Clang!
Another slash fell, and both their left hands (or wings) trembled involuntarily.
One was numb from the heavy blow to his left wing, while the other almost lost his grip on his hammer due to the sharp soul power and increasing force surrounding his opponent's body.
This can't go on, both thought simultaneously.
Feng Xiaotian gritted his teeth and tried to increase the frequency of his attacks. He didn't believe that Tang San could block every one of his strikes with such precision.
Meanwhile, after blocking another hit and sliding back a bit, Tang San finally realized why Feng Xiaotian's attack pattern had felt familiar from the start.
This is Dad's style!
No, more precisely, it was a method Tang Hao had once taught him. Though it wasn't meant for fighting, under the observation of his Purple Demon Eyes, Tang San could see that Feng Xiaotian's attack pattern wasn't flawless. That was enough for him.
As Feng Xiaotian charged at him again at high speed, Tang San took a deep breath, turned his body halfway, and shifted his grip on the hammer from one hand to both. Using his legs to generate power, he transferred it through his waist, back, and arms, spinning half a turn. The short black hammer in his hands swung upward to meet Feng Xiaotian's attack head-on.
Boom!
This time, Feng Xiaotian flew particularly high, and for a brief moment, his face paled, though the spectators couldn't see it. He could feel it — under this blow, his wings had started to crack.
Another self-created spirit ability?
Feng Xiaotian thought uncertainly. But he didn't entertain the thought of giving up. His consecutive strikes had just begun, and he could tell that Tang San's movements were becoming sluggish. The outcome was still undecided.
He twisted his body in mid-air and dived again. Meanwhile, on the ground, Tang San's blood churned from the sudden exertion, but he also noticed that Feng Xiaotian had flown higher than before, and his arms were showing signs of strain.
It's working!
Tang San was delighted. His body movements accelerated, and his footwork became smoother. Using the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer to counter Feng Xiaotian was indeed the right choice.
Thus, an odd scene unfolded on the stage: both fighters were spinning — one in the air, the other on the ground. One swung his wings downward, while the other swung his hammer upward. The continuous booming collisions caused the ground beneath them to crack.
Their speed increased rapidly, and within moments, they had clashed more than ten times.
Up in the northern stands, the atmosphere grew even tenser.
If it had been just the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul earlier, that would have been one thing. But now, with the appearance of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, it was almost certain that Tang San was a direct descendant of the Clear Sky Sect — and a highly ranked one at that.
The Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer wasn't exclusive to the Clear Sky Sect, but the combination of the two left no doubt.
"Your Highness…"
At this point, Salas could no longer hold back, despite Han Li's earlier warning to stay silent. If the Clear Sky Hammer, Twin Martial Souls, and the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer had appeared individually, he might have ignored them. But with all three combined in one person, not even the Holy Son could turn a blind eye.
"Hm. Send word to Wuhun City," Han Li said, his earlier smile gone, his face expressionless. Yet his words caused the officials of the Heaven Dou Empire to breathe a sigh of relief. This was more like it.
They weren't afraid of Han Li being unresponsive. What they feared was him taking drastic action, like personally arresting someone. They also didn't want to see him maintaining his polite smile — either reaction was undesirable.
Now that he had chosen to report the matter to Wuhun City, they felt slightly more at ease. This was consistent with how the Spirit Hall had handled things for the past twenty years.
Emperor Xue Ye didn't attempt to engage Han Li this time, nor did he speak to Xue Qinghe. He appeared deep in thought, uncertain whether having the direct heir of the Clear Sky Sect join Heaven Dou Imperial Academy and appear publicly was meant to signal something to him.
Ning Fengzhi, however, frowned. Something was wrong. The Holy Son's reaction was off. From all the intelligence he had gathered and his interactions with Han Li, how could he be making the same choices as Bibi Dong?
Han Li was part of the aggressive faction. This was evident from how he handled matters involving Shui Bing'er and Zhu Zhuqing. Would Han Li allow a known enemy of the Spirit Hall to flaunt their presence so openly?
Ning Fengzhi discreetly observed the expressions of everyone in the stands and decided that Ning Rongrong needed to continue maintaining contact with Han Li — no, she needed to be even more direct.
As for himself, he glanced at Emperor Xue Ye and Xue Qinghe. He couldn't put all his eggs in one basket. He would continue to maintain his relationship with both.
