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Dugu Yan was completely stunned. Her third Spirit Skill, Bi Lin Purple Poison, was supposed to be a deadly attack, yet it had vanished without a trace when it hit Tang Chuan. It was as if she had thrown a stone into the sea.
"No, this is impossible!" she gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief. "How did you break my Bi Lin Purple Poison?" She stood rooted to the spot, unable to accept what had just happened.
It wasn't just Dugu Yan who was shocked. Every member of the Royal Fight Team was equally stunned. They were all familiar with the power of Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphorous Serpent poison. Even a strong Spirit Master like Yu Tianheng would be careful around it, yet Tang Chuan had easily brushed it aside.
While they were still reeling, Tang Chuan calmly raised his palm. A surge of blue light erupted, and a dozen thick vines of Blue Silver Grass suddenly shot out from the ground beneath Dugu Yan's feet. In an instant, they coiled around her ankles, binding her in place. The vines moved like living snakes, weaving their way up her body until she was wrapped as tightly as a rice dumpling.
"You—!" Dugu Yan's face was filled with horror. She could feel that the vines were not only incredibly tough but also pulsed with a rich life force. She tried to struggle, pouring her spirit power into her limbs, but the Blue Silver Grass was as strong as steel. The more she fought, the tighter the vines squeezed, making it hard for her to even gather her spirit power to release a Spirit Skill.
"I lost," Dugu Yan said in a low voice after several failed attempts to break free. She looked down at the vines that had defeated her and let out a soft sigh. "How did you do that? My third Spirit Skill usually makes a person collapse on contact, but it didn't hurt you at all. How did your Blue Silver Grass detoxify it?"
Tang Chuan gently waved his hand, and the vines on Dugu Yan's body receded like obedient creatures. "Detoxify?" he asked calmly. "Not exactly. Your snake poison is just too weak.
The life force of my Blue Silver Grass is so strong that your poison can't harm me. It's like a newborn scorpion trying to sting an elephant—how much damage can it really do?" He paused for a moment, then added, "Now, if you had used the Bi Lin Snake Emperor Poison, I might not have been able to resist it."
Just then, Bai Baoshan and Qin Ming walked over.
"Haha, congratulations on passing the assessment, young friend," Bai Baoshan said, stroking his sparse beard. "May I ask your name?"
"Tang Chuan," Tang Chuan replied simply.
Qin Ming stepped forward, extending his hand earnestly. "Hello, Tang Chuan. I'm Qin Ming, the mentor and team leader for the Royal Fight Team. From now on, I'll be in charge of your training and combat arrangements."
Tang Chuan shook Qin Ming's hand and gave a slight nod. After they let go, Qin Ming turned and gestured to the people behind him, introducing them one by one.
"These are all my students, and they'll be your new teammates," Qin Ming said. "That's Yu Tianheng, the captain of the Royal Fight Team. His spirit is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. This is Dugu Yan, with her Jade Phosphorous Serpent.
That's Ye Lingling, a support-type Spirit Master whose spirit is the Nine Heart Begonia. The tall, thin one is Ao Si Luo, an agility-attack type Spirit Master with the Ghost Leopard spirit. And these are the Stone Brothers, Shi Mo and Shi Mo, with their Xuanwu Tortoise spirit. Finally, that's Yu Feng, another agility-attack type Spirit Master, his spirit is the Wind Chime Bird."
After Qin Ming finished, Tang Chuan stepped forward, his eyes calmly sweeping over the group. He cupped his hands slightly and said, "Everyone, it's been a while."
His words left the Royal Fight Team members completely bewildered. They looked at each other, confused. Even Qin Ming frowned. "Have we... met before?" he asked doubtfully.
Tang Chuan didn't answer. He simply smiled and slowly raised his hand, unfastening the Ghost God Mask from his face. "Do you recognize this person?" he asked. He pulled off the mask, revealing a handsome and refined face with a calm, sharp look in his eyes.
"It's you?!" they all exclaimed in unison. "How could it be you?!"
Ye Lingling covered her mouth in shock. Yu Tianheng took a half-step forward, and Dugu Yan's eyes widened even further. The others—Yu Feng, Ao Si Luo, Shi Mo, and Shi Mo—all stared in astonishment.
"You're the young man who led us out of the Spirit Beast encirclement in the Star Dou Great Forest back then?!"
"That's right, it's me," Tang Chuan said, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Didn't expect to see me again?"
Qin Ming looked at Tang Chuan's familiar but slightly different face. He frowned as if a memory was clicking into place. "Wait, I remember... your Blue Silver Grass Spirit in the Star Dou Great Forest had a layer of blue-gold light. Why does it look like ordinary Blue Silver Grass today?"
Tang Chuan smiled faintly. "My Blue Silver Grass has a Spirit Skill called Simulation," he explained. "It can change the form and characteristics of my spirit. I deliberately disguised the Blue Silver Grass's appearance so you wouldn't recognize me right away."
The members of the Royal Fight Team suddenly understood. "No wonder!" one of them said. "I was wondering why I didn't recognize you."
Just then, Bai Baoshan stepped forward, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "Teacher Qin, you've met before?" he asked.
Qin Ming quickly cupped his hands and bowed respectfully. "Reporting to the Education Committee, this young friend, Tang Chuan, is the mysterious Blue Silver Grass Spirit Master I told you about before—the one who led us out of the Spirit Beast encirclement in the Star Dou Great Forest. I never expected him to come to our Heaven Dou Royal Academy to enroll."
A look of pleasant surprise crossed Bai Baoshan's face. He let out a hearty laugh, walked over, and patted Tang Chuan's shoulder. "Excellent! This is truly excellent!" he said. "Young friend, if it hadn't been for your help last time, the Royal Fight Team would have suffered heavy losses. It's a great honor to have you join our Heaven Dou Royal Academy. From now on, if you need anything, just come to me. I, Bai Baoshan, always keep my word and will do my best to help you!"
Everyone's expressions changed. Dugu Yan, in particular, no longer looked at Tang Chuan with disdain or doubt.
"Thank you, Education Committee," Tang Chuan replied, his tone neither humble nor arrogant. "I'll be sure to come to you if I need help."
As the atmosphere relaxed, a clear and gentle voice spoke up from the crowd. It was Ye Lingling, the support-type Spirit Master in the light pink dress.
"Hello," she said, slowly walking forward. "I've always had a question, but I didn't have time to ask it back in the Star Dou Great Forest. May I ask it now?" She looked up at Tang Chuan, her voice gentle but serious.
Tang Chuan turned his head and looked at Ye Lingling. A faint smile touched his lips. "You want to ask about the Nine Heart Begonia, right?"