Zhao Wuji cursed inwardly, but no longer dared to be overconfident.
The next moment, he stamped his right foot down.
The earth trembled, and a heavy, earthen-yellow halo erupted outward from beneath his foot.
"First Soul Skill: Immovable Bright King Body!"
The First Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up, becoming a golden barrier that enveloped his entire body.
"Clink, clink, clink..."
Immediately afterward, dozens of dragon-scaled grass blades struck the barrier, scattering sparks with a metallic clatter before falling to the ground like fine rain.
"That's all?"
Zhao Wuji sneered.
Even a Soul Saint of his own level might not be able to break through his Immovable Bright King Body, let alone a Soul Elder.
The next second, his pupils contracted sharply.
The thick, dragon-shaped vine came crashing down with terrifying force, driving Zhao Wuji several meters backward even through the barrier.
"Where the hell did this kid come from?"
Zhao Wuji steadied himself, inwardly shocked.
His senses could not be wrong. This person's aura was, at most, that of a high-ranking Soul Elder, yet he could unleash power comparable to a Soul King.
A genius like this most likely came from some powerful faction!
At that thought, Zhao Wuji grew more cautious.
Just then, several meters away, Tang San realized that the Blue Silver Azure Sky Dragon could not breach Zhao Wuji's defenses. With a thought, he immediately raised two fingers together.
In midair, the Blue Silver Azure Sky Dragon changed direction, its thick vine body coiling around the golden barrier like a giant python.
One loop, then two, tightening all the while.
"You've got a few tricks..."
Zhao Wuji faintly sensed a suction coming from the vine, constantly drawing away the Soul Power within him.
An uncanny movement technique, a peculiar Martial Soul, and terrifying hidden weapons on top of that.
Zhao Wuji was now certain that Tang San's background was anything but ordinary!
Just then, Tang San seized the instant Zhao Wuji was distracted, his figure flickering as he appeared like a phantom in Zhao Wuji's blind spot.
Then his wrist, hidden inside his sleeve, flicked sharply.
"Whoosh!"
A barely perceptible streak of dark light sliced through the air, tearing it apart as it shot toward the ground.
That dark streak sank into the ground, instantly disappearing into the soil.
Zhao Wuji's attention was entirely on the vine and Tang San. He paid no attention whatsoever to what lay beneath his feet.
The next second, the Bone-Piercing Nail burst from the earth and shot straight at the sole of his foot.
"Argh!"
Zhao Wuji cried out in pain, his whole body tipping off balance.
Looking down, he saw a slender black needle embedded deep in the sole of his foot, agonizing pain savagely assaulting his nerves.
"You damn bastard!"
After suffering setbacks at a Soul Elder's hands again and again, Zhao Wuji flew into an utter rage and decided to stop holding back!
The next second, two Soul Rings beneath his feet lit up in succession.
"Third Soul Skill: Gravity Enhancement!"
"Fifth Soul Skill: Gravity Compression!"
In an instant, Tang San felt as though heaven and earth had turned upside down.
An immense, invisible force pressed in from every direction. His legs became sluggish beyond measure, as though they had sunk into a mire.
"An area-of-effect Soul Skill?"
Tang San's gaze sharpened slightly as he rapidly retreated against the pressure.
Since it was an area-of-effect Soul Skill, it had to have a range. Once he escaped it, he could regain the initiative.
But how could Zhao Wuji possibly give Tang San that chance?
The instant Tang San's movements slowed, the Soul Power around Zhao Wuji surged. A phantom Great Strength Vajra Bear appeared behind him, and he flung both claws outward.
The next moment, the Blue Silver Azure Sky Dragon coiled around him was forced apart, snapping section by section and scattering in every direction.
"Let's see how you dodge this!"
Zhao Wuji gave a mocking smile, drove off with both legs, and instantly rushed in front of Tang San, throwing a punch.
Even without using a Soul Ring, a Soul Saint's punch reinforced with Soul Power was enough to kill any Soul Elder in an instant.
At this critical moment, Tang San did not panic.
With a thought, the remnants of the Blue Silver Azure Sky Dragon abruptly gathered in midair, forming a wall of vines across his front.
At the same time, a lustrous white-jade sheen spread over his hands as he pushed Mysterious Jade Hand to its limit.
Zhao Wuji's terrifying punch slammed squarely into the vine wall.
Bang!
With a dull crash, the vine wall instantly burst apart, revealing Zhao Wuji's savage expression and swinging fist.
At that hair's-breadth moment, Tang San activated Purple Demon Eye to its limit.
Seizing the right moment, he advanced instead of retreating. His jade-like palm met Zhao Wuji's incoming fist and swept backward along its momentum, once again stripping away most of its force.
By the time the fist struck him, less than a tenth of its force remained.
"Hmm?"
Zhao Wuji frowned. He had not expected Tang San to possess a force-deflecting technique like this as well.
Such a technique could not possibly be mastered without decades of practice.
Yet the gap between a Soul Saint and a Soul Elder was ultimately not something technique could fully bridge.
The instant the fist struck him, Tang San felt his chest sink. His entire body flew several meters backward, tumbling several times before landing on the ground.
"Interesting."
Zhao Wuji withdrew his fist and looked at Tang San in the distance, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes.
Although most of the force of his punch had been diverted, it still should not have been something a Soul Elder could withstand.
Yet this kid seemed as though nothing had happened. Did that make any sense?
"Kid, I'll ask you one last time. Are you joining Shrek or not?"
Tang San raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth and said coldly, "What a trash academy. A Soul Saint instructor who can't even take down a Soul Elder."
"I don't think an academy like this needs to stay open."
"You're courting death!"
Zhao Wuji flew into a rage, Soul Power surging around him as he prepared to strike again.
"You're the one courting death!"
A cool, clear voice rang out.
The instant he heard that voice, Zhao Wuji felt the circulation of his Soul Power suddenly become sluggish, and every hair on his body stood on end.
He instinctively turned his head, catching only a blurred golden afterimage from the corner of his eye.
Fast!
Too fast!
So fast that he did not even have time to activate his Martial Soul.
Zhao Wuji only had time to see a fist growing endlessly larger before his eyes.
Bang!
A dull impact rang out.
Zhao Wuji stood where he was, his chest caved in and his eyes bulging. A distinct fist imprint could even be seen on his back.
Then, without so much as a sound, he toppled over and went to sleep.
His body hit the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The dust dispersed, revealing a tall, straight-backed figure.
It was Tang Tianlin.
The entire street instantly fell silent.
Dai Mubai stood rooted to the spot, clutching his head with both hands, his mouth hanging open and his mind utterly blank.
What the fuck had he just seen?
A mighty Soul Saint whose Martial Soul was the Great Strength Vajra Bear, Zhao Wuji, the Immovable Wisdom King renowned for his physical strength and defense, had been lulled to sleep with one punch?
And that person did not even seem to have used Soul Power, relying solely on the purest physical strength.
"Holy shit?!"
Ma Hongjun could hardly believe his eyes.
As far as he was concerned, Vice Dean Zhao Wuji was one of the academy's strongest fighters, yet someone had taken him out instantly with a single punch?
And this person was actually so young?!
"I... am I dreaming...?"
Oscar muttered to himself, unconsciously pinching his thigh and grimacing from the pain.
Ning Rongrong, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze roaming over Tang Tianlin.
Long black hair, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, a melancholy air, and an exceedingly handsome face.
Most importantly, he was young.
Very young.
He even looked about the same age as Dai Mubai.
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