The Soul Beast Tide had devastated borders, cities, and farmlands. Fear and hatred toward soul beasts and those associated with them had grown to frightening levels.
The previous young master of Clear Sky Clan, Tang Hao had married a soul beast was somehow spread.
Many people had begun to blame the Clear Sky Clan, claiming they leaked information to soul beasts, causing the attack.
It was an accusation without evidence—but emotion rarely needed evidence. And Yu Xiaogang knew something else:
Tang san's mother is a soul beast is an undisputed fact.
If Tang San used his Clear Sky Hammer in public right now… Even just once…
It won't take long for people to realise that Tang San is Tang Hao's son.
It would be enough to brand him as a abomination born of Soul beast and human and might even be regarded as another spy. Enough to attract attention, suspicion, and possibly even danger.
Yet Tang Hao was still Yu Xiaogang's idol—the man who defeated Qian Xunji, the man who achieved something Yu Xiaogang could never reach. So, he admired Tang Hao very much.
Yu Xiaogang clenched his fists.'Tang San's true identity should not be found out…'
Tang San, however, looked calm as he underestimated people's view on Clear Sky Clan in this timeline.
When he heard Yu Xiaogang's question, Tang San's lips curled inward slightly, hiding his disdain. His thoughts flickered coldly:
'With my experience as a God King, defeating a Soul Ancestor using only two soul skills? Teacher Eve is underestimating me far too much…'
Outwardly though, he put on the perfect expression of a dutiful disciple.
"Teacher," Tang San said earnestly, "I'm doing this for you. She always speaks poorly about you. I can't allow anyone to insult you."
Yu Xiaogang's face turned red—not from anger, but from embarrassment.
Last year, Eve had openly called him "a freeloader living off Nuoding Academy's resources" in front of an entire staff meeting. She had said it with a smile, but every word had hit like a hammer.
He had wanted to vanish on the spot.
Remembering it now made him cringe, but Tang San's words also made something warm bloom inside him.
"Little San… you don't have to go that far," he murmured, his voice shaky. "I don't need you to risk yourself for something like this."
----
While Yu Xiaogang and Tang San were speaking, the atmosphere on the field shifted sharply—the fight had already begun.
Xiao Wu stepped forward with a mischievous spark in her eyes and summoned her martial soul.
Soft pink light cascaded around her as two yellow soul rings rose from beneath her feet.
Her level at present Level 24.
Her body changed instantly—long fluffy rabbit ears sprouted atop her head, a soft cottony tail appeared behind her, and her limbs became leaner, springier. Even her posture shifted, becoming light and lively like a true rabbit spirit beast.
Though she was originally a 100,000-year Soft Bone Rabbit, her transformation into a human had greatly restricted her power. Her current combat strength was barely at the level of a Soul Grandmaster.
But her instincts—her battle experience—remained terrifying.
Across from her, Eve lifted her hand calmly.
A delicate folding fan appeared in her grip, its surface painted with mountains, rivers, cranes, and drifting clouds—yet the ink seemed to ripple, as if the scenery inside were alive and breathing.
"Martial Soul: Myriad Transformation Fan."
Four soul rings rose behind her—two bright yellow, followed by two purple, signifying her cultivation of Soul Ancestor. She was a Level 44 Soul Ancestor.
The crowd erupted into excited whispers.
Xiao Wu didn't wait as she shot forward like a pink flash, her feet barely touching the ground, her movements soft yet explosive. She lashed out with expert precision, her attacks unpredictable, fluid, twisting around Eve like flowing silk.
But Eve was unmoved.
Every strike Xiao Wu attempted, Eve blocked with casual ease—sometimes with the fan, sometimes with a shift of her wrist, sometimes with a gentle tap of her foot. Her movements were graceful, efficient, and deceptively simple.
'She's toying with her,' Tang San realized,
Xiao Wu, gritting her teeth, leapt back, her eyes turning hazy and pink.
"Second Soul Skill: Charm!"
A ripple of enchanting mental energy surged toward Eve like a wave.
But Eve blinked once—completely unaffected.
Xiao Wu staggered.'Why…? Why didn't it work?'
Of course she didn't know—even as a clone of Qian Renxue, Eve had a spiritual power level no less than that of Titled Douluo. A low-level charm was little more than a breeze.
"Still far too early," Eve commented calmly.
Xiao Wu scowled and immediately activated her next skill.
"First Soul Skill—Waist Bow!"
Her waist glowed faintly, her body becoming even more flexible, her strength doubling. She darted forward again, flipping, twisting, and attacking with her braid like a whip.
But in her focus, she failed to notice how Eve subtly redirected the flow of battle.…
They drifted toward a sturdy tree at the edge of the field.
Xiao Wu swung her braid forward with augmented force—
And Eve finally moved.
She caught the braid with two fingers, twisted lightly, and—swish—looped it around a low-hanging branch.
Before Xiao Wu even realized what was happening, her own momentum yanked her upward—
And she ended up dangling helplessly in mid-air.
"W–Wha—?!"
She flailed, her rabbit ears shaking as her feet kicked uselessly. The crowd burst into stifled laughter.
"Fight me fair and square!" Xiao Wu shouted angrily, face burning.
Eve only smiled… sweetly.
Then she stepped forward and smack!
A crisp sound echoed across the entire field.
Pa!
Xiao Wu froze.
Then—
Pa!!
The second slap rang even louder, her palm landing squarely on Xiao Wu's backside.
Everyone watching winced in sympathy, even if they couldn't tear their eyes away.
"Do you accept defeat?" Eve asked calmly.
Xiao Wu, humiliated beyond belief, opened her mouth to yell back—
Pa!!!
Another slap silenced her instantly.
"I yield! I yield! I yield!!" she cried, ears drooping as tears pricked her eyes.