Section 121: The One-Day Waterfall Blade

The entire arena was deathly silent.

The strike just unleashed by Ghost Claw had stunned everyone present. Yet, he now stood beside Tang Tian like the most ordinary old man, completely unremarkable and unassuming.

The gazes directed at Tang Tian from the others shifted instantly. There was curiosity, fear, awe, and deep uncertainty. Who on earth was this fellow?

Faced with two such earth-shattering attacks, all will to resist within the Rain Family had vanished into thin air. Aside from the occasional sporadic sound of fighting, the remaining members of the Rain clan accepted their fate with blank, numb expressions.

Ming Zichun and the others were deathly pale, feeling an immense sense of relief. When they considered that if Tang Tian had unleashed his Soul General earlier, the square would already be a river of blood with no survivors, they couldn't help but shudder. Thank goodness, thank goodness...

Shangguan Qian was also shaken to the core, though he felt more joy than anything else. Still, he couldn't help but sigh; young Master Tian had clearly experienced many things unknown to the world.

Tang Tian, however, paid no mind to the others and immediately ran over to check on Han Bingning and her companions. Fortunately, they had only sustained minor injuries and were in no serious danger.

"Is that Senior Ghost Claw Nong?" the barefooted man asked with a solemn expression. He was disheveled, with a scruffy beard and a face covered in grime, yet he possessed an air of heroic, unbridled spirit.

Ghost Claw remained unmoved, as if he hadn't heard.

Tang Tian nodded. "Yes."

At this moment, Jing Hao also walked over and first bowed to the barefooted man. "Junior Martial Uncle!"

"Haha!" The barefooted man let out a hearty laugh. "Little Jing Hao, it’s been a few years, you’ve grown so much!"

*Grown so much...*

Jing Hao’s eye twitched, his eyelids drooping as he fought the urge to roll his eyes. He was nearly thirty years old, yet to be spoken to in such a manner...

"This is Brother Tang, the successor to Senior Ghost Claw Nong’s legacy, and he is also part of our school," Jing Hao decided to shift the focus. "That item from last time was contributed by Brother Tang."

The barefooted man had a sudden epiphany and slapped his forehead. *Poof!* A cloud of dust puffed out from his hair like smoke. Everyone watching instinctively took a few steps back.

"So you’re Tang Tian!" The barefooted man raised his voice in surprise. He looked Tang Tian up and down, showing a look of satisfaction. "Your foundation is solid. You’ve got a bright future, kid."

Jing Hao remained expressionless, his tone full of resignation as he introduced him to Tang Tian: "This is my Junior Martial Uncle, Wu Guang. Don't take him too seriously."

Wu Guang looked displeased. "Little Jing Hao, what do you mean, 'don't take me too seriously'? Is that how you introduce your Junior Martial Uncle?" His tone shifted, becoming overly familiar. "Young Master Tang, once we get to know each other, you'll realize I’m a very reliable guy. If you have any business in the future, remember to refer it to me."

"Business?" Tang Tian was taken aback.

"That’s right! Killing, arson, robbing houses, looting, brawling... of course, I don’t do anything like kidnapping for lust..." Wu Guang’s spirit surged, and he slapped his chest with a thumping sound. "For example, this time you offended people from the Clan Alliance. As long as you’re willing to pay—points will do just fine—I can help you slaughter your way into the Clan Alliance and ensure they never dare show their faces in the Perseus Constellation again."

"Clan Alliance?" This was the first time Tang Tian had heard the name.

"A faction that has risen recently," Wu Guang said with a look of disdain. "These people don't walk the righteous path; they don't cultivate their martial arts properly and instead seek shortcuts, turning themselves into something neither human nor ghost."

Seeing Tang Tian's bewildered expression, Jing Hao realized he was completely ignorant of external affairs and explained, "The Clan Alliance is an alliance of families with a very complex composition. They have been researching Soul General fusion, and it seems they have succeeded."

"Soul Generals can be fused?" Tang Tian was even more curious; much of what he had heard today was completely unheard of.

Jing Hao’s expression was grave. "This has always been a taboo. One Soul General fuses with and devours others to grow into a more powerful entity."

Tang Tian was stunned. "This... this actually works?"

Seeing Tang Tian’s expression, Jing Hao smiled wryly. "They can be considered to have founded a school of thought. Aside from the Soul General school, there is the Secret Treasure school and the Bloodline school. Our Bright Martial Association belongs to the Secret Treasure school; we are better at unleashing the power of secret treasures. The Black Souls, on the other hand, are better at developing the power within their bloodlines. These are the two largest schools. Beyond them, there is the Retro school, who are obsessed with ancient mechanical arts and are attempting to revive them. There are many such people. There are all sorts of strange and bizarre schools in this world."

"Don't listen to his talk about schools," Wu Guang scoffed. "They just want to take shortcuts! They are deluded! The Soul Generals they create this way have huge side effects. Martial Arts is the only true path for us!"

"Indeed," Jing Hao said solemnly. "They use their own Martial Soul imprints to create Soul General cards, generate a Soul General, and then use the devouring method to constantly consume and fuse others. But in doing so, while the Soul General's strength seems to advance by leaps and bounds, the Martial Soul becomes chaotic and riddled with endless hidden dangers."

Tang Tian finally understood and nodded vigorously. Jing Hao was right; the purer the Martial Soul, the stronger it was. He had personal experience with this.

"Hmph, and it doesn't stop there," Wu Guang shook his head. "This Soul General is born from their Martial Soul imprint. To control the Soul General, they form a deeper connection with it. Once these Soul Generals become chaotic, they will turn on their masters."

Wu Guang waved his hand, changing the subject, and looked at Tang Tian with intense enthusiasm. "So, how about it? Want to strike a deal? Don't worry, I’m very reputable. If you don't believe me, ask Little Jing Hao."

