Eagle and Rabbit

A martial soul was something closely connected to a Soul Master's very being.

It was born from their bloodline.

And linked to a Soul Master's soul.

The destruction of a martial soul mostly happened to Soul Masters with Weapon Spirits.

The reason Soul Masters with Beast Spirits were spared this fate wasn't that Beast Spirits were stronger than Weapon Spirits. Rather, when a Soul Master summoned a Beast Spirit, they had to undergo spirit possession before they could fight. Because of this, if someone wanted to shatter the martial soul of a Soul Master with a Beast Spirit, they first had to inflict absolute, devastating injuries on that Soul Master.

How devastating did the injuries have to be?

Devastating enough to leave them with only a breath of life left!

But what was the purpose of shattering a martial soul?

To kill the opponent!

And so, a contradictory question arose: if I could shatter a Beast Spirit, that meant I had the ability to kill the opponent. Since I could kill the opponent, why would I go to such lengths to shatter their martial soul just to make killing them easier?

Going to such lengths and making things easier were contradictory to begin with.

It was truly a case of gilding the lily.

However, the essence of all Soul Masters was the same.

The prerequisite for shattering a Beast Spirit was beating its Soul Master until they had only a breath of life left. So although shattering a Weapon Spirit didn't require beating its Soul Master to that point, the backlash from the Weapon Spirit's destruction would likewise torment the Soul Master until they were on the verge of death, or even leave them crippled for life.

Tang San hadn't died on the spot, and he had the Mysterious Heaven Skill to thank for that.

A Soul Master with a weaker constitution had a significant chance of dying instantly after their martial soul was shattered. After all, Soul Masters with Weapon Spirits already had inferior physical attributes compared to Soul Masters with Beast Spirits. The moment a Weapon Spirit was shattered, they were definitely in the middle of battle. Even if they were at full health, the backlash could reduce them to the brink of death. If they were already badly wounded, the risk of sudden death was obvious.

However, everyone knew that Ye Qingcang couldn't be blamed.

Tang San's hammer had been aimed at killing Ye Qingcang.

Especially considering what Tang San had shouted afterward.

Die for me?

Who was he telling to die?

He who kills will be killed!

As a bystander, and as someone who had witnessed the relationship between Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang, Flender viewed Ye Qingcang more objectively than the others. He didn't know what the others thought. Perhaps in their eyes, Ye Qingcang was a ruthless and vicious genius. But in his eyes, Ye Qingcang was a man of great refinement, straightforward in character, with principles and restraint in his actions.

If Ye Qingcang hadn't been so refined, he wouldn't have warned Yu Xiaogang.

He could have dragged Yu Xiaogang into some alley, put a sack over his head, and beaten him. He could even have killed Yu Xiaogang and sunk his body in the river, making him vanish from the world without a trace and ensuring he would never appear before Liu Erlong again. Flender believed Ye Qingcang had the ability and connections to do that.

He was a friend who stood on equal footing with the Heaven Dou Crown Prince.

With a single word from him, plenty of people would have been willing to help.

But Ye Qingcang hadn't.

He had warned Yu Xiaogang in front of everyone. On one hand, that was related to his straightforward nature—he disdained such underhanded tricks. On the other, he always left room for others in how he conducted himself. If Yu Xiaogang could turn back before it was too late, perhaps they could become friends the next time they met.

In any case, they definitely wouldn't become enemies.

That straightforward nature was also reflected in his conversation with Xiao Wu. He clearly had plenty of ways to force Xiao Wu to sacrifice herself to him, yet he had chosen the most open, fair, and difficult method. In other words, he had placed his bottom line before Xiao Wu. If she refused, she would have no excuse to offer. If she agreed, then she would agree wholeheartedly. Others might misunderstand him, but anyone with clear eyes could see how safe this approach was.

As for crushing the Clear Sky Hammer, it appeared to be destroying Tang San's future. In reality, it had merely been a lesson for Tang San. If Ye Qingcang had been more ruthless—supporting the hammer with one hand while raising the other...

