"I lost just like that?"
Only then did Xie Xie finally accept the truth of his defeat, bewildered. He looked at Wei Xiaofeng's arms wrapped around him from behind and murmured to himself.
"Xie Xie relies too much on technique."
Watching this, Lu Li shook his head helplessly. Before his Martial Soul evolved, Xie Xie's was pure dead weight.
"Wei Xiaofeng wins. Xie Xie loses."
Wu Changkong announced coldly.
He exchanged a glance with Lu Li beside him. Neither of them was particularly surprised by Xie Xie's defeat. The gap between a Soul Master and a Soul Grandmaster was still considerable.
With a high-quality Martial Soul, fighting above one's level might not be too much of a disadvantage. But Xie Xie's Martial Soul was only the Light Dragon Dagger, and his Soul Skill was just the decidedly unimpressive "Light Dragon Dagger."
To put it bluntly, it merely strengthened his dagger. It gave him no powerful offensive move, and barely improved his speed.
It couldn't hold a candle to Wei Xiaofeng's Green Shadow Strike. Among Agility Attack System Soul Masters, it was also deeply flawed. It was all right against opponents of the same level, but once he faced a Soul Master one rank higher, Light Dragon Dagger Martial Soul plus Light Dragon Blade Soul Skill...
Even a dog would shake its head at that.
"Your Martial Soul puts you at too great a disadvantage. It's only a dagger. As an Agility Attack System Soul Master, you'd have the advantage as long as you were fast enough. But I'm sorry—I'm a Soul Grandmaster."
"I look forward to fighting you again once you become a Soul Grandmaster."
Wei Xiaofeng's figure gradually reappeared. He stepped forward, patted Xie Xie on the shoulder, and shook his head.
After saying this, he gave a crooked smile and returned to Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi.
Xie Xie silently committed today's defeat to memory. He said nothing, merely clenched his fists and retreated into the crowd.
"Next, Tang Wulin will fight Xing Sangou."
Wu Changkong looked toward Tang Wulin and spoke slowly.
"Yes, Teacher Wu."
Tang Wulin stepped forward. A short, stocky boy with a crew cut and a faint smile on his face stepped out at the same time.
"Martial Soul: Dark Battle Axe. Soul Power: Rank 17."
A battle axe glimmering with dark light appeared out of thin air in Xing Sangou's hand. It was his Power Attack System weapon-type Martial Soul, the Dark Battle Axe.
"Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Soul Power: Rank 14."
Tang Wulin smiled faintly. Blue Silver Grass tinged with golden light instantly emerged in his hand, shimmering with veins of vitality.
"Your Martial Soul may only be Blue Silver Grass, but I won't go easy on you."
"First Soul Skill: Shadow Power!"
Xing Sangou gave a crooked smile and immediately unleashed his first Soul Skill. The Dark Battle Axe in his hand gained a few degrees of power as he charged at Tang Wulin.
In most cases, Soul Skills that enhanced a Martial Soul were the most cost-effective. Of course, Xie Xie's Light Dragon Blade wasn't one of them.
"First Soul Skill: Blue Silver Has Spirit."
"Blue Silver Entanglement."
Seeing the attack, Tang Wulin sprang into action. The yellow Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up, and the Blue Silver Grass in his hand shone brilliantly.
"Hm?"
"Afraid of Blue Silver Entanglement?"
"Holy crap!"
Xing Sangou chuckled and stood where he was, waiting for the Blue Silver Grass to reach him. Did Tang Wulin think he was afraid of Blue Silver Entanglement?
But the instant the Blue Silver Grass vines shot toward him, his eyes, small as beans, flew wide open.
In the blink of an eye, the vines—thick as thighs—had bound him in place.
"This thing..."
"Is that Tom's Blue Silver Grass?"
Xing Sangou blurted out a curse. As he spoke, he immediately swung his Dark Battle Axe, desperately hacking at the Blue Silver Grass wrapped around his legs.
He wasn't the only one stunned. The others watching were just as shocked. Surprise showed in the eyes of Zhang Yangzi and the others. This was nothing like the Blue Silver Grass they'd imagined, thin as twigs!
Was this really grass? Anyone who didn't know better would think it was some kind of vine-type Martial Soul.
"First Soul Skill: Blue Silver Has Spirit!"
"Hundred Blue Silver Hammers."
Tang Wulin moved again.
