However, their surprise quickly turned to admiration. The moment Tang San leaped down, a strand of Blue Silver Emperor had already coiled around the iron chain bridge. At the same time, he raised his right hand and fired another strand of Blue Silver Emperor, wrapping it around the spot where the Seventh Elder's Clear Sky Hammer had just swept past. His body swung forward, he released the first strand of Blue Silver Grass, and his entire figure was pulled upward from below, shooting straight toward the space beneath the Seventh Elder's feet.
All of the Seventh Elder's preparations had been made in anticipation of Tang San launching himself into the air. But Tang San's method of evading his Clear Sky Hammer attack was completely unexpected, and naturally his reaction lagged by half a beat.
The Eight Spider Lances thrust upward, stabbing simultaneously toward different positions on the Seventh Elder's body. At the same time, a Web Bind unfurled from below, spreading upward.
In terms of raw strength, Tang San might not match his opponent, but when it came to seizing the right moment, he was in no way inferior to the Seventh Elder. This was precisely the gap — the instant after the old force had been expended and before the new force could be generated — when the Seventh Elder's Clear Sky Hammer had struck out but had not yet been retracted.
The azure Blue Silver Domain activated. The Web Bind billowed in the wind, its coverage area surging dramatically. Even for a powerhouse of the Seventh Elder's caliber, if he were caught by that Web Bind while using only forty percent of his Soul Power, it would still take a certain amount of time to break free.
The sudden discovery of his opponent appearing beneath his feet prompted the Seventh Elder to make the correct choice. He tapped his toes against the iron chain bridge once more, his entire body springing upward, while simultaneously raising his hand to recall his Clear Sky Hammer. With the iron chain bridge acting as a barrier, as long as he was not directly above it, the Web Bind could not reach him.
But what astonished the Seventh Elder was yet another strand of Blue Silver Grass shooting from Tang San's right hand — not aimed at him, but wrapping directly around the edge of the Web Bind. With a deft flick, the Web Bind went spinning diagonally upward, and as the strand of Blue Silver Grass tugged it inward, the Web Bind flew sideways, still sweeping toward the Seventh Elder.
This was no longer mere Soul Skill anymore. Interwoven within it were Tang San's ingenious Hidden Weapon techniques. Relying on Crane Control Dragon Catch to manipulate his internal energy, that enormous web — over ten meters in diameter — spread forward as if it were alive.
By now, Tang San had reached the iron chain bridge. His left hand hooked onto the chain, and with a powerful swing, he hurled his body upward, hurtling straight toward the Seventh Elder in midair.
"What a kid," the Seventh Elder bellowed, a glint of appreciation unconsciously flashing through his eyes. Not every Soul Master could perfectly leverage the advantages of their Martial Soul, and on that front, Tang San had clearly done an exceptional job.
The Seventh Elder swept his right hand through empty air. The Clear Sky Hammer, which had been in the process of being recalled, was instead flung directly outward. Under his midair control, it came crashing down toward Tang San, who was rocketing upward. At the same time, the fifth Soul Ring on his body suddenly blazed to life. The air grew heavy without warning, and a sensation like a mountain pressing down erupted from him.
In midair, Tang San felt his body suddenly grow heavier. His figure, which had been rising in pursuit of the Seventh Elder, shifted from ascent to descent. Even the Web Bind in the air momentarily slowed, its speed drastically reduced.
Gravity Control. The name of that Soul Skill immediately surfaced in Tang San's mind. He had encountered a similar technique back when he faced the Immovable Bright King, Zhao Wuji. But compared to Zhao Wuji's version, the Seventh Elder's Gravity Control was far more formidable — as if something were pulling his body down from below.
Right after that, the sixth Soul Ring on the Seventh Elder also lit up. The Clear Sky Hammer, which had been hurtling through midair toward Tang San, abruptly split in two. One of the hammers plummeted downward, blasting toward the position beneath Tang San's feet. From the destructive power each hammer radiated, neither one had diminished in the slightest.
Martial Soul Clone?
Facing what was practically the ultimate skill for a Tool Soul Master, even Tang San's expression grew solemn.
Martial Soul Clones generally only appeared in Tool Soul Masters. When executed, the skill could manifest another Tool Soul identical to the original, usable for attack. The most terrifying aspect was that this skill could be layered with other skills after activation.
In other words, within a short window, the Tool Soul Master's offensive power would double.
A Martial Soul Clone on a Ten-Year Soul Ring typically retained only thirty percent of the original's attack power. A Hundred-Year Soul Ring yielded fifty percent, a Thousand-Year Soul Ring seventy percent, and only upon reaching a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring would it achieve a full one hundred percent.
As for a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring — once a Tool Soul Clone was activated, both identical Tool Souls could wield two hundred percent of the original's power.
This was precisely why Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings were considered the most precious, most coveted treasures in the Soul Master world.
The Martial Soul Clone the Seventh Elder had just deployed was backed by a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring. Though it was only his second Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, the result was still an additional Clear Sky Hammer at full one-hundred-percent effectiveness.
As long as he layered any further Soul Skill onto the hammers, the effects would be doubled.
The Clear Sky Hammer was already domineering enough on its own. Now Tang San was facing twin hammers. The sheer horror of that was self-evident. As one of the Clear Sky Sect's Five Great Elders, the Seventh Elder was finally displaying his true power.
Would the Seventh Elder also shatter the iron chain beneath him? That would undoubtedly leave Tang San in agony under the effects of Gravity Control — but the Seventh Elder himself would then have nowhere to stand. What choice would he make?