In the end, the raging storm was forcefully shattered by the final strike of Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique. Feng Xiaotian's figure was blasted out of the violent gale. The clash had already determined the outcome—the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique had overpowered Feng Xiaotian's Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes.
Tang San was panting heavily. Even though he had the upper hand in the previous exchange, he had consumed a great deal of energy.
But when he saw Feng Xiaotian clutching his chest and lowering his head, looking as if he had suffered a heavy injury—though his face wasn't visible—Tang San's heart was filled with pride. Smugly, he said:
"I admit, the soul skill you created is indeed quite unique. Unfortunately, what you encountered was the secret technique of my Clear Sky Hammer, the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique. In front of my ultimate art, your self-created soul skill is nothing but trash."
At the end of his words, Tang San arrogantly rested the Clear Sky Hammer on his shoulder, striking a pose meant to look handsome.
Inside, he thought: This match is clearly my victory. With absolute strength, a Soul Sect has counterattacked and defeated a Soul King. This time, Xiao Wu will definitely be captivated by my dominance. She must be deeply enchanted by her San-gege on this Spirit Battle Stage… she must!
Even though the previous duel had pushed Tang San to his limits, this was the most proud and dazzling moment of his life. He had finally won a match through sheer head-on strength. The exhilaration surpassed even that of his earlier seven consecutive victories.
Just as Tang San was about to put away the Clear Sky Hammer, stretch his ape-like arms, pound his chest, and roar to proclaim his victory, Feng Xiaotian suddenly raised his head. With a playful smile, he dusted off the sleeve of his slightly dirtied clothes from their earlier clash. His voice was filled with admiration as he said:
"To actually break through my Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes—as expected of the secret technique the seniors of the Clear Sky Sect created for the Clear Sky Hammer, the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique. I, Feng Xiaotian, must admit I'm inferior. But since that's the case… it seems I must bring out my true skill."
As he spoke, a storm even more violent than before suddenly erupted around him, engulfing the entire arena. Feng Xiaotian's voice echoed within the storm, moving about like a ghost amidst the howling wind:
"Let me show you the latter part of the Gale Double-Headed Demon Wolf's self-created soul skill—another Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes!"
His voice came from all directions within the storm.
Tang San froze in place, dumbfounded.
What!? There's another Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes!? No… no way! Where did you get another thirty-six?!
You—you've got to be kidding me! Reborn into another life, not only have you not lost in soul power and your self-created skill, but you've actually expanded it to seventy-two slashes? Why!? Why must you be so outstanding!? I'm supposed to be the Child of Destiny of this era—
Even though he didn't want to believe it, Tang San had no choice but to raise the Clear Sky Hammer and continue stacking strikes with the Disorder Splitting Wind.
Very quickly, the first of Feng Xiaotian's extended slashes struck out from the storm. Tang San swung his Clear Sky Hammer to meet it. When the techniques collided, his body was sent flying more than ten meters before he barely managed to stabilize himself. In this clash, he was clearly at a disadvantage.
Staring at the hand gripping the Clear Sky Hammer, Tang San's eyes were full of disbelief. How… how could this be possible?
But he quickly reassured himself—each added swing of the Clear Sky Hammer granted a greater boost than Feng Xiaotian's slashes. With that thought, his confidence rose again and he charged forward once more.
The second impact sent Tang San flying even farther. He almost crashed to the ground, unable to rise.
Both self-created techniques continued stacking with each exchange, but Tang San could clearly feel that the power his Disorder Splitting Wind accumulated was far less than Feng Xiaotian's consecutive slashes.
When he thought about how he was uglier, shorter, weaker than Feng Xiaotian—and now even his soul skill was inferior—Tang San simply could not accept it. He roared furiously:
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Grabbing his Clear Sky Hammer, he charged headlong once more. But in the next collision, he was smashed into the Spirit Battle Stage like a dead dog, the arena itself cracking from the impact.
Struggling, Tang San stood up again, only to be knocked away once more—each blow heavier than the last.
Finally, by the ninth clash, Tang San could no longer hold on. His soul power was completely exhausted.
Feng Xiaotian landed gracefully in front of him, looking down condescendingly:
"You little brat, looks like you can't do it. I've got thirty-six more slashes in this set—you only managed to take nine. What about the other twenty-seven? Don't tell me you've gone impotent already?"
"You—" Tang San gritted his teeth and clutched the Clear Sky Hammer… but with a sudden swish, it vanished. His depleted soul power could no longer sustain the weapon's existence.
"So what if you're spent? Just admit it." Feng Xiaotian said calmly. "You've already lost."
Tang San lowered his head. He didn't want to admit it, but he no longer had the strength to resist.
"Remember the wager we made before the match?"
Tang San looked around. The stands were full of spectators. Remembering the terms of the wager, his heart twisted painfully. Am I really going to do this in front of everyone…?
