What surprised them even more was that even the management rights of the auction house were handed over to Tang San.
The auction house in Clear Sky City was essentially the treasure vault of the Clear Sky Sect. Whether you needed to sell or purchase valuable and important items, it was mostly done through the auction house. Soul Masters who obtained exotic herbs or Soul Bone Treasures in the wild would sell them through the auction house.
With Tang San in control of the auction house, it meant he could be the first to know about rare items, secretly contact sellers to purchase what he desired, or even manipulate the system to acquire precious cultivation resources at low prices.
Normally, such important assets would be managed by the sect leader or the elders' council. Now that it was entrusted to Tang San, there was no doubt he was being groomed as the future sect leader!
Of course, given Tang San's talent and background, it was only natural for him to become the heir apparent.
Although Tang San didn't fully grasp the significance of these assets, the look in his great-uncle's eyes made it clear—this was a tremendous benefit secured for him by his father and uncle.
Taking a deep breath, Tang San wasn't foolish enough to refuse. With determination in his eyes, he knelt down, raised his hands above his head, and solemnly declared, "I, Tang San, swear upon my Martial Soul to treat my fellow sect members as brothers, their parents and children as my own kin, and to support one another. Should I break this vow, may I be struck by lightning."
"Hahaha, well said!" The Second Elder helped Tang San to his feet and said, "The future of the Clear Sky Sect is in good hands."
Moreover, with the intelligence from the auction house and the funds from the Soul Duel Arena, his cultivation would become even more convenient. At the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about information on Spirit Beasts.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, four years had passed. Tang San was now ten years old, and his Soul Power had reached the 20th level over a year ago. However, he hadn't yet found the ideal Spirit Beast, so he hadn't rushed to attach a Soul Ring.
This was a common dilemma for Soul Masters—finding the right Spirit Beast was crucial, especially in the early stages. Tang San didn't want to attach just any Soul Ring; he had his own goals in mind.
Even without attaching a Soul Ring, his cultivation wouldn't stagnate—his Soul Power would continue to accumulate. Once he attached his second Soul Ring, his strength would experience a dramatic surge.
"You want to hunt for a Soul Ring alone?!"
When Tang San announced his intention to hunt for his second Soul Ring by himself, Yang Wudi and Yang Wushuang of the Breaking Clan, along with Tai Tan of the Strength Clan, nearly spat out their tea in shock inside the Soul Duel Arena's office.
What was he thinking? Why would he suddenly make such a reckless decision? If anything happened to Tang San, how could they explain it to Tang Hao?
Facing their reactions, Tang San remained composed and nodded. "Yes, I want to test myself against a real Spirit Beast and see how the Clear Sky Hammer performs."
This was one of the drawbacks of Martial Souls—in the early stages, it was hard to create significant gaps in strength since everyone only had one skill, lacking versatility. No matter how skilled you were, what could you really do with just one ability?
Moreover, the wilderness is the domain of spirit beasts. Spirit beasts don't care whether you wield the Clear Sky Hammer or an ordinary iron hammer—they'll charge at any human they see. The enmity between spirit beasts and humans has always been irreconcilable, a blood feud that cannot be resolved.
Upon hearing this, the other families began voicing their opinions.
Tang San said, "Although I am hunting spirit beasts, I won't be entering the forest alone. If I truly can't handle it, you can step in then. Besides, if we send Soul Saints or Soul Douluo to hunt for my second Soul Ring, it might provoke the wrath of ten-thousand-year spirit beasts, which would only make things worse."
Spirit beasts that reach the ten-thousand-year level possess high intelligence. Those beasts keep a close watch on human Soul Masters. If they sense powerful Soul Masters making a move, it might attract even stronger spirit beasts, making it impossible to hunt anything at all.
"Granduncle, Uncle Tai Tan, Uncle Niu Gao, Uncle Wudi—back then, my father ventured into the Star Dou Forbidden Land and braved Slaughter City, surviving countless near-death experiences. Both he and Grandfather understood that rare treasures don't grow in greenhouses. Some things must be tried for oneself." Tang San spoke with conviction.
Tai Tan rubbed his head. His clan, the Strength Clan, had been the first to pledge allegiance to Tang Hao and held him in the highest regard. Tang Hao had subdued him during his youthful trials, and Tai Tan had personally witnessed Tang Hao's rise through blood and battle. Back then, Tang Hao had been the son of the Clear Sky Sect's leader, yet he had never relied on the sect's power to achieve his current strength. Naturally, Tai Tan understood the truth in Tang San's words.
"Ah, if you put it that way... spoon-feeding you forever isn't the answer. Having sect experts follow you shouldn't be a problem either. The disciples of our Clear Sky Sect are no cowards. You'll be the sect's young master in the future—you must go out and temper yourself to grow."
With a resounding hum, Tang San summoned his Clear Sky Hammer. Gazing at the hammer, now bearing a yellow Soul Ring, his eyes swept over the crowd as he declared solemnly, "The saying that 'there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters' is a lie. There are useless Martial Souls in this world."
"But the idea that possessing a top-tier Martial Soul guarantees becoming a top-tier powerhouse? That's an even bigger lie."
"Every year, the Clear Sky Sect has disciples who awaken the Clear Sky Hammer Spirit. Yet within the sect, forget Soul Douluo—even those who reach Soul Saint are few and far between, let alone Titled Douluo or Peak Douluo. In the entire history of the Clear Sky Sect, Peak Douluo have been as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns."
Though still a child, Tang San was the Clear Sky Sect's young master and the son of the Clear Sky Douluo. He had long understood that to become a top-tier powerhouse, a top-tier Martial Soul alone was not enough.
One thing Tang San left unspoken was his second Martial Soul, which had shown no change so far. If he continued relying on sect experts to hunt for his Soul Rings, his second Martial Soul might remain stagnant even when he reached Titled Douluo.
His second Martial Soul needed to bloom in slaughter—it required life-and-death battles, not protected hunts.
Retracting his Clear Sky Hammer Spirit, Tang San said earnestly, "Heroes in this world are as countless as fish in a river. But those who emerge from the storm do so not because of an umbrella."
"Hahaha! Well said! 'Heroes are as countless as fish in a river'—truly worthy of my son. Such insight is excellent." Tang Hao laughed heartily as he strode in through the gates.
"Clear Sky Crown."
"Master."
Tang Hao placed his large hand on Tang San's head and said, "You've grown taller."
Seeing Tang Hao appear, Tang San exclaimed joyfully, "Father! You've finished your seclusion?"
Tang Hao nodded and said, "Yes. I was originally worried that taking you to Slaughter City now might be too early and could affect your temperament, but it seems I was overthinking it."
"After you return from hunting your second Soul Ring, I'll take you to Slaughter City."
(End of Chapter)