Tang San asked.
Grandmaster lowered his voice:
“Spirit Hall has never expressed support of any side. Spirit Masters of both streams of thought enter Spirit Hall, but strangely there has never been any internal conflict between them. Our Shrek Academy is actually considered to be following a half balanced, half extreme limit route. Or you might say, extreme individuals, balanced as a group. After many years of research, this is what I believe to be the most suitable route to cultivate.”
“Individual strength, or a bit extreme is comparatively preferable. This can let one’s strength increase to the maximum. As for later lacking endurance of having weak points, that can be completely complemented by relying on teammates. In a team, if each person can be expert in one extreme ability, and complement each other, then this team will succeed. Strength will inevitably be above equal level teams. Do you see what teacher means?”
Tang San said in a flash of understanding:
“So it’s like that. Extreme limit flow and balanced flow each have their characteristics. Then in other words, for all these years, balanced flow has always held the advantage?”
Grandmaster laughed grimly,
“No, I should say it’s the fusion flow that’s held the advantage. I’m not the first person to propose fusing the extreme limit flow and balanced flow. The ones who truly raised this proposal was Spirit Hall. Only, Spirit Hall doesn’t show off this idea. But each team Spirit Hall has sent to participate in the competition has used it. Consequently, the champions of the previous several Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament have also all been from Spirit Hall.”
Tang San frowned:
“Since Spirit Hall knows these mysteries, why doesn’t it take the initiative to come forward? With their authority in the Spirit Master world, they could completely……”
Grandmaster shook his head,
“This involves politics, influence, and all sorts of interests. It’s not as easy as you think by far. You’re still young. It’s fine if you don’t pay attention to these things yet. What you must do now, is to improve your own strength as far as possible. If you want to take the championship, you only have one true opponent. That is the team dispatched from Spirit Hall. Even though I can’t be certain just what degree their strength has reached, I think that their ferocity will certainly be above the Emperor Team and the five great elemental academies. Spirit Hall’s true strength is far greater than anyone imagines.”
As he spoke, a terrified light flashed unconsciously through Grandmaster’s eyes, as if he had thought of some frightening scene.
Tang San suddenly raised his head, saying:
“Teacher, I’ll go back to the Academy first.”
Grandmaster looked startled a moment,
“You’re not watching the competition?”
Tang San nodded,
“My Three Aperture Governing Heart still isn’t skillful. You’re right rather than researching others, it would be better to strengthen myself. The strength of these five great elemental academies should all be similar to the Elephant Armored School. Even though they’re strong, just as you said, if we went out with our full strength, defeating them wouldn’t be challenging. In order to face our true opponents, it would be best to raise our own strength.”
Over this week, besides competing, Tang San had carried out special cultivation every day.
His Three Aperture Governing Heart was cultivated completely while fused with the surroundings. Communicating with the wild Blue Silver Grass in the forest each day had already become a mandatory course for him.
Continuing for a week, he had discovered that his spirit power promotion speed had clearly increased, and his Blue Silver Grass Spirit had also quietly changed in some way.
Tang San couldn’t say what the internal change was, but he was certain it was completely in a beneficial direction.
Right now his control of Blue Silver Grass was even more harmonious, each strand of Blue Silver Grass spreading with a thought. Further adding the effect of Three Aperture Governing Heart, even though his spirit power hadn’t increased, Tang San could clearly feel himself progressing in control capability.
* * *
[1] (雷霆学院)
[2] (神风学院)
[3] (奥赛罗学院)
[4] (天水学院)
[5] (炽火学院)
Chapter 098: Soul Chasing, Life Taking, Yama’s Invitation
Part 1 (TL by Bagelson)
Tang San always worked hard at cultivation, never stopping. This kind of cultivation by communing with wild Blue Silver Grass made him feel as if he’d discovered some secret. Just what it was would have to be seen after a time of cultivation.
