Tang Yin acted as though he hadn't noticed Shi Nian's hungry stare. Calmly, he stored all his winnings and riches into a storage ring, slotting it onto his finger with a casual flourish.
Shi Nian's eyes gleamed with greed. He had seen Tang Yin bet heavily throughout the tournament and win each time. That storage ring now held a small fortune—and Shi Nian knew it.
Once the transactions were done, Tang Yin swiftly exited the tournament arena. As he stepped beyond the crowded grounds, a subtle ripple of spiritual power brushed against his mind—an attempt at spiritual intrusion.
Tang Yin didn't react. With the Purple Demon Eye technique active, he could see through all illusions and spiritual interference.
Instead of resisting, he voluntarily allowed his consciousness to be gently pulled into a fabricated dreamscape. His mind followed the illusion's guidance, drifting toward a familiar, remote destination: the outskirts of Sunset Forest.
Shi Nian—hiding nearby and cloaked in his illusionary spiritual skill—felt no resistance. As far as he could tell, Tang Yin had taken the bait.
After arriving at the outskirts of the forest, Shi Nian decided it was time to strike. He wasn't going to drag things out any longer. Tang Yin had the backing of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, true—but here, far from prying eyes, reputation meant nothing.
Greed drowned out caution. With that fortune in Tang Yin's storage ring, who wouldn't be tempted?
Still, he wasn't reckless. Instead of using his spiritual abilities, Shi Nian opted for a physical kill. After all, spiritual-type Soul Masters were rare in the Tian Dou Empire.
Silently, he drew a dagger from his sleeve, its blade glinting with cold intent. He crept closer, eyes locked on Tang Yin's back. He raised the dagger, aiming straight for the neck—
Tang yin's eyes snapped open.
In that instant, a pulse of telepathic force exploded from his mind, crashing directly into Shi Nian's spiritual sea. The sudden assault fractured his awareness, overwhelming his ability to focus or react.
At the same time—
Click!
The Silent Sleeve Arrow fired at point-blank range, piercing Shi Nian's forehead before he could even scream.
His skull cracked open—blood and brain matter sprayed the earth as his body dropped like a felled beast.
Tang Yin exhaled softly and straightened his back, brushing imaginary dust from his shoulder. He looked down at the corpse, voice calm but cold: "Never underestimate anyone... and never overestimate yourself."
A quiet pause followed.
It wasn't just a warning to Shi Nian—it was a reminder to himself.
Tang Yin had been a little reckless just now. Even someone as cunning and dangerous as Shi Nian had fallen so easily… but that didn't mean every enemy would.
Tang Yin took out a small black vial from his storage ring. With perfect precision, he uncorked it and dripped its contents around Shi Nian's lifeless body.
The Corpse Melting Poison worked instantly. Flesh sizzled, bones hissed, and within minutes, the corpse dissolved into a puddle of foul-smelling, unrecognizable slurry.
Yet amidst the corrosive waste, a radiant glow remained—a Left Arm Soul Bone, its surface shimmering with an ethereal light.
Exactly what Tang Yin had been expecting.
Tang Yin crouched down and collected it, storing it away in his ring without a second thought. He had someone in mind for it— Ning Rongrong. As it was a Jewel type soul bone.
"Let's raise its age a little before gifting it," he murmured to himself.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, a massive shadow loomed overhead, halting him in his tracks.
A ten-thousand-year-old Human-Faced Spider emerged from the forest's gloom, its body cloaked in deep purple shell. Unlike the usual Man-Faced Demon Spider, whose eerie visage was on its abdomen, this creature's human-like face was on its head—and it grinned, jagged teeth bared grotesquely.
Tang Yin didn't flinch. In fact, he smiled.
"First a soul bone... now nutrients for my Eight Spider Lances? How generous."
Without hesitation, he unleashed a mental shockwave—a direct telepathic assault that slammed into the spider's spiritual sea, dazing it instantly. He didn't kill it. Not yet.
Eight sharp limbs burst from his back—his Eight Spider Lances, gleaming and humming with anticipation.
In a blur of motion, Tang Yin launched the lances into the spider's flesh. The beast shrieked, its massive body thrashing violently, but the lances held firm—draining its soul power, feeding hungrily as its life force was devoured alive.
The ground trembled beneath the spider's furious thrashing. But Tang Yin stood motionless, utterly calm—his gaze cold.
After all, a creature as vile as this didn't deserve even a flicker of anyone's sympathy.
Minutes passed. The spider's resistance weakened, and finally, it collapsed in a twitching heap. The Eight Spider Lances pulsed once—then retracted, their surface now blood-hued and radiant, gleaming with an ominous luster.
