Ten minutes later.
The disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were utterly drained, collapsing into unconsciousness en masse.
Tang San finally caught his breath but felt the turmoil within his body, his already pale complexion turning even paler.
"Brother, I'm feeling better now. Don't waste your soul power."
Tang Lan, however, remained motionless, continuing to infuse his Nine Yang Divine Art's internal energy into Tang San.
With concern in his voice, he said, "Xiao San, don't push yourself. Your brother has plenty of soul power—just take it easy and accept it."
Tang San panicked on the spot!
He had already activated Reverse: Undying Seal, pushing his potential to the brink.
If this Nine Yang Divine Art kept pouring in, he might as well ditch his Mysterious Heaven Skill and switch to cultivating Nine Yang Divine Art entirely!
Without hesitation, he pushed Tang Lan away.
"I'm fine now, Brother. Save some soul power for what's ahead."
Only then did Tang Lan reluctantly withdraw his energy.
[Host has caused Tang San's cultivation to regress, seizing a small portion of Tang San's fortune!]
[Reward: +300 years to all soul bones!]
Tang Lan possessed three soul bones—meaning he had just gained 900 years for free!
Upon checking his double pupils, their enhancement had increased to 2,891 years.
An overall boost of 771 years!
The increase in soul bone years naturally amplified his physical body as well.
Even his three soul rings gained an extra 121 years.
Tang Lan almost couldn't suppress the grin creeping onto his face!
—Damn, even a Barrett sniper rifle isn't this hard to suppress!
Fearing that Tang San would notice something amiss, he quickly changed the subject—
"Xiao San, weren't you here to retrieve something? Why did it turn into a fight?"
Tang San's expression darkened as he glared at the tied-up men.
"I only approached, and they immediately told me to leave."
"When I revealed my identity, they claimed that without the Sixth Elder's permission, I couldn't touch these supplies."
"I understood and waited for you, Brother."
"But then they started complaining, saying they were being exiled by being sent to our Tang Sect to study, that they were unvalued!"
"They even insulted our Tang Sect—how could I tolerate that?"
"I only suggested a sparring match to show them the strength of the Tang Sect and shut them up."
"But they had no honor! When they started losing, they called in higher-ranked fighters!"
"In the end, it became a three-on-one battle against me—three four-ring Soul Elders ganging up on me! I had no choice but to use hidden weapons to wound them, yet they all swarmed me, trying to cripple me!"
"I left in a hurry and didn't bring many hidden weapons, so I had to use unstable explosives to fight back."
"And then you arrived, Brother."
Good lord!
Tang Lan could only exclaim in amazement!
So arrogance and entitlement weren't exclusive to Ning Rongrong—it was actually a tradition of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
Well, this was fortunate.
If Tang San hadn't stirred up trouble today, these guys might have secretly gotten their hands on Barrett sniper rifles and Fire God Cannons.
Who knew when someone would get shot from the shadows?
No way!
Barrett sniper rifles, with their ultra-long-range precision, couldn't be sold carelessly!
Tang Lan dispersed his Life Soul Blue Silver Emperor and released the drained individuals.
Facing Chi Feng and the approaching Ning Rongrong, he spoke loudly—
"Xiao San, from now on, anyone buying Barrett rifles must first pass the Tang Sect's assessment. We must ensure they won't pose a threat before selling to them."
"Armor-piercing sniper rounds must be registered under real names, and every single one must be accounted for!"
"Otherwise, if people like them get their hands on them..."
"I won't be able to sleep at night!"
His words made Ning Rongrong's face turn red with embarrassment and infuriated Chi Feng!
"I agree!" Tang San deliberately raised his voice. "I will—very! Very! Carefully! Evaluate them!"
He was practically spelling out that he'd make their lives difficult.
And yet...
Ning Rongrong and Chi Feng had no grounds to argue.
This time, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had indeed played dirty—and they didn't even gain an advantage!
