With the experience of their earlier clash, Xiao Wu and the others understood just how terrifying Zhao Wuji's strength was, so they did not dare let their guard down.
For the most part, they harassed him to stall for the time it took an incense stick to burn.
Most importantly, they had also noticed the white frost covering Zhao Wuji's right arm, which showed that Xiao Yan's attack had worked.
Knowing that his strength was no match for Zhao Wuji's, Xiao Yan had learned to be smarter. Instead of going up to confront him head-on, he stood at a distance and sent pale ice crystals raining down on Zhao Wuji one after another.
If Zhao Wuji met them head-on, he would have to endure the alternating pain of Bone Spirit Cold Flame's freezing cold and searing heat.
But if he dodged, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing would harass him from the side, leaving Zhao Wuji thoroughly exasperated.
"You're truly as annoying as flies!"
After dodging another swipe of Zhu Zhuqing's sharp claws, a vicious glint flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes.
Being driven into such a sorry state by a bunch of little brats time and again had gradually stirred the Immovable Wisdom King's temper. Watching a pale ice crystal shoot straight at him, Zhao Wuji stopped dodging.
Instead, he reached straight out and grabbed at Zhu Zhuqing!
For the past few attacks, Zhao Wuji had mostly dodged. Now that he had suddenly changed his approach, Zhu Zhuqing had no time to react. Or rather, even if she had reacted, the gap in their strength was so great that she could not have changed anything.
"You're out first!"
Zhao Wuji gave a cold snort, seized Zhu Zhuqing by the arm, and hurled her away.
Surging Soul Power bore down on Zhu Zhuqing, flinging her straight out of the assessment grounds. She crashed to the ground and could no longer get up.
"Cough, cough..."
Zhu Zhuqing coughed. The intense pain inside her made her curl up slightly. Her gaze remained fixed on the few people left in the arena, a hint of regret in her eyes.
"Ding!"
The pale ice crystal struck Zhao Wuji's chest, and a palm-sized patch of white frost immediately spread across it, making him frown.
"And you!"
Zhao Wuji looked at Xiao Wu, who was kicking at him, raised his left hand in front of his head, and drove his right fist toward her.
"Charm!"
Xiao Wu tried to use the same trick again, but unfortunately, Zhao Wuji had been ready for it this time. He closed his eyes as he threw his punch.
"Hmph, the same trick won't work twice!"
Zhao Wuji spoke coldly, slamming his fist into Xiao Wu and knocking her out of the arena as well, leaving her unable to fight.
"Xiao Wu!"
Behind them, Tang San's expression changed drastically when he saw Xiao Wu sent flying. In his alarm for her, he neglected to protect Ning Rongrong.
Zhao Wuji keenly spotted that fleeting opportunity.
He raced toward Ning Rongrong in great strides. Xiao Yan and Tang San were nowhere near her, and the moment Xiao Yan saw what was happening, he knew things were bad and sent several pale ice crystals flying toward Zhao Wuji.
Faced with Xiao Yan's attack, Zhao Wuji chose to take it on his back. While Tang San was still distracted, he slammed straight into Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong watched the burly Zhao Wuji charge into her. Her mind went blank, and she could not think of any way to dodge. Her eyes filled with terror.
In the end, like a wisp of fluff in the wind, she was struck by Zhao Wuji and lost the strength to resist.
The situation changed suddenly. In a short span of time, Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong had all been eliminated by Zhao Wuji.
Only Xiao Yan and Tang San remained in the arena.
"Cough... Little San, I'm all right..."
Xiao Wu's weak voice came from a distance. She was still sitting weakly on the ground, her eyes full of remorse.
"Little San, deal with Teacher Zhao first."
The sudden change in the battle made Xiao Yan's expression turn grave, though he also seemed somewhat unrestrained.
With only the two of them left in the arena, it might seem that their fighting strength had been weakened, but on the other hand, had it not also freed up their fighting strength?
Tang San turned around and nodded gently. His gaze fell on Zhao Wuji as he spoke slowly:
"Teacher Zhao, forgive the offense!"
Xiao Yan knew better than anyone how vicious Tang San's hidden weapons were.
At this stage, even he probably could not withstand all of them, let alone the Dragon Whisker Needle Tang San had obtained a few days ago...
"Whoosh!"
As Tang San's words fell, the others were still wondering what he meant. He waved both hands, and several cold needles flew toward Zhao Wuji.
"Hm?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes. Using his powerful Soul Power perception, he turned sideways by the narrowest of margins. Several holes appeared in a wooden post some distance behind him.
Several silver needles glinting coldly had buried themselves deep in the post.
"This... what kind of technique is that?"
In the distance, Dai Mubai stared in astonishment. At this bizarre technique, he wondered whether he could have dodged it himself.
The answer was... doubtful.
And what followed showed everyone just how terrifying Tang San truly was.
His fingers brushed across the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges at his waist, and hidden weapons flashing with cold light shot from his hands as if they cost him nothing, all aimed at Zhao Wuji.
Under Tang San's bizarre technique, the hidden weapons flew in all directions, but in the end, they all had only one target: Zhao Wuji's body.
As for Xiao Yan, he had retreated straight to the very edge of the battlefield at the start, occasionally tossing out a few pale ice crystals to restrict Zhao Wuji's speed.
Other than that, he took no part in it at all.
Tang San's dazzling hidden weapon techniques made even Xiao Yan, at the edge of the battlefield, tremble inwardly.
He had spent six years with Tang San and Xiao Wu.
But he only knew that Tang San's study of hidden weapons was terrifyingly advanced. He had no idea just how far it went.
Today was also the first time he had seen Tang San use hidden weapons with all his strength.
The hidden weapons came from all kinds of tricky angles, and Xiao Yan could not help growing a little curious about Tang San's previous life.
What kind of world could have developed such terrifying hidden weapon techniques? And what circumstances had given Tang San such an obsessive desire to grow stronger?
Yes, obsessive.
During their six years together, Xiao Yan had tried to subtly change the way Tang San handled things.
Unfortunately, Tang San seemed to have his own logic for his actions. Many things seemed like instructions engraved in his mind; once he acted on them, he showed no mercy.
Just like when they had registered at Nuoding Academy. Xiao Yan remembered it clearly: over nothing more than a minor conflict, killing intent had arisen in Tang San's heart.
Over the past six years, as the bosses of Nuoding Academy, they had naturally had no one dare trouble them. Yet in their everyday interactions, Xiao Yan had still sensed the chill rising in Tang San's heart on several occasions.
Xiao Yan sighed, then thought better of it. No matter how Tang San treated his enemies, he was Xiao Yan's junior brother, and Xiao Yan only needed to take good care of him.
As for his obsessive personality, there would always be a chance to change it.
"Kid, are you part hedgehog or something?"
In the arena, Zhao Wuji faced Tang San's hidden weapons as they came one after another. The properties of Bone Spirit Cold Flame had also made his reactions much slower, leaving him somewhat irritated.
With an angry roar, he sent a wave of powerful Soul Power surging outward.