"You're one of the undefeated teams so far—how can you call yourselves weak girls?"
Pre-match trash talk was practically a ritual, designed to unsettle opponents and mess with their mindset to gain an edge in battle.
Unlike the original timeline, Tianshui Academy hadn't yet faced Kamikaze Academy, so they hadn't lost a match.
Among the Five Elemental Academies, only Blazing Fire Academy and Elephant Armored Academy had clashed thus far; the others had yet to encounter each other.
The exchange between Shui Yue'er and Dai Mubai didn't seem like true trash talk—it felt more like mutual flattery. Only they knew the real truth behind their words.
"Begin the match!"
Both the audience and the announcer enjoyed the banter, but this was a competition, and there wasn't time for drawn-out theatrics.
As soon as the announcer's words fell, the Tianshui girls simultaneously released their martial souls.
In an instant, the arena was filled with soul rings and brilliant water-blue light.
"It's an ultimate beast martial soul—Ice Phoenix! Shui Bing'er's martial soul is Ice Phoenix!"
The announcer's voice rose in astonishment, though she had obviously seen Shui Bing'er's martial soul before. Feigning surprise was part of her role to warm up the audience.
On the Shrek Academy side, Tang San, Ma Hongjun, Huang Yuan, and Jing Ling formed the vanguard.
The four released their martial souls almost in unison.
"My goodness, that chubby team member from Shrek Academy actually has an ultimate beast martial soul, Fire Phoenix!"
Ma Hongjun: "…"
I have a name, and it's not "chubby team member!"
Ma Hongjun's so-called Fire Phoenix was, in truth, a stretch. Without the aid of celestial herbs, his martial soul couldn't truly be called Fire Phoenix. "Evil Fire Phoenix" was a more accurate descriptor.
"Ice versus Fire Phoenix… wait, this unforgettable Tang San… what's this?"
At that moment, Tang San captured the attention of the entire arena.
Four purple soul rings rose slowly from his feet, while a massive hammer, roughly 1.5 meters long, appeared in his hands.
Up to this point, Tang San had been known as the comic relief of Shrek Academy: lacking strength, lacking looks, and, though a Soul Elder, essentially useless. He was also famous for always being the one injured in their matches.
Now, with a different martial soul and entirely new soul rings, how could the spectators not be curious?
"Twin martial souls! This Tang San is a twin-martial-soul user!"
The revelation left the elder members of the audience wide-eyed. Their minds raced back to a sect that had once stood at the pinnacle of the continent.
"Clear Sky Hammer!"
"The number one Tool Martial Soul in the world—Clear Sky Hammer!"
Even the White Tiger Sacred King martial soul of Dai Mubai paled in comparison.
Why? Because the Clear Sky Hammer had once reached the apex of this world, leaving an indelible mark of awe and fear. The White Tiger Sacred King, while powerful, lacked that legendary reputation.
"Strange… he's clearly a twin-martial-soul user. Why didn't he wait until he reached Soul King level to add soul rings to his second martial soul? Then he could've had five ten-thousand-year rings!"
"If he had waited until becoming a Titled Douluo to add rings… the possibilities are unimaginable!"
"Maybe it was to avoid dying from soul overload. Perhaps he abandoned his first martial soul and focused on the second to survive."
History bore witness to the first recorded twin-martial-soul user of the past century, whose fate was self-destruction.
That individual, a Titled Douluo, had perished when their second martial soul absorbed its seventh soul ring. This story was well-known among those with even modest strength.
"Or perhaps the Clear Sky Sect doesn't want such a genius to perish prematurely."
"Yes, that's the only logical explanation. Twin martial souls… what a pity, what a tragedy."
Yu Xiaogang's Reaction
Yu Xiaogang stood dumbfounded, unable to comprehend how Tang San could have concealed such a monumental decision—adding soul rings to the Clear Sky Hammer without consulting him.
"This is impossible. How could Xiao San be so foolish? Adding soul rings to the Clear Sky Hammer… and exposing it so blatantly… is he courting death?"
Yu Xiaogang felt as though his world had collapsed. His dreams, his plans—all shattered!
Even if Tang San managed to give the Clear Sky Hammer five fifty-thousand-year soul rings, the resulting configuration would still be purple, purple, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black.
Four purple and five black rings—while impressive—was a far cry from the optimal configuration of a Titled Douluo, which typically boasted several golden soul rings.
Tang San's Confidence
Tang San, however, was unfazed by the murmurs around him. His lips curled into a confident smile. Idle chatter meant nothing to him.
True strength came from within.
Standing there with the Clear Sky Hammer in hand, its four purple rings glowing with a menacing aura, Tang San exuded a confidence he had never felt when wielding his Blue Silver Grass.
This confidence stemmed from the raw power of the Clear Sky Hammer.
As his father, Tang Hao, had put it: "No matter how strong they are, one strike of the hammer shatters all techniques!"
The Clear Sky Hammer's overwhelming power made other martial souls seem insignificant in comparison.
Some members of the Clear Sky Sect had chosen a different path, relying on soul skills instead of pure strength. While effective, it limited their potential.
Only the direct successors of each generation's Clear Sky Douluo were qualified to learn the Great Sumeru Hammer technique and the explosive-ring techniques that elevated the Clear Sky Hammer to legendary status.
Tianshui Academy's Reaction
The Tianshui girls, unfamiliar with the Clear Sky Hammer, couldn't identify its significance. But the four purple soul rings were enough to deepen their despair.
Their chances of victory, already slim, seemed non-existent now that their opponent had revealed a twin-martial-soul Soul Elder.
The aura Tang San exuded suggested he was at the peak of Soul Elder level, likely at Rank 48 or 49.
Even without Dai Mubai and Dugu Yan joining the fray, their odds of winning were meager.
"Xue Wu!"
Shui Bing'er bit her lip and called to the vice-captain standing at the back.
Xue Wu understood immediately and activated her martial soul, unleashing a storm of wind and snow.
The martial souls of Tianshui Academy members, being water or ice attribute, could alter the environment to create a "frozen world." This battlefield would favor them immensely.
"First soul skill: …"
(End of Chapter)