Hidden Weapon Duel, Who Will Prevail?

"Southern Tang Shu Tang Sect, Meng Yiran, please offer your guidance."

She could have hidden for a while, waiting until her martial arts reached a state of mastery before revealing this identity. But Chen An had asked her, "Why be timid?"

"Tang Sect? You stole the secret arts? An unforgivable crime!"

As expected, upon hearing Meng Yiran's words, Tang San flew into a rage. Even now, he held the Tang Sect in the highest regard.

When they had met previously, Meng Yiran knew neither hidden weapon techniques nor the Tang Sect. Now that she had suddenly exposed the name, he assumed she had stolen their teachings.

"I am of the Southern Tang Shu Tang Sect, not your Tang Sect. At the very least, we do not use poison." Meng Yiran attempted to correct the misunderstanding.

But to Tang San, these words were nothing short of an insult. How could he endure this?

"Tang Sect, Tang San. Today, I shall clear out the vermin."

He did not believe a word Meng Yiran said. Ignoring the restrictions Yu Xiaogang had placed upon him, he first used Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon to launch his Soul-Breaking Blade, intending to probe Meng Yiran's current foundation.

His calculation was successful, but the result left him dissatisfied. Her technique was clearly superior to his own; while Meng Yiran also possessed a method similar to Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, it was clearly an improved version, and one that had evolved beyond the original.

"Self-Substitution!" Meng Yiran deployed her technique, Thousand-Mechanism Wandering Dragon, using a puppet to execute a Self-Substitution the moment the Soul-Breaking Blade flew toward her.

"What?"

Tang San was shocked. There was no such thing as puppet arts in his Tang Sect, and he finally realized that what she said was not a lie. His vigilance instantly skyrocketed.

Having revealed his own techniques earlier, he did not believe his opponent would fight a battle she wasn't prepared for.

"Bone-Piercing Needle, Flower Rain Across the Sky."

Tang San's momentum was quite formidable once he grew serious. If the sky-filling Bone-Piercing Needles were to land, it would indeed be troublesome. With such a wide area of coverage, it was difficult for Meng Yiran to dodge.

Using another Self-Substitution would be of little use. She began to employ a hit-and-run tactic, circling the arena while unleashing her own techniques.

Swallow Returning to Nest, Thousand Soul Fracture, Star Rain Flying Flower, Wind Flower Drinking Moon.

Relying on her puppets and unique hidden weapon releases, she fought Tang San to a standstill for a time.

The Heavenly Blade Tang Sect was famous for its elegance. Meng Yiran was performing exceptionally well; to fight to a draw was already a performance beyond her usual level.

"Damn it, how has this woman's hidden weapon technique improved so much?" Tang San gritted his teeth, unable to believe it.

"Just as expected," Meng Yiran murmured, recalling the scenes of Chen An's instruction.

Tang San could no longer contain his impatience. Since his standard techniques were ineffective against Meng Yiran, he resorted to a higher-tier method.

"Bat Wing Reincarnation."

Various types of hidden weapons were unleashed from his hands, flying toward Meng Yiran in extremely erratic trajectories. If these were to strike, she would not be able to withstand them.

"Self-Substitution."

There was no cooldown for the Self-Substitution here; as long as she had sufficient soul power, she could use it at will. Fortunately, she cultivated the Supreme Mystery Scripture, which was renowned for its vast internal energy.

"Trapping Hundred Skeletons."

After the Self-Substitution, that puppet was destroyed. She immediately pulled out another puppet with an expressionless face and flung it toward Tang San.

She had not yet refined her own life-bound puppet, so she was still using the practice puppets Chen An had given her. Thus, she felt no heartache over their destruction.

"What the hell!"

When Tang San saw Meng Yiran produce yet another puppet, he felt like crying.

The corners of his mouth twitched, and he wanted to scream, Does anyone understand my pain?

He had assumed the Self-Substitution couldn't be used so quickly. After destroying the puppet, he had thought, The opponent's puppet is smashed; she has no way to dodge my damage now.

But then she pulled out another one. This was a disaster.

"Petty tricks."

Tang San, focusing his spirit intensely, spent some time breaking free from Trapping Hundred Skeletons, which caused his Bat Wing Reincarnation to lose its rhythm.

"Not bad."

