Douluo's Spirit Pearl Divine Sword

Ning Rongrong had been with Tianlin for so long that she immediately figured out his intentions. Tianlin never gave a good look to people he had fallen out with, so his sudden visit to see Tang San was most likely an attempt to trick him.

Although Tang San was her classmate, they were far from being friends. Tian Lin held a much more important place in her heart, so she went along with Tian Lin's words and said, "Okay, then Brother Jian, you have to come see me again."

"Hmm!" Tianlin nodded to her, then walked towards Tang San and said, "Brother Tang, could you do me the honor of finding a place to talk alone?"

Tang San hesitated for a moment, but then thought that he would eventually subdue the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, so it wouldn't hurt to talk to Tian Lin first. "Teacher, in that case, you should go back first. I'll be back in a little while."

"Alright, don't stay outside too long," the master instructed, then looked at Tianlin, said nothing, snorted coldly, and turned to leave.

It seems he still harbors resentment towards Tianlin for what happened that day.

Tianlin ignored him and led Tang San to an empty lounge where they sat facing each other. Tang San said directly, "Brother Jun, speak plainly. If it's about cooperation, then let's not talk about it. You insulted my teacher so much last time, and I will definitely seek justice for you."

"Hmph, fair and square. Give me another chance, and I'll still say the same thing. As for our cooperation, if you're unwilling, then forget it. I'm here today just to repay one last favor." With that, Tianlin took out a treasure box from his belt. "Since the cooperation is over, I should return your blueprints. But those things are very useful to my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, so I'm here today to buy them out completely. The contents of this box should be valuable enough, right?"

Tang San was puzzled when he heard this. Hadn't Tian Lin already paid for it? Why did he need to come back and buy it again?

“No need to make a fuss. Do you think I don’t know that the actual price of the blueprints you gave me was far more than that? It was only because of the cooperation that I sold them at a lower price. But my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School never takes advantage of others. What we owe others, we will always repay. After today, we are completely even,” Tianlin said earnestly.

Upon hearing this, Tang San's opinion of Tian Lin changed considerably. Indeed, if it weren't for the cooperation on the Buddha's Wrath Tang Lotus, he might not have sold it even if he were offered five million gold soul coins. Tian Lin is quite principled; no wonder the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's reputation has been getting better and better in recent years—it's all thanks to their principle of not abusing their power.

Unfortunately, in Tang San's heart, Tian Lin was still too inexperienced. No matter how many benefits he gave him, his heart would not change. He had to take back the hidden weapon blueprints belonging to the Tang Sect. Since the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had already seen them, he would take over the entire sect as well.

Of course, that's for the future; for now, we still need to pretend.

"Since that's the case, then I won't stand on ceremony." Tang San accepted the box without hesitation.

Upon opening the treasure box, Tang San discovered a soul bone inside—the very same poison-attribute skull from the Tianlin Sect that had never been used before. Tang San's breathing became heavy with excitement. With his keen eyesight, he could naturally tell that it contained a considerable amount of poison, and its compatibility with him was quite good.

Tianlin also sensed that Tang San wasn't the only one whose heart was racing; the person in the shadows was experiencing the same thing. Tianlin took out the soul bone precisely to further attract Shi Nian. Although he already had a skull, no one would complain about having too many soul bones. Even if he couldn't use them, he could exchange them for other parts of his body. Skulls were more precious than limbs, so there was still a chance to exchange them for suitable limb soul bones.

"Brother Jun, then let's call it even. Farewell." Tang San left in a hurry. He just wanted to find a safe place to properly absorb this soul bone, which should allow him to break through to level 40 directly.

Tianlin remained seated in the lounge, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Shi Nian, Tang San, my soul bone isn't so easy to take. You'd better be prepared to pay the price!"

Chapter 160 Tang San's Despair in the Years of a Broken Dream

After leaving the Great Soul Arena, Tang San hurried towards Shrek Academy. His mind was preoccupied with finding a place to absorb soul bones and break through to level forty, hoping to achieve even greater success in this competition.

It was still morning, the sun was shining brightly, and the warm rays felt comforting. Tang San usually enjoyed basking in the sunlight while walking, contemplating his cultivation. But today, he was unusually anxious. No wonder, given that his "Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon" treasure was now at his disposal.