From the sidelines, a mocking voice called out—it was Yu Tianheng:
"Hey, Dark San, don't forget this bet was made between you and Brother Xiaotian in front of Xiao Wu. But if you want to break the deal, that's fine too. After all, it wouldn't be the first time you've broken your word, right? Isn't that so, Xiao Wu?"
"Ah Heng, don't say that about San-gege. No matter what, San-ge is still Xiao Wu's gege," Xiao Wu replied softly.
Tang San turned his head. At the edge of the stage stood Xiao Wu and Yu Tianheng.
Yu Tianheng's reminder hit him like a hammer—this wager had Xiao Wu as a witness.
Thinking of that, Tang San clenched his eyes shut. In his heart, he repeated to himself: I cannot become someone untrustworthy in Xiao Wu's eyes. I cannot!
With that thought, he opened his eyes again, bloodshot, panting heavily like an ox.
"It's just a wager, right? Fine. I'll do it."
Saying so, Tang San knelt down before Feng Xiaotian. Raising his charred-black head, he cried out:
"Grandpa, I was wrong! Grandpa!"
"Hahahaha!" Feng Xiaotian burst into hearty laughter.
"Alright, Grandpa forgives you."
He reached out, ruffling Tang San's head like a child's.
"After all, you are Xiao Wu's gege. How could Grandpa make things too hard for you? Come on, get up."
Helping Tang San to his feet, Feng Xiaotian added with a grin:
"In the future, when Xiao Wu and I are married, on our wedding night, I'll still need you to stand guard outside our door!"
Guard duty?
Hearing this, Tang San spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed unconscious on the spot.
When Tang San woke up, he was lying in Shrek's resting room. There was no one else around. It took him a long moment before he realized what had happened earlier.
He had lost to Feng Xiaotian in the match, been forced to fulfill the wager, and even fainted after being humiliated by him.
Thinking back on Feng Xiaotian's final words, Tang San's eyes turned red, and his breath grew heavy like an enraged bull.
He dares to covet Xiao Wu, and even wants me to guard the gate for them??? Feng Xiaotian, you're not worthy! Xiao Wu is mine. I am the future Asura God of the Douluo Continent. You've already chosen the path of death. Just wait—today's humiliation, I, Tang San, will return a hundredfold in the future.
After a while, the door opened, and a badly injured Dai Mubai was carried inside.
Seeing that Tang San had woken, Dai Mubai's face filled with guilt. He said, "I'm sorry, San. I originally wanted to defeat Feng Xiaotian to avenge you, but who would've thought his self-created soul skill would be so strong?"
Tang San's expression darkened. He forced himself to say, "No, it's fine, Mubai. You already did your best."
Not long after, Ma Hongjun was also carried in, battered all over.
"Fatty, you lost too? Did you at least beat Feng Xiaotian?" Dai Mubai asked.
Ma Hongjun shook his head dispiritedly. "Boss Dai, San, I'm sorry… I lost. Feng Xiaotian is still on the field."
Hearing this, Tang San felt a wave of unease. He asked, "Who's going up next?"
"San, did you forget? It's Tai Long, your little follower," Dai Mubai replied.
"Tai Long??" Tang San turned to Ma Hongjun. "You were the last one carried in. What's Feng Xiaotian's current condition? Can Tai Long win?"
Ma Hongjun scratched his head. "San… I'm not really sure."
Tang San didn't want Tai Long to lose, but could Tai Long really defeat Feng Xiaotian? Even Tang San himself didn't believe it.
And soon, the outcome Tang San dreaded most arrived—Tai Long was carried in as well. In the end, he too had been eliminated by Feng Xiaotian.
At that moment, Tang San's last shred of hope died.
All of Shrek's "Tang San faction" had been completely wiped out—and all at the hands of Feng Xiaotian. Four people defeated in a row! It was utter humiliation.
Now, Shrek's situation was extremely precarious. Only three team members remained.
Tang San asked, "Mubai, who are the ones left to go on stage?"
"San, don't you remember? Next is Yu Tianheng, then Er Ming, and last is sister-in-law Xiao Wu," Dai Mubai answered.
Tang San froze, then recalled. Before the match, the roster had been arranged by him personally.
In Tang San's plan, since the Windfire Team wasn't fighting as a group, aside from Feng Xiaotian, the other members weren't a threat. His plan was: he would go first, eliminate Feng Xiaotian, then take out another two opponents before stepping down. With Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun's strength, they could finish off several more, and Tai Long would close the match.
As for putting Er Ming and Yu Tianheng at the end, it was deliberately arranged so they wouldn't have the chance to shine.
But now, his carefully planned roster had collapsed. His four "Tang family members" had been completely crushed by Feng Xiaotian alone. And now… Yu Tianheng was the one going up.
