The audience was already stunned.
What was initially thought to be a one-sided match has turned into such a fierce battle because Tang San unleashed the Clear Sky Hammer and the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer!
Feng Xiaotian's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. "This... how is this possible? How could he possibly possess such power?"
Huo Wu was also shocked. She suddenly realized how foolish she had been to underestimate Tang San.
If Tang San had used the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul in the previous preliminary rounds, Blazing Fire Academy might not have been a match for Shrek!
With the 40th hammer blow, Tang San's body was nearing its limit. His legs began to tremble uncontrollably, and each swing of the Clear Sky Hammer felt like a battle against Death God.
At this moment, the power of his hammer blow was enough to easily defeat any Soul Ancestor except for those with a pure Defense System. He believed that even if Dai Mubai went all out, he would definitely not be able to withstand this blow and would be seriously injured. But even in the face of such power, Xuan Ming was still able to block it steadily.
Only now did Tang San truly realize the terror of the Xuan Ming power.
But what alarmed him even more was that he sensed Xuan Ming's power gradually increasing, and the way he exerted it... was remarkably similar to his own!
" Uncle Jian, what's wrong with him..." Ning Fengzhi's voice trembled slightly.
"He's learning." Chen Xin's gaze was fixed on Xuan Ming. "He's learning Tang San's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer and applying it in a way that suits him."
"Progressing in battle, applying what one has learned... it's simply unbelievable."
He once said that Xuan Ming's achievements would surely surpass his own, not because of his cultivation speed or special Martial Soul, but precisely because of this terrifying learning ability.
Observe your opponent during fierce battles, improve yourself, and progress rapidly—this means that within the same level, if you cannot suppress Xuan Ming with absolute power, you have no chance of winning!
On the arena, Tang San had already swung his hammer forty-fifth time.
Each strike carried an overwhelming force, the black light on the Clear Sky Hammer grew ever stronger, and he himself was nearing his limit.
The Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer doesn't consume much Soul Power, but it puts a very high strain on the body.
He clearly felt that he was about to lose his grip on this raging giant hammer.
"Ah--!" Tang San roared, his Soul Power surging wildly, determined to use his last bit of strength to unleash his strongest hammer blow.
The forty-eighth hammer fell, and the entire arena trembled violently!
"Boom!!!"
A deafening roar shook the heavens and the earth as the Clear Sky Hammer and the Blood Spear clashed once more, unleashing an unprecedented impact!
The arena collapsed completely at that moment, and smoke and dust billowed into the sky, obscuring all vision.
The audience stood up, trying their best to see what was happening in the arena, but the dust obscured everything.
Just as Salas was about to order the dust to be dispersed, Xuan Ming's signature white light shone, instantly clearing away the dust and enveloping the two of them.
Tang San, who had swung forty-eight hammer blows, had already exceeded his physical limits, and his blood and qi were churning uncontrollably.
But in the instant the white light enveloped him, his restless blood and qi calmed down, and a warm energy surged into his body, slowly suppressing the backlash from overexertion.
Tang San was startled and stared at Xuan Ming in astonishment. "You..."
"Your performance is satisfactory." Xuan Ming calmly sheathed his spear, appearing composed in stark contrast to Tang San's disheveled state. "As I said, this battle will not affect your subsequent matches."
Tang San stared at him blankly, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
"Why?" he couldn't help but ask, "You could have easily defeated me, why did you give me this chance... and even help me?"
"I respect every opponent who has the courage to stand before me and give it their all," Xuan Ming said calmly. "At least in this tournament, so far, you are the only one I deserve to take seriously."
"The previous Yu Tianxin counts as half."
Upon hearing this, Tang San felt a surge of respect.
He originally thought Xuan Ming was just an arrogant and domineering person who relied on his strength, but he never expected him to be this kind of person.
"Thank you," Tang San said sincerely.
"No need." Xuan Ming withdrew the white light.
Tang San's injuries have fully healed; he only needs one night's rest to be fully recovered.
At this moment, the referee stepped forward. "You..."
"I lost," Tang San said calmly.
The referee paused for a moment, then announced loudly, " The Imperial Fighting Team wins this match!"
The outcome was as expected, but the process far exceeded everyone's expectations.