For some reason, Tang San felt that the journey today seemed rather long. Having walked for so long, he felt they should be almost at the academy by now...

Looking up, it seemed that the academy was still quite a distance away.

Had he been walking too slowly today? Tang San frowned and quickened his pace again.

As Tang San walked, his pace suddenly slowed down. He vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

The sunlight was shining brightly on my body, but the warmth had long since vanished. Instead, a faint chill seemed to be creeping in from all directions.

Tang San stopped his slowed pace, his eyes suddenly becoming alert. Everything around him seemed unchanged; passersby continued to stream past him. Shrek Academy wasn't far from here.

Am I just overthinking things? Tang San looked back at the path he had just walked, his sharp gaze sweeping over the passersby, but he didn't find anything wrong; everything seemed perfectly normal.

After regaining his composure, Tang San lifted his foot again and walked forward, his Xuan Tian Gong unconsciously gathering.

He trusted his instincts. The Tang Clan members were skilled in using poison, and sometimes they worried about being poisoned themselves, so they all had a strong sense of danger. His keen intuition amplified the unease in Tang San's heart.

But his composure prevented him from quickening his pace, so he moved forward slowly, spreading his senses as much as possible to search for any possible clues around him.

After walking for a while, Tang San suddenly stopped, his expression turning serious. Something was definitely wrong.

Although his senses detected nothing wrong, Tang San was meticulous. According to the route he had taken, he should have arrived at the academy gate long ago. But no matter which way he went, he was always still a long way from the academy, as if he were wandering in a maze.

"As expected of someone who could defeat three members of the Royal Fighting Trio, you are indeed extraordinary and highly vigilant. It's a pity you discovered it too late." At this moment, a cold voice echoed in Tang San's ear.

A figure in white approached from afar. Tang San recognized this person; he was Shi Nian, the team leader from Canghui Academy.

Upon seeing this person, Tang San's heart sank further. He stared at Shi Nian quietly and said, "So you are a teacher from Canghui Academy. May I ask what brings you here to stop me?"

Shi Nian smiled calmly and said, "It's nothing to offer guidance, it just requires you to disappear."

Tang San coldly replied, "For the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament?"

A cold glint appeared at the corner of Shi Nian's mouth. "Of course not, there's also your soul bone. Don't you understand the principle that 'a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime'?"

"What?" Tang San was shocked. Shi Nian actually knew about the soul bone. It seemed that Shi Nian had overheard his conversation with Tian Lin. How could a Soul King and a Soul Venerable like them have discovered that the other party was a Soul Saint?

"You want to kill me?" Tang San asked in a deep voice.

Shi Nian snorted coldly, "It's all because you're too outstanding. You actually possess a soul skill that can counter illusions. For the sake of the academy's victory and your soul bone, you must die."

Tang San sneered, "You're going to make your move here? Don't forget, this is a street. If you kill me, you can forget about having a place in the Soul Master world."

Shi Nian laughed, his wrinkles deepening, a cold glint flashing in his gloomy eyes. "Since I've decided to take action, I've already made thorough preparations. Take a close look, is this really still the street of Tian Dou City?"

The hazy surroundings suddenly became clear, and Tang San was surprised to find himself standing in a desolate wilderness. Looking back, he could vaguely see the city walls of Tian Dou City. He immediately deduced that this must be a grove of trees outside the city.

He was unknowingly led here by Shi Nian.

“You’re finished. You have no strength, no influence. Judging from your conversation with Sword Lord just now, your relationship with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School isn’t very good either. I can kill you without any burden.”

After saying that, Shi Nian turned into a wisp of smoke, and the surrounding environment changed again. Shi Nian's voice came from all directions, "Tang San, do you know what my greatest pleasure in life is? It is watching my opponents go mad in illusions until they die."

Tang San activated his Purple Demon Eye with all his might, but unfortunately, having lost the Autumn Water Dew, his Purple Demon Eye was only at the second level and he still couldn't see through the Soul Saint's illusion.

At this moment, Tang San was transported back to the time when he was forced to jump off a cliff by the Tang Clan elders. However, after learning from Tian Lin that he had not been expelled from the sect, the psychological trauma of this scene was greatly reduced, and he was able to barely get through it.

