Asura Demon Heart Art

Qian Renxue's test for Tang San was simple: withstand Hu Liena's charm.

It was neither particularly difficult nor particularly easy.

Qian Renxue mainly wanted to assess Tang San's willpower. She needed warriors, not weaklings.

Hu Liena's Martial Soul was the Demon Fox, a Beast Martial Soul with a Mental Attribute and powerful seductive abilities.

As Tang San faced Hu Liena's charm, Yan watched from the sidelines, grinding his teeth.

Hu Liena had never treated him like that.

Still, he restrained himself. After all, the other fellow was just a brat.

The boy would surely be bewitched by Hu Liena's charm in an instant, making a complete fool of himself.

Unfortunately, Yan's hopes were doomed to fail.

Tang San remained calm throughout, a smile on his face. His eyes turned pitch-black, while his pupils became a vivid red.

He looked like a life-reaping Asura demon, brimming with sinister energy.

This appearance was an outward manifestation of the mental cultivation method Tang San practiced, called the Asura Demon Heart Art.

He had created it by combining the Dharma Sutra with the mental cultivation method Grandmaster had given him.

It added a sharp offensive edge to Tang San's abilities.

Hu Liena felt an overwhelming pressure and was astonished. Tang San possessed such mental power at so young an age.

Her charm was like a clay ox entering the sea, swallowed by his vast mental power, which embraced a hundred rivers like the ocean. It had no effect whatsoever.

Unwilling to give up, Hu Liena activated the Imperial Extremity World-Shocking Heart Method, trying to shake Tang San.

Tang San did feel the pressure. He immediately activated the Blue Silver Creation Dao, mustering his power to clash with Hu Liena.

"Enough!"

In the end, Qian Renxue stepped in and stopped them both.

"Tomorrow's operation is extremely important. Don't waste your energy on something like this."

"Tang San, was it? You have my permission to join."

"Everyone, go back and make your preparations."

"Xie Yue, go find Xiao Wu and bring her back."

After Qian Renxue briskly assigned their tasks, everyone dispersed.

When Tang San and Grandmaster heard Xiao Wu's name, a thought stirred in their minds, then faded.

It seemed Bibi Dong was a clever woman. Her ambitions extended far beyond this little patch of land before her.

For now, however, there was nothing worth coming into conflict over with Tang San's group.

The matter of the Hundred Flowers Mountains was what deserved their attention at present.

Afterward, Grandmaster remained at Spirit Hall. He would not be able to take part in this operation.

Staying behind to hold the rear and properly recuperate was what he ought to do.

Tang San, meanwhile, headed back to the pharmacy, planning to get a good night's rest.

But along the way, he sensed that something had happened to Ma Hongjun and immediately rushed over.

Ma Hongjun was his friend and brother. If anything happened to him, Tang San would never let the person responsible get away with it.

When Tang San arrived, he saw Xiao Wu.

Now Tang San was in a terrible mood. Xiao Wu had hardly ever left him with a good impression.

Back at school, she had loved flaunting her strength and elevating her own standing, and had repeatedly bothered him.

His fussing when Chrysanthemum Douluo took her away had only stemmed from pity for the fate of Soul Beasts.

Although he did not know why she had provoked Ma Hongjun this time, Tang San was certain that Xiao Wu was the main cause.

"Tell me. What were you trying to do?"

Tang San eased his oppressive aura slightly, and his eyes returned to normal.

"Whew." Xiao Wu let out a long breath, still shaken. "I thought that fatty was going to do something bad to that lady, so..."

"I already explained it to you! You wouldn't listen!"

Ma Hongjun had recovered by then and reproached Xiao Wu.

Some of the passersby who had been watching from the start nodded as well. They enjoyed a spectacle, but that did not mean they lacked reason.

Ma Hongjun was something of a star at the Soul Fighting Arena, and quite a few people recognized him.

He certainly did not look like an upright gentleman, but he had offered an explanation and was willing to return to the tavern to prove his innocence.

Yet this girl with the scorpion-tail braid still refused to listen and had taken it upon herself to use a Soul Skill.

Seeing Ma Hongjun's and the passersby's reactions, Tang San understood what had happened.

Sure enough, this mess was the work of that idiot Xiao Wu.

"Xiao Wu, you'd better apologize to Ma Hongjun right away. As for what comes afterward, I'll discuss it with Miss Qian Renxue."

They had an important mission tomorrow, and Tang San did not want to waste his energy on this.

But although this appeared to be a mere misunderstanding, Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire had nearly flared up again. More than two years of effort had almost gone to waste at the final hurdle.

It seemed he would have to urge Ma Hongjun to study the Dharma Sutra more deeply and develop his own mental cultivation method as soon as possible. He could no longer leave things to luck.

"Ugh... I'm sorry!"

Xiao Wu looked at the reproachful gazes of the surrounding passersby, Ma Hongjun, and the others. The last time she had felt this uncomfortable was when a group of Titled Douluo from Spirit Hall had stared her down.

They were clearly weaker than her, so why did she feel so bound hand and foot?

Xiao Wu seemed to gain a flicker of understanding, but then a bright-moon-like blade shattered it all.

"Xiao Wu, what happened here? Did these people bully you?"

It was Xie Yue. His imposing aura cowed everyone present, forcing many passersby to retreat.

Some held their ground, however, eager to see the coming clash.

"Brother Xie Yue!" Xiao Wu cried in delight, wanting to explain the whole story to him.

Naturally, her account would favor herself.

"Mr. Xie Yue, this is what happened."

But Tang San's voice seemed to carry a magical power, making Xie Yue, who had always cared about Xiao Wu, involuntarily turn his attention to Tang San's words.

Asura Bewitching Heart Curse.

Tang San's Soul Skills always emerged in an endless stream.

Ma Hongjun could not help marveling. Comparing yourself to others really could drive you mad. Developing axe techniques and related Soul Skills to complement his Flame Phoenix Astral Energy already kept him frantically busy.

Yet Tang San managed to make flowers bloom on multiple fronts: developing his Martial Soul, creating his own Soul Skills and cultivation methods, and cultivating mental power.

It truly left him speechless.

While Ma Hongjun was marveling, Tang San finished explaining the entire incident without favoring anyone.

Although it sounded as though Xiao Wu had caused all the trouble, that was indeed the truth. If one insisted on finding fault with Ma Hongjun, it was that he had been somewhat lax in his cultivation and fallen prey to Xiao Wu's tricks.

Xie Yue was a clever man as well. After weighing the pros and cons, he took a large bag of gold coins from his Storage Soul Tool.

"This settles things between us. I hope you won't hold us back tomorrow."

Xie Yue spoke coldly. His decision to settle the matter privately was still meant to favor Xiao Wu, but there was little more to say.

Dragging this out would benefit neither side. Tang San glanced at Ma Hongjun, who was still somewhat disgruntled but nodded nonetheless.

Sooner or later, this grudge would have to be settled.

Both sides thought the same thing without prompting.

"Tang San, we'll surely meet in the Elite Tournament sooner or later. We can settle this score once and for all then."

Xie Yue murmured.

The incident with Xiao Wu was merely an excuse. In truth, during Tang San's clash of mental power with Hu Liena, he had already come to regard Tang San as a rival, an enemy.

There was no other reason: Xie Yue had once studied an incomplete copy of the Dharma Sutra, so he naturally recognized the nature of Tang San's methods.

His teacher, the Pope, had once given him a prophetic warning.

[Do not provoke practitioners of the Dharma Sutra. They are your bane.]

But Xie Yue refused to bow to that ill omen. He would prove himself. He would overcome this so-called bane, no matter what!