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Tang San moved like a specter, relying on Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and the Purple Demon Eye to barely fend off Feng Xiaotian's relentless assault with his Tang Sect hidden weapons.
Yet the ten-level gap in spirit power was an almost insurmountable chasm.
Feng Xiaotian had already unleashed his second and third spirit skills, moving faster than any Soul Ancestor-level agility-type Soul Master.
He also understood that the source of Tang San's confidence was his insidious hidden weapons.
To avoid being struck, Feng Xiaotian decided to maintain distance while attacking.
In the blink of an eye, his wings gave a slight beat.
His body shot skyward like an arrow released from a bow, moving as fast as lightning.
Hovering above, Feng Xiaotian circled like a fierce hawk, instantly locking onto Tang San below.
With a sudden sweep of his hand, several cyan wind blades surged forth, cutting through the air with whistling ferocity.
Where the wind blades passed, the air seemed to be sliced apart, producing piercing shrieks.
As the blades struck the arena floor, deep grooves were carved into the granite.
Tang San felt the shrieking wind at his ears and tensed, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
Each blade could easily end his life, forcing him to respond with extreme caution.
Yet his Purple Demon Eye lacked the foresight to predict every strike, and he could not dodge every wind blade in time.
Within moments, his clothes were tattered and riddled with cuts.
Blood-soaked strips of fabric flapped noisily in the howling currents of the wind blades.
Shhhk!
Another wind blade slashed across Tang San's back, drawing a line of blood and staggering him to the brink of collapse.
His face was pale, his breathing short and rapid. He looked like a cornered, beaten dog.
Then Feng Xiaotian's voice reached him from above.
"Tang San, is that all you've got?"
Tang San gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with malice as he muttered, "Feng Xiaotian, don't get cocky too soon!"
He used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to dodge the wind blades while seizing an opening to unleash a barrage of hidden weapons from his soul tool.
Feng Xiaotian, however, had anticipated this. He skillfully increased the distance, his cyan wings beating powerfully.
Instantly, a turbulent gust of wind engulfed the arena.
The hidden weapons, once deadly, were tossed aside like feathers and fell harmlessly to the ground.
"Is that your counterattack? Truly disappointing!" Feng Xiaotian said disdainfully from above, sending several cross-shaped wind blades slicing through the air.
Seeing his weapons neutralized so easily, Tang San's heart sank.
He knew the situation was grave; he could no longer afford to hold back.
"Damn it! I was saving this to catch the other contestants off guard… but since you're so eager to die, Feng Xiaotian, I'll grant your wish!"
He flipped through the air, narrowly dodging two intersecting wind blades, and drew two Zhuge Divine Crossbows from his soul tool.
The glow of his Purple Demon Eye fixed on Feng Xiaotian as he pulled the triggers.
Shu-shu-shu!
In an instant, over a hundred iron-tipped bolts tore through the air with a sharp whistle, their points gleaming coldly under the sun.
"Feng Xiaotian, die!" Tang San shrieked.
Feng Xiaotian attempted to repel them with wind currents, but the crossbows' power was too great. The bolts pierced the barrier and flew straight toward him.
His heart jolted, but his reflexes were sharp.
His cyan wings flared, propelling him higher and allowing him to narrowly evade the volley.
I can't be careless. Tang San is like a hedgehog; one slip and I could be the one who falls.
Startled by the Zhuge Divine Crossbows, Feng Xiaotian knew he couldn't let his guard down.
His eyes sharpened. Spinning rapidly in midair, he unleashed a fan of innumerable cyan wind blades that covered the entire arena.
"Your struggle is meaningless, Tang San!" his voice echoed through the gale.
Tang San's eyes widened in fury. He dared not block directly, scrambling desperately under the barrage like a mouse being toyed with by a cat, all dignity lost.
His clothes were shredded, and fresh bloody gashes opened on his back and arms, the blood dripping from his fingertips to the floor.
A vicious glint burned in his eyes as he stared at Feng Xiaotian, unrestrained killing intent surging within him. Damn Feng Xiaotian, how dare he humiliate me like this!
In the stands, spectators began to murmur, and those unaffiliated with the Upper Three Sects started to taunt him openly.
"A Soul Elder should know his place. Don't think you can keep winning just because of your connections!"
"What a joke… I don't know how he has the courage to stand on that stage."
As these words reached Tang San's ears, his face darkened.
The disciples of the Clear Sky, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clans all felt their faces burn with secondhand shame.