The next scene, however, made Tang San furious. The beautiful and charming Xiao Wu was being bullied by the lewd Uncle Bu Le. Xiao Wu desperately begged him for help, but unfortunately, Tang San was unable to move at all and could only watch helplessly.

"No!!!" Tang San's shrill wail echoed through the forest.

On the treetops not far away, Tianlin heard the sound and felt a little guilty. "What did Tang San see that made him scream so shrilly? The Purple Demon Eye is useless, and he doesn't have the Yama's Decree that turns the tide like in the original story. It seems he won't last much longer. It's time for me to make my move."

'Thump!' In the woods, not long after, Tang San finally had a mental breakdown and fainted.

Having lived two lives, his mental strength is already quite strong; if it were an ordinary person, they would probably have already suffered brain death.

"Oh, not bad, you only fainted. Well, although it's a pity I can't see you die in despair, to save time I'll do it myself." With that, Shi Nian grabbed Tang San's neck with one hand, intending to finish him off.

Just then, a flying stone struck the back of his hand. The stone contained immense soul power, causing him to feel pain and instinctively pull his hand back.

"I'm sorry, Shi Nian, he still has some use. I can't let you kill him." Tian Lin, holding the demon sword, walked towards them step by step.

"Sword Lord!" Shi Nian's pupils shrank. He hadn't expected that Jun Tianlin would witness his attempt to kill Tang San.

What should we do now? Should we kill Sword Lord as well? If we do, he'll definitely be hunted down to death by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

Chapter 161 Killing Shi Nian and Obtaining the Illusionary Skull

"Sword Lord, this matter has nothing to do with you. Don't meddle in other people's business," Shi Nian said with an extremely ugly expression.

Tianlin raised his longsword. "So what if I insist on interfering?"

"Tang San defeated three of your Royal Fighters, which has caused you all to lose face. Moreover, I just overheard your conversation with Tang San, and it seems there's some rift between you. Killing him would only benefit you." Shi Nian said as he approached Tian Lin, his hands behind his back constantly gathering power. If he could, he truly didn't want to be enemies with Tian Lin. Compared to the seemingly powerless Tang San, he couldn't afford to offend the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

Even if he could destroy the evidence after killing Tianlin, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School could easily find him by investigating Tianlin's itinerary for the day. At that time, it wouldn't matter if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had no evidence.

They just can't be tried by law. Can't they carry out assassinations? For these major sects, mere suspicion is enough to sentence him to death. After all, this isn't the rule-of-law society like Tianlin's previous life, where evidence is completely unimportant.

But if Tianlin persists in pursuing this matter today, then he will have no choice but to take drastic measures. At worst, he can kill him and then flee far away, whether to the City of Slaughter or to join the Spirit Hall. With his strength as a Soul Saint, he doesn't believe he can't find a way to survive.

"Hehe, I've long heard that Mr. Shi Nian is vindictive and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Seeing it today, I can see it's true." Tian Lin sensed his subtle movements and said with a faint smile, "Just like me."

After speaking, firelight flickered in Tianlin's eyes. His opponent was gathering strength, and so was he. At this moment, the powerful killing intent released by Tianlin was terrifying.

His purpose in using Tang San as bait was to obtain Shi Nian's soul bone. At this point, how could he possibly let him go?

"Seventh Soul Skill, Nightmare!" Sensing the immense killing intent suddenly emanating from Tianlin, Shi Nian subconsciously released his Martial Soul True Body.

A vast illusion enveloped Tianlin, and Shi Nian said hatefully, "Sword Lord, since you don't know what's good for you, then I have no choice but to be ruthless and make you repent in despair."

"Despair? Let's see who's in despair! Golden Flame Scorching Soul!" Tianlin's eyes flashed, and the entire illusion space was instantly engulfed in raging flames.

"What? What kind of flame is this? Why can it even burn my illusionary space?" M.

"Ah!!!" Shi Nian screamed in pain. If Tang San's howl just now was full of despair, then Shi Nian's scream now was extremely shrill.

"First Soul Skill, Frost Condensation!" Tianlin seized the opportunity to step forward, preparing to cut off his head.

Just then, Shi Nian raised his ferocious face, a light flashed on his forehead, and suddenly his mental power increased greatly. Tian Lin also felt that his mental power had been weakened to a certain extent.

