Huo Wu stared at Tang San blankly, the scene of him wielding the Clear Sky Hammer still vivid before her eyes.
"Twin Martial Souls? A thousand-year first ring, a ten-thousand-year fourth ring? Is this your true strength? Were you hiding it throughout the entire qualifiers?" Huo Wu had lost, and she was far from reconciled.
But at this moment, she no longer had the strength to fight. Her soul power was completely drained; simply remaining on her feet was her absolute limit.
In the Godwind Academy observation area, Feng Xiaotian breathed a sigh of relief seeing that Huo Wu wasn't injured. However, his gaze toward Tang San turned heavy. He had thought that after breaking through Rank 50 to become a Soul King, his only real rival would be Gu Xuan. He hadn't expected this dark horse—Rank 49, the Clear Sky Hammer, and a soul ring configuration of three purples and one black. Even he wouldn't be certain of a total victory against such an opponent.
"I concede." Finally, Huo Wu admitted defeat. Not only her, but the entire Blazing Academy surrendered.
Tang San's revelation of the Clear Sky Hammer had proven everything. If the captain and vice-captain, Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu, couldn't last a single round, how could the others fare better? Rather than being humiliated, it was better to forfeit. They had only lost the individual duel to Tang San, not to everyone else; they could win back their points from other academies later.
Hearing Huo Wu's words, Tang San simply smiled faintly and turned his gaze toward Gu Xuan.
Gu Xuan smiled back, but internally, he was cursing. 'Why the hell are you looking at me? You're the protagonist right now! Stop looking at me before everyone else starts targeting me too!'
Maintaining his composed smile, Gu Xuan took the hands of Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and Ning Rongrong and departed, leaving the envious crowd behind.
In the VIP stands, Emperor Xue Ye's eyes burned with interest. If he could recruit Tang San, the Heaven Dou Empire might be able to establish a connection with the Clear Sky Clan. At the very least, having such a genius grow up under his banner was invaluable.
'Twin Martial Souls... and the second martial soul's lowest ring is a thousand-year grade. This kid is a total monster!'
Meanwhile, the shock in Platinum Bishop Salas's eyes was slowly transforming into a cold, murderous intent. 'Twin Martial Souls? This seemingly unremarkable brat was a dual-wielder? No, this wasn't something a commoner could possess, and he was from the Clear Sky Clan to boot. Regardless of anything else, this boy had to die.'
Salas no longer had any hesitations. 'So what if your father is the Clear Sky Douluo? Her Holiness the Pope will never allow the son of an enemy to grow up. We can't handle Tang Hao, but can't we handle a mere Soul Ancestor? A thousand-year first ring? A ten-thousand-year fourth ring? Can you beat a Titled Douluo?'
'Your old man was expelled from the Clear Sky Clan and is hiding like a turtle. You dare come out and flaunt yourself? You're going to die!'
Ning Fengzhi, watching the high-spirited Tang San, couldn't help but sigh. Even if one of the martial souls was "trash," having the Clear Sky Hammer as a foundation meant Tang San's future was secured. Moreover, Ning Fengzhi understood the mechanics of twin martial souls; for a martial soul to be inherited alongside the hammer, was that Blue Silver Grass really just "ordinary" grass?
But Ning Fengzhi didn't dwell on it. With Tang San drawing Spirit Hall's fire, it wouldn't matter if Gu Xuan showed his strength later. At most, Gu Xuan had a ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring—he was a genius, but Tang San was a "myth." Spirit Hall would prioritize Tang San first. Besides, Tang Hao's expulsion wasn't a secret among the Upper Three Sects.
'A more "monstrous" target is right there,' Ning Fengzhi thought. 'Why would they target a disciple of a major clan when an outcast's son is available? And even if they target him, Tang Hao is still the youngest Titled Douluo. A lean camel is still bigger than a horse.'
Ning Fengzhi felt that Tang San and Tang Hao could distract Spirit Hall for quite some time, allowing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to continue their low-profile development.
Tang San left the stage under the gaze of the crowd, leaving behind what he considered a very cool silhouette. Meng Yiran, acting like a loyal fan, cheered for him and dove into his arms the moment he stepped down.
Holding her, Tang San sighed inwardly. He knew that by using the hammer, his secret was out for good. But he didn't regret it. He had won, and he had tasted the "confidence" Gu Xuan spoke of. He felt the sheer power of the Clear Sky Hammer—compared to it, the Blue Silver Grass was vastly inferior. He enjoyed this feeling of dominance.
He was no longer the blacksmith's son from Holy Spirit Village. He had the Strength Clan's support, a father who was a Titled Douluo, the protection of the Dragon Duke and Serpent Woman, his teachers, and the support of Gu Xuan from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. All of this gave him the confidence to face the world.
Tang San's performance was the perfect end to the first day of the Promotion Competition. Everyone was left wanting more, eager to see the hammer's dominance and those "impossible" soul rings again.
Ironically, the very next day, Shrek Academy was set to face Godwind Academy. Many wondered if the brackets were rigged. After all, the relationship between Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu was no secret among the Five Element Academies. Huo Wu had been "bullied" yesterday, and now her man was on stage to get revenge. It was bound to be a show!
However, that match was scheduled for the afternoon. In the morning, the Seven Treasure Team was finally seeing action against one of the top five: Skywater Academy.
Both were powerhouses. Although one was ranked 1st and the other 5th in the qualifiers, the Promotion Competition was a series of 1v1 duels. A team great at group combat wasn't necessarily great at duels. It promised to be a fierce fight.
Dugu Yan chose not to take the field yet. She didn't care about individual points, and "bullying" felt boring. If she used her poison, she might end up having to beg her opponents not to die. Her Ancestor poison was nearing the "Ultimate" level; even a Soul Saint would struggle to survive a few moments after being infected. She decided to let Zuo Yan and Yang Pojun handle it.
Instead, she leaned into Gu Xuan's arms, seeking a hug. Ye Lingling and Ning Rongrong did the same. Although they got along, Dugu Yan sometimes wished she could have him all to herself.
'Sharing is so annoying,' she thought. 'Maybe I should just poison Lingling and Rongrong so they sleep for a few months while I have my fill of him...'
(End of Chapter)
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