Tang San fixed his Purple Demon Eye on Huang Tian's movements while simultaneously activating Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, rapidly closing in from the side.
If Huang Tian had possessed any other Martial Soul, Tang San might still have had doubts, but Blue Silver Grass...
Both Grandmaster and the Spirit Hall awakener had said that Blue Silver Grass was a complete Trash Martial Soul, with no offensive, defensive, or controlling abilities.
As long as he was fast enough to keep his opponent from reacting, the Soul Fighting match would be over.
Even so, Tang San didn't recklessly unleash all his inner power. He held some back, leaving himself room to change course and retreat if anything went wrong.
The two weren't far apart, about ten meters or so.
Huang Tian had already been a step slow to start, and summoning his Martial Soul took time. By the time the Blue Silver Grass appeared in his hand,
Tang San had already closed in to within two meters on his left.
He had chosen the left because his opponent's Martial Soul was in his right hand. He might be slower to react to anything coming from the left.
"Whoosh!"
He charged forward two more steps, closing the distance to just one meter. Tang San's feet flashed again, and he darted from Huang Tian's left straight to his back.
His legs bent slightly into a horse stance. A faint jade-green glow lit up both hands as he thrust them forward.
Huang Tian's casual stance left his footing unstable. A little force would be enough to topple him.
Got him.
Just as Tang San was secretly celebrating, sure he was about to win, his heart suddenly tightened.
From the corner of his eye, he saw two azure vines shoot out of the ground. They were translucent and crystalline, like some kind of colored glass or gemstone, and their interwoven gold-and-silver patterns were breathtakingly beautiful.
The moment they appeared, the vines whipped toward his ankles, trying to bind him. At the same time, the back that had seemed within reach suddenly moved forward in a single stride, slipping beyond his grasp.
He could tell by instinct that if they caught him, he wouldn't be able to break free easily.
Tang San was shocked.
Why is his Blue Silver Grass so different from mine?
Fortunately, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track excelled at dodging and weaving in tight quarters, and Purple Demon Eye was fast enough to read the vines' movements.
He hastily burst into a sprint and leaped back, narrowly avoiding the vines.
Anyone else would probably have lost by now.
Having retreated from his opponent, Tang San stared at Huang Tian in alarm and uncertainty.
He had realized that what looked like an opening had actually been a trap. Huang Tian had deliberately held back a step to lure him into close range.
Just then, Huang Tian suddenly threw his head back and laughed.
"Hahaha! Good, Tang San. You really are a worthy opponent. Not just anyone could move that fast.
"Looks like this academy isn't as bad as I thought. In that case, it's time for me to show you what I can really do.
"First Soul Skill, Blue Silver Saint Emperor Spear!"
As he spoke, a faint, illusory white ring of light took shape at knee height, then began to turn and pulse slowly.
This was Ah Yin's handiwork: a projection formed purely from Soul Power, not a real Soul Ring. She would activate the skill herself, so there was no need for him to summon it or channel it through a Soul Ring.
Nourished by Gold of Life, Ah Yin had remained conscious even after sacrificing herself. This First Soul Ring was, in truth, no different from a Soul Spirit Ring of another kind.
In Gu Yuena's dream, he had developed the concept of Soul Spirits by studying sacrificial Soul Rings and the fragments of consciousness left behind in Soul Rings and Soul Bones after the sacrifice.
This was another reason Gu Yue had found Ah Yin for him: she hoped he could bring Soul Spirits into the world as soon as possible.
When Huang Tian called out the name of his First Soul Skill, everyone in the arena focused on him. Tang San didn't even dare blink.
Under the gaze of more than a dozen pairs of eyes, an azure spear over two meters long suddenly appeared out of thin air.
Its spearhead was long and gleamed with a chilling light, making up nearly a third to a quarter of its total length. It looked as though a short sword had been mounted on the end of it. Though it was called a spear, it looked more like a horse spear.
Gold and silver patterns spiraled along the shaft, winding around each other like two intertwined dragons.
Huang Tian gripped the Blue Silver Saint Emperor Spear with both hands and was about to advance, but suddenly paused. He turned the spearhead backward, pointed the shaft at Tang San, and only then launched his attack.
That completely quashed the thought that had just occurred to Tang San: Maybe I should just admit defeat.
His opponent had already said he wouldn't seriously injure or cripple him. Now he was holding back, pointing the shaft at Tang San instead of the spearhead. Backing down now would be a little hard to justify.
If the spear had no other abilities, then Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon might still give him a fighting chance.
Huang Tian charged forward, grunting and shouting as if he had no idea how to use a spear. He swung it wildly like a club and brought it crashing down.
He imitated to perfection the way he used to brandish a straight wooden stick in waist-high weeds as a child.
Tang San grew even more contemptuous. The swings were wide and forceful, his opponent was putting too much power into them, and there was no technique to speak of. Dodging them with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track would be child's play.
His opponent couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes.
The instant Huang Tian's momentum carried the spear past the point where he could pull it back or change his move, the spear came crashing down from above. Sanzi moved at once, darting toward the left front.
He clenched his fist and unleashed his strength, ready to smash Huang Tian in the wide-open chest and abdomen, when his pupils suddenly contracted and his expression changed.
The spear had indeed missed. But straight ahead, a huge foot came hurtling toward his face, swelling rapidly in his vision before slamming squarely into his head.
The immense force sent him rolling four or five times before he finally managed to bleed off the momentum and get back to his feet.
Tang San, who had been thinking moments earlier that the skill's abilities were unknown and he might as well admit defeat for now, felt the pain in his forehead and the dull ache in his back.
His anger surged. His face turned cold, and his eyes reddened.
Another feint. He deliberately left that opening.
We're just sparring and learning from each other. How could you be so devious? You've already earned yourself a death sentence.
He had made up his mind: he would defeat Huang Tian head-on and teach him a small lesson.
Well, there's no need for classmates to get too serious. Breaking a few bones should be enough.
Xiao Wu, delighted by the spectacle, sprang into the air and clapped excitedly.
"Great! What a hit!"
That only made Sanzi even more furious. He was determined to teach Huang Tian a lesson.
This time, Tang San launched the attack himself.
Using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, he darted forward in a zigzag, flashing about so quickly that it looked like Teleport. Anyone without sharp eyes would see as many as three afterimages trailing behind him.
He was confident that when he unleashed Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track at full power, ordinary people wouldn't be able to track him, let alone stop or counter him.
Seeing this, Huang Tian leveled the spear shaft and swung it in a semicircle parallel to the ground with Sweep the Thousand Armies.
"An indiscriminate sweeping attack?"
"Not bad. You're clever."
"Too bad it won't work on me."
Purple light blazed in Tang San's Purple Demon Eye. He gauged the spear's range precisely, then halted, planning to close in after Huang Tian's swing passed.
That way, his opponent would have already committed to the move and wouldn't have time to react, let alone defend effectively.
But in that very moment when he stopped, the spear shaft suddenly lengthened by a great deal, striking his right leg squarely.
He stumbled.
The searing pain made his eyes fly wide open. Only sheer force of will kept him from letting out a miserable scream and making an even worse spectacle of himself.
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