When Lu Feng called him "brother-in-law," Tang San felt like he'd been stabbed in the gut.
Sure, he and Xiao Wu were sworn siblings but let's be real. This was a classic case of "loli raising." And you know what that meant, right?
Xiao Wu's face flushed bright red at Lu Feng's words. Tang San had always doted on her, and she'd grown deeply attached to him but was it sisterly love, or something more? She wasn't entirely sure.
Tang San had always been focused on training and crafting hidden weapons. He wasn't much of a talker, never gave her romantic surprises, and had never actually confessed his feelings.
They'd only ever called each other as siblings.
That's how they introduced themselves to others, too.
But now, with just two words, "brother-in-law", Lu Feng had casually, almost teasingly, laid claim to Xiao Wu in a way Tang San never had.
On the surface, Tang San played the quiet, stoic type. But anyone who knew him well understood how ruthless he could be.
And if most girls had to choose between the two?
Lu Feng was the obvious pick, open, confident, with a smile that never left his handsome face. Warm as jade.
And Xiao Wu, now a human girl, was no exception.
This feeling Lu Feng gave her? Tang San had never made her feel like this.
Seeing Xiao Wu's shy blush, the way she lowered her head without scolding Lu Feng for his boldness,
Something inside Tang San snapped.
The Fight Begins
With a surge of jealousy, Tang San struck first.
"Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track!"
Even during their initial soul power clash, he'd sensed Lu Feng's overwhelming pressure.
In raw strength? He was outmatched.
So he had to avoid a direct confrontation and attack first.
Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track was perfect for ambushes.
With its unpredictable movements and blinding speed, he could strike before his opponent even summoned their martial soul. Aim for the vitals. Even if it didn't end the fight immediately, it would force an opening giving him the upper hand.
Tang San was a master strategist. Even in a rage, he'd already calculated the optimal way to win.
Lu Feng watched as Tang San's figure blurred, leaving afterimages in his wake as he lunged forward.
"Dragon Shadow Step!"
Lu Feng activated the skill from his Dragon God Right Leg Bone.
After days of practice, he'd mastered it completely.
And he knew about Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. He'd been ready.
In the blink of an eye—
Tang San materialized behind Lu Feng, soul power condensing in his fist as he aimed a vicious strike at his spine!
The force of the punch sent a gust of wind rippling through their clothes.
But something felt off.
Lu Feng wasn't moving.
No reaction at all.
Then-
Tang San's fist passed through empty air.
Lu Feng's figure vanished.
"He's… faster than me?!"
The realization hit just as Tang San sensed movement behind him.
He barely dodged in time, tilting his head as Lu Feng's counter-punch whistled past his ear.
But before he could celebrate—
Lu Feng's fist morphed into an open palm—
And slapped him across the face.
"PAH!"
The sound rang out, sharp and humiliating.
Tang San was sent spinning through the air before stumbling to a stop.
Since Lu Feng hadn't used his martial soul or much soul power, there was no real damage just a stinging cheek and a crushing blow to his pride.
But with thousands of eyes watching,Xiao Wu, Master Yu Xiaogang, the entire academy,
The shame burned deeper than any wound.
"So fast!" The crowd gasped.
Tang San's ghostly movement technique had always been unstoppable in academy battles until now.
From the moment Tang San launched his attack to the instant he got slapped, barely a breath had passed. Most people hadn't even seen their movements clearly.
The result left them speechless.
Xiao Wu's delicate hand flew to her lips in shock.
Speed and agility were her specialties. Yet whenever Tang San used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track during sparring, she couldn't even touch his sleeve.
But now?
Lu Feng's movement skill had crushed Tang San's.
Humiliated and furious, Tang San realized his usual tricks wouldn't work. If he couldn't outspeed Lu Feng, he'd have to fight head-on.
Two yellow soul rings rose beneath his feet as his Blue Silver Grass martial soul unfurled, vines shooting toward Lu Feng.
"First Soul Skill: Entanglement!"
Still striking first still trying to seize control.
Lu Feng smirked. "A plant-type martial soul? What a coincidence, so is mine."
From his palm emerged a towering tree, its phantom form wreathed in shimmering starlight. At the same time, three soul rings materialized at his feet:
Purple. Purple. Black.
The entire arena fell deathly silent.
Every face froze. Every movement stilled.
The murmurs of the crowd vanished mid-breath, leaving only the howl of soul power swirling through the air.
Then—
"A... a TEN-THOUSAND-YEAR SOUL RING?! By the gods—!"
"Am I seeing things?! His first two rings are thousand-year, and his third is ten-thousand-year?!"
"That's no illusion I rubbed my eyes twice!"
"And that tree… it's surrounded by starlight! What kind of martial soul is that?!"
"The Starry Sky Tree!!!"
Yu Xiaogang collapsed onto the ground, his voice hollow. "Impossible… My theories… they can't be wrong…"
After decades of research, he'd concluded that the maximum first soul ring absorption was just over 400 years. He'd drilled this into Tang San.
But Lu Feng's first soul ring was 3,000 years old, not only shattering his beliefs but proving his life's work flawed.
And that martial soul…
It looked exactly like the legendary Starry Sky Tree, the ancestral progenitor of all plants, the very source of life itself.
No records existed of anyone possessing such a martial soul.
But one thing was certain, this was a god-level martial soul.
While Yu Xiaogang was still reeling in shock, Tang San lost.
And not just any loss, a complete, humiliating, unthinkable defeat.
All the crowd saw was a flash of green light—
Then Tang San collapsed to his knees, face twisted in agony as his Blue Silver Grass retracted wildly.
Above his head, an eerie green glow pulsed relentlessly.
This was Lu Feng's Second Soul Skill: Light of Life!
An instant-cast ability—
No dodging. No counterplay.
When used on allies, it manifested as a milky-white beam, healing and boosting their resistance and speed by 50%. Its effects grew stronger with his soul power.
It could even be condensed into Life Fruits, preserving its power for later use.
But when used on enemies?
Green light.
Slowing movement. Corrosive poison. Life-stealing decay.
And that wasn't all,
The Blue Silver Emperor, as the king of its species, was still just a plant.
But the Starry Sky Tree?
The ancestral sovereign of all flora.
A natural, overwhelming suppression.
While Tang San's vines needed time to slither toward Lu Feng, light had no delay.
Still, Tang San's poison resistance was formidable.
Gritting his teeth, he gulped down several antidotes to stall the toxins, his other hand frosting over with Jade Hands.
His fingers twitched toward the hidden weapons at his waist-
Poison, Lethal. His last resort.