In the next moment, a beam of green energy shot toward Niu Gao. He crossed his arms to shield his head and chest, successfully blocking the blast.
"Old Crane," Niu Gao exclaimed, thrilled. "This charged soul-guided cannon actually packs the power of a Soul King's attack! I think this thing is perfect for your Speed Clan!"
Even without Niu Gao's confirmation, Bai He had already sensed the energy fluctuations and was clearly intrigued. But a concern gnawed at him: how much would a soul-guided weapon like this cost? The Speed Clan wasn't exactly wealthy, unlike the other three single-attribute clans, which could generate income through forging, construction, or selling poisons. For the Speed Clan, their skillset was limited to scouting, which had little financial benefit now that they were independent of the Clear Sky Clan.
As Bai He pondered the matter, casting thoughtful glances at Niu Gao and Yang Wudi, Su Ming increased the weapon's power setting and fired again.
This time, Niu Gao stumbled back, his armor bearing a visible hole. Bai He was stunned—he realized they had to get their hands on this charged soul-guided gun, whatever the cost! With it, their Speed Clan could make the most of hit-and-run tactics in combat.
Niu Gao examined his arms, frowning slightly. "This thing is really something."
Seeing Su Ming prepare to increase the power level again, Niu Gao knew he had to be serious. The third setting, Su Ming claimed, had the force of a standard Soul Sage's attack.
"Fourth Soul Skill, Armor Reflection!"
This soul skill quadrupled his defensive capabilities and reflected a portion of incoming damage.
Now fortified, Niu Gao's defenses had reached astonishing levels—he could withstand most Soul Sage-level attacks with ease. When Su Ming fired a concentrated green beam at him, it merely left a faint plume of smoke on his armor.
"Not bad at all!" Niu Gao bellowed, "Forget the small stuff, Su Ming! Let's test this at full power—I want to see if I can block it without my Martial Soul True Body!"
Su Ming smirked as he adjusted the weapon to its highest setting, estimating that it held enough power for two more shots.
Bang! Bang!
Two beams, thicker than the previous ones, shot toward Niu Gao.
Oh, come on! Niu Gao internally cursed. Su Ming didn't have to fire two full-power blasts just because he felt confident in his defenses! The intense impact of the energy beams forced Niu Gao back several steps, shattering his armor completely.
Niu Gao coughed, muttering, "This soul-guided gun really is something!"
Su Ming walked over, performing a quick healing spell on Niu Gao. "How was it, Niu Gao? Impressive firepower, right?"
If this gun were classified, Su Ming thought, it would rank as a Grade Seven offensive soul-guided weapon. The power wasn't just for show.
"It's definitely impressive," Niu Gao admitted, about to ask Su Ming how many of these guns he had and if the Defense Clan could get their hands on one or two. But Bai He quickly approached.
"Kid, this charged soul-guided cannon is incredible!" Bai He said eagerly. "Will you sell it? I'll buy it!"
Bai He sounded as though he had endless wealth at his disposal, and Su Ming smiled. Excellent—his plan had worked. There was no way Bai He could resist now.
"Since you're a friend of Niu Gao and Yang Wudi," Su Ming replied after a moment of thought, "how about five thousand gold soul coins per unit?"
"What?! That's daylight robbery!" Bai Chenxiang, Bai He's granddaughter, couldn't hold back. She had thought the price might be high, but never expected five thousand gold coins each, even with the supposed "discount."
Su Ming shook his head. "You're Bai Chenxiang, right? This weapon can harm a Soul Douluo, so naturally, it's priced accordingly. And most importantly, these are difficult to mass-produce. Get it now?"
"Honestly, even at five thousand, if I offered it to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan for ten thousand per unit, they'd buy it in bulk."
Beside him, Xiao Wu tugged at Su Ming's sleeve, whispering, "Are you really going to sell this to Ning Rongrong's clan for ten thousand?"
Su Ming chuckled, "Of course not. I was exaggerating, just giving an example. In any case, I only have a few of these on hand, so we'll need to visit Gengxin City soon and check in on Senior Lou Gao's progress."
As Bai He digested the hefty price, he frowned. All his savings amounted to only a few hundred coins, and one gun would cost five thousand! And just one wasn't enough. He'd need at least twenty to make a significant impact for the Speed Clan, meaning a hundred thousand gold soul coins.
Realizing he still didn't know Su Ming's identity, Bai He turned to Niu Gao and Yang Wudi, then fixed his gaze on Su Ming. "Kid, what's your name? With a weapon like this, you're not just anybody."
Seeing he'd sufficiently impressed Bai He, Su Ming decided it was time to reveal himself. "My name is Su Ming, and I am now the Holy Son of Spirit Hall."
"Hm?" Su Ming? That name sounds familiar… wait, the Holy Son of Spirit Hall?!