For Shrek's honor, Yu Tianheng couldn't afford to lose. Yet deep inside, Tang San secretly hoped Yu Tianheng would lose. Otherwise, what would that mean? Feng Xiaotian would fall with honor, Yu Tianheng would reverse Shrek's desperate situation, becoming the hero—while Tang San would be reduced to a clown? No—the one destined to be the savior should be Tang San himself. Yu Tianheng? He wasn't worthy!
However… Yu Tianheng still hadn't been carried back to the rest room. Tang San's unease grew heavier.
No way… Yu Tianheng and Er Ming have to face seven opponents. There's no way they could actually win, right?
At that moment, the door opened, light spilling inside. Tang San and the others looked over—and saw two figures standing there: Er Ming and Yu Tianheng!
Yu Tianheng strode in, stopped before Tang San, and said smugly, "Yo, San, I've got good news for you. I defeated Feng Xiaotian, then went on to beat four more members of Windfire Academy in succession—pulling off a shocking reversal. The last two were taken down by Er Ming. In the end, Shrek Academy won the match!"
Tang San's face, already dark as coal, turned even blacker—like crude oil.
Er Ming added with relief, "That match was truly dangerous. They still had seven people left, while we only had three. I really thought we'd lose. If not for Tianheng's extraordinary performance—defeating five enemies in a row and reversing the tide—we wouldn't have made it."
Stretching his muscles, Yu Tianheng sighed dramatically, "What could I do? After all, some incompetent fly-dancer carrying his snot-hammer set a terrible start, letting our Shrek team get wiped four in a row. What a disgrace. For Shrek's glory, I had no choice but to step in, give it my all, and turn the tide!"
Er Ming sneered at Tang San, adding sarcastically, "Before the match, you were all arrogant, running off to make wagers, and then you lost. You even kneeled before everyone and called someone else 'Grandpa.' Truly shameful! You almost ruined Shrek's reputation. Thankfully, Tianheng stepped up in time. Otherwise, I'd be embarrassed to even say I'm one of Shrek's Seven Monsters."
Tang San stayed silent, his face blackened so dark his features could barely be seen—like a black hole.
Dai Mubai, unwilling to concede, said, "Yu Tianheng, Windfire's true strength lies only in Feng Xiaotian. If we four hadn't worn him down beforehand, could you have won so easily?"
"Oh? Still not convinced?" Er Ming said with a laugh. "You four got taken out one after another, and you call that wearing him down? Why don't you just say you eliminated him directly then? Otherwise, Tianheng wouldn't have even needed to go in to 'clean up the mess.' Excuses won't change the fact—you're just useless trash. And Tang San, you—what a shameless waste. How can you still have the face to call yourself Xiao Wu's 'giegie'?!"
"Our San is… he's…" Dai Mubai stammered, trying to defend Tang San, but couldn't find the words.
"Enough, Mubai!" Tang San cut him off, his face black with rage. He turned to Yu Tianheng and said, "Yu Tianheng, Er Ming—this round I lost, you two won. A loss is a loss, and I, Tang San, admit it—"
At that point, he clenched his fists tightly, his eyes bloodshot, and roared at Yu Tianheng, "—But Yu Tianheng, don't celebrate too soon! I lost this time, but next time we'll compete again. Let's see who has the last laugh!"
Because of his injuries, Tang San had to miss the next few ranking matches. During this period, Shrek's opponents weren't particularly strong, so Tang San could only sit awkwardly in the stands while Yu Tianheng and Er Ming showed off their power in the Soul Arena.
In one match, Yu Tianheng—already at the Soul King level—once again pulled off the feat of a seven-man sweep. Descending proudly from the stage, he swaggered up to Tang San, who wore an expression like he was constipated, and sneered:
"Did you see that, loser? It's not that Shrek is weak—it's you who's weak. You're just a piece of trash. I really don't know how you have the face to keep clinging to the captain's position."
Tang San's body trembled violently. His eyes turned red, his breathing grew rapid. Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun quickly pressed him down.
"San, calm down! Xiao Wu's watching," they reminded him.
Under his teammates' persuasion, Tang San gradually cooled down. He snorted coldly:
"Hmph. Yu Tianheng, your opponent today was just a weak squad with three Soul Sects and four Soul Elders. What's there to be so proud of? Just in time—my injuries are healed. Tomorrow I'll take the lead. I'll show you my real ability."
"Your real ability?" Yu Tianheng grinned. "You mean that snot hammer's third and fourth spirit skills? Ooooh, so scary~. Hey, Er Ming, what do you think Tang San's third and fourth skills are?"
Er Ming chuckled: "Let me guess… maybe 'Snot Overhead Smash' and 'Snot Prison'? Hahahaha!"
"HAHAHAHA!" Yu Tianheng laughed so hard his stomach hurt. He mocked further:
"Little loser, you'd better hope tomorrow's opponents are a team of neat-freak girls. Only then could your disgusting spirit skills unleash their full 'mental attack' effect."
