"Holy shit... you could do that?"
Someone below the arena shouted first, and immediately, the crowd around the entire arena boiled over.
"This guy has a rabbit Martial Soul? You call that a rabbit Martial Soul?!"
"That's a total Violent Rabbit! Absolutely brutal!"
"The Clear Sky Hammer plus the Soft Bone Rabbit-what kind of godlike combination is that? Teleporting and swinging a hammer-who could withstand that?"
Jiang Nannan stood in the crowd, questioning her entire life. She looked at the boy on the arena with the Clear Sky Hammer over his shoulder and rabbit ears on his head, her mind buzzing.
Was that how you used the Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul? She had cultivated the Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul since childhood, always taking the nimble, agile approach and relying on footwork and supple techniques.
But this fellow onstage? Carrying the Clear Sky Hammer, sporting rabbit ears and a pair of golden eyes, he had turned a rabbit Martial Soul into a violent demolition crew!
She looked down at her hands, then back at Wang Dong on the arena, sinking into profound self-doubt.
Meanwhile, Xu Sanshi's feelings on the arena were even more complicated. He lay sprawled on the ground, the Mysterious Underworld Shield Formation surrounding him long since shattered to bits. He was covered in dust and dirt, with a trace of blood still at the corner of his mouth.
He had distinctly felt that once Wang Dong's hammer strikes had stacked up to seventy, that power had already exceeded what he could withstand.
Every hammer blow had felt like a mountain pressing down on him, making even breathing difficult.
He had intended to hold out until the end, but when Wang Dong gathered his strength and swung that final blow, its terrifying power had made him instinctively choose to dodge.
He darted sideways, and Wang Dong's hammer slammed into the arena with a thunderous boom. A deep crack split the bluestone floor, stone fragments flew, and the entire arena shook three times.
Looking at that crack, Xu Sanshi broke into a cold sweat down his back. Had that blow landed on him, he would probably have been severely injured, if not killed.
He had lost.
Although he had only lost the bet, being forced to dodge by a new student in front of so many people was hardly any different from losing.
Xu Sanshi took it on the chin. He climbed to his feet, brushed the dust off himself, pulled a porcelain bottle from inside his clothes, and tossed it toward Wang Dong.
"You're fucking good. Just my bad luck. Here's your Mystic Water Pill."
Wang Dong reached out to catch the porcelain bottle, hefted it in his hand, and curled his lips into a satisfied smile.
Xu Sanshi added, "But if we fought normally, you wouldn't beat me."
His words carried a note of defiance, but Wang Dong did not deny it.
Because it was indeed true. His Soul Power was only rank twenty-four, while Xu Sanshi was already rank thirty-eight-a full fourteen ranks apart.
He could fight opponents above his rank, but as one of the outer court's twin stars, Xu Sanshi surely could too. This time, his opponent had simply been overconfident and stood still to let him attack, giving him an opening to exploit.
But if they fought to the death, the outcome would still be uncertain. He had yet to bring the mechanics of his Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul fully into play.
"I know." Wang Dong put away the Clear Sky Hammer and smiled. "So I got a bargain this time. If we get the chance next time, let's have a proper, fair fight."
Xu Sanshi froze for a moment. Seeing Wang Dong's candid expression, some of his anger faded. He snorted.
"Fine, just you wait. Next time, I'll show you what a real Xuanming Turtle Martial Soul is."
Their exchange eased the atmosphere considerably. Bei Bei and Tang Ya came over as well. Tang Ya patted Wang Dong's shoulder, her eyes sparkling.
"Not bad! You're a new student, and you dared to challenge Xu Sanshi-and even won! You've got some serious guts!"
Wang Dong smiled. "Just good luck."
Huo Yuhao also ran over, carrying a freshly grilled fish, which she held out to Wang Dong. "You must be hungry, right? Have something to eat first."
Her caring expression warmed Wang Dong's heart. He took it and bit into it.
Just then, Huo Yuhao's new batch of fish arrived as well. This time, she decided not to sell them. She simply packed up the grill and invited everyone to eat together.
"Come on, don't be shy! It's my treat today!" Tang Ya was the liveliest, calling everyone to sit together. Grilled fish covered the table, their aroma wafting everywhere.
They sat around the grilled-fish stall, eating and chatting. Looking at Wang Dong, Bei Bei could not help praising him.
"That hammer technique of yours was incredible. You linked the Clear Sky Hammer and Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Souls together so well-a teleport followed by a heavy hammer blow. Absolutely seamless."
Tang Ya nodded repeatedly. "It really was impressive! But..." She shifted the subject, looking at Wang Dong with sparkling eyes.
"If you combined it with our Tang Sect's six supreme arts, you'd be even stronger. The Mysterious Heaven Skill, Purple Demon Eye, Mysterious Jade Hand, Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, and hidden weapon techniques-if you learned all six, your combat strength would at least double!"
Something stirred in Wang Dong's heart. The Tang Sect... that was the sect founded by that ready-made father of mine, Tang San.
But it had long since declined, leaving only Tang Ya struggling to keep it afloat. As he looked at her face, with its hints of both pride and desolation, a complicated feeling suddenly welled up inside him.
He remembered that in the original story, Tang Ya's Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass, but her Blue Silver Grass actually contained the Blue Silver Emperor's bloodline.
The Blue Silver Emperor... that was Tang San's mother's Martial Soul. If Tang Ya really was Tang San's descendant, then in terms of seniority, what should I call her?
I'd practically be her ancestor.
Wang Dong's mind raced. Tang San was nominally my father, so if Tang Ya was Tang San's descendant, wouldn't she be my... no, no, this relationship was far too tangled.
He quickly shook the thought out of his head, setting those miscellaneous concerns aside for now.
"Senior Tang Ya, I'd like to join the Tang Sect too," Wang Dong suddenly said.
Tang Ya paused. "You want to join the Tang Sect?"
"Yes." Wang Dong nodded, his tone earnest. "I've admired the Tang Sect's supreme arts for a long time. If I could learn them, they'd definitely give my combat strength a major boost."
Tang Ya's eyes instantly lit up, as though she had found a treasure. "Wonderful, wonderful! Welcome, welcome! Our Tang Sect finally has another new member!"
No sooner had she finished than Xu Sanshi leaned over too. "Then I'll join as well! I've got nothing else to do anyway. Learning a few more skills can't hurt."
Jiang Nannan hesitated, then said quietly, "I... I'll join too."
Tang Ya grinned from ear to ear. Having taken in three new members in one go, she was so delighted that she nearly jumped up. "Wonderful, wonderful! Then I'll teach you the Tang Sect's six arts right now!"
As she spoke, she pulled a yellowed booklet from inside her clothes, opened its title page, and launched into an unending stream of explanations.
The circulation method of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, the key principles for cultivating the Purple Demon Eye, the hand techniques of the Mysterious Jade Hand... she explained everything clearly and methodically. Although the Tang Sect had declined, its legacy had been preserved remarkably intact in her hands.
Wang Dong listened attentively, nodding from time to time. Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan gathered beside him as well, absorbed in her explanations.
Huo Yuhao sat to one side, gnawing on grilled fish and watching the scene with an earnest smile. The night breeze brushed gently past, and the aroma of grilled fish mingled with everyone's laughter, making this ordinary evening especially warm.
P.S. The original story explained nothing after Huo Yuhao became a god, leaving many regrets.
The hope for this book is to make up for those regrets as much as possible...
As for the female leads, definitely no secondhand goods-meaning those already getting involved with someone else at this point in the timeline. No playing Cao Wei...
For example, Tang Ya, Jiang Nannan, and so on...
Before you continue