No one dared imagine what would have happened to Tang San!

Would Ye Qingcang have killed him with a single punch?

Leaving aside the fact that a shattered martial soul could recover on its own, even if a shattered martial soul couldn't recover and was merely a disposable item, the lesson Ye Qingcang had given Tang San still wasn't excessive. After all, any Soul Master would absolutely fight to the death against someone who wanted to kill them.

If you don't die, I can't sleep peacefully!

Pulling up the weeds by the roots—that was all there was to it!

But what Flender didn't know was that he wasn't the only one who thought this way. Zhao Wuji, Shao Xin, Li Yusong, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, and the others all thought the same. Even Dai Mubai, who supported Tang San, had his brows tightly furrowed at this moment, utterly unable to understand the words Tang San had spoken.

He and Fatty both hated Ye Qingcang.

Perhaps it was the fury of humiliation after someone had pointed out their shortcomings.

But their hatred only made them want to teach Ye Qingcang a lesson.

Ideally, they wanted to beat Ye Qingcang so badly that he couldn't get out of bed for a month.

They had never considered taking someone's life over a few verbal disputes.

Tang San had not only considered it, but had said it aloud.

Whether Tang San's mind was narrow could be discussed later. First, the impact of Tang San's actions: even if Ye Qingcang killed Tang San, it would still count as self-defense. At most, it would be excessive self-defense. No one could find fault with him!

How foolish!

However, although everyone from Shrek thought this way, that didn't mean Yu Xiaogang—who had begged Liu Erlong to come here—did as well. Seeing Tang San's battered state on the training grounds, Yu Xiaogang's expression immediately changed. With a mocking tone, he sneered at the troubled-looking Liu Erlong behind him, "This is the son you've always been so proud of?"

"Xiaogang..." Liu Erlong waved her hand, signaling Ye Qingcang to stop while explaining, "There must be some misunderstanding!"

"I don't want to hear the words 'misunderstanding' right now!"

"Nor do I want to hear you make excuses for anyone!"

"Right now, I only want to ask you this: with the years of friendship and connections that you, I, and Flender have built through our time traveling the continent, even if your son, my disciple, and Flender's disciple had some dispute, did it really have to develop into such an ugly situation?"

Using this as his justification, Yu Xiaogang flew into a rage.

He ignored everyone's expressions.

He gave no one any face.

Like a victorious rooster, he strode into the training grounds with his head held high.

He marched aggressively toward Tang San and Ye Qingcang.

He looked as though he intended to demand an explanation.

Liu Erlong hurriedly grabbed Yu Xiaogang and blocked the space between Ye Qingcang and him. "Wait, Xiaogang. Little Eagle may indeed have been a little impulsive, but considering the friendship and relationship between you, me, and Flender, can't everyone take a step back?"

Yu Xiaogang was instantly left speechless.

Flender choked on his own saliva as well.

He had truly lifted a rock only to drop it on his own foot.

Come to think of it, when had Liu Erlong become so clever?

She had even learned to use Yu Xiaogang's own words against him?

However, everyone else's attention had gone completely astray.

Little Eagle?

Was that name referring to Ye Qingcang?

Little Eagle was Ye Qingcang's nickname?

"So lame..." Ning Rongrong wasn't the only one laughing. Even Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai, who had always held a grudge against Ye Qingcang, burst into unstoppable laughter. "Having a nickname is one thing, but why is it so unbelievably ordinary?"

But then...

"Eagle?" Xiao Wu's breathing quickened slightly. Although she made no sound, she didn't dare laugh either. Ye Qingcang's nickname might have sounded terribly lame to others, but its power to intimidate her was greater than that of any other name.

She was Little Rabbit.

Ye Qingcang was Little Eagle.

He had seen through her true form at a glance.

One of his ultimate techniques was even called Rabbit Kicks Eagle.

Ye Qingcang had also immediately called out Tang San's origins.

And awakened her from her confusion.

Could this be the mutual generation and suppression of Destiny?

Or was it a doomed relationship?

It had finally arrived today!!!