Under his control, the Blue Silver vines in his hand transformed in an instant into a blue hammer, alive with vitality.
"You..."
"You have another Soul Skill?"
Xing Sangou stared blankly.
Before he could get an answer, the Blue Silver Hammer came crashing toward him. He instinctively used his Martial Soul to block it, but somehow, a single blow sent his Dark Battle Axe flying.
His weapon-type Martial Soul was considered top-tier even among Power Attack System Martial Souls. How could it be inferior to a grass's transformation!?
"I..."
"My Martial Soul is gone?"
Xing Sangou stared blankly at his empty hands, then looked at the Dark Battle Axe lying on the ground nearby. It felt as if a hundred mud horses were stampeding through his heart.
"Thanks for letting me win."
The Blue Silver Hammer in Tang Wulin's hand changed back into Blue Silver Grass. He smiled shyly at Xing Sangou as he spoke.
"Tang Wulin wins!"
Wu Changkong stared at the scene, momentarily stunned. He looked at Lu Li beside him as if asking whether this had been his doing.
"The kid just has enough spiritual power and good comprehension, that's all."
Lu Li smiled at Wu Changkong, watching Tang Wulin as he finished the fight.
"I don't understand..."
"Why do you have two first Soul Skills?"
Xing Sangou looked unconvinced. He was the owner of a top-tier weapon-type Martial Soul. How could he possibly lose to Blue Silver Grass?
Losing to someone with Blue Silver Grass was a disgrace!
But at this moment, the disgrace mattered less than his desire to know how Tang Wulin had used two different Soul Skills.
"I don't have two Soul Skills."
"These are just two ways of fighting that I can use with the abilities of my first Soul Skill. That's all."
Tang Wulin shook his head and answered honestly.
"My first Soul Skill comes from a hundred-year Azure Vine Soul Spirit. It's called Blue Silver Has Spirit."
As he spoke, he looked toward Lu Li, gratitude shining unmistakably in his eyes.
His first Soul Spirit had come from an Azure Vine, given to him by Lu Li back then. It was a high-grade hundred-year Soul Spirit that the Spirit Pagoda rarely sold to outsiders—in other words, it cost extra.
At the same time, it was one of the Soul Spirits best suited to plant-type Soul Masters. His first Soul Skill let his Blue Silver Grass grow larger at will and increased its toughness by a hundred percent.
On top of that, it gained a bit of life attribute. And because his Blue Silver Grass was so weak, he'd turned that misfortune to his advantage: it could attack and defend like vines.
Blue Silver Entanglement was easy to understand. It was a binding Soul Skill. With clever control, he could not only release it from his hand, but also make it emerge from the ground and form a cage.
Its control shouldn't be inferior to ordinary Entanglement.
"Not Blue Silver Entanglement?"
"Isn't that the standard Soul Skill for Blue Silver Grass Soul Masters?"
Xing Sangou asked, puzzled.
It was precisely because of Blue Silver Entanglement that almost no Blue Silver Grass Soul Master could lose before reaching two Soul Rings.
"I used to think that too. But as my brother said, he shouldn't waste a slot on Entanglement."
"Anyone with a little talent can develop it themselves."
Tang Wulin smiled and shook his head.
"Like the Blue Silver Grass Entanglement I just used. I used it with the vine transformation from my Soul Ring Skill. Isn't that stronger than an ordinary Blue Silver Entanglement?"
"As for Blue Silver As Hammer, that's even easier to understand. I can also turn it into a sword or a shield. I just need to use a little spiritual power to control it, so it's easy to practice. It should be simple, right?"
Tang Wulin blinked and smiled.
"Simple..."
"Is it?"
Xing Sangou scratched his head, looking at Tang Wulin as if he were a monster. Turning Blue Silver Grass into a hammer without wasting a Soul Ring Skill—if that wasn't talent, what was?
"I'm impressed, Tang Wulin."
"You absolutely deserve to be in Class One."
He looked at Tang Wulin earnestly and sighed.
"..."
Those words undoubtedly voiced what everyone else was thinking. Was there any problem with Tang Wulin being in Class One?
There was. Just looking at his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul and Rank 14 Soul Power, there was plenty of reason to question it.
But now, he'd proved with his actual combat strength that he could easily defeat a Soul Master at Rank 17.
Tang Wulin...
Had truly earned his place!
Before you continue