Ambush in the Dark Alley, Nerve Poison Needles

"Move!"

As soon as Tang San finished speaking, Blue Silver Grass erupted from the base of the wall, coiling tightly around Bu Le's legs.

Dai Mubai lunged from the top of the wall, his White Tiger Vajra Transformation active, and slammed his fist, wreathed in white light, toward Bu Le's chest.

Xiao Wu flipped out of the protective barrier, her toes touching the wall to gain leverage as she retreated to Tang San's side. "His Soul Power is not low!"

With his ankles anchored by the Blue Silver Grass, the smile finally vanished from Bu Le's face.

"You little brats, you actually dare to ambush me?"

Dai Mubai didn't waste words. He activated his White Tiger Vajra Transformation, his fist glowing with white light as he smashed it toward Bu Le's shoulder.

Bu Le raised his arm to block, his fourth soul ring lighting up beneath his feet. A pink barrier expanded, causing the Blue Silver Grass to creak under the strain.

Ma Hongjun shouted from the alley entrance, "Boss Dai, hit him in the face!"

Oscar dragged him back by the collar. "Don't go in there and make a mess!"

Ma Hongjun was frantic. "He hit my face!"

Oscar scolded, "If you go in now, he'll just hit it again."

Tang San's fingers danced, shifting the direction of the Blue Silver Grass to search for a gap at the base of the barrier.

Realizing Tang San was the core of their crowd control, Bu Le raised his hand and unleashed a blast of pink Soul Power. "I'll take you out first!"

Xiao Wu blocked in front of Tang San, twisting her waist to deflect the energy into the wall using her soft-style techniques. The brick wall crumbled under the impact, shedding a layer of dust.

"San, his barrier is too slippery, I can't get a grip on it!"

Tang San's gaze fell to Bu Le's feet. "Then force him to move."

Dai Mubai understood. He shifted his punch into a shove, forcing Bu Le deeper into the alley.

Zhu Zhuqing struck from the shadows, her Hell Stab aimed directly at the back of Bu Le's neck.

Bu Le cursed, shifting his body to the side as his pink barrier coiled around Zhu Zhuqing's arm, attempting to drag her in.

Zhu Zhuqing flicked her wrist, her short blade slicing the edge of the barrier, and she retreated back into the shadows.

Dai Mubai's eyelids twitched. "Zhuqing, be careful!"

Zhu Zhuqing ignored him, her eyes locked on Bu Le. "His barrier absorbs people."

Tang San immediately commanded, "Don't get too close, disrupt his rhythm."

Bu Le laughed. "Disrupt my rhythm? How long do you think your meager Soul Power will last against me?"

He stomped his foot, and the barrier expanded in all directions, sending the broken crates in the alley flying.

As Xiao Wu landed, a crate lid flipped up near her feet. She ducked, her scorpion braid brushing past Bu Le's hand.

Bu Le reached out to grab her, but Xiao Wu kicked his wrist, using the momentum to flip back to Tang San's side.

"It's no use, his skin is too thick."

Tang San raised his hand to release his Spider Web Restraint, but instead of covering him directly, he used it to seal off Bu Le's retreat.

Dai Mubai roared, "Fatty, fire!"

Ma Hongjun blinked. "I can join in?"

Tang San said, "Burn the ground, not the person!"

Ma Hongjun's spirits lifted. His Evil Fire Phoenix ignited, and a line of fire swept across the ground, forcing Bu Le to retreat toward the spider web.

Seeing through their intent, Bu Le activated his fourth soul skill again, charging through the flames toward Tang San.

"The kid controlling the field, lie down first!"

Tang San stepped back, his sleeve-mounted arrows already primed.

Yu Xiaogang had warned him against high-intensity combat, but at this distance, he would be overwhelmed if he didn't use his hidden weapons.

However, Ji Yuan, hidden within the sole of his shoe, moved first.

He wouldn't let Tang San fire.

If he fired now, the credit would only go to the hidden weapon.

The poison needle had to be inserted where no one could see it, so that when Bu Le collapsed, it would be attributed to Shrek's collective assault.

Tang San's wrist went numb, and the mechanism of his sleeve arrow jammed.

He frowned.

This feeling of losing control again.

Bu Le's barrier was already upon him. Xiao Wu gritted her teeth, ready to block, and Dai Mubai lunged from the side, but he was a split second too slow.

Ji Yuan's dark tendrils slid through the mud beneath the ground.

To avoid the fire, Bu Le had planted his heels in a patch of wet mud. No matter how much he expanded his barrier, his soles remained in contact with the ground.

That was the opening.

The dark red roots drilled out from the mud, their tips coated in a mixture of toxins, and pierced the tendons at the back of Bu Le's heels.

Bu Le was still charging, laughing, "Dodge this!"

The next moment, his feet failed to keep up with his body.

The pink barrier flickered.

Tang San seized the opportunity. Blue Silver Grass coiled around the back of Bu Le's knees, and Dai Mubai's White Tiger Light Wave struck him square in the chest.

Bu Le grunted as he retreated, the blood on his face smeared into a mess.

"You used poison?"

Tang San said coldly, "Your own martial soul is despicable, and you blame others?"

Bu Le looked down at his feet. There were no visible wounds on his heels, only a creeping numbness crawling up his legs.

Ji Yuan had already retracted his exposed roots, leaving the poison inside.

The poison didn't travel through the blood vessels; it attacked the nerves first.

The more Bu Le pushed his Soul Power, the faster the poison spread.