Tang Yin flexed his back slightly, feeling the change in his evolved Eight Spider Lance.
The lances were sharper and tougher than before—but even more remarkable was the surge in power: their overall amplification had leapt from 80% to 90%.
He stared at his reflection, faintly mirrored in the blood-streaked lances, his lips curling into a satisfied grin.
"At this rate… when I find a hundred-thousand-year-old one… how far can it evolve?"
Tang Yin didn't linger in Sunset Forest any longer. After dealing with corpse of the Spider, he returned to the Lanba team's rented residence, where a worried Liu Erlong was pacing outside.
Her steps were restless, and she kept glancing toward the horizon, arms folded tightly across her chest. Worry was etched into her beautiful face—Tang Yin had been gone for over five hours without leaving a word to anyone.
As soon as Liu Erlong spotted him safe and sound, she rushed forward and pulled him tightly into her embrace, burying his face into her ample bosom. Tang Yin's vision went all white.
He made no complaints—in fact, he happily wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning into the warmth of her affection.
At that moment, Flender, Zhao Wuji, and Qin Ming had just come out to find Tang Yin to discuss the team's merchandise sales plan he'd proposed before.
Flender froze mid-step, stunned by the open display of affection.
A thousand invisible shards stabbed into his chest as he collapsed to his knees, gripping his imaginary broken heart like a tragic opera hero.
Zhao Wuji cleared his throat awkwardly, hoping to defuse the tension—but only succeeded in drawing Liu Erlong's cold glare.
Liu Erlong took a step forward, instinctively ready to lunge at him with her knuckles ready.
Just in time, Tang Yin slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her close as he whispered with a helpless smile, "Easy, easy—please, don't just beat up anyone. One of these days, your temper's gonna get me in trouble."
Finally, she relented—though her glare made it clear Zhao Wuji wouldn't get a second chance.
They made their way to the meeting room to finalize plans for the next day's merchandise sales. Flender walked like a soulless puppet, muttering something inaudible.
The group discussed the revenue breakdown—a portion of the earnings would be shared among the team, while the rest would fund Lanba Academy's future development .
Tang Yin leaned back with a confident smile.
"One day, Lanba Academy will be the greatest powerhouse in the whole continent ."
The next day...
Qin Ming gathered all team members in the meeting room to discuss strategies for their upcoming match against Blazing Academy.
Tang Yin stood and addressed the group.
"I'll be fighting from today onward. The opponents we're facing from here won't be easy pushovers. And as for today's match—Our opponents fire attribute gives them one of the strongest offenses in the tournament."
Flender and Qin Ming exchanged tense glances. They didn't have anyone capable of fully neutralizing the devastating power of fire-type attacks.
"Do you have a plan, Tang Yin?" Liu Erlong asked, eyes hopeful.
'If I used my Eight Spider Lances, I could crush them in under ten seconds... but this isn't just about winning. This competition is for training the girls and building Lanba's reputation.'
Tang Yin nodded slightly and began outlining his strategy. "We can't rely on pure speed like we did against the Elephant Armored Team. That worked once, but Blazing Academy is much smarter—they'll probably hole up and launch attacks from a distance. Their best bet is long-range firepower."
He turned to Zhu Zhuqing and explained,
"My Blue Silver King is immune to fire and can block their ranged attacks. Zhuqing, don't dive in headfirst this time—your close-range fighting style could put you in more danger than it's worth."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded in clear understanding, 'While the Mysterious Jade Hand does protects my hands… it can't protect my body.'
Tang Yin continued as he instructed calmly,
"We'll strike when I trap them using my third soul skill. Our plan is to fight utilizing our own long-range skills as well. Dai Mubai—use your third soul skill in sync with Meng Yiran's first. We'll finish this match in five minutes."
The room brightened with renewed morale.
The host's voice boomed as the Seven Dragons of Lanba once again made their way into the arena. Opposite them, Blazing Academy strode in, greeted by cheers from the onlookers.
The host announced both teams:
"Captain of The Lanba Academy—Tang Yin!"
The crowd erupted, shouting his name as he basked in the glory.
Across the arena, Huo Wu stared intensely at Tang Yin. Feeling her gaze, Tang Yin caught her looking straight at him.
He waved with a charming smile. Huo Wu's ears flushed as she quickly looked away—but her defiant spirit kicked in, and she glared back again.
By then, Tang Yin was already shaking hands with her brother, Huo Wushuang. In frustration, Huo Wu stomped her foot.
The host began the countdown. Both teams released their martial souls as the match was officially announced.
The Blazing Team immediately took a defensive stance, holding firm and leaving no opening for their opponents to break through.