Sparring Again (IV)

Ning Rongrong's lips were pressed together until they turned white, her eyes fixed on the increasingly strained figure within the domain, her fingers unconsciously gripping Oscar's sleeve beside her.

Oscar winced as she gripped his hand tightly, but didn't cry out. He swallowed hard, his voice much lower than usual. "Xiao San... he's being held back by sheer force. Every step within the domain is burning his Soul Power; he can't hold on much longer."

Ma Hongjun shrank his neck, his previous arrogant demeanor completely gone.

He secretly glanced at Lin Chen's steady figure, then at Tang San's increasingly heavy breathing, his Adam's apple bobbing as he muttered under his breath, "What's the point of fighting like this..." Before he could finish, Ning Rongrong glared at him, and he quickly shut his mouth.

Tang San couldn't hear the discussions outside, but he could feel his Soul Power leaking away like sand through his fingers.

The Purple Demon Eye were fully extended, their purple light blazing like torches, yet they could still barely make out the twisted gray-black patterns within the domain.

But in this Chaos Prison Suppression, his proud spiritual power seemed to have hit a thick wall. The repulsive force was everywhere, and the harder he looked, the stronger the rebound.

Tang San gritted his teeth, circulating the internal energy of the Mysterious Heaven Skill within his body, forcibly dispelling the stagnation brought about by the domain. He felt like a beast trapped in a swamp, having to exert all his strength with every struggle, yet only achieving 30% of the desired effect.

We can't delay any longer.

Tang San narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Lin Chen's surroundings. He was trying to find some clues—what exactly was this person's trump card? How did he achieve such a level of domain control?

However, a layer of gray Power of Chaos flowed around Lin Chen, completely shielding him from all auras. Tang San couldn't see through him, just as he couldn't see through the colors of those four Soul Ring.

But he didn't give up. He's never been one to admit defeat.

"Ah--Open it for me!!"

Tang San roared suddenly, and the Mysterious Heaven Skill within his body burned to its limit in that instant. His internal energy surged through his meridians like boiling water, and his appearance was no longer gentle, but instead carried a frenzied energy, forcibly creating a gap in the heavy burden pressing down on him within the domain.

His Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track suddenly accelerated, with a series of rapid movements—stepping, stomping, shifting, and dodging—as he lunged toward the edge of the area at a frequency that almost exceeded human limits.

At the same time, the Blue Silver Grass underfoot grew wildly.

However, it was no longer used to Entanglement Lin Chen, but instead it wrapped itself up completely, with layers of grass leaves forming a thick cocoon wall, separating the oppressor from him.

The Blue Silver Grass is exceptionally resilient; even when bent and broken, it continues to grow, filling in the gaps and carving out a path through the space.

Then, with an almost tyrannical manner, he pierced through the boundaries of the domain.

Petals of Blue Silver Grass flew like rain as Tang San burst out from the edge of the domain.

"Whoosh--whoosh--"

He was panting heavily, his clothes soaked through, beads of sweat constantly sliding down his forehead, and even his fingertips were trembling slightly. He had exhausted most of his Soul Power, but he had finally managed to escape.

Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the sound of wind being cut suddenly came from directly in front of him!

Lin Chen gave Tang San no chance to catch his breath, and had already caught up with him like a shadow. There were no dazzling lights and shadows from his Soul Skill, no extravagant bursts of Soul Power, just the most basic close-quarters combat, his fists carrying a strong wind, heading straight for Tang San's face.

Tang San's pupils suddenly contracted.

Wow, so fast!

He instinctively turned his head to dodge, the force of the punch grazing his ear and stinging his cheek. Tang San Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to forcefully twist his body, his wrist flicking as he used Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon to grab Lin Chen's elbow. Lin Chen smoothly bent his arm and pulled back, his elbow sinking as he delivered a backhand Tongbei Fist towards Tang San's chest.

Bang!

Tang Sanxuan parried with his jade hand, but the blow made his arm go numb, and he staggered back several steps.

He looked up, his gaze filled with surprise and uncertainty as he looked at Lin Chen in front of him.

This guy was a master of close-quarters combat, his punches like hammers, his arms like iron whips, his strength terrifying. What was even more frightening was his uncanny ability to seize opportunities; every step seemed to be calculated precisely in the gap between the opponent's moves and their execution. The variations of the Tang Sect grappling techniques seemed to hold no secrets for him.

Tang San didn't believe in evil.

He gritted his teeth and unleashed the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track once more, his figure shifting left and right, seemingly real yet illusory. He feinted twice from three different angles before finally closing in on Lin Chen's side, his five fingers like hooks, directly gripping Lin Chen's Jianjing acupoint.

Lin Chen slightly lowered his shoulder to avoid the grab, and at the same time, his right hand shot out like lightning to seize Tang San's wrist.

The two engaged in battle once again.

Fists, palms, elbows, and wrists collide and intertwine. Close-quarters combat emphasizes close-range, deadly strikes, leaving no room for fancy moves.

Tang San's Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon was indeed exquisite and unpredictable, but Lin Chen, with his physical strength far exceeding that of his peers and his accurate predictions, managed to fight him to a standstill. Each collision produced a muffled thud, even shattering the bricks beneath their feet.

Tang San grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed.

His Tang Sect martial arts are a unique close-combat system in the world, and he has never met an opponent.

But this Lin Chen, despite being a Control System Soul Master, fought like a seasoned boxer who had practiced for over a decade. His punches and kicks were simple and unadorned, yet every single one struck the most vulnerable spot.

And he seems to know his own moves very well. Did this guy secretly watch me practice when I was a kid?

After exchanging more than ten blows, Tang San found a sliver of an opening and suddenly retreated three steps to create distance.

With a flick of his wrist, three fine, hair-like golden needles appeared between his fingers— Dragon Whisker Needle. These were specially crafted Hidden Weapon made of Plate Crystal gold, as thin as a hair, able to penetrate armor without leaving a trace, and specifically designed to break through protective Soul Power.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The three needles were fired simultaneously, almost invisible to the naked eye in the sunlight; only a faint flash of golden light was seen before they reached Lin Chen's face.

Lin Chen's gaze narrowed slightly, and a faint blue light shone brightly. He could clearly see the trajectory of the three needles. The Chaos Shield instantly expanded, blocking the three Dragon Whisker Needle outside the light barrier.

With three crisp clangs, three thin needles struck the shield, bounced off, and embedded themselves in the nearby bluestone slab, disappearing completely.

"Tang San, your tricks are indeed well-deserved."

Lin Chen gave a casual comment, but his tone carried a hint of seriousness after a long battle.

Tang San didn't reply, but suddenly swung both hands at the ground simultaneously.

"Rise!"

Blue Silver Grass sprouted wildly from the ground beneath their feet, forming several high walls of grass that completely blocked their vision. Fine pollen drifted among the grass blades, shimmering hazily in the sunlight, obstructing their vision and interfering with their Soul Power perception.

Lin Chen did not rush in.

At that moment, he suddenly sensed an extremely dangerous aura emanating from behind the curtain of Blue Silver Grass.

The feeling was like an extremely thin steel wire slowly tightening around his neck.

Ordinary Hidden Weapon don't pose this kind of danger. What is Tang San up to?