Despite having several five-ring Soul Kings on their side, they still failed to take down a mere two-ring Soul Master?
Shameful!
Utterly disgraceful!
At the same time, Chi Feng gained a deeper understanding of the small sect that was the Tang Sect—no wonder Sect Master Ning had repeatedly emphasized its importance before they set out.
Yet, he had still underestimated them!
Years of standing among the Upper Three Sects had made the disciples far too arrogant.
This was a serious problem!
But the key issue now was calming the Tang Sect's fury and ensuring their partnership remained intact.
Chi Feng suppressed his temper and put on a smile.
"Sect Master Tang, today's incident was the fault of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"These disciples will be sent back entirely, and we will rigorously select a new batch of more upstanding individuals to replace them."
"Additionally, Tang San—"
"This is my Tang Sect's Vice Sect Master," Tang Lan coldly interrupted. "If you cannot earn Xiao San's forgiveness, then go back and tell your sect master that my Tang Sect is too small to accommodate the grand presence of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Chi Feng's brow twitched!
He was going to have to bleed for this!
"Vice Sect Master Tang, for the injustice you suffered, I will have these disciples personally apologize, and they will kneel outside Shrek Academy for three days and three nights as a warning to others!"
"Additionally, we will procure a ten-thousand-year medicinal herb to heal Vice Sect Master Tang's injuries!"
"Since Tang Sect focuses on soul tools, rare minerals must be of great value to you. We will provide three times the amount listed in the supply request from Sect Master Tang!"
"Vice Sect Master Tang, do you have any other requests?"
The flames of anger in Tang San's eyes began to subside.
It wasn't that he was easy to placate—it was just that the compensation was too generous!
The ten-thousand-year herb was one thing.
But that mineral list—he had personally compiled it.
It contained large quantities of extremely high-quality, precious materials!
Three times the amount?!
Who could resist that?!
And from the sound of it, Chi Feng was even allowing them to ask for more?
What should he ask for?
They had enough minerals for now. Maybe something to enhance his cultivation level?
As he hesitated, Tang Lan spoke first:
"How about constructing a forging workshop outside Shrek Academy?"
"It should be at least larger than the one in Soto City."
"Your dormitory conditions are too basic—it must be limiting you."
Tang San thought it over and found it a great idea.
With his own forging workshop, he wouldn't have to worry about disturbing others by forging in the middle of the night.
"Alright! I'll listen to you, Brother!" Tang San nodded.
Tang Lan let out a quiet sigh of relief—he had narrowly prevented Tang San from gaining a new fortuitous opportunity.
As for this forging workshop?
That wasn't Tang San's personal asset—it was Tang Sect's.
[Host has prevented Tang San from obtaining the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's offered benefits, seizing a small portion of Tang San's fortune!]
[Reward: +3000 years to External Soul Bone: Double Pupils!]
His left eye grew hot.
The age of his double pupils shot past 5000 years!
His soul bone ability gained an additional "skill slot"—and now, even self-created soul skills could be copied.
Essentially, he now had access to two soul bone abilities.
—No wonder external soul bones were broken as hell!
Meanwhile, Chi Feng let out a sigh of relief.
If throwing money at the problem could solve it, then it wasn't really a problem for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"No problem!"
"We will build it in the shortest time possible!"
"I'll send people to Xingeng City to recruit experienced blacksmiths directly—you won't have to worry about a thing, Vice Sect Master Tang!"
The sheer wealth and confidence behind his words were staggering.
Tang San nodded, as if about to say something—
But Tang Lan firmly pressed a hand onto his shoulder.
"Take the next couple of days to rest. The minerals are with me. You can have them once you've recovered."
Tang San instinctively resisted.
That was Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus!
The number one hidden weapon on the ranking list—Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus!
He was full of energy and didn't need rest!
However—
Tang Lan's attitude was firm, carrying an uncharacteristic air of seniority.
—Never miss an opportunity to make Tang San "rest."
