The words of the Body Sect members reached Tang San's ears, filling him with immense joy.
Yes, that's right!
Agree! Quickly agree!
This failure did not mean he was truly inferior to Xiao Feilian; rather, he simply couldn't unleash his full strength.
Next time, he would never fail again.
Once he was fully prepared, he could take Xiao Feilian's life with just hidden weapons!
"I must forge the top three ranked hidden weapons on the Hidden Weapons Ranking!"
According to Tang San's calculations, each of the top three hidden weapons posed a great threat to Titled Douluo.
With those hidden weapons, he, Tang San, would have nothing to fear.
If he had enough of them, wouldn't killing a mere Xiao Feilian be as easy as flipping a hand?
And if he had a sufficient quantity, challenging Zhongli, the number one in the world, would not be impossible either!
Sir, the times have changed!
This is the era of hidden weapons!
"You all will regret your decision today!"
It wasn't that Tang San absolutely had to obtain this head soul bone, he simply wanted to prove himself. He refused to accept this defeat!
With this five-year agreement, he would push himself further and relentlessly squeeze out his own potential.
If, by then, he truly lost...
No, losing was absolutely impossible!
The first loss was because he hadn't expected Xiao Feilian's sword to be so powerful, with defenses as terrifying as its absurdly strong attacks.
The Clear Sky Hammer, the world's number one Tool Spirit, was nothing but tofu before that sword.
The second loss was entirely due to the competition's rules, which restricted his strength.
If he had hidden weapons in hand, Xiao Feilian would have been utterly defeated!
Tang San's goal was no longer just the head soul bone, nor simply defeating Xiao Feilian, it was to kill her!
As if recalling something, Tang San's lips curled slightly, and a trace of disdain flashed in his eyes.
A mere little cat girl? Easily crushed!
Then, as if another thought crossed his mind, Tang San's gaze fell on Zhongli, who was still "daydreaming," his heart filled with contemplation.
"Could this guy be senile?"
"Ever since the match started, he has been like this."
Of course, if Zhongli truly was senile, that would be fantastic news for Tang San.
As Yu Xiaogang and his father Tang Hao had said, only by outlasting this man could he have his moment in the sun.
As long as this man lived, Tang San could never be the strongest in the world!
If it had been just Yu Xiaogang saying this, Tang San might not have believed it.
But it wasn't just him, his father, Tang Hao, had said the same thing, and very seriously at that.
Sensing Tang San's gaze, Zhongli finally snapped out of his thoughts.
After a brief moment of perception, he immediately understood what had happened.
A bet between a hundred-thousand-year soul bone and three ten-thousand-year soul bones?
Even if it were three ten-thousand-year soul bones, their combined value still could not compare to a single hundred-thousand-year soul bone.
This was an unfair bet.
If it were someone else, Zhongli would not have cared. But since it involved the Body Sect, it was a different story!
"Young man, this is an unfair contract."
In a flash, Zhongli appeared between Xiao Feilian and Tang San. His face showed no emotion as he spoke calmly.
"???"
Tang San was stunned, and the crowd was equally dumbfounded.
Was the issue really about fairness?
Wasn't the main point that he, Tang San, was 'overestimating himself' by challenging the Saintess of the Body Sect?
So, in Zhongli's eyes, was this simply an unfair contract?
"If the Martial God decrees it so, then let it be. If the Martial God disapproves, we can call it off as well."
Tang San smiled as he cupped his hands toward Zhongli.
Though he wished dearly to kill Zhongli, he still had to put on a polite front.
After all, he, Tang San, was a righteous and noble gentleman.
His words also contained a subtle trick.
If Zhongli refused, it would mean that the Body Sect was afraid.
That Xiao Feilian feared him, Tang San.
For so many people to witness such hesitation toward him, what an honor that would be!
Zhongli didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly:
"These three ten-thousand-year soul bones are quite good, among the best of their kind."
"But compared to a single hundred-thousand-year soul bone, their value still falls short."
As he finished speaking, Zhongli reached out his right hand, grasped at the air, and a blue-gold leg soul bone appeared in his palm.
The moment Tang San saw this soul bone, his heart skipped a beat.
He felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to it.
Even a sense of bloodline connection!
At that moment, upon clearly seeing what Zhongli was holding, the entire audience gasped in shock.
"Hiss..."
"Casually pulling out a hundred-thousand-year soul bone? This, this level of extravagance..."
"As expected of the Martial God! As expected of the Body Sect Master!"
A hundred-thousand-year soul bone, just like that! This was insane!
Wait a minute, why hadn't the hundred-thousand-year soul bone been absorbed?
The crowd was filled with question marks.
Wasn't the Body Sect supposed to be poor?
So poor that they had nothing left but soul bones?
"This… this soul bone?"
Tang San frowned. That bloodline connection grew even stronger, almost as if this soul bone should have belonged to him.
"Tang San, do you remember my teachings on bloodline theory?"
Zhongli's words snapped Tang San out of his thoughts.
Bloodline theory.
Tang San had first heard of this concept from Zhongli, so of course, he wouldn't forget it.
It was precisely because of this theory that he learned he carried the Blue Silver Emperor's bloodline.
"I remember it well, Martial God. Your teachings will remain with me for life."
Tang San replied, his tone carrying a hint of gratitude.
Although he was determined to surpass Zhongli, technically speaking, there was no actual hatred between them.
His dislike of Zhongli was simply because of his own wounded pride.
Had it not been for Zhongli, he would never have known that his first spirit, Blue Silver Grass, was on the verge of being ruined under Yu Xiaogang's guidance.
Zhongli nodded and continued expressionlessly:
"This soul bone once belonged to your mother, the hundred-thousand-year transformed spirit beast, the Blue Silver Emperor."
The moment these words were spoken, Tang San froze in place, and the entire crowd was dumbfounded.
What…?
Mouths hung open, words failing to come out!
Zhongli just dropped a nuclear bomb!
This soul bone belonged to his mother?
Wait, so this was the soul bone of the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor?
And that Blue Silver Emperor was Tang San's mother?!
Ehhh...
Everyone knew that Tang San was Tang Hao's son. That wasn't a secret.
Tang Hao was insanely brave!
As realization dawned, the way people looked at Tang San completely changed.
If they remembered correctly, that Xiao Wu was also a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast, a Soft Bone Rabbit.
So both father and son were this daring?!
"My mother's... soul bone???"
Tang San's mind was a mess. He looked at Zhongli in confusion, then at the soul bone in Zhongli's hand.
That bloodline connection was real, there was no doubt.
This truly might be his mother's soul bone.
But why was it in Zhongli's hands?
If he remembered correctly, his mother had sacrificed herself for Tang Hao.
Having experienced a sacrifice before, he understood it well.
Which only deepened his confusion.
Though his anger surged within him, Tang San forced himself to suppress it and not let it explode.