'Tang San, let me see what tricks you've come up with this time.' As the vines lashed toward him, golden light flashed in Yang Yunhai's eyes, his pupils turning to molten gold.
He clenched his hand, his first soul ring lighting beneath his feet.
The vines stretched, shaping into a spear. Armor of vines spread across his body, and from his shoulders slithered two vine-serpents.
"Fourth Soul Skill, Blue Silver Poison Mist!" Tang San clenched his fist, and from the vines sprayed a spreading fog of poison.
"Not a bad idea." Yang Yunhai chuckled softly, flicked his hand, and severed the incoming vines cleanly.
But the poison fog continued to spread across the ground, rising to envelop Yang Yunhai in a choking haze.
'Even after evolving, my vines still aren't strong enough…' Tang San's face darkened, and he quickly raised his hand.
"First Soul Skill, Bind!"
Shhhhhh—
From within the poison fog, vines shot up, covered in blood-red thorns, whipping toward Yang Yunhai from every direction. At his feet, tendrils wrapped his ankles, climbing swiftly upward.
Yang Yunhai felt a faint pull.
"Hmm?" His eyes narrowed. "Absorption ability?"
'Absorption ability?' In the VIP seats, Ning Fengzhi's eyes flickered.
"Strange, is it?" Tang San's tone was calm. "Don't forget what soul beast my third soul ring came from. Developing an ability to drain soul power—what's so unusual about that?"
Don't lie to me. Eighty percent chance it came from devouring other soul beasts. Yang Yunhai sneered inwardly but nodded. "To create a martial soul absorption ability in just one month, and to hide parasitic spores in your poison mist—not bad."
"But unfortunately, you overlooked one thing."
With a thought, Yang Yunhai's second soul ring lit. Instantly, the vines binding him faltered, then withered and collapsed.
"You can spread parasitic spores—I can too. You can drain soul power—I can too."
He smiled faintly.
'My martial soul's absorption ability is actually weaker than his…' Tang San's heart sank, though he sneered aloud.
'So what if he drains the vines? He can't resist the poison fog itself.'
As if reading his thoughts, Yang Yunhai said, "Tang San, is this all? Or do you really think you can beat me with poison fog? You forget—I'm a healer. And my Grandfather Dugu is famous for poison. Do you think I haven't learned from him?"
"So, I'm sorry to say—"
"My body is already immune to a hundred poisons! Your toxins still aren't enough."
From the stands, Dugu Bo straightened his back, his expression cool—though secretly quite pleased.
'Immune to poison!?' Tang San's expression sank.
"Right, I almost forgot—didn't Yang Yunhai cure Dugu Bo's hereditary poison?" Some students in the audience whispered.
"Heh, using medicine to toughen your body against poison—that's a skill of its own. Not against the rules."
"Honestly, Yang Yunhai completely counters Tang San! Same Blue Silver Grass, yet the difference is night and day."
"…"
"Tang San, if you have more, show it all now." Yang Yunhai's voice was calm.
Tang San said nothing. His hands hung at his sides. Behind him, the Eight Spider Lances spread open, their dark purple tips sliding forward. Vines crawled up his body, coiling along the lances toward the tips.
At the same time, his eyes glowed purple, and his hands turned to gleaming jade.
Vine spikes sprouted and clung to the spider lances.
'So in the end, you still want to rely on hidden weapons?' Yang Yunhai's brow twitched. Beneath the cover of the poison fog, his third soul ring lit.
'Yang Yunhai, let's see if you can resist my martial soul's poison and the Eight Spider Lances' mixed venom.' Murder flashed in Tang San's eyes. His fingers twitched, his feet slid, and in the next instant his figure vanished.
Swish, swish, swish—
His hands blurred like phantoms, his figure weaving like a ghost. Black-red needles sprayed from his hands in all directions.
He split his concentration—diverting soul power to harden the vine spikes, coating them with venom from the Eight Spider Lances, then launching them with hidden weapon techniques: Scatter Flowers and Parting Swallows, attacks from every angle.
"No wonder the captain wouldn't let us go first!" On the stands, Yu Feng's eyes widened, his throat tight.
"Heh." Dugu Yan sneered. Beside her, Zhu Zhuqing's face was calm.
No one knew Yang Yunhai's strength better than they did. Tang San was still far from enough.
"So fast!" gasped other students.
"So strong…" For that instant, even they had to acknowledge Tang San's ability.
But in the arena, the vine armor surged over Yang Yunhai's body, hardening in an instant until his entire form was covered—head included—save for his eyes and flowing hair. His shoulders and limbs bristled with golden barbs, making him look like a warrior in black-gold armor.
From his shoulders, vine-serpents stretched outward, shielding his vision.
Clang, clang, clang—
The red needles struck his vine armor with metallic ring after metallic ring, proof of their sheer density.
And worse—the poisoned needles curved midair, stabbing from every direction, piercing at his vital points.
