After confirming Qian Renxue's departure, Lin Mu looked at Tang San and said in a deep voice, "Little San, release your other martial soul."
"Master, didn't you say..."
Tang San hesitated. In his eyes, his second martial soul was his biggest secret; even Xiao Wu didn't know about it.
Even if Xiao Wu and Ye Lingling were trustworthy, this "Old Gorilla" certainly wasn't.
"Another martial soul?"
Tai Tan exclaimed, looking at Tang San in disbelief. He hadn't expected this young man to possess Twin Martial Souls.
Xiao Wu and Ye Lingling were equally shocked. They had never seen Tang San's other martial soul, but upon reflection, it made sense.
After all, if Tang San only possessed the Blue Silver Grass, he probably wouldn't have been accepted as a personal disciple by someone as powerful as Lin Mu.
Seeing Tang San's hesitation, Lin Mu continued, "Little San, your background is related to your other martial soul."
Hearing this, Tang San's gaze gradually hardened. He slowly extended his left hand.
Immediately afterward, a small black hammer appeared in his palm, radiating a heavy fluctuation of soul power.
It was the Clear Sky Hammer, the undisputed Number One Weapon Martial Soul in the world.
Actually, the Clear Sky Hammer's status as the number one weapon spirit wasn't solely due to its sheer power, but rather due to the Clear Sky Clan's ultimate techniques. Whether it was the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method or the Great Sumeru Hammer, these were extremely powerful skills, all originating from the clan's founder, Tang Chen.
"This is... the Clear Sky Hammer!"
Tai Tan, who had been listless just moments ago, instantly perked up. He stumbled forward a few steps, staring intently at the small black hammer in Tang San's hand, his eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.
Seeing the Old Gorilla's excitement, Tang San vaguely sensed that his second martial soul indeed had an extraordinary origin.
Lin Mu wasn't surprised by Tai Tan's reaction at all. He patted Tang San's shoulder and explained, "Little San, your weapon spirit is called the Clear Sky Hammer. You're definitely familiar with that name."
Strangely enough, despite having a hammer-shaped spirit and the surname Tang, Tang San hadn't connected the dots to the Clear Sky Sect earlier.
"Clear Sky Hammer!"
Tang San's pupils suddenly contracted. With his master's reminder, he immediately realized that the Clear Sky Hammer was the inherited spirit of the Clear Sky Sect, and all direct descendants of the clan bore the surname Tang.
'Could my father be related to the Clear Sky Sect? But if my father came from such a powerful sect, why had he fallen to such a state?'
And then there was his aunt, the owner of the Moon Pavilion. Clearly, his father's identity was not simple.
"Old Gorilla, you tell him the rest," Lin Mu instructed Tai Tan.
Upon hearing this, Tai Tan shifted his gaze from the Clear Sky Hammer to Tang San, asking with a hint of urgency, "What is your father's name? Is it Tang Hao?"
Hearing his father's name, Tang San was startled and asked incredulously, "How did you know?"
Seeing this confirmation, Tai Tan didn't hesitate for a moment. He knelt on one knee with utmost solemnity. "This old servant, Tai Tan, greets the Young Master."
Upon seeing this, everyone except Lin Mu showed expressions of surprise.
Although Tai Tan had just been brutally beaten by Lin Mu, he was still a Soul Douluo powerhouse. Yet, he addressed Tang San as "Young Master" without hesitation.
Then, Tai Tan continued, "Young Master, this old servant has finally met you. May I ask where the Master is now?"
"I don't know either."
Tang San's feelings grew increasingly complicated. Since his father possessed the strength to command the respect of a Soul Douluo, why did he make a four-year-old child cook for him and take care of his daily needs?
Compared to his master, this father couldn't even be called a father.
"Old Gorilla, tell me everything you know about Tang Hao."
Hearing Lin Mu's urging, Tai Tan hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly said, "Lord Lin, Tang Hao is my master. If he hasn't told the Young Master these things, he must have his reasons. I cannot say."
"Oh? So you're willing to take a few more beatings?"
Lin Mu looked at Tai Tan with a half-smile, his fists clenching so tightly they cracked. The sound made Tai Tan tremble all over.
The next moment, he decisively chose to speak from the heart.
"Young Master, your father was the youngest Titled Douluo on the entire continent, titled the Clear Sky Douluo."
"More than ten years ago, my Master seriously injured the former Pope of Spirit Hall, leading to his death. My Master was likely worried about being hunted down by Spirit Hall, so he disappeared without a trace."
After listening, Tang San frowned, his heart filled with doubts. 'Why was Spirit Hall hunting down my father? And what about my mother?'
Besides these questions, he also harbored a trace of resentment.
As the renowned Clear Sky Douluo, Tang San's father not only failed to provide him with a life of comfort but even struggled to feed him, requiring Tang San's care.
And he was still just a child back then!
"Master, why is Spirit Hall hunting down Father? And what about my mother?"
Tang San looked intently at Lin Mu, his voice filled with urgency, clearly eager to know the whole truth.
Lin Mu shook his head, saying earnestly, "Little San, now is not the time to tell you these things. I'll tell you when you reach Level 45."
Compared to Tang Hao's identity, the identity of his mother, the Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin, was even more sensitive. It wasn't the right time yet.
He didn't want to make Tang San question his existence again so soon after the Xiao Wu revelation.
Tang San naturally had no objection to his master's arrangement. With his current cultivation speed, he could reach Level 45 in a few more months.
"Young Master, the Master's sudden departure must have its reasons. You'll understand everything when you meet him later," Tai Tan advised.
However, his words only complicated Tang San's feelings further.
Regardless of the reason, failing to fulfill his responsibilities as a father was an undeniable fact. Compared to his master, who cared for him completely, the difference was stark. A rare sense of repulsion toward his father welled up in Tang San's heart.
Moreover, if he were to see his father again, what would he say? Upon careful consideration, it seemed there was nothing to say.
At this moment, Lin Mu's attention was focused on the system.
In just a short while, the completion rate of his mission regarding Tang San had increased by nearly three percent, almost equivalent to half a year's progress.
Now, the completion rate had reached over forty-five percent, and he received another reward: Increase the age of a Spirit Ring by 10,000 years.
His current spirit ring configuration was Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Red.
Clearly, adding ten thousand years to the first three spirit rings would have the most significant impact on his strength.
However, there was a problem. His current spirit ring configuration was no secret. If he added it to the first three spirit rings, it would definitely arouse suspicion from outsiders.
In the understanding of most Soul Masters, increasing the age of spirit rings was impossible; only a very few knew that God-level trials could increase ring age.
Altering the first three spirit rings would imply he was related to a God.
Strictly speaking, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing; it could even serve as a deterrent, especially since he now possessed sufficient self-defense capabilities.
After a brief moment of thought, Lin Mu abandoned the idea of increasing the age of his fifth spirit ring. Instead, he chose to upgrade his third spirit ring to a Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring.
This resulted in a new configuration: Two Yellow, Four Black, and One Red.