Xue Yao slowly closed his eyes. An intangible, incredibly faint breeze element, green as jade, rippled outward from him in every direction, silent as water spreading across a pond.
He was sensing his surroundings.
Or, more accurately, checking for land mines.
Xue Yao had to make sure that madman wasn't nearby.
The ripples of wind skimmed over Nuoding City's streets, rooftops, and city walls, even reaching the distant woods.
There was no crushing, domineering pressure, heavy as a mountain and reeking of destruction.
"Looks like Tang San just got his First Soul Ring in the Soul Hunting Forest, so Tang Hao thinks this place is perfectly safe. He must've gone off to some tavern to drink himself into a stupor."
Since the biggest, most overprotective fly wasn't around, surely Xue Yao couldn't let this piece of shit that had come crawling over to disgust him get away without stomping on him—especially after all that big talk.
"What's wrong? Lost your tongue?"
"Typical noble brats—big on the outside, hollow within! You don't even have the guts to accept a challenge. All you can do is hide behind your guards!"
Tang San sneered, deciding to press his advantage and force his opponent to bow his head with sheer strength.
"Buzz!"
With a faint pulse of Soul Power, a blue vine, almost translucent and covered in tiny barbs, shot out of Tang San's palm.
At the same time, a bright yellow Soul Ring rose slowly from beneath Tang San's feet, undulating as it gave off the faint pressure unique to a Hundred-Year Soul Beast.
A Hundred-Year Soul Ring!
A hundred-year ring as his First Soul Ring!
The watching commoners and merchants all sucked in a breath. Even the Heaven Dou Royal Knights' knights showed a flicker of surprise in their eyes.
For a six- or seven-year-old child to have a hundred-year ring as his First Soul Ring—that was unquestionably the mark of a genius.
At the crowd's gasps, Yu Xiaogang, who had been leaning against the wall and pretending to be dead, suddenly blazed with pride.
Though he was so weak he could barely stand, he still stiffened his neck and shouted through his whistling, toothless mouth:
"Xiao San, show him what we can do! Let him see that even a Trash Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass can crush so-called geniuses under my guidance in the Ten Core Competencies!"
With his teacher's encouragement, Tang San's confidence soared.
He bent his knees slightly and took up a stance that was ready for both attack and defense. Then he called out, "Tang San, Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass, a Level 13 Control-Type Battle Spirit Master! Please advise me!"
Watching the pair of master and disciple wildly bask in their own glory, Xue Yao finally let out a soft laugh.
"Advise you?"
His voice dripped with lazy contempt.
"With that weed of yours, the one with a few thorns on it?"
He showed no intention of dismounting. He didn't even shift in his saddle. He simply raised his right hand and snapped his fingers softly in midair.
"Shriek—"
The magnificent Little Griffin hovered in front of Xue Yao.
Its sharp, hawk-like eyes fixed coldly on Tang San below, as if he were already dead.
"You... You're not even getting off your horse?!"
Tang San saw Xue Yao summon a flying Soul Beast yet remain seated in the saddle. It was an unmistakable, blatant insult!
He had lived two lifetimes and was a genius of the Tang Sect. When had he ever been treated with such contempt?
"Since you're that arrogant, don't blame me for making you lose in spectacular fashion!"
Tang San roared, and an eerie purple light suddenly gleamed deep in his eyes.
Purple Demon Eye, activated!
Under the Purple Demon Eye's gaze, every movement around him seemed to slow, becoming clear and distinct. Tang San was certain that in this state, he could anticipate his opponent's every Soul Skill and move!
"First Soul Skill: Bind!"
Tang San thrust both hands forward, and the Hundred-Year Yellow Soul Ring around him shone brightly.
More than a dozen thick Blue Silver Grass vines shot in from every direction, surging toward the Little Griffin in midair and Xue Yao on horseback!
As he watched the Blue Silver Grass cage about to wrap around both the bird and Xue Yao, a triumphant sneer tugged at Tang San's lips.
Too weak! This noble brat doesn't even know how to dodge. It's over!
But just as the Blue Silver Grass was about to touch the Little Griffin's feathers—
Xue Yao's cool voice reached Tang San's ears, like the whisper of death.
"Take him out. Use pure physical force."
The instant the words fell—
The Little Griffin in midair moved.
It snapped its wings closed, compressing the wind element around its entire body to the limit, then unleashed it all in an instant!
"Boom!"
A piercing sonic boom erupted in front of the city gate. Visible ripples of air spread outward like waves.
Tang San's vaunted Purple Demon Eye failed him completely!
In his field of vision, the Little Griffin hovering in midair had left not even a blur. It had simply vanished into thin air...
Beyond the limits of sight! Beyond the current limit of the Purple Demon Eye's dynamic vision!
"What?!"
Tang San's heart clenched, and his mind went utterly blank.
One of the trump cards he'd prided himself on in both lives couldn't even make out his opponent's path!
He didn't need to search for his target.
Because in the next 0.01 seconds after Tang San realized it had vanished—
A force like a charging Iron-Armored Rhino crashing straight into him slammed into his abdomen!
"Thud!"
A dull, sickening impact rang out.
The Little Griffin had carried the terrifying momentum of supersonic speed into the blow, ramming its iron-hard chest squarely into Tang San's stomach.
No flashy Soul Skill—just pure, extreme speed, converted into the most violent physical force!
"Ugh—"
Under the unreasonable force of the collision, the Mysterious Jade Hand Tang San had readied for defense was useless, and his Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon technique for redirecting force was a joke.
He folded around the impact like a ripe shrimp smashed by a sledgehammer, his body snapping into an exaggerated "C" shape.
"Urk!"
Tang San's eyes bulged, their whites streaked with blood vessels. His mouth fell open against his will, and a hoarse, agonized retch burst out.
The scraps of dried rations he'd eaten in the Soul Hunting Forest, mixed with stomach acid and bile, sprayed from his mouth like a fountain, splattering the ground.
Violent stomach spasms and his shaken innards instantly drained all the strength from Tang San's body.
"Thump!"
Tang San lost his balance and slammed both knees onto the hard flagstones, collapsing like a puddle of mud in front of Xue Yao's horse.
One strike.
Just one strike.
The genius Soul Master who, a moment ago, had been spouting off and threatening to make Xue Yao kneel and apologize now looked like a dead dog, vomiting on his knees before a summoned beast that hadn't even used a Soul Skill. He had been utterly stripped of his ability to fight.
The entire city gate fell deathly silent.
Everyone stared at the scene, dumbfounded, their minds unable to process what had just happened.
Too fast!
All they'd heard was a sonic boom—and then the arrogant brat was on his knees, spitting up stomach acid!
Leaning against the wall, Yu Xiaogang's sallow face twisted in utter disbelief and horror. His mouth hung open, but not a sound came out.
On horseback—
Xue Yao remained seated exactly as before, not a single new crease in his moon-white brocade robes.
He looked down at Tang San, kneeling before his horse's hooves and doubled over in pain. His gaze was so cold it held not a trace of warmth.
"This is your strength? This is the genius that piece of trash taught?"
Xue Yao's voice was quiet, but every word cut to the bone.
"You can't even take a casual hit from my Martial Soul. You piece of shit—what makes you think you're fit to make me dismount?"
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