Douluo: When the piano sounds, the hidden weapon returns to the factory

Chapter 44 Transferring to another major
On the other side, Shrek Academy.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on Tang San's seated figure. Two days had passed since the preliminaries ended, yet he remained in the same posture, like a frozen statue.

His eyes had lost their former sparkle, replaced by a blank, gray emptiness. Images from the recent matches kept flashing through his mind—Feng Xiaotian of Shenfeng Academy tearing apart his meticulously crafted spiderweb-like restraints with a hurricane; Shui Bing'er of Tianshui Academy freezing all his control into a fragile ice sculpture with extreme cold.
"Where exactly did we go wrong?"

Tang San's chapped lips trembled slightly, his voice hoarse and unlike his own. For two days, this question had haunted him like a nightmare. His pride and joy in his control over his body was so utterly inadequate in the face of such powerful attributes. Even more terrifying, he began to doubt whether the path he had adhered to all these years had been wrong from the very beginning.

The food on the table had long since gone cold, and the bed was made so neatly that not a single wrinkle remained. For two days and two nights, he sat there without sleep, letting his thoughts wander in the labyrinth of despair.

Once upon a time, he believed that with the Tang Sect's unique skills and his teacher's guidance, he could make his "useless martial soul," Blue Silver Grass, shine. Indeed, before encountering the Four Elements Academy, he had always been one of the best among his peers. But now, the harsh reality was before him—when faced with truly powerful martial souls, the inherent flaws of Blue Silver Grass were exposed.

“Feng Yao is right,” Tang San said with a wry smile, looking at his right hand, the Blue Silver Grass swaying weakly in his palm. Even with the blessing of a soul bone and the third and fourth super-limited soul rings, it couldn't change its fragile nature as a plant. Those victories he was once so proud of were perhaps just because he hadn't met a true opponent.

Black light surged in his left hand, and the Clear Sky Hammer silently appeared. Its immense weight made his heart tremble—this was a true top-tier martial soul, a power that could strike fear into the hearts of all opponents. A crazy thought sprouted in his mind: abandon the Blue Silver Grass and specialize in the Clear Sky Hammer.
"No!"

Tang San suddenly sprang to his feet, slamming his fist against the wall. The excruciating pain in his knuckles paled in comparison to the torment in his heart. He couldn't believe he had even entertained such a thought; it was tantamount to negating all his efforts over the years, negating his teacher, and even more so, negating the hopeful version of himself he had been after becoming an apprentice at Notting Academy.

A drop of scalding liquid slid down his cheek, and Tang San realized with a start that he was actually crying. This discovery made him even more devastated—this was the first time he had ever lost his composure since being reincarnated into this world.

"Why, why did this happen? Will all my efforts over the years be in vain?"

Tang San's thoughts became increasingly chaotic. If Shrek Academy were to encounter the Four Elements Academy again in the upcoming matches, or even the unfathomable Feng Yao, how should he deal with it? Should he continue to stick to the Blue Silver Grass control route, or switch to developing the powerful offensive capabilities of the Clear Sky Hammer? This dilemma made his temples throb.

"Xiao San." Just as he was lost in a whirlpool of thoughts, Xiao Wu's gentle call came from outside the door. That familiar voice was like a clear spring, finally bringing a glimmer of light to Tang San's empty eyes.

He mechanically raised his hand to wipe away the dried tears on his face, then wiped the blood from his hands. When he stood up, the dizziness from sitting for so long made his vision go black. The moment he pushed open the door, the summer sun poured down like a tidal wave, blinding him.

"Ugh!" Tang San instinctively raised his hand to cover himself, but felt his legs go weak. The exhaustion of the past two days, without food or water, finally pushed his body to its limits. He felt dizzy and fell forward.

"The other woman!"

A pink figure flashed by like a phantom, and Xiao Wu caught him steadily at the last second. The girl's warm embrace carried a familiar fragrance, and through Tang San's blurred vision, he saw Xiao Wu's pretty face filled with worry. Her long scorpion braid fell to his chest, the ends of her hair trembling gently with her rapid breathing.

"How did you—" Xiao Wu's voice choked with sobs, but her slender arms held extraordinary strength, "How did you get yourself into this state?"

Sunlight filtered through her black hair, casting dappled patterns of light on Tang San's pale face. At that moment, all the confusion and pain seemed to fade away. He struggled to raise his hand, wanting to smooth Xiao Wu's furrowed brows, but it fell limply to his side in mid-air.