Bai He suddenly realized, his eyes widening in shock as he looked between Su Ming, Niu Gao, and Yang Wudi. So, Niu Gao and Yang Wudi had already switched sides? Were they leading the Speed Clan into a trap?
Bai He's gaze turned complex as he looked at Niu Gao and Yang Wudi. "So, you both joined Spirit Hall. Is this an ambush? Well, I, Bai He, won't surrender!"
Niu Gao and Yang Wudi exchanged a resigned glance; they'd anticipated this misunderstanding—especially Niu Gao, who had thought the same at first.
After a lengthy explanation, Bai He finally began to calm down. Just moments earlier, he'd been ready to sacrifice himself to get his granddaughter to safety. Now, realizing the truth, he relaxed, and his granddaughter, Bai Chenxiang, stared at Su Ming with surprise. So, this was the famous Su Ming—the one who'd competed as a Soul Emperor in the Soul Master Tournament without the backing of Spirit Hall? How had he managed it?
"Su Ming, are you really at the seventieth rank?" Bai Chenxiang asked, her curiosity evident.
Su Ming nodded with a smile. "Yes, if you don't believe me, you can ask Niu Gao and Yang Wudi."
Su Ming then turned to Bai He. "Bai He, have you made up your mind? Tang Hao is dead, and these six spirit bones are proof. Join me, and I can guarantee that every member of the Speed Clan will be equipped with a charged soul-guided gun. Future clan members will need to either buy their own or earn them through accumulated points."
"Hey, Su Ming, that's a bit unfair, don't you think?" Niu Gao protested. "The Defense Clan wants those guns too!"
Niu Gao felt a bit cheated. Even if the Speed Clan didn't have a large number of people, they'd still need close to a hundred guns, which in his eyes equaled two hundred thousand gold spirit coins.
Bai He's interest was clearly piqued by Su Ming's offer. He'd have been resolute in refusing if the Defense and Attack Clans hadn't already allied with Su Ming. The Speed Clan had suffered the most out of the single-attribute clans, leaving him little choice.
Sighing, Bai He said, "Since both Niu Gao and Yang Wudi have joined you, I don't really have a choice, do I?"
Su Ming grinned. "Come on, Bai He, don't make it sound like I'm forcing you. Besides, joining me isn't quite the same as joining Spirit Hall—I have a pretty good reputation… except maybe for my number of girlfriends."
Xiao Wu and Ah Yin shot Su Ming a glare. Ah Yin's reaction surprised her; after all, she wasn't his girlfriend. Could she actually have feelings for him without realizing it? This thought left her feeling a bit conflicted.
Seeing that Bai He was ready to join them, Niu Gao got a mischievous glint in his eye. He hadn't expected it to be so easy—no long speeches, no battles. But he couldn't let Bai He off the hook that easily; if he and Yang Wudi had lost to Su Ming, so should Bai He.
"Hey, Bai He, don't you want to compete with Su Ming on speed?" Niu Gao teased. "I mean, both Yang and I lost to him; don't you want to defend the reputation of the single-attribute clans?"
Bai He knew Niu Gao's intentions but was genuinely curious about Su Ming's skills. After all, seeing is believing.
"Su Ming, I would like to test your strength. How about a speed match? You'll have one incense stick's worth of time to avoid me. If I can't catch you in that time, you win."
Confident in his speed, Bai He thought there was no way this young man could escape him.
Su Ming smirked, accepting the challenge. "Very well, let's begin, Bai He."
Taking out a stick of incense, Su Ming lit it with his spirit power and set it aside. Niu Gao and the others quickly moved back to a distance of fifty meters, while Bai He positioned himself ten meters in front of Su Ming.
"Start!" Niu Gao shouted.
The moment Niu Gao's voice rang out, Bai He sprang forward. Su Ming, already prepared, activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, his sharp vision enabling him to track Bai He's movements precisely.
When Bai He's hand was about to reach him, Su Ming used the Lingbo Microstep to swiftly dodge, pivoting out of reach. Bai He adjusted immediately, darting toward Su Ming's back.
Realizing he couldn't match Bai He's speed alone, Su Ming used his Kamui technique to warp himself ten meters behind Bai He.
"Teleportation?" Bai He said in surprise, turning to face Su Ming. "No wonder you're so confident. But how many times can you use that skill with your spirit power? If my speed outpaces your reaction time, can you still teleport away?"
As he spoke, Bai He's spirit power surged, releasing his martial spirit. Two yellow, three purple, and three black spirit rings appeared around him.
With Bai He now charging at him at top speed, Su Ming used Kamui again, narrowly avoiding Bai He's grasp. Bai He's pure-speed movements were indeed incredible—no tricks, just raw speed honed to the limit.
Watching from afar, Xiao Wu voiced her concern to Ah Yin. "Ah Yin, do you think Big Brother can avoid Bai He's attacks the whole time? Bai He's so fast; even with my teleport, I couldn't keep up with him when he activated his martial spirit."
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GOT IT