The Clear Sky Hammer's First Ring
The next match began quickly, with the Shrek Academy and Blazing Fire Academy taking the stage simultaneously.
From the very beginning of this battle, Shrek Academy was clearly at a disadvantage.
Tang San still relied on Blue Silver Grass as the core of the team, but he had not taken the Infernal Delicate Apricot, and the Blue Silver Grass did not have true fire resistance. Facing the Blazing Fire Academy, whose members were almost all fire-attribute, the large amount of Blue Silver Grass was quickly burned by the flames as soon as it was spread out, and the tactical system that was originally established by control could not be implemented at all.
Huo Wu naturally wouldn't let this weakness slip by, and Blazing Fire Academy quickly focused all its offensive efforts on Tang San. Without the control of the Blue Silver Grass, Shrek's formation was quickly disrupted, and although Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, and the others tried to break through one after another, they were unable to turn the tide.
After confirming the results, the host quickly announced that Blazing Fire Academy had won.
A huge cheer erupted from the audience, but the Shrek Academy members left the arena in silence. Tang San walked at the back of the group, his face even more grim than when he was defeated by Xing. Losing to Xing could at least be explained by the difference in their power systems, but in this match against the Blazing Fire Academy, which also came from the Douluo Continent, his most prized Blue Silver Grass was completely suppressed by the flames from beginning to end, and it hardly played a real role.
In the VIP section, Bibi Dong leaned back in her chair, watching the Shrek Academy members leave. Her gaze finally settled on Yu Xiaogang, whose face was grim. A faint, cold smile played on her lips as she spoke in a voice so soft it could only be heard by those nearby, "Yu Xiaogang, is this the ace you've been training for so many years?"
She didn't continue paying attention to Tang San; her gaze quickly shifted to Xiao Wu walking in the group. With her current cultivation and Divine Power, it wouldn't be difficult for her to see through a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that hadn't truly reached maturity. Watching the girl openly follow Shrek into Spirit City, Bibi Dong's emotions gradually turned cold.
"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast dares to swagger into Spirit City like this."
She didn't take immediate action, but simply kept the matter in mind for the time being. The situation in Spirit City was no longer what it used to be. The people from the Astral Express, the Xianzhou, and the Interastral Peace Corporation were still here, and the competition was not yet over, so she wasn't in a hurry to make a move.
Meanwhile, after returning to his residence, Tang San did not communicate with anyone. He locked himself in his room for an entire day. Flender and Xiao Wu both knocked on the door, but received no response.
Inside the room, Tang San sat alone on the edge of the bed, watching the Blue Silver Grass slowly grow in his palm. The slender leaves still emitted the familiar Soul Power fluctuations, but what kept appearing in his mind were the images of the Blue Silver Grass being burned by flames time and time again on the arena.
From the moment he awakened his Martial Soul, everyone told him that Blue Silver Grass was the most ordinary and weakest Trash Martial Soul. Yu Xiaogang once told him that there are no useless Martial Soul, only useless Soul Master, and he always believed that as long as the right Soul Ring and development path were chosen, even Blue Silver Grass could become a truly powerful control-type Martial Soul.
But today's defeat has shaken that belief for the first time.
"Could it be... that Blue Silver Grass is really just Trash Martial Soul?"
After Tang San finished speaking in a low voice, the Blue Silver Grass in his right hand slowly dissipated. A moment later, he raised his left hand, and black light gradually condensed in his palm, revealing a heavy Clear Sky Hammer.
This is his true top-tier Martial Soul.
Even without any Soul Ring, the power and oppressive aura emanating from the Clear Sky Hammer far surpasses that of the Blue Silver Grass. Tang San stared at the hammer in his hand for a long time, and a thought that Yu Xiaogang had always tried to stop him from having resurfaced.
What if we start adding Soul Ring to the Clear Sky Hammer now?
The next morning, Tang San took the initiative to find Yu Xiaogang.
"Teacher, I want to learn how to use the Clear Sky Hammer."
Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's expression immediately changed. Without hesitation, he shook his head and said, "No. The real advantage of Twin Martial Souls is that the Second Martial Soul can absorb a high-level Soul Ring after your cultivation is high enough. Adding Soul Ring to the Clear Sky Hammer now will only waste the potential it can reach in the future."
Tang San didn't immediately accept Yu Xiaogang's arrangement as he had in the past. He remained silent for a moment, then looked at Yu Xiaogang seriously and said, "Teacher, what if I hadn't grown to that point? Today, facing Blazing Fire Academy, my Blue Silver Grass was almost useless. If I had already started cultivating the Clear Sky Hammer, at least we wouldn't have lost that match so decisively."
Yu Xiaogang frowned, but did not immediately refute.
Tang San continued, "The future is certainly important, but we're already facing increasingly stronger opponents. The people from the Astral Express, the Spirit Hall Golden Generation, and the geniuses from other academies—if my Blue Silver Grass continues to have such an obvious weakness, I have no chance of making it to the end. I don't want to be able to watch my Martial Soul be countered every time I encounter a fire-attribute Soul Master."
These words plunged Yu Xiaogang into a long silence.
According to his original plan, the Clear Sky Hammer should only be attached to Soul Ring after Tang San reaches the Soul Douluo or even Titled Douluo level, so that the advantages of Twin Martial Souls can be brought to the extreme. However, Tang San is now clearly wavering in his belief in the Blue Silver Grass. If he continues to suppress it forcibly, it may affect his subsequent cultivation state.
In the end, Yu Xiaogang compromised.
A few days later, he and Flender took Tang San away from Spirit City and searched for two power-type Soul Beast suitable for the Clear Sky Hammer in the nearby Soul Beast Forest. After hunting and absorbing them, two Soul Ring officially appeared on the Clear Sky Hammer.
After his second Soul Ring stabilized, Tang San gripped the clearly more powerful Clear Sky Hammer and finally regained some confidence. He believed that as long as he continued to develop his Second Martial Soul, he would no longer feel as powerless as he had when facing Blazing Fire Academy.
Almost at the same time, a secret letter, delivered through a special means, also reached Lin Yuan.
The night was already deep. Lin Yuan stood by the window and unfolded the letter. The letter was not long, only briefly recording the time and place when Tang San left Spirit City, as well as the whole process of him absorbing two Soul Ring for the Clear Sky Hammer.
The person responsible for relaying the message was a Soul Douluo whom Lin Yuan had arranged to be stationed near Shrek. This person would not usually interfere with Tang San's actions, but was only responsible for recording important changes. Therefore, Shrek had not yet realized that they were under the watchful eye of the Spirit Hall.
After reading the letter, Lin Yuan exerted a slight force with his fingertips, using his Soul Power to shatter the paper into powder.
"Tang San, your Clear Sky Hammer is practically half useless now."
He had just chuckled when soft footsteps sounded behind him. Before Lin Yuan could turn around, a pair of delicate hands encircled his neck from behind, and a faint fragrance wafted close. Qian Renxue had just finished bathing, her long golden hair still slightly damp. She pressed herself against his back, her voice tinged with curiosity. "What are you laughing about all by yourself here?"
Lin Yuan turned around, looking at Qian Renxue who was so close to him, and casually put his arm around her waist. He didn't Tang San at all, but just smiled and said, "Of course I was thinking about my Lady Xue'er."
Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing her words at all. But before she could ask any further questions, Lin Yuan had already picked her up. She instinctively wrapped her arms around Lin Yuan's shoulders, and then she was placed on the bed.
"Lin Yuan, you--"
The rest of the conversation was quickly cut off by the closed door.
In the next room, March 7th was about to go to sleep when she heard intermittent noises coming from the other side of the wall. She froze instantly. She pulled the blanket over her head, her cheeks turning red at a visible speed, wishing she could cover her ears as well.
"Lin Yuan, you bad guy..."
She pulled the blanket up even higher, trying to make herself unable to hear anything.
Xing, who was sleeping on the other bed next to her, was completely unaffected. She turned over, casually scratched her side, and didn't even open her eyes. A few seconds later, her steady breathing resumed, and she was sleeping more soundly than anyone else.