In the last moment before his consciousness faded, he felt Xiaowu holding him tightly, and warm liquid dripped onto his cheek.

When Tang San slowly opened his heavy eyelids, he saw the Shrek Academy members sitting around the bed. In the dimly lit room, a gloomy look hung over everyone's face.

"Xiao San, you're awake!" Xiao Wu's tearful exclamation broke the silence. Her swollen eyes showed her tireless vigil, and her slender fingers tightly gripped the corner of Tang San's blanket.

Everyone looked up at the sound, their eyes filled with concern and worry. The once spirited "Monster Academy" team was now shrouded in the shadow of defeat. Even the usually optimistic Flander stood silently in a corner, his eyes behind his glasses devoid of their former brilliance.

"Teacher," Tang San's hoarse voice made everyone's hearts tighten. He struggled to sit up and looked at Yu Xiaogang standing by the window.

Yu Xiaogang sighed heavily and walked to the bedside: "Xiao San, you're still young, several years younger than them in the next class." He choked up halfway through his sentence. This theoretically invincible master was now in an unprecedented predicament—the inherent flaw of plant-type martial souls being restrained by elements was something even he couldn't overcome with theory.

The air in the room seemed to freeze. Everyone understood that without Tang San's control, Shrek Academy was a disorganized mess; but even with Tang San on the field, the Blue Silver Grass would be helpless against the powerful elemental suppression. Dai Mubai's clenched fists tightened and loosened, Ma Hongjun was unusually silent, and Ning Rongrong bit her lip, hesitant to speak.
"Teacher," Tang San suddenly spoke, his voice soft yet exceptionally firm, "I want to switch to cultivating the Clear Sky Hammer."

These words struck the room like a thunderclap.

Yu Xiaogang visibly swayed, and just as he was about to refuse, he saw in the eyes of his most prized disciple a resolute determination to rebuild from the ashes.

Seeing that Yu Xiaogang was persuaded by Tang San, Flander suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his eyes wide behind his glasses: "No! Absolutely not!" He grabbed Yu Xiaogang's arm with such force that Grandmaster frowned slightly. "Come with me!"

After the door slammed shut, Flander shoved Yu Xiaogang against the corridor wall, his voice unusually stern in a low voice: "Are you crazy? Tang Hao entrusted his son to us, not so you could act recklessly like this!" His finger trembled as he pointed towards the room. "If anything goes wrong, we'll all be dead! Even if everything goes smoothly, are you confident in the Clear Sky Hammer's spirit ring combination? If we ruin our twin martial souls, will Tang Hao let us off the hook?"

Yu Xiaogang calmly gazed at his old friend's excited face and said softly, "Flander, I see my younger self in Xiao San."

"So what!" Flander practically spat out the words through clenched teeth.

"If we keep losing," Yu Xiaogang's gaze swept past Flander, looking into the distance, "what do you think will happen?"

"This is none of your business!" Flander yelled at Yu Xiaogang.

“Some things are what sustain a person’s life. Right now, Xiao San is like a candle battered by wind and rain, and the confidence that victory brings is the best wax,” Yu Xiaogang said softly. Flander grabbed Yu Xiaogang by the collar. “The qualifying rounds are individual battles, which is exactly our strength! Shrek Academy will definitely win!”

Yu Xiaogang gently brushed Flander's hand away, his voice so soft it was almost a soliloquy: "This is running away, just like I did back then." He raised his eyes, looking directly at Flander. "Even if you win the qualifying rounds, what about the finals? Facing those monsters from the Spirit Hall, the result will still be the same."

Flander's expression suddenly froze. He slowly took a step back, his voice colder than ever before: "I said, this has nothing to do with you." Every word was as sharp as a knife. "Don't let your obsession ruin that child."

The air between the two seemed to freeze.

Flander knew Yu Xiaogang all too well; he understood better than anyone the obsession his close friend had harbored for so many years. Tang San's success was not only about the future of a genius Soul Master, but also the most powerful proof of Yu Xiaogang's lifelong theories.

Inside the room, Tang San heard everything that was happening outside. He looked down at his outstretched hands, the Clear Sky Hammer faintly visible in his left palm, its dark surface gleaming with a somber light. Xiao Wu anxiously grasped his arm, but he gently pushed her away. The girl's palms were still damp with tears, but Tang San's eyes had become exceptionally resolute.

"My own path," Tang San's voice was soft, yet it silenced everyone in the room. "I'll walk it myself."