Jing Hao looked resigned, staring at his own toes. "You can just ignore him."

Wu Guang was furious. He stood akimbo, pointing at Jing Hao and scolding him, "Little Jing Hao, is this how you treat your Junior Martial Uncle?"

Jing Hao continued to stare at his toes, uttering only one sentence: "Ignore him."

Wu Guang exploded with rage. "Little Jing Hao, don't think that just because you've grown up, your wings have gotten hard. Let me tell you, I bought you candy when you were a kid!"

"It was clearly stolen," Jing Hao retorted, but the moment the words left his mouth, his face turned bright red.

How embarrassing! As expected, one should never get entangled with a bastard like this...

Jing Hao’s expression quickly returned to normal. "Why would Brother Tang need you? Are you better than Senior Ghost Claw? Senior Ghost Claw created the Fire Sickle Ghost Claw; what have you created?"

Wu Guang instantly deflated like a punctured ball.

Ghost Claw’s strike earlier was something even Wu Guang had to admit he couldn't match. With such a powerful helper, Tang Tian truly didn't need him.

He hadn't made a deal in so long... if this continued, he would be dirt poor...

"A deal isn't out of the question," Tang Tian said, rubbing his chin as if talking to himself.

Wu Guang’s eyes lit up. His feet seemed to have springs as he leaped over to Tang Tian’s side. "Oh, oh, oh! Young man, you truly have a heroic and extraordinary appearance—a beautiful young man of character! Your perfect insight can pierce through anything in this world!"

Jing Hao added faintly, "But it can't pierce through your thick skin..."

"Little Jing Hao, even though I watched you grow up, ruining my business makes you my enemy!" Wu Guang’s eyes glinted with ferocity. "Don't force me to draw my blade!"

"The blade is probably rusted shut; you didn't even pull it out earlier. Don't think I didn't notice..." Jing Hao remained calm.

Wu Guang was about to howl and lunge at Jing Hao when Tang Tian suddenly extended a finger. Wu Guang stopped instantly, turning his body to stare at Tang Tian’s finger with a look of intense longing.

"These friends of mine also want to join this school, but they are subordinates of Department Head Kong. What should we do?" Tang Tian asked Wu Guang.

Jing Hao added a faint, biting comment: "I could handle that myself..."

Wu Guang’s eye twitched. He was filled with regret—why did he have to remind this bastard before he drew his blade earlier? A bastard like this should have just been cut down!

Wu Guang gritted his teeth. "I'll handle it for you right now."

He suddenly raised his voice and shouted, "Department Head Kong, please come out for a chat!"

A graceful figure flew out lightly and landed on a nearby rooftop. Kong Yiyu, dressed in plain clothes, smiled slightly. "Lord Wu of the Skyfall Blade, I trust you have been well."

She kept a cautious distance. She had seen the terrifying power of the Skyfall Blade with her own eyes earlier and knew she was no match for him. Moreover, this guy was notoriously unreasonable.

"Department Head Kong, old Wu has a favor to ask," Wu Guang said carelessly. "These few little ones are under your command; I wonder if you could part with them?"

Kong Yiyu’s expression shifted. Although the four of them had been at a disadvantage earlier and weren't as prominent as Tang Tian, she could still see that they all had potential. She had originally intended to use them to win Tang Tian over.

But now, it seemed, there was no hope.

Especially after seeing the unkind look in Wu Guang’s eyes, she had to force a smile. "It is their fortune to be appreciated by the esteemed Skyfall Blade. Please take good care of them, Lord Wu; they all have decent talent."

As she spoke, she flipped her palm, and four cards flew toward the group. The soft cards were carried toward the four of them as if by an invisible hand.

"10 points each, just a small token of my regard," Kong Yiyu said, having completely regained her composure. No hint of unnaturalness could be seen on her face.

Since Kong Yiyu had given him face, Wu Guang was extremely pleased and showed off triumphantly to Jing Hao.

"Take them all," Wu Guang waved his hand and bowed to Kong Yiyu with a careless air. "Many thanks, Department Head Kong. If you need anything in the future, just send word to old Wu."

Kong Yiyu smiled slightly. "A mere trifle, not worth mentioning. Lord Wu is too polite."

Wu Guang turned to look at Tang Tian and slapped his chest repeatedly. "Such a small matter, not worth mentioning."

Jing Hao continued his cold, biting commentary: "It was a small matter to begin with."

Wu Guang’s smile froze on his face.

Tang Tian asked directly, "I want to ensure they cannot enter the Perseus Constellation."

"1000 points!" Wu Guang was overjoyed, slapping his chest with a thundering sound. "As long as you give me 1000 points, I guarantee the Clan Alliance won't dare step a single foot into the Perseus Constellation again."

"Careful—" Jing Hao’s cold voice emerged once again.

Wu Guang glared at him.

Jing Hao acted as if he hadn't seen him and continued coldly, "There are many freelance experts in the association..."

Wu Guang slumped instantly, pleading, "800 points! Final offer! For an expert of my stature, such a low appearance fee would be too embarrassing."

"I’ll give you 1500 points," Tang Tian shook his head. "But you must resolve the issue once and for all."

In Tang Tian’s view, 1500 points was very cheap. Ghost Claw’s return this time had cost him 1000 points, and he could only maintain it for three days. If he had to do that a few more times, he couldn't afford it.

Wu Guang was stunned, then overjoyed, his face filled with killing intent. "Fine! I will sweep through every Clan Alliance stronghold in the Perseus Constellation and the surrounding areas! I won't even leave a single mouse behind!"

A tangible, murderous aura rose to the heavens, and everyone’s expression changed.