Chapter 205: Tom Uses the Immortal Rope

Chapter 205: Chapter 205: Tom Uses the Immortal RopeAt the Tianshui Grand Spirit Arena. "The next match is going to be very interesting. I promise—it’ll be a fight unlike anything you’ve ever seen before!" "And now, we have a battle between the Gold Soul Medal holder, Soul Ancestor Shen An, and the Soul King Leng Yingqiu!" The host shouted with all his might, trying to stir up the audience’s excitement. Undoubtedly, battles where the weaker party challenges someone of a higher rank always make for better entertainment. The crowd instantly erupted into a frenzy, their cheers deafening. In the lounge, Shui Bing’er suddenly shot to her feet. Her misty ice-blue eyes sparkled with surprise and joy as she looked at the man on stage. He had actually come to Tianshui—and he’d already advanced to Soul Ancestor! Shui Yue’er was mildly surprised too, but not overly shocked. Shen An had always been good at hiding his cultivation level and never disclosed his exact rank. So in her mind, Shen An had always seemed like a Soul Elder close to Level 40. After all, his battle performance had always been incredibly dominant. It would’ve been hard to explain his strength otherwise. As for whether Leng Yingqiu could win, Shui Bing’er wasn’t very worried. Her teacher was a Level 58 control-type Soul King—formidable by any measure. The higher the realm of a Soul Master, the more difficult it became to bridge even a single level of difference. Not to mention, her teacher was famous for being invincible among her peers in the same rank. Shui Bing’er couldn’t imagine her teacher losing. No matter how strong Shen An was, at most, he’d just give her some trouble. Leaving behind a bald Tom and a confused Jerry, Shen An stepped onto the stage. Leng Yingqiu appeared to be in her early thirties, with a cold yet seductive air. Her eyes brimmed with allure, her figure was curvaceous and mature—a truly stunning woman. Leng Yingqiu studied Shen An closely. He was graceful, refined, and strikingly handsome—an impressive appearance. "Leng Yingqiu, Level 58 Control-type Soul King. Martial Soul: Frost Fan." "Shen An. Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Nine-Leaf Swordgrass." Upon hearing this, Leng Yingqiu’s expression darkened. She thought Shen An was being arrogant for not even revealing his specific level. Whatever good impression she had of him due to his looks immediately vanished. "Since your soul power is a whole realm lower than mine, I’ll let you make the first move. Otherwise, once I strike, you won’t even get the chance to recover." She forced down her displeasure and said calmly. Shen An smiled faintly—clearly, she was looking down on him. He reached out and grasped the empty air, and a long sword glowing with cyan light appeared in his hand. The sword was bare—without a sheath. Its sharpness could not be concealed. Cold gleams shimmered along its blade, and sword aura filled the air, making even the atmosphere feel a few degrees colder. Leng Yingqiu’s pupils contracted. It was easy to sense the quality of a Martial Soul. The sheer sharpness radiating from his was so overwhelming that she didn’t even dare meet it with her eyes. Who is this man? Just his Martial Soul alone gives off such pressure... Shen An—that name sounds so familiar... While she was trying to recall where she’d heard it before, Shen An was already attacking, sword in hand. He didn’t use any soul rings or skills—just his raw physical speed and strength. In her eyes, Shen An seemed to teleport. One moment he was standing still; the next, he had drawn his sword and was slashing toward her. In a flash, Leng Yingqiu raised a beautiful, intricately crafted white fan. Her five soul rings appeared instantly, two of them lighting up. She waved the fan, sending a chilling gust of wind toward him. Wherever the wind passed, ice formed out of thin air. At the same time, Shen An noticed the ground beneath his feet freeze over, locking his legs in place. Interesting. This ice attribute is pretty convenient. Would be nice in the summer—instant ice cubes anytime. Just thinking about it is refreshing. He couldn’t help but feel a bit envious, though his movements didn’t slow in the slightest. He infused soul power into his sword; cyan light surged along its edge. A burst of sword energy tore through the air in utter silence, smashing into the cold wind. The frigid gust shattered into fragments, and the ice columns hovering in the air crumbled into snowy flakes. Leng Yingqiu quickly activated her second soul skill again, unleashing another