"Pfft—"
Tang San spat out a mouthful of congested blood!
A blue-purple glow flickered on Tang Lan's forehead, and a translucent protective barrier manifested in front of him—
Vast Sea Divine Soul Barrier!
The god-tier Vast Sea Divine Eye already possessed a hint of sentience, automatically shielding its master.
Tang Lan couldn't be more satisfied.
Of course, he didn't forget to check on Tang San. Stepping forward, he channeled a surge of Nine Yang Divine Power—a full-strength dose.
Once Tang San had recovered,
he was horrified to realize—he wasn't "clean" again!
Panicking, he quickly pushed Tang Lan away.
"I-I'm fine, Brother! I just took some internal damage from the battle earlier, that's all!"
Pure nonsense.
The fight against the Emperor Battle Team had been a complete one-sided slaughter.
Tang San hadn't even engaged in close combat—where would internal injuries come from?
"Injured internally? Then you need proper treatment!" Tang Lan said with concern. "You know how effective my Nine Yang Divine Power is for healing. Let me help you!"
Tang San was so terrified that he backed away in a frenzy!
"No need! No need!"
"I'll just meditate for a bit, and I'll be fine!"
"You go ahead and handle your stuff, Brother. I'm heading back to rest!"
Then he bolted out of the room at full speed, never looking back.
He was in such a hurry that he even forgot to ask about the Eight Treasure Wishful Soft Armor.
Tang Lan sneered.
Still keeping secrets at this point? Refusing to admit anything?
Serves you right to suffer!
'Well, this actually works out.'
'If you were honest with me, handling the immortal herbs in two days would be tricky…'
'Now?'
'You won't get a single one!'
Tang Lan's eyes flickered.
He suddenly turned—
only to find a slender figure pressed against his chest.
"Ah—!"
Zhu Zhuqing let out a startled yelp.
"How did you notice me?" she asked in confusion. "Shadow Step is completely silent… That shouldn't be possible."
Tang Lan's forehead rune pulsed slightly.
"This is my new ability. I can observe everything around me with a full 360-degree view, no blind spots."
Zhu Zhuqing sighed in relief.
—Good. It wasn't that she got worse, but that Tang Lan had improved.
Then, she beamed with joy.
—Her man had become even stronger!
Leaning into Tang Lan's embrace, she gazed up at him in admiration.
"Lan… kiss me~"
Such a reasonable request—how could Tang Lan refuse?
Lowering his head, he kissed her.
His hands naturally found their proper place, and their happy time began!
The Next Day
By the time Tang Lan woke up, the beauty beside him had already left.
As expected, she had gone to train.
Stretching lazily, his entire body crackled with popping joints.
His external soul bone, the Annihilation Scorpion Left Foot, had increased his soul ring age limit by 4,000 years.
Meanwhile, the Vast Sea Divine Eye, being a god-tier external soul bone, primarily enhanced his soul and spirit power.
The most direct effect—his mental strength had skyrocketed nearly tenfold!
As for his physical body,
it only increased by a mere 12,000 years.
But it officially pushed his soul ring absorption limit to seventy thousand years!
At Soul King (Five Rings) level, he had the endurance of an EIGHT-RING Soul Douluo!
Reviewing everything,
Tang Lan had absorbed a total of seven external soul bones and one hundred-thousand-year soul bone.
Having this level of physique was completely reasonable.
After a quick wash-up,
he headed to Tai'an Cafeteria for a luxurious breakfast made by Gou Qi.
He had planned to visit the training grounds to check on everyone's progress—
but just then, a radiant-looking Liu Erlong approached, her posture swaying seductively.
Tang Lan raised an eyebrow!
Right now, Liu Erlong's expression was identical to Zhu Zhuqing's every time after their "sessions" ended.
However… judging by her steps, she hadn't lost her virginity.
So…
Did Yu Xiaogang just "rub against her" a little?
Was this considered "holding back" or "giving in"?!
No wonder he was Tang San's teacher—just as hypocritical as him.
"Patriarch." Liu Erlong bowed slightly. "The Headmistress of the Heaven Dou Empire's Court Etiquette Academy, Tang Yuehua, has come to visit."
Tang Yuehua?
Tang Hao's younger sister.
Tang Lan's aunt.
She had been silent all this time.
Now, the moment Tang Hao showed up—she came looking for him.
Her purpose was obvious.
"Where is she?"
"In the reception hall."
"Alright, you go ahead with your work."
Tang Lan rose into the air and flew toward the reception hall.
First Impressions of Tang Yuehua—
She looked no older than twenty-seven or twenty-eight,
yet her deep, knowing gaze felt as if she had seen through all the illusions of the world.
Far beyond what a twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old woman should possess.
Most notably, her aristocratic presence was even more refined than Qian Renxue's best disguises.
This was due to her innate domain—"Noble Halo."
