Chapter 17: Crushing
Luo San Pao was chubby, looking more like a bloated pig, and it had no real means of attack besides farting.
Lin Mo's Charmander, on the other hand, looked lively and full of spirit. And judging from the aura it released, it was high grade even among fire attribute Spirits.
Strong. Too strong.
They had not even fought yet, but based on aura alone, Yu Xiaogang arrived at a conclusion that left a bitter, heavy taste in his mouth.
Lin Mo's Charmander Spirit was definitely far beyond Luo San Pao, and not just by a little. The gap was huge.
"As expected… it really is an external Beast Martial Soul like Luo San Pao…" Yu Xiaogang muttered under his breath, his voice carrying a trace of trembling.
"It's just that this strength… sigh…"
He had already been prepared in his heart. Just comparing Innate Spirit Power was enough to see the result.
Lin Mo had Innate Rank 6 Spirit Power.
Yu Xiaogang's Innate Spirit Power was a pitiful half rank.
Spirit strength was closely tied to Innate Spirit Power. A gap in Innate Spirit Power often reflected whether the essence of a Martial Soul was strong or weak.
Because of a mutation, his Luo San Pao had failed to evolve from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon into its intended form. That also locked his Spirit Power at Rank 29 forever, making Rank 30 an unreachable wall.
But Lin Mo's Charmander was clearly a powerful Spirit that had mutated successfully.
After seeing it with his own eyes, Yu Xiaogang no longer had any doubts.
Dean Wang Zongchang saw Yu Xiaogang's complicated expression and understood what it meant, but he did not point it out. He only smiled and spoke to the 2 boys in the center of the field.
"Alright. Both sides prepare."
"This is a friendly match. It ends when one side surrenders, loses combat effectiveness, or I determine that one side can't continue. Understood?"
Lin Mo and Tang San nodded at the same time.
"Then," Wang Zongchang raised his voice, "let the match begin!"
The moment the dean's words fell, Tang San's eyes sharpened.
He gave a low shout, "Tang San, Spirit Blue Silver Grass, Rank 15 1 Ring Tool Spirit Master!"
Blue Silver Grass surged out from his palm, carrying a faint fishy smell. At the same time, a bright yellow Spirit Ring rose from beneath his feet and moved rhythmically up and down around his body.
Lin Mo did not move at all. He simply spoke calmly.
"Lin Mo, Spirit Charmander, Rank 10 Spirit Scholar."
Sensing its master's battle intent, Charmander stepped forward and released a deeper, more threatening growl at Tang San. The flame on its tail burned brighter.
Tang San did not underestimate his opponent. He knew Lin Mo's Charmander was not simple. And with fire naturally restraining Blue Silver Grass, he did not dare to relax.
His footwork shifted, his whole figure turning ghostly as he moved across the field like a Gui Mei.
It was the Tang Sect's ultimate technique, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.
He tried to close the distance and find an opening through his flexible movement.
At the same time, the yellow 100 year Spirit Ring around him suddenly flared.
"First Spirit Ability, Binding!"
Thick Blue Silver Grass shot out from Tang San's hands. Like living venomous snakes, it coiled toward Charmander from several directions at once.
After absorbing the Datura Snake Spirit Ring, Blue Silver Grass had become exceptionally tough, and it also carried a paralyzing toxin.
Once it wrapped around the target, even a power type Beast Spirit Master would struggle to break free in a short time.
And once the toxin took effect, the match would be as good as over.
But faced with the swarming vines, Lin Mo did not even give a command.
Charmander drew in a deep breath, its chest swelling slightly, then opened its mouth.
Whoosh!
A wide stream of orange red flames erupted, meeting the Blue Silver Grass head on.
Fire counters grass. It was the most basic elemental suppression.
The moment the scorching flames touched the Blue Silver Grass, sizzling sounds filled the air.
Even though Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had been strengthened by Spirit Power and a 100 year Spirit Ring, it looked fragile in front of Charmander's flames.
In the blink of an eye, the vines in the very front were burned black and shriveled, then turned to ash under the continuous roasting.
The later vines surged forward wave after wave, but under that unbroken wall of fire, they could not cross the threshold at all. They could not get close to Charmander.
Tang San's expression changed sharply.
He had expected fire to restrain Blue Silver Grass, but he had not expected the suppression to be this overwhelming.
His Blue Silver Grass, strengthened by a 100 year Spirit Ring, was actually this helpless in front of Charmander's flames.
The temperature and power exceeded anything he imagined.
Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track did not stop. He tried attacking from different angles, trying to break through.
But Charmander did not need Lin Mo's commands.
It turned nimbly, continuously spitting sparks of flame, always intercepting the Binding attacks Tang San launched from any direction.
For a time, Tang San's figure flickered across the field as Blue Silver Grass kept surging out.
Charmander stood firm in the center, spewing flames and burning every vine to ash.
Sparks flew everywhere, and the smell of scorching filled the air.
Yu Xiaogang watched from the side, his brows tightly furrowed.
This was becoming far more lopsided than he expected. Lin Mo's Charmander had frightening control over fire, and the power of those flames seemed much stronger than the fire Spirit Abilities brought by ordinary 10 year Spirit Rings.
Is it because the Martial Soul itself is high quality…?
After failing several times, Tang San began to feel anxious.
He had not expected that as a 1 Ring Spirit Master, he could not even touch the Martial Soul of someone who did not have a Spirit Ring.
He gritted his teeth and switched tactics.
His Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track accelerated to the limit, his figure suddenly surging forward. He stopped trying to bind from a distance and instead aimed to close in directly.
Using Mysterious Jade Hand and Controlling Crane Catching Dragon, he planned to strike Charmander's body, or bypass it entirely and restrain Lin Mo.
As Yu Xiaogang's disciple, Tang San knew an external Beast Martial Soul had obvious strengths, but also obvious weaknesses.
Because it lacked the body possession of ordinary Beast Spirits, the physique of an external Beast Spirit Master was especially fragile and needed protection.
In other words, once you got close to the Spirit Master, the result was decided.
In Tang San's eyes, Lin Mo standing still might be the breakthrough point. As long as he restrained Lin Mo, Charmander would naturally lose.
Seeing Tang San suddenly change direction and rush toward him, the corners of Lin Mo's mouth curled slightly.
Capture the leader to catch the bandits?
A good idea, but unfortunately…
Just as Tang San was about to break through Charmander's fire interception and reach Lin Mo, Charmander suddenly stopped breathing flames.
Instead, it spat out a thick cloud of black smoke.
"Smokescreen!"
It was one of the skills Charmander had already mastered.
The dense smoke spread instantly, covering the space in front of Charmander and swallowing Tang San whole.
Tang San's vision went black. His sight was stripped away in an instant.
The smoke did not only block his eyes, it also carried a pungent stench that made him cough nonstop.
.....
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