wave of freezing wind to finally disperse the sword energy. Her face was grim. She hadn’t expected that it would take two of her soul skills just to counter one swing of Shen An’s sword. His Martial Soul was terrifyingly powerful in offense, but correspondingly, his defense must be weak. After all, he’d been frozen in place by her ice without resistance. In a way, she was correct. Shen An was high offense and low defense. But "low defense" was relative. With four limit-breaking soul rings, two Martial Soul evolutions, and his body partially altered by Tom’s unique traits, his lowest level of defense was still above many people’s peak. While Leng Yingqiu was busy strategizing, Shen An exerted a bit of force with his foot. With a crisp crack, the ice trapping him shattered. In the next moment, his sword sliced through the air like a streak of cyan lightning, aiming to end this dull battle. Leng Yingqiu was both shocked and furious. The slowing power of her frost had zero effect on Shen An. With her Frost Fan in hand, her fifth soul ring shone brightly as a wave of powerful ice energy surged out. A swirling tornado laced with shards of ice surged toward Shen An. Shen An looked at the rapidly expanding tornado, entirely unbothered. Compared to Flander’s attacks, this was child’s play. Gripping his Nine-Leaf Swordgrass tightly, his soul power circulated quietly. A beam of cyan light slashed out, the sound of air splitting as loud as thunder. In one stroke, the wind dispersed and the ice shattered. Leng Yingqiu felt the cold edge of a sword against her throat and dared not move a muscle. At that moment, a deep sense of defeat and humiliation overwhelmed her. She—an advanced Soul King—had been defeated by a Soul Ancestor. Worse still, he hadn’t even used a soul ring. "Shen An, show mercy! That’s my teacher!" Shui Bing’er ran from the lounge and shouted from below the stage. Shen An turned to her, confused. Show mercy? Isn’t this a Soul Duel? The only goal is to win, right? "How about this—if you admit defeat, I’ll take my sword off your neck?" he asked Leng Yingqiu in a negotiating tone. "I... I concede..." she said weakly. In a flash, she darted off the stage, not even looking back. Stay there and be publicly humiliated in front of everyone? No thanks. As a teacher at Tianshui Academy, she had a bit of fame. But now she’d lost to a Soul Ancestor—her dignity was in shambles. Shui Bing’er didn’t leave. She remained at the edge of the stage, staring at Shen An with a complicated look. "You’ve gotten even stronger." She had seen the entire battle clearly. A Soul King like Leng Yingqiu had been defeated so swiftly, and Shen An hadn’t even used a soul skill. Can Xue Wu and I, with our Martial Soul fusion, really beat him...? Shui Bing’er asked herself silently. Shen An laughed and said, "Haha, it’s nothing really, just the result of some hard training." The system shamelessly thought otherwise. As Shen An walked and chatted with Shui Bing’er, accompanied by Tom and Jerry, the mood was relaxed. It was always pleasant to run into a familiar face in a strange place. Shui Yue’er didn’t count. She looked like she wanted to eat Shen An alive, and that made him a little nervous. These two sisters couldn’t be more different—one calm and graceful, the other fiery and intense. During their casual conversation, Shen An learned that Shui Bing’er’s mother was the mayor of Tianshui City, and Shui Yue’er was her half-sister from the same father. Curious, Shen An asked, "Is your father really powerful? He must have quite a background, right?" Shui Yue’er’s expression turned a little awkward. "My father’s cultivation is average, and he doesn’t have any background. He actually married into the family." Shen An fell silent. That was... unexpected. He married twice, and the second wife was the city lord? Shui Bing’er’s father didn’t seem so simple after all. "So you and Shui Yue’er both took your father’s surname?" Shen An asked again, puzzled. Shui Bing’er gave him a sideways glance. This guy was so nosy—it was almost catlike. Tom and Jerry were also eavesdropping, their expressions gossipy, their instincts telling them some juicy scoop was incoming. "I and Yue’er both took my mother Shui Yunying’s surname," Shui Bing’er eventually answered. After all, it was no secret in Tianshui City. Shen An was stunned again. It made sense for Shui Bing’er to take her mother’s surname—but what about Shui Yue’er? "What about Shui Yue’er, then? I’m not following," Shen An asked, confused. Shui Bing’er dropped a bombshell. "Her too. To avoid people talking, my