Chapter -15 Tang San all out efforts.

Chapter 15:

In the open field, Ye Chen and Tang San stood across from each other, taking their time to size each other up instead of rushing into an attack.

After a moment, Tang San broke the silence, saying, "I saw your match with Teacher Zhao earlier. If it comes down to it, I can show you what I'm capable of too."

"There's really no need for that, Tang San," Ye Chen replied with a friendly grin. "Honestly, whether you realize it or not, I don't think you'll be able to keep up with me."

Tang San frowned slightly at Ye Chen's words. He knew Ye Chen was strong, but did that mean he was weak?

Without saying much more, and perhaps wanting to prove himself, Tang San unleashed his first martial soul.

The poisonous Blue Silver Grass sprang to life behind him, twisting and turning into a thick mass of vines that lunged toward Ye Chen. Any stone caught in its grasp was held tight, demonstrating its control.

The Blue Silver Grass moved quickly, but Ye Chen was even faster. With a few light steps, he easily dodged the attack.

Just as he paused mid-air from his jump, Tang San quickly activated his second martial soul ability: Parasitism.

With a swift motion, ghostly vines shot up from beneath Ye Chen's feet, wrapping around him tightly and leaving no room for escape.

"Once you're caught in my ghostly vines, it's nearly impossible to break free. Plus, they're laced with paralyzing poison. Even if you manage to escape, you'll still be left weak and poisoned."

As Tang San watched the dense ghostly vines, he thought to himself, 'Ye Chen can't be this weak. But if he stays trapped, even Teacher Zhao Wujin would be in trouble. So why is he so quiet?'

Suddenly, a sharp sound of metal clashing rang out from behind, sending a wave of alarm through Tang San. He quickly activated the Purple Extreme Demon Eye and darted to the side using the Ghost Shadow Misty Steps.

However, as he took his first leap, Ye Chen was right on his tail. By the time Tang San took his second step, Ye Chen's Demon Abyss was already poised at his neck.

"Xuan Yu Hand!"

With a silent shout in his heart, Tang San's hands became as solid as Xuan Yu, reaching out to intercept Ye Chen's long sword.

Seeing this, Ye Chen couldn't help but warn him, "Be careful! You might not be able to block it."

The sharpness of the Seven Star Demon Abyss Sword was such that even Zhao Wujie, a Soul Sage, would struggle against it.

"Clang!"

Ignoring Ye Chen's warning, Tang San chose to use the Xuan Yu Hand to block the Demon Abyss. While he managed to stop it, his hands, which were as tough as Xuan Yu, cracked open with a deep wound.

After a few leaps to create some distance, Tang San's expression turned serious. Ye Chen's second soul skill was incredibly agile; his Ghost Shadow Misty Steps felt utterly ineffective against it.

With his second martial soul, the Haotian Hammer, limited in combat power due to the lack of soul rings, Tang San realized he had to rely on his greatest asset—his hidden weapons—to turn the tide against Ye Chen.

"Are these two guys for real? How can they be so strong?"

Dai Mubai, watching the battle unfold, was taken aback by Tang San's performance. He had thought that even if he couldn't beat Ye Chen, he could easily take on most others in the academy. But now, it seemed he might not even be a match for Tang San.

It was clear that Xiao San hadn't even shown his full strength yet, and Dai Mubai felt he was about on par with him, while Ye Chen remained a mystery, having yet to make a move.

"How big is the gap between them and me?"

A sense of helplessness washed over him, but he quickly pushed it aside, determined to improve.

Sitting cross-legged to the side, Dai Mubai realized he had wasted too much time over the years, leading to his current weakness.

The dean was right; if he didn't want to fall behind, he had to get stronger.

Not wanting to watch Ye Chen and the others fight any longer, Dai Mubai focused on meditating and practicing, completely absorbed in his thoughts.

Seeing this, Flander, who was secretly observing him, felt a sense of pride and said, "This kid has potential. Mubai, you need to work twice as hard; I'm counting on you to make my 100,000 gold soul coins worth it."