When Grandmaster heard Tang San’s explanation, he smiled faintly:
“Fine, then you go back first. Never mind them, these days of matches have been exhausting. Let them rest. Change your clothes before you leave, and mind your safety on the way.”
“Yes.”
Tang San smiled and agreed. Grandmaster’s words brought him a fatherly kind of concern and warmth. Faintly saluting Grandmaster, he didn’t bother the others who were watching the matches, and silently left the through the back.
The Shrek Academy group were all watching the matches with keen interest, and nobody noticed Tang San’s departure.
It was instead on the other side of the competitors’ viewing platform that a pair of gloomy eyes all along attentively followed Tang San, and as Tang San disappeared from the platform, that cold gaze also vanished.
Changing into proper clothes, Tang San slipped quietly out of the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena.
Right now, besides some people who hadn’t gotten tickets and some scalpers, the area outside the Great Spirit Arena was calm.
Leaving the Great Spirit Arena, Tang San stepped quickly in the direction of Shrek Academy. Right now his mind was deeply pondering how he could become even stronger, and also the mysteries of the Blue Silver Grass changes.
It was still morning, the warm light from the bright sun giving people a comfortable feeling. Tang San quite liked immersing himself in sunlight, and while contemplating the cultivation problem and walking by feeling, his whole body relaxed, unspeakably comfortable.
For some reason, Tang San felt that today the road seemed a bit long. Though he had been immersed in pondering the Heart Separation Control skill, he felt he should have already arrived at the Academy.
But raising his head to look, it seemed he was still quite a ways from the Academy.
‘Could I have been walking slower today?’ Tang San frowned, speeding up once again.
Walking and walking, Tang San’s steps suddenly slowed. Vaguely, he already felt something amiss.
The sunshine clearly shone on him, but that warm feeling was already gone. In its place a faint gloomy and cold feeling quietly spread from all around.
Slowing to a stop, the light at the corners of Tang San’s eyes immediately became vigilant. Nothing around him seemed to have changed, an endless stream of pedestrians passed around him. The distance from here to Shrek Academy wasn’t very far.
‘Could it be that I was oversensitive?’ Tang San turned his head to look in the direction from which he came, his gaze sweeping across the pedestrians around him, but he didn’t discover anything wrong. Everything was quite ordinary.
Concentrating, Tang San raised his foot once again, stepping forward, Mysterious Heaven Skill unconsciously condensing.
He trusted his own senses, and since his tempering in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, these senses had become exceptionally sharp. That keen intuition made the unease in Tang San’s heart constantly grow.
His calm demeanor kept him from speeding up once again, instead slowly walking forward. At the same time he spread his awareness as far as possible, looking for the slightest clue in his surroundings.
After walking a short time, Tang San suddenly stopped, his expression already serious. Wrong. There wa
s definitely a problem.
Even though his senses hadn’t discovered any issue, Tang San’s mind was meticulous. From the first step until now he had altogether walked six hundred five steps. Under ordinary circumstances, he should already have reached the Shrek Academy gate.
But right now it seemed there was still a short distance to the gate. Perhaps there would have been a change in his pace, but that change absolutely wouldn’t have been so large.
Even though he didn’t know how this situation came about, Tang San immediately went on the alert. A Godly Zhuge Crossbow falling into his grasp and he directly summoned his Blue Silver Grass, not paying any attention to the pedestrians nearby.
From that trace of cold air, a faint killing intent seeped out. That was a spirit murderous enough to threaten his life.
The surroundings suddenly became very still. Those proper street sounds from before quietly faded away at the same time.
The scenery in front of him also became misty, everything turning indistinct at the same instant.
A faint silhouette gradually became clear about ten meters in front of Tang San.
“Worthy of being Shrek Academy’s most outstanding disciple. You really are very vigilant. Unfortunately, you discovered it too late.”
That was a white clothed old man, a person Tang San had met more than once. It was that Blue Sunshine Academy team’s coach, the seventy second ranked Spirit Sage Flender once warned them of, Shi Nian.
