From this match, Su Ming didn't see any significant trump cards from Tang San. Aside from improved proficiency in skills like Mysterious Jade Hand and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Tang San appeared notably weaker than in the original storyline. Particularly, his fourth spirit ability, Blue Silver Prison, was now a single-target control, which was unimpressive.
With only a single-target control ability, how many times could Tang San use it with his spirit power as a spirit elder? Su Ming guessed perhaps five times before running out. Su Ming's thoughts wandered; he would have likely recognized Tang San's hidden potential had he read the sequel novel "Douluo Dalu 5," which delves deeper into abilities like Tang San's.
At this stage, Tang San hadn't acquired any true trump cards, aside from the recent mutation of his Xuantian Skill, which had become his new secret weapon.
"Brother, did you notice anything special?" Xiao Wu asked, puzzled.
Su Ming shook his head. "Nothing significant. Tang San… still looks quite weak. If he's still at this level when he faces us, he's bound to lose!"
Although Su Ming spoke dismissively, he felt a vague sense of unease. As the supposed "Child of Destiny," could Tang San really lack any hidden tricks?
On the stage, Tang San high-fived his teammates, acknowledging his mistakes in this match. "This misstep as a control spirit master put us at a disadvantage initially. My apologies, everyone!"
Although he said this, Tang San discreetly used the opportunity to siphon a trace of his teammates' spirit power — or rather, their innate energy — to boost his cultivation. His teammates noticed nothing amiss.
Yu Tianxin, despite feeling a bit frustrated, acknowledged Tang San's role. "Tang San, this wasn't solely your fault. None of us expected Elephant Armor Academy to have an anti-air tactic. This was unprecedented."
Yu Xiaogang, their coach, also reassured Tang San, attributing the lack of team coordination to his newness in the squad. As long as they'd won, that was what mattered.
Back in his room, Tang San eagerly summoned his Blue Silver Grass martial spirit. He sensed his cultivation had risen significantly from absorbing his teammates' spirit power, and more surprisingly, his Blue Silver Grass seemed… different.
After some inspection, Tang San realized his Blue Silver Grass had acquired both lightning and earth attributes! How had this happened?
The answer dawned on him — perhaps his Xuantian Skill could not only absorb spirit power but also extract attributes from others. The lightning attribute enabled his Blue Silver Grass to gain slight electrical resistance, while the earth attribute added resilience to his vines.
Though these enhancements were minor due to limited absorption, Tang San was ecstatic. With many matches ahead, he'd have ample opportunity to continue this strategy. Tianshui Academy, Blazing Academy, and others would become resources to fuel his cultivation and the evolution of Blue Silver Grass!
Tang San shrugged off the possibility of causing issues for his opponents. After all, he was absorbing only trace amounts and doing so inconspicuously. If problems arose, it certainly wouldn't be his fault!
With his plans forming, Tang San had an idea: why wait until the matches? He could wander the bustling streets of Heaven Dou City, discreetly bumping into others and absorbing what he needed. With the competition in town, accidental contact would be easy to pass off.
Meanwhile, Su Ming returned to his room with an unsettling feeling. He suspected that Tang San had something up his sleeve. To be thorough, Su Ming reviewed the recorded footage, carefully analyzing Tang San's every move, even activating his kaleidoscope-like Spirit Eye to catch the smallest details.
After several viewings, Su Ming spotted unusual behavior: when Tang San approached the Elephant Armor team, he activated Mysterious Jade Hand and touched three of their members. He even tried to pierce their skin with Blue Silver Grass's barbed edges. Though unsuccessful, Tang San appeared oddly pleased.
Su Ming realized something was amiss. Tang San's expressions were subtle yet telling — a small smile after a failed attempt?
There was also the strange gesture after the match ended. Tang San high-fived each teammate, an oddly celebratory move for him. Su Ming knew Tang San was typically aloof with everyone outside his closest friends. This gesture felt forced, unnecessary.
Yu Tianxin, too, had been puzzled by this excessive celebration, but he hadn't dwelled on it.
Yet Su Ming, after watching so many times, could not dismiss his suspicions. One inconsistency could be overlooked, but several hinted at a deliberate intention.
Tang San had a motive.
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Tang San himself hadn't expected that his newly discovered absorption ability through Xuantian Skill would be noticed so quickly by Su Ming!
Although Su Ming picked up on this anomaly, he couldn't immediately decipher Tang San's intentions. He lay back on his bed, mulling over scenes from Douluo Dalu in his mind. Could Tang San have acquired some new hidden power?
Then, he recalled a key point that ignited a theory: could it be…?
