Douluo: I have too many clones

Chapter 786 Tang San's Divine Sense: For the sake of the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy, Wu Lin, you go...

"puff--"

A muffled thud exploded on the arena, accompanied by a spray of scarlet blood mist. Akira Akira suddenly bent over and coughed violently.

Once again, his soul power inexplicably reversed course within his body. That uncontrollable, violent energy was like a blunt knife, repeatedly tearing at his meridians. Finally, it burst through his throat, turning into a mouthful of scalding blood that sprayed onto the smooth white jade arena, spreading out in a dazzling red.

"I...I give up!"

Akira Akayama's voice carried an undisguised sense of embarrassment and exhaustion, each word sounding as if squeezed out from between his teeth.

He raised his head and looked at Nan Fusheng, whose breathing was fluctuating but whose eyes were still sharp. A trace of unwillingness flashed in his eyes, but it was eventually replaced by a deep sense of helplessness.

He had no choice but to admit defeat.

Ever since Nan Fusheng unleashed that peculiar ability, the competition has completely slipped out of his control.

Whenever he gathers his soul power to launch an attack, whether it is a fierce soul skill or other combat technique, it will ultimately bounce back to him with double the power when it hits the opponent.

It felt like punching cotton, only to have your palm pierced by a steel needle hidden inside. Every counterattack brought him double the pain.

What frustrated him even more was that when Nan Fusheng's attacks landed on him, he always managed to precisely avoid the weak points in the battle armor's defenses. Each strike was like a heavy hammer hitting an iron plate, causing his blood and qi to surge.

That elemental blade, which he conjured at will, seemed to possess some kind of armor-piercing effect.

Despite his own two-word battle armor being far superior in hardness to others of the same level, it was as fragile as paper under the opponent's strikes—a deep, bone-revealing gap was cleaved in the shoulder armor, the chest armor was covered with crisscrossing cracks, and even the edges of the arm armor were curled and deformed, resembling a piece of scrap iron that had been repeatedly hammered.

Seeing his two-word battle armor, which he had painstakingly crafted with countless resources, being hacked to pieces, Akashi Akira felt as if his heart was being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, causing him pain that was almost bleeding.

He knew very well that as long as he couldn't break through Nan Fusheng's strange rebound ability, this competition would only be an endless drain.

Continuing to fight it out will only cause more damage to the battle armor, and may even harm its very foundation. Rather than making such a futile sacrifice, it is better to cut losses in time and preserve the remaining strength.

After all, the core rules of this martial arts contest for marriage were already clear—the higher the final ranking of the contestant, the richer the prizes they could receive. Those rare and precious materials, artificial ten-thousand-year-old soul spirits, and even the cultivation potions secretly made by the Spirit Pagoda were his real targets.

From the very beginning, he didn't attend this conference for the so-called "kinship," but rather for the resources that would allow him to further his cultivation.

Having figured this out, Akira took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the surging blood and qi within him, and nodded slightly in the direction of the referee, thus confirming his decision.

Without another glance at Nan Fusheng on the stage, he dragged his heavy steps off the stage. His back view, though forlorn, also revealed a calm and calculating demeanor.

Seeing this, the referee immediately strode onto the stage from the side, scanned the entire arena, and announced in a loud voice imbued with soul power: "Nan Fusheng wins the first match of the second round!"

"Oh!!!"

As soon as the referee finished speaking, deafening shouts and applause erupted from the stands. Countless spectators stood up excitedly, waving their arms, their faces filled with excitement and disbelief.

Defeating a Title Douluo at the Soul Douluo level is an extremely rare occurrence in the entire Soul Master world, especially in such a highly anticipated martial arts tournament. This is undoubtedly another major upset that everyone will talk about.

The discussion spread like a tide through the stands, with people vying to discuss Nan Fusheng's unpredictable soul skills and Chishan Ming's unexpected surrender. The atmosphere in the arena was instantly pushed to a new climax.