He slowly pushed open the door. In the dim light of the corridor, Flander and Yu Xiaogang's figures appeared particularly desolate. Tang San walked up to them, his gaze calmly meeting Flander's: "Dean, switching to the Clear Sky Hammer was my decision, and it has nothing to do with our teacher." He paused, his voice soft yet clear, "Regardless of the outcome, I will personally explain it to my father."

Flander gave Yu Xiaogang a deep look, then turned to Tang San, and finally sighed, "You two, master and disciple..." He took off his glasses and wiped them, his voice suddenly sounding much older, "Are you really sure about this?"

Tang San raised his left hand, and the Clear Sky Hammer fully materialized: "Father said that I should use the hammer in my left hand to protect the grass in my right." His fingertips gently traced the hammer's shaft. "I think now is the right time."

In the shadows, Tang Hao's tall figure trembled violently. The former Haotian Douluo clenched his fists, his rough palms bleeding from his nails. "If the Blue Silver Grass is merely a tool to lay the foundation for the Haotian Hammer," he thought bitterly, "then what's the point of talking about protection?"

Looking at Tang San's straight back, Yu Xiaogang suddenly remembered himself thirty years ago, just as stubborn. Only this time, someone had chosen a different path from his own back then.

The Shrek members emerged from the room, each with a complex expression on their face. The atmosphere in the corridor became so heavy it almost froze.

Just then, heavy footsteps came from the shadows. Tang Hao's tall figure slowly emerged from the darkness, the sunlight outlining his weathered yet still upright profile.

"I agree to your switch majors." Tang Hao's deep voice echoed in the corridor.

Tang San shuddered, his eyes instantly gleaming: "Dad!"

Seeing this, Flander's tense shoulders finally relaxed. With this Haotian Douluo present, all the risks and worries were no longer a problem.

"Your Majesty Haotian." Flander and Yu Xiaogang led the way in bowing, and the Shrek Academy members also respectfully greeted him.

Tang Hao waved his hand, his usually iron-like voice softening slightly: "No need for formalities. Right now, I'm just a father." His deep gaze fell on Tang San. "I agree to your switching cultivation, but I don't agree to you adding a spirit ring to the Clear Sky Hammer right now. Little San, do you know what's most important for a weapon spirit?"

Tang San paused slightly, a fleeting image of Feng Yao playing the zither flashing through his mind. That young man's unique understanding of martial souls had left a deep impression on him. "It's understanding," he replied softly, "an understanding of the essence of a martial soul."

A hint of approval appeared on Tang Hao's usually placid face: "Not bad. It seems that child has given you quite a bit of inspiration." He looked up at the bright moon outside the window, his voice suddenly drifting away, "His understanding of martial spirits reminds me of someone."

"Who is it?" Tang San asked curiously.

“My grandfather,” Tang Hao’s voice held a rare respect, “your current soul power, physical strength, and combat intelligence are already among the best of your peers. Next, I will personally teach you how to truly wield the Clear Sky Hammer.”

Tang Hao's gaze slowly swept over the Shrek Seven Devils, glanced silently at Xiao Wu, and finally settled on Yu Xiaogang: "Master, thank you for your guidance of Xiao San over the years."

Yu Xiaogang bowed slightly: "This is my duty. Xiao San's talent deserves the best nurturing."

Tang Hao nodded and turned to Tang San: "I'll be waiting for you at dawn tomorrow on the back mountain of the academy." With that, his figure disappeared silently into the shadows of the corridor, just as he had come.

Only after Tang Hao left did the atmosphere in the corridor truly relax. Xiao Wu also looked at Tang San with mixed feelings and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Ma Hongjun was the first to rush to Tang San's side, his chubby face scrunched up with delight in his eyes: "Little San's dad is so handsome! With him personally guiding you..."

Ning Rongrong blinked her big eyes and asked curiously, "But Third Brother, are you really going to postpone attaching a spirit ring to the Clear Sky Hammer?"

Tang San gazed in the direction his father had left, his eyes resolute. "Dad's right. What I need most right now is to understand the essence of the Clear Sky Hammer." He turned to the crowd, a long-lost smile playing on his lips. "Besides, who says the Clear Sky Hammer can't fight without spirit rings?"

Flander adjusted his glasses, a smile finally returning to his face: "Good! This is the spirit of a Shrek monster!" He looked around at everyone, "Everyone, get your spirits up! In the qualifying rounds and the matches to come, we must make everyone look at us with new eyes!"

(End of this chapter)