Some Clear Sky Clan disciples who already disliked Tang San shouted angrily, "Tang San, stop shaming the Clear Sky Clan! You and your father may be shameless, but we still have our pride!"
Tang San's blood boiled with murderous rage. All of you… deserve to die. Once I grow strong enough, I'll make every single one of you kneel before me!
He silently swore vengeance against the Clear Sky Clan for this future day.
But for now, his power was insufficient. He still needed their resources.
Though defiant, he dared not show his displeasure, instead channeling all his fury toward Feng Xiaotian. He would use an even stronger hidden weapon to win spectacularly and slap the faces of everyone watching.
"This weapon was meant for Oscar, but since you've become his fellow disciple, Feng Xiaotian, I'll just kill you as well!"
Tang San thought viciously, his hand resting on his soul tool.
With a flick of his wrist, a large and a small iron pellet appeared in his hands—the Mother-Child Soul-Chasing Life-Taking Pellet.
He let out a crazed roar, "Feng Xiaotian, die!"
The next moment, he hurled the pellets. They traced a strange arc through the air, closing in on Feng Xiaotian in an instant.
In the stands, Lan Minghua narrowed his eyes.
"Is that… the Mother-Child Soul-Chasing Life-Taking Pellet?"
It was the same weapon Tang San had once given Dugu Bo in the anime; Lan Minghua remembered it well.
Though deadly, he remained unconcerned. Feng Xiaotian was equipped with the Triple Treasure Pearl and the Black Battle Armor.
How could a mere hidden weapon stir up any trouble?
Feng Xiaotian, however, was unaware of this and sensed mortal danger.
He flapped his wings and surged upward, attempting to fly out of the attack's range.
Yet the pellets' speed was astonishing, catching up to him in the blink of an eye.
Then, in full view of the crowd, the large and small pellets collided with a bang.
Instantly, hundreds of Bone-Dissolving Divine Needles erupted from the explosion, raining down like a torrential storm.
Feng Xiaotian's expression changed. His fourth spirit ring glowed as he summoned a cyan windstorm, forming a barrier to block the needles.
Tang San sneered, "It's useless! Die!"
In an instant, the needles pierced the wind wall and shot straight for Feng Xiaotian's body.
At the last second, the Triple Treasure Pearl on his person glimmered, forming a transparent shield around him.
The needles clinked lightly against the barrier before being harmlessly swept away by the storm.
Feng Xiaotian, feeling no impact, was bewildered.
Was I scaring myself? It was just a bluff from Tang San?
Apart from Feng Xiaotian, the most shocked person was Tang San himself.
His eyes widened as he stammered, "How… how is this possible? My Mother-Child Soul-Chasing Life-Taking Pellet… was blocked?"
This time, Feng Xiaotian would not give him another chance.
With a powerful flap of his wings, he dove, unleashing his self-created spirit skill: the Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes.
"Tang San, it's over!"
Each consecutive strike grew exponentially in power.
Tang San, already far weaker in spirit power, had no way to defend against the relentless barrage.
Feng Xiaotian's thirty-sixth slash struck with terrifying force, the wind blade so massive it seemed ready to split the arena itself.
Trapped by the immense attack, Tang San had no way to evade. His face went deathly pale, his legs gave out, and he wet himself.
Seeing this, a referee from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan at the side of the stage suddenly intervened, activating his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to grant Tang San a burst of speed.
This allowed Tang San to narrowly avoid the fatal strike.
Feng Xiaotian glared furiously at the referee. "What is the meaning of this?"
The crowd erupted. "This is cheating! That's clear favoritism!"
Before the referee could respond, with a bang, he exploded into a mist of blood in front of everyone.
An unseen force drew everyone's attention to Lan Minghua.
His face was calm as he tapped a finger on his armrest. He said coldly, "The fight continues."
The entire venue fell silent. Even Gu Rong, Yu Yuanzhen, and Tang Xiao didn't dare to act rashly, only managing to send a desperate voice transmission to Tang San.
"Tang San, hurry and concede!" Gu Rong's urgent voice echoed in his mind.
Tang San gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with bitter resentment, but his life was at stake. He turned and scrambled toward the edge of the arena.
Feng Xiaotian's spirit power was also nearly depleted, but he managed one last swing of his wings, sending a final wind blade slashing across Tang San's back.
With a ripping sound, the skin on Tang San's back split open, his clothes instantly soaked with blood.
The impact sent him tumbling off the stage, losing the match.
Another referee quickly stepped forward and announced the result: "Feng Xiaotian is the winner!"
(End of Chapter)