Once Tang San committed to the exchange, he finally revealed his second Martial Soul to Gu Xuan.
"Big Brother Gu, if I can obtain a torso soul bone, I will have no pressure adding soul rings to my second Martial Soul. My second soul is a tool type, called the Clear Sky Hammer," Tang San said with a smile.
When Gu Xuan heard the name "Clear Sky Hammer," he froze. His acting was so convincing that he could have won an Oscar.
"The Clear Sky Hammer? Xiao San, your second Martial Soul is the Clear Sky Hammer?!" Gu Xuan asked, sounding utterly incredulous.
Tang San nodded. Since he had decided to use it, it was bound to be exposed eventually, so he saw no reason to hide it from Gu Xuan. He raised his left hand, and a black hammer condensed in his palm—it was indeed the Clear Sky Hammer!
Gu Xuan looked shocked. "It really is the Clear Sky Hammer! I never imagined you were a member of the Clear Sky Clan. The Upper Three Sects have always been like brothers; it seems I wasn't wrong to call you my brother."
Hearing the word "brother," Tang San felt a surge of warmth. Gu Xuan acknowledged him, and he acknowledged Gu Xuan. He thought to himself that with the world's number one tool soul as his second Martial Soul, his future achievements might not surpass Gu Xuan's by much, but he certainly wouldn't be weaker.
"The Clear Sky Hammer! With four thousand-year soul rings added to it, you'll definitely create miracles in the coming matches. I might not even be your match anymore!" Gu Xuan continued to shower the hammer with praise. Flattery costs nothing, after all.
As they talked, the conversation naturally drifted toward Tang San's father being the Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao. Gu Xuan went into full "fanboy" mode. "I never knew you were from such a prestigious lineage. The Clear Sky Douluo is my idol; I hope to become a powerhouse like him one day!"
At this point, Tang San couldn't help but ask, "Big Brother Gu, what is your current soul power level? I wonder if I still have a chance to catch up to you."
Looking at Tang San's seemingly innocent expression, Gu Xuan felt no internal ripples. He smiled and replied, "I just broke through to Rank 56."
Tang San was stunned. Rank 56 at eighteen (based on Gu Xuan's fake age)? He had never heard of such talent. Even a genius like Feng Xiaotian was only Rank 49 at twenty-four.
The two finalized the details of the trade. Throughout the process, Tang San felt like he was getting the better deal and thanked Gu Xuan repeatedly. From a short-term perspective, Tang San was indeed winning, but looking at the long-term future, he was losing everything.
But it didn't matter. A soul master needed confidence. With the Clear Sky Hammer ringed, Tang San would be confident for a while—until Gu Xuan eventually crushed that confidence. Even if Tang San had a ten-thousand-year fourth ring, he wouldn't be Gu Xuan's match. Gu Xuan just had to make sure he didn't accidentally kill him and provoke Tang Hao.
Three days later, Gu Xuan delivered the soul bone. It was a 15,000-year-old Stone Armored Bear Torso Bone. It wasn't low quality; in fact, it was the "worst" one currently in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's storage, so Tang San was actually getting a bargain. Along with the bone, Gu Xuan provided the promised Soul-Restoring Pill.
Tang San immediately went into seclusion to absorb it. With the one-month break before the Promotion Competition, he, Flender, Zhao Wuji, and Liu Erlong headed to the Sunset Forest to hunt four suitable soul rings for the Clear Sky Hammer.
Meanwhile, the Grandmaster had already left for Spirit City to meet "someone." When Tang San told him this, Gu Xuan was slightly surprised but then felt amused. 'Go ahead,' he thought, 'Bibi Dong doesn't know about Tang San's twin martial souls yet. I wonder if Spirit Hall will still attempt an ambush like in the original story.'
However, Spirit Hall wouldn't target the Seven Treasure Academy. Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin would be escorting them. Chen Xin, having reached Rank 98, was confident in his ability to hide his strength unless he actually engaged in combat. Since Ning Fengzhi now possessed the Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, he required top-tier protection, and Chen Xin's presence ensured a high safety margin for the group. Unless someone like Qian Daoliu personally intervened, Chen Xin could go anywhere in the world.
Gu Xuan spent the month in a more relaxed state. Since Ning Rongrong had joined the "family," Gu Xuan had discussed it with Ning Fengzhi when he went to fetch the soul bone. He expected hesitation, but instead, they ended up engaged as well. The only condition was that since Rongrong was the heir to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, if their future child inherited the Pagoda, they would have to take the Ning surname. Gu Xuan agreed easily; whether they'd even stay on the Douluo Continent in the future was uncertain.
Because Gu Xuan brought back the manufacturing methods for the hidden weapons, Ning Fengzhi immediately began production. He even sent a Titled Douluo to Gengxin City to invite Lou Gao, one of the three Divine Craftsmen. Lou Gao was overwhelmed by the respect shown by Ning Fengzhi—blacksmiths were considered low-class, yet a clan leader had sent a Titled Douluo to fetch him. After seeing the blueprints, Lou Gao was so enthralled by the designs that he was willing to work for free.
Ning Fengzhi brought Lou Gao and a group of master blacksmiths to the clan secretly. They worked day and night, even researching newer equipment, while the public was told Lou Gao was away searching for materials.
Gu Xuan spent his days with his three fiancées, cultivating and strengthening their bonds. He practiced restraint, knowing that these were crucial years for his cultivation. He thought to himself, 'I'll have plenty of time for a life of luxury in a few years. How am I supposed to handle three wives anyway?'
'It's truly a case of the parched dying of thirst and the flooded drowning,' he mused. He could almost imagine Yu Tianheng crying in a corner somewhere.
And just like that, the month passed. The Promotion Competition was about to begin.
(End of Chapter)
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