"Fifth Soul Skill, Illusionary Body!"

Thanks to the difference in spiritual power, Shi Nian barely managed to escape the burning flames and used his fifth soul skill to escape Tian Lin's attack. What Tian Lin killed with his sword was merely one of his dream illusions.

"Oh, so this is the Ten-Thousand-Year Illusionary Skull you stole after killing the staff of the Heavenly Dou Grand Auction House?" Tianlin said with satisfaction. "It's really good. That move just now was Illusionary Space, right? It increases your own mental power while weakening the opponent's mental power, and even has a hallucinogenic effect on the opponent."

"You even know about this?" Shi Nian was shocked, then suddenly realized something. "I understand now. Tang San was bait you set up. His ability to see through the illusion and defeat the three Royal Fighters in the last match was all part of your script. It was all to attract my attention, lure him out of the city to assassinate him, and then you would kill me, right?"

“That’s right, it’s just a pity you found out too late, Brother Tianmeng, let’s go.” Tianlin shouted.

Tianmeng Ice Silkworm understood, "I understand, Little Tian. You think you can show off in front of you and your brother with just a mere ten-thousand-year-old skull? Let him see the power of my million-year-old spiritual skull, the Spiritual Interference Domain!"

A domain far larger than the Illusionary Space spread out from Tianlin's center. This domain was very similar to the Illusionary Space in effect, but its power was completely incomparable, after all, there was a difference of ten thousand years and a million years.

The illusionary space was suppressed. At this moment, a huge suction force suddenly came from Tianlin's forehead, and Shi Nian's spirit was sucked in without any resistance. This was a special space, and in front of him was a huge, snow-white fleshy worm.

"What, what is this thing?" Shi Nian was extremely shocked. He never expected that such a monster would reside in the spirit of the Sword Lord.

"You dare to bully my little Tian with your Martial Soul True Body? I'll kill you!" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm released a mental wave that instantly shattered Shi Nian's spirit into countless black particles. It may not be good at fighting, but when it comes to mental power, many gods may not be able to match it.

"At that time, how many people did he kill while he was alive? His soul particles were as black as ink," said Tianmeng Bingcan.

"Who knows? But Brother Tianmeng, he can't bully me. Illusion-type Martial Soul True Body is useless against me." Tianlin said that he only asked Tianmeng Ice Silkworm to take action to save trouble. How could the other party have the ability to bully him? He couldn't lose face.

Having dealt with Shi Nian's soul, Tian Lin approached Shi Nian's body. At this moment, Shi Nian, just like the Death Tyrannosaurus Rex last time, still had a beating heart and flowing blood, but was completely devoid of consciousness.

"Shi Nian, you bad guy have met someone not so good as me. You're just unlucky." With a slash of Tianlin's longsword, the powerful extreme fire instantly incinerated Shi Nian's body, and a piece of his soul bone fell to the ground.

That was the Illusionary Skull. Tianlin stepped forward, picked it up, and put it into his soul tool. Then he turned to look at Tang San and immediately tore off Tang San's Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon.

His poison-type soul bone is still inside. Does he really intend to leave it to Tang San? Of course, he should take it back. After all, Tang San will only think that Shi Nian stole it.

Looking at Tang San, whose brows were furrowed and whose face was full of pain even after he had fainted, Tian Lin felt a rare pang of guilt.

He could be at peace with himself regarding the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and the Human-Faced Demon Spider soul ring, because the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well belonged to Dugu Bo's family, and Dugu Bo could give it to whomever he wanted. As for the Human-Faced Demon Spider, it was Long Gong who started hunting it first, and Meng Yiran was also qualified to obtain it. These things did not necessarily belong to Tang San.

But today, he did indeed use Tang San for his own benefit, so in a way, he was the one who harmed him.

Tianlin transferred a surge of spiritual energy to Tang San, repairing his damaged soul and using his soul-reading technique to erase all the unpleasant memories Tang San had seen in the illusion of the past.

Tang San's expression visibly improved.

Tianlin said in a low voice, "Tang San, consider this spiritual power as compensation for you. Make good use of it. You should be able to gain some understanding from it. From now on, I hope you will not provoke me again, otherwise I will not show you any mercy."

Chapter 162 Foreseeing the Future