Overwhelming Crush

She knew well that facing a strength monster like Tang Wulin head-on would be no different from inviting humiliation.

But her advantage lay in her agility!

She had made up her mind to rely on her nimble footwork and speed, constantly circling and harassing him, looking for Bai Lin's openings or wearing down his stamina as she waited for the right moment!

With her mind made up, Li Chushui moved!

Her figure was like a nimble cat's, her footwork swift and elusive. Rather than charging in a straight line, she darted left and right, constantly changing her direction and rhythm in an attempt to disrupt Bai Lin's judgment and divide his attention.

Her eyes remained fixed on Bai Lin, searching for the slightest shifts in his center of gravity, ready at any moment to dodge or launch a surprise attack.

However, in Bai Lin's perception, Li Chushui's supposedly swift and nimble movements appeared exceptionally...

Slow.

Every one of her intentions, every shift in her center of gravity, even the possible landing point of her next step, was presented clearly in his mind like a slow-motion scene.

It was an almost precognitive sensory ability far beyond his current realm!

Faced with Li Chushui's dazzling footwork, Bai Lin remained where he was. He did not release his martial soul, nor did any soul ring glow.

He did not even assume a defensive or offensive stance. He simply watched calmly as she flickered from side to side and rapidly approached.

Just as Li Chushui believed she had successfully circled around to Bai Lin's flank and was preparing to launch a probing claw strike—

Bai Lin moved.

His motion was still simplicity itself. He merely seemed to casually and slowly extend his right hand, lightly pressing down at a spot behind and to the side of his body where there appeared to be nothing at all.

To the onlookers, this movement was utterly baffling, even somewhat clumsy.

But something bizarre happened!

Li Chushui's rapidly moving, unpredictable figure appeared beneath Bai Lin's slowly extended right hand with extreme precision, as though she had deliberately run into it herself!

"Ugh!"

Li Chushui only felt an irresistible force, as steady and heavy as a mountain, instantly settle upon her shoulder, causing all her movements, soul power, and techniques to fail at once!

Her entire body was firmly "pressed" in place by that force, unable to move!

The adorable little white cat soul spirit also let out a frightened whimper.

Fast, precise, and steady!

This seemingly casual "press" contained an exquisite control over timing, space, and force!

Wu Changkong's icy pupils suddenly contracted!

If Bai Lin's previous punch that sent Zhou Changxi flying had demonstrated a pure overwhelming advantage in strength, then this move displayed an almost terrifying combat instinct, spatial awareness, and precise control!

This could not be explained by mere physical strength! It required extraordinary comprehension and absolute precision in controlling one's own power!

This Tang Wulin...

He was becoming more and more interesting!

The gloom in Wu Changkong's heart, born of the class's overall poor quality, seemed to have been somewhat dispelled by the unexpected surprise brought by this Blue Silver Grass boy.

He looked at Li Chushui, who had been effortlessly restrained by Bai Lin with one hand and was completely unable to resist. His voice turned cold again as he rendered his judgment:

"You're out."

Feeling the power in that hand on her shoulder, power sufficient to crush her with ease, how could Li Chushui dare entertain the slightest hope?

She hurriedly nodded obediently. Her little face was pale, and her eyes were filled with lingering fear.

She did not have Zhou Changxi's tough, sturdy physique, nor did she want to experience being blasted away by a punch. Being able to end the battle so "gracefully" was already a blessing.

In the remaining battles of the second round, Xie Xie relied on the speed of an agility-attack soul master and the sharpness of the Light Dragon Dagger to defeat his opponent cleanly and decisively.

With that, the second round ended, leaving five people on the field.

"Third round."

Wu Changkong's cold gaze swept over the remaining students. Without emotion, he pointed at two of them.

"You two."

The ones he indicated were Bai Lin and a slightly thin boy with short brown hair—Tao Liufan.

Tao Liufan took a deep breath and walked to the center of the field with obvious nervousness.

A white soul ring rose beneath his feet, while the phantom of a small green snake coiled around his arm. It was his ten-year soul spirit.

At the same time, green seemed to flow beneath the skin of his arms. Slender, resilient willow branches with tender green leaves spread from both arms like living creatures, gently swaying before him—his martial soul, the willow tree.

"Begin."

Wu Changkong's voice was like ice beads striking the ground.

Tao Liufan did not dare slack off in the slightest and immediately attacked!

With a swing of both arms, more than a dozen resilient willow branches lashed out like green venomous snakes, whistling through the air as they wrapped toward Bai Lin from different angles!

His strategy was clear: use the willow branches' restraining and binding capabilities to limit Bai Lin's movements, then seek an opportunity.

However, faced with the seemingly overwhelming green vines, Bai Lin's response was once again so simple and brutal that it was suffocating.

He still did not release his Blue Silver Grass martial soul, nor did he light up a soul ring.

At the instant the willow branches were about to touch his body, he stepped forward, twisted his waist, and fiercely threw out his right fist with an unstoppable force!

His target was not Tao Liufan himself, but the densest cluster of willow branches winding toward him!

Bang—crack, crack, crack!

A muffled impact sounded alongside a dense series of shattering noises!

Before everyone's stunned eyes, those resilient willow branches were as fragile as dead twigs and fallen leaves before Bai Lin's fist!

Wherever the force of his punch reached, green willow branches snapped apart and shattered inch by inch, turning into green motes of light and fragments that scattered through the air!

The backlash from his martial soul being severely damaged in an instant struck Tao Liufan like a heavy blow!

"Pfft!"

Tao Liufan's face instantly turned white as paper. His soul power seemed to have been drained away at once. With a muffled groan, his body went limp and collapsed uncontrollably to the ground, while the willow branches of his martial soul immediately withdrew into his body and vanished.

Lying on the ground, he struggled to raise his head and look at the boy who still held his punching stance, without even a wrinkle in his clothes. His eyes were filled with utter shock and disbelief.

He had thought that, with the control abilities of his plant martial soul, he could at least contend with his opponent for a while. Yet he had never imagined that he would still be overwhelmingly defeated and eliminated in an instant!

"Out."

Wu Changkong's judgment was cold and swift.

By the fourth round, only three people remained on the field: Bai Lin, Xie Xie, and another female student. Wu Changkong directly assigned Xie Xie to fight the female student, with the winner facing Bai Lin in the final.

The result held no suspense.

The female student's martial soul and strength possessed virtually no ability to resist before Xie Xie's Light Dragon Dagger. She was quickly defeated under Xie Xie's swift and fierce attacks.

"Fifth round, the final."

Wu Changkong's icy gaze swept over the only two people remaining in the arena, his voice echoing clearly across the silent training field.