The Empire and the Blue Tyrant Academy personnel exited the stage, leaving the battlefield to the protagonists of the day.
Yun Ming looked at Tang San, who was glaring at him from across the arena, and felt a multitude of emotions.
Having accidentally returned to this era through a twist of fate, he discovered that Shrek Academy had been riddled with deep-seated problems since its very inception. The spiritual idol of countless future Shrek members, the Sea God, was not a benevolent figure, but a hypocritical fraud. The feeling of that faith shattering was truly painful; even a strong-willed individual like Yun Ming was forced to recall the turbulent years of his past by the sheer agony of it.
(It was clearly because he saw Ya Li saving people and his love-struck brain kicked in that he completed his return.)
However, now that Yun Ming could cast off all shackles and compete as a mere Soul Master against a legendary figure from history, it was not such a bad prospect. So thought Yun Ming.
But Tang San did not share this desire for a simple contest. He only wanted to defeat and severely injure Yun Ming, making him pay for the sins he had committed. He wanted to torture Yun Ming with everything he had, ensuring Yun Ming felt the same pain he had endured for over a year.
Sensing the seemingly purer life energy emanating from Tang San, Yun Ming spoke up.
"It has been a year. Your aura seems purer; you've made some progress in your spirit cultivation!"
Hearing Yun Ming mention his changes, Tang San involuntarily recalled his experiences after resolving the Blood Fire Force.
Over a year ago, after Tang San resolved the Blood Fire Force at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, he was no longer in mortal danger, but his vitality had been severely damaged. He lay in bed for ten days before waking up, only to be told by the healing-type Soul Masters invited by Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong that his path as a Soul Master was severed.
When he first learned of this, Tang San refused to accept it. He immediately attempted to circulate his Mysterious Heaven Skill to heal his internal injuries, but his meridians were so severely damaged that the moment he began, a piercing pain forced him to stop.
Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang was naturally anxious. Relying on his connection to Liu Erlong, he had her procure all sorts of spiritual elixirs and bring in famous healing-type Soul Masters to treat Tang San.
Yet, despite the effort, the results were minimal. The depletion of his origin had caused Tang San's self-healing ability to drop to freezing point. Furthermore, having recently consumed a nourishing immortal herb like the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng, his body struggled to absorb ordinary supplements, leaving his internal injuries stagnant.
Upon realizing this, Tang San's spirit completely collapsed, and he did not speak a word for over ten days. Yu Xiaogang was heartbroken, but helpless; while he was good at arguing and showing off his knowledge, expecting him to actually solve a practical problem was asking too much.
Xiao Wu was frantic, but she had no solutions. She was just a willful Rogue Rabbit; she didn't know how to save people! She couldn't just sacrifice herself, could she?
But Tang San was the Child of Destiny. Even without a benefactor to save him, he managed to save himself!
Just as Tang San took out the Spirit Bone he had personally stripped from his father's body, weeping over his own incompetence and hatred for being unable to avenge his parents, he suddenly remembered the knowledge Yu Xiaogang had imparted to him: Spirit Bones could strengthen a Soul Master's origin.
Though he did not know if this was true, it was undoubtedly the last hope for the desperate Tang San. Thinking of this, Tang San did not hesitate; he gritted his teeth against the pain, channeled his soul power, and absorbed the Spirit Bone.
The result was that Tang San had gambled correctly. The Power-Type Left Leg Spirit Bone left behind by Dugu Bo entered his body, greatly alleviating his injuries and confirming the feasibility of his plan, which filled him with joy.
One Spirit Bone was not enough, so Tang San recalled the final words his father, Tang Hao, had left him, which included the location of his mother and the Spirit Bone she had left behind.
Because his mother was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, Tang San told no one. After leaving a note for Xiao Wu saying he was "going to heal and would return," he dragged his severely injured body out of the Blue Tyrant Academy in the dead of night, heading toward the location described in the will to retrieve the bone.
Thus, Tang San left the Blue Tyrant Academy and struggled his way back to Fasinuo Province alone. After a series of hardships, he found the waterfall, navigated the Tang Sect mechanisms, survived a brush with death, and suffered further injuries, eventually entering the dark cave where his mother had been planted. He successfully found the Blue Silver Emperor, absorbed the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, healed his severe injuries, and gained a new lease on life, while also cleansing his damaged Blue Silver Grass Spirit.
