"What? Me against Teacher Xiaoya?"
Huo Yuhao froze. No matter how he put it, he was still only a Soul Master, while Tang Ya had already become a Soul Elder. The gap between them was enormous, and ordinarily, he would have little chance of winning.
"Just do your best."
Tang Chuan smiled.
"All right, then. Teacher Xiaoya, let's begin."
Huo Yuhao nodded and said no more. He slowly released his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul, and a platinum-white Soul Ring quietly formed.
"Hehe, Little Yuhao, you'd better be careful."
Tang Ya smiled smugly.
"Vmmm!"
Azure light burst forth. Immediately afterward, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong both noticed the aura of life radiating from Tang Ya as her Blue Silver King Martial Soul quietly bloomed.
"Teacher Xiaoya's Martial Soul... why does it feel different?"
Huo Yuhao immediately noticed something unusual about Tang Ya's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, and his expression grew a little more solemn.
"Yuhao, Xiaoya, all you need to do is bring your abilities fully into play. I'll guide your cultivation based on how you perform in combat."
Tang Chuan's voice rang out.
Meanwhile, Wang Dong stood beside Tang Chuan, studying his delicate features with some curiosity.
"I'd like to see what this guy can do."
Wang Dong spoke softly.
Once Huo Yuhao and Tang Ya were both ready, Tang Ya attacked first. The ground shattered in an instant, and stalks of Blue Silver King surged out of the soil, shooting toward Huo Yuhao.
"Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track!"
As Huo Yuhao released his spiritual power, his footwork instantly became elusive. He dodged Tang Ya's binding Blue Silver King while rapidly closing in on her.
No, Teacher Xiaoya must be more familiar with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track than I am. I can't keep doing the same thing!
Huo Yuhao suddenly realized this.
His steps abruptly shifted. He seemed to stop following the special footwork of Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, instead making slight adjustments through the spiritual perception his Spirit Eyes provided.
"Huh?"
Realizing her judgment had been wrong, Tang Ya was somewhat taken aback.
By then, Huo Yuhao had already closed in on her. Tang Ya released her Blue Silver King again, this time sealing off all his escape routes.
"Mysterious Jade Hand!"
Huo Yuhao had no intention of dodging again.
Using Mysterious Jade Hand, he deftly deflected the Blue Silver King's attacks. Then strands of light emerged in his eyes.
"Hiss!"
Huo Yuhao concentrated his spiritual power in his Spirit Eyes and unleashed Soul Shock, one of the effects of the first Soul Skill the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had given him.
Tang Ya's vision instantly swam, but only for a moment. She abruptly pivoted, and stalks of Blue Silver King burst out of the earth, blocking Huo Yuhao's attack while trapping him in place.
"Little Yuhao, you fell for it!"
Tang Ya laughed merrily. While Huo Yuhao was bound by layer upon layer of Blue Silver King, she had already formed another stalk and sent it piercing toward him.
"Oh no!"
Huo Yuhao's expression changed.
He immediately drew the White Tiger Dagger. Its blade flashed coldly, severing some of the Blue Silver King, and Huo Yuhao leaped up, narrowly avoiding Tang Ya's attack.
"Huff... huff..."
Huo Yuhao panted heavily.
Neither his Soul Power nor his physique was particularly strong. Even with their slight improvement, facing Tang Ya's evolved Martial Soul was still extremely difficult.
That's right!
I can try what Teacher mentioned yesterday: combining Purple Demon Eye with Soul Shock. As long as I calm my mind, I believe I can do it.
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and gathered his spiritual power.
Tang Ya's attacks continued, and after her Martial Soul had evolved from Blue Silver Grass into Blue Silver King, she also felt that her methods of attack should change somewhat.
And so...
Just as Tang Ya was about to act, Tang Chuan suddenly spoke. "Compared with Blue Silver King, Blue Silver King inherently possesses greater toughness and vitality. Try forming a weapon with your Martial Soul."
"Change your means of attack."
"Remember, once Blue Silver Grass's attributes improve, its so-called control characteristics are merely a side branch. This is entirely possible. If you treat control, such as Entanglement, as the main direction of Blue Silver King's cultivation, that's putting the cart before the horse."
Tang Chuan's words instantly brought Tang Ya to an understanding.
Her beautiful eyes lit up.
A stalk of Blue Silver King grew before her, then formed into a Blue Silver longsword.
"Hiss!"
With the Blue Silver longsword in hand, Tang Ya unleashed a slash of razor-sharp sword energy!
"It really works! Teacher, you're amazing."
Tang Ya was thrilled. Then she looked at Huo Yuhao in the distance with a hint of smugness and decisively closed in, sword in hand.
"Little Yuhao, you'd better watch out."
At that moment, Huo Yuhao was inwardly groaning.
Teacher, you've given Teacher Xiaoya pointers, so why won't you give me a few...
"Hiss!"
The instant Tang Ya approached Huo Yuhao with her sword, she suddenly noticed that his eyes had turned purple-gold.
"Purple Demon Eye, Soul Shock!"
"Ten Thousand Purple Divine Light!"
The Soul Shock Huo Yuhao unleashed in desperation was extraordinarily powerful. Tang Ya felt an intense sense of danger sweep over her, and the mental attack left her unable to guard against it. She was struck at once, her head feeling as though it would split apart.
Meanwhile, that single strike instantly drained all of Huo Yuhao's spiritual power. The fluctuations of Soul Power radiating from Tang Ya then hurled him away, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Yuhao, are you all right?"
Wang Dong was startled and hurried to help Huo Yuhao up.
"I'm fine..."
Huo Yuhao shook his head, but he had completely lost the ability to fight. The strike he had comprehended in that moment of danger had drained all his spiritual power and Soul Power.
"Whoa... Little Yuhao, what kind of ability was that? Even I took such a nasty hit."
Tang Ya's somewhat complaining voice came from beside them.
"That was a ray of mental attack Yuhao unleashed by fusing Purple Demon Eye with his Spirit Eyes. It combined spiritual power and Soul Power, so its might was extraordinary."
With a faint smile, Tang Chuan approached with his hands behind his back.
"Purple Demon Eye?"
Tang Ya was somewhat taken aback.
She had never expected Purple Demon Eye to be capable of unleashing such an attack. Should she say that Huo Yuhao was talented...
Or that Tang Chuan's abilities were terrifying!
"Very good. In that battle, both of you grasped entirely new directions for fighting with your Martial Souls. Xiaoya in particular..."
Tang Chuan's tone grew a little more serious.
"Blue Silver King's characteristics differ from those of ordinary Blue Silver Grass, so the direction of your future cultivation will also differ. You need to change your fighting style accordingly."
Hearing this, Tang Ya nodded with utmost seriousness.
"Mm, so..."
"Given the characteristics of your current Blue Silver King, when you need your fourth Soul Ring, I'll find you a plant Soul Beast called Ink Jade Divine Bamboo. It will suit you extremely well."
Before you continue