Combination Skills

Wang Xingyu turned to meet Tang San's eyes. Tang San looked at him too, and they nodded.

Zhao Wuji gave them no time to catch their breath. He stamped his right foot and charged again. He didn't pounce on any one person, but came crashing straight down at the center of their formation.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass spread across the ground, and three vines lashed out to entangle Zhao Wuji from different angles.

Zhao Wuji struck with his palms in rapid succession. "Second Soul Skill, Great Strength Vajra Palm!" Every strike glowed with earthy-yellow Soul Power. The vines shattered into several pieces the moment his palms hit them, sending fragments flying.

But this time, new shoots immediately sprouted from the broken ends. One vine was struck apart, and two grew from the break. Two were struck apart, and four grew back.

Zhao Wuji struck several more times, but instead of dwindling, the vines multiplied with every blow. They grew to sixteen, and Blue Silver Grass filled the sky and covered the earth, surging at him from all sides and wrapping around his arms, legs, and waist.

Zhao Wuji strained against them with both arms. He had just snapped one batch when new vines split from the broken ends and wrapped around him again, even more densely than before.

"Second Soul Skill, Offshoot," Tang San said quietly.

The purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring lit up beneath his feet. The vines split faster all of a sudden, and every vine struck apart sprouted new branches in the blink of an eye: one became two, two became four, and four became eight.

The sixteen main vines were like a nest of snakes come to life, constantly splitting and spreading until the ground around Zhao Wuji was carpeted in an ocean of Blue Silver Grass.

The clearing fell silent for a moment.

Dai Mubai's pupils contracted slightly. He had already known that Tang San's Second Soul Ring was a thousand-year ring, but seeing the power of a thousand-year Soul Skill with his own eyes still made his heart clench.

Sixteen main vines, each capable of splitting on its own. Such an ability to cover an area was almost unheard of among Control System Soul Masters of the same level.

Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong also looked at Tang San in surprise. Another thousand-year Second Soul Skill, just like Xiao Wu's.

Zhao Wuji glanced down at the vines covering his body and frowned, sensing something was wrong. A thousand-year Soul Skill was powerful, but its vitality couldn't possibly be this strong.

He looked at Wang Xingyu.

Wang Xingyu stood outside the battle, his Blue Silver Grass spread out alongside Tang San's vines. His Second Soul Ring was lit as well, also a purple thousand-year ring. Silvery-white patterns glowed faintly along the edges of the leaves.

"Second Soul Skill, Flying Fluff."

Dandelion seeds drifted from the tips of the Blue Silver Grass. Each bore extremely fine silvery-white fluff and spiraled through the air before attaching itself to every one of Tang San's vines.

A silvery-white light spread along the network of vines like a layer of frost, continually absorbing the surrounding heaven and earth Soul Power, transforming it into gentle energy, and supplying it to the vines in an unending stream.

Zhao Wuji's expression finally changed. Another thousand-year second ring. No wonder the Blue Silver Grass had such powerful vitality. The boy waving the fan stood outside the battle, Blue Silver Grass spread across the ground, and the silvery-white thousand-year patterns along the edges of its leaves glimmered faintly in the sunlight.

Zhu Zhuqing's gaze lingered on Wang Xingyu's purple Soul Ring for a moment, then she looked at Tang San and Xiao Wu, the corners of her mouth tightening slightly.

Irritated by the vines tangling him up, Zhao Wuji struck repeatedly with his palms, sending broken pieces flying. But before they hit the ground, new growth had already wrapped around him. Offshoot provided the numbers, while Flying Fluff kept them going.

For every vine broken, two grew back. As long as Flying Fluff's seeds remained, the regrowth wouldn't stop. When he stepped forward, more than a dozen tangled around his feet. When he stepped back, several more surged up behind him. It was like stepping into a living swamp, its vines impossible to pull away completely.

"Fifth Soul Skill, Gravity Squeeze!"

The pressure all around increased sharply, and several vines on the outer layer snapped at once. Even with Flying Fluff's support, those on the inside couldn't hold out either. They were crushed flat and broken, though they continued to grow rapidly afterward.

Zhao Wuji looked down at the vines that were still growing despite being crushed flat, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

He took a deep breath. His chest swelled like a bellows, and earthy-yellow Soul Power gathered deep in his throat. Its glow shone through his skin, lighting up his entire face. Of his seven Soul Rings, the sixth, a black ring, suddenly blazed.

Wang Xingyu's pupils contracted. The sixth Soul Skill. In the original story, Zhao Wuji had only used up to his fifth Soul Skill during this test.

"Sixth Soul Skill, Great Strength Vajra Roar!"

An enormous roar exploded forth. Sound waves rolled outward from Zhao Wuji in every direction, stripping a layer of turf from the ground and sweeping gravel and dust into the air.

The dozens of Blue Silver Grass vines wrapped around him were shredded like scraps of paper, their fragments swept away by the sound waves and sent spinning through the air.

The force drove Tang San back two steps, and he had to brace one hand against the ground to steady himself. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were flung off their feet. Ning Rongrong's face went pale, and the light of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda flickered before steadying again.

Wang Xingyu's eardrums ached from the blast too, but he didn't retreat. His Blue Silver Grass wove a net in front of him, blocking the gravel hurtling toward him.

Zhao Wuji stood in the center of the clearing, every vine within ten paces of him wiped away. Shallow furrows plowed by the sound waves marked the ground. He let out a stale breath, and the earthy-yellow light on his chest slowly dimmed.

Wang Xingyu cursed inwardly. Zhao Wuji hadn't used his sixth Soul Skill in the original story. He had hoped not to use hidden weapons, though this had also served to verify the results.

He turned to Tang San. "Little San, use your hidden weapons!"

