Chapter 84 Guiding Tang San
"How can that be?" Tang San exclaimed in disbelief. His Blue Silver Grass, strengthened by evolution, was far tougher than before—yet in front of Luo Ling's black scythe, it tore apart like paper.
When all his vines had withered to dust, Luo Ling stood motionless, black scythe in hand.
He looked every bit the elegant reaper—his robe unruffled, his posture composed.
Gritting his teeth, Tang San refused to yield. His second soul ring flared to life.
As the Blue Silver Grass spread again, countless tiny seeds swept through the air, barely visible, scattering toward Luo Ling.
This time, Luo Ling finally moved. His scythe danced gracefully, slicing through the vines one after another. His steps were light, steady—gliding left and right across the training ground.
Those hidden seeds might have fooled anyone else, but Luo Ling's spiritual sense was far beyond ordinary imagination. With the faintest movement, he avoided them all.
Then he raised his scythe, dark energy gathering along the blade. With one light sweep, a ripple of black spread outward, corroding every seed that had touched the earth.
Watching this, Yu Xiaogang's mouth opened slightly.
In just that brief exchange, he could already tell Tang San was completely outmatched.
This wasn't merely a difference in spirit power—it was the vast chasm between their martial souls.
It was the scythe of death itself crushing a strand of common grass.
They weren't even on the same plane.
On the field, Tang San's chest tightened painfully. Looking down at his Blue Silver Grass, he realized for the first time how weak it truly was.
He had always used it to restrain opponents, but now, before a truly overwhelming martial soul, its fragility lay bare.
A useless martial soul would always remain useless. No matter how diligently cultivated, it was futile when faced with absolute strength.
For a fleeting instant, temptation stirred in his heart—to give up the Blue Silver Grass and train his other martial soul instead.
The Clear Sky Hammer.
The first-ranked weapon martial soul under heaven. With it, he could surely defeat Luo Ling.
His heart blazed with excitement—until a calm voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Not continuing?" Luo Ling asked quietly.
Tang San snapped back to reality. Recalling his father's warnings and his teacher's words, his fiery thoughts cooled.
After a pause, he lifted his head again, his voice steady. "Then I'll go all out."
Luo Ling said nothing and simply raised his scythe.
Purple light filled Tang San's eyes, and his feet moved in strange, intricate steps.
Aside from the Clear Sky Hammer, he still possessed the Tang Sect's unrivaled techniques.
The Eight Spider Lances burst from his back as his body shot toward Luo Ling.
Under the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step, his figure flickered like an illusion, darting unpredictably. His confidence returned.
Luo Ling watched with faint amusement. It was his first time observing Tang San use the Ghost Shadow technique up close—clever indeed.
Against an ordinary foe, Tang San's erratic movements would have utterly confounded them. But Luo Ling was different.
His spiritual power was so immense that he could clearly sense Tang San's true position amid the illusions.
Just as Luo Ling analyzed his movements, Tang San's third ring lit up—the only thousand-year ring he possessed.
The Human-Faced Demon Spider's Web Restraint.
A triumphant gleam flashed in Tang San's eyes. At such close range, Luo Ling couldn't possibly evade.
But in the instant the web descended, Luo Ling vanished.
A dark fluctuation rippled across the air, and Luo Ling reappeared ten meters behind Tang San, having sidestepped the attack with ease.
"So this is your third soul skill?"
Tang San spun around sharply, remembering too late that Luo Ling also had a teleportation ability.
His confident smile faded. His web restraint's coverage and speed were impressive, easily capturing most enemies—but against someone capable of instant movement, it was useless.
"Spewing webs to entangle an opponent—decent. So those are your three soul skills. Are you going to try your spider legs next?" Luo Ling said lightly.
His calm tone and casual attitude said everything—Luo Ling didn't even see him as a rival.
That condescending look hurt more than a beating ever could.
No one liked being despised, and Tang San was no exception.
His eight spider legs flared open, and he lunged. Eight jagged limbs thrust forward, terrifying to behold.
"Your Eight Spider Lances come from the Human-Faced Demon Spider," Luo Ling observed coolly.
"They must bear its traits—the venom, and perhaps its ability to devour flesh and spirit power to grow stronger."
He spoke deliberately, his tone laced with intent—for both Tang San and Yu Xiaogang to hear. He wanted Tang San to use that corrupting power.
As Tang San came within reach, Luo Ling's black scythe met the Eight Spider Lances. With a flick of his wrist, the blades clashed—then sliced clean through as if cutting tofu.
Tang San stumbled, agony flaring through his mind as their connection was severed.
"Ah!" he gasped, collapsing to one knee.
Luo Ling's movements didn't stop. Swing after swing, he cut away Tang San's spider legs—until only one remained.
"Stop! What are you doing?!" Yu Xiaogang finally snapped out of shock and rushed forward.
"Aren't we testing the Eight Spider Lances' strength?" Luo Ling said innocently, shrugging.
"Even so, you can't damage Tang San's soul bone like this!" Yu Xiaogang roared, furious.
"Master, don't you know? Tang San's lances came from the Human-Faced Demon Spider. I already said they likely share its nature," Luo Ling replied calmly.
"I simply want to see whether they can heal themselves by devouring flesh or absorbing energy. If so, that's quite a powerful ability."
He spoke with convincing seriousness—as though this were all for research's sake.
Yu Xiaogang glared, uncertain whether Luo Ling was lying or not.
"I left one leg intact precisely for such a test," Luo Ling added.
"Even if they can self-heal, where would you find flesh for them to absorb?" Yu Xiaogang shot back coldly.
"I have plenty." Luo Ling smiled faintly and retrieved several soul beast corpses from his soul tool.
He had originally prepared these for Yu Xiaogang's research—the same way a few human corpses had once helped him break level thirty.
"The remains of some beasts I hunted. Was going to sell them later, but they'll do nicely for Tang San's experiment," Luo Ling said, tossing the bodies before Tang San.
He wanted Tang San to feel it—to taste the temptation of power gained through flesh and blood.
Even if he resisted now, how long could he hold out once defeat and frustration kept piling higher?
And if not, Luo Ling could always use a little psychological persuasion.
(END CHAPTER)
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