With the evolution of Blue Silver Grass, Clear Sky Hammer, and Twin Martial Souls, Tang San instantly became the subject of countless attention-grabbing and discussion-worthy discussions.
Especially the strength he displayed in this battle—even higher-level Soul Master wouldn't dare claim they could defeat him now.
Not to mention that terrifying final blow, even if it were just any blow after the twenty-fourth strike, none of the contestants present would dare say they could withstand it!
Chapter 277 Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud
The two turned and walked off the stage, thus ending today's competition.
Tang San returned to the Shrek Team's rest area, where Dai Mubai and the others gathered around him.
" Xiao San, are you alright?" Dai Mubai asked with concern.
Tang San shook his head. "I'm fine. Thanks to Xuan Ming for suppressing the backlash in the end."
"What? He helped you?" Everyone looked surprised.
Tang San briefly recounted the events of the competition, and after listening, everyone gained a new understanding of Xuan Ming.
"I've said it before, he wasn't a bad person at all." Liu Erlong said in a complicated tone.
" Flender, quickly check the Xiao San to see if there's anything wrong," Yu Xiaogang said in a deep voice.
Flender was taken aback. "Something's wrong?"
"Don't forget the methods Xuan Ming used on us before. Is he really that kind?" Yu Xiaogang said coldly.
Although Flender didn't believe Xuan Ming would do anything behind the scenes, he still checked carefully. "No problem."
"Your cultivation level isn't high enough. Let's go ask Sword Douluo Sect Master Ning to take a look later," Yu Xiaogang insisted.
"Teacher, I'm really fine." Tang San looked at Yu Xiaogang with a complicated expression. "After you were injured by Xuan Ming last time, did... anything else happen?"
Yu Xiaogang's expression changed slightly. " Xiao San, are you doubting me?"
"That's not what I meant, it's just..." Tang San lowered his head.
Would someone who can respect their opponent in a fight truly do the things the teacher described?
He didn't want to doubt his mentor, but he couldn't ignore his own intuition.
The moment the Clear Sky Hammer clashed with the Blood Spear, he could sense Xuan Ming's character—he was definitely not a treacherous or cunning person.
Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San's lowered head and sighed inwardly. He knew that Tang San had begun to waver in his previous description of Xuan Ming.
" Xiao San, I understand your confusion," Yu Xiaogang said slowly, his voice low. "But you must understand that the human heart is far more complex than you imagine. Xuan Ming's respect and strength in battle are indeed admirable, but that doesn't mean he's upright in everything. My past experiences, though difficult to recount, are all true."
"Yeah, Xiao San, would you rather believe him than us?" Dai Mubai stepped forward and patted Tang San on the shoulder.
Tang San did not respond.
He wasn't sure if there were any further conflicts between Dai Mubai and Xuan Ming, but he sided with Xiao Wu regarding Dai Mubai abandoning Zhu Zhuqing and escaping from the Star Luo Empire.
What kind of man is he if he can't even protect his own woman? What right does he have to claim that she belongs to him?
The qualifying rounds continued, and Xuan Ming did not go on stage again in the subsequent matches. Dugu Yan and Gu Yuena were sufficient to handle the situation. Of course, if Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu were interested, they would also go up and have a go.
Half a month passed quickly, and the qualifying rounds came to an end. After the speeches of the qualifying rounds, Xue Ye announced that Crown Prince Xue Qinghe would lead the fifteen teams of the Heaven Dou Empire to Spirit City for the final competition after three days of rest and adjustment.
"This is the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud you were talking about?"
While the qualifying matches were being held, Xuan Ming, based on information provided by Xue Qinghe, stole the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, hidden deep within the Heaven Dou Empire's treasury, on the night the matches ended, without alerting anyone.
This object is extremely peculiar, its entire surface crystal clear and azure blue, shaped like a three-dimensional triangle, resembling a palm-sized sapphire. It exudes a hazy blue light and exhibits strange energy fluctuations. The water ripples on its surface appear lifelike, and the shimmering blue light reflects a faint precious glow into the room, though it appears to be just an ordinary sapphire.
Upon seeing this object, for some reason, Bibi Dong felt a strange energy within it, unlike Soul Power, mental fluctuations, or the energy fluctuations of Soul Bone.