Wang Xingyu's Blue Silver Grass spread out again, not toward Zhao Wuji, but toward everyone present. One vine wrapped around Tang San's wrist, one around Xiao Wu, one around Zhu Zhuqing, one around Ning Rongrong, and another settled gently on Dai Mubai's arm.

"Everyone, don't resist," Wang Xingyu said.

Ning Rongrong didn't move. A strand of light separated from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and flowed over along the Blue Silver Grass. Zhu Zhuqing glanced at him and sent her Soul Power over at the same time.

Dai Mubai wondered why he had one too, but he didn't resist either.

Tang San and Xiao Wu's Soul Power surged over without the slightest reservation. The Triangle Cycle took shape in an instant, and the five people's Soul Power gathered into a ring centered on Wang Xingyu.

Wang Xingyu channeled all the gathered Soul Power into Tang San. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass spread out again-not sixteen vines, but forty-three.

A very faint layer of silvery-white light appeared on the vines, Flying Fluff's seeds densely covering them like a coating of frost.

Zhao Wuji watched the sea of vines surge toward him again. The corner of his mouth twitched, and his black Soul Ring lit up once more.

Tang San nodded.

He swept his left hand over the storage pouch at his waist, and several cold stars slipped between his fingers-Bone-Piercing Nails, willow-leaf blades, and flying needles. The three kinds of hidden weapons shot toward Zhao Wuji in a triangular formation.

Zhao Wuji neither dodged nor evaded. His first Soul Skill, Immovable Bright King Body, activated, and earthy-yellow Soul Power condensed into an almost solid film of light over his skin.

The hidden weapons struck the film with several sharp clicks, like nails hitting rock. They all bounced away without leaving so much as a mark.

Tang San didn't pause. His footwork changed, and he vanished from where he stood like a wisp of smoke. Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. Zhao Wuji tracked him with his eyes and swept his right palm across, but only an afterimage remained in its wake.

Tang San's real body had already circled behind him, coming in extremely close-right at the center of Zhao Wuji's back, the area where Immovable Bright King Body's coverage was weakest.

Zhao Wuji swept his right arm backward, and Tang San ducked beneath it. Just as Zhao Wuji's arm swept past, his shoulder blade briefly lost its Soul Power reinforcement, and Tang San flicked his fingertips. Several golden glints disappeared into the back of Zhao Wuji's shoulder. Dragon Whisker Needles.

Zhao Wuji's movements stiffened for an instant. The Dragon Whisker Needles curled up as soon as they entered his body. The natural resilience of the Hair Gold made them twist, contract, and burrow deeper into his muscle.

It wasn't the pain of a puncture wound, but the pain of something alive wriggling deep in his muscle. He gave a muffled grunt and dropped to one knee, his right hand clutching the back of his shoulder as fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

Then he raised his head.

Zhao Wuji's eyes looked as if two flames were burning in them. All seven Soul Rings lit up at once, and the fifth, a black ring, blazed brilliantly.

He curled his right hand into a claw and made a grasping motion toward Tang San from a distance. His fifth Soul Skill, Gravity Squeeze, gathered into a vortex in his palm. An irresistible force of suction yanked Tang San toward Zhao Wuji. Even two backward steps couldn't hold him in place, and his body was forcibly dragged over.

Zhao Wuji clenched his right fist, earthy-yellow Soul Power gathering around it in the thick phantom image of a bear's paw. Tang San was pulled in front of him, and his fist was already raised.

Tang San didn't struggle. He turned his right hand over, and a tiny iron hammer appeared in his palm. Its head was dark and dull, and it hadn't fully taken shape, but the Soul Power fluctuations spilling from it were already so heavy they seemed almost solid.

The Clear Sky Hammer.

"It's over."

Wang Xingyu's voice came from outside the battle. He and Xiao Wu were at the edge of the clearing. His fan snapped open, its tip pointing at the incense stick on the ground.

The red glow at its tip had gone out. The last length of ash had fallen into the dirt, still giving off an extremely faint wisp of bluish smoke.

Xiao Wu called out happily, "The incense has burned out! We won!"

It was just that everyone's attention had been drawn to the fight between Tang San and Zhao Wuji, and no one had noticed Wang Xingyu secretly fanning the incense or Xiao Wu secretly blowing on it.

Zhao Wuji's fist stopped in midair. He looked at the burned-out incense, then down at the needle-sized holes in the back of his shoulder, and remained silent for two breaths.

The phantom image of the Clear Sky Hammer dissipated in Tang San's palm. Zhao Wuji lowered his fist.

"Passed."

He turned and walked toward the edge of the clearing, but stopped after two steps because the Dragon Whisker Needles were still burrowing deeper into his shoulder. He turned his head and glanced at Tang San.

Wang Xingyu closed his fan. "Little San, take the needles out."

Tang San stepped forward and pressed his right hand against the back of Zhao Wuji's shoulder. He activated Mysterious Jade Hand, and his fingertips turned slightly white. The Dragon Whisker Needles had curled up deep in the muscle, catching on the fascia like barbed hooks.

Using Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, he guided the needle tips back along the path they had entered, little by little. Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth, sweat running from his forehead down his cheeks, but he didn't make a sound from beginning to end. After a few breaths, several golden glints emerged from the needle holes and returned to Tang San's palm.

Zhao Wuji rolled his shoulder, and the pain faded. He looked back at Tang San, then at Wang Xingyu, but said nothing and strode away.

Dai Mubai leaned against a tree trunk, his mouth slightly open.

Zhu Zhuqing wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her gaze resting on the three of them for a moment. Ning Rongrong held the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, her face still pale but her eyes bright. Xiao Wu climbed to her feet, brushed the dirt off her backside, and walked over to Tang San.

"We passed, Third Brother."

Xiao Wu tossed her scorpion braid back, the corners of her mouth lifting.