"Hmph, in the world of Soul Masters, enemies won't care about what methods you use." Yu Xiaogang swept his gaze over the audience, his expression filled with disdain. "As long as it hurts the enemy and keeps you alive, then it's the best method."
"That makes sense." Zhao Wuji nodded slightly.
'But this was still the Great Spirit Arena…' Flender felt his face heat with shame, saying nothing as he continued watching.
On the stage, Tang San's eyes were blood-red. It was as if he hadn't heard the surrounding voices at all. One after another, hidden weapons appeared in his hands and were hurled out from different angles.
Pupupu—the crisp sound of weapons striking against vines echoed without pause. The floor quickly became covered in a thick layer of metal.
And yet, aside from leaving tiny white marks on the vines, occasionally embedding slightly, they caused nearly no damage at all.
"This…" Dai Mubai grew more shocked the longer he looked. Subconsciously, he punched at the vines encasing Yu Tianheng.
Bang!
The vines merely shook slightly, not even breaking the skin.
"Damn, that's absurd!" Ma Hongjun couldn't help cursing.
That punch from Dai Mubai had been enhanced by his third soul skill. If it had landed on him, he would have been bedridden for days.
"Unbelievable!" Tang San grew more agitated as his hidden weapons dwindled without effect.
Gritting his teeth, he stepped forward. His hand brushed his waist and instantly the Zhuge Crossbow appeared. At a distance of only three meters, he pulled the trigger.
Sixteen bolts fired at once.
Pupupu!
The arrows pierced barely an inch into the vines, but no further.
"Impossible…" Tang San's face twisted with disbelief.
"Is this really just the Blue Silver Grass?" Ma Hongjun's eyes widened.
Tang San leapt forward, his Eight Spider Lances snapping together and stabbing straight toward Yang Yunhai's head.
"That's too much!" Yang Yunhai's brows furrowed. At last, he spoke.
Even a clay figure had three parts fire, let alone a living person. Every one of Tang San's attacks had been aimed to kill. That last strike—if not for the toughness of his vines—would have ended his life. His teammates would also have been injured, even killed.
No, Tang San needed to be taught a lesson today.
As long as he didn't deal a fatal blow, Tang Hao wouldn't risk exposing himself just to defend his son. And this was still an arena match—if word spread, Tang Hao would be mocked for bullying a junior. With this in mind, Yang Yunhai swiftly poured soul power into his vines. Instantly, the surrounding vines branched outward.
In just a blink, six vines shot out.
With Tang San leaping high and losing balance, he had no time to dodge. He was wrapped up tightly, his Eight Spider Lances bound and rendered useless.
Without hesitation, Yang Yunhai swung him like a club. Tang San's body soared into the air.
"Dammit!" Tang San roared in anger, struggling with all his might, but no matter what he did, he couldn't break free.
"Xiao San!" Dai Mubai's face darkened. He turned, his soul rings flashing. "Second Soul Skill, White Tiger—"
"Heh." Yang Yunhai waved his hand casually. Instantly, vines sprouted on Dai Mubai's body, disrupting his skill and binding him tight.
Dai Mubai panicked. "Was this left behind when I fought Yu Tianheng earlier?" He clawed at the vines wrapping him, but the more he tore, the tighter they clung. The barbed thorns ripped both his clothes and skin, leaving bloody welts.
"This strength…" Fear and despair surged in his heart as his body was swiftly cocooned.
Suddenly, he winced in agony as the vines scraped somewhere very sensitive. His face turned deathly pale.
Pure vengeance… He gritted his teeth so hard they nearly cracked.
Meanwhile, Tang San slammed into the ground.
Boom! His Eight Spider Lances stabbed into the floor, shattering stone and leaving small craters.
"Urgh!" Pain ripped through his back. He coughed up a mouthful of blood.
But the vines lifted him again and hurled him like a rag doll.
Yang Yunhai flicked his wrist again. Ma Hongjun screamed as vines sprouted from his body as well.
Oscar and Ning Rongrong stiffened in shock. They glanced toward Oslo and Zhu Zhuqing, already bound in vines, and instantly understood. Tang San's earlier talk of "powder" was really parasitic spores. The vines sprouting on Ma Hongjun were from the spores that had drifted onto him.
