The moment Tang Hao erupted in rage, the battle was already over.
He didn't even get the chance to unleash his Spirit Avatar. Under You Chen's piercing gaze, his eyes rolled back, and he nearly fainted on the spot.
However, his intense anger and hatred allowed him to hold on for a brief moment.
Otherwise, with Tang Hao's mental strength, coupled with his decade-long state of depression and desolation, he would have been utterly defenseless against You Chen's Soul Shackling Art.
His strong emotions did indeed let him endure for a moment longer.
But in that moment of Tang Hao's daze, You Chen swiftly closed the distance and delivered a precise chop to the back of Tang Hao's head, knocking him out cold in the most literal sense.
Tang Hao's strength was undeniable. Even among Titled Douluos, he was far from weak. He was one of the rare few at the ordinary Titled Douluo level who could hold his own against a Super Douluo.
When using the explosive secret technique of the Great Sumeru Hammer, he could even temporarily repel an Ultimate Douluo.
The Clear Sky Hammer might not excel in other areas, but in terms of sheer destructive power, it was undoubtedly among the top-tier Martial Souls, a symbol of pure brute force.
However, while possessing immense explosive power and offensive capabilities… he was also highly susceptible to being countered.
The reason was simple—all his skills were focused solely on offense.
Tang Chen, known as the Invincible of the Earth, could compensate for this weakness with his absolute soul power advantage and superior combat skills. But Tang Hao, who had been in a state of decline for over a decade, clearly could not.
Moreover, with You Chen's unparalleled mental strength in the Douluo Continent, a one-sided fighter like Tang Hao, once unable to withstand You Chen's mental attacks, became as helpless as a lamb to the slaughter, even easier to deal with than an ordinary Titled Douluo.
Looking at the task rewards that were smoothly completed along with the additional conditions after his one-strike victory, You Chen couldn't help but curl his lips into a rare, wide smile.
'This is truly an unexpected delight.'
The basic rewards went without saying.
As for the additional reward, it was rare to see another martial technique appear. Its name, if not universally known, was certainly familiar to most—"Three Parts Returning to Origin Qi."
It was none other than the signature skill of Xiong Ba from "Storm Riders."
While it was called a single technique, it could actually be seen as the fusion of three separate techniques.
It combined the enduring nature of the Wind God's Leg, the ferocity of the Cloud-Parting Palm, and the icy chill of the Frost God's Fist. These three distinct internal energies merged into one, forming a peerless martial art.
Could it be said that like father, like son?
Perhaps it was because Tang San excelled in martial arts and Tang Hao inherited the techniques of the Clear Sky Sect that the first-blood rewards they gave to You Chen were of the same category—martial techniques.
As Tang San's father, Tang Hao's importance wasn't just due to his blood relation. He was also the direct link that would lead Tang San to oppose the Spirit Hall, making him a pivotal figure throughout the story.
Additionally, as a key figure of the Clear Sky Sect and one of the continent's top powerhouses, the youngest Titled Douluo on the surface, his fate power, if not in the first tier, was certainly infinitely close to it.
Coupled with the bonuses brought by his own strength, the first-blood reward he provided couldn't possibly be ordinary.
When the system provided martial techniques with names familiar to You Chen, they couldn't be viewed as the original versions. They were essentially modified versions, and their specific strength needed to be analyzed case by case.
After instantly mastering the technique through the system, You Chen knew that "Three Parts Returning to Origin Qi" was undoubtedly a peerless divine skill, second only to "Godly Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength."
This localized version of "Three Parts Returning to Origin Qi" was divided into four levels, as usual.
Moreover, the three techniques that composed it were also divided similarly.
"Wind God's Leg," "Cloud-Parting Palm," and "Frost God's Fist." If cultivated to the Great Completion stage, condensing the special energies, they could rival a Deity Official. If perfected, reaching the level of complete control, they could contend with a Third-Rank Deity.