Seeing this person, Tang San couldn’t keep his heart from falling lower and lower. Quietly watching Shi Nian, he said:
“So it’s Blue Sunshine Academy’s teacher. I don’t know whether you might have stopped me here for some advice?”
Shi Nian smiled calmly, saying:
“No advice, I just need you to disappear.”
Tang San coldly said:
“For the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament?”
The corners of Shi Nian’s mouth showed a trace of a cold smile,
“I’ve always been looking for an opportunity these last few days. Unfortunately, you were always together with the other Shrek Academy students, leaving me unable to act. But today you still gave me this chance. It really is a pity you’re not one of my Blue Sunshine Academy’s disciples.”
“You want to kill me?”
The pupils of Tang San’s eyes contracted slightly.
Shi Nian snorted coldly,
“You can only blame yourself for being too outstanding. Even though the Shrek Academy team is strong, its true strength is precisely you. As long as you disappear from this world, our Blue Sunshine Academy will have the chance to advance.”
Tang San laughed grimly,
“You think that by killing me, your Blue Sunshine Academy can beat our Shrek Academy?”
Shi Nian spoke indifferently:
“If killing you won’t do it, I’ll just keep killing. Until I’ve killed enough. Perhaps that student called Dai Mubai is suitable next?”
Tang San looked at the hazy surroundings,
“You’re going to do it here? Don’t forget, this is an open street. Once you’ve killed me, don’t think you can stand up in the Spirit Master world.”
Shi Nian smiled, the expression making his wrinkles deep enough to trap house flies, a pair of cold eagle eyes flickering with cold light,
“Since I decided to act, I’ve long since made thorough preparations. You’re hoping your relation to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School will save you? Don’t worry, I wouldn’t leave behind evidence for them. Look, is this really a street in Heaven Dou City?”
The hazy scene in the surroundings suddenly became clear, and Tang San discovered to his shock that he stood in a desolate area outside of the city. Turning to look around, he could vaguely see the top of Heaven Dou City’s city walls. He judged that this should be a small grove outside the city.
Tang San reacted quickly, a sonorous sound erupting from the long ago prepared Godly Zhuge Crossbow in his hand as soon as the surroundings became clear. Sixteen sharp iron source crossbow bolts instantly smashed into Shi Nian’s chest with overbearing penetrating power.
Light flickered, and the sixteen crossbow bolts disappeared.
However, Tang San’s expression became even more serious.
No blood. Yes, even though the sixteen bolts entered Shi Nian’s chest, not a trace of blood flowed out. The sixteen crossbow bolts seemed to have disappeared in midair, they didn’t even make another sound.
Shi Nian somewhat startled looked at the Godly Zhuge Crossbow in Tang San’s hands,
“What’s that? Such a powerful weapon. Is it a spirit tool?”
Tang San didn’t reply, only quietly watched Shi Nian.
Shi Nian smiled, and this time his smile seemed quite relaxed,
“Among people your age, you’re no doubt very powerful. Even I haven’t seen a more remarkable young Spirit Master. Unfortunately, the gap between the two of us can’t be bridged by the word ‘talent’. Your weapon is pretty good, but unfortunately, everything you see right now, the position of things, they’re all part of my Brutal Dream. Even though I let you see the true scene just now, it was still an illusion. Within my Brutal Dream, I’m the ruler of everything, let alone some of the fortieth ranker like you, even Spirit Masters of the same rank as me would be unable to break free.”
Tang San’s expression became ugly, withdrawing the Godly Zhuge Crossbow in his hand into Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges.
“Tang San, do you know what the greatest pleasure in my whole life is?”
Shi Nian’s smiling expression suddenly became somewhat eccentric. If it were to be described, perhaps the word ‘perverted’ would suit him the best right now.
“What?”
Tang San weakly asked.