Which meant… they had them too.
"Xiao Hai, don't hold back—teach them a proper lesson!" Dugu Yan shouted loudly.
In the stands, Dugu Bo's eyes gleamed with approval. 'Good! That's the way!'
Three vines lashed out—toward Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Xiao Wu, who was still collapsed on the ground.
"Enough! We surrender!" Yu Xiaogang's face changed drastically as he jumped to his feet, shouting.
"Xiao Hai, stop!" Qin Ming's voice followed.
Yang Yunhai's brows knitted. He gave the order, and the vines constricted tighter. Bones creaked and cracked.
"Aaaah!" Agonized screams filled the arena.
Then, with a sharp motion, Yang Yunhai flung them away.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three heavy crashes echoed as Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun tumbled across the ground, rolling to a stop at Ning Rongrong's feet.
Their clothes were shredded, their bodies soaked in blood.
The worst were Tang San and Dai Mubai. Tang San's back was torn raw, his flesh swollen and mangled. Dai Mubai's groin was bleeding onto the floor—whether the injury was permanent, no one could say.
Ning Rongrong turned her head away, trembling. In her heart, she was shaken. 'Who is this person? His Blue Silver Grass is stronger than Tang San's by far… He's cultivated it to such a terrifying level.'
For the first time, she felt Tang San wasn't as invincible as she'd believed. In this match, he had been completely crushed. And his reckless, impulsive temperament had only made things worse.
Yang Yunhai unraveled the vines protecting his teammates, then looked toward Dugu Yan.
"Sister Yan, give me some antidote."
She glanced at the miserable Shrek members and smirked, tossing over a pill without hesitation.
Yang Yunhai caught it, opened Xiao Wu's jaw, and fed her the antidote. Then he casually tossed the bottle toward Oscar. Startled, Oscar hurriedly caught it.
"Lingling, treat them." Yang Yunhai turned and ordered. At the same time, he plucked poisoned needles from his thigh and shoulder, making even his teammates wince.
No one had realized he'd taken hits during the chaos.
He looked down at the arena floor, now blanketed with Tang San's hidden weapons. His eyes grew cold.
"Alright!" Ye Lingling nodded. Her Nine-Heart Begonia bloomed, and healing petals drifted down onto the Shrek members.
The bleeding stopped quickly, but Tang San and Xiao Wu remained unconscious. Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Tie Long staggered upright, pale and trembling. They didn't dare glance at Yang Yunhai. Supporting one another, they turned to leave. Oscar hoisted Tang San onto his back, Ning Rongrong carried Xiao Wu, and together they limped toward the exit.
Tang San had gone berserk with killing intent, yet this "Xiao Hai" had shown mercy—letting Dugu Yan detoxify them and Lingling heal them. Ning Rongrong cast one last look back, her heart full of complicated thoughts.
"The winners of this team battle—Emperor Battle Team!" the host's clear voice rang out.
"Awesome!" Cheers erupted through the audience.
"Xiao San's temper really does need fixing…" Watching Tang San carried off, Tang Hao sighed.
Though seeing his son humiliated was bitter, he had to admit Tang San had gone too far. This was the consequence. If it had been him in Yang Yunhai's place, he would've struck even harder.
"Determination is good. Desire for victory is good. But a loss can also be the best teacher. Hopefully after this, Xiao San will reflect and mature."
His eyes turned toward Yang Yunhai. His expression grew serious. 'How can this boy's Blue Silver Grass be this powerful?'
Even the Blue Silver Emperor shouldn't have such strength at the same level.
His gaze shifted toward Yu Xiaogang. After a pause, Tang Hao rose and left.
Yu Xiaogang, meanwhile, was already rushing forward, his mind racing. 'What kind of soul beasts did this boy's rings come from? How exactly has he trained his martial soul? If I could know the details, it would help Tang San tremendously.'
Flender followed, sighing in regret. 'If only we hadn't rejected him back then… With this freak alongside Tang San, Shrek might've had a real shot at the Soul Master Tournament championship.'
"Still… why has his hair color changed?" Flender frowned, quickening his steps.
(End of Chapter)
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