He had Ning Rongrong and Oscar behind him.
If he retreated, the rear line would be exposed.
Yu Feng was in the air, and Osler was watching like a hawk nearby.
Several times, Yu Feng tried to bypass Ma Hongjun and dive straight for the rear line, but Tang San's Blue Silver Grass always surged up from the ground at the crucial moment, blocking his dive path.
It wasn't Entanglement, but anticipation. The grass leaves wove a net in the spot where Yu Feng was about to pass, forcing him to change direction.
Several times, Osler tried to strike from the shadows, only to be driven back by Tang San's Hidden Weapons.
One steel needle pinned the spot where he was about to land, while three darts blocked his path.
Tang San and Ma Hongjun, one in front and one behind, had managed to pin Huangdou's two agility-type Spirit Masters in place.
Tang San's Hidden Weapons and Blue Silver Grass blocked Osler's advance, while Ma Hongjun's flames kept Yu Feng from diving.
But he had to stand here.
He couldn't take a single step back.
Watching his expression, Yu Tianheng suddenly smiled.
"Can't retreat?"
His voice was quiet, audible only to the two of them.
"Then stand right there!"
Purple lightning gathered once more in the palm of his right claw. This time, he would focus all his strength into a single blow.
The phantom of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon behind him threw back its head and roared, purple lightning illuminating one side of his face.
His left arm still bore the burns from Ma Hongjun's flames. The web between his thumb and forefinger had split from Dai Mubai's punch, and blood dripped from his fingertips.
But his fighting spirit burned more fiercely than ever.
[Third Spirit Ability: Thunder Fury]
Purple lightning burst from his body. Rather than streaming outward, it gathered along his skin into a layer of purple armor.
The lightning no longer scattered in every direction. It clung to him like a second skin, high-voltage currents covering every inch of his muscles without wasting a spark.
The blue lightning of his normal state had been completely replaced by the explosive purple.
His body became a purple meteor as he charged at Tang San.
Tang San put everything into Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, but he found himself slowing down. It wasn't a problem of stamina.
Yu Tianheng's purple lightning armor left a faint electric charge in the air. Every time Tang San dodged, he brushed against the lingering current, numbing his muscles and slowing his reactions.
This is impossible...
Tang San's pupils contracted.
At last, he understood Yu Tianheng's strategy. He wasn't trying to knock him out with a single punch. He was trying to trap him here.
The lingering power of the purple lightning armor would grow stronger, and Tang San would slow down until he could no longer dodge.
And he couldn't retreat.
Not a single step!
Yu Tianheng's right claw slammed into his shoulder. The purple lightning erupted on impact—not a sustained burn, but a high-voltage discharge concentrated at a single point.
The current bored into his flesh and scorched his clothes. A charred claw mark appeared on Tang San's shoulder, its edges seared purple.
Tang San grunted and staggered, but immediately steadied himself.
He still didn't use the Eight Spider Lances.
Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track flowed through him once more. Blue Silver Grass surged up from the ground, not to entangle Yu Tianheng, but to weave one barrier after another between them.
The purple lightning armor burned the grass to ash, but each barrier slowed Yu Tianheng by half a beat, and Tang San used that moment to create distance.
Hidden Weapons flew from his fingers, not aimed at Yu Tianheng's body, but at the path he would take in pursuit.
A steel needle pinned the spot where Yu Tianheng's left foot was about to land, forcing him to change his step.
Three darts blocked his right side, forcing him to turn left.
Yu Tianheng smashed the darts with his left fist, relying on pure strength, without using lightning.
His right claw drew back to his waist, purple lightning flickering at its tip as he waited for another chance to strike.
Their figures crossed, collided, and separated across the arena.
Tang San was as slippery as an eel, impossible to pin down.
Yu Tianheng was like a cheetah, every attack carrying deadly purple lightning.
But Yu Tianheng's breathing was growing heavier.
Thunder Fury consumed too much. Though the purple lightning armor was astonishingly powerful, every second drained his Soul Power.
He had to end this quickly.
His eyes locked on Tang San's landing points. Though Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track was unpredictable, Tang San was tiring too, and his steps were beginning to fall into a pattern.
Now!
Yu Tianheng's right claw slammed toward Tang San for the third time, purple lightning gathering at its tip to the limit.
Tang San dodged to the side, but this time, his footwork was half a beat too slow.
Yu Tianheng's left fist shot up from below and landed solidly on his ribs. There was no lightning in the blow, just a pure, heavy punch backed by all his strength.
Tang San grunted as the impact sent him flying sideways. He hit the arena and skidded three or four meters.
But he quickly got back up. Blue Silver Grass spread from beneath his feet again, and his expression changed.
His pride had vanished, replaced by cold calculation.