……

"What a peculiar ability. Can it reflect damage? No, it seems there must be other secrets besides reflecting damage."

In the front row of the audience, Tang Wulin gazed at the figure on the stage, his delicate brows furrowed, his eyes filled with inquiry.

Since being given the identity of "Child of Nature" by the Golden Ancient Tree, her connection with the Douluo Continent has become increasingly close. To some extent, she can be considered a favored one of the planes.

In addition, the "Seed of Life" within her body, formed from the ancient golden tree, grants her an extraordinary sensitivity to energy.

At this moment, the soul skill that Nan Fusheng was using exhibited an extremely strange fluctuation in her perception—it was neither the fierceness of an offensive type nor the restraint of a control type, but more like an invisible law, quietly influencing everything around it.

"It doesn't seem like a normal soul skill. When Fusheng uses this ability, he seems to receive some external help. Is it the favor of the plane? No, it seems to be more special than that."

Tang Wulin muttered to herself. Although her sixth group wouldn't directly confront Nan Fusheng, this extraordinary power still piqued her intense curiosity.

"It's destiny!"

A deep, resonant voice suddenly echoed in her mind, like a thunderclap, causing Tang Wulin's eyes to widen abruptly, for she was all too familiar with that voice.

"Father?" she exclaimed inwardly, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Yes, it's me." Tang San's voice remained calm, but it made Tang Wulin's heart skip a beat.

"You finally woke up!"

Since the attack on Tianhai City by Di Tian and other ferocious beasts, and the subsequent interception by the mysterious silver figure, Tang San was forced to use his divine sense to transfer them a second time, and then fell into a long period of silence.

No matter how she called out, there was no response. The sudden sound was undoubtedly great news for Tang Wulin.

She suppressed her excitement, slowly closed her eyes, seemingly to rest, but her consciousness had already sunk into her mind, communicating with that familiar divine sense: "Father, what do you mean by luck? What is the relationship between Fusheng's soul skill and luck?"

Tang San's consciousness flickered in her mind, as if he were organizing his thoughts. After a moment, he asked, "Child, do you remember what kind of spirit beast Spirit Ice Douluo obtained his sixth spirit ring from?"

"Lingbing Douluo's sixth spirit ring?"

Tang Wulin's memories were instantly activated. The history of the first and second generation Shrek Seven Devils was a required course at Shrek Academy, and she already knew it by heart.

"It's the Three-Eyed Golden Lion! The sixth spirit ring of Spirit Ice Douluo came from the sacrifice of the Emperor Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion."

She paused, then continued to recall the passage from the textbook: "The textbook says that the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, who had transformed into human form, fell in love with Lingbing Douluo. When he faced a life-or-death crisis, she did not hesitate to sacrifice herself to help him escape danger."

"This incident even ignited the fury of the Star Dou Great Forest, but it also became the opportunity for the popularization of 'Soul Contract' and the beginning of the establishment of the Spirit Pagoda."

At this point, Tang Wulin suddenly had a thought and asked doubtfully, "Father, are you saying that Fusheng's soul skill is related to the Three-Eyed Golden Lion? That's impossible. Given the current state of the Star Dou Great Forest, can it really nurture a second Emperor-level auspicious beast?"

"Even if it really exists, what makes it worthy of becoming Fusheng's soul spirit? You must know that the Emperor Beast is of extraordinary significance to the soul beast world, and the ferocious beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest will never allow such a thing to happen."

Tang San's divine sense carried a hint of approval: "The fact that you could think of these things shows that you haven't been slacking off these past few days. Indeed, given the current state of the Star Dou Great Forest, it's absolutely impossible for another Emperor-level Auspicious Beast to be born, but you've overlooked other possibilities." "For example, while an Emperor-level Auspicious Beast certainly wouldn't sacrifice itself to him, he might have another extraordinary encounter—such as receiving a sacrifice from an auspicious beast like a Golden Tortoise Shell, coupled with his own special characteristics, in order to possess the ability to attract fortune."

