After dodging another swipe from Hao Yue, Tang San suddenly dashed toward Mu Tian. His figure flickered like a ghost. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of him.
His clenched fist radiated a frosty white sheen—his palm coated in the Mysterious Jade Hand.
Originally developed by the Tang Sect to protect disciples from poison, the technique also drastically increased defensive power and hardened the hands like fine jade. It wasn't just for defense—it made for a devastating offensive weapon too.
Mu Tian couldn't react to Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, but when he saw Tang San's approaching fist, he smirked arrogantly.
"You're not dodging?" Tang San asked coldly, while remaining inwardly alert.
Even so, he didn't hesitate—he struck.
Even if Mu Tian had a trap prepared, Tang San was confident he could recover quickly using Endless Life.
Bang!
The punch halted—stopped three inches from Mu Tian's face. It was as if an invisible wall had blocked it.
Tang San immediately retreated. Behind him, Hao Yue had already charged back into range. He had no choice but to reengage with the beast.
But his mind spun.
That wasn't a missed strike. That was an impenetrable defense. Almost like an aura... a protective shell. Why?
Mu Tian laughed, smug."Don't bother attacking me directly. Once I release my martial soul, Hao Yue and I share a connection. I can borrow its defense. If you can't hurt it, you can't hurt me."
He added with a sneer,"Oh, and one more thing. Hao Yue can absorb the energy of heaven and earth. As long as I don't use active soul skills, I consume no soul power at all."
Tang San's heart sank.
This thing… it's not just a martial soul, is it? It absorbs natural energy? Doesn't require meditation to recover?
It was behaving less like a soul-bound spirit and more like…
A living creature.A parasite with its own will.
No, more than that—it was likely that Austin Griffin, the God of Condemnation, had chosen Mu Tian as a host, nothing more. Just a vessel to help it grow.
Tang San's thoughts were rapid but sharp.
This Hao Yue can't be left unchecked.
He dodged another sweep from the beast's claws and sent a silent command through the Blue Silver Grass he'd embedded in the ground earlier. In an instant, the Endless Grass Field erupted.
Dozens, then hundreds of Blue Silver Grass strands surged upward—coiling around Hao Yue's limbs, torso, and neck.
But Hao Yue was monstrously strong. It tore apart the first wave of vines with brute force. However, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass wasn't limited. The roots reached deep into the earth—anchored, regenerative, and inexhaustible.
Even a so-called God couldn't overcome the entire earth's vitality.
"Roar!"Hao Yue bellowed and spat a blast of fire, incinerating half the field.
But fire could only burn what was on the surface. The roots underground remained untouched.
And so long as the roots lived—the grass would never die.
"Even weeds can fight back," Tang San muttered."And on its home turf, Blue Silver Grass can compete even with Hao Yue."
His second soul ring lit up. Purple light shimmered across his body.
The vines surged again, binding Hao Yue tighter. From the shade of the grass leaves, countless microscopic seeds floated into the air, carried invisibly toward Mu Tian and Hao Yue.
They had to breathe, didn't they?
And so they inhaled—the negative buff seeds.
Suddenly, both Hao Yue and Mu Tian staggered.
Their strength, speed, reaction time, and spiritual clarity all dropped by more than twenty percent.
"What the hell is this soul skill?" Mu Tian gasped. His limbs felt heavy. His breathing was labored. His energy had plummeted.
Tang San gave no answer.
Instead, he observed. Hao Yue, now weakened, still fought against the vines, tearing through them—but Tang San could tell:
This thing's durability… it's beyond the Blue Silver Emperor. But it has a weakness. I just need to find it.
His eyes narrowed.
It's time to end this.
Taking advantage of Hao Yue's distraction, Tang San darted forward again, weaving through the vines with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. He slid under Hao Yue's massive body.
There—beneath the scales—he saw it. A patch of softer underbelly.
His left hand clenched—not around air, but around the Haotian Hammer, not fully released, hidden within his palm. With the Mysterious Jade Hand, he channeled nearly all his soul power into one strike.
Boom!
The punch landed.
It struck the soft spot on Hao Yue's abdomen with terrifying force—backed by Tang San's soul power and the residual destructive will of the Haotian Hammer.
The three-meter-long beast was blasted into the air, flying several meters before crashing down, then dissipating into motes of light.
Poof!
Mu Tian staggered. His face turned white, blood trickling from his lips.
He collapsed.
"The outcome has been decided!" the Soul Saint announced sharply, stepping in to halt the fight.
Tang San let out a silent breath.
He had missed the best chance to kill Mu Tian—but that was fine.
His left hand still tingled. When he had struck Hao Yue, he'd felt something pour into him—a strange, dark energy that didn't belong to his Blue Silver Grass.
It had flowed into the Haotian Hammer.
Tang San's eyes narrowed.
Could it be… Austin Griffin has given up on Mu Tian… and chosen to transfer itself to the Haotian Hammer?
It would make sense.
Tang San had already envisioned two paths for his martial souls:Blue Silver Grass would take the path of life.Haotian Hammer would follow the path of destruction.
What better host for the God of Condemnation?
But taming such a force would not be easy.
Still… if the transfer succeeded…
Then Mu Tian's so-called "martial soul" would be empty. Just a shell. A disengaging-type martial soul with no spirit within.
"Thank you for your concession." Tang San cupped his hands and stepped back.
His previous plan to slaughter the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan team was abandoned. It had never been a reliable plan anyway.
Sure, the Nine-Jointed Jade could poison the Soul Saint, but could Tang San avoid that Soul Saint's final blow? Even if he did, would he survive it?
Now that Austin Griffin had seemingly chosen him, Mu Tian was no longer a threat.
—
"You're amazing!" Ning Rongrong walked up to him, completely ignoring Mu Tian.
She handed him two soul cards.
"I, Ning Rongrong, always keep my word. You won. That's twenty thousand gold soul coins. They're yours."
"Thank you for your generosity, young miss," Tang San said as he accepted them with a nod.
"Mmm~" Ning Rongrong smiled with satisfaction. "I like hearing that."
Behind her, Mu Tian had already staggered back to his feet.Blood on his sleeve, eyes burning with unwillingness.
"Tang San, just you wait! One day, I'll defeat you!"
Tang San raised an eyebrow. He looked at Mu Tian for a long moment, then his gaze turned cold.
He spoke slowly, borrowing a line from a different life.
"Those who've been surpassed by me… are no longer my opponents. I'll give you time to catch up—until you can't even see my back."
Hiss——
The Soul Saint beside them inhaled sharply.
How confident is this boy?!
But he had to admit… Tang San had earned it.
Mu Tian had a powerful martial soul—one that could rival the sect's elites. And yet, Tang San's martial soul was none other than the notoriously useless Blue Silver Grass.
And yet, here he was. Just six or seven years old, already a Great Soul Master, with a thousand-year second soul ring. That kind of progress… was not just effort.
It was talent. Willpower. Strategy. Insight.
He was respectful, yet proud. Humble, but confident. A true genius who could reach the very peak of the soul master world.
And Mu Tian?
He just had a good martial soul.
Shi Hao: ...Excuse me?! 😤