He remembered how, after completing the four Douluo books, the original author, inspired by the loss of his wife, wrote a fifth book titled The Rebirth of the God-King. This story followed the reborn God-King Tang San searching for his wife on a foreign continent.
Originally, Su Ming wasn't a critic of the series, and the idea of Tang San as the protagonist seemed intriguing. He was ready to give it a shot, but his friend advised against it. His friend warned that reading Douluo V would be a waste of time, likening Tang San's actions in it to those of an evil spirit master, with uncomfortable undertones surrounding Xiao Wu's reincarnation as Xiao Mei.
Reflecting on this, Su Ming remembered how his friend had complained that Xuantian Skill seemed to contain every possible ability. From the start of Douluo V, the reborn God-King Tang San discovered that his Xuantian Skill could absorb the bloodlines of others, both enhancing his cultivation and allowing him to harness their powers.
If Tang San could absorb multiple bloodlines, it would be akin to gaining additional martial spirits like in Douluo I. With each breakthrough, he could store yet another bloodline's ability, a talent even more broken than his current twin spirits.
This prompted Su Ming to make a bold guess: could Tang San's Xuantian Skill have mutated early by some twist of fate?
The theory seemed outlandish, yet Xuantian Skill enabling bloodline absorption would be a powerful advantage for Tang San. And though this world was still Douluo Continent and not the later Fairy Continent, Tang San probably couldn't acquire multiple martial spirits just by absorbing others. Still, it would likely add new abilities to his skillset!
Su Ming rubbed his temples, feeling a sudden clarity as all the pieces clicked into place. However, for now, this was only a theory. Tang San's abilities needed further monitoring to confirm whether he truly had an absorption power.
Initially, Su Ming planned only to watch Tang San's matches against high-profile teams like Blazing Academy and Tianshui Academy, but now, it seemed he couldn't afford to miss any matches!
With these thoughts, Su Ming recorded his theories in his journal as a reminder for further observation, making a mental note to supplement his findings if anything new emerged.
The female characters reading along with Su Ming's journal were stunned.
The most taken aback were Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue in Spirit Hall, realizing this was practically the behavior of an evil spirit master. Absorbing others' spirit power and bloodlines—this went beyond selfishness.
Losing some spirit power was bearable; there were other spirit masters who siphoned spirit energy, and it fell within the realm of acceptable tactics on the continent. But absorbing bloodline abilities? If this were real, the target's foundational abilities would suffer, the effects worsening with increased absorption!
This couldn't be ignored.
Bibi Dong quickly messaged Qian Renxue through their journal connection.
Bibi Dong: "Xue'er, you're reading this too, right? What do you make of Su Ming's theory?"
Qian Renxue, who had been pondering Su Ming's notes, immediately recognized her mother's concern.
Qian Renxue: "Mother, I think it's worth investigating. If Tang San is indeed doing what Su Ming suspects, we should intervene. This qualifies as evil spirit master behavior."
Bibi Dong: "Good. Ghost should still be by your side. Have him monitor Tang San closely for unusual activity."
Bibi Dong: "If I had such a power and were less principled, I wouldn't stay put in my room to cultivate. Tang San will likely wander the crowded areas of the city, brushing past others to discreetly absorb their bloodline energy, all under the guise of harmless contact."
Qian Renxue: "Understood, I'll have Ghost start watching him now. Oh, and about Xue Beng, he's fully hooked—there's no need for the medicine anymore. He's entirely addicted, haha!"
Bibi Dong: "Good. If Su Ming's theory proves correct, we'll have one chance to act without alerting him: when the five qualifying teams from the Heaven Dou Empire travel to Spirit Hall. We'll need to prepare meticulously."
Meanwhile, Shui Bing'er from Tianshui Academy and Huo Wu from Blazing Academy were equally stunned by the idea that Xuantian Skill could undergo such a mutation.
Realizing they could soon face Tang San in the selection matches, they wondered how to respond. Although they had their doubts, they dared not gamble with their futures. Even small amounts of absorption could have an impact over time.
Both girls resolved to prevent Tang San's Blue Silver Grass from coming into contact with them or their teammates and to conclude matches swiftly, even if it meant revealing a few trump cards early.
Dugu Yan and her team at Thunderclap Academy shared similar sentiments. If they met Tang San in the knockout rounds, they would need to end it quickly.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu's feelings for Tang San turned to deeper disdain. Though his reincarnation had been to find her, why was he also absorbing her divine bloodline as a reincarnation?
Would he sacrifice even the one he claimed to love for the sake of power?
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