Chapter 148: The Madness of Tang San
Blue Tyrant Academy, student infirmary.
Tang San lay lifelessly on the bed, his once-bright eyes now hollow. The wound on his shoulder had been healed by a high-level healing Spirit Master. Though a faint ache lingered, one night's rest would leave him battle-ready again.
His body was healed—but the deeper wound, lodged within his heart, festered.
In the shadow of Luo Ling's overwhelming presence, Tang San felt as though a mountain had been placed upon him, crushing the very breath from his lungs.
"Xiao San! Victory and defeat are common in battle. This loss means nothing," Yu Xiaogang said encouragingly. "You must remember, you are now a follower of a god!"
He knew this defeat had shaken Tang San deeply. For now, the boy could not hope to defeat Luo Ling.
But the future? That was another story.
Tang San was blessed by the Primordial God. Luo Ling was not.
As time went on, the Blood Demon Ritual would grant Tang San even greater power. One day, he would stand above Luo Ling—and trample him beneath his feet.
Luo Ling was still just a mortal Spirit Master. They were divine believers.
"Xiao San, you lost only because you've only begun serving the Primordial God. You need more rituals, more offerings. With time, you'll surpass him and crush him completely!" Yu Xiaogang continued, his tone feverish with conviction.
Tang San's eyes flickered faintly. His shattered composure began to recover, though not entirely—his hunger for vengeance remained.
He turned his head toward his teacher. "Teacher, I want to train with my Clear Sky Hammer."
"I want to reach Soul King before the finals—add spirit rings to my Hammer—and make Luo Ling pay in front of everyone!"
His voice trembled with hatred, every word forced through clenched teeth.
Yu Xiaogang frowned. "Xiao San, have you forgotten what I told you? You must first push your Blue Silver Grass to its limit before adding spirit rings to the Clear Sky Hammer. Only then can you reach your true potential."
"I know, Teacher—but Luo Ling has become my inner demon. I must defeat him!" Tang San's tone grew manic. "If I can't, I won't be able to focus on cultivation!"
"I understand it's best to refine my Blue Silver Grass first, but I can't wait that long!"
Yu Xiaogang fell silent.
"Teacher, once I reach Soul King, I'll be able to attach ten-thousand-year rings! My first five rings on the Clear Sky Hammer can all be ten-thousand-year ones. That won't be much weaker, right?"
He pressed on, desperate to persuade him. "I'll only add five rings for now. The rest—I swear—I'll wait until my Blue Silver Grass reaches perfection first."
Yu Xiaogang studied him for a long moment, then sighed. "Alright. Only the first five spirit rings."
Tang San's lips curved into a faint, satisfied smile.
But Yu Xiaogang wasn't finished. "There's still one problem. You're only level forty-three. There's a huge gap before level fifty. Reaching Soul King before the finals will be nearly impossible."
"Teacher! We have the Blood Demon Ritual!" Tang San argued stubbornly. "If I push hard enough, I can make it before the finals!"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "Xiao San, you know as well as I do—the higher your level, the more corpses you need for each offering. Even if I call Flender and Zhao Wuji back to help hunt spirit beasts, it won't be enough. It's unrealistic."
Tang San's face darkened. His teacher wasn't wrong. The corpses of low-level spirit beasts yielded too little energy, while powerful beasts were not so easy to hunt.
For a while, only silence filled the room. Then suddenly, Tang San's eyes widened. He sat up abruptly, an idea flaring in his mind.
"Teacher!" he said sharply. "The Blood Demon Ritual doesn't only work with spirit beasts' corpses—it works with Spirit Masters too, doesn't it?"
His voice trembled with wild excitement, like a drowning man finding oxygen.
Yu Xiaogang's expression turned grim. "Xiao San, do you even realize what you're saying? Killing Spirit Masters to use their flesh for sacrifice—that's a forbidden act, an absolute taboo!"
"Teacher, didn't we already use corpses back at the cemetery in Soto City?" Tang San countered, utterly unfazed.
"Those were already dead! We didn't kill them ourselves!"
"Then we simply find Spirit Masters who deserve to die." Tang San's voice was calm now—disturbingly so.
Yu Xiaogang froze, staring at his disciple in disbelief.
"Teacher," Tang San pressed on, his expression twisting into something dark. "We won't kill innocent Spirit Masters—only the guilty. Killing those who deserve it, that's doing the world a favor!"
"We can raid the prisons—kill the inmates in Heaven Dou City's dungeons, or those in the Spirit Hall branch prison."
"They're scum anyway. Let their wretched lives contribute to our strength—that's just… recycling waste!"
Yu Xiaogang stood speechless, stunned by the sheer brazenness of Tang San's suggestion.
But the frightening part was—it made sense.
Sacrificing condemned prisoners… might just work.
Tang San's voice grew more fervent. "Teacher, now's the perfect time! During the tournament, most of the empire's and Spirit Hall's guards have been transferred to the arena."
"The prisons will be nearly empty! No one will notice if the vermin inside vanish. We can wipe them all out in one sweep!"
As his words tumbled out faster, Yu Xiaogang's silence deepened into contemplation. After several long seconds, his expression turned grave.
"Xiao San, listen carefully," he said slowly. "Do not tell anyone else about this. I'll contact Flender and Zhao Wuji secretly to investigate the prisons first. Once we confirm the details, we'll act."
"Yes, Teacher!" Tang San said eagerly, nodding in excitement.
Yu Xiaogang's lack of denial was all the permission he needed.
Tang San's hands trembled; he could already see it—himself breaking through to Soul King, attaching five spirit rings to his Clear Sky Hammer, and crushing Luo Ling in front of the entire continent.
"Luo Ling… just wait. When the finals come, I'll show you who the real genius is." Tang San's voice quivered, his fists clenching tightly.
Yu Xiaogang left to contact Flender and Zhao Wuji, leaving his deranged disciple muttering to himself.
…
Elsewhere, Luo Ling already knew everything.
With the transformation of his martial soul, he could glimpse his believers' actions whenever he wished. He didn't always watch Yu Xiaogang and Tang San, but when necessary, all their plans lay bare before him.
And upon hearing about their plan to raid the prisons, Luo Ling couldn't help but smile coldly.
He had no intention of stopping them. In fact—he rather preferred to see them go through with it.
Once Yu Xiaogang and Tang San enacted this atrocity, it would be the perfect opportunity to expose them to the world as evil Spirit Masters.
When the tournament finals arrived, their fate would be sealed.
(END CHAPTER)
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