Cold light flashed in Tang San's eyes. He twisted his body and flung out more than ten hidden weapons. While moving constantly, cold gleams shot from his hands one after another, each aimed at Wu Ling's vital points.
All kinds of hidden weapons bloomed in Tang San's hands. Some flew straight, some flew diagonally, and some curved around behind Wu Ling. Yet their final target was always the same: Wu Ling's body.
Tang San released so many hidden weapons at once that he believed this time was secure. A confident smile had just begun forming when a black shadow swept past him. Then Wu Ling's disdainful judgment sounded beside him. "Flashy tricks. Not worth a single blow."
Tang San did not understand how Wu Ling suddenly accelerated so violently, to the point that even his Purple Demon Eyes could not capture the movement. But he naturally struggled. Blue Silver Grass spread out at once, trying to obstruct Wu Ling's movements.
It was completely useless. The Magecraft array still shone in the center of Wu Ling's palm. After all, against plants, fire worked best.
Wu Ling reached out and easily grabbed the Blue Silver Grass Tang San had shot out. Scorching flame ignited it at once and swept along the Blue Silver vines toward Tang San. Tang San looked battered and panicked. He hurriedly severed the vines.
Seeing that his Martial Soul had failed several times, Tang San withdrew his Blue Silver Grass directly. He rapidly circulated Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to create distance while continuously throwing hidden weapons to obstruct his opponent.
Tang San's hidden weapons came in many strange varieties, but against Wu Ling's body and the flames surrounding him, they could not even approach enough to wound him.
Suddenly, a black shadow shot toward Tang San's position. Tang San tried to dodge with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, but no matter how he shifted, Wu Ling adjusted his direction with even greater agility. The distance between them shrank rapidly.
"What Spirit Skill is this?" Tang San stared at Wu Ling rushing after him, stunned. As the owner of the Mysterious Heaven Record, he considered himself unmatched in technique.
For a long time, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track had been almost unstoppable. He had only suffered a setback against Barrett Knox.
But when Barrett Knox broke through Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track that time, he had used two Spirit Ring skills. In Tang San's view, unless his movement technique was specifically countered by a special Spirit Skill, no one could possibly break through it by technique alone.
Yet Wu Ling did not seem to be using any special Spirit Skill at all. He simply charged straight toward him and still locked accurately onto his position. What was going on?
Tang San could not understand it. Wu Ling would never explain it for him. No matter how strong a movement technique like Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track was, could it surpass Wu Ling's physique? Besides, Wu Ling had learned Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track from the Soul Land 2 detour. He simply disdained using it. Using this kind of flashy technique before Wu Ling was practically delivering himself on a platter.
As Wu Ling drew closer and closer, Tang San began thinking of a countermeasure. But as he thought, despair gradually welled up inside him.
His plant-type Martial Soul was restrained too heavily by Wu Ling's flames. His first and second Spirit Skills, Flying Blade and Bind, were made from Blue Silver Grass that was not tough enough. Before they could approach Wu Ling, they burned to ash. That was equivalent to losing two Spirit Skills outright.
His hidden weapons were not much use either. Even if they bypassed the wall of flame, their sharp blades struck Wu Ling's body without breaking skin. Suddenly, Tang San thought of something.
When Wu Ling was less than two steps away from him, Tang San abruptly raised his right hand. "Mysterious Heaven Record hidden weapon ranking, eighth place: Dragon Beard Needle!"
Just a few days earlier, he had used this to break Barrett Knox's defense. The person in front of him was so young. Surely his defense could not be stronger than Barrett Knox's, right? Yet the smile on Tang San's face had only just appeared before it froze again.
Facing that golden Dragon Beard Needle, Wu Ling seemed to be facing a child's toy. He easily pinched it between his fingers before it could stab into him.
The reason Barrett Knox had suffered so miserably last time was partly because he had underestimated Tang San. It was also because he was not fast enough, was used to directly defending, lacked experience with that kind of item, and had held back because Tang San and the others were students. Multiple reasons combined to let Tang San break through his defense. None of those problems appeared on Wu Ling.
"This... how is this possible?" Tang San shouted. Then he saw Wu Ling aim the Dragon Beard Needle at him.
A streak of golden light flashed. Tang San realized that half his vision had vanished. He was blind. His left eye had gone blind.
"My eye!" By the time Tang San