By the time Tang San finished his journey and recovery, it was two months later when he returned to Heaven Dou City. In the year that followed, Tang San entered a Hellish Training Mode in preparation for his revenge. Interestingly, his training choices were quite deliberate; aside from the physical training plan arranged by Yu Xiaogang, he remained cautious about other projects. He specifically avoided Yu Xiaogang and began seeking out Plant System teachers at the Blue Tyrant Academy to learn their cultivation experiences, filling the gaps in his understanding of the Blue Silver Grass Spirit.
And that brought them to the present.
Tang San's expression turned ferocious as he roared.
"One year!"
"One whole year!!"
"Do you know how I spent this year! Do you know?!!"
Watching Tang San's desperate outburst, Yun Ming remained calm and said indifferently.
"I don't know, and I'm not interested."
"I'm just curious about what you're actually made of now."
The Empire and the Blue Tyrant crowd were stunned by Yun Ming's unconventional response, and Tang San was absolutely livid. However, seeing Yun Ming so composed, Tang San realized that continuing to throw a tantrum would only make him look foolish, so he forced himself to calm down and said coldly.
"I will make sure you find out!"
During the few breaths of conversation between Yun Ming and Tang San, the referee arrived on the field. Seeing the "energetic" participants, he didn't waste time and immediately announced the start.
"The first match of the first round of the qualifiers, officially begins."
As the match started, Yun Ming stopped the Empire team members who wanted to summon their spirits and said to Tang San.
"You must hate me very much, right?"
"I'll give you a chance to take your revenge personally."
"How about we play a little one-on-one? I'll give you a twenty-level handicap in soul power."
Although Tang San thought Yun Ming was arrogant, he saw no reason to refuse such a self-humiliating offer. Tang San replied coldly.
"Fine!"
"If you want to lose, I'll grant your wish."
With that, Tang San released his Blue Silver Grass Spirit, and his first soul ring lit up beneath his feet.
The Blue Silver Grass First Soul Skill, Entanglement, was activated.
Countless Blue Silver Grass vines, resembling pitch-black creepers, swarmed toward Yun Ming from all directions, intent on strangling him.
Seeing Tang San attack without a word, the others from the Empire and Blue Tyrant Academy retreated.
Yun Ming sensed Tang San's soul power—"Level 38"—and suppressed his own aura to the level of eighteen. The Atlas Divine Spear appeared in his hand, and he spun it like a wheel, slicing through the incoming Blue Silver Grass.
Tang San was not surprised that Yun Ming had broken his soul skill so easily, but he was shocked by the soul power fluctuation on Yun Ming: eighteen. So, the twenty-level handicap Yun Ming mentioned was based on his own level?!!
Although Tang San wasn't entirely clear on Yun Ming's exact soul power level, based on the rumors of Yun Ming's one-versus-five victory and his own judgment of peers he had encountered over the years, Yun Ming's level should have been over forty a year ago! While this seemed incredible to Tang San, if it weren't true, how could Yun Ming fight multiple opponents at once? Could it be that Yun Ming possessed the same level of combat prowess as he did?
Seeing Yun Ming look down on him so much, Tang San suddenly felt a surge of irritation. Yun Ming had only managed to hurt him once through a sneak attack; what gave him the right to act so smug? He was going to make sure Yun Ming knew his place.
The second soul ring beneath the feet of Tang San lit up, and Parasitism was activated.
Although Yun Ming's Atlas Spear had previously shredded all the Blue Silver Grass that had attempted to strangle him, the parasitic seeds within Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had already attached themselves to Yun Ming's skin, carried there by the wind of his spear.
Now that Tang San had triggered his soul skill, countless black-green vines surged from Yun Ming's body, attempting to bind him. Furthermore, the purple-glowing barbs on the Blue Silver Grass vaguely indicated that Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was poisonous.
In the blink of an eye, Yun Ming's figure vanished, leaving behind only a vine ball woven from Blue Silver Grass. Tang San clenched his large hand, and the vines on the surface of the black-green ball began to tighten, emitting a series of sounds.
"Rustle~ Rustle~"
Watching Yun Ming being easily controlled by the Blue Silver Grass, a sneer appeared on Tang San's face. To be bound by his Blue Silver Grass so easily after having the audacity to tell him to use only twenty levels of power—it was enough to make one laugh until their teeth fell out.
