It wasn't Tang Chen boasting, but rather his confidence. If he couldn't figure out a solution, then no one else across the entire Douluo Continent could devise a training method based on such a peculiar concept.
If he couldn't do it, neither could the Spirit Hall, nor could Sea God Island.
Staring at Tang San, Tang Chen felt deeply puzzled. Helpless, the divine sense of the God of Asura had no choice but to intervene, subtly altering Tang Chen's thoughts so he wouldn't dwell too much on it.
"Perhaps he inherited some legacy from a senior expert by chance? Even though an Ultimate Douluo only appears on the continent once every few centuries, no one can say for sure how many such experts have existed throughout the history of the Douluo Continent. Maybe he stumbled upon the inheritance of an Ultimate Douluo who has long been forgotten."
Tang Chen thought this to himself and then appeared in front of Tang San in a flash, silently observing him.
Even though he was now standing just a few steps away, Tang Chen had completely restrained his aura. Even if one were to look directly at him, one might instinctively overlook his existence because of the perfect harmony between him and his surroundings. Tang San, deeply immersed in his cultivation, was even less likely to notice someone's presence nearby as he continued his training.
After a stick of incense's time, Tang San's soul power completed one full circulation through his body and gradually settled. Opening his eyes, he prepared to exhale a long breath of turbid air. However, before he could let it out, he suddenly noticed a man standing before him—someone he didn't recognize at all. Startled, he swallowed his breath back in.
Tang San instinctively flicked his sleeves, sending hidden sleeve darts flying toward Tang Chen's eyes, throat, chest, and other vital points. But Tang Chen simply took a small step forward, and with his soul power enveloping his body, the darts clashed against an invisible barrier, producing metallic clangs before falling to the ground, twisted and useless.
Witnessing this extraordinary scene, Tang San instinctively summoned his martial soul and retreated several steps using the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. Only then did he calm down and look at Tang Chen.
"Youngster Tang San greets Senior. May I ask who you are?"
"Neither arrogant nor servile. Not bad." Tang Chen nodded, offering a vague compliment. Then, under Tang San's wary gaze, Tang Chen's soul power surged around his right hand as he summoned his Clear Sky Hammer martial soul.
Compared to Tang Hao's Clear Sky Hammer, Tang Chen's was at least twice as large. Moreover, it wasn't entirely black like a typical Clear Sky Hammer. Due to the modifications by the divine power of the God of Asura, Tang Chen's hammer faintly emitted a blood-red glow and exuded a sharpness that was unusual for a blunt weapon.
As Tang Chen summoned his martial soul, Tang San felt a resonance within his bloodline. Unconsciously, he raised his right hand and summoned his own Clear Sky Hammer. A purple soul ring appeared around him, and the hammer in his hand, with a metallic yet slightly chitinous texture, stood in stark contrast to Tang Chen's overwhelmingly powerful one.
Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer was like a toothpick compared to Tang Chen's. Just by standing still, Tang Chen's mere presence exerted oppressive pressure on Tang San through their shared bloodline.
When Tang San saw Tang Chen's seven black and two red soul rings and sensed the overwhelming disparity in power between their hammers, he suddenly understood. With a loud thud, he knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face.
"Great-Grandfather, is it you?"
"It's me." Tang Chen looked at the tearful Tang San, unsure how to respond to this first meeting with his great-grandson, so he replied plainly.
"Great-Grandfather, you must seek justice for me and my father! That Spirit Hall—"
"Enough. There's no need to say more. I already know everything. Your father, Tang Hao, brought this upon himself, which is why he ended up in such a state. I've already fought Qian Daoliu over this matter, and neither of us emerged victorious.
"We made a bet: the team that wins the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament will gain the right to decide Tang Hao's fate.
"If you wish to save your father, Tang Hao, you'll need to rely on your efforts."
Tang Chen glanced at Tang San's purple soul ring and the slightly unusual Clear Sky Hammer martial soul.
"You're already a Soul Ancestor. Although the addition of a purple soul ring to your second martial soul may have hindered your potential somewhat, you still possess extraordinary talent. Even across the continent, you'd have few equals at your age.
"If you're willing to endure hardship, I'll take you back to the Clear Sky Clan and train you rigorously for a few months. When the Soul Master Tournament begins, you can fight for your father's freedom yourself."
"Great-Grandfather..." Tang San hadn't expected that even after kneeling and crying, his great-grandfather would remain so indifferent. While he didn't develop any hatred, his heart sank, and he began to feel that his great-grandfather wasn't as approachable as his father had described.
"I am willing to return to the Clear Sky Clan, refine my strength, and fight to save my father."
"Good. At least you haven't disgraced the bloodline of the Clear Sky Clan and the legacy of the Clear Sky Hammer." Tang Chen nodded, then glanced at Bo Saixi. After a brief exchange of mental communication, Bo Saixi nodded to Tang Chen and left.
Tang Chen sat cross-legged on the ground, calmly conversing with the kneeling Tang San, asking about his life and circumstances.
When he learned about Tang San's difficult upbringing—how he often went hungry, attended a basic Soul Master academy with no resources, apprenticed under an unremarkable teacher, and obtained soul rings that were completely mismatched with his martial soul—Tang Chen's brows furrowed deeply, his expression growing increasingly irritable.
"Growing up in such an environment, even a prodigy would be ruined. This won't do. I need to correct this."
Tang Chen grabbed Tang San, enveloping them both in soul power and soared into the sky. Leaving Sea God Island, they flew back toward the Douluo Continent.
Knowing that this man was his great-grandfather, and worried about Xiao Wu's safety after being apart for so long, Tang San gritted his teeth and mentioned his desire to see Xiao Wu before heading to the Clear Sky Clan. Tang Chen, aware of Xiao Wu's identity and Tang Hao's original plan, gave Tang San a strange look but ultimately agreed.
On their way to the Clear Sky Clan, they altered their route slightly and headed toward the location where Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, and the others had last been spotted.
Although the group had changed locations several times to evade pursuit, they had left clear signals behind. Following these clues, Tang San soon found the disguised Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, and the others in another town.