It was also the key reason why a woman with only Rank 9 soul power was able to establish a foothold in Heaven Dou City.
She had been gathering intelligence for the Clear Sky Sect.
"Greeting, Aunt." Tang Lan greeted politely. "Father left again last night. He'll return no later than tomorrow night."
Tang Lan's directness surprised Tang Yuehua,
but she didn't probe further.
Instead, she sighed, "Second Brother really gave birth to an outstanding son."
Tang Lan simply smiled without responding.
Honestly…
They weren't close.
There was no real benefit to interacting, so he didn't see the point in small talk.
"Xiao Lan, may I call you that?" Tang Yuehua asked.
Tang Lan nodded. "You're an elder, call me whatever you like."
Seeing Tang Lan's disinterest in idle chatter,
Tang Yuehua skipped straight to the point.
"With your talent, you could easily gain the elders' approval in the Clear Sky Sect, and give Second Brother a chance to return to the clan."
"I can take you back to the Clear Sky Sect. While I can't promise everything, at the very least, you'd be able to learn the 'Clear Sky Nine Techniques.'"
"And when you become a Title Douluo one day, you'll have a great chance to inherit the Clear Sky title and learn our sect's supreme technique—'Great Xu Mi Hammer'!"
"Our eldest brother, the current sect master, would also support you."
So that's how it is…
Seeing that Tang Lan had achieved success, they wanted to pull him in.
To be honest,
the Clear Sky Nine Techniques were meaningless to Tang Lan at this point.
As for Great Xu Mi Hammer…
The core technique "Ring Explosion" was no longer essential, thanks to Destruction Power.
Rather than going to the Clear Sky Sect to be treated like an outsider,
he would rather become a Title Douluo first, then go there and beat them up.
—In this world, strength dictates everything.
"No rush," Tang Lan said politely but firmly.
"My father and I are focused on reviving my mother. We won't be leaving anytime soon."
Tang Yuehua was shocked!
She never expected someone to reject the Great Xu Mi Hammer.
And even more…
She never thought Ah Yin could be revived!
After a moment of silence, she stood up.
"When you wish to return to the sect, come find me at Moon Pavilion."
"I have some connections in Heaven Dou City. If you need anything, just let me know."
"And… don't tell Second Brother I was here. When your mother is revived, we'll meet again."
With that,
Tang Yuehua decisively left.
Tang Lan found himself impressed.
She was a smart woman.
Seeing his lack of enthusiasm, she chose to leave gracefully—
and even offered her support before parting.
No wonder she thrived among nobles.
But ultimately…
She was just a Rank 9 soul master—not much use.
Even if Tang Lan helped her cultivate, what would be the point?
Time to experiment with Ring Explosion again…
However, thanks to the effects of Destruction Power, he could now convert soul power directly into attack power.
And with Destruction Eternity, there was no need to worry about the hammer being too heavy to lift.
"My version of Ring Explosion is finally taking shape."
Tang Lan was in a great mood.
He casually strolled toward the training grounds.
As usual, Zhao Wuji was using his gravity-type soul skill,
but the number of participants had doubled since last time.
With higher levels, simple physical training was no longer effective,
so they had switched to sparring matches between Team One and Team Two.
Ning Rongrong was absent, most likely summoned back to Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Likewise, Team Two's Bai Chenxiang had yet to return.
It was a 6v6 battle.
Compared to before,
Team One had significantly increased in combat power,
having absorbed soul bones and undergone enhancements.
New Soul Bone Enhancements:
OscarSoul Bone: Devil's Claw Split Right Leg BoneSkill: Dual Casting – His sausages now spawn in pairs.Drawback: Increased consumption, but—Solution: Phoenix-Tailed Cockscomb Snake Left Leg BoneSkill: Hormone Surge – Restores 30% of his energy.Dai MubaiSoul Bone: Vajra Iron Arm Solid Left Arm BoneSkill: Vajra Iron Arm – Increases arm and palm durability.He could now block Shui Yue'er's Second Soul Skill, "Azure Wave," bare-handed—Essentially a "partial Vajra Indestructible Body."Meng YiranSoul Bone: Feilian Silver Fox Right Leg BoneSkill: Agility Boost – Increases speed by 6,000 years worth of Wind Fox agility.This significantly strengthened her as an agility-type soul master.She could now closely tail Jing Ling,who was barely holding up using Lingbo Weibu (Ripple Step).Zhu ZhuqingSoul Bone: Demon Nether Transformation Torso BoneSkill: Demon Nether Body – Transfers damage to her martial soul,until it exceeds a threshold, at which point both martial soul and soul bone enter cooldown.The damage threshold depends on martial soul quality.
And Shadow Spirit Cat's quality was extremely high—
almost on par with Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and Clear Sky Hammer.
For opponents of the same level, breaking through wouldn't happen anytime soon.
This meant that in battle,
Zhu Zhuqing no longer needed to worry about someone interrupting her sneak attacks.