As for "Three Parts Returning to Origin Qi," its initial mastery wasn't about truly cultivating the Three Parts Returning to Origin Qi. Instead, it allowed You Chen to master the three techniques—Wind God's Leg, Cloud-Parting Palm, and Frost God's Fist—and understand how to condense the Three Parts Returning to Origin Qi, essentially knowing the next step.
Otherwise, the Three Parts Returning to Origin Qi was formed by the fusion of the Frost God's Fist's Frost Energy, the Cloud-Parting Palm's Void Cloud Energy, and the Wind God's Leg's Divine Wind Energy, which could only be achieved after mastering the three techniques.
By this logic, the moment You Chen obtained this technique, he had already paved the way to godhood. He realized that by following the steps diligently, he could directly attain god-level combat power.
The system clearly wasn't the type to spoon-feed You Chen like a sign-in system.
The Small Completion stage of "Three Parts Returning to Origin Qi" required cultivating all three special energies of the three techniques, then using at least one of them as the core to preliminarily condense the Three Parts Returning to Origin Qi. Just this alone was enough to rival a Third-Rank Deity.
The Great Completion stage required the three energies to complement each other completely, flowing in a cycle of three, reaching a state of endless regeneration. At this stage, one could contend with a Second-Rank Deity.
The Perfection stage required fully integrating the three ultimate techniques, achieving the "Inner Three Harmonies" of "Heart and Intent in Harmony," "Intent and Energy in Harmony," and "Energy and Power in Harmony," truly unifying the three into one, reaching the state of Heaven, Earth, and Man in harmony. Only then could one reach this stage. At this point, even among First-Rank Deities, one could be considered a top-tier powerhouse.
From the description of the technique, it was clear that the three special energies had already reached the lower limit of Divine Power.
Perfectly fusing and controlling three different Divine Power-level energies to form the Three Parts Returning to Origin Qi was beyond imagination.
At least, it far exceeded what You Chen could currently comprehend.
Although the system's description stated that even at full perfection, the Three Parts Returning to Origin Qi would only grant First-Rank Deity combat power, You Chen, with his experience of mastering the Soul Shackling Art, knew that so-called perfection could also be seen as another beginning.
With sufficient talent, one could innovate and push beyond the original limits after fully internalizing the technique.
If the Three Parts Returning to Origin Qi were cultivated to perfection, there was hope of taking it a step further and touching the realm of a God King.
However, You Chen didn't plan to make the Three Parts Returning to Origin Qi his main focus.
The reason was simple—time.
You Chen didn't have the time to start from scratch, cultivating three top-tier techniques and then integrating them.
He was already on the right path. With the same time and effort, he could achieve significant progress on his current path.
Nevertheless, this reward was still of immense value.
A peerless martial art, even if not cultivated, contained theories and mysteries that could broaden one's horizons.
The Three Parts Returning to Origin Qi not only aligned with You Chen's Three Origins theory in its final perfection stage's "Inner Three Harmonies," but its deeper state of Heaven, Earth, and Man in harmony seemed to open a new door to a whole new world for You Chen.
Moreover, the method of fusing the three energies bore a striking resemblance to the Stardust Power born from the fusion of You Chen's three types of power!
Even without directly cultivating it, this technique was a treasure trove for You Chen!
You Chen didn't plan to delve deeply into this technique, but a brief taste, experiencing its essence and cultivation wisdom, would bring him immense benefits.
'Indeed, choosing to take action against you was the right decision.'
You Chen looked at the unconscious Tang Hao with great satisfaction.
Why didn't You Chen feel any regret when he severed Bo Saixi's arm and reduced her level, losing a massive experience package—referring to a task tool?
Because from any angle, Tang Hao was a more suitable candidate for this role.
If Bo Saixi hadn't lost an arm or a leg, even You Chen wouldn't dare claim absolute victory.