Upon hearing this, Tang Wulin's face showed a hint of confusion: "What's so special about Fusheng? Is there anything special about him?"

She and Nan Fusheng had known each other since childhood and could be considered close friends who grew up together, but she never noticed anything unusual about this former partner.

In terms of talent, Nan Fusheng, while not mediocre, was by no means exceptionally gifted; in terms of background, he was as ordinary as any commoner on the mainland. How could such a person be associated with "specialness"?
Tang San's divine sense calmly responded: "Perhaps he himself was indeed ordinary, but after the Golden Tree perished, he may have been favored by fortune, which is why he became different."

"The favor of fate?" Tang Wulin repeated these words, his eyes full of confusion.

“Yes.” Tang San’s divine sense patiently explained, “The Golden Tree is the life core of the Douluo Plane and the cornerstone that suppresses the fortune of the entire plane. But now that the Golden Tree has perished, the fortune of the Douluo Plane has no support.”

"These unclaimed energies are scattered everywhere. If they fall into the bodies of ordinary soul masters, they might bring them good fortune, accelerate their cultivation, and make it easier for them to break through bottlenecks. Think about it carefully, since the Golden Tree withered, haven't there been more and more genius soul masters on the Douluo Continent?"

“Indeed.” Tang Wulin suddenly understood, and the grand scene of this martial arts tournament for marriage appeared in his mind—thirty-nine titled Douluo under the age of fifty gathered together. Such a scene would have been an unimaginable miracle in the past.

So, the collapse of fortune doesn't seem to be a bad thing. On the contrary, it has led to the emergence of a large number of powerful figures in the Douluo Continent.
As if seeing through her thoughts, Tang San's divine sense carried a hint of earnestness: "Silly child, do you think the dissipation of fortune is a good thing? Those unclaimed fortunes scattered among ordinary soul masters are nothing but a waste."

"Instead of doing that, it's better to gather them together and concentrate them on a few people or even one person, so as to maximize their effectiveness. You should understand the difference between cultivating a few dragons and raising hundreds of ants."

"Just like Huo Yuhao, the Spirit Ice Douluo, he was once favored by the Douluo plane and could be called the chosen one of his generation. You also know his final achievement - he suppressed a country with his own strength, and finally broke through the shackles of the plane and ascended to become a god."

Tang Wulin nodded slightly, but a new question arose in his mind: "So, could Fusheng be the chosen one of this era?"

Tang San's consciousness trembled slightly, as if shaking his head: "This is precisely what puzzles me. Logically speaking, as the 'Child of Nature' chosen by the Golden Ancient Tree, the scattered fortune should have converged on you."

“In fact, I can indeed sense that you have a lot of luck gathered on you. But Nan Fusheng is very strange - he is not a child of nature, but the luck gathered on him is several times thicker than yours.”

As someone who personally orchestrated and stirred up the flow of fortune in the Douluo Continent, Tang San's perception of fortune far surpasses that of ordinary people.

Back then, in order to promote Huo Yuhao's growth, he didn't hesitate to split his daughter's soul. Half of her was human, and the other half was a beast, setting up a grand scheme spanning decades, creating the biggest "pig butchering scam" in history, sharpening his knife for Yuhao.

That's why he was even more concerned about Nan Fusheng's unusual behavior.

"Perhaps, when the ancient golden tree perished, the remaining fortune just happened to fall upon him, thus creating a new chosen one of the plane."

After a long while, Tang San's divine sense finally offered a conjecture, his tone tinged with uncertainty. Fate is inherently unpredictable; even a powerful god-king can only guide it, not completely control it.

Nan Fusheng's good fortune may simply be due to his "good luck"—appearing in the most appropriate place at the most opportune time, and inheriting the immense fortune that should have been his.

Tang Wulin carefully considered his father's words: "So, Fusheng's ability isn't about reflecting damage, but rather... changing the 'luck' of the battle? Making the opponent's attacks 'unsuccessful'?"