Zhu Zhuqing, who was toying with Xiao Wu on the side, observed the situation with Meng Yiran. She had intended to step in and help, but it seemed unnecessary now.

However, her judgment was slightly off; Meng Yiran's situation was not actually that good. In the end, her cultivation time was short. Even with Chen An's guidance, she could hardly be compared to someone like Tang San, who had been immersed in these arts for years.

She was only holding her own by relying on unique techniques and a higher quality of skill. But now, Tang San was annoyed by the puppets, and with the possibility of defeat looming, he dared not—and could not—retreat for the sake of his orthodox status.

"This isn't good, he's going berserk."

As Tang San lost his composure, Meng Yiran felt a sense of impending danger. She had been able to handle him before, but now she was gradually becoming overwhelmed.

"One Thousand and One Nights!"

With Bat Wing Reincarnation proving ineffective, Tang San had gone all-in. He had no higher-grade hidden weapons, so he could only use his strongest technique to break the enemy.

"Dean!"

Meng Shu, watching from the sidelines, grew anxious. His concern for Meng Yiran was only natural, but before he could act, Chen An pressed him down.

"Don't be anxious. I am here; nothing will happen. This is an opportunity—an opportunity for Yiran to improve."

If anyone else had said this, it would have been useless, but because it was Chen An, it carried weight.

On the stage, Meng Yiran struggled to defend against the relentlessly targeted hidden weapons, lamenting her own shortcomings. Eight out of ten of her puppets were already destroyed.

One Thousand and One Nights was a fierce and unstoppable technique, ranking fourth among the hidden weapon arts of the Tang Sect to which Tang San belonged. It was originally intended to launch a thousand different hidden weapons in a single instant, but as Tang San's internal energy was currently insufficient, he had to settle for a continuous barrage instead.

Meng Yiran watched the puppet she was controlling; if she let this drag on any longer, she would surely be defeated.

"Hoo."

She used her final Self-Substitution to evade a fatal blow.

"Her puppet is about to be destroyed. A perfect opportunity."

Seeing Meng Yiran wince as she pulled out her last puppet, Tang San was pleasantly surprised. Although he had not participated in many duels, his years of experience allowed him to accurately judge the situation.

Little did he expect Meng Yiran to retract her martial soul, the Serpent Cane, and pull out a white fan, snapping it open to reveal a blank, wordless surface.

The onslaught before her was difficult to neutralize, but there was one way to break it. She had not yet mastered it, and since her master had not called for a halt, it was clear he approved of her actions.

This single reason was enough for her to attempt it.

"Mysterious mechanisms shift the heavens, swift as falling stars. Half-man follows half-shadow, where the stars pass, nothing survives."

Instantly, Meng Yiran's aura shifted drastically, brimming with killing intent. This was the killing intent technique of the Heavenly Blade Tang Sect—Killing Intent: Myriad Stars.

The puppet withstood the damage and arrived before Tang San in an instant, shedding its outer mechanical shell and spinning its body to unleash its own Pear Blossom Rainstorm.

At the same time, Meng Yiran exhausted her soul power to unleash techniques like Thousand Mechanism Sweep, pouring out all the long needles and flying daggers she carried, finishing the move with a cross-wind strike of her folding fan, which accompanied the Little Li Flying Dagger.

"Hiss~"

The spectators at the arena had never seen such a scene and all gasped in unison.

Meng Yiran, while using the killing intent technique, was unable to parry the hidden weapons launched by Tang San and sustained quite a few injuries herself.

"I won," Meng Yiran said, looking at Tang San as he struggled to remain standing.

At this moment, Tang San wanted to be like his teacher and refuse to admit defeat, but he had to acknowledge the facts before him: his External Soul Bone had been shattered, and if this were a life-or-death struggle, that final flying dagger would have claimed his life.

"Let us compete again after reaching level sixty. Neither of us has reached our peak yet, so this time... I do not accept the result."

Tang San was still capable of movement and could continue to attack, but even setting aside the fact that his opponent had held back, there was also Zhu Zhuqing, who had blocked the shockwaves and carried Xiao Wu to safety. She had sustained very little damage.

"I announce that the winners of this match are the Cat-Snake Duo!" the host finally reacted and announced the result.

The arena instantly erupted into a frenzy.