In the span of barely two breaths, two of the three men had already gone down. After being grazed by the wind from the claw, the last one only dared stand where he was, staring at the youth who had appeared out of nowhere with a mixture of terror and disbelief.
Tang Wulin put away the Golden Dragon Spear and turned to look at the Body Sect disciple half-crouching on the ground.
The man had already pushed himself up with a hand on his knee. The gray-black markings on his right arm had spread to his shoulder before finally stopping. Gritting his teeth, he pressed his left hand against the shoulder above the wound, apparently trying to use Soul Power to keep the corrosive force from spreading past his shoulder.
Tang Wulin walked over, crouched before him, glanced at the gray-black markings, and extended his right hand.
A strand of Blue Silver Emperor vine emerged from his wrist, its leaves glowing with a gentle jade-green light. He lightly placed the vine an inch above the wound on the man's shoulder, and a wisp of emerald life energy seeped into his flesh through the vine.
The instant the jade light touched it, the gray-black markings recoiled as though scalded, rapidly shrinking back half an inch. The corrosive force then seemed to be blocked from within by something and stopped spreading any farther.
The man looked up at Tang Wulin, complicated emotions of surviving a disaster churning in his eyes. His lips moved, and he rasped, "Th-thank you. You are...?"
Tang Wulin rose to his feet and brushed the grass clippings from the hem of his robe. "I'm from Shrek Academy. I was just passing by."
As he spoke, he tilted his head and raised his chin toward the faint outline of