Bibi Dong was a little dumbfounded after hearing that.
"Huh? Tang San, the protagonist, was actually a thief? And in his last life, he was hunted to death for stealing his sect's secret techniques!"
"That's right. And the Tang Sect Tang San belonged to in his last life wasn't even a top-tier sect. It was only a second-rate school that used Hidden Weapons in a martial arts world.
"In martial arts worlds, people who use Hidden Weapons generally don't amount to much.
"Yet Tang San, this protagonist, relied on the Hidden Weapons from his previous life and the Tang Sect's martial techniques to thrash the Soul Masters of the Douluo Continent.
"Wouldn't you say that proves the Douluo Continent's world level is even lower than that of a martial arts world?
"It's not going too far to call it the floor tile of the fantasy genre, is it?"
Over on the Douluo Continent, Tang Hao was even more dumbfounded. His future son, Tang San, was actually the reincarnation of a thief from another world. He might not even be a reincarnation, but someone who had seized his child's body.
"Big brother, this... this..."
"Brother Hao, why don't you stop looking for Ah Yin? Or just wait a few decades before having a child."
Tang Xiao's suggestion could only be called a rotten idea. As for Ah Yin, she ran even faster.
She didn't want someone seizing the body of the child she gave birth to, nor did she want to give birth to a reincarnated thief.
Whoever wanted to be this protagonist's mother could have the job. He certainly wouldn't do it.
The Clear Sky Sect had originally been counting on Tang San, the protagonist, to carry them to new heights. Now they had furled their banners and silenced their drums.
The reincarnation of a sect traitor could never earn their trust.
If Tang San could betray the Tang Sect in his previous life, he could betray the Clear Sky Sect too. Bet on his character? Did the Clear Sky Sect dare? Was there any need to?
On Sea God Island, Bo Saixi was also a little dumbfounded. The successor chosen by her Sea God, the future Sea God, had been a thief in his previous life, and in this life he might even have seized someone else's body.
Bo Saixi had spent her whole life preaching the Sea God's greatness. Her devout heart was on the verge of cracking.
"Great Lord Sea God, why did you choose someone like this to be your successor...?"
Over at Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu and Qian Xunji were quite pleased, but Tang Fan's next words wiped the smiles off their faces.
"Personally, I think the plot that best shows the Douluo Continent is the floor tile of the fantasy genre is the part where Qian Renxue went looking for Tang San right after becoming a god.
"What do you think happened when Qian Renxue, who had already become the Angel God, faced Tang San, who hadn't become a god and hadn't even reached level 99?"
"Do you even need to ask? How could a god lose to a mortal... Wait... Could it be that Qian Renxue, the Angel God, she...?"
"Yes, Qian Renxue, the Angel God, lost. Tang San, whose Soul Power was exhausted, used a Hidden Weapon called Guanyin's Tears to pierce her heart.
"Although Guanyin's Tears was said to ignore defenses and never miss, it still came from a second-rate school in a martial arts world.
"Yet a god of the Douluo Continent couldn't defend against a single Hidden Weapon like that. Was the Hidden Weapon too strong, or was the god's defense made of paper?
"When readers got to that part, they couldn't help but complain."
The Soul Masters of the Douluo Continent were utterly dumbfounded. A god of the Douluo Continent couldn't stand up to a single Hidden Weapon from another world. Even if they didn't want to admit their world level was low, they had no choice.
Qian Daoliu and Qian Xunji had never expected it either. The answer to the question they hadn't been able to figure out was actually this ridiculous.
"Qian Renxue, the Angel God, became a god first, yet the reason she couldn't stop Tang San from becoming one was that she couldn't beat him. She couldn't beat him... Hahaha, hahaha..."
Qian Xunji looked at Qian Daoliu with concern. He was genuinely afraid the anger might do him harm. Even if it didn't, driving him mad would be bad enough.
Bibi Dong asked worriedly, "Did Qian Renxue, the Angel God, die just like that?"
Tang Fan shook his head. "No, she didn't. Having her heart pierced wasn't enough to kill her. As I mentioned before, Qian Renxue ultimately had her godhood shattered and disappeared.
"Of course, some people say Qian Renxue came to a bad end after her godhood was shattered, but that's only speculation. There's no evidence at all."
Over on the Douluo Continent, Qian Xunji's expression was grim as well. How could he not know what the Douluo Continent was like?
With Spirit Hall destroyed and her godhood shattered, Qian Renxue's fate was easy to imagine. Suicide was probably the last dignified choice left to her.
At the thought, Qian Xunji clenched his fists. Although Qian Renxue hadn't even been born yet, his anger was real.
"Father, if necessary, please promise me you'll lead Spirit Hall to wipe out the Clear Sky Sect."
Qian Daoliu had calmed down by now. He turned to glance at Qian Xunji and nodded.
"If a child named Tang San is born to the Clear Sky Sect, I'll lead Spirit Hall and do everything in my power to wipe out the Clear Sky Sect and that Tang San."
Meanwhile, Tang Fan brought the conversation back on track.
"We've gotten sidetracked. Back to Shadow Bearer. Shadow Bearer was one of the three swords of the Son of Heaven of Yin.
"An ancient text says: 'At the meeting of darkness and dawn, or at the hour when daylight fades into dusk, look north and observe. Dimly, something seems to be there, but none can discern its shape.
"'What it touches makes a faint, whispering sound. It passes through things, yet they suffer no pain.'"
Bibi Dong was full of question marks.
"What does that mean? I don't understand it at all."
"The meaning is actually simple. Just before dawn or dusk, if you face north and look closely, you can vaguely see the shadow of a sword on the wall, but you can't make out its shape.
"When the sword passes through something, there's only the faintest whisper. The thing is cut, but the person feels no pain and sheds no blood."
"I see. It's a sword you can't see clearly, and it kills without drawing blood. But does a sword like that really exist?"
"I don't know. Some say the three swords of the Son of Heaven of Yin really existed; others say they never existed and were just a story.
"And I need to correct you on one point. The Chengying Sword can't kill people. None of the three swords of the Son of Heaven of Yin can."
"Huh? Swords that can't kill?"
"Yes. None of the three swords of the Son of Heaven of Yin existed for slaughter. That's also why many people believe the three swords never existed.
"The three swords may simply have been physical manifestations of concepts. Take Shadow Bearer, for example. The concept it embodied was refinement and elegance. Legend says it was a sword of ultimate beauty."
Tang Fan glanced at the Shadow Bearer Mecha again.
"Isn't the Shadow Bearer Mecha beautiful too?"
"Yes, it's beautiful."
"That's why it's called Shadow Bearer. It's a weapon, but it wasn't made for slaughter. It also represents an ideal in our country: concealing one's edge."
Bibi Dong shook her head, indicating that she didn't understand.
"It's normal that you don't understand. After all, you're not from our country. But remember this: a tree that stands above the forest is bound to be battered by the wind.
"Concealing your edge for now is so you can shine more brightly in the future."
"Thank you. I'll remember that. By the way, you said there were three swords of the Son of Heaven of Yin. What were the other two called?"
"Of the other two, one was called Hanguang: 'Look at it and it cannot be seen; wield it and one cannot tell it is there. What it touches leaves no trace or seam. It passes through things, yet they do not feel it.'
"The other was called Xiaolian: 'By day, its shadow may be seen but not its light; by night, its light may be seen but not its form. It passes through what it touches, and as it passes, the cut closes behind it. One feels the pain, yet no blood stains the blade.'"