You Play With Tricks, I Use Mechanics

"What is the meaning of this, Boss? We traveled all this way, and this is the attitude you give us? Do you believe I can make it so this shop of yours can't stay open?"

Ning Rongrong spoke up from within the crowd, her spoiled and willful demeanor making Fang Xuan feel nauseated.

Her face was certainly pretty enough, but with a personality like that, she couldn't even be mentioned in the same breath as his own wife.

"Oh, and then what? I wasn't planning on keeping this place open anyway. If it closes, it closes. Do you think I care?"

It was a joke; he was about to head to Heaven Dou City to marry his wife, so why would he stay here?

Besides, he was an orphan with no one to rely on since he was small. Even if the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect was powerful, could they really target him over such a trivial matter?

If they actually dared to do so, he had ten thousand ways to make the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect the first to be wiped out.

He simply didn't want to stir up trouble, but he wasn't afraid of it, especially when the other party was the one actively picking a fight.

"I'll say it one more time: please get out. You are not welcome here!"

"You!"

"Get lost!"

Ning Rongrong wanted to say something more, but Fang Xuan no longer cared about saving face for them and told them to get out directly.

Damn it, did they really think he had a good temper? They had the audacity to harass his wife and act like they were in the right.

If it weren't for the fear that that mangy dog Tang Hao might be lurking nearby, he would have thrown them out long ago.

As for Zhao Wuji and Flender, he didn't take them very seriously.

They were only Spirit Saints; they were not invincible.

Moreover, this was Soto City. If they dared to cause trouble in the city, there were plenty of people who could deal with them.

"Lingling, you go upstairs first."

Seeing that the group still hadn't moved, Fang Xuan lost his final shred of patience and prepared to throw them out himself.

"Don't be impulsive, I'm fine."

Ye Lingling tried to pull Fang Xuan back. After all, there were many of them, and judging by their posture, they seemed to have some backing. It would be bad if he brought trouble upon himself because of her.

"It's fine, I have a sense of proportion. I can't just stand by and watch you get bullied."

"Hey, hey, hey! What do you mean 'bullied'? I only took a couple of looks. That's called appreciation, do you understand what appreciation—!"

Before Ma Hongjun could finish his sentence, Fang Xuan's figure appeared right in front of him.

"I appreciate your mother!"

"Watch out! Fatty, dodge!"

Tang San reacted quickly, but it was already too late to stop him.

Fang Xuan's fist landed solidly on the bridge of Ma Hongjun's nose. The force was so great that it sent his fat, bulky body flying backward instantly.

Watching the other man roll across the ground like a ball for several meters before coming to a stop, there wasn't a ripple of emotion in Fang Xuan's eyes.

"Now," Fang Xuan's gaze shifted to the others, his spirit rings manifesting behind him once more, "are you going to get lost on your own, or do you need me to help you?"

"A Spirit King!"

The pupils of Tang San and the others constricted. Clearly, they hadn't expected the man to be a powerhouse at the Spirit King level.

They had to realize that the highest level among them was only a Spirit Grandmaster; a gap of two major ranks was no laughing matter.

Dai Mubai, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, turned deathly pale. Realizing he had kicked a steel plate today, he couldn't help but take a few steps back, regretting in his heart that he hadn't brought Zhao Wuji and Flender along.

The others were all stunned by Fang Xuan's strength, except for Tang San.

He was merely a Spirit King; if he used his hidden weapons, the man might not necessarily be his match.

After all, even a Spirit Saint like Zhao Wuji had suffered a great loss at his hands, so what did a Spirit King amount to?

Perfect. Since the other party had made the first move, he could now retaliate with a clear conscience.

The next moment, his arm moved slightly, his fingers brushing imperceptibly over the 'Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges' worn at his waist.

A small, thin needle appeared between his two fingers.

The Dragon Whisker Needle was designed to break through internal energy barriers. Zhao Wuji had suffered a heavy blow from this very move before.

And now, Tang San prepared to repeat the trick.

With a light flick of his finger, the hair-thin Dragon Whisker Needle flew out, shooting toward Fang Xuan.

But the moment the Dragon Whisker Needle was about to touch Fang Xuan, it was deflected by an invisible barrier.

Ding!

A crisp sound echoed from Fang Xuan's body, and he let out a cold laugh.

"I already gave you a chance."

Trying to ambush him? He had been guarding against that all along.

Did he really think a tiny needle like that could pierce him? Did he take him for that blockhead Zhao Wuji?

The Immovable Bright King? That was nothing more than a living target.

Second Soul Skill: Nut Defense.