The audience on the stands, seeing Tang San "resolve" the situation with Yun Ming the moment he made a move, were also shocked and began chattering.
"What kind of soul skill is that? Vines just suddenly grew out; it's practically impossible to defend against!"
"Was that handsome guy taken care of so quickly? He's all show and no substance!"
"And that guy is supposed to be the captain? Is this Empire Team really only at this level?"
"It's over. The Control System counters the Power Attack System. That guy from the Empire Team is definitely finished being trapped like that. I can tell from my ten years of experience watching Soul Fighting."
"."
In the VIP seats, however, no one spoke, because anyone with even the slightest understanding of Yun Ming did not believe he would be dealt with so easily.
But it didn't take long for the situation on the battlefield to take a new turn.
"Simulation Soul Skill: Zhen"
Before Tang San could finish rejoicing, he heard Yun Ming's voice coming from the front.
Tang San looked closely and discovered that the black-green vine ball in front of him had begun to tremble violently, and countless snapping sounds started to emanate from within. The next moment, the black-green vine ball exploded completely into fragments of grass and leaves. Yun Ming appeared before everyone, holding the Atlas Divine Spear, his clothes neat and tidy, with not a single injury on his exterior, as if he hadn't been the one trapped in the Blue Silver Grass ball just moments ago.
Seeing Yun Ming unscathed, Tang San withdrew the mockery from his face. For a Weapon Spirit of the spear type to break free from control so easily was truly beyond his expectations.
The audience on the stands, seeing that Yun Ming was fine, cheered aloud. After all, watching a Soul Fighting match is only enjoyable when the opponents are evenly matched.
Yun Ming spoke, offering an evaluation.
"The force is decent. If it weren't for the thorns, it would be just right for a massage."
The veins on Tang San's forehead bulged slightly as he spoke.
"Is that so? Then come and try my other methods!"
After saying this, Tang San's figure turned into a phantom as he moved toward Yun Ming.
Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track
After the previous two exchanges, Tang San had basically determined that he could not take down Yun Ming by relying solely on Blue Silver Grass. Therefore, under the premise that Hidden Weapons were prohibited, he still had to engage in close-quarters combat.
Watching Tang San, who was as fast as lightning, Yun Ming narrowed his eyes. Tang San's speed seemed somewhat exaggerated!
Tang San had absorbed two leg soul bones, one of which was at the hundred-thousand-year level. His current leg strength was astonishingly powerful, so his speed was naturally exaggerated.
In an instant, Tang San arrived before Yun Ming. His hands transformed into the color of white jade as he struck toward the two major acupuncture points on Yun Ming's chest and abdomen. If these landed, Yun Ming would certainly be severely injured.
Mystic Jade Hand
Although Tang San's speed was fast, it was still far from the point where Yun Ming could not react.
Regarding Tang San's ruthless attack, Yun Ming countered just as sharply. The Atlas Divine Spear in his hand moved back and forth rapidly like a snake's tongue, adjusting its angle within a hair's breadth to thrust explosively toward Tang San's chest. There was no sign of the inconvenience usually associated with wielding a long spear at close range.
Tang San's palms were fast, but the Atlas Divine Spear, which Yun Ming shot forward like electricity, was faster. Feeling the stinging pain in his chest and anticipating that the Atlas Divine Spear would land its strike before his palms could, Tang San immediately withdrew his hands and changed his move.
Just as the tip of the Atlas Spear was less than three inches from Tang San's chest, Tang San used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to hurriedly shift his body and dodge. At the same time, he stomped his foot, and several Blue Silver vines burst from the ground behind Yun Ming, shooting toward his back.
Although Tang San's Blue Silver Grass could not pierce through Yun Ming like a long spear, the grass had poisonous barbs! As long as Yun Ming was scratched and the poison entered his body, the scales of victory would quickly tip in Tang San's favor.
Seeing Tang San's counterattack, the corner of Yun Ming's mouth curled up. How naive.
Yun Ming's soul power fluctuated rapidly.
The Simulation Soul Skill Zhen was activated once again. A circle of invisible shockwaves emanated from behind Yun Ming, directly shaking off the Blue Silver Grass behind him. At the same time, he pivoted his feet, exerted force from his waist, and swung the Atlas Divine Spear with the force of a thousand jun, pursuing the direction in which Tang San had dodged.