The Battle Begins
With such enhancements,
Team Two—led by Shui Bing'er—was quickly overwhelmed.
Within one minute,
four of their six members were eliminated.
In desperation,
Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er activated their Martial Soul Fusion Skill—"Snowfall."
Dark clouds covered the sky.
Snowflakes descended—razor-sharp, like countless blades.
Forming a blizzard vortex,
it surged toward Team One!
"Formation!"
Tang San commanded.
Oscar and Dai Mubai descended,
while Zhu Zhuqing also returned.
Their inner power linked together,
forming the True Martial Seven Segments Formation.
With just four people,
they resisted the storm of ice and snow!
As for Meng Yiran…
She didn't know the formation.
(Because Tang Lan never allowed anyone to teach her.)
With no choice, she retreated from the battlefield.
Outside the Battle
Tang Lan landed beside Meng Yiran.
"Patriarch, I…" She hesitated.
Tang Lan knew exactly what she wanted to say.
He waved his hand, signaling her to remain silent.
Meng Yiran lowered her head in disappointment, saying nothing more.
Back to the Fight
The light shield from the True Martial Seven Segments Formation
held firm against the ruthless ice storm.
Shui Bing'er acted decisively.
She retracted the swirling snow,
condensing it into a seven-meter-long Ice-Blue Phoenix!
Standing atop its head,
she glided forward, aiming to crash into Team One!
But at that moment—
Zhu Zhuqing suddenly withdrew from the formation
and vanished into the ground—reappearing behind Shui Bing'er!
"Third Soul Skill—Repelling Ice Ring!"
A shockwave of ice energy erupted, sending Zhu Zhuqing flying backward.
(Demon Nether Body could only transfer damage, not force effects.)
This delay allowed the massive phoenix to crash directly into the formation!
"BOOM—!"
A white mist of icy fog exploded, covering the entire training ground.
Meng Yiran kept watching closely.
But Tang Lan was already shaking his head.
"Shui Bing'er got impatient."
As the fog cleared,
Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er were lying exhausted atop Tang San's Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor.
Zhu Zhuqing stood over them, her shadow claws pointed at them.
Dai Mubai, although breathing heavily,
was still standing steadily.
Post-Battle Discussion
Tang Lan walked forward,
casually dismissing everyone's greetings with a wave.
"Although the True Martial Seven Segments Formation can attack and defend,
it's only effective against physical opponents."
"For a formless elemental attack, the formation's main function is simply linking internal energy."
"Your first move—pure elemental damage—forced them into heavy defensive consumption."
"Without their soul bone-enhanced physique, they likely wouldn't have endured long and would have disbanded the formation themselves."
"That was the right moment to use your second move."
Tang Lan's analysis was sharp and precise.
Both Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er nodded repeatedly,
gazing at him with admiration.
"The Patriarch is so cool~"
Tang Lan couldn't help but chuckle.
Shui Yue'er was understandable.
But Shui Bing'er too?
"Another love-struck fool?"
"No wonder they call it Romance Continent!"
"Twin sisters… Hmm."
Important Announcement
But today, Tang Lan was here for something more important.
He scanned the group,
then called out names:
"Xiao San, Old Zhao, Zhuqing, Xiao Ao, Mubai, Bing'er, Yue'er, Jing Ling."
"Everyone except these eight, head back to the academy for regular studies.
You are excused from training this week."
Those Excluded…
Meng Yiran and the others felt awkward.
"Something good is happening… but we're not included."
Although they were unwilling,
they didn't dare question and silently left.
Special Guests
Huang Yuan hesitated, then reported—
"Patriarch, the people you asked me to bring have arrived and are settled in the academy. What now?"
Tang Lan nodded, waving him away.
Huang Yuan looked dejected but left without further question.
A Life-Changing Choice
Facing the eight remaining members,
Tang Lan pulled out a Heart of Life Soul and grinned.
"Except for Xiao San and Zhuqing,
the rest of you now have a choice."
"I can give you an opportunity—one that will guarantee you reach Title Douluo,
and for those with enough talent—even godhood is possible."
Everyone's bodies trembled!
Guaranteed Title Douluo?!
Potential godhood?!
Holy shit!
Dai Mubai instantly stepped forward—
"BUT—"
Tang Lan's voice turned serious.
"In exchange, you will be bound to me completely—sharing honor and disgrace, life and death."
"You have three minutes to decide."
"If you refuse, you can simply walk away—
there will be no punishment, and we will remain as we were."
Without hesitation,
Jing Ling—the fastest among them—declared instantly:
"Patriarch, your will is my pursuit!"
"Tsk. This icy guy is secretly quite dramatic."
Tang Lan smirked,
then shoved a Heart of Life Soul into Jing Ling's chest.
From this moment—
Unless he escaped Douluo Continent,
Jing Ling's life and death were in Tang Lan's hands.
(Chapter End)