Tang San: Who Is Brother Lin?

He had thought he would encounter a boy identical to himself, and that the two of them would then fight with everything they had. That had been the worst-case scenario Tang San had anticipated.

But now, what he faced seemed even more fantastical than the worst situation he had imagined.

The so-called version of himself from a parallel world was actually a woman?!

Was this what the system meant by fundamentally different??

Sensing the fluctuations of Soul Power coming from the other person's body, Tang San clenched his teeth and said,

"I'm Tang San. You... should be Tang San too, right?"

"No, my name is Tang Yin."

Keeping a safe distance, the girl pondered the identity of the boy before her, unable to understand why he had ended up in such a state.

According to the system, he was herself from a parallel world. But if that was the case, why did he look so frail?

Could it be that his life had been filled with many experiences unlike her own?

Curious, Tang Yin's eyes turned purple as she carefully examined every detail of the other's body.

The moment he saw that flash of purple in her eyes, Tang San's heart sank.

Purple Demon Eyes. He could not possibly be mistaken. Since she also knew Tang Sect techniques, the situation had already reached the worst outcome he had predicted.

She looked delicate and soft, but the threat radiating from her body could not be false. She too came from the Tang Sect, just like him...

His greatest advantage had vanished completely before this girl.

At that thought, Tang San looked at her fair, ethereal face and her full, healthy figure, and even felt traces of resentment and jealousy in his heart.

"Did Dad take especially good care of you?"

He had cared for his father since childhood, yet Tang Hao had always treated him as though he did not exist, never willing to spare him even the slightest attention.

But judging by the looks of it, this girl's different gender at birth must have directly caused Tang Hao's personality to change completely.

Other than that possibility, Tang San could not think of anyone else who could have raised her so well. In his life, the only person capable of causing such a tremendous difference in his experiences was the father who had accompanied him the longest.

"Father never took any extra care of me."

Silence. A long silence. After her gaze swept over the boy before her, Tang Yin suddenly realized something important.

Clearly, the person who had cared for her most in her life was Brother Lin Yue. Yet why had this boy never mentioned Brother Lin's name, instead treating his father as the only one who had helped him?

Thinking of this, Tang Yin's red lips parted slightly as she softly said,

"It seems Brother Lin does not exist in your world."

"Who?" Realizing the source of the difference between them, Tang San's eyes narrowed.

A trace of pity flashed through Tang Yin's gaze as she extended her hand. The radiance of life flickered faintly upon the Blue Silver Grass.

"Forget it. You do not need to know. Let's end this catching up here."

She did not dare imagine how miserable her life would have been without Brother Lin. But looking at this scrawny child before her, she could almost see another version of herself.

How pitiful.

It was better to finish this quickly. A world without Brother Lin... only disgusted her.

Taking a deep breath, Tang San's eyes instantly regained their resolve as he said coldly,

"Fine. Then there's no need for more words. Let's fight."

Even against this girl, whose physical condition was clearly superior to his, Tang San absolutely did not believe he would lose!

"Tang San, Level 14 Control-System Battle Soul Master. Martial Souls: Blue Silver Grass... Clear Sky Hammer!"

Facing another version of himself, Tang San finally straightened his back and displayed the two Martial Souls in his palms at once, his eyes brimming with incomparable confidence!

His Martial Souls were not some useless Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass. He possessed Twin Martial Souls and exceptional talent. Information that could not be revealed to others could be freely displayed before another version of himself!

Yet when he failed to see even a hint of surprise in her eyes, his heart sank.

Sure enough, upon hearing him, the girl opposite him raised her hand slightly as well.

"Tang Yin, Level 17 Control-System Battle Soul Master. Martial Souls: Blue Silver King, Clear Sky Hammer."

Tang Yin spread her hands, and that incomparably verdant Blue Silver Grass instantly extended its branches through the air, radiating immense vitality!

"What? Level 17 Soul Power? How is that possible?!"

The moment he saw the Blue Silver Grass in her hand, Tang San's pupils constricted sharply, his face full of disbelief.

And what was Blue Silver King? Shouldn't her Martial Soul be Blue Silver Grass, just like his?

"How could you possibly reach Level 17?"

He looked at the Blue Silver Grass in his hand, slightly blackened by the Mandala Snake and emitting faint poisonous gas. Then he looked at her Blue Silver King, whose surface was crystalline like jade and shimmered with divine light. Tang San ground his teeth, and intense unwillingness surged up within him!