mom had my dad take her surname as well." "Hissss~" Shen An and Tom and Jerry sucked in a sharp breath at the same time. They hadn’t expected that at all. They continued walking without much more conversation until they arrived at a grand residence, with the words "City Lord’s Mansion" written boldly above. "Hey... do you want to come over for a visit?" Shui Bing’er tucked her hair behind her ear as she extended the invitation. "I already booked a hotel. If I get another chance, I’ll definitely visit," Shen An replied with a gentle smile, politely declining. A faint shadow flickered across Shui Bing’er’s eyes. She genuinely liked Shen An—for his handsome looks, his strength, and even the deliberate mercy he’d shown in battle. At this age, it wasn’t uncommon to be deeply impressed by someone exceptional. That’s exactly what Shen An was to Shui Bing’er. Though they hadn’t interacted much, her impression of him was surprisingly good. "Ah! Shen An! How did you know where I live? Did you come here just to find me?" came a delighted voice—Shui Yue’er. Beside her stood a demure Shui Yu’er, already noticeably taller than she was before gaining her soul ring. Hearing Shui Yue’er’s voice made Shen An instinctively want to bolt. Her enthusiasm was too much for him to handle. "I just happened to be walking with Shui Bing’er and ended up here. I’ll be leaving soon," Shen An said politely. But Shui Yue’er seemed not to hear a word. She grabbed his arm and started dragging him inside. "Tom! Jerry! We’ve got tons of yummy food at home. Come try some!" As soon as they heard the word "food," Tom and Jerry happily trotted in. Shen An, who had been preparing to resist, resigned himself and followed along obediently. When even the cat and mouse had gone in, what was the point in resisting? Sometimes Shen An really wondered—was he the master of Tom and Jerry, or their tagalong? — At this moment, Shen An was sitting in the main hall, chatting with Shui Yunying. "Shen An, thank you for saving Yu’er. If anything had happened to her, I wouldn’t know how to face my sister," Shui Yunying said gratefully. She also gave Shui Yue’er a stern glare. Shui Yue’er shrank back and didn’t dare say anything—it really had been her fault for not watching over her sister properly. "It was nothing. I believe anyone else in my place wouldn’t have stood by and done nothing." Shui Yunying smiled again. "I’ve heard both Bing’er and Yue’er praise you a lot. But you were based in Heaven Dou. Why come to Tianshui?" "I just wanted to get some experience out in the world. I’m traveling a bit and taking in the sights," Shen An answered smoothly, using the excuse he’d already prepared. Meanwhile, Tom and Jerry were busy exploring the mansion, each with a mountain of snacks in hand and mouth. Tom grabbed a slice of watermelon and devoured it in one gulp, then casually leaned back. The next moment, he spat out the watermelon seeds like bullets. "Whoosh whoosh whoosh—" In the City Lord’s Mansion stood a large, ancient tree, on which rested a majestic Ice Luan of ten-thousand-year cultivation. This Ice Luan had a long history with the Shui family. It had once been saved by an ancestor, and had stayed with the family ever since. It usually perched on the tree, occasionally helping Tianshui Academy create mimetic cultivation environments. It was regarded as half a guardian beast and a local treasure. At this moment, the Ice Luan looked completely dumbfounded. It stared at the watermelon seeds on its feathers, unsure where they had come from. Just as it was wondering that, a watermelon rind smacked it square on the head. The Luan, nearly half the size of a person, shook its head furiously and flung the rind off. Then it let out an angry cry and flew off. Everyone in the City Lord’s Mansion knew this bird was obsessed with cleanliness. Someone had dared to spit on it? Oh, it was not letting that go. It quickly located the culprits—a cat and a mouse walking upright. "Aooong~" A sharp cry rang across the entire mansion. Tom and Jerry turned around to see a beautiful bird glaring at them, using its wings to point at the food they were holding. It clearly meant that since they had hit it, it had to retaliate. Tom and Jerry exchanged a confused glance. What was this big bird trying to do? Fortunately, Jerry was the clever one. He whispered something into Tom’s ear. Tom grinned—so it just wanted food? Easy. Tom wasn’t a stingy cat. Making friends was fine. He reached out, took a bunch of fruit, and in the next moment, transformed into Monkey D. Tom. A cat paw extended right from the