Xu Yuan gave a low shout. The yellow Soul Ring beneath his feet shone brightly, and dozens of emerald-green Blue Silver Grass blades shot out in response.
Unlike Tang San's somewhat thick Blue Silver Grass, Xu Yuan's blades were crystal-clear, as if they had been tempered in jade.
Tang San had only just come to his senses when Life Entanglement, like gentle chains, wrapped around his wrists and ankles.
Unlike the restraints of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, this Entanglement had a strange resilience. It didn't squeeze painfully, yet it left him unable to move.
Tiny white flowers bloomed where the grass wrapped around Tang San.
Tang San gritted his teeth and urged his Soul Power to break free, only to find that the more he struggled, the tighter Xu Yuan's Blue Silver Grass bound him. White flowers fell all over him, their soothing fragrance calming his spirit until he couldn't even work up a fit of anger.
He could feel the Soul Power inside him being siphoned away by the Blue Silver Grass.
And all the Soul Power it took went straight into Xu Yuan's body.
Xu Yuan gave Tang San no time to react. He shifted his footing and shot toward the bound Tang San like an arrow.
He simply gathered Soul Power into his right fist. The punch carried a steady force and aimed straight for Tang San's chest.
The punch looked simple, but it avoided every vital spot, clearly holding back.
Tang San's pupils contracted. With his hands and feet bound, he couldn't put any strength into them, so he could only twist his body and try to evade.
But Xu Yuan was incredibly fast. His fist was already upon him, bringing an irresistible pressure with it.
"Thump!"
The fist landed squarely on Tang San's chest, its force controlled with exquisite precision.
It didn't injure his bones or muscles, yet it carried an impact he couldn't resist.
Tang San felt his chest tighten, as if a stone had struck him, and his body tipped backward against his will.
The Blue Silver Grass wrapped around his hands and feet tightened with him, but didn't hurt him. It merely held his body firmly in place, leaving him unable to brace himself and steady his balance.
"Thud—"
Tang San hit the ground hard, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"You lost." Xu Yuan's voice was calm, without the slightest trace of smugness.
Tang San lay on the ground, the force of the blow still lingering in his chest. He hadn't lost much Soul Power, but for a short while, he couldn't gather his strength.
He looked at Xu Yuan standing before him. In the sunlight, Xu Yuan's figure seemed especially tall and upright, and his eyes remained calm, as if what he'd just done had been no more than a trivial matter.
The discussions and gasps of astonishment around them surged like a tide, yet they seemed to have nothing to do with him.
Tang San closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The fragrance that soothed his spirit gradually calmed the restlessness in his heart.
He had lost, and lost completely.
He hadn't just lost because of their Soul Skills' effects. He'd also lost in his control of strength and his grasp of timing.
Xu Yuan's punch looked simple, yet it held the steadiness of a skill honed through countless trials.
Like bringing a hammer down on an anvil over and over—each strike precise and powerful, yet always controlled.
"I lost." Tang San spoke again, a trace of relief in his voice.
Tang San sat up, brushed the dust off himself, and looked at Xu Yuan with a little more respect. "Your Soul Skill is stronger than mine, and your control over your strength... is even better."
Xu Yuan nodded slightly. "You were gracious."
Tang San as he was now wasn't exactly good or bad, and losing to him meant little.
The future Tang San, though, was another matter.
Honestly, Xu Yuan wasn't surprised by what Tang San would become.
Did Tang San even consider where his opponent had come from before crossing over?
An assassin sect from a martial arts world—how many normal people could there be in a sect like that?
Tang San was the cream of the crop among those oddballs. Xu Yuan couldn't be bothered to comment.
Tang San thought of something and asked, "By the way, Xu Yuan, what path does your Blue Silver Grass follow?"
Xu Yuan replied, "The Life path."
Knowing Xu Yuan followed the Life path, Tang San nodded to show he understood.
Xiao Wu had long since been unable to hold back. She cheered and ran to Xu Yuan, vigorously patting his arm. "Xu Yuan, you were amazing! I knew you could do it!"
She turned to Tang San and stuck out her tongue, looking a little smug. "Tang San, convinced now?"
Tang San smiled without arguing and nodded. "Convinced."
Outside the crowd, Yu Xiaogang clenched his fists. His knuckles turned white with the force, and his nails nearly dug into his palms.
He stared at the tall figure in the middle of the field. His head buzzed as if it were full of bees, and all he could think about was Xu Yuan's crystal-clear Blue Silver Grass and the words "Life path."
"Poison! Blue Silver Grass should follow the poison path!" Yu Xiaogang screamed inwardly. "Flexible blades of grass are perfect for carrying poison—concealed and deadly. That's the ultimate form of Blue Silver Grass! The Life path? It's nothing but a crooked path for show-offs. What future could it possibly have?"
He thought of the Martial Soul Theory he'd studied for decades, the densely packed notes, and the optimal Soul Ring combinations and Martial Soul Evolution paths he'd held as gospel. Now, before Xu Yuan's Blue Silver Grass, blooming with white flowers, they seemed so fragile.
"Something must have gone wrong..." Yu Xiaogang muttered, his gaze unfocused. "Was Xiao San too careless? Right, it must be that! He just absorbed a Soul Ring and hasn't mastered his Soul Skill yet. Otherwise, how could he have lost?"
Yu Xiaogang tried to find an excuse for Tang San's defeat and a way to salvage his theory. But when his eyes fell on Xu Yuan again, a wave of defeat washed over him like a tide.
Xu Yuan's movements, control of Soul Power, and even the way he used his Soul Skill all had a reasonableness that ran counter to Yu Xiaogang's theories.
They clearly weren't the optimal solution, yet they still worked.
"No... my theory can't be wrong!" Yu Xiaogang suddenly looked up, a trace of obsession flashing in his eyes. "Xu Yuan just got lucky and found a Soul Beast that suited him! Once his Soul Power gets higher, he'll discover the limitations of the Life path! Then he'll still come begging to join my tutelage!"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head hard, as if trying to cast out every thought that threatened his convictions, then turned away.
He stumbled off the field, his back hunched. The spirited confidence he'd arrived with was gone.
On the field, Xu Yuan had no idea what Yu Xiaogang was wrestling with.
Xu Yuan looked at Tang San and said, "Tang San, if you ever want to spar again, you're welcome anytime."
With that, he turned and left with Xiao Wu and the others.
Xu Yuan walked in front, while Xiao Wu followed beside him like a lively little bird, chattering nonstop. "Xu Yuan, that Life Entanglement just now was so cool! When those little white flowers fell on Tang San, the look on his face— I could laugh about it for a whole year!"
Wang Sheng caught up from behind and patted Xu Yuan on the shoulder. "Xu Yuan, you should've seen Yu Xiaogang's face just now. It looked like someone had splashed ink all over it! I bet he'll have to revise that theory of his again."
Xu Yuan smiled faintly and didn't reply.
Meanwhile, God King Tang San in the Sea of Consciousness grew excited, because after Xu Yuan had just beaten Tang San, he'd gained some origin power and fortune.
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