Back in the arena, Feng Xiaotian's consecutive strikes had surpassed twenty, while Tang San had swung his hammer sixteen times using the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer. Both were starting to lose control.
Feng Xiaotian wanted to stop, but he couldn't. The Clear Sky Hammer seemed to have a strange adhesive force that pulled at his body. Even if he wanted to stop his Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Strikes, he couldn't.
Tang San, meanwhile, wasn't using the technique voluntarily. He had been forced into it after suffering heavy blows. While he could normally control around forty strikes, his earlier injuries, and the rising battle frenzy had clouded his mind.
The bloodlust and rage of the Vajra Baboon were once again assaulting his reason.
I need to stop!
This was what both of them were thinking.
Feng Xiaotian's face twisted in pain from his numb and aching wings, while Tang San's vision blurred with a red haze, and he felt dizzy.
One last strike to decide the winner. Both pressed their lips together and summoned all their soul power, pouring it into their wings and hammer, respectively.
At that moment, without exchanging words, they both made the same decision, based on their grasp of the situation.
In mid-air, Feng Xiaotian's green wings expanded to three times their size. On the ground, the Clear Sky Hammer in Tang San's hands grew even darker. He forcibly interrupted the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer and, using the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, made a peculiar movement.
The green light of Feng Xiaotian's wings and the dark glow of Tang San's hammer collided. No, to be precise, they crashed into each other because, at the last moment, Tang San threw the Clear Sky Hammer like a hidden weapon, at the cost of injuring his left arm.
A cracking sound rang out as the Clear Sky Hammer smashed into Feng Xiaotian's green wings, leaving them riddled with cracks.
But Feng Xiaotian laughed — just as he had hoped. His lips curled into a grin as he spat out a single word: "Explode!"
Blood trickled from his mouth as he forcefully detonated his green wings. While not his real wings, they were tied to most of his soul power, making this move akin to cutting off his arm.
The explosion slowed down the Clear Sky Hammer's attack, and the fragments of the green wings, under Feng Xiaotian's control, avoided Tang San's head and shot toward his body.
Meanwhile, under Tang San's control, the Clear Sky Hammer eerily avoided Feng Xiaotian's wolf claws, which had been reaching for the hammer's handle, and smashed into his chest.
But this action left Tang San unable to dodge Feng Xiaotian's attack. The Clear Sky Hammer was too heavy, and influencing its trajectory with his Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon technique required a certain range.
Both attacks landed on their respective targets simultaneously. A muffled groan and a scream echoed as one was sent flying and the other was pinned to the ground, fainting on the spot.
The Clear Sky Hammer fell from mid-air, smashing heavily into the stage and leaving a deep crater before disappearing as Tang San's soul power dissipated.
In the once-bustling arena, the cheers abruptly stopped as all eyes turned toward the referee, who had been standing quietly on the sidelines.
The referee stopped both teams from entering the stage and approached the two fighters. After checking their conditions in silence, he announced in a loud voice:
"Heaven Dou Imperial Academy vs. Godwind Academy, draw!"
A rare draw had occurred in the Soul Master tournament.
The host descended slowly from above. After a brief conversation with the referee, he added:
"Everyone, please rest assured. Their injuries are not life-threatening, and with proper rest, they will recover. Both fought to the very end, showcasing the true spirit of elite soul masters. Let us look forward to more exciting battles from them in the advancement rounds."
With that, he ignored the murmurs in the crowd and signaled for both teams and the medical staff to enter the stage and carry the two fighters away.
This was the last match of the day, and, unusually, the people in the stands left even faster than the audience in the arena.
The sudden appearance of a direct descendant of the Clear Sky Sect, displaying such immense talent, had forced the various factions to take this matter seriously, especially with the Spirit Hall involved. No one knew what might happen next.
Han Li was the last to leave. Watching the hurried departure of everyone else, a slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
The final choice of allegiances was approaching. Though certain individuals' decisions weren't particularly important, this was already the countdown to the end of his life. But that didn't stop him from making his choice now.
And it wasn't without purpose. His choice could expose those who needed to be eliminated in the future and stir the emotions of the masses. After all, garbage was just treasure in the wrong place, especially when it involved an emperor.
Han Li casually summoned an arrow, then dispersed it and concealed himself.
Let the arrow fly a little longer. No rush.