Even after losing a limb, reducing her strength to the Soul Douluo level, if left under someone else's supervision, she might still escape with her high mental strength and combat experience.
Only You Chen's personal supervision could ensure absolute security.
Tang Hao, on the other hand, was different.
His mental strength was at the ordinary Titled Douluo level, only at the early stage of the Spirit Abyss Realm. Combined with his decade-long state of depression, his mental resistance was undoubtedly at the bottom among Titled Douluos.
You Chen could defeat him with just a Starlight Avatar.
Moreover, even with the Starlight Avatar acting as a medium, slightly reducing You Chen's mental strength, it was still effortless to control Tang Hao with the Soul Shackling Art.
Additionally, the Starlight Avatar's speed completely overwhelmed Tang Hao.
With these two advantages, supervising Tang Hao was no pressure for You Chen.
And with the immense fate power he carried, even if Tang Hao was only at the ordinary Titled Douluo level, the rewards he provided wouldn't be much worse than those from Bo Saixi at the Ultimate Douluo level.
This cost-effectiveness was something no other Titled Douluo could match.
With such a tool in hand, the daily rewards would be no less than occupying a large territory to gather resources.
Considering the irreplaceability of rewards like Spirit Ring Year Cards, Sudden Insights, and Reflecting on the Origin, their value in You Chen's mind wasn't inferior to that of the North Sea.
After all, he was the protagonist's father, the rarest of the rare, so it was only natural that he would drop more coins.
'Since I'm here, it wouldn't hurt to check on an old acquaintance.'
You Chen glanced in the direction of Suotuo City, stored the unconscious Tang Hao in a spirit tool capable of holding living beings, and then flew straight back to Suotuo City.
…
"Huff."
In the dormitory of Shrek Academy, a young man with an ordinary appearance and slightly tanned skin—a result of sun exposure during his childhood in the countryside—let out a sigh.
It was Tang San, who had just completed another cycle of the Mysterious Heaven Technique.
"Ha, Little San, still cultivating?"
Oscar peeked down from the upper bunk, grinning mischievously. "I'd say cultivation is about gradual progress. You're pushing yourself too hard, and it might backfire. Or is it~"
Oscar paused, winking suggestively, "Because you got beaten up by Boss Dai again, and you're trying to show off in front of your crush, so you're in such a hurry to improve?"
"Wh-what crush? Xiao Ao, you've got it all wrong… I-I just see Xiao Wu as a s-sister!"
"Huh? When did I say it was Xiao Wu?"
"No… Xiao Ao, are you out of your mind? Xiao Wu is the only girl in our academy. You can't possibly be saying I like guys, can you?"
Tang San felt as if he'd been hit where it hurt, his face flushing red as he retorted, nearly blurting out "Mom" in the process. Fortunately, he had quick reflexes and managed to twist it back, even turning the tables on Oscar with a sarcastic remark.
But then again, with a mental age of over thirty, getting flustered just from Oscar teasing him about having a crush was quite something… though it did fit Tang San's pure and innocent persona.
However, when Oscar mentioned "Boss Dai," a deep shadow flickered in Tang San's eyes.
It had been over three years since he, Yu Xiaogang, and Xiao Wu left Notting City and came to Shrek Academy.
Perhaps because his luck hadn't completely faded, by chance, they left Notting City early and arrived at Shrek Academy, which, compared to Notting City, offered a slightly better cultivation environment—mainly due to the spirit beast meat resources and the assistance of Shao Xin, the Food System Soul Saint. Tang San managed to catch up.
At this point, which was very close to the time he left Notting City in the original story, he had raised his soul power to level 28.
However, while his soul power level had caught up, the three years at Shrek Academy had been a huge blow to Tang San's confidence.
In the original story, when Tang San first met Dai Mubai, he could hold his own against him in a fair fight without using hidden weapons. But in this timeline, things were vastly different.
First, for a Soul Master, the difference between 9 and 12 years old in terms of physical development was not insignificant.
