Chapter 91 — Bounty

Tang Yi was drowning in his cultivation, lost in a gratification more complete than any he had ever known, unable to tear himself away.

Uncle Bing said his strength was still too meager, that the true might of the silver martial soul could not yet be unleashed. But even a fivefold increase in intuition had still driven Tang Duo's power to a qualitative leap. He cultivated tirelessly, until Uncle Bing reminded him that this round of bitter training was over.

Back at the rift, he threw himself into training once more.

With his intuition heightened, much had changed; sensations once overlooked now stood out in the finest detail. In the Heavenly Dragon Force, which had long shown no progress, he made a new discovery—he could sense the explosive nature contained within his true force.

Having found his direction, Tang Tang cultivated with even greater devotion.

Three days later, Jing Hao came again. His attitude toward Tang Duo now was utterly different from before. If earlier there had still been something of the elder brother leading a younger one, now they stood as complete equals.

Seeing Jing Hao approach, Tang Tang stopped and called out, "Brother Jing Hao!"

Joy was plain on Jing Hao's face as he said with a chuckle, "Brother Tang, you truly are diligent. First, I must bring you good news: the higher-ups have decided to raise your rank by one grade, from Black Iron Martial Artist to Bronze Martial Artist. Not only for your merits this time—but also because to condense a silver martial soul at the fourth rank astonished them greatly. Brother Tang, your future is boundless!"

Tang Tang smiled. "I still have far to go."

Seeing that Tang Tang was not overly elated, Jing Hao realized he knew little of a Bronze Martial Artist's benefits, and so explained of his own accord: "The conferral of Bronze Martial Artist status is quite strict within the Martial Assembly. Beyond strength, one must have sufficient merit. In the more remote constellations, a Bronze Martial Artist is already enough to serve as a branch chief. A Bronze Martial Artist receives three sixth-rank star stones each month and may choose three sixth-rank silver soul-general cards, or one fifth-rank gold card. Moreover, Bronze Martial Artists are already eligible to enter the Assembly's internal exchange market. Brother Tang's current points number five thousand—among Bronze Martial Artists, that is truly astonishing. You could buy whatever you need at the exchange: secret treasures, soul-general cards, soul cores, and so on."

"Five thousand points—is that a lot?" Tang Heng's spirit lifted.

Jing Hao shook his head with a bitter smile. "Of course it's a lot. I myself have fewer than seven hundred."

Tang Tang gave a murmur of acknowledgment.

"This is the Assembly's reward; you can check your Light Plate and see for yourself," Jing Hao went on. "The one who benefits most this time is my teacher. My teacher is deeply grateful to Brother Tang. He had intended to present you with a full set of silver armor, but upon learning that Brother Tang had inherited the Peacock Blue from Senior Guizhao Nong, he withdrew the idea."

"Withdrew the idea..." Tang Tang's eyes went wide, his heart bleeding. Silver armor! Silver-grade armor! And it had flown away just like that—he had not even caught a glimpse of it.

"Yes. My teacher said that although the Peacock Blue is not renowned, its potential is immense, and it has room to grow. If wielded well, its power is not inferior to ordinary silver armor, so my teacher hopes Brother Tang will cherish it. With that in mind, my teacher decided to give Brother Tang a secret treasure he used in his younger days."

With that, Jing Hao produced a silver chain, from which hung a gleaming silver cylinder.

"This is a silver secret treasure of the Antlia constellation, called the Antlia Necklace. Antlia is a minor constellation, but this treasure is an exceedingly practical one." Jing Hao's voice was full of envy. "My teacher heard that Brother Tang's true force is only at the fourth rank, and so deliberately chose the Antlia Necklace. A pump draws in the energy around it without cease, raising the surrounding energy density by fifteen percent."

Hearing Jing Hao's introduction, Tang Tang's brows and eyes immediately lit with delight. He snatched it up and slipped the Antlia Necklace over his head.

Sure enough, Tang Tang could clearly feel the energy density around him rise noticeably.

A fine thing indeed!

In an instant, Tang Xuan judged its value. True force cultivation was a matter of patient grinding; a fifteen percent increase looked modest, but accumulated day after day, the total would become astonishing.

Though envy stirred in Jing Hao's heart, seeing Tang Tang's uncontrollable delight, he could not help but laugh aloud.

But Jing Hao's expression quickly turned grave. "There is something I feel I should tell you. Kong Youlin is dead."

"Dead?" Tang Tang's eyes flew open in astonishment—not at Kong Youlin's death, but that Jing Hao had learned of it so quickly.

The Light Inkstone truly did wield formidable power!

"Yes." Jing Hao's face was somber. "Kong Youlin was a practical man, but his strength was no trifle. Not only was he of the seventh rank, he also possessed the Swan Song armor set. That set is in no way inferior to your Peacock Blue, and yet he was ambushed. Even now the Assembly is investigating. His sister, Kong Yiyu—the branch chief of Perseus—has sworn a venomous oath to avenge her brother."

It had never occurred to Jing Hao that Kong Youlin's death might have anything to do with Tang Tang. For one thing, with Kong Youlin's seventh-rank strength, the Tang Tang of today could pose him no threat at all.

"Kong Yiyu?" Tang Tang echoed instinctively.

"Yes. She has already broken through to the eighth rank." Jing Hao cautioned him: "I know she bears a grudge against you, but for now you must absolutely not clash with her. The strength of the eighth rank is hard for you to imagine. The gulf between a silver martial artist and a bronze one cannot be bridged—it is a difference in the very essence of power. I tell you this because the Assembly will hold a meeting in the White Rainbow constellation, and you may encounter her there."

Tang Cen knew Jing Hao meant well for him and nodded quickly. "I won't be reckless."

"Good." Jing Hao nodded. "So long as you do not provoke her first, she can do nothing to you. Hmph—the strength of our faction is not something the mere Kong family can afford to cross. Cultivate well, and break through to the fifth rank soon."

Having given his warnings, Jing Hao took his leave. Before departing, he glanced at Bing. Jing Hao had specifically asked his teacher, but even his teacher had never heard of such a bizarre soul general.

Tang Tang asked Bing, "Hey, Uncle, how strong is the eighth rank?"

"Strong enough to pound you into scraps without breaking a sweat." Bing did not even look at Tang Tang.

"Is it really that exaggerated..." Tang Tang cried in an exaggerated manner, but soon he was stroking his chin with a solemn air. "It seems this young man must not slack off!"

Bing swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue. It seemed this fellow Duo still had a measure of self-knowledge after all.

Tang Tang suddenly flung both arms high and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Come on! Crush the eighth rank!"

Bing: "..."

Tang Tang suddenly remembered his Light Plate—Jing Hao had just said the points inside could buy things—and hurriedly took it out.

The moment he brought it out, he gave a cry of surprise. What had plainly been a black-iron Light Plate had now turned bronze.

"Impressive, Tang—it can even change color!" Tang Yi exclaimed as he activated the Light Plate. The plate was somewhat like a secret treasure and could link with one's martial soul; Tang Tang felt the scene before his eyes shift.

Tang Jin quickly found the exchange market, and a whole series of lists appeared before him.