Another Spar

The three of them came to a stop in the open space outside the dormitory. Everyone was eating in the cafeteria at this hour, leaving the place deserted. No one would interrupt them, and there was no risk of accidentally injuring anyone else.

Xiao Wu and Tang San each released their martial souls. Xiao Wu's martial soul was only an ordinary Soft Bone Rabbit; her rapid cultivation came from the accumulated foundation of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. Although Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had yet to undergo its second awakening and become a true Blue Silver Emperor martial soul, the bloodline power of the Medusa and Ghost King Vine soul beasts had strengthened it until it was already on par with some higher-quality plant-type martial souls. Two brilliant yellow soul rings appeared around Xiao Wu, while one yellow and one purple soul ring appeared around Tang San.

"Xiao Wu, level twenty-two Power Attack System Battle Soul Master."

"Tang San, level twenty-five Control-Type Battle Spirit Master."

"Please guide us."

The two announced their levels in turn, their expressions solemn and their attitudes utterly serious.

Seeing how serious they were, Tang Xuan chuckled, then announced his own level.

"Tang Xuan, level twenty-eight Power Attack System Battle Soul Master. Please guide me." Two purple soul rings appeared around him.

Level twenty-eight! Neither had expected Tang Xuan's cultivation to reach such heights before they knew it. Although his level surprised them both, they quickly turned their attention to the fight.

Tang San signaled Xiao Wu with his eyes, telling her to attack first. He knew all too well how powerful Tang Xuan's offensive soul skills were. If Tang Xuan made the first move, he and Xiao Wu would inevitably be forced onto the defensive.

"First soul skill-Waist Bow!" Xiao Wu activated her soul skill and attacked Tang Xuan. He had seen this sort of attack countless times. As usual, he drove her back with a single sword stroke, then followed through with a wave of sword energy aimed at her.

"First soul skill-Entanglement!"

Tang San activated Entanglement, pulling Xiao Wu aside with his Blue Silver Grass so she could dodge Tang Xuan's attack.

"Xiao Wu, Meteor Human Hammer!" Under the control of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, Xiao Wu spun back through the air. Using the force of her momentum, she swung toward Tang Xuan like a hammer. Tang Xuan blocked her attack with his sword, and Xiao Wu kicked the blade, the tremendous force driving him several steps backward.

"Second soul skill-Charm!" Xiao Wu instantly activated Charm, hoping to bewitch Tang Xuan. When she saw his gaze turn vacant, she thought she had succeeded and swiftly kicked toward his head.

"Xiao Wu, get back!" Tang San shouted. He had happened to catch a wicked smile on Tang Xuan's face. Tang Xuan had not fallen for it; he had been luring Xiao Wu into attacking. Despite Tang San's shouted warning, he was a moment too late. As Xiao Wu's leg approached, powerful sword energy suddenly erupted around Tang Xuan, blasting her away in an instant. Tang San leaped forward to catch the unconscious Xiao Wu and laid her on the ground.

Not much improvement! Tang Xuan pressed a hand to his forehead helplessly.

"Little San, now it's just you." Tang Xuan pointed his sword at Tang San, then sent a streak of sword light slashing toward him. Tang San instantly wove several barriers out of Blue Silver Grass, but they shattered in moments under Tang Xuan's attack. Only by leaping aside did he manage to evade it.

"First soul skill-Entanglement!"

"Second form-Strangle!"

Tang San unleashed the new soul skill he had developed, transforming his first soul skill into an offensive one-Strangulation. Tang Xuan was instantly wrapped up like a rice dumpling, and the Blue Silver Grass kept tightening.

"Little San, that new soul skill is pretty good, but it doesn't seem to do much against me," Tang Xuan said, his voice muffled inside the Blue Silver Grass. With his physical toughness, an attack like this was nowhere near enough to hurt him. He began forcing his way out of the grass.

"Second soul skill-Parasitism!" Seeing Tang Xuan about to break free, Tang San activated his second soul skill to reinforce the bindings. Wrapped in Blue Silver Grass, Tang Xuan suddenly felt dizzy and immediately understood. Oh, no. The Medusa venom carried by Little San's first soul skill has seeped through my skin.

"Little San, you're playing dirty!" Tang Xuan cursed. Tang San seized the opening to attack, kicking Tang Xuan in the body before gathering soul power in his right hand and throwing a punch. Inside the Blue Silver Grass, Tang Xuan temporarily suppressed the venom with his soul power.

Tang Xuan made up his mind: today, he would leave Little Tang San with a lasting impression. The brat dared to poison his own older brother-he was rebelling!

Tang Xuan concentrated soul power in his sword. "First soul skill-Sword Slash!" Sword light burst forth, instantly shattering the Blue Silver Grass binding him. He leaped forward and engaged Tang San in close combat. Although Tang San possessed the Tang Sect Secret Arts and could use four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds, he was driven back again and again by Tang Xuan's attacks, which shattered ten thousand techniques with sheer strength. Tang Xuan's power was too fierce, and Tang San began to buckle under it.

... A little over ten minutes later,

Tang San crouched off to one side, his face bruised and battered and his entire head swollen. Tang Xuan had just forced the venom out of his body with soul power. Standing nearby, he was in an excellent mood and felt lighter all over.

"Brother Xuan! How could you do this to me? I'm your little sister!" Xiao Wu shouted at Tang Xuan as soon as she regained consciousness.

Then Xiao Wu noticed Tang San nearby, crouching silently on the ground. Assuming his defeat at Tang Xuan's hands had dealt him a blow, she tried to comfort him.

"Brother San, even if you lost to Brother Xuan, you don't have to shut yourself away! He's so strong that losing to him is nothing to be ashamed of!" When Tang San ignored her, Xiao Wu kept calling.

"Brother San, Brother San, Little San!" When Xiao Wu pulled Tang San around to face her, she could be forgiven for unkindly bursting into laughter.

"Pfft, hahahahaha... Brother San... how did you end up like this? Hahahaha!" Xiao Wu laughed so hard she could not straighten her back, while Tang Xuan, the cause of it all, stood calmly nearby. With two black eyes and a face swollen all over, Tang San looked exactly like a giant panda on the run.

Tang San's lips moved for quite a while before he finally managed a sentence.

"Brother, you've changed." You used to be so good to me. He had been beaten so badly that even his speech was slurred.

Tang Xuan gave him a look that said, Figure it out yourself. Tang San lowered his head again and went back to shutting out the world.