Tang San's body involuntarily staggered back several steps, only managing to steady himself at the edge of the stage.
Like a raging tidal wave, the moment this burly old man appeared, an overwhelming and violent pressure flooded every part of Tang San's body. He could even hear the faint creaking of his bones under the weight.
"You little brat! On the stage, you actually used such a sinister and deadly technique, nearly killing my grandson. Daring to offend me, Titan—are you tired of living?"
Titan glared at Tai Long, whose body was bruised all over. His heart was a storm of fury and fear: had he not come to check on his grandson today, even a moment's delay and Tai Long would've been minced to a pulp by those piercing Blue Silver Grass thorns.
"Senior, you're mistaken. Tai Long and I were simply having a sparring match. Just a moment ago, he could still break through my attack—I didn't expect him to lose the ability to fight so suddenly. Thankfully, you stepped in when you did, or I would've made a terrible mistake." Feeling the soul power of a Soul Douluo pressing against him, Tang San's eyes flickered, and he quickly explained.
The people of Douluo Continent were never particularly sharp. Tang San's excuse had no obvious flaw, and his tone was earnest enough that a soft-hearted person might have been fooled.
But Titan was no fool. He was the number one follower of the Clear Sky Sect, known for being just as overbearing and unreasonable as the sect itself. Now that his grandson was seriously injured, how could Titan possibly let this slide?
He passed Tai Long, who was severely injured, into the hands of the healing soul master Jiang Zhu below the stage. Then he turned to Tang San with a menacing look.
"Sparring? Using such a deadly technique counts as sparring? I, Titan the Herculean God, would like to spar with you myself."
Before Tang San could reply, Titan's overwhelming aura sealed off the entire arena.
To the spectators below, the air around the two seemed to constantly distort. With each ripple of pressure, Tang San felt like his body would be crushed into dust.
Most soul masters had a specialization in their cultivation, but no matter how focused, it was rare for every spirit ring to enhance only one attribute.
Take Tang San for example—his Blue Silver Grass martial spirit, enhanced with beast-type spirit rings, was geared toward resilience and control. But aside from toughness, it also had poison, blood-sucking, barbs, spider web—various traits revolving around its core control function.
Titan, on the other hand, focused purely on power. Every single one of his spirit rings came from the same type of spirit beast, all enhancing strength alone. Although this made obtaining spirit rings exponentially more difficult, it also pushed his physical power to its absolute peak. His oppressive aura was similar to Zhao Wuji's, making every movement of Tang San's incredibly difficult.
Titan sneered, his wrinkles folding over one another, and said fiercely, "I won't bully a junior. You have one stick of incense's time. If you can withstand me for that long, I'll spare your life. If not, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Titan's words chilled Tang San to the bone.
Even an ordinary person could hear the killing intent. Let alone Tang San, a trained assassin—facing a Soul Douluo fifty levels above him, how could he possibly endure a stick of incense's time?
Tang San's expression darkened. 'I was too reckless today. I could've dealt with Tai Long in secret later, but I lost my cool after that one provocation. Why do I always lose control when it comes to Xiao Wu?'
Still, facing life and death, he didn't regret it. As long as it was for Xiao Wu, it was all worth it. He blamed this misstep on bad luck—of all times, Titan had to be present.
With an 86th-level Soul Douluo in front of him, there was no chance of escape.
But having lived two lives and survived countless brushes with death, he immediately thought of a way out: endure. As long as he could hold out for the duration of one incense stick, the teachers from Shrek Academy would intervene.
Titan stepped forward slowly, and the closer he got, the more suffocating his aura became.
Tang San knew he could no longer hold back. His eyes narrowed, and the fabric on his back shredded as eight pitch-black spider legs burst out and dug firmly into the ground. For the first time, he used the external soul bone Eight Spider Lances in the arena—to resist Titan's soul pressure.
When the Eight Spider Lances appeared, both Titan and the crowd below showed expressions of horror.
They didn't recognize the legendary external soul bone—they were simply stunned by Tang San's grotesque appearance. The Blue Silver Grass, dark red and thorny from absorbing many sinister beast rings, writhed like worms, nauseating to watch.
The Eight Spider Lances matched the Blue Silver Grass perfectly in their eerie design, black and bristling with spikes. Combined, they looked more sinister than even Bibi Dong's martial spirit.
"Just from your appearance, you're clearly up to no good. You dare try to kill someone in public? If I don't kill you today, you'll become a scourge to the soul master world." With that, Titan strode forward and stopped in front of Tang San, his energy roaring even more fiercely.
Tang San panted heavily, saying nothing. His gaze turned dark and cold, nearly dripping with fury. Standing face-to-face with a Soul Douluo, even with the Eight Spider Lances supporting him, his knees nearly gave out.
At such a range, Titan didn't even need to make a move. His aura alone could kill.
But in Titan's eyes, after what Tang San did to his grandson, he had to make a move to ease his rage. Without warning, he slapped down.
The strike looked simple, but under Titan's soul power lock, Tang San couldn't dodge even if he wanted to.
Facing death, Tang San's hatred surged. 'Why does someone like Titan get to have such power and backing? Why is my father just a powerless blacksmith? Why do I have to rely only on myself?'
With a flick of his thoughts, a small black hammer appeared in his hand. Though it looked small, the Clear Sky Hammer weighed at least a hundred pounds. Tang San had already learned part of the Random Cloak Hammer Technique, and even a casual strike from him could kill a regular soul master.
