The day after returning from the noble banquet, Shen An's home was visited by several uninvited guests.
"Shen An, get the hell out here!"
Early in the morning, a booming voice echoed outside the courtyard, disturbing the peace.
As everyone knew, Tom had a temper when woken up. Before Shen An and the two girls could even get angry, Tom, full of resentment, crawled out of bed.
He rushed to the living room, grabbed the shotgun hanging on the wall, and stormed outside. He was determined to blast whoever had dared to interrupt his sleep.
How dare they disturb a cat's slumber? Unforgivable!
Once outside, Tom quickly spotted a familiar face—the muscular young man he had once used as a "gun mount" in the Great Spirit Arena.
Tom, eyes closed in fury, raised the gun and pressed it against Tai Long's forehead. Cold sweat instantly dripped down Tai Long's face—he knew exactly how deadly this thing was.
But behind Tai Long stood another man, similar in appearance but with even larger muscles—Tai Nuo.
Oh? Brought backup, huh? Tom thought. Well, this cat's gonna blast you all! He immediately pointed the gun at Tai Nuo's forehead.
But then, an even older man stepped out from behind Tai Nuo, his muscles so exaggerated they could be called devilish.
Tom froze. With muscles like that, one punch would turn me into cat paste!
The shotgun in his hands suddenly went limp, bending like rubber. Tom gulped nervously, gesturing at the increasingly terrifying muscles of the three men.
Then, he turned tail and bolted back toward the house. This is too scary for a cat!
Tai Tan, watching Tom flee, narrowed his eyes. So this is the cat that bullied my grandson into such a state?
Does this cat not know how protective the Strength Clan is of its own?
Tai Nuo, impatient, took a step forward.
His fist clenched, his arm muscles swelling to an absurd degree, and with a single punch, he sent Tom flying before the cat could even react.
BOOM!
A cat-shaped hole appeared in the wall as Tom crashed through multiple rooms before landing directly in Jerry's mouse hole.
Jerry, who had been enjoying a pleasant dream, was instantly flattened into a mouse pancake by the incoming Tom.
Tai Nuo smirked coldly. That's what you get for messing with my son.
This cat isn't as amazing as Tai Long made it out to be. He had heard that Tom had single-handedly wiped out the Shrek team—a team that even included Tang San, who had once defeated him.
Shen An, now thoroughly displeased, stepped outside. Why is it always trouble knocking on my door?
"You wrecked my house and beat up my cat. None of you are leaving today." A murderous intent rose in Shen An's heart.
"Not leaving? Kid, you're the one who's going to be in trouble today," Tai Tan said coldly, his aged yet powerful voice making everyone's blood run cold.
"Was it you who not only injured my grandson but also allowed that cat to harm my young master?" Tai Tan demanded.
"Young master?" Shen An almost laughed. How feudalistic. Tom had beaten up plenty of people—who knew who he was talking about?
"My master's surname is Tang," Tai Tan declared proudly.
Shen An's lips twitched. There really are people who take pride in being servants, huh? But with the surname Tang, it could only be Tang San.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing stepped out, standing side by side with Shen An.
"Old man, coming to cause trouble this early in the morning and wrecking our house—are you trying to die?" Ning Rongrong, ever the spoiled young lady, lashed out immediately.
Tai Tan scoffed. "I am Tai Tan of the Strength Clan. The Soul Master world calls me the Mighty Titan. I'd like to see how you plan to kill me."
His gaze then shifted back to Shen An. "You beat my grandson—that's his own weakness. But I heard you also harmed my young master. That, I cannot ignore. Boy, don't blame me for being ruthless."
"Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll just break one of your arms. Later, my young master can come settle the score with you himself."
Ever since Tai Long was injured by Shen An, Tai Nuo had pressed for details, and Tai Long had confessed everything. That was how Tai Tan learned of the conflicts between Shen An and Tang San.
Though Tai Tan didn't understand why his master hadn't taken action himself, as a loyal subordinate, he would handle matters on his master's behalf.
As he spoke, eight soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black—emerged, and the very air seemed to freeze.
Shen An's expression turned grave. A Soul Douluo? Even if he drank a strength potion, he stood no chance.
But if they were going to openly bully him like this, Shen An wasn't about to take it lying down. A brick quietly materialized behind his back.
"The Strength Clan thinks they're so great? Well, I'm from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School! Old man, if you dare lay a finger on us today, I'll have my Sword and Bone Grandpas flatten your entire clan!" Ning Rongrong, sensing the tension, immediately resorted to threats.
Tai Tan frowned, unimpressed. He wasn't the type to back down from mere words.
Besides, in his eyes, if the Clear Sky Clan hadn't gone into seclusion, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School wouldn't even be worth mentioning.
"You think I'm scared of empty threats? Let me make this clear—today, I will break this boy's arm!" Tai Tan declared firmly.
Meanwhile, inside the mouse hole, Jerry—now a flattened pancake—slowly peeled himself off the ground. He stuffed his tail into his mouth, blew hard, and poof! A brand-new mouse emerged.