Why? Why had he endured so much suffering over these three months—slaying the Mandala Snake beyond his limits, toiling day and night in the blacksmith shop, doing nothing besides forging and cultivating—yet even after pushing himself this far, he still could not catch up to this girl...

Overwhelming fury and unwillingness churned in the boy's heart as he gritted his teeth and said,

"Could it be that your Martial Soul was born as a Blue Silver King?!"

An innate difference was the only possibility Tang San could find!

He believed he had already done everything to the utmost. It could not possibly be because of any mistake or shortcoming of his own that he was inferior to someone else!

Tang Yin shook her head and calmly said, "No. My Martial Soul was also only Blue Silver Grass at first."

Tang San's eyes widened in fury as he said in disbelief, "How is that possible?! Then did Master teach you some special method that let your Martial Soul evolve?"

Blue Silver Grass had become Blue Silver King. Martial Soul Evolution was something even Master had never taught him about. Why?

Could it be that she had done something special that he had not? Had Master Yu Xiaogang kept something from him, concealing information from him?

The more Tang San thought about it, the darker his expression became, and threads of hatred even arose in his heart.

Why? Had he been too focused on cultivating and offended his teacher with something he said? Otherwise, why would his teacher not tell him such important information?

No, that was impossible. His teacher had practically treated him like his own son. It could not be that.

Seeing Tang San's dazed expression, as though this single Martial Soul transformation had already shaken his mind and left his face twisted, Tang Yin showed a pitying expression.

"If something does not exist, you would not understand even if I told you, would you?"

He had searched for so many reasons, yet he had never considered Brother Lin.

Having completely realized that Lin Yue likely did not exist in the other's life, Tang Yin's gaze toward Tang San became increasingly sorrowful.

"Give it everything you have. Let me see just how far you can grow without Brother Lin."

Brother Lin?

Hearing that name again and seeing the tenderness in her eyes, Tang San's body trembled. A terrible thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Could it be... that something had happened between her and the Brother Lin she mentioned...

No, it did not matter. None of it mattered. Once he went through this battle, he would be able to observe everything Tang Yin had experienced and naturally find the root cause behind the Blue Silver King's evolution!

Clenching his teeth, Tang San flashed forward, immediately activating Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.

And even if her Soul Power and Martial Souls were superior to his, he still did not believe he was destined to lose!

Since his Martial Soul had flaws, then they would decide the victor through Tang Sect techniques!

In an instant, several throwing knives appeared in Tang San's hands and shot toward Tang Yin like a rain of pear blossoms.

Tang Yin raised an eyebrow slightly and activated Purple Demon Eyes. Her eyes turned purple, and both her hands instantly took on a jade-like sheen as well.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Explosive sparks scattered through the air as the two struck at once, countless hidden weapons colliding midair. Streams of light spread like raindrops from their Mysterious Jade Hands.

The two figures facing one another traced parallel paths across the dueling arena. With every step, countless hidden weapons shot from their hands and collided with perfect precision in the air!

Though he moved with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track beneath his feet, no matter how Tang San tried to find an angle, he could not break through his opponent's defense in the slightest.

Sweat beaded on the boy's forehead, and his hands had begun to tremble slightly. He was exhausted!

She had been defending all along and had not actively attacked. Yet he could still feel this chilling pressure seep through his entire body. It seemed he could not drag this out any longer!

"First Spirit Skill, Blue Silver Entanglement!"

Hearing that somewhat familiar name, Tang Yin frowned. Her body flashed as she likewise activated Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, evading the mass of Blue Silver Grass that burst through the air and tangled toward her.

"You took Yu Xiaogang as your teacher?"

"That's right!"

When speaking of his teacher, traces of pride appeared on Tang San's face.

His teacher had recognized at a glance that he possessed Twin Martial Souls and selected the optimal Spirit Rings for him. Tang San was confident that with his teacher's help, he would never be inferior to the woman before him!

Especially since her every word was about Brother Lin, while she had not mentioned Master Yu Xiaogang at all. Presumably, there was no such wise figure by her side.

His teacher, Yu Xiaogang, might not necessarily be inferior to the Brother Lin she spoke of!

"How pitiful..."

Tang Yin shook her head slightly and extended her hand. An orange-yellow Spirit Ring suddenly flashed.

First Spirit Skill, Growth!

Blue Silver Grass several times taller than the boy burst from the ground all around him, intertwining into dense nets that lunged straight at Tang San!