"Father, I have an important thing to tell you..."
Hearing Tang Xiao's words, Tang Zhen and the others immediately straightened up, turning their full attention toward him.
Seeing that everyone was focused on him, Tang Xiao let a deliberate silence linger. Then he slowly put down his chopsticks.
Without offering any verbal explanation, he directly summoned his martial soul.
Soul power surged around his palm, and a miniature version of his evolved super-level Clear Sky Hammer materialized above it, hovering silently before everyone's eyes.
"This… Xiao'er—"
"Big Brother…"
A collective gasp escaped Tang Zhen and Tang Hao as they stared at the hovering mini hammer.
Even though Tang Xiao suppressed the majority of its domineering aura, the faint pressure that leaked out was still enough to make their hearts palpitate.
Tang Yuehua and Ah Yin, being outsiders to the Clear Sky bloodline, couldn't sense it.
But as Clear Sky Hammer users themselves, Tang Hao and Tang Zhen instantly felt the suppression their martial souls suffered the moment Tang Xiao revealed his.
Both men were stunned speechless.
"This… this… Big Brother's martial soul evolved?" Tang Yuehua blurted out, shock colouring her voice.
She couldn't sense the details like her father and brother, but the hammer's changed appearance along with their reactions were enough for her to arrive at the unbelievable conclusion.
The Clear Sky Hammer was already a top-tier martial soul—the number one tool-type martial soul in the world. Could something like that even evolve?
If it evolved… what level existed beyond top-tier?
What came after the peak?
Such things were completely beyond their knowledge.
In this era, martial souls were categorized only as low-level, high-level, and top-level. Even Tang Zhen had no idea that god-level martial souls existed—after all, it was Spirit Hall's greatest secret.
He was not Yu Xiaogang, nor did they possess knowledge from ten thousand years into the future.
They had no concept of the three higher ranks beyond top-level: ultimate martial souls, super martial souls, and god-level martial souls.
"Little Yue'er is right. It is indeed a martial soul evolution." Tang Xiao smiled proudly as he answered her.
Tang Zhen immediately stood up, followed closely by Tang Hao. Both circled around Tang Xiao, examining his martial soul with wide, disbelieving eyes. They summoned their own hammers for comparison, only to feel them instinctively cower under Tang Xiao's presence.
"Xiao'er… how—how did your martial soul evolve? This… this is unprecedented."
"Yes," Tang Hao added, equally shaken. "In the history of our Clear Sky Sect, there have been many mutations—some harmful, some beneficial. But never… never has a Clear Sky Hammer suppressed another Clear Sky Hammer."
"But yours… I can clearly feel the terrifying aura it emits. My martial soul trembles just being near it… This is no mutation—it's evolution. A breakthrough to an entirely new level…" Tang Zhen spoke in a halting voice, half questioning Tang Xiao, half muttering to himself.
Tang Hao wasn't any better. His thoughts were in complete disarray.
Hadn't Tang Xiao always possessed the same level of Clear Sky Hammer as him?
How did it suddenly transform into something far superior?
What was going to happen to his title as the sect's number one genius?
How?
How!?
Seeing everyone's stunned expressions, Tang Xiao's lips almost curled into a crooked grin. But suppressing it with sheer willpower, he spoke with a solemn and serious tone:
"Father, I'm not entirely sure of the reason myself… Actually, from the day I awakened my martial soul, I always felt something unusual, as if something inside it wanted to break out of a cocoon. But I thought it was normal and assumed everyone had that feeling."
"But as I absorbed more soul rings, the sensation grew stronger. Day by day, I felt a portion of my cultivated soul power merging with my Clear Sky Hammer. My martial soul was improving slowly but steadily. Finally, after absorbing my eighth soul ring, the changes became undeniable. I felt that a qualitative transformation was on the horizon."
He paused intentionally.
Seeing the eager anticipation in Tang Zhen and Tang Hao's eyes, he continued:
"And just as I predicted, something major happened last month. During meditation, an immense surge of soul power fed back from my martial soul, allowing me to break through twice in succession—reaching level 89, almost 90. When I examined it closely, I realized my martial soul had completely transformed… A qualitative leap. An evolution."
As he spoke, Tang Xiao himself grew excited—he almost believed the nonsense story he was spouting.
When he finished narrating his fabricated tale, everyone stared at him in complete shock.
And from their reactions… it was clear they believed every word.
"Xiao'er… this… this is excellent! Hahaha!" Tang Zhen burst into hearty laughter, his joy overflowing. All this time, he thought his younger son was the one comparable to his father, Tang Chen. But now it seemed his eldest was the true monster.
Martial soul evolution.
Two breakthroughs in minutes.
And according to Tang Xiao's explanation, his cultivation speed had always been high—but was slowed only because a part of his soul power was siphoned by his martial soul. Now that the evolution was complete, his speed would return to its true level.
Excellent.
Excellent!
Tang Zhen's face flushed as he laughed uncontrollably.
Although it was his first time ever hearing of a martial soul evolving by absorbing soul power, he believed Tang Xiao without a shred of doubt.
After all, Tang Xiao was the first person in history of clear sky to undergo martial soul evolution.
Therefore, whatever he said had to be the truth.
If only Tang Zhen and the others were from Earth and had known about the neighborhood Yao Lao , they would have realized Tang Xiao was bullshitting his way through this whole explanation.
Was a martial soul supposed to be a grandpa in a ring?
Unfortunately for them… they weren't from Earth.
So they had no choice but to believe every nonsense word Tang Xiao uttered.