"How could this..."
Tang San's convictions wavered once more.
His Blue Silver Grass wasn't a Trash Martial Soul. It was the number-one control-type Martial Soul!
So why could someone counter it so easily?
"First Soul Skill, Entanglement!"
Tang San summoned every ounce of strength he had, driving his only movable limbs—his hands. Several Blue Silver Grass vines burst from the ground and lashed toward Dugu Yan.
"Pointless."
Dugu Yan didn't even dodge.
The moment the vines touched the Jade Phosphorous Emperor Poison surrounding her, they met their natural nemesis and instantly melted into a puddle of slime.
"Your control is useless against me."
"Your poison is useless against me."
"Tang San, everything you're so proud of is worthless before me."
Dugu Yan walked up to Tang San and looked down at him.
"Now, the game begins."
"Third Soul Skill, Jade Phosphorous Purple Poison!"
She extended a finger and pointed it at the space between Tang San's brows.
A wisp of purple poison seeped from her fingertip and wormed its way into Tang San's body.
"Ugh!"
Tang San let out a pained groan.
It wasn't sharp pain, but a deep, bone-deep numbness and itch.
He felt as if billions of ants were gnawing furiously at his meridians and bones.
He tried to struggle, but his body wouldn't move.
He tried to cry out, but no sound came from his throat.
His mind was painfully clear.
Just then, a gentle white light descended from above and settled over him.
It was Ye Lingling's healing.
The numb, itchy sensation eased a little, giving him a moment to catch his breath.
But it also kept him from passing out from the pain.
He remained conscious, enduring every bit of it.
On the other side of the battlefield.
After several attacks failed to break through Basalt Wall, the Hell White Tiger formed by Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing reached the limit of its fusion time.
The two separated, their Soul Power nearly spent and their faces pale.
"Damn it!"
Dai Mubai roared and tried to charge in again.
"Your opponents haven't fallen yet."
Shi Mo's voice rumbled.
The cracked turtle-shell shield flashed, and in an instant, it was restored to its original state!
Ye Lingling's group healing had taken effect on them.
The Shrek team was plunged into despair.
They couldn't land a blow or break through.
Their sole control specialist was being toyed with in the palm of their opponent's hand.
Their support and healing were utterly outclassed, too.
How were they supposed to fight?
"Tang San, how does it feel?"
Dugu Yan looked at Tang San's face, twisted with excruciating pain, and asked with a smile.
"That was just an appetizer."
"Now, try this."
"Soul Bone Skill, Medusa's Gaze!"
The Head Soul Bone on Dugu Yan's head blazed with light!
A gray-white beam shot from her eyes and struck Tang San in the chest!
"Crack... crack..."
This time, the petrification spread from his legs upward, engulfing his entire body!
Boundless terror filled Tang San's eyes.
He could feel his life force draining rapidly as the petrification spread!
Was he going to die?
In this most humiliating, most helpless way?
"No!"
Tang San roared inwardly.
He couldn't die!
He hadn't yet resurrected Xiao Wu's mother, and he still hadn't found his father!
"Ahhhhhhh!"
At the extreme brink between life and death, Tang San's potential erupted!
"Bzz—!"
Eight grotesque Spider Lances burst through his back!
An External Soul Bone: Eight Spider Lances!
At the same time, the Sea God Trident mark between his brows lit with a faint blue glow, resisting the petrification.
"Oh? You still have strength to fight back?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Dugu Yan's eyes, but excitement shone through even more.
"Now this is getting interesting."
"Then... I'll cripple your Soul Bone, too!"
Dugu Yan spread her arms, and jade-green Soul Power surged wildly.
"Sixth Soul Skill, Ten Thousand Snake Hell!"
The ground began to shake violently.
The next moment.
Countless Jade Phosphorous venomous snakes, formed from Soul Power and deadly poison, burst from the earth and surged toward Tang San like a tide!
It was a veritable ocean of snakes!
Tang San's pupils shrank to pinpricks.
He swung his Eight Spider Lances, frantically slicing apart the venomous snakes lunging at him.
But there were too many.
An endless flood.
Soon, dozens of snakes had wrapped themselves tightly around one of his Spider Lances.
The poison on the lance clashed with the Jade Phosphorous Emperor Poison, hissing as they ate away at each other.
Then the second lance, then the third...
At last, Tang San himself was completely swallowed by a huge ball of snakes.
"Third Brother!!!"
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and Zhu Zhuqing all cried out in despair.
They tried to rush to his aid, but the Shi Mo brothers held them fast, leaving them unable to take a single step.
At the edge of the arena.
Chen Xuan lifted his teacup and took a small sip.
"It's over."
He said it calmly.
As soon as the words left his mouth,
the enormous ball of snakes burst apart!
Tang San reappeared.
He was half-kneeling on the ground, covered in wounds. Six of his Eight Spider Lances had been broken; the two remaining ones were riddled with cracks.
His clothes had long since been eaten away by the poison.
His aura had dwindled to almost nothing.
But he still hadn't fallen.
He lifted his head, bloodshot eyes fixed on Dugu Yan.
There was no fear in them now, no pain—only the most primal... madness.
"Die!"
He roared and used the last of his strength to drive his two remaining Spider Lances toward Dugu Yan!
If he went down, he'd take her with him!
That was his final thought.
Dugu Yan stood perfectly still, simply watching him.
The instant the lances were about to pierce her,
"Ding."
A soft chime rang out.
The lance tips stopped three inches from Dugu Yan, unable to go any farther.
A transparent barrier, like crystal glass, enveloped her.
It was Ning Rongrong's Fourth Soul Skill, Defense Boost.
Tang San's final attack was stopped with effortless ease.
The madness slowly faded from his eyes.
In its place was a dead stillness.
A despair deeper than yesterday's...
Dugu Yan reached out and gently rested her hand on Tang San's head.
"The game is over."
"You lost."
Tang San could no longer keep himself upright.
His consciousness sank into endless darkness.
Just before he lost consciousness, Chen Xuan's calm voice reached his ears.
"Team battle: Blue Silver Academy wins."
Silence.
A silence as deathly as the grave.
Not a pin dropped in the Martial Arts Arena.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the figure half-kneeling on the ground, breath gone and consciousness sinking into darkness.
Tang San.
The control specialist of Shrek Academy had lost.
He had lost more completely and more brutally than he had yesterday.
Yesterday, he had been crushed in spirit.
Today, he had been overwhelmed by sheer strength.
His proudest assets—his control, Hidden Weapons, poison, and External Soul Bone—had been dismantled one by one before Blue Silver Academy, shattered and ground to dust.
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