After awakening their soul power, the reason why Soul Masters experienced the most rapid growth in their teenage years was that in the early stages, a significant portion of their cultivated soul power was used to nourish their bodies, accelerating their physical maturation.
During this stage, the changes in a Soul Master's appearance and physique could be described as drastic, almost changing day by day. At 12 years old, they were nearing the end of this accelerated growth, and compared to a 9-year-old, the difference was like that between an adult and a child.
With Beast Spirits having an advantage in physical strength in the early stages, and Tang San's body not yet fully developed, he was already no match for Dai Mubai, who possessed a top-tier Beast Spirit.
Moreover…
As a member of the Star Luo Empire's royal family, Dai Mubai had received the finest training since childhood. Over the decades, the top nobles and powers had access to whale glue for foundation building, and he naturally hadn't missed out.
Regardless of how much Dai Weisheng had the upper hand over Dai Mubai in the competition for the throne, until they truly decided the winner, they were nominally competing on equal terms, and the training they received wouldn't differ.
Although Dai Mubai later fled the Star Luo Empire and came to the Heaven Dou Empire, he no longer had access to the royal family's cultivation resources, but he hadn't missed out on what came before.
When Tang San arrived here three years ago, he encountered Dai Mubai with a Spirit Ring configuration of Yellow, Purple, Purple.
The gap between them was already far greater than in the original story.
And Tang San at that time was even weaker than his original counterpart at the same stage…
The proud Tang San naturally couldn't accept being easily defeated by a peer. Losing to You Xing, whom he acknowledged, was one thing, but if just any random person could defeat him, wouldn't that mean that he, a genius from the Tang Sect, was far inferior to the locals in this otherworld!?
Filled with anger and self-doubt, Tang San naturally resorted to his true trump card—hidden weapons.
Then… he was promptly stopped by the teachers of Shrek Academy and severely reprimanded, ordered never to use such dangerous items in sparring with classmates again!
Even Flender, the academy's dean and Yu Xiaogang's old friend, earnestly advised Tang San to avoid using hidden weapons, even outside of sparring.
Tang San naturally felt extremely aggrieved.
But with the academy being run by his teacher's old friend, and with them living under someone else's roof, he had no choice but to comply.
In the end, Tang San could only swallow his resentment and seal away his hidden weapons during battles.
The result, naturally, was that over the past three years, he had never once defeated Dai Mubai.
And without Tang San displaying the strength that would make Dai Mubai take notice, the camaraderie and brotherly bond that formed in the original story couldn't possibly happen.
The reason was simple… Dai Mubai was a womanizer!
As a lustful devil, how could Dai Mubai let the blossoming Xiao Wu slip by?
Even if Tang San didn't consider himself in love with Xiao Wu, if he saw her as a mother figure, he would be even more intolerant of Dai Mubai's presence!
Over the three years, Tang San naturally clashed with Dai Mubai countless times.
Unfortunately, the absolute gap in strength wasn't something that could be bridged by sheer will.
Due to Tang Hao's early inaction, Tang San hadn't built a solid physical foundation. Moreover, because of You Chen's existence, the upper echelons of Soul Masters in this world had essentially undergone a version update, further widening the gap between them.
Without using hidden weapons, relying solely on the Blue Silver Grass, Tang San couldn't even slightly restrain Dai Mubai.
And Dai Mubai, who was stronger than in the original story, had now reached level 40 and was about to obtain his fourth Spirit Ring, while Tang San was still two levels short of level 30.
'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!'
Tang San silently stared at the Blue Silver Grass in his hand, feeling an inexplicable hatred rising within him.
'If I had cultivated the Hammer Spirit first, wouldn't things be different?'
If he had treated the Blue Silver Grass as a purely supportive Spirit, Tang San wouldn't have thought this way.
But now that he was cultivating the Blue Silver Grass as a Battle Spirit Master, it was only natural for him to think this way.
