Chapter 127: Tang San's Younger Brother
The ancestral grounds of the Clear Sky Sect had now become a seemingly ordinary little village.
"Aunt, aren't we supposed to return to the Clear Sky Sect? Why did we come to a place like this?" Tang San asked in confusion.
A mighty sect ranked among the Top Three Sects—no matter how far it declined—shouldn't look like this.
If not for Tang Hao's instructions, he would have suspected Tang Yuehua was lying to him.
Tang Yuehua's gaze dimmed. As she stared at the village ahead, it was as though she saw, through the veil of time, the once-prosperous Clear Sky Sect that had stood here.
"Xiao San, the Clear Sky Sect really used to be here."
"But because my second brother killed the Pope of the Spirit Hall, it brought the Hall's wrath down upon us. That's why the sect ended up like this," Tang Yuehua explained softly.
Tang San finally understood. This explained why Spirit Hall had attempted to assassinate him back in Nuoding City.
As someone living under another's roof, he didn't dare speak boldly. He hurried to say, "Aunt, whatever sin my father committed, I will atone for it in his place!"
Tang Yuehua saw the sincerity on his face and nodded with relief.
"Xiao San, don't carry too heavy a burden. This wasn't his fault alone."
She knew her eldest brother had participated in that battle as well—Tang Hao merely shouldered all the responsibility afterward.
Now that Tang Hao was 'dead,' she believed the sect should stop dwelling on the past and shouldn't push all the responsibility onto Tang San.
"Let's go. We're entering."
The moment they stepped into the village entrance, several farmer-like villagers surrounded them cautiously.
When they recognized Tang Yuehua, their alertness faded—but they still did not disperse. She had brought back an unfamiliar youth. If that youth was from Spirit Hall and Tang Yuehua had been coerced, they needed to be ready.
"Miss Yuehua, you've returned! And this young man is…?"
Tang Yuehua introduced him. "He is the second brother's child—Tang San."
"What? Tang Hao's son? The man who caused the sect to suffer like this actually has the nerve to return his child here?"
The villagers glared at Tang San. If Tang Yuehua weren't present, they would have torn him apart on the spot.
Tang San frowned. Though Tang Yuehua had warned him that returning to the sect would be difficult, he hadn't expected it to be this challenging.
But without joining the Clear Sky Sect, he could not learn the true cultivation method of the Clear Sky Hammer martial soul.
'Good thing Father told Teacher that if necessary, I can absorb those two soul bones,' Tang San thought to himself.
Before Tang Yuehua could continue explaining, a boy around Tang San's age walked out from within the village.
"Greetings, Aunt!" the boy said, bowing to Tang Yuehua. He then stepped forward to help Tang San.
"Brothers, please don't make things hard for Tang San. His return is good for the sect. Only by uniting can we overcome this crisis!"
Tang Yuehua nodded, then introduced him to Tang San. "This is your uncle's son, Tang Wu. The two of you will be spending a lot of time together."
She actually didn't like this nephew. He was the child of her older brother and that woman. Worse, he was less than a year younger than Tang San.
That meant that during the sect's darkest hour, her eldest brother had already been involved with that woman.
"Little Wu, you're too naive. What difference will adding one more person make to the fate of the sect?"
"Even if he is a genius, he can't be more talented than you!" a Clear Sky Sect disciple sneered.
Feigning reluctance, Tang Wu suggested, "Then how about this—I'm about the same age as Tang San. Let the two of us spar."
"If he wins, no one should make things difficult for him, and we can bring him back to the sect. Aunt, what do you think?"
Tang Yuehua frowned. Now she finally understood his intention—he wanted to step on Tang San to build his reputation within the sect.
She looked at Tang San, but he had already nodded calmly.
"Tang Wu, I don't mind sparring with you."
Tang Wu was secretly delighted. The Clear Sky Sect's Great Sumeru Hammer method was only passed down to the next Sect Master.
He had a strong hunch that Tang San wasn't returning for the sect—but for something entirely different.
His mother still held a mysterious soul bone, said to be left for Tang San by Tang Hao.
If he proved more talented than Tang San, he might seize that soul bone for himself.
He wanted to use this opportunity to establish his reputation and become a contender for the next Sect Master position.
Even if he lost, it wouldn't matter—he was younger than Tang San by a full year. No one could blame him.
Tang Wu clasped his hands and released his Martial Soul—shockingly, it was Blue Silver Grass.
"Tang Wu—Rank 27 Battle Soul Master. Please advise me!"
"What? His Martial Soul is also Blue Silver Grass? And he's reached Rank 27?" Tang San's pupils shrank in disbelief.
He himself reached Rank 30 only because of his innate full soul power, the Mysterious Heaven Skill, and the Grandmaster's teachings.
But Tang Wu, younger than him, had such high cultivation. Could he also have innate full soul power?
Tang San discarded all complacency and released his own Martial Soul.
"Tang San—Rank 30, two-ring Battle Soul Master. Please advise me!"
On the journey under intense pressure, he had broken through to Rank 30, but he had not yet had time to absorb a third soul ring.
"It's also Blue Silver Grass?"
Tang Wu's pupils contracted sharply. He immediately realized that Tang San, like himself, probably possessed twin Martial Souls.
Tang Wu made the first move—his Blue Silver Grass transformed into a whip and lashed at Tang San, startling him.
'Blue Silver Grass soul skills can be used like this? Didn't the teacher say Blue Silver Grass is supposed to develop into a control-type?'
Tang San sensed that Tang Wu had chosen the path of an assault-type soul master. He quickly used the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to evade the whip.
The whip cracked through the air with explosive force, striking the ground and sending dirt and stones flying.
'What immense power…! My Blue Silver Bind won't hold up at all.'
Tang Wu clearly understood Blue Silver Grass far better than Tang San. He dodged Tang San's technique in advance and continued lashing at him.
Even Tang San's parasitic seeds were noticed and avoided. For a moment, Tang San found himself losing the exchange of soul skills.
'The teacher was right. I'm not limited to Blue Silver Grass. No matter how strong Blue Silver Grass becomes, can it compare to the Clear Sky Hammer?'
The next moment, Tang San used the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track with his Mysterious Jade Hand, stepping behind Tang Wu just as the whip lashed forward.
"Where did he go?!"
The footwork was as fast as an agility-type soul master's movement technique. Tang Wu was completely disoriented.
"That's enough, Little Wu. He's behind you. You are not his match," Tang Yuehua stepped in to stop the spar.
She could clearly see that Tang San had held back. Had he chosen to strike just now, Tang Wu wouldn't have been able to block it.
"No… Aunt, I haven't lost yet!" Tang Wu refused to concede.
But at that moment, a thick Blue Silver Grass vine sprang up under his feet, binding him tightly.
This vine carried Datura Snake venom and ghost vine parasitic seeds. In moments, Tang Wu collapsed weakly to the ground.
Only then did Tang San clasp his hands politely. "Thank you for letting me win."
End of Chapter