. He sneered inwardly:
"This Little Scumbag's following me again. What bad ideas is he cooking up? As if I don't know. He's after my Battle Armor."
He understood Tang San all too well. As Tang Buddha, he kept the truth of Buddhism in his heart:
"This thing is destined to be mine."
The last thing Tang San had decided was destined for him had been the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record. He'd gone to great lengths to steal it.
"No, I need to be on guard against this Little Scumbag. Never mind his strength—he seems to know how to use poison."
[Ye Tianyun knew all too well how despicable Tang San was. He could do anything with poison and Hidden Weapons. To keep himself from getting caught off guard, Ye Tianyun modified the Guidance Method again after just three days.]
???
The viewers in the Live Broadcast Room were stunned.
Yu Xiaogang cursed loudly:
"This has to be fake! I suspect the Live Broadcast Room is deliberately sucking up to him. How can anyone be this talented? He modified the Guidance Method in just three days?"
Yu Xiaogang wasn't the only one who found it unbelievable. Everyone else looked astonished as well.
Last time, it had taken several months. Now he'd modified the Guidance Method in only three days. He was absurdly talented.
Bibi Dong was about to speak, but fell silent again.
Alas, why didn't she have someone as gifted as Ye Tianyun working for her?
[Ye Tianyun soon improved the Guidance Method and created the Breath Holding Method. It could circulate automatically while he rested and refine strange poisons.]
[On top of that, Ye Tianyun had studied medicine earlier in life and created various medicinal pills for treating poison. They could fend off most of the strange poisons used by the Tang Sect.]
[That day, after Ye Tianyun had made all the necessary preparations, Tang San also sneaked inside, intending to steal Ye Tianyun's Soul Tool and make off with the Battle Armor blueprints.]
The scene shifted.
Tang San appeared outside Ye Tianyun's room. Holding a small bamboo tube, he quietly slipped it through the window.
Everyone watching fell silent. Tang San looked just like some lecherous thief who sneaked around stealing women.
They really wanted to call Tang San a shameless villain.
Main Timeline Tang San felt humiliated. And in front of all these people, no less.
He felt he had to explain himself.
"That definitely isn't me. It's another Tang San. How could I possibly do something like that?"
Feng Xiaotian just smiled without saying anything.
He truly didn't believe Tang San had any sense of honor.
On screen, Tang San blew poisonous smoke into the room and sneered:
"Once you pass out, everything you own will be mine. With the Battle Armor blueprints in my hands, why should I fear you? You'll be nothing but a defeated loser."
Arrogant. Overbearing.
Inside the room, Ye Tianyun held his breath, wide awake. He even tossed a Poison Avoidance Pill into his mouth, one that could ward off a hundred poisons.
Tang San's Tang Sect poison techniques might be impressive, but Ye Tianyun believed he could handle them.
Click...
After "confirming" Ye Tianyun was asleep, Tang San quietly pushed the door open and slowly crept toward the bed.
He didn't notice Ye Tianyun standing in the corner, a Soul Guidance Pistol in his hand.
"Friend, why are you up so late? Planning to be a gentleman thief?"
Tang San's heart lurched. He spun around, pulled out the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, and fired a volley at Ye Tianyun.
Bang...
The gunshot rang out. The bullet from the Soul Guidance Pistol tore through the air and struck Tang San squarely in the shoulder.
Pain shot through Tang San. He stared fixedly at Ye Tianyun, his pupils widening in disbelief.
"How is this possible? Why do you have a Hidden Weapon too? Wait, is this the Hidden Weapon you made?"
He was consumed by shame.
He'd looked down on Ye Tianyun's "Hidden Weapon," never imagining it could have such power. It had pierced right through his shoulder.
What was more, it was incredibly fast. He hadn't even had time to react. The Purple Demon Eye hadn't caught sight of the bullet before it hit him.
Though shocked, Tang San quickly regained his wits. This wasn't the time to stick around; he needed to get away as soon as possible.
"Go!"
In the blink of an eye, Tang San vanished into the night.
Ye Tianyun watched Tang San's retreating figure and made no move to pursue him.
After all, Tang San had powerful backing. He wasn't some ordinary Little Scumbag.
[This second clash also ended in Tang San's defeat. The bullet struck his shoulder, leaving him seriously injured.]
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