Douluo; Zhongli Adventures in Mortal World with Paimon

They couldn't stand Tang San's methods, but they had to admit that the current Tang San was indeed very powerful, far more powerful than them.

"The students from the Balak Royal Academy are quite interesting."

"In terms of overall strength, Tang San is one of the top contenders in the preliminaries. To humiliate him like this, today's situation might not end well."

Tang San was one of the only two Soul Kings in the preliminaries, and his martial soul was the Clear Sky Hammer.

During the Soul Ancestor stage, he was defeated by Dugu Yan, but that didn't mean he was weak, it was just that Dugu Yan's strength completely overwhelmed him.

However, in a one-on-one fight between Soul Kings, Dugu Yan might not be Tang San's match.

Hearing this, Tang San felt slightly annoyed.

Could anyone who made it to the advancement stage be weak? This teammate was clearly looking down on him.

"Let's settle this with real skills!"

As the referee gave the signal, both sides released their martial souls.

The Balak team member displayed four soul rings: yellow, yellow, purple, and purple. His arrogance stemmed from his confidence in his abilities.

The Balak team members looked tall and strong, seemingly older than twenty-five, but they were indeed under twenty-five.

No one dared to cheat in such a competition. A strong soul master could easily determine someone's age by feeling their bones, and any cheating would only bring shame to their empire, kingdom, or duchy.

Purple...

"Wait, something seems off!"

Everyone rubbed their eyes and looked at Tang San again. Purple, purple...

The crowd was stunned, and even the Royal Knights were taken aback.

This Tang San's first and second soul rings were both purple!

Only the participants from the Heaven Dou Empire remained calm, as they had already known about this.

The Balak team member's mouth twitched, wanting to say something but stopping himself. His eyes widened in confusion. What was going on?

Purple, purple, purple, purple, black!

The crowd was shocked, especially the Balak team members, whose eyes twitched slightly. They had encountered an abnormal Soul King right from the start!

"Captain!"

"How are we supposed to fight this?"

"Let's just forfeit!"

There was no way they could win. It wasn't that they were incompetent, but their opponent was simply too terrifying!

Hearing the captain's call to forfeit, the Balak team member on the stage breathed a sigh of relief.

He had just broken through to the Soul Ancestor level, while his opponent was a Soul King!

That hammer of his looked equally terrifying. How could they possibly fight against that?

"Balak Academy forfeits, Shrek Academy wins!"

No one mocked Balak Academy for forfeiting. It was the sensible choice.

This was only the first match, and if they had stubbornly fought against a Soul King, they wouldn't have been able to continue in the tournament.

"Balak Academy is quite decisive."

"They had to be."

It was indeed the right decision, but forfeiting outright still required great courage.

"Can you tell me why your soul rings are like that...?"

On the stage, the Balak team member tentatively asked.

Four purple and one black soul ring, such a configuration was only slightly inferior to the rumored soul rings of the Body Sect's Holy Maiden. How had Tang San achieved this?

"Tang San has twin martial souls. After reaching the Soul Ancestor stage, he started cultivating his second martial soul, the Clear Sky Hammer. Having such soul rings is not a problem."

Someone casually mentioned this, and everyone suddenly understood.

Beast Academy.

Among these academies, there were still some old acquaintances of Tang San.

"He really is Tang Hao's son."

Meng Shu said with a serious expression, though his face showed a mix of emotions.

As Tang Hao's son, Tang San couldn't possibly be unaware of the advantages of twin martial souls.

Yet, he had added soul rings to his second martial soul prematurely, which seemed... foolish.

"Grandpa, I never expected Tang San to have twin martial souls!"

Meng Yiran said with a smile.

She still had some fondness for Tang San, especially after losing a bet and owing him a kiss.

"Yes, who would have thought that the little guy who was only level 29 a few years ago is now a Soul King?"

Meng Shu stroked his beard as he spoke. He didn't mention the advantages of twin martial souls, as Tang San must have had his reasons for his choices. Besides, he was an outsider, what could he say?

"Yiran, you're not falling for Tang San, are you?"

Meng Yiran's grandmother, Chao Xiangxiang, asked.

Although Chao Xiangxiang wasn't particularly attractive now, she had been a beauty in her youth.

Otherwise, Meng Shu wouldn't have married her. Of course, it might also have been because they could perform a martial soul fusion technique.

"Grandma!"

Meng Yiran's face turned red as she protested.

Meng Shu and Chao Xiangxiang exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly.

If the two of them could really be together, it wouldn't be a bad thing. After all, Tang San was the son of the Clear Sky Douluo, and he himself was a genius with twin martial souls.

However, Meng Yiran's talent was somewhat lacking compared to Tang San's... Marrying into the Tang family might not end well for her.

They weren't children anymore and could see many things clearly. After the incident at Shrek Academy, where Tang Hao and Tang San abandoned the Strength Clan, it was clear that no force would ally itself with the Clear Sky Sect or the father and son duo.

"Yiran, although Tang San has some talent, he might not be the right match for you. You need to think carefully about the pros and cons."

Meng Shu didn't outright reject the idea but instead encouraged Meng Yiran to consider the implications.

Even if Tang San were willing to marry into the Meng family, Tang Hao would never allow it.

And if Meng Yiran married into the Tang family, the Meng family line would essentially end... Meng Yiran would surely understand the stakes.

Hearing this, Meng Yiran's expression returned to normal as she fell into deep thought.

Unlike other young ladies, Meng Yiran always prioritized her family over personal feelings.

Her fondness for Tang San was just that, fondness. He was young, powerful, and there was that kiss... It was natural for her to feel something.

But in the face of reality, she would eventually have to compromise.

The Meng family was a small but significant force in the Douluo Continent.

If not for their small numbers and lack of successors, they could have been considered a major power.

The Dragon-Snake Combination technique could rival the power of a Title Douluo!

While they might not be able to defeat a Title Douluo, they could certainly take on Soul Douluos.

Therefore, it wasn't surprising that they knew about the events at Shrek Academy.

"Grandpa, I'm not a child anymore. I know how to make the right choice."

"With those words, I can rest easy."

Family legacy always came first. As for matters of the heart, sometimes they had to take a backseat.

The first match ended with Balak Academy forfeiting, leaving the audience somewhat unsatisfied.

Balak Academy should have at least tested Tang San's strength, giving the other teams some insight. Forfeiting outright was decisive, but it also put immense pressure on the teams that followed.

The Balak captain had considered this before deciding to forfeit.