"Alright then," Tang San relented. "I'll rest tonight and find you tomorrow."
"No way!" Tang Lan refused. "Don't forge for the next two days. I've been at level 40 for a while now—come with me to hunt for a soul ring."
Tang San hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright, I'll listen to you, Brother."
Tang Lan finally smiled and let Tang San go rest.
—This time, Tang San had to go.
After all, the Eight Spider Lances external soul bone—whether due to karma or that mysterious divine intervention—could only drop if Tang San was the one to claim it.
Turning around, Tang Lan saw Chi Feng disciplining the still-conscious disciples, instructing them to apologize to Tang San tomorrow and kneel in punishment outside Shrek Academy.
"Rongrong, I'll leave this matter to you."
"I need to fly back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect immediately to mobilize resources."
After giving his instructions, Chi Feng nodded toward Tang Lan, activated his first soul skill, and flew away.
Once he was far out of sight—
Tang Lan leisurely pulled out his communication soul tool.
At present, only two such devices existed on the continent—one with him and the other in Chen Xin's possession.
He dialed.
"Beep—beep—beep—"
There was a signal, meaning it wasn't stored inside a spatial soul tool.
After a few seconds, the call connected.
"Lan-di? Is that you?" Ning Fengzhi's voice came through.
Chen Xin must have given it to him.
Tang Lan was about to respond when—
Ning Rongrong suddenly leaned in.
"Sect Master, let me handle this!"
Tang Lan, not in the mood for pointless conversation, simply handed her the device and walked away.
Approaching Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai, he conjured two mental energy orbs and pushed them forward.
"You two performed well today—this is your reward."
Dai Mubai was the first to shake his head.
"We barely contributed compared to Vice Sect Master Tang. I can't accept a reward for doing nothing."
Tang San had been surrounded by dozens of soul masters, including multiple five-ring Soul Kings!
And he had still managed to hold out for several minutes while counterattacking.
Meanwhile, all Dai Mubai had done was stall three mere three-ring Soul Elders—that was nothing!
Honestly speaking—
It was clear that being Tang Lan's younger brother was a huge advantage.
Even if Tang San wasn't as talented, he was fully armed with self-created soul skills and soul tools, outfitted to the teeth by his elder brother.
Zhu Zhuqing, seeing Dai Mubai refuse, also planned to decline—
But before she could react, Tang Lan slammed the mental energy orb onto her forehead.
"Don't be polite with me."
As for Dai Mubai—
Since he refused, Tang Lan wasn't about to force it on him.
With a single thought, the unused mental energy orb shattered.
Letting out a yawn, Tang Lan activated his flying soul bone and headed for the dormitory.
Zhu Zhuqing suddenly awoke from her trance, her eyes filled with shock!
The True Martial Seven-Segment Formation's seven-person synergy reached a ridiculous 64x amplification?!
That was just absurd!
She turned to look at Dai Mubai, whose expression was equally complicated.
Then, she recalled Tang Lan's earlier gesture—though forceful, it was clearly different for her.
Dai Mubai had refused, and Tang Lan had respected his decision.
But for her?
Tang Lan hadn't even given her a chance to say no—he had force-fed her the reward!
Didn't that mean—
In Tang Lan's heart, she was someone special?
A small smirk appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's lips as she vanished into the shadows.
Leaving behind a silent, dazed Dai Mubai, standing there for a long time, unable to calm his emotions.
—He felt like a stray dog barking at passersby, only to get kicked aside.
The Sect Master was giving rewards—he should have just accepted it.
Why did he have to open his mouth and refuse?!
Returning to his dormitory—
Tang Lan wasted no time in summoning his external soul bone: Double Pupils.
Feeling the 5,891-year enhancement in his Double Pupils, Tang Lan couldn't suppress the grin on his face.
Today was a good day!
Now, it was time to decide what to store in the new skill slot.
The first choice was obvious—Life Burial.