Yu Tianheng didn't pursue him.
His left fist trembled slightly. He had put everything into that last punch.
The purple lightning armor on his right claw had dimmed considerably, returning to its normal blue. He had used up more than half his Soul Power.
He glanced back at Ye Lingling.
The soft pink-white glow of the Nine-Heart Begonia fell over him.
His wounds were healing, but not instantly. The Nine-Heart Begonia needed about four seconds to channel its healing.
The pink-white light slowly seeped into his wounds like flowing water. His muscles gradually regenerated, and new skin slowly covered them.
Ye Lingling's face paled.
After treating several people in a row, she had already used nearly half her Soul Power. Each time the light appeared, her fingers trembled slightly.
The Nine-Heart Begonia could heal wounds, but it couldn't replenish Soul Power. Her meridians felt like drained canals, empty and aching.
It wasn't just Yu Tianheng. The cracks in Shi Mo's tortoiseshell armor were being repaired, the burns on Yu Feng's wings were healing, the vines torn from Tian Xuan were growing back, and the bloodstain on Osler's chest was fading.
But with each person she treated, Ye Lingling's face grew paler.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and the Nine-Heart Begonia's pink-white light began to waver—like a candle in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.
With Ye Lingling on their side, Huangdou could afford more mistakes than the opposing team. But her Soul Power wasn't infinite.
Yu Tianheng turned back to Tang San.
"You really are strong."
His voice was calm.
"But my teammates aren't bad either."
Tang San fell silent for a moment as Blue Silver Grass spread wildly beneath his feet.
"Keep going."
Yu Tianheng smiled.
Blue lightning gathered once more in his right claw, and he charged at Tang San again.
This time, he didn't use Thunder Fury.
The purple lightning armor consumed too much Soul Power. He had to use it sparingly. He concentrated the lightning in his right claw, letting it flare from blue to purple only at the moment of impact.
He used no lightning in his left fist, reserving it for blocking and keeping Tang San at bay.
With every clash, he left a new wound on Tang San.
His right claw left a charred mark on Tang San's shoulder. The blue lightning at its tip turned purple the moment it struck, scorching the flesh before going out.
His left fist slammed into Tang San's ribs, and his knee drove into Tang San's thigh.
Tang San's Blue Silver Grass left countless marks across him, while Hidden Weapons carved three bloody lines into his arm.
But Tang San's speed was declining. It wasn't a problem of stamina. After every burst of lightning from Yu Tianheng,
the residual charge in the air grew stronger, and Tang San had to break through that invisible electric web every time he dodged.
Yet Yu Tianheng didn't stop.
Because Ye Lingling would heal him.
Though each treatment needed time to channel, though her face grew paler and the Nine-Heart Begonia's pink-white light dimmed, she was still healing him.
And no one could heal Tang San's wounds.
At the rear, Oscar gritted his teeth and pulled a sausage from his pocket with his right hand. It was his sixth of the day.
"I Have a Big Sausage!"
The incantation burst from his lips, echoing across the arena.
His Soul Power was nearly depleted. Making another would require him to overdraw his mental strength.
The sausage could restore stamina and Soul Power, but it couldn't heal wounds.
The burns from the lightning, the impact of punches, the bruises on his ribs—none of those would disappear just because he ate a sausage.
Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda spun overhead, its rainbow glow precisely directing its boosts to those who needed them.
Her face was as pale as paper, her forehead covered in sweat, and her fingers trembled.
Maintaining boosts on three people at once sent her Soul Power gushing out like water through an opened floodgate.
The longer she maintained them, the more rapidly the cost grew. She didn't know how much longer she could hold on, but she didn't dare stop.
If she stopped, they would lose.
The light around her Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda had already begun to tremble slightly, a sign that her Soul Power was nearly exhausted.
But Yu Tianheng knew she wouldn't last much longer.
Meanwhile, the Nine-Heart Begonia continued to emit a steady pink-white glow.
Though the light grew dimmer, though Ye Lingling's lips had lost all color and her vision was beginning to blur, she was still healing them.
This was Huangdou's strategy.
Yu Tianheng silently repeated it to himself.
Trade injury for injury, blood for blood. You have support; we have healing. You have teamwork; we have higher levels. You have strategy; we have Ye Lingling.
The longer this drags on, the less you'll be able to hold out.
His right claw slammed into Tang San's shoulder once again. The blue lightning erupted on impact, turning purple and scorching the last intact piece of his clothing.
Tang San staggered backward and braced himself on the ground with both hands. This time, however, he didn't get up right away.
He raised his head and met Yu Tianheng's eyes.
The pride in those purple eyes had vanished completely, replaced by grim resolve.
Yu Tianheng recognized that look.
It was the look of a gambler about to stake his final chip.