"In the Divine Realm, who doesn't know that you, the God of Destruction, uphold its laws even more strictly than I do?" the Goddess of Life remarked. "As soon as Tang San attains dual godhood, you wouldn't strike against him because of these rules. Tang San conveniently possesses two martial souls—Blue Silver Grass and Clear Sky Hammer—which can serve as vessels for the Sea God and Asura God's positions. That must be what they planned all along."
The God of Destruction sighed. "If the Asura God and Sea God are bent on creating a dual god, then perhaps we, too, should consider a countermeasure."
The Goddess of Life smiled, leaning against him. She understood what he was implying: letting Su Ming and Tang San face each other on fair ground, with her and the God of Destruction holding back the Sea God and Asura God.
Meanwhile, in the arena below, the crowd watched, unsure what Su Ming planned. Could he actually be healing Yu Tianheng, just to prolong the agony?
Extending his right hand, Su Ming began gathering green energy, which turned dark, and slowly pulled the green light surrounding Yu Tianheng into his right hand, shifting it to an ominous black. "On the path to new life lies destruction—Life Conversion!"
Suddenly, the black energy that had been gathering exploded around Yu Tianheng's right arm, which vanished instantly.
Stunned, Yu Tianheng stared at the empty space where his arm had been, and then, pain struck him like a wave. "Agh! My... my arm!"
The entire arena went silent, and the crowd looked at Su Ming as if they were staring at a monster.
One of them finally broke the silence. "How... how did he do that?"
"It's terrifying! I don't even know what I saw—one second it was there, and the next, gone!"
Bibi Dong and her two close advisors, Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo, exchanged glances, realizing the potency of Su Ming's self-created soul skill. This technique was nearly inescapable, only slowed because Su Ming had yet to master it.
The spectators instinctively stepped back, unwilling to risk losing body parts to such a horrifying power. Some even glanced downward, nervously considering the consequences if certain "vital" areas went missing.
"Su Ming, what did you do to my arm?" Yu Tianheng screamed, his voice desperate.
Su Ming shrugged casually, "How's that my concern?"
Onlookers couldn't help but laugh bitterly. He was behaving as if taking someone's arm was trivial.
Turning to Dugu Yan, Su Ming said, "Didn't you have questions for him? Go ahead. He won't dare lie now."
Then, his voice dropped to a chilling tone. "And Yu Tianheng, I suggest you answer honestly. You wouldn't want to lose another limb, would you?"
The crowd held its breath. Su Ming's offer intrigued them, given that it was near impossible to regenerate a limb fully destroyed by such dark energy. Was he implying he could restore what was utterly obliterated?
Yu Tianheng was frantic. "Ask! Just ask already!" he cried, desperate for relief.
Dugu Yan stared down at him, coldly asking, "Yu Tianheng, what was your true motive for joining the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy? And was there an ulterior motive in approaching me?"
No one had sympathy for Yu Tianheng, neither Dugu Yan nor the Thunder Academy members. Yu Tianheng's betrayal had nearly cost them their lives, and while the rules of the Soul Master Tournament forbade killing, they harbored no objections to seeing him tormented.
Dugu Yan's mind was already set. Regardless of his answers, his betrayal had sealed his fate in her eyes. In the end, he would pay for his betrayal—one way or another.
Yu Tianheng hesitated, but meeting Su Ming's cold gaze, he finally spoke: "Yes, I did have an agenda when I joined the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Although I am the grandson of the clan patriarch and a probable future clan leader, many within the family supported Yu Tianxin instead."
"Those supporters were mostly from Yu Luomian's lineage. Even though my talent surpasses Yu Tianxin's slightly, he is older, so our abilities aren't that far apart. Within the clan, becoming a leader isn't only about talent but also strength—only real power matters."
Yu Tianheng continued, "My grandfather, Yu Yuanzhen, and I decided that enrolling in Heaven Dou Royal Academy instead of Thunder Academy would be beneficial."
Dugu Yan and Yu Tianxin didn't show much reaction; they had suspected as much. Yu Tianxin had noticed a shift when Yu Tianheng chose to join Heaven Dou rather than Thunder Academy. In the years following his enrollment, Yu Tianheng became a focus of the academy, soon appointed as the Heaven Dou team captain. Rumors of his interest in Dugu Yan began to spread, and the family's sentiment gradually turned in his favor. The Dugu family was strong, with Dugu Bo as a Titled Douluo; if Yu Tianheng could win over Dugu Yan, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family would gain her support.
By the time Yu Tianxin realized, it was too late—his supporters were either neutral or had switched sides. Recently, support for him had dwindled to under 10%. Though many expected Yu Tianheng to take over, he suddenly left Heaven Dou for Thunder Academy without explanation, under orders from Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Xiaogang.
As Yu Tianheng finished explaining, the crowd couldn't help but shake their heads in disbelief.
Nearby, Qian Renxue regarded Yu Tianheng intently. His scheme rivaled her undercover missions—had he succeeded, he would've gained a Titled Douluo's support, further strengthening the family.
Dugu Bo, watching from below, clenched his fists in anger. He longed to charge forward and kill Yu Tianheng right there. "Little monster," he sent to Su Ming through a telepathic message, "teach him a good lesson. After the tournament, I want him to pay—send him to join that old schemer Yu Yuanzhen."
Su Ming gave an almost imperceptible nod in agreement, thinking, Crushing his right arm was only step one. My self-created soul technique has another layer to it.
Dugu Yan sneered, "Scum. I'm glad I didn't end up with you."
Yu Tianheng had nothing left to lose; he had known from the moment he left the Heaven Dou Academy that he and Dugu Yan were over. He had hoped that capturing Su Ming's technique in the ambush would secure his spot as heir and boost his strength. But each attempt ended in failure. He understood now that his grandfather hadn't obtained Su Ming's technique.
Su Ming silently mused, Oh, your grandfather? He's already gone—waiting for you in the underworld.
Yu Tianheng then desperately turned to Su Ming, "You promised, if I told the truth, you'd restore my arm!"
The crowd watched Su Ming with bated breath. He smirked, "Of course. I, Su Ming, keep my word."
Su Ming extended his right hand, emitting a black glow that gathered in the empty space where Yu Tianheng's arm had been. "Rebirth from Death—Destruction Conversion!"
Slowly, the black glow coalesced into the shape of an arm, shifting from black to a vibrant green.
A collective heartbeat echoed through the arena as everyone held their breath. Then, miraculously, Yu Tianheng's right arm reappeared, fully restored. Tears of relief welled up in his eyes. His spirit power, which had dropped from level 43 to level 42 after the loss of his arm, was fully restored.
But Su Ming smirked again, knowing that the restored arm was merely temporary—a twist in the rebirth from death.
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