Ah Yin said solemnly in Su Yun's heart, "It's hard to say, Su Yun. Although this impostor didn't awaken the Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul, half the bloodline in his body still comes from me."
"In other words, his Martial Soul could be considered a Blue Silver Emperor that has yet to awaken."
"If his fighting spirit rises, and given that your Soul Power Levels are currently equal, your Blue Silver Emperor's suppression of his Martial Soul will be reduced to only fifty percent."
Taking into account the impostor's unusual nature, Ah Yin didn't give a definite answer.
Su Yun gave a slight nod.
However, he also offered Ah Yin some reassurance in his heart. "It's okay, Sister Yin. Don't worry. I'll definitely beat Tang San today."
The suppression might not be complete, but that was more than enough for Su Yun.
Tang San's Martial Soul would be crippled by half, and he wouldn't be able to use Hidden Weapons in front of a crowd.
The final victory in this match would surely belong to him!
"Mm, I believe you can win, Su Yun!" Ah Yin cheered him on in her heart.
After watching Su Yun train so hard over the past year, Ah Yin also believed that even if this impostor, Tang San, had trained for several years longer than Su Yun, Su Yun now had what it took to defeat him!
"Bzz!"
As the audience marveled at the extraordinary nature of Su Yun's Martial Soul, a yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring rose into the air amid the radiance of the Blue Silver Tree Emperor!
At last, Su Yun's body began moving again.
"A Hundred-Year Soul Ring!"
"Su Yun has a Hundred-Year Soul Ring too!"
As the audience cried out in surprise, countless leaves streaked with golden threads shot from the Blue Silver Emperor Tree floating behind Su Yun.
They were like Flying Leaf Quick Blades!
After a year of sparring and studying with Xiao Wu, Su Yun had gained a much deeper understanding of his first Soul Skill!
Since he'd already summoned his Martial Soul, he might as well defeat Tang San in one go!
"Tang San, you can't beat me today!" Su Yun's childish voice rang across the arena, filled with unwavering conviction!
He seemed to ride the wind as he charged toward Tang San alongside the leaves, which shot forward like flying knives!
Seeing that Su Yun's first Soul Skill simply launched leaves from his Martial Soul,
a line from his previous life flashed through Tang San's mind: "A martial arts master can use even falling blossoms and plucked leaves to wound people. Grass, trees, bamboo, and stone can all become swords."
"Just perfect. I can't use my Hidden Weapon techniques, but you've handed me the opportunity."
Tang San's eyes lit up. Su Yun's first Soul Skill wouldn't just fail to hurt him—it would give him a chance to turn the tables.
So he immediately used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, while once again activating the Mysterious Jade Hand that he had let fade. He intended to snatch the leaves from the air and use them as Hidden Weapons.
"Use your own methods against you."
Although the leaves weren't as deadly as his Hidden Weapons, infusing them with Soul Power and Mysterious Heaven Skill inner force would still turn them into sharp weapons!
"Su Yun, don't blame me for being ruthless. I won't be the one to lose today. You will," Tang San murmured to himself.
Tang San's Mysterious Jade Hand danced through the air like a butterfly, batting away many of the leaves.
At the same time, he managed to keep dozens of leaves in his hands.
He was just about to use his Hidden Weapon techniques.
But Tang San's pupils suddenly contracted!
His whole body abruptly began moving in slow motion, as though the gears inside a toy had rusted.
What was going on?
Why had his movements slowed down?
In the stands,
"My goodness, Tang San actually caught Su Yun's Martial Soul attack with his bare hands!"
"As expected of the Grandmaster's disciple! He can actually—hey, what's wrong with Tang San?"
"Why have his movements suddenly gotten so slow?"
"I don't know..."
"Could it be Su Yun's Soul Skill?"
"That... could be..."
"..."
"Xiaogang, what's going on?" Seeing Tang San's strange behavior, the Dean immediately asked.
Yu Xiaogang's face was terribly grim.
He had seen everything that had just happened.
Su Yun's Martial Soul had directly suppressed his disciple Tang San's Martial Soul, immediately putting him in a difficult position.
It infuriated him.
Especially when he heard that Su Yun's Martial Soul had mutated after absorbing a Soul Ring from another tree Soul Beast, becoming so powerful.
He felt a surge of resentment!
His own Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao, had mutated in the wrong direction, leaving it able to attack only by farting.
Yet now someone was telling him that absorbing a Soul Ring could make a Martial Soul mutate—and in the right direction, no less!
And the most important part was that this person was a child.
A child who had once refused to take him as his master!
And now that child was about to defeat his disciple in front of Notting City's many commoners and dignitaries!
How could he ever face anyone again after that?
"This should be the effect of his Martial Soul. If my guess is right, his Martial Soul came from a Soul Beast that can slow other people's movements."
His voice hoarse, Yu Xiaogang stared fixedly at the arena. "Considering what he said about a tree Soul Beast, it must have been the rare Lazy Tree."
The Lazy Tree's leaves didn't shoot in such a targeted way.
Not only had Su Yun's Martial Soul mutated, even his Soul Skill had evolved in the right direction!
He had read in Spirit Hall's records that the Soul Skills gained by Soul Masters who absorbed Lazy Tree Soul Rings almost always caused their Martial Souls to mutate for the worse.
Su Yun's luck was simply too good!
Yu Xiaogang's heart burned with jealousy!
If his own Luo Sanpao had obtained a good Soul Ring and mutated in the right direction, how could he have been driven out of Spirit Hall and ridiculed by others?
"Then what do we do now?" The Dean's voice had grown anxious as well.
In less than half a second, Su Yun would reach Tang San.
At Tang San's current speed, there was no way he could stop Su Yun's spear!
If Su Yun followed through smoothly with his thrust, Tang San would have almost no chance to fight back. He could only be knocked out of the arena.
"There's nothing we can do."
Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "There's nothing we can do."
"Against the Lazy Tree's slowing effect, you can't break free unless your Martial Soul is special or your Soul Power Level is high enough to suppress your opponent."
"Otherwise, it's impossible to remove."
That was the experience Soul Masters had gained from facing Lazy Tree Soul Beasts.
At this, Yu Xiaogang clenched his fists tightly.
Was Xiao San really going to lose?
His breathing grew rapid.
Three seconds.
Sometimes, it was a very long time.
Sometimes, it was a very short time.
For Tang San, three seconds was a very long time right now.
And with that abnormal thirty percent slowdown,
Tang San felt as though he were moving at a snail's pace.
Even after he realized what was happening and struggled to drop the leaves in his hands, the slowdown continued.
He couldn't understand why his Mysterious Jade Hand, which was immune to all poisons, couldn't resist the slowing effect of Su Yun's Soul Skill.
However,
before he could figure it out, Su Yun's voice rang out beside his ear once more.
Before you continue