"That's one way to understand it, but it's not just that," Tang San said with certainty.

He further explained, "Luck is formless and intangible, yet it can permeate all things and influence rise and fall, honor and disgrace. Back then, Huo Yuhao received a sacrifice from the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, from which several divine skills were derived."

"The fortune gathered on Nan Fusheng is no less than that of Huo Yuhao back then. The soul skill born from this will definitely not be as simple as 'changing luck'."

At this point, Tang San's divine sense suddenly paused, and he changed the subject: "Wu Lin, what is your relationship with that Nan Fusheng?"

Tang Wulin didn't hide anything and answered truthfully, "We've been friends since we were little, but we've gone our separate ways and haven't been in touch for a long time."

"I see..." Tang San seemed to be deep in thought, then asked, "So what's your opinion of him?"

A strange unease rose in Tang Wulin's heart, as if something important was about to happen, but out of absolute trust in her father, she still spoke frankly:

"He is a trustworthy person. We went through a lot together when we were young, and he never harbored any ulterior motives. Although he is not flamboyant, he always has a reassuring quality."

"Wu Lin, you should know how difficult it is to rebuild Shrek Academy, right?" Tang San's tone suddenly changed, becoming serious.

"The situation on Douluo Continent is now very complicated, with various forces deeply intertwined. They will never sit idly by and watch you rebuild Shrek Academy and regain your former glory. They will use every means to obstruct you, and even resort to force to nip you in the bud."

"Wu Lin, do you know how difficult it is for the Tang Clan to clear its name of treason after being branded as such?"

Before Tang Wulin could respond, he posed a second question: "Once the mark of 'treason' is etched on your body, you will be despised by the world. Even if you have the truth and want to overturn the established conclusion, you will inevitably have to pay an unimaginable price, and may even have to sacrifice many lives."

"Wu Lin, are you aware that those enemies lurking in the shadows are watching you and your companions with predatory eyes? They fear your potential, and even more so, they fear the resurgence of Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect. Therefore, they will surely strike a fatal blow when you are at your weakest..."

Tang San's divine sense threw out several questions in succession, each one pointing directly to the biggest predicament Tang Wulin was currently facing. Every word was like a heavy hammer, striking her heart.

She pondered these problems day and night, but could not find a perfect solution. Now that her father had pointed them out to her one by one, she felt even more burdened.

"Father, what exactly are you trying to say after all this?"

Tang Wulin was not a dull person; her father's words were clearly highly suggestive, not just a simple reminder. She took a deep breath, suppressed her unease, and directly asked the most crucial question.

There seemed to be a momentary stagnation in the air. Tang San's consciousness remained silent for a few breaths before he slowly spoke, his tone carrying an undeniable solemnity: "Wu Lin, Nan Fusheng possesses a strong fortune and has a long-standing acquaintance with you. If you can use such a person, he might become the key to breaking your current predicament."

Tang Wulin looked confused and asked, "What do you mean?"

Tang San's divine sense carried a hint of earnestness as he spoke, word by word: "For the future of Tang Sect and Shrek Academy, Wu Lin... no, Wu Ling, go and have a relationship with him."

In his view, the connection with the Silver Dragon King had long been severed, and the most urgent task now was to cut his losses. Nan Fusheng possessed such immense fortune, and his future achievements were bound to be limitless. Now that he had encountered him, there was no reason for him to let him go easily.

Back then, didn't Xiao Qi (Tang Wutong) also disguise herself as a man and walk through the world?

Tang Wulin is now a genuine woman, and in terms of appearance and demeanor, she is in no way inferior to Wu Tong. With just a slight hint, how could she not be tempted?

Childhood sweethearts, plus a girl—who could resist that?

Unfortunately, Wu Lin didn't acknowledge the other person as his older brother, otherwise it would have been a decisive blow.

Tang Wulin: "???"

Is this right?
(End of this chapter)