Hearing this, Tang San wasn't surprised. Killing others to seize treasures was all too common in this world of Douluo Continent. Especially because hunting for Soul Rings had a special rule - only the Soul Master who dealt the final blow could absorb the Spirit Beast's Soul Ring. Even if you brought the Spirit Beast to the brink of death, just one strike away, if another Soul Master delivered the finishing blow, then the Soul Ring would belong to that Soul Master. Others couldn't absorb it.
When Tang San first heard this rule, he was completely baffled. It was like a law of the world, bound by some mysterious force, allowing only the Soul Master who dealt the final blow to absorb the Soul Ring. There was no reason, no explanation.
Even though Tang San had already shattered the Mountain Moving Goblin's internal organs and blown apart its heart, if someone delivered the finishing blow now, he still wouldn't be able to absorb this Soul Ring. Even if he killed the Soul Master who dealt the final blow, it wouldn't matter, because this was the law of Douluo Continent.
Whoosh! Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air. Tang San flipped his hand, and the Clear Sky Hammer flew out, striking the Mountain Moving Goblin's head with perfect accuracy. The creature, already with shattered organs and on the verge of death, was now truly finished.
Tang San had originally wanted to give this Mountain Moving Goblin, which had fought him so fiercely, some final dignity—at least leaving its body intact. But alas, now it was completely unrecognizable, its head smashed into pulp by the Clear Sky Hammer.
"Good, good, good! Daring to hunt Spirit Beasts alone—you've got some guts," the masked Soul Master who had demanded the Soul Ring laughed in anger.
Seeing this, the team of Soul Masters who had been clamoring for the Soul Ring and planning to steal the kill immediately darkened their expressions. This wasn't just a blow to the Mountain Moving Goblin's head—it was a slap to their faces!
Hum! At that moment, a purple Soul Ring quickly floated up from the Mountain Moving Goblin's corpse. The purple glow stood out starkly against the blood-red soil.
"Purple?! This... this Mountain Moving Goblin isn't a hundred-year Spirit Beast—it's a thousand-year one!" The moment the purple Soul Ring appeared, the eyes of all the black-clad figures who had intended to kill and loot widened in shock.
A one-ring Soul Master daring to hunt Spirit Beasts alone in Sunset Forest could still be attributed to Tang San possessing a top-tier Martial Soul like the Clear Sky Hammer, making him exceptionally strong and bold.
But seeing that the Mountain Moving Goblin he had single-handedly killed was a thousand-year one—everyone present felt their brains short-circuit. They were all dumbfounded, unable to believe it.
A one-ring Soul Master killing a thousand-year Spirit Beast! Even the Clear Sky Hammer shouldn't be capable of that!
"Hmph, killing this Mountain Moving Goblin must have relied entirely on that treasure armor of yours," someone sharp-eyed noticed the silver-white soft armor beneath Tang San's tattered clothes.
Hearing this, many secretly sighed in relief. So it was just relying on external items.
"Relying on external items... must be nice being born in the Clear Sky Sect, having such treasure armor."
Tang San didn't deny it. During his fierce battle with the Mountain Moving Goblin, this Silver Fiber Armor had been incredibly useful. To put it in gaming terms, this armor could block 20% of the damage. Combined with the physical enhancement from his Slaughter Martial Soul, that was how he achieved such results.
The leading Soul Master, however, saw something different. After all, a disciple of the Clear Sky Sect who possessed such precious armor couldn't possibly be an ordinary member.
After a moment of thought, the man stamped his foot in frustration and said, "Let's go!"
If it were an ordinary Clear Sky Sect disciple, they might have dared to take advantage of his depleted Soul Power to rob him—leaving him alive to avoid provoking the sect too severely. Even his equipment and Soul Guidance Devices would have been fair game. But clearly, this boy around ten years old was no ordinary figure.
"Thinking of leaving?" Tang San said leisurely at this moment. "Since you've come, do you really think you can just walk away?"
His words made the twenty-plus Soul Masters exchange glances, and Lei Gaoyi, who had just spoken of retreat, paled visibly.
"Kid, don't push your luck!" Lei Gaoyi said coldly. "Today isn't about fearing you—we're just giving the Clear Sky Sect face!"
Though he couldn't contend with the sect's true powerhouses, he was a three-ringed Soul Elder at the 32nd rank. A depleted Tang San, barely at the 20th rank, wasn't even worth his notice. Hunting a thousand-year Spirit Beast? He could do that too.
"Clear Sky Sect's face?" Tang San replied with ease. "Even without the sect, none of you are leaving today. Those who provoke me—die without exception!"
At this point, many thought Tang San was being outrageously arrogant. Did he really believe the Clear Sky Sect made him invincible, above all laws? A mere one-ring Soul Master—how could he possibly turn the tables?
Lei Gaoyi fixed his gaze on Tang San, eyes sharpening as he hissed, "Kid, if we want to leave, do you really think a puny Soul Master like you can stop us?! Let's go!"
A flash of lethal intent flickered in Tang San's eyes, a crimson gleam distinct from his Purple Demon Eyes. In the next instant, his Soul Guidance Device shimmered, and a white-gold Zhuge Crossbow appeared in his hand.
Whoosh! A streak of silver light shot from the crossbow, followed by the wet sound of blood spraying. Lei Gaoyi's body was sent flying, half of it torn apart by the sheer force.
This was no ordinary Zhuge Crossbow—it was the upgraded version, forged from Deep Sea Sinking Silver, its power far beyond the standard model.
Even in his dying moments, Lei Gaoyi couldn't comprehend it. He had been cautious, yet he still fell. How could he have anticipated such a terrifying weapon? A three-ringed Soul Elder like him, who had danced on the edge of death for years, would meet his end so abruptly, so inexplicably!
"Today, I'll show you what I'm capable of," Tang San said calmly, gripping the Zhuge Crossbow with steady hands as he pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Streaks of silver light tore through the air.
"Ahh!!"
"No!"
In an instant, screams echoed across the Sunset Forest, blood raining like a macabre storm. Where the silver bolts struck, death followed instantly.
Even those Soul Masters who activated defensive Soul Skills found their barriers shattered instantly against the upgraded Zhuge Crossbow. Flesh, bone, and viscera scattered in all directions.
"Retreat! Retreat!!" Another group, who had intended to plunder the Mountain Moving Goblin's treasure, turned ashen-faced. They had gravely underestimated the lethality of Tang San, even in his exhausted state. Surging with Soul Power, they summoned their Martial Souls and fled in haste.
"Although these Hidden Weapons may not be effective against powerful Soul Masters, they are still lethal when used against lower-level ones. I've given you chances, now it's time for you to take responsibility for your actions." Tang San appeared calm and composed, though inwardly he couldn't help feeling somewhat excited.
After all, this was the first time he had used the so-called Hidden Weapons in actual combat since obtaining their manufacturing method from the Soul Guidance Device, and the results were quite satisfactory.
With a swift motion, Tang San flipped his hand and stowed the platinum Zhuge Crossbow back into his Soul Guidance Device, then retrieved a special crossbow.
The arrows for the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow were limited in number, but his Soul Guidance Device contained more than just one type of Hidden Weapon! Over these four years, with ample resources, funds, and the assistance of the Strength Clan in forging them, no one knew just how many he had crafted!
The power of capital could sometimes be even more terrifying than Martial Souls.
(End of Chapter)