Shi Nian smiled slightly, saying:
“In this life, what I like the most is seeing my opponents go insane within my Brutal Dream, until they die. When I’m about to see a youth regarded as a genius degenerate like that, I’m already excited.”
“Do you have to kill me? Isn’t there any chance to save myself?”
Tang San weakly asked.
Shi Nian’s expression suddenly became severe,
“Since I’ve let you see me, do you think I would still let you go? There’s no use struggling, everything’s already without any meaning to you. Next year today will be the anniversary of your death. If people have souls, then, use your soul to watch Blue Sunshine Academy destroy the qualifiers, entering the next stage.”
Tang San didn’t say anything else, but sat crosslegged on the ground. Blue Silver Grass formed naturally, deploying into his surroundings as a slowly spiralling defense.
Part 2 (TL by Bagelson)
Shi Nian laughed out loud,
“Do you believe you can resist my spirit like this? Young man, you really are too naive. If my Brutal Dream was so easy to resist, I wouldn’t be worthy of the title Spirit Sage. Wait and see. You’ll die in extreme suffering, and this suffering will be brought on by yourself.”
Shi Nian’s voice gradually weakened, the surroundings becoming hazy once again, as if he had already moved away, already left.
Tang San sat motionless on the ground, quietly condensing his spirit power. Because of the Blue Silver Grass hovering around him, from the outside it was very difficult to see just what kind of expression he had right now.
The surroundings began to change, and Tang San discovered to his shock that the Blue Silver Grass circling around him under his control seemed to disappear. Even though he could feel its existence, there wasn’t a trace of it in his line of sight.
The surrounding scenery changed, no longer that small grove from before, but a precipice. An incomparably familiar precipice.
‘Hell’s Peak, how come I’m at Hell’s Peak?’ Tang San’s originally calm eyes suddenly opened wide.
He had left behind far, far too many memories in this place. Several meters ahead was an abyss with clouds and mist ri
sing in spirals, and behind him, ten white silhouettes gradually grew distinct.
Lowering his head, Tang San clearly saw that his clothes had changed, that enormous ‘Tang’ character told him a lot.
‘A dream, don’t tell me that everything in the Douluo Continent was a dream? That in the end I’m still that Tang Sect disciple who offended the sect rules?’
Tang San stupidly looked ahead, becoming utterly perplexed. Those ten silhouettes gradually becoming clear completely blocked all routes of retreat. Familiar and indignant faces gradually appeared in front of him.
“Tang San, you’ve actually stolen the sect’s Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, your evil crimes overflow to Heaven.”
“Tang San, Tang Sect raised you, taught you, what you’ve done is detested by men and gods……”
One by one, the voices constantly grew in Tang San’s mind, those faces also constantly grew. Very quickly, those ten Tang Sect elders were already in front of him, surrounding him.
“Elders, listen to me.”
Tang San couldn’t help saying.
“There’s nothing that can be said. Tang San, your crimes are great, your evil extreme, you will take the sect’s most severe punishment.”
Tang San could no longer move his four limbs, simultaneously detained by four elders, one of them had already raised his hand, internal Big Dipper qi spilling out of his palm. The palm struck his arm. Tang San emitted a blood curdling scream, his entire left arm shattering into thumb sized fragments. Pain, enlarged tenfold, instantly spread through his brain, his entire body spasming violently.
Immediately afterward was his right arm, and both legs. In front of the elder’s internal Big Dipper qi, the bones of Tang San’s body were continuously smashed, until not one intact bone remained.
However, he still wasn’t dead. His whole body constantly convulsed, but no matter how strong the pain was, his mind still worked. A working mind meant he completely endured each painful sensation that came.
The elders’ faces gradually dulled, and they left Tang San on top of Hell’s Peak, all the bones in his body in pieces. They told him they would leave him there to scream for seven days and seven nights, to die from the eagles and falcons.
Douluo Dalu - Volume 01-48 Page 175