Emperor Xue Ye's heart skipped a beat. A Soul Elder against a Soul Ancestor? That didn't sound reliable at all.
"Qinghe—" he murmured skeptically under his breath.
"Just watch, Father. I have absolute confidence in Shen An," Xue Qinghe replied with a faint smile.
Tom and Jerry, now seated in Shen An's chair, caused Xue Qinghe to instinctively shrink back slightly. The memory of how Tom had suppressed her soul bone ability still sent chills down her spine.
Tom, oblivious to her reaction, happily munched on the table's delicacies while eagerly watching the two on stage. It had been a while since he'd seen Shen An fight.
Yang Huo unleashed his martial soul. His burly frame, with broad shoulders and bulging muscles that strained against his clothes, contrasted absurdly with the delicate sunflower in his hand.
"Kid, I'm going to enjoy playing with you to death," Yang Huo sneered, excitement flickering in his eyes.
Shen An smirked. With a flip of his palm, the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass materialized, three soul rings rhythmically floating around him.
An overwhelming, razor-sharp aura erupted from Shen An, freezing Yang Huo in place. For a moment, sheer terror gripped him.
'Thank the heavens he's only a Soul Elder. A Soul Ancestor against a Soul Elder—the advantage is mine.' Yang Huo comforted himself inwardly.
"Yellow, purple, purple… Why does he have two thousand-year soul rings?!" Luo Fuji's expression darkened. This defied all logic.
"Begin the duel!" Emperor Xue Ye, delighted at the sight of Shen An's two purple rings, immediately declared the match underway.
Yang Huo's first two soul rings lit up. The sunflower in his hand rapidly expanded, its bloom swelling to a meter in diameter while the stem lengthened to over three meters—a bizarre sight.
With a flick of his wrist, a thick cloud of yellow mist sprayed from the sunflower toward Shen An.
Seeing Shen An stand motionless, Yang Huo's lips curled into a grin.
Sunflowers inherently possessed toxic properties, capable of releasing a unique poison that sapped an opponent's combat strength. This fool isn't even dodging? He's digging his own grave.
Soul masters with poison abilities held a natural edge in battles of equal rank. Yang Huo already tasted victory.
---
Meanwhile, at the border of the Heaven Dou Empire, Tang San drained the life from a Soul King with his Eight Spider Lances.
Before him, his opponent's face darkened, his body visibly withering as agonized groans escaped his lips. "Mercy… Spare me… I'll serve you forever…"
His face twisted in ecstasy as he felt his soul power and vitality surge.
Ever since first stabbing Ma Hongjun with the Eight Spider Lances, he'd discovered their horrifying ability—to devour soul power and life force.
Not only had this compensated for his previously regressed cultivation, it had pushed him even further.
As the man before him shriveled into a desiccated corpse, Tang San slowly opened his eyes. The once crystalline-blue Eight Spider Lances now pulsed with sinister crimson veins.
"Shen An… You forced me to flee my homeland. I swear on my honor as a disciple of the Tang Sect—I will make you and that damned cat suffer a fate worse than death."
"Though… Lately, my soul power hasn't been draining as much. It's almost like the normal cost of wielding the Clear Sky Hammer…"
Tang San muttered to himself, unaware that the reason was simply Tom's fleeting interest—the cat had grown bored of playing with hammers and moved on.
When the screams in the room ceased, Tang Hao entered. His expression remained impassive at the sight of the ghastly skeletal remains.
This wasn't the first time. He'd been the one capturing these soul masters.
Initially, Tang Hao had hesitated. But witnessing Tang San's rapid growth, he'd begun actively hunting soul masters himself.
Beneath his hardened exterior, however, lurked frailty.
First ambushed by Tom, then having his ninth soul skill shattered by Qian Daoliu, his body hung by a thread. Even days of recovery had barely stabilized him.
Now, facing even a lower-tier Title Douluo like Dugu Bo would force him to flee.
But below Title Douluo? He slaughtered them effortlessly. Such was the confidence of the Clear Sky Douluo.
"Xiao San, how is it? Any progress in soul power? No side effects?" Tang Hao asked with concern.
"Don't worry, Father. This external soul bone is extraordinary—it seizes others' foundations without backlash. But… when can we return to Heaven Dou?"
Tang Hao's eyes dimmed. "A formidable enemy lurks there. For now, we bide our time. Targeting soul masters near Heaven Dou is too risky—we'll wait at least half a year."
Tang San reassured him, "Father, once my cultivation reaches its peak and I reclaim the Clear Sky Hammer, we'll dominate the continent and avenge Mother."
Like his teacher, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, Tang San prided himself on his intellect. He knew exactly what Tang Hao wanted to hear—after all, he still relied on his father to procure "resources."
A flicker of warmth crossed Tang Hao's eyes. "Good. Temporary setbacks mean nothing. United, we can overcome anything."
"How is Xiao Wu?" Tang San asked.
"Fine. After learning your mother was also a soul beast, she's grown less wary of me. But Xiao San… Are you certain you don't want a 100,000-year soul ring?"
Tang San shook his head. "I vowed to protect Xiao Wu forever. Besides, she shares our enemy—the Spirit Hall. Her friends, Da Ming and Er Ming, will be invaluable allies."
As he spoke, ambition gleamed in his eyes. Two 100,000-year soul beasts—a Titan Giant Ape and a Sky Azure Bull Python—both nearly invincible in their tier.
With Xiao Wu's bond, they'd inevitably become his weapons. Far more potent than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's Sword and Bone Douluo who sided with Shen An.
Tang San swelled with pride. Perhaps fleeing Heaven Dou had been a blessing in disguise. Not only could he plunder others' cultivation, but he'd also gained these mighty allies.
For a moment, he felt as if destiny itself favored him.
"Shen An… Just wait. When I return to Heaven Dou for the Soul Master Tournament, your life will be mine."
Back at the arena, Shen An stood enveloped in the yellow mist. He took a casual whiff.
"Huh. Smells kinda nice."
Then he strolled out unscathed.
Outside, Tom waved excitedly—he'd realized the "sunflower" was just a common sunflower.
Yang Huo's face paled. Impossible! His poison had never failed before. How was Shen An completely unaffected?
Shen An marveled at his own immunity. "Poison resistance really is the ultimate cheat. Thank you, Ice Fire Yin Yang Well."
"Then again, even without it, Tom's medical skills could've neutralized any toxin."
As Shen An mused, Yang Huo gritted his teeth and charged, swinging his massive sunflower like a club.
Countless glowing particles erupted from the bloom, saturating the area with oppressive force—too wide to dodge.
He aimed to crush Shen An outright, to prove that the gap in soul power was insurmountable.
"Huh?"
Yang Huo blinked. His strike had hit empty air.
Shen An had vanished.
Then—a blade's edge kissed his throat.
"Don't move. Unless you want your head to roll," Shen An's voice whispered.
Yang Huo's blood ran cold.
"BAM!"
With a twist of his wrist, Shen An slammed the flat of his sword into Yang Huo, sending him flying with a mouthful of blood.
"Next," Shen An said coolly.