"Holy shit... you can do that?"
Someone below the stage shouted first, and then the entire crowd around the arena erupted.
"That guy has a rabbit martial soul? You call that a rabbit martial soul?!"
"That's a downright savage rabbit! Absolutely brutal!"
"The Clear Sky Hammer paired with the Soft Bone Rabbit-what kind of godly combination is that? Teleportation and a hammer? Who could withstand that?"
Jiang Nannan stood in the crowd, questioning everything she knew. As she watched the boy on the stage with rabbit ears atop his head and the Clear Sky Hammer over his shoulder, her mind buzzed.
Was that how you used the Soft Bone Rabbit martial soul? She had cultivated her Soft Bone Rabbit martial soul since childhood, always following the path of agility and finesse, relying on movement and supple techniques.
But this guy onstage? Wielding the Clear Sky Hammer, sporting rabbit ears and golden eyes, he had forcibly turned a rabbit martial soul into a violent demolition crew!
She looked down at her own hands, then back at Wang Dong onstage, sinking into profound self-doubt.
Xu Sanshi's feelings were even more complicated. He lay sprawled on the stage, his Mysterious Underworld Shield Formation long since shattered to pieces. He was covered in dust, with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth.
He had clearly felt that once Wang Dong's hammer technique had stacked up to seventy blows, its power had exceeded what he could withstand.
Every hammer strike 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 dodge.
He darted sideways, and Wang Dong's hammer slammed into the stage with a thunderous boom. A deep fissure split the bluestone floor, shattered stone flew everywhere, and the entire stage shuddered three times.
Looking at that fissure, Xu Sanshi broke out in a cold sweat. Had that blow struck him, he would have been gravely injured, if not killed.
He had lost.
Although he had only lost the wager, being forced to dodge by a freshman in front of so many people was hardly any different from losing outright.
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 rotten luck. Here's your Mystic Water Pill."
Wang Dong caught the porcelain bottle and hefted it in his hand, a satisfied smile curling his lips.
Xu Sanshi added, "But if we fought normally, you wouldn't beat me."
There was a note of defiance in his words, but Wang Dong did not deny it.
Because it was indeed true. His soul power was only at rank twenty-four, while Xu Sanshi was already at rank thirty-eight-a full fourteen ranks higher.
He could fight above his rank, but as one of the outer courtyard'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.
Still, the outcome of a fight to the death would remain uncertain. He had yet to fully bring out the mechanics of his Soft Bone Rabbit martial soul.
"I know." Wang Dong put away the Clear Sky Hammer and smiled. "So I got a bargain this time. If we get the chance, let's have a proper, fair fight next time."
Xu Sanshi paused. Seeing how candid Wang Dong was, some of his anger dissipated. He snorted.
"Fine. Just you wait. Next time, I'll show you what a real Xuanming Turtle martial soul can do."
Their exchange actually 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 dared to challenge Xu Sanshi as a freshman, and you even won. You've got some serious guts!"
Wang Dong smiled. "Just good luck."
Huo Yuhao ran over too, carrying a freshly grilled fish, which he offered to Wang Dong. "You must be hungry, right? Have something to eat first."
Warmth stirred in Wang Dong's heart at his concerned expression. He took the fish and bit into it.
Just then, Huo Yuhao's next batch of fish arrived. This time, he decided not to sell them. He simply packed up the grill and invited everyone to eat together.
"Come on, don't be shy! My treat tonight!" Tang Ya was the liveliest of them all, calling everyone to sit together. Grilled fish covered the table, their aroma wafting everywhere.
Everyone 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-teleportation followed by a heavy hammer strike. It was seamless."
Tang Ya nodded repeatedly. "You really were impressive! But..." She changed tack, gazing at Wang Dong with sparkling eyes.
"If you combined that with our Tang Sect's six supreme arts, you'd be even stronger. Mysterious Heaven Skill, Purple Demon Eye, Mysterious Jade Hand, Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, and hidden weapon techniques-if you mastered 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 Tang San, that father I'd acquired out of nowhere.
Only now, it had long since declined, leaving Tang Ya alone to struggle to keep it alive. Looking at her face, with its mixture of pride and loneliness, he suddenly felt a surge of complicated emotions.
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 is far too tangled.
He quickly shook the thought out of his mind, setting aside all that speculation for now.
"Senior Tang Ya, I'd like to join the Tang Sect too," Wang Dong suddenly said.
Tang Ya froze for a moment. "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. Learning them would definitely give my combat strength a huge boost."
Tang Ya's eyes instantly lit up, as though she had stumbled upon a treasure. "Great, great, great! Welcome! My Tang Sect finally has another new member!"
Barely had she finished speaking when Xu Sanshi leaned over. "Then I'll join too! I've got nothing better 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 recruited three new members in one go, she was so happy she nearly jumped up. "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 it to the title page, and began explaining at length.
The circulation method for Mysterious Heaven Skill, the key principles for cultivating Purple Demon Eye, the hand techniques for Mysterious Jade Hand... her explanations were clear and well organized. 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 explanation.
Huo Yuhao sat nearby, munching on grilled fish and watching the scene with a simple, honest smile. The night breeze brushed gently past, and the aroma of grilled fish mingled with everyone's laughter, making this ordinary evening feel especially warm.
P.S. The original story left everything unexplained after Huo Yuhao became a god, leaving plenty of regrets.
My hope for this book is to make up for as many of those regrets as possible...
As for the female lead, I definitely don't want secondhand goods-meaning anyone who's already flirting with someone else at this point in the timeline. I'm not playing Cao Wei...
For example, Tang Ya, Jiang Nannan, and so on...
Before you continue