Seeing Tom dazed and disoriented, Jerry immediately slapped him twice to wake him up.
Tom, however, didn't get angry. Instead, he curled up in a corner, trembling.
Jerry, seeing the fist mark on Tom's face, exploded with rage. This is MY cat! No one gets to bully him except me!
Jerry puffed out his chest, grabbed Tom's whiskers, and dragged him outside. He was going to avenge his cat.
Tom, terrified, gestured wildly at the muscular men outside.
Jerry, exasperated by Tom's cowardice, rolled his eyes. How can you be such a scaredy-cat? Why can't you just fight them?
Then, an idea bulb lit up above Jerry's head. He dashed into Shen An's room, grabbed a pair of dumbbells, and shoved them into Tom's paws.
Tom hesitantly lifted the dumbbells—and suddenly, an indescribable surge of power flooded his body.
Jerry then pulled out the strength potion Shen An had once drawn and handed it to Tom. Tom knew exactly how potent this stuff was—after all, he had been on the receiving end of a strength-boosted Jerry's beatings before.
(Oddly enough, any item Shen An obtained from the system could be freely used by Tom and Jerry unless stored in the system space.)
Tom, now holding the potion in one paw and the dumbbells in the other, wiggled his eyebrows wickedly.
Thirty seconds west of the river, thirty seconds east of the river—never mock a weak cat!
Back in the courtyard, an overwhelming, violent pressure bore down on Shen An.
Since they were openly threatening to break his arm, Shen An refused to back down. The One Grass Sword Intent erupted, slicing through Tai Tan's oppressive aura.
With this sword intent, no matter how strong the pressure, it only fueled Shen An's fighting spirit and honed his will.
Tai Tan's eyes gleamed. This kid is only a Soul Elder, yet he can resist my pressure? His killing intent surged.
Tai Tan no longer hesitated. Step by step, he advanced. A genius like this, at odds with Tang San? He must be crippled now, or he'll become a disaster later.
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong looked on in despair. They wanted to stand with Shen An, but under Tai Tan's pressure, even moving was a luxury.
Shen An, drenched in sweat, channeled his soul power throughout his body. He didn't retreat—he was waiting.
The moment Tai Tan got close, he'd smash the brick over the old man's head. If it worked, he'd follow up with his sword. If not, he'd immediately call for Tom to put on the headband and go Super Saiyan.
But then, Tai Tan suddenly stopped.
A seasoned veteran like him could tell—Shen An's eyes held only battle intent, no fear.
Though Tai Tan was a pure strength-type fighter, he was no fool. Otherwise, how could the Strength Clan have thrived under the Spirit Hall's scrutiny?
Just as Tai Tan hesitated, heavy footsteps echoed from inside.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong suddenly felt the pressure vanish as a gigantic, muscle-bound cat stepped in front of them, shielding them completely. On its shoulder sat a small brown mouse.
The two girls stared in shock. Wait… our cute little Tom turned into a DEVIL MUSCLE CAT?!
Tai Nuo's jaw dropped. What the hell? Didn't I just punch this cat through a wall? How is it now a hulking beast?!
Even Tai Tan was momentarily stunned. He prided himself on his vast experience, but he had never seen anything like this.
But he quickly composed himself. It's just a cat. Looks mean nothing. A ten-year soul beast can't suddenly become a hundred-thousand-year one.
"My son punched you earlier. Since you survived, you should've run. But since you came back, you'll die here," Tai Tan said coldly.
Tom glared at Tai Tan. A cat's hearing is sharp—this old man not only wants to break Shen An's arm but also kill me? Unacceptable!
Tom stomped past Shen An, clenched his fist, and delivered a devastating uppercut.
Tai Tan sneered. A foolish cat daring to challenge the Mighty Titan in strength? Even among Title Douluo, few can match me in raw power.
Tai Long and Tai Nuo smirked behind him. Stupid animal.
Tai Tan didn't even use a soul skill. His right arm bulged like a mountain as he threw a punch at Tom.
BOOM!
Tai Tan's expression instantly changed—before he was sent flying into the sky like a tiny black dot.
Tai Long and Tai Nuo's smiles froze.
Their patriarch, the Mighty Titan, had just been punched into orbit… by a cat.
The same cat Tai Nuo had sent flying earlier.
Shen An sucked in a sharp breath. No idea how Tom turned into this, but hey, saves me the trouble of using items.
Tai Tan eventually fell back to the ground, cratering the earth. The so-called Mighty Titan was dazed.
His face burned with humiliation. That was a fluke! I didn't use a soul skill! No way a cat can overpower me!
With a furious roar, Tai Tan leaped out of the crater, ready to redeem himself.
But the Devil Muscle Cat Tom was already waiting.
Another earth-shattering punch.
BOOM!
Tai Tan was knocked back into the hole.
Who am I? Where am I? What's happening?
Tom grinned wildly before jumping into the hole after him.