Bu Le gritted his teeth and channeled his Soul Power, forcing the pink barrier to expand again, but this time, the edges of the barrier trembled.

Zhu Zhuqing immediately noted, "He's slowing down."

Dai Mubai sneered, "Then don't give him a chance to breathe."

He rushed forward, unleashing a barrage of strikes. Bu Le raised his hands to block, but his movements were becoming erratic.

Xiao Wu circled behind him, activating her Waist Bow. She kicked Bu Le in the lower back, using the force to fling him toward Tang San.

Tang San's sleeve arrows finally fired.

Three short bolts passed through the gaps in the Blue Silver Grass, striking the thinnest part of Bu Le's barrier.

The barrier shattered.

Ma Hongjun shouted from the alley entrance, "Burn him!"

Tang San immediately said, "Don't kill him."

Ma Hongjun, frustrated, could only aim his fire line at Bu Le's retreat path. "Lucky for him!"

Bu Le collapsed to the ground, struggling to crawl back up, the lust in his eyes replaced by panic.

"Do you know who I am? I have plenty of connections in Suotuo City!"

Dai Mubai crushed a wooden crate with his foot. "Now you're afraid?"

Bu Le tried to run, but the poison in his heels took hold, and his legs gave out, forcing him back to his knees.

He finally realized something was wrong and frantically slapped his legs. "What's wrong with my legs? Who did this?"

Tang San stared at his feet as well.

He hadn't used poison to this extent.

The toxicity of his Blue Silver Grass shouldn't have been this potent.

Xiao Wu tugged on his sleeve. "San, don't space out."

Tang San withdrew his gaze and said in a low voice, "Subdue him first."

Bu Le suddenly pulled a whistle from his robes and brought it to his lips.

Zhu Zhuqing was the fastest; she threw her short blade, knocking his hand aside.

The whistle fell into the mud.

Dai Mubai rushed over and smashed his fist into Bu Le's face.

Bu Le's nose bled profusely, and the pink barrier dissipated completely.

Xiao Wu followed up with a kick, slamming him against the wall.

Ma Hongjun pushed Oscar aside, rushed over, and kicked Bu Le in the stomach. "Didn't you like stepping on me? Go ahead, step on me again!"

Oscar hurried to follow. "Don't kill him, don't kill him, the Dean hasn't said how to finish this yet."

Ma Hongjun's eyes were red. "Didn't you see how he hit me earlier?"

Bu Le lay on the ground, spitting blood, still cursing, "Little fatty, you just wait, sooner or later..."

Dai Mubai stepped on his wrist. "Still got a big mouth?"

Tang San walked over and placed a hand on Ma Hongjun's shoulder. "That's enough."

Ma Hongjun panted heavily. "Third Brother, I can't swallow this."

Tang San looked at Bu Le. "Disable his ability to do evil, but don't kill him."

Xiao Wu frowned. "Too easy on him."

Tang San didn't respond.

He noticed Bu Le's legs beginning to twitch, with dark red veins flashing beneath his skin before quickly vanishing.

Tang San reached out to examine him.

Underground, Ji Yuan had already spread a second layer of root networks.

Don't touch.

This is his blood bag, not Tang San's trophy.

Just as Tang San bent over, the old poison in his chest flared up. He coughed, his movements slowing.

Xiao Wu quickly supported him. "You're pushing yourself again!"

Tang San waved his hand. "I'm fine."

Yu Xiaogang and Flender arrived at the alley entrance.

Flender saw Bu Le lying on the ground and his eyelids twitched. "I told you not to cause trouble."

Ma Hongjun covered his swollen face. "Dean, he hit me first."

Flender looked at his face, his anger not directed at his students. "And you think you're in the right?"

Zhao Wuji walked up and kicked Bu Le. "Isn't this Bu Le? A notorious piece of filth in Suotuo City."

Hearing Zhao Wuji's voice, Bu Le trembled even more violently. "Z-Zhao, Teacher Zhao?"

Zhao Wuji sneered. "You know me?"

Bu Le hurriedly said, "A misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding. I didn't know they were from Shrek Academy."

Ma Hongjun was so angry he wanted to charge forward. "Know it's a misunderstanding now?"

Flender raised a hand to stop him. "Fatty, stand back."

Bu Le tried to beg for mercy, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the numbness from his legs surged to his waist, and he collapsed back into the mud.

Oscar whispered, "Why is he shaking like that?"

Yu Xiaogang knelt to examine him, but Tang San blocked him. "Teacher, the poison on him is strange, don't touch him directly."

Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San. "You released it?"

Tang San shook his head. "My Blue Silver Grass doesn't have this effect."

Flender frowned. "Then who did?"

The alley suddenly fell silent.

Zhu Zhuqing stood in the shadows, her gaze slowly falling to the ground before shifting to the side of Tang San's shoes.

Ji Yuan sensed it.

This cat is still sniffing around.

He wasn't in a hurry.

The roots bypassed everyone's feet underground, avoiding Zhu Zhuqing's perception range, and attached themselves to the base of Bu Le's spine.

Bu Le was convulsing in the mud, his pleas for mercy choked off by blood.

Zhao Wuji was impatient. "Let's just take him away first."

Just as Flender nodded, Bu Le's body suddenly arched, and a broken, gasping sound escaped his throat.

Ma Hongjun took a step back. "W-what's wrong with him?"

Tang San's expression changed as well.

Because the muddy water beneath Bu Le's feet was being sucked away by something from within, along with his blood, disappearing without a trace.