spot, stretching out over ten meters, and handed the fruit to the White-Feathered Ice Luan in the sky. The Ice Luan froze. Was this even a real cat? Its paw could stretch that far? But in the next second, it pecked down. That’s for spitting watermelon seeds all over me. That’s for pelting me with watermelon rind. "Oh ho ho ho ho!" Tom instantly retracted his paw and leapt around in pain. The food he had been holding scattered all over the ground. "Mom, I think something’s going on outside. It’s Big White," Shui Bing’er said, hearing the cry of the luan. Shui Yunying was also puzzled. The White-Feathered Ice Luan was usually very quiet and reclusive. Why was it so active today? Just as Shen An was wondering if it had to do with Tom and Jerry, a cat’s wail rang out. Great, definitely Tom. As expected, anywhere Tom went, peace would never follow, Shen An complained inwardly. "Aunt Shui, why don’t we go take a look outside?" Shen An suggested naturally. He wasn’t worried about Tom getting hurt. He was worried Tom might end up wrecking the entire City Lord’s Mansion. Looking at his swollen paw, Tom glared daggers at the White-Feathered Ice Luan. He had kindly offered it food, and it dared to peck him? How bold! How dare it bite Tom! Didn’t it know Tom had a gun? Tom immediately pulled out a hunting rifle and fired wildly at the Ice Luan, but the bird easily dodged every shot with its speed. Then, it retaliated, spewing streams of water that soaked Tom to the bone. Jerry had long since retreated to the side, leisurely munching on snacks while enjoying the show. Tom shook himself once, flinging all the water off, and re-emerged as a brand new cat. Then he pulled out a rope. He had made up his mind—this bird needed to be taught a lesson. Tom spun the rope into a lasso, then flung it at the Ice Luan. But a ten-thousand-year soul beast was no Ruo Sanpao. With a flap of its wings, the Ice Luan easily dodged the rope. Instead, the rope looped around a cloud—yes, a cloud, which was supposed to be intangible. Tom instinctively gave it a tug and found the rope held firmly. Perfect, it worked. He began to climb up. The Ice Luan didn’t attack immediately but glanced up at the dark cloud above, then back at Tom climbing the rope. A human-like look of shock appeared in its eyes. This cat... kind of had something going for it. Shen An walked out of the hall and looked up at the rope tied to the high cloud and at Tom climbing upward. He couldn’t help but curse, "Holy crap, a divine rope?!" Shui Yunying and the others, confused about what "divine rope" meant, followed Shen An’s gaze and all fell silent. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight—a rope tied to a cloud. "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~" In the next moment, the Ice Luan saw a cat, one hand gripping the rope and the other holding a hammer, swinging toward it. A glowing white light radiated from its body, its speed increased dramatically, and it deftly sidestepped the blow. Everyone knows that a swinging rope follows a natural arc, gradually decreasing in amplitude over time. But Tom didn’t care about any of that. He turned around mid-swing and, without any delay, launched himself at the Ice Luan again. "Big White, what are you doing? Come down now!" Seeing the two of them fighting, Shui Bing’er shouted, afraid that the Ice Luan might accidentally kill Tom. In her eyes, Tom was just a cute little kitty. How could it possibly be a match for a ten-thousand-year soul beast? Even roping clouds didn’t mean much. The Ice Luan paused instinctively at Shui Bing’er’s shout. Tom, tongue lolling out, saw an opening—perfect timing. "Bang!" A hammer slammed down on the Ice Luan’s head. That meow-meow hammer was once the Clear Sky Hammer. As Tang San’s soul power had grown, its weight had increased significantly—now nearly a thousand catties. The Ice Luan was slammed straight into the ground, its entire world spinning. Far away, beneath a waterfall, Tang San was training his Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique with a wooden mallet. Suddenly, his soul power plummeted, and he lost control of his swing, getting swept under the waterfall. Underwater, Tang San’s face twisted with rage. He was sure of it—once again, that damn cat was using his Clear Sky Hammer. Despair welled up in his heart. If he couldn’t get the Clear Sky Hammer back, what was the point of practicing the hammer technique? Shen An... and that cursed cat of yours... just wait. I swear, I will grind you both to dust. At the bottom of the river, Tang San vowed once again.