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Although Ye Wen didn't know the exact effects of this soul bone, he could guess that it was likely Tang San's countermeasure against Huo Yu'er's spiritual-type soul skills. After all, Tang San had suffered no small amount of frustration at Huo Yu'er's hands in the past.
However, since Ma Hongjun had obstructed both teams' lines of sight at the start of the match, Huo Yu'er hadn't had the chance to use her first soul skill, Illusion. Tang San's move here was indeed a preemptive strike.
Illusion was ultimately just a minor trick; Ye Wen never relied on it to secure victory. What concerned him now was that Tang San seemed fully prepared, and the real battle between them was about to begin.
Sure enough, after Ning Yuan finished activating his soul skill, Tang San dispelled the Hao Tian Shield, shrinking the Hao Tian Hammer True Body to nearly his own size and gripping it firmly in his hand. With a determined gaze, he stared at Ye Wen and his team.
At this moment, the battle was on the verge of erupting!
The impatient Xiao Wu took the initiative, unleashing a Mi Tu Shockwave to disrupt Tang San and create an opening for Ye Wen.
Ye Wen followed closely behind, condensing flames in his hand into a fiery spear, preparing to hurl it toward Tang San!
But just then, Jing Ling, who had recovered some soul power while hovering in mid-air, transformed her hands into skeletal constructs. Two sharp bone blades extended from her elbows, swiftly blocking Tang San's path and slicing through Xiao Wu's Mi Tu Shockwave.
Seeing her attack interrupted so abruptly, Xiao Wu grew flustered and immediately attempted to close the distance for melee combat.
However, at that very moment, Tai Long, flying in the air, descended like a meteor. Activating his soul skill, his muscles tensed and bulged, unleashing terrifying strength comparable to a Soul King. He smashed down toward Xiao Wu with overwhelming force.
Witnessing this, Ye Wen made no move to rescue Xiao Wu. Instead, he directly hurled the fiery spear in his hand toward Tang San.
It was well known that although Xiao Wu classified herself as a power-type soul master, her later skills were increasingly evasive and resilient.
Her third spirit ring lit up, and with a flicker of instantaneous movement, she dodged Tai Long's attack.
However, her evasion wasn't effortless. No sooner had she completed her teleportation than Jing Ling, moving at the speed of a Phoenix-Tail Crested Serpent, rushed to Xiao Wu's new position. Swinging her blade-like arms, she forced Xiao Wu to activate her fourth soul skill, Invincible Golden Body.
Meanwhile, Shrek Academy's remaining fighter, Dai Mubai, engaged Dugu Yan in fierce combat.
The might of Dai Mubai's martial soul was undeniable. With specialized close-combat training from both Yu Xiaogang and Tang San, he was undoubtedly one of the top power-type soul masters.
Dugu Yan, originally a control-type soul master, did not rely on brute force due to her Jade Phosphorous Serpent martial soul. Though her fourth spirit ring came from a dragon-blooded spirit beast, it didn't elevate her to elite status overnight. However, under the enhancement of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, her physical strength was impressive, allowing her to hold her ground against Dai Mubai.
Dugu Yan hadn't entirely abandoned using poison, but her first three soul skills were all poison-based attacks. While they could harm Dai Mubai, their effectiveness was limited, and there was a risk of collateral damage to her allies. Thus, Dugu Yan chose not to use poison in this match.
As Ye Wen's fiery spear approached Tang San, Tang San suddenly twisted his waist, gritted his teeth, and strained every muscle in his body, appearing to exert his full strength.
Chen Xin, a knowledgeable spectator in the audience, remarked, "It's been a long time since I've seen this inherited soul skill of the Hao Tian Sect. I never expected someone as young as Tang San to have already mastered it."
At this moment, Tang San let out a thunderous roar, swinging the True Body of the Hao Tian Hammer. It collided head-on with Ye Wen's fiery spear.
Inherited Soul Skill of the Hao Tian Sect – Sky Piercing Strike!
The sheer force of the blow, combined with the True Body-level Hao Tian Hammer, rendered Ye Wen's condensed flame spear ineffective. The disparity in their soul power levels was simply too great for Ye Wen to inflict meaningful damage.
Though Ye Wen hadn't expected this initial probe to succeed, his expression darkened considerably.
Through Huo Yu'er's Spiritual Detection Sharing, Ye Wen realized that Tang San's strike had utilized clever force redirection. The hammer wasn't aimed at him but rather at Ye Lingling and Bai Ling'er, who were tending to the injured at the rear.
"Tang San, you bastard!" Ye Wen roared furiously, pushing off forcefully with his feet. His third spirit ring flared brightly, and jagged stone pillars erupted from the arena floor, forming a protective barrier in front of Ye Lingling and Bai Ling'er.
Despite Ye Wen's all-out defensive effort, Ye Lingling, to avoid interfering with the others, had moved Bai Ling'er to the farthest edge of the arena from the center during treatment.
Though Ye Wen managed to block most of the attack, the residual force sent fragments of rock crashing onto Ye Lingling and Bai Ling'er. Both were knocked off the stage, disqualifying them from the match.
Witnessing this, the audience erupted in astonishment. Since the start of the Soul Master Tournament, it was the first time Ye Wen's Tian Dou Team had suffered casualties.
Although Tang San's team had also lost Ma Hongjun, the expectations for both sides had been vastly different.
Now, Ye Wen's side had incurred more losses than Shrek Academy, fueling the audience's growing anticipation for Shrek. It seemed the outcome of what was once a foregone conclusion had become uncertain.
What happened next left the spectators even more baffled. After eliminating Ye Lingling and Bai Ling'er, Tang San immediately dismissed the True Body of the Hao Tian Hammer!
A cold smirk played on Tang San's lips.
After analyzing the situation late into the night, Tang San was acutely aware of how powerful Ye Wen's team was. Although eliminating Ye Lingling and Bai Ling'er seemed impressive, their roles in Ye Wen's lineup were relatively minor. Their absence would have some impact on the overall battle dynamics, but not significantly.
If he continued to wield the True Body of the Hao Tian Hammer, the toll on his soul power and mental energy would be immense.
Tang San didn't believe that relying on such a cumbersome fighting style would allow him to defeat Ye Wen.
Moreover, if he ran out of soul power or mental energy and was forced to dismiss the Hao Tian Hammer, he would suffer backlash from his martial soul, leaving him temporarily incapacitated—a scenario Tang San wanted to avoid at all costs.
Rather than clinging to exaggerated strength unsuited to his current state, it was better to leverage a brief burst of power to gain an advantage before switching tactics.
And from the very beginning, Tang San's ultimate plan to defeat Ye Wen had always revolved around hidden weapons!
Feeling his soul power, though diminished, still abundant enough for his needs, Tang San let out a sinister smile. Four spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple—reappeared around him.
Tang San began using Blue Silver Grass again! Let him prove that there are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters!
Since Tang San had already revealed his dual martial souls in earlier battles, the audience wasn't surprised. Instead, they wondered what Tang San would do next?
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