Fast activation, high burst damage, restriction capabilities, and lifesteal? No-brainer.
As for the second slot...
Since self-created soul skills could now be copied and stored, Tang Lan weighed his options and chose Dragon Seizing Hand.
Lingbo Microstep was a movement technique.Undying Seal was more of a passive ability.True Martial Seven-Segment Formation required multiple people to activate.
Compared to his existing soul skills Blue Silver Emperor Thorn and Blue Silver Emperor Explosion, Dragon Seizing Hand could be far more useful in specific situations.
After all, it was a ranged grappling technique that required pre-charging inner energy before activation—meaning it had a cast time.
But now? Instant activation.
Its practicality skyrocketed.
The Next Morning
Nobody knew what exactly Ning Rongrong had said to Ning Fengzhi the previous night—
But the once-arrogant Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples were now lined up in front of the dormitory at dawn.
The moment Tang San stepped out—
Thud!
They knelt in unison, shouting:
"We have offended Vice Sect Master Tang—this is our formal apology!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three crisp kowtows.
Their sincerity was almost excessive.
The commotion woke up the other students—
Dormitory doors swung open as Tang Sect disciples, including Zhu Zhuqing, stepped out to witness the spectacle.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, huh?
Still had to bow down and apologize to our Tang Sect!
A sense of pride surged through them.
However—
Ma Hongjun's expression turned ugly.
This was like—
Watching your ex move on to a better life without you.
Especially when that ex was someone you once wanted but could never have!
Now, seeing Tang Sect rise to prominence, he was probably the only person in the academy who couldn't feel happy about it.
That said, Ma Hongjun wasn't stupid.
He didn't let his emotions show.
Instead, he silently intensified his training.
No one knew what was going through his mind—
But Tang Lan did.
He always kept his Blue Silver Domain passively activated in small areas, meaning nothing around him escaped his notice.
His thoughts on Ma Hongjun?
Small-minded.
People like this—
If they had the right leadership, they could be kept in check and simply focus on their tasks.
But otherwise?
They would never accomplish anything great.
After receiving Tang San's forgiveness, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples, still crestfallen, dragged themselves off to kneel outside the academy gates.
Ning Rongrong, grinning, stepped forward and handed over a wooden box.
"Tang San, this was delivered last night—Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Spirit Ginseng. It nourishes vitality and strengthens one's foundation."
"Its fire attribute is perfect for Nine Yang Divine Art, allowing you to significantly boost your cultivation!"
"The minerals will arrive in a few days along with the blacksmiths."
Tang San accepted the wooden box, gazing at the steaming Fire Spirit Ginseng inside.
He hesitated.
His expression turned complicated.
Tang Lan almost burst out laughing.
Have to give it to Ning Fengzhi—he really put thought into this.
He had specifically chosen a Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Spirit Ginseng, a medicinal herb perfectly compatible with Nine Yang Divine Art.
But the one thing he didn't know?
Tang San never practiced Nine Yang Divine Art!
In fact—
Mysterious Heaven Skill and Nine Yang Divine Art were fundamentally incompatible—they couldn't be cultivated together!
To Mysterious Heaven Skill, the Fire Spirit Ginseng wasn't a supplement—it was pure poison.
So now—
What the hell was he supposed to do with it?!
But could he admit the truth?
No way!
He still hadn't dared to tell Tang Lan that he never practiced Nine Yang Divine Art.
Because if he confessed—
Then Mysterious Heaven Skill would be exposed!
And if that happened—would he teach it or not?!
Tang San's expression didn't change.
"A very fine medicinal herb. I'll accept it."
With a neutral tone, he placed the box into his storage ring and walked off toward the cafeteria.
Tang Lan couldn't hold it in anymore.
The corners of his lips curled upward uncontrollably.
Hiding things from me, huh?
Well, enjoy this bitter pill in silence!
Hahahaha—
(End of Chapter)
Notes-Read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X