With a push from his Eight Spider Lances and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step, Tang San twisted his waist and channeled all his strength into the hammer, swinging it toward Titan's palm.
But this full-force strike, in front of an 89th-level strength-type soul master, was child's play—Titan casually caught it.
Tang San had expected that. He knew the Clear Sky Hammer without any spirit rings couldn't hurt Titan. All he needed was a moment of resistance.
The real kill was the hidden weapon. While swinging the hammer, his other hand had already reached into his Twenty-Four Bridge Moonlit Night, drawing out a strange weapon.
If he could hit Titan, it'd surely cause a commotion and bring Shrek's teachers running. If he could delay him even a little, he might have a chance to escape in the chaos.
But unexpectedly, Titan didn't continue attacking. Instead, he gently asked, "A mysterious plant spirit... and the Clear Sky Hammer. Boy, who is your father?"
With that, the immense Soul Douluo pressure vanished. Tang San felt like he'd just come back from hell.
"My father?" Tang San subtly hid the hidden weapon behind his back and cautiously replied, "My father's name is Tang Hao. He's just a blacksmith from a village... I don't even know where he is now. Senior, do you know him?"
Just as he suspected, Titan sighed heavily and looked at his wounded grandson.
Although Tai Long's surface injuries were healed, he had lost a lot of life force from Tang San's Blue Silver Grass. His complexion was pale, the poison in his system not fatal but severely weakening him. He kept coughing up blood, and if not treated further, he'd likely be crippled.
Even worse, the Dragon Beard Needles embedded in his body had yet to be removed. The pain from the wires twisting in his muscles made Tai Long wail non-stop. Even a powerful soul master like the Unmovable King would struggle with this weapon, let alone a mere Soul Ancestor like Tai Long.
Faced with the choice between his grandson and his master, Titan made his decision instantly. In front of countless students, he knelt on one knee before Tang San and bowed deeply.
"A blacksmith... Has Master fallen to such a state?" Tears streamed from Titan's old eyes. Choking with emotion, he bowed low. "This old servant Titan greets the Young Master. Do you know where Master is now?"
Tang Hao's disheveled, drunken image flashed through Tang San's mind. He found it hard to believe that his alcoholic, sloppy father—who even needed a child to care for him—would be addressed as "Master" by a Soul Douluo.
Titan's behavior sent a shockwave through the Blue Tyrant Academy students. Just moments ago, this man had tried to kill Tang San—now he was kneeling to him?
Even Tai Long's eyes widened in disbelief. His grandfather had just knelt to Tang San? How could he show his face at school ever again? But as Titan held absolute authority within the Strength Clan, he could only lie there and play dead.
"My father is just a blacksmith. Do you really know him?" Tang San had completely shed his earlier arrogance from when he'd attacked Tai Long. He now looked humble and respectful, like an obedient junior.
Titan glanced at the stunned onlookers and calmed himself. After a moment, he gently grasped Tang San's hand, the one holding the Clear Sky Hammer, and said seriously, "Young Master, let's go somewhere quiet. I'll explain everything."
He didn't spare a glance at his heavily injured grandson and walked out of the Blue Tyrant Arena with Tang San in tow.
Blue Tyrant Academy was situated within the Blue Tyrant Forest, surrounded by centuries-old trees and thick greenery, making it one of the few tranquil places in Heaven Dou City.
They didn't walk far before crossing the boundary into the forest. There were no students here, only the sounds of insects and birds, making the atmosphere even more serene.
Deep in the forest, Titan finally spoke, "Young Master, you may not know, but that hammer you used just now is the exclusive martial spirit of the Clear Sky Sect—the strongest sect in the world. Anyone who possesses it must be of Clear Sky blood. The twin stars of the previous generation, the youngest titled Douluo ever—Tang Hao—is your father."
Tang San's doubts were mostly resolved. He was now sure: his useless, drunken father was none other than the legendary Clear Sky Douluo. He was not some random farmer's child—he was heir to the strongest sect in the world.
Tang San's lips curled into a faint smile. 'No wonder I'm so talented. Regular people don't even have spirit power—how could I be the same as them?'
"But even if my father is the Clear Sky Douluo, why do you call me Young Master?" he asked, now calm, facing this powerful elder.
"I am the clan leader of the Strength Clan. Our clan has always served the Clear Sky Sect. Your father, the Clear Sky Douluo, was the next appointed sect master. So naturally, I call you Young Master." Titan replied with utmost respect.
Joy flooded Tang San's heart. It was as if he just learned that his father, who made 3000 yuan a month, was actually a secret billionaire, and now all the CEOs who once looked down on him were groveling before him as loyal subordinates.
While they were silent, a tall man in black robes slowly emerged from the forest and approached.
"Master!!"
"Dad!!"
Titan and Tang San cried out in unison.
"Titan, it's been a long time. I'll explain the rest to Xiao San myself." The man removed his hood, revealing a face full of stubble and age. He looked at Titan with undisguised praise—a reward for his loyalty.
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Meanwhile, during Tang San's duel with Tai Long…
Zhu Zhuqing ran back to the girls' dorm. Seeing Xiao Wu tossing and turning in bed, she urgently said, "Xiao Wu, stop sleeping! Tai Long and San-ge are fighting—you'd better go check it out!"
(End of Chapter)
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