Seeing the rapidly approaching Atlas Divine Spear, Tang San, whose "old strength had been spent and new strength had yet to be born," could not dodge in time. He could only use his Mystic Jade Hand once more, using his palms as a shield to block Yun Ming's Atlas Spear.
"Clang~"
The Atlas Divine Spear collided with the Mystic Jade Hand, emitting a loud sound like metal striking jade. It only sounded like that, but Tang San's hands were not actually jade!
Tang San, who had used his hands to forcefully block Yun Ming's strike, revealed a look of pain. His body flew backward uncontrollably, sliding more than ten meters along the ground. Only when he was about to go out of bounds did he manage to successfully brake, thanks to his stable foundation.
However, even so, Tang San's face was flushed red. His hands, which had previously resembled high-quality cold jade, returned to their normal state and quickly became engorged and swollen. Tang San felt that after enduring that strike, his hands no longer felt like his own.
Seeing that Tang San had not been knocked out of bounds and that the swelling on his hands was beginning to subside rapidly, Yun Ming thought to himself.
Stronger leg strength and recovery ability than expected! This shouldn't be something a single ten-thousand-year soul bone could achieve.
Tang San, who had been knocked back, glanced at his hands and discovered that the swelling was receding quickly. While feeling grateful for his mother's gift, he also formed a new estimation of Yun Ming's strength and combat capability, and began to feel troubled.
Given the combat capability Yun Ming had displayed, if he didn't use his Hidden Weapons, his chances of winning were slim! And since the rules did not allow the use of external items, Tang San was now at a loss as to how to win! But before he could think of a result, Yun Ming made his move.
He only heard Yun Ming give a prompt.
"Since you're done attacking, it's my turn."
Exerting force through his feet, the floor tiles shattered, and Yun Ming transformed into a golden spear shadow, thrusting toward Tang San.
Tang San was somewhat shocked to see that Yun Ming's speed was completely on par with his own; he relied on two Spirit Bones to achieve such velocity, so how did Yun Ming do it?!! However, Yun Ming was not about to explain to Tang San that his method of acceleration was a small technique involving the explosive combination of blood energy and Soul Power.
The Spear Light was right before his eyes, and if Tang San retreated one more step, he would be out of bounds, leaving him no choice but to dodge to the sides. Yet, Yun Ming brandished the Atlas Spear, one spear turning into three, directly sealing off his left and right.
Seeing Tang San fall into danger, Xiao Wu's expression changed drastically. She activated Martial Soul Avatar, and as her Third Soul Ring flashed beneath her feet, she vanished without a trace, reappearing behind Yun Ming and swinging her long leg in a horizontal kick toward his temple.
Feeling the gust of wind from the incoming kick, Yun Ming frowned. He halted the forward thrust of the spear in his hand, stopped abruptly, performed an explosive backflip, and thrust the Atlas Divine Spear backward, the butt of the spear striking Xiao Wu's lower abdomen first.
"Ah!"
Suddenly suffering a heavy blow, Xiao Wu let out a miserable cry, clutching her stomach with both hands as her body curled up and she collapsed to the ground, unable to rise.
Seeing Xiao Wu injured, Tang San's eyes instantly turned blood-red, and he let out a shrill scream.
"Xiao Wu!"
Yun Ming stopped his attack and retracted the Atlas Divine Spear.
Tang San rushed to Xiao Wu's side and discovered that she had been knocked unconscious by Yun Ming's strike, prompting him to shout and scold Yun Ming.
"Yun Ming, how dare you hurt Xiao Wu?!!"
Yun Ming said indifferently.
"She was the one who broke the rules and attacked first."
Tang San: "Then you still shouldn't have hurt her!"
Yun Ming looked at Tang San with a smile and said.
"And what if I did hurt her?"
Tang San: "I have sworn that anyone who wishes to harm Xiao Wu must first step over my dead body. You hurt Xiao Wu, and I will definitely settle this debt with you!!!"
Hearing Tang San's self-righteous rhetoric, Yun Ming did not indulge him in the slightest.
"Is that so? Although the order is reversed, I really would like to give it a try."
Yun Ming erupted abruptly and charged at Tang San once again.
ps: Just finished writing and posted it immediately.
I have some things to take care of today and tomorrow, so there is only this one chapter today. Tomorrow, while ensuring a base of four thousand words, I'll see if I have time to write an extra chapter!
Asking for monthly tickets, asking for recommendations.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader