"The Xue Qinghe"
"The match begins!"
As the announcement was made, the contestants instantly dispersed, forming a semi-circle that surrounded Tang San in the center.
Tang San took a deep breath and slowly retracted his Hidden Weapon. He decided to assess the strength of these people before deciding on his tactics.
However, these contestants didn't give Tang San much time to observe; they launched their attack almost as soon as the start was announced.
Nine people surrounded Tang San. Although they had lost their Soul Power, they were still very agile and their attacks were extremely fierce.
Tang San dodged their attacks in a flash, his body springing up like a spring, leaping several times before reaching the other end of the arena.
These contestants did not give up their attack on Tang San; they quickly adjusted their positions and launched another attack.
Tang San smiled slightly; he had finally seen through their weakness. Although their attacks were fierce, they lacked coordination and were fighting independently. While this method of attack was powerful, it gave Tang San an opening.
He leaped away, dodging their attacks once more. At the same time, a silver needle appeared in his hand. With a powerful throw, the needle flew out like Inazuma, piercing directly into one of the contestants' shoulders.
"Ah!"
The contestant screamed in pain, and his weapon fell to the ground. He clutched his shoulder, but blood continued to flow from between his fingers.
The other contestants were immediately terrified; they never expected Tang San's Hidden Weapon to be so powerful.
Tang San did not pause at all, his body moving towards the center of the arena like a nimble snake. His hands moved constantly, and silver needles flew out one after another, shooting directly at the other contestants on the field.
"Ah! Ah!..."
With screams of agony, one contestant after another fell to the ground. Tang San's Hidden Weapon were incredibly accurate; each person was struck in a vital spot by the silver needles. In an instant, only Tang San remained standing on the field.
A gasp of surprise erupted from the audience; no one had expected Tang San to win so easily.
Tang San slowly walked to the contestants who had fallen to the ground. He looked at them deeply, then slowly picked up his Hidden Weapon and put it into his Soul Tool.
The nine corpses surrounding them instantly transformed into blood energy, rushing into the crimson token at Tang San's waist, from which a powerful surge of Soul Power erupted.
"This is?"
Tang San was somewhat puzzled. He remembered the red-robed man's earlier hint, so he injected his Soul Power into it. Soon, the number on the token changed from "0" to "1". Then, a violent surge of Soul Power directly fed back into Tang San, almost shattering Tang San meridians.
Tang San quickly Mysterious Heaven Skill to protect his heart meridian, and then began to absorb the violent Soul Power. Tang San sat cross-legged, his hands forming a seal, and his body was enveloped in a blue light, a sign that the Mysterious Heaven Skill was in operation. Under the impact of this violent Soul Power, his body began to make creaking sounds, the sound of his bones constantly getting stronger.
His body began to undergo miraculous changes: his muscles became firmer, his blood vessels became thicker, and his internal organs were constantly strengthened.
He quickly absorbed the violent Soul Power. Although his Soul Power didn't increase much, Tang San clearly felt that his physical fitness had improved significantly.
"As expected of the land where the Asura God inherited his legacy, this Slaughter City seems to be a good place for me to hone my skills."
A smug smile appeared on Tang San's face, unaware that a new soul had appeared within him, constantly absorbing the Asura Divine Power within him.
On the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, a biting wind howled, and snowflakes fell like fragments of fate. The once bustling streets of the Heaven Dou Imperial City appeared desolate in the cold night. Most of the pedestrians were Soul Master, their gazes grave and their steps hurried, clearly carrying important missions. Among the crowd, a young man stood out. He wore a pristine white cloak embroidered with intricate golden patterns, as dazzling as stars in the night sky. His face was handsome, his eyes deep and penetrating, as if they could see through everything. He was none other than Xue Qinghe, the current emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Beside him stood an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, dressed similarly except for a Swan- shaped gold badge pinned to his chest. This was Yu Xiaogang, the current Grand Preceptor of the Heaven Dou Empire. Xue Qinghe Clear Sky Sect was just a rumor. In this era ruled by the Spirit Hall, the return of the Clear Sky Sect was undoubtedly a challenge to the Spirit Hall's authority, enough to shake the entire continent.
"Grand Preceptor, are you sure today is the day the Clear Sky Sect is born? The sun is about to set, why haven't we received any news yet?" Xue Qinghe asked with a hint of doubt on his face.
"Your Majesty, this is a message that my disciple Tang San specifically sent to me before he went out to train. There's no mistake about it," Yu Xiaogang said with absolute certainty.
"Then why haven't we heard anything yet?" A hint of impatience appeared on Xue Qinghe's face.
"Your Majesty, please wait a little longer," Yu Xiaogang said respectfully. Suddenly, the sound of hooves came from afar, the rapid hoofbeats shaking the street like thunder. Everyone's eyes instantly turned to the direction from which the sound came, and they saw a troop of black-armored cavalry charging rapidly towards them.
The cavalry halted before Xue Qinghe. The lead knight lifted his helmet, revealing a cold, stern face. After dismounting, he knelt before Xue Qinghe and said, "Your Majesty, news has come from Spirit City that the claim of the Clear Sky Sect's birth on the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month is false. The true date is the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month."
This sudden news stunned everyone. Xue Qinghe's face showed surprise, while Yu Xiaogang lowered his head and remained silent. The already tense atmosphere became even more solemn.
The knight who delivered the message remained kneeling on the ground, speaking firmly, "This message was personally sent by the Papal Palace; it is absolutely true. We suspect that someone deliberately spread false information to disrupt the plans of the major powers. This message has already begun to spread from the Papal Palace to the Spirit Hall Branch in various cities, and will soon be known throughout the land."
Xue Qinghe slowly raised his hand, gesturing for the knight to stand up. His gaze was cold, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
(End of this chapter)