In moments, Yang Yunhai's armor was covered in needles, his head and chest nearly bristling full.
'This Tang San really wants to kill him!' In the VIP seats, Ning Fengzhi frowned, his eyes flashing.
"This Tang San is truly vicious!" Huo Wu bit her lip, brows furrowed.
"We'll have to be careful if we face him next," said Huo Wushuang grimly.
"Isn't this too much?" Other academies frowned deeply.
In their eyes now, Tang San looked like some ruthless villain from a storybook. Yang Yunhai's strikes against Shrek had been heavy, but never fatal. Tang San's intent was clearly to kill.
'Yang Yunhai, you have to win.' Many in the stands found themselves siding with him.
"Xiaogang… isn't Tang San going too far?" Even Flender frowned.
"Tang San knows his limits," Yu Xiaogang replied coolly.
'Shameless!' Behind him, Ning Rongrong's eyes glared with contempt.
"Is this all?" Yang Yunhai's voice was calm. His golden eyes flickered, spiritual power tracing every hidden weapon's trajectory.
To him, Tang San's movements were like slow motion.
If Tang San's Purple Demon Eye was at the Detailed Realm, then Yang Yunhai had reached the Seed Realm.
Tang San said nothing, his figure weaving with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, hurling poisoned spikes again and again, his gaze fixed on Yang Yunhai's head, searching for a fatal gap.
Moments later, Yang Yunhai's voice cut through again. "Boring."
Then—
Shhhhhh—
All around them, within twenty meters, vines surged from the ground. Overhead, they wove into a massive cage, sealing the two inside.
"What—when!?" Tang San's heart clenched. A glance downward told him the truth.
The poison fog—beneath it, Yang Yunhai had been spreading parasitic spores all along.
And now, looking up—Yang Yunhai's body crackled with golden lightning.
Tang San's face changed. He slapped the ground. "First Soul Skill, Bind!"
Vines wrapped around his body layer by layer.
"Fourth Soul Skill, Thunder Prison!"
Yang Yunhai's body flared, a golden dome expanding outward in a rush.
Where it passed, the air itself sparked—lightning linked across the air, filling the cage with searing gold.
'Tang San, why do you think I stalled this long? Just to gather lightning into this arena!'
He had been pulling the elements in for minutes, and now they detonated all at once.
"Not good!" On the stands, Yu Xiaogang's face blanched as golden light burst from Tang San's vine cocoon.
A heartbeat later—
"BOOM!"
Explosions shook the arena in waves, thunderclaps roaring with each one.
"We surrender, we surrender!" Yu Xiaogang shouted, but his cries were lost in the roar.
"Ahhh!" Tang San's screams were smothered by the blasts.
The arena vanished in blinding gold.
"My god!" Students clutched their ears, averting their eyes from the searing light.
When the brightness finally ebbed, a golden lightning sea stretched across the stage. At its heart, Yang Yunhai stood calmly.
Not far from him, Tang San lay like a dead pig, twitching under arcs of gold. His back was blackened, smoke curling up. His Eight Spider Lances were shattered, leaving only bloody stumps.
"Xiao San!" Yu Xiaogang's shrill cry cut the silence.
"Referee! I protest! This isn't competition, it's murder! I demand they forfeit!" He rushed toward the edge, but the sea of lightning blocked him.
"Shameless!" Dugu Yan spat coldly.
Tang San had attacked to kill with every strike, and Yu Xiaogang hadn't said a word. Now Yang Yunhai fought back hard, and he dared to cry foul.
'I've never seen someone so shameless!'
Yang Yunhai turned his head, his voice calm: "Relax. I have control. He won't die."
'If Tang Hao weren't alive, and this weren't the tournament, I would've reduced him to ash.' His eyes stayed cold. 'Still—shattered bones, he won't be walking for half a month at least.'
Yu Xiaogang's face darkened.
"Pft—cough cough…" Students on the stands couldn't hold back laughter. Clearly, Yang Yunhai was mocking Yu Xiaogang's earlier words.
And truly, if Yang Yunhai hadn't pulled his strike, Tang San would've been obliterated.
"Damn… terrifying. I heard this move is even stronger when he fuses it with a ring."
"I didn't believe he beat Thunderclap Academy alone before. Now I do."
"So fierce…" The stands buzzed.
The faces of Thunderclap Academy darkened, Yu Tianxin's fists clenching hard.
On the field, the referee sighed inwardly. 'How are we supposed to run matches here now?' But he still raised his voice:
"Heaven Dou Royal Academy, victory!"
Flender moved fast, rushing onto the stage to lift Tang San and fly him straight to the medical tent. Yu Xiaogang followed. Shrek's others lowered their heads and trailed after.
At Xue Ye's signal, Bai Baoshan of the Royal Academy stepped up, releasing his sixth soul skill to sweep away the lightning field. Only then could the matches resume.
Yang Yunhai sat down calmly to watch.
(End of Chapter)
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