With that, Flander waved his hand to create a soul power barrier around Dai Mubai, shielding him from the sounds of battle.

In the open space, Tang San decided it was time to unleash his hidden weapons. His hands moved like shadows, and a flurry of hidden weapons and needles shot toward Ye Chen like a rainstorm, blocking all his escape routes.

Seeing this, Ye Chen chuckled lightly, "Now that's more like you, Tang San! If you didn't use hidden weapons, this match would be a bit dull."

As the overwhelming number of hidden weapons approached, Ye Chen knew that even with spatial jumps, he wouldn't be able to escape their reach. But that's what made it exciting, right?

Without using any soul skills, Ye Chen stood his ground, one person with one sword, creating an aura as if he had melded with the world around him.

Then, as the hidden weapons came within a foot of him, the sword in his hand began to dance rapidly. After deflecting several needle-like hidden weapons, the speed of the Demon Abyss's swings increased, creating mesmerizing afterimages.

Gradually, a dense wall of swords formed around Ye Chen, blocking countless hidden weapons that fell at his feet, quickly piling up into a small dune of hidden weapons, drawing many curious gazes.

"So this is how you can use weapons," Zhu Zhuqing thought, glancing at her cat claws. She waved them in the air a few times, trying to mimic Ye Chen's sword movements, but with her own twist.

Suddenly, it clicked for her. She immediately sat cross-legged and began to meditate.

After a while, when Zhu Zhuqing opened her beautiful eyes, excitement sparkled within them. She had actually developed a suitable defensive technique from Ye Chen's sword moves. Although it wasn't a soul skill, it gave her powerful defensive capabilities, perfectly complementing her martial soul's offensive nature.

Noticing Zhu Zhuqing's transformation, Ning Rongrong couldn't help but pout, "hmph, Ye Chen's swordsmanship has really improved! Even Zhuqing has learned a lot just by watching. I'm so envious; this guy has been slacking off around Sword Grandpa."

Having grown up together, no one understood Ye Chen better than her. But the more she understood, the more elusive he became, leaving Ning Rongrong wanting to possess everything about him. She longed to truly connect with him, believing that only then would he have no secrets from her.

"Come on, brother! I believe you'll definitely win!" 

Xiao Wu looked at Tang San, whose palm was dripping with blood, feeling a pang of sympathy, but she still cheered him on.

"Will I win?" 

Tang San let out a bitter smile. All the hidden weapons he had used during the Moonlight Night at the Twenty-Four Bridges were gone. He had even secretly shot out the last few Dragon Beard Needles in his hand, yet they sank like stones in the sea, making no impact.

He hadn't expected Ye Chen's swordsmanship to be so extraordinary, effortlessly blocking all his hidden weapons as if he were born to counter the Tang Sect, showing no weaknesses at all.

It seemed that only if his soul power surpassed Ye Chen's would he have a chance to defeat him.

"You've been attacking for a while; why not give my self-created sword technique a try?" Ye Chen said with a friendly smile. "Sword Control!"

Suddenly, the Demon Abyss slipped from his grip and shot toward Tang San at lightning speed, which Ye Chen further enhanced with spatial jumps.

In an instant, the Demon Abyss was right in front of Tang San, followed by a series of elegant sword moves surrounding him. With Ye Chen's second martial soul ability in play, Tang San found himself in a rather awkward position in just a few seconds.

"Let's wrap this up." 

Ye Chen smiled, and with a graceful flick of his finger, the Demon Abyss was eerily positioned against Tang San's neck, leaving him with no way to resist.

Flander, watching the battle, sighed at the scene: "This kid is really something. While Tang San has his unique tricks, they might work against others. Even Old Zhao would struggle against him, but facing Ye Chen? It's just not enough."

Shaking his head, Flander left Shrek Academy alone. Ye Chen had surprised him too many times; he needed to find a powerful ally to ensure he would win those 100,000 gold soul coins.

Note : Guys, some power stones will be really helpful.

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