Tang San's Final Attempt

Tang San's Final Attempt

When Tang San logged back into the game, his entire aura had changed.

The first time he sat down at the computer, he had been judging this world.

After dying for the second time, he had been searching for its rules.

But now, he had begun breaking down what Lin Chuan had taught him and turning it into his own rhythm.

Xiao Wu sat beside him without urging him to rest again.

She knew Tang San could not possibly stop now.

Hu Liena did not get on a computer either. She merely stood before the spectator screen, watching Tang San's movements intently.

She was unwilling to admit that she was learning from someone from Shrek.

But she was even less willing to let Tang San leave her behind.

Tang San fought his way back to the White-Clothed Scholar.

He was much faster this time than before, yet he did not seem impatient.

When he encountered the first ambushing lesser demon, he did not even turn around to land a second strike. He merely used the terrain to obstruct its pursuit, then went around it.

Ma Hongjun could not understand.

"You're not killing that monster?"

Lin Chuan said, "Not every monster has to be killed. The goal is the White-Clothed Scholar, not pulling every blade of grass off the mountain."

To his surprise, Flender nodded very seriously when he heard that.

Saving time was the same as saving money.

The lesser demons ahead no longer posed a threat to him.

He was no longer as cautious as he had been at the start, testing every single step. Instead, he divided danger into different levels.

Those he could kill outright, he dealt with quickly.

Those that might conceal traps, he lured out first.

Those worth reviewing, he memorized their movements.

Watching from beside the counter, Lin Chuan could not help sighing inwardly.

The most frightening thing about someone like Tang San was not that he never suffered losses, but that he never wasted a failure.

Someone else might die to the White-Clothed Scholar ten times and do nothing but complain that the game was too hard.

Each time Tang San died, he came back with a new judgment the next time.

The White-Clothed Scholar appeared.

Tang San did not attack immediately.

His palms were sweating.

This was not fear. His body simply remembered the pressure of his recent failures.

The White Snake had not appeared yet, but Tang San could already picture the angle at which that snake tail had pressed across the water.

He did not rush to shake those images from his mind.

Instead, he slowly incorporated them into his judgment.

He first circled halfway around, forcing the White-Clothed Scholar to raise his spear.

The long spear thrust forward.

Tang San rolled, rose, and struck only once.

Tang San immediately pulled back, and the White-Clothed Scholar's returning spear missed.

Rather than greedily press the attack, Tang San retreated.

Yan watched with some discomfort. "Isn't this too slow?"

Xie Yue said flatly, "Slow, but steady."

And that was indeed the case.

Tang San's round was not flashy, but it was steadier than any of his previous attempts.

He did not seek to deal more damage every time. He sought to ensure he would not be hit consecutively.

The first phase's health slowly dropped.

The White-Clothed Scholar's feints failed to deceive him several times.

Tang San's gaze grew increasingly deep.

His Tang Sect experience had not disappeared. It simply existed in another form now.

Hidden weapons emphasized the timing of a strike, poison emphasized lurking and explosive bursts, and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track emphasized avoiding strength and attacking weakness.

Those things could not be used directly in the game, but they could become judgment.

At last, the first phase ended.

The water trembled.

The White Snake leaped into the air.

The atmosphere in the internet café tightened with it.

Tang San drew a deep breath.

He did not immediately use the Immobilization Technique.

The White Snake lunged.

He rolled diagonally forward, brushing past the edge of its body.

Xiao Wu unconsciously clenched her fists.

"He dodged it."

The second time, the snake's tail swept sideways.

Tang San did not roll wildly in succession. He waited until the tail was nearly before him before moving.

After the roll ended, he did not rush to attack. Instead, he took half a step.

That half-step placed the White Snake's next lunge exactly where he had predicted.

Tang San raised his hand.

Outside, Hu Liena's breathing caught.

She knew the timing was right.

But knowing and doing were completely different things. She had watched Lin Chuan demonstrate it before, but when it was her turn and the White Snake bore down on her, her heart panicked first.

At that instant, he unleashed the Immobilization Technique, and golden light froze the White Snake in place.

Tang San charged his attack.