Although Yu Xiaogang constantly reassured Tang San that his future was bright, that he was on the path of a future warrior, Tang San couldn't help but feel doubt and waver in his belief in Yu Xiaogang's words.
This was only natural. No man could remain calm when the woman he loved was constantly being pursued and harassed by a man he couldn't defeat.
Even though Xiao Wu always remained cold towards Dai Mubai, Tang San grew increasingly anxious as time passed.
If they had the unbreakable bond of siblings like in the original story, Tang San might not have been so shaken.
However, in this timeline, they were merely classmates from the same place who got along slightly better.
In essence, the relationship between Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu was no different from that between Tang San and Xiao Wu.
Most importantly, compared to his own inexperienced state, in Tang San's eyes, Dai Mubai could easily get girls into bed, changing partners every few days without repeating.
Comparing his own plain appearance to Dai Mubai's handsome, roguish looks and tall, imposing figure, Tang San couldn't help but feel a sense of inferiority.
He couldn't help but worry that even if Xiao Wu hadn't been deceived by Dai Mubai's charms yet, she was still a naive girl who had never experienced love. What if one day she succumbed to Dai Mubai's seductive tricks and was lured into bed…
Just the thought of that scene made Tang San feel like he was going insane.
In reality, Xiao Wu was constantly anxious, knowing that a Titled Douluo was watching her. She no longer played around as much as before, dedicating most of her time to cultivation. She had already surpassed Dai Mubai and reached the Soul Ancestor level.
But…
How could You Chen stood silently by the window, watching Tang San toss and turn in his bed, unable to sleep. From the earlier conversation between Tang San and Oscar, You Chen had already vaguely guessed the reason behind Tang San's somewhat obsessive state. His expression remained indifferent.
He wasn't particularly surprised that Tang San had once again caught up in his cultivation progress.
He had anticipated this situation when Tang San and Yu Xiaogang left Nuoding City ahead of time.
The reason he no longer interfered was simply that, rather than creating trouble for Tang San, he preferred to focus on strengthening himself.
He felt that what he had done before was sufficient.
If Tang San could still rise to prominence, it would only prove that Tang San was, as he had predicted, under the protection of fate.
And now, Tang San had caught up to his original cultivation progress—was this fate, or merely a coincidence?
You Chen's mood grew slightly restless.
Tang San's greatest protector, Tang Hao, had already been captured by him. In theory, Tang San was now entirely at his mercy.
However, this also meant that, under normal circumstances, Tang San himself could no longer pose any threat to him.
If such a situation were to occur, it would be an anomaly, and that... could only be the power of fate.
What You Chen feared was never Tang San himself, but the elusive force of fate—a protagonist's destiny that surpassed even the final boss.
In this world, luck was a tangible existence, but fate and luck were not entirely the same.
It might exist, or it might not.
'Should I unveil the veil of fate here and now?'
You Chen couldn't help but hesitate.
Everything had been progressing smoothly according to his script, and if things continued as they were, Tang San would have no chance of turning the tables.
On the other hand, if he were to act against Tang San, the chosen one of this world, or even the cosmic child of "Sugar Plus Three Scoops," he didn't know what kind of chain reaction it might trigger.
It was possible that nothing would happen, or it could directly attract extraterrestrial demons, or so-called gods of fate.
The possibility that, despite clearly killing Tang San, Tang San might instead gain some fortuitous opportunity—You Chen could easily think of several scenarios.
The simplest would be another reincarnation. Since Tang San had already experienced one transmigration, it would be reasonable for him to experience another. This would be the most logical outcome, the least contradictory to the original storyline.
More exaggeratedly, Tang San could directly transmigrate to the main god's space, becoming the protagonist of a new fanfiction on the other side. While less likely than the former, this worst-case scenario wasn't impossible.
But like Schrödinger's cat, until the black box was truly opened, no one could know what would happen.
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