"What's the use of this?" Bibi Dong asked.
It certainly looks like a treasure. Even the Spirit Hall doesn't have Soul Tool of this level, and the fact that the Heaven Dou Imperial Family has hidden it so well is enough to prove its preciousness.
"I haven't used it yet, why don't you give it a try?" Xuan Ming said.
Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow slightly, and with some curiosity, she channeled her Soul Power into the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. Immediately afterward, the blue light gradually intensified, and a simple message was injected into Bibi Dong's mind from the Soul Tool.
"Interesting, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family actually possesses such a treasure." Bibi Dong seemed somewhat surprised.
"This thing is practically a divine artifact-level Soul Tool; it's definitely not something an ordinary person could create."
As she spoke, Bibi Dong directly demonstrated the two skills Vast Sea Protective Shroud and the Cosmic Mind-Fixing Shroud, to Xuan Ming.
"In addition, there are two other skills: Cosmic Demon-Breaking and Vast Sea Wild Forest. The former is a single-target attack, and the latter is a group attack," Bibi Dong said.
"No wonder the Heaven Dou Imperial Family was able to command a large army and unify the north a thousand years ago; it seems this thing is definitely a factor."
The Swan, the inherited Martial Soul of the Swan Heaven Dou Imperial Family, is of stable quality. Although its combat power is not strong, its Innate Soul Power is basically above level five, with occasional levels seven, eight, or even nine.
Thanks to the vast resources of the royal family, emperors throughout history have been able to reach the level of Soul Douluo, even if they were just empty shells with no real cultivation, their reputations were still quite impressive.
If paired with a divine artifact like the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, even if one's own combat strength is not strong, one can still possess extremely strong dominance.
For example, if a general harbors rebellious intentions, summon him to the palace, and use this item to subtly influence him, who would dare disobey?
The skill of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud does not require the Soul Master to have great strength; all that is needed is to inject Soul Power.
"How did you know that the Heaven Dou Imperial Family possessed such a thing?" Bibi Dong asked curiously.
" The Spirit Hall hasn't sent a single word."
"I dreamt about it," Xuan Ming said.
Bibi Dong's eye twitched slightly. "Really?"
"It's fake," Xuan Ming said.
Bibi Dong looked speechless and handed the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud back to Xuan Ming. "Hurry up and familiarize yourself with this broken thing. If something happens to Spirit City, this thing can save your life."
"And next time that assassin, whose whereabouts are unknown, comes, you can use this to catch him."
That shadowy Shadow hasn't made a move since it ambushed Xuan Ming outside the Royal Hunting Ground the night before the qualifying rounds began; it's probably still waiting for an opportunity.
"You don't want it?" Xuan Ming asked.
Bibi Dong rolled her eyes at Xuan Ming, annoyed. "If it were anyone else, I would have just snatched it."
This thing is extremely attractive even to someone at her level!
"If you want it, I can give it to you," Xuan Ming said.
"I'm not really interested in this stuff; it's just Shi Xing, and it's also a kind of insurance measure."
Bibi Dong sighed, sat down, and placed her hands on Xuan Ming's shoulders. "Keep this with you at all times, and don't give it to any young girls!"
"If I see this on anyone else, I'll assume it was stolen or swindled from you, and whoever it is, I guarantee she won't live to see the next day!"
Xuan Ming paused, "What if Hu Liena had it?"
Thump!
Bibi Dong flicked him on the head, "Why didn't you ask Qian Renxue?"
Xuan Ming rubbed his forehead, "What if it were Qian Renxue?"
Thump!!
"Be gentle!" Xuan Ming covered his forehead with both hands, feeling like he was about to explode.
"That flick on the head of yours hurt me more than Tang Hao's hammer!"
"Gently? You'll learn your lesson!" Bibi Dong pulled Xuan Ming's hands away and saw a huge bag.
"Uh... does it hurt?" Bibi Dong somewhat guiltily.
Xuan Ming's defensive power is truly outrageous. Without using Soul Power, it's impossible to break through her defenses, but even with Soul Power, she's unsure how much to use, and she accidentally overdid it.
"You asked me the same question ten years ago," Xuan Ming said speechlessly.
Bibi Dong felt a little embarrassed and gently moved closer. "Don't move, let me blow on it for you."