One heavy strike came crashing down.

The heavy staff smashed down with a boom, taking a huge chunk from the White Snake's health.

Ma Hongjun could not help shouting, "Beautiful!"

Though Flender's heart ached over the money, his eyes lit up at the sight.

He suddenly felt that ten Gold Soul Coins for one hour was not completely unacceptable.

If Shrek's children could all learn something from battles like this, then coming a few times before the finals might not be a waste of money.

Tang San was not affected by the voices outside.

After breaking free of the immobilization, the White Snake's attacks became fiercer.

Tang San's health was dropping as well.

Only one sip remained in his gourd.

If he used it too early, there would be nothing to save him later.

If he used it too late, he might die outright.

A wave of water crashed down from the White Snake. Tang San was grazed, leaving his health bar with only its final third.

Xiao Wu was so anxious she nearly cried out.

But Lin Chuan raised a hand, signaling her not to shout.

Tang San himself knew how to choose.

Sure enough, Tang San did not drink from the gourd immediately.

He waited until the White Snake's next lunge missed, then drank the final restorative sip after opening some distance.

His health returned to half.

This time, even Hu Liena could not help nodding.

Only after nodding did she realize what she had done, and her expression stiffened slightly.

Xie Yue glanced at her but did not expose her.

Yan wanted to make a few snide remarks, but as he watched the White Snake on the screen, he ultimately swallowed his words.

Trying to act tough at a time like this would only make him seem ignorant.

That was not merely quick reflexes. It was a steady heart.

The White Snake's health was down to only a small portion as well.

Tang San began pressing forward.

He no longer defended blindly. After each of the White Snake's attacks ended, he landed light strikes to build up staff momentum.

The staff momentum gradually filled.

Lin Chuan narrowed his eyes as he watched.

The opportunity had come.

He did not speak to remind him.

At a time like this, a word from someone else might disrupt his rhythm instead.

Only if Tang San saw this opportunity himself could this battle truly become part of him.

The White Snake suddenly twisted its body, preparing to unleash a wide sweeping attack.

Tang San saw it too.

If he dodged this move, the White Snake would have an extremely brief opening.

But if he failed to dodge it, he would die immediately.

No one in the internet café spoke.

The White Snake's tail swept toward him with a wave of water.

Tang San did not roll early.

He waited until the tail's shadow was almost against him, then rolled inward.

On the screen, the monkey seemed to squeeze through the narrow gap between the snake tail and the wave.

He landed, rose, and charged a heavy staff strike in one fluid motion.

Tang San brought down every last bit of staff momentum he had built.

The White Snake let out a hiss, and its health bar was nearly emptied.

But it was still short by a little.

Just a little.

With only a sliver of health left, the White Snake counterattacked and bit viciously toward Tang San.

Xiao Wu's face went pale.

Tang San had already used his Immobilization Technique, and the gourd was empty.

If this strike landed, all his efforts would be wasted.

Just as everyone thought he would retreat, Tang San stepped forward instead.

Brushing against the White Snake's gaping bloody jaws, he swung his final strike.

It was merely a light attack, the most ordinary strike possible.

Yet it landed precisely in the instant before the White Snake's attack could finish.

The wooden staff came down, and the screen shook violently.

The White Snake froze midair.

Its health bar emptied.

The next moment, its enormous body crashed into the water.

The internet café fell deathly silent.

Tang San stood where he was, his fingers still held in the posture of gripping the staff.

Even he was stunned for a moment.

Only after the water settled again did two words slowly appear in the center of the screen.

[Victory]

Xiao Wu froze at first, then abruptly jumped to her feet, nearly knocking over her chair.

"We won!"

Her cry seemed to bring the air of the internet café back to life.

Ma Hongjun slapped the table. "Little San, you really brought glory to Shrek!"

Flender had wanted to smile as well, but when he thought of the money he might have to spend on training later, the smile froze on his face.

Tang San did not remove his helmet.

He looked at the fallen White Snake, his chest rising and falling once.

He had won.

But more than anyone, he knew this victory had not come easily.

The next time he faced a stronger opponent, what the White-Clothed Scholar had taught him might no longer be enough.