Chapter 188: A Soul Bone Delivered to Their Doorstep! A Fire-Attribute Clear Sky Hammer?
Outside the Heaven Dou Grand Soul Arena.
The morning sun was warm but not harsh, its gentle light falling on Tang Chuan and Xiao Ruier as they walked side by side. Yet the atmosphere between them carried a subtle tension.
Suddenly, Tang Chuan stopped. He turned to Xiao Ruier, his tone tinged with apology, and whispered,
"Ruier… about what happened with Ye Lingling before—are you still angry?"
At that, Xiao Ruier also halted.
She didn't look at him right away, turning her face slightly instead. Sunlight traced the fair line of her neck. After a moment, she gave a soft hum, her voice betraying little emotion.
"I'm not that petty."
Then she shot Tang Chuan a glare with her golden eyes, a hint of reproach in them.
"But you can't let other girls hug you anymore. Otherwise…"
She paused, lowering her voice, a rare trace of haughtiness surfacing.
"Otherwise, I really won't talk to you again."
Tang Chuan gazed at her—clearly worried yet pretending to be magnanimous—and felt relief wash over him. He hurriedly promised,
"Okay, I promise! It happened too suddenly; I didn't react in time."
The next second, he leaned closer, a teasing smile on his face, and murmured,
"But… you were pretty cute when you were jealous."
A faint blush instantly rose on Xiao Ruier's cheeks. She raised a small fist and lightly punched his shoulder, laughing,
"Who was jealous? Stop spouting nonsense!"
Yet at that very moment, both of them frowned almost simultaneously. They sensed a faint distortion in the scenery before them and an inexplicable sense of unease.
Something was wrong—an ominous premonition.
"Oh no, someone's tailing us."
"Could it be someone from Shrek Academy?"
"No, they wouldn't dare!"
The relaxed smiles vanished from their faces, replaced by identical solemnity and wariness. Their sharp gazes swept the surroundings.
Not far away, in the shadow beneath a building,
an old man in a moon-white Soul Master robe stared at them with chilling eyes. This was none other than Shi Nian, team leader of Canghui Academy—martial soul Remnant Dream, a level-72 spirit-type Soul Sage.
Seeing their sudden alertness, a flash of surprise crossed his wrinkled face, followed by a low, mocking sneer.
"Hmph, two brats here for the tournament or for romance? Doesn't matter now."
"Once you're fully inside my Dream Realm, everything ends. As long as you two die, Canghui Academy is guaranteed victory this afternoon."
With that, his figure melted into the shadows like a ghost and vanished completely.
Unbeknownst to Shi Nian, on a rooftop not far behind him, a middle-aged man with a strand of golden hair hanging over his forehead had silently appeared.
His gaze was piercing, a disdainful smirk on his lips, faint golden light flickering in his eyes as he coldly watched Shi Nian's every move below.
Meanwhile, Tang Chuan and Xiao Ruier continued walking side by side toward Heavenly Movement Academy, but their hearts grew heavier.
They keenly noticed that the road seemed unusually long today. They had walked for ages, yet the scenery around them repeated endlessly, and the distant outline of the academy never drew nearer.
Even stranger—every few minutes, the exact same vendor pushing a cart would pass them, head lowered, selling identical goods.
Just as another vendor was about to brush past, Tang Chuan's eyes darkened. He abruptly stopped and shouted coldly,
"Enough pretending—show yourself!"
The vendor stiffened, then slowly raised his head. His honest expression twisted into a grotesque grimace before he burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha! I didn't expect you to notice so quickly, kid."
The next instant, the vendor's figure rippled like water, transforming into Shi Nian's sinister visage. He stared mockingly at Tang Chuan and Xiao Ruier and sneered,
"But what can you do now that you've noticed?"
"You are completely trapped inside my Lingering Dream Domain! Here, I am the master! Just obediently await your deaths!"
As he spoke, Shi Nian slowly spread his arms as if embracing the entire world, his tone dripping with smug triumph.
"Heh. To us, you're nothing more than a soul bone gift package delivered right to our doorstep."
Facing the arrogant Shi Nian, Tang Chuan showed no fear. Instead, a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"With your measly level-seventy-something soul power and that Illusionary Mirror Wisdom Skull inside you… do you really think you can cause any trouble?"
Shi Nian's smug expression froze instantly, replaced by extreme shock and horror. His voice trembled as he cried,
"You… how do you know I possess a skull bone?!"
The Illusionary Mirror Wisdom Skull was his greatest secret and trump card—he had never revealed it to anyone!
In shock and fury, Shi Nian stopped wasting words. Ferocity flashed in his eyes as he roared,
"Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish!"
With that, his hands rapidly formed seals. The surrounding space violently distorted. Countless grotesque illusions accompanied by mental assaults surged toward Tang Chuan and Xiao Ruier like a tidal wave!
…
Meanwhile, inside the Heaven Dou Grand Soul Arena.
On the fighting stage, Tang San's dark blue silver grass was being relentlessly suppressed and forced back by the ferocious fire-attribute attacks of Blazing Academy.
Grandmaster's face was ashen, fists clenched, cursing under his breath.
"Damn it!"
"Tang San's Blue Silver Grass is completely countered."
"If Shrek wants any chance at the championship this time, it seems Xiao San will have to start training the Clear Sky Hammer ahead of schedule."
Blazing Academy's fire attribute was the natural nemesis of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, severely weakening Shrek's core control tactics.
In his anxiety, Grandmaster's gaze accidentally fell on the small charcoal stove set up beside the stands for brewing tea. The water inside was nearly boiled dry.
The bottom of the pot sizzled under the flames, the last drops about to evaporate.
At that ordinary sight, Grandmaster's pupils suddenly contracted. A sharp glint flashed through his eyes, as if lightning had struck his mind.
"Water—the source of life! It nourishes all things!"
Staring at the nearly dry pot, a strange thought flashed through Grandmaster's mind like a thunderbolt. He murmured,
"Blazing Academy's fire skills restrain Xiao San's Blue Silver Grass because Blue Silver Grass is wood, and fire overcomes wood…"
"Yet Tang Chuan's Blue Silver Grass contains terrifyingly powerful life force, even able to influence surrounding plants… How similar this manifestation of life force is to water nourishing all things!"
His breathing suddenly quickened; an unhealthy flush rose on his face.
"Since fire overcomes wood, and fire can also overcome water—does that mean fire attributes could equally restrain Tang Chuan's vibrant Blue Silver Grass?!"
"If this deduction holds…"
"Then haven't I found a way to counter Tang Chuan's Blue Silver Grass?"
"If Xiao San begins cultivating the Clear Sky Hammer now and attaches a fire-attribute soul ring to it… then wouldn't that…"
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[end of chapter]