Douluo: Things You Live Long Enough to See [33]

The middle-aged man saw that Meng Shu was about to deliver the final blow to the Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent, and immediately raised the staff in his hand. A ghastly green light shot out, freezing Meng Shu in place.

Meng Shu looked carefully and realized that the man was surrounded by seven soul rings: two yellow, three purple, and two black. Though not the optimal configuration, it was still far beyond what four-ring Soul Masters like them could handle.

"The Phoenix-Tail Crest Serpent was originally our prey. The wound on its forehead was left by my snake staff. Please, all of you, leave now," the man said.

His name was Chao Changkong, and although his tone was polite, his words left no room for negotiation. He had clearly decided that the soul beast belonged to him.

"Senior, with all due respect, since we were the ones who captured this soul beast first, it should belong to us. Or are you saying you're going to bully the young with your seniority?" Tang Chen retorted.

"Haha, such a sharp tongue. Fine then, let's settle it as you say—whoever kills the soul beast gets the soul ring. But with me here, do you really think you have a chance?" Chao Changkong sneered, releasing the full pressure of a Soul Sage. Even Tang Chen, with his strong physique, couldn't help but break into a sweat.

"Hmph! We chased this soul beast for half a month! If it weren't for Father wounding it, do you think you'd have been able to catch up? And now you shamelessly try to take the reward without effort. Disgraceful!" sneered the girl beside Chao Changkong, sticking her tongue out mockingly at the sweating Tang Chen.

"Teacher, please call on Mistress," Tang Chen transmitted his voice to Cheng Ying.

"Bingbing is very principled. She said she wouldn't intervene unless your lives were truly in danger. She's treating this like a trial for you all," Cheng Ying replied, also via voice transmission.

Tang Chen: "..."

You've got no idea what kind of principles Mistress has. She literally slapped that unlucky Man-Faced Demon Spider into ashes! If that's principle, I'm the Pope!

Though he was inwardly complaining, Tang Chen didn't dare say it aloud. Bingbing had specifically warned him not to tell Cheng Ying. If he spilled the secret, he'd surely suffer later.

"Teacher, you could just reveal your identity…" Dugu Bo suggested telepathically.

"No way. The title Great Sage is way too embarrassing. Why do you think I spend all my time holed up in my tower? The fewer people who recognize this face of mine, the better.

Anyway, I'll handle this guy myself. I may suck at fighting soul beasts, but I've still got some confidence when it comes to dealing with humans!" Cheng Ying transmitted to all three disciples.

Tang Chen retorted, "What in the world gave a non-combat support-type like you the courage to challenge a Soul Sage? Was it... Liang Jingru?"

He didn't even know who Liang Jingru was, but he had learned to imitate Cheng Ying's tone when throwing shade.

Cheng Ying: "..."

Getting roasted with a Liang Jingru reference in another world was a uniquely painful experience...

"Hey, don't you think Teacher's acting kind of weird today?" Meng Shu asked. "It's like he came here looking for a fight. I don't know how to describe it, but you guys get what I mean, right?"

"He wants to show off! Teacher's just trying to flex!" Dugu Bo shot back sharply, hitting the nail on the head. Cheng Ying nearly coughed up blood on the spot.

"Yes! You're right! I do want to show off! Nobody stop me! You all mock me for being combat-useless—well today, I'll show you what I'm really made of!" Cheng Ying shouted—not through telepathy this time, but aloud for all to hear.

"Oh? So you've come to a conclusion?" Chao Changkong raised a brow. He hadn't heard their private conversations, but he could tell they had been discussing something.

"We've decided—let the outcome of our duel determine who the soul beast belongs to!" Cheng Ying declared.

Hearing this, Meng Shu covered his face in despair.

"It's over… Senior Brother, do you think there's any other soul beast that suits me?"

Cheng Ying: "..."

Seriously, whose side are you guys even on!?

"Hahaha! Even your disciples don't believe in you. This is hilarious!" The girl beside Chao Changkong giggled, clearly amused by the situation.

Cheng Ying glanced at her a moment longer. Surname Chao, and her father's martial spirit is the Snake Staff…

Put the pieces together, and this girl has to be Chao Tianxiang, future wife of my disciple, and the key to their Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Whether she wants to or not, I'm tying her to the group. But first… I have to win.

"You've got guts, kid. If you dare challenge me, you must have some skill. Show me your soul rings," Chao Changkong said, not angry at all. In his mind, the young man was just feeling defiant and needed to vent. Since they helped chase down the beast, a little sparring seemed harmless.

But Cheng Ying clearly didn't see it the same way. Narrowing his eyes, he said,

"To deal with you, I don't even need to release my martial spirit. Xiao Chen, your hammer is pretty sturdy, right? Let me borrow it for a moment!"

Without a word, Tang Chen summoned his Hao Tian Hammer and tossed it over.

The Hao Tian Hammer wasn't limited to its owner—others could use it as a regular weapon, provided they could handle its massive weight.

"Hmph! Arrogant fool. Do you think I'll back off just because you're wielding the Hao Tian Hammer? As long as you don't kill the boy, the Hao Tian Sect won't offend a Soul Sage over something so trivial."

"No, no, you've got it wrong. I'm using the Hao Tian Hammer because when I beat you, I need something strong enough not to break from the impact," Cheng Ying sneered, clearly not interested in diplomacy.

"You're courting death!"

As a Soul Sage, Chao Changkong wasn't used to being mocked like this. Enraged, he raised his staff and struck.

Cheng Ying didn't back down. He swung the Hao Tian Hammer straight at the incoming Snake Staff. Though he lacked combat instincts, his raw strength and soul power were substantial. If battle in the Douluo world boiled down to brute force like an "ORA ORA ORA!" slugfest…

Well, there weren't many who could beat him.

Naturally, in this first clash, Chao Changkong gained no advantage. The moment their weapons met, the force of the impact nearly caused his staff to fly out of his hand—he had to dismiss his martial spirit and re-summon it instantly to avoid being disarmed.

"Hmph! You've got brute strength, I'll give you that. No wonder you dared claim you didn't need your martial spirit. But if you think strength alone is enough to defeat a Soul Sage, you're sorely mistaken!"

With that, Chao Changkong skillfully dodged the swinging hammer and went straight for Cheng Ying's body with a precise strike.

But Cheng Ying didn't dodge—he swung the hammer again as if Chao's staff didn't exist.

This level of disregard enraged Chao Changkong even more. He unconsciously increased the power of his attack, turning a lesson into an intent to seriously injure the "impudent junior."

Seeing this, Tang Chen's pupils contracted.

"Could it be… Teacher is going to?"

PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/XenTronix