Watching the two laugh uncontrollably, Tang San's already dark face was now as black as a void, his features almost lost in the shadow.
Just wait… You just wait. I'll make you regret ever messing with me, Tang San cursed inwardly, his heart full of resentment.
Flander, meanwhile, addressed the group seriously:
"Tomorrow's ranking match is against the Spark Team. Every one of their members is extremely strong. In the battle, give it everything you've got. If we win, that's naturally best. If we lose, don't let it weigh you down. A single defeat doesn't matter. What truly determines victory isn't now. As for the rest—it's up to how you arrange yourselves tomorrow."
When Flander left, Tang San's black face twisted into another constipated expression.
Inside, he was already swearing furiously: Damn it! Why is it that when I'm absent or injured, Yu Tianheng gets matched against weaklings who can't even field a full set of Soul Sects? But the moment I'm fit to fight again, the opponents are all top-tier teams full of strong soul masters?!
"Hey, little loser, did you eat too many sweet potatoes yesterday? Why do you look so constipated?" Er Ming asked.
Yu Tianheng added, "Don't tell me you're scared. After all, it's the Spark Team—the team that's already beaten Shrek twice. It'd be normal for you to have a bit of psychological shadow."
Er Ming grinned: "It's fine if you're scared. Just sit back and watch tomorrow. Tianheng and I will handle it."
"Who said I'm scared?" Tang San clenched his fists tightly. "Tomorrow we'll stick to the original plan: I go first, Dai Mubai second, Yu Tianheng third, Er Ming fourth, Ma Hongjun fifth, Tai Long sixth, and Xiao Wu seventh."
This time, Tang San didn't arrange for all of his Tang faction to go first. He knew how strong the opponents were, so he gave Yu Tianheng, Er Ming, and the others chances to take the stage.
Spark Team's Base
"Based on current intel, Shrek's first fighter tomorrow will be Tang San. Who do you want to send first?" Mu Yuanfang asked, glancing around.
Everyone looked reluctant.
Though Tang San's actual strength was near the bottom among Shrek, his infamous Snot Hammer had already spread throughout the Heaven Dou Empire's competition zone. Facing Tang San wasn't just about winning—you had to avoid being smeared by that disgusting snot.
Once touched, the psychological shadow could last a lifetime.
After a long silence, Lu Kai stepped forward. He took a yellow cowboy hat from a nearby rack, placed it on his head, and said:
"Tomorrow I'll go first. Just right—I've been wanting to test the soul skill I've been training so hard against that black brat."
The Next Day – Match Day
Both Shrek and the Spark Team were two of the strongest, most attention-grabbing teams in the entire tournament.
So far, both teams had maintained near-perfect records. Now, the two undefeated squads were clashing head-on.
Predictions about the outcome were divided. Some said Spark would win, since their spirit qualities and ring configurations were superior to Shrek's.
Others argued Shrek had the advantage. Both sides had three Soul Kings, but Spark's included a support-type Soul King, meaning only two Soul Kings could actually fight in the rankings. Shrek, on the other hand, had three combat-ready Soul Kings. Three against two—the advantage leaned toward Shrek.
But overall, more people favored a Spark victory.
"Now, let's welcome the competitors from both sides to the stage!" the referee announced.
From both sides of the Soul Arena, the two opening fighters emerged.
The sun blazed down fiercely that day. Under the scorching rays, a short-limbed, dark-skinned figure walked up from Shrek's side, glaringly conspicuous. The sunlight glinted off his black skin with a visible sheen.
"Boo! Why's it that black brat again? Does Shrek have no one else? They keep sending that embarrassing guy out."
"And I still don't get what this guy has to do with them, but somehow he's Shrek's captain."
"Shrek isn't weak. The reason for all those past losses is all because of that captain."
Tang San ignored the voices. He strode to the center of the arena and stood firm.
On the other side, a soul master stepped out—taller than Tang San, paler-skinned than Tang San, and more handsome than Tang San. He wore a pair of western-style jeans and a cowboy hat that shaded him from the burning sun.
Tang San stared, surprised. He had expected the opponent to be Mu Yuanfang, the one rumored to have the Clear Sky Hammer. But instead, it was a soul master with an Angel Spirit.
"Black brat," Lu Kai said mysteriously, "my Angel Spirit actually has quite a connection with you."
Tang San's lips curved slightly. "Yes. Quite a connection indeed."
After all, the Clear Sky Hammer and the Angel Clan had always been entwined through history. In his past life, the Clear Sky Hammer's glory was built by trampling over the Angel Spirit. His great-grandfather had suppressed Qian Daoliu, his father had defeated Qian Xunji, and he himself had crushed Qian Renxue. Facing an Angel Spirit soul master, Tang San felt no fear at all.