By absorbing the ability granted by the Tall-nut, he could absorb a massive amount of damage; if the damage exceeded the upper limit of endurance, it would rebound the damage the moment it shattered.

Tang San's Dragon Whisker Needle clearly didn't reach the level required to break through this defense; it didn't even qualify as a tickle.

"Tang San, oh Tang San, I didn't want to make an enemy of you, but since you're seeking your own death, don't blame me."

To borrow Tang San's own words: You have already paved your own path to death!

The next moment, the third soul ring behind Fang Xuan lit up, and a clone identical to himself appeared.

The moment the clone appeared, it didn't attack directly; instead, it performed the third soul skill just like the original, replicating another version of itself.

Third Soul Skill: Perfect Doppelganger (Transformation Eggplant)

Capable of perfectly replicating a clone with all the abilities of the original (Limit: 1).

However, this limit applied to the number of summons per soul skill, but the summoned clones also possessed this skill, effectively resetting the ability, and thus the nesting doll effect began.

So you like playing the numbers game, do you? Then let's see who has more people.

In just a few breaths, Fang Xuan had split into over a dozen clones.

This scene gave Tang San and the others a huge fright, but Tang San soon discovered the flaw.

"Don't worry, this soul skill consumes a massive amount of soul power. He won't be able to keep it up for long."

Tang San was full of confidence; although the clone soul skill was strong, the soul power consumption was equally enormous.

And such a large number of clones was the opponent's greatest weakness.

If the opponent were fighting alone, he might have found it somewhat tricky, but now...

But before Tang San could be happy for long, he saw Fang Xuan's first soul skill light up.

Immediately after, including the original, every clone was covered in a layer of golden light.

The soul power fluctuations, which had become somewhat sluggish due to the clones, began to replenish at an extremely rapid speed.

And this was Fang Xuan's first soul skill: Sunlight Recharge.

This soul skill came from a Sunflower and could use the energy of light to rapidly recharge and restore his own soul power.

This was also the skill Fang Xuan had never replaced since he first obtained it; after all, it was simply too useful. As long as there was light, his soul power was infinite.

Want to fight a war of attrition with him? Then let's see who runs out first.

Following that, Fang Xuan directed his clones to shower Tang San and his group with some "care."

Whether they had spoken up earlier or not, regardless of gender, he treated them all equally.

Tang San and the others tried to resist, but under such dense attacks, they had no possibility of fighting back.

After giving them all a good thrashing, Fang Xuan tossed Tang San and his group out like trash.

Dai Mubai had it the worst, as he had been given special attention by Fang Xuan.

Fang Xuan's technique was extremely devious, striking only the flesh and skin without damaging the bones. Such injuries might not look serious, but in reality, the pain was no less intense than broken bones.

To be precise, the pain of broken bones is only at its peak initially, as the body automatically builds an immunity to the pain.

But striking only the flesh and skin keeps the pain constant without exceeding the threshold of endurance.

The most crucial point was that he had knocked Oscar unconscious beforehand to prevent him from healing the others.

As for Ma Hongjun, he was currently lying there like a dead dog, motionless.

His face was covered in blood, his nasal bridge had completely collapsed, and his entire face was twisted.

Several teeth had been knocked out of his mouth, and he looked utterly miserable.

He was also the only one who had been "cared for" by Fang Xuan using the fourth soul skill.

Fourth Soul Skill: Bonk Choy Fist.

Deals devastating damage to a single target, causes a brief stun effect upon impact, and significantly boosts his own strength. There is no time limit until the skill is manually deactivated or soul power is exhausted.

This skill was an extremely powerful single-target output ability, and when paired with the clones created by the third soul skill, it could keep an enemy controlled until they died.

Looking at Tang San and the others lying scattered on the ground outside, Fang Xuan couldn't be bothered to deal with them.

He used both hands to completely pry up a stone slab from the ground and blocked the doorway entirely.

After all, the original door had already been damaged by Dugu Yan, and there was no need to call anyone to fix it; he would be leaving soon anyway.

Having finished all this, he clapped his hands and turned to look at Ye Lingling.

She was staring at him blankly, seemingly startled by the actions he had just taken.

But Ye Lingling didn't feel afraid; instead, she felt an inexplicable sense of peace.

After all, everything Fang Xuan had done was to protect her.

It seemed that from childhood until now, no boy had ever cared for or protected her like this.

Of course, with a bully like Dugu Yan as her best friend, no other boy would have had the chance.

Fang Xuan smiled and said to Ye Lingling.

"Don't worry, I'm very strong. From now on, I will protect you."

"Mm."

Ye Lingling nodded, looking at Fang Xuan with a sincere smile.

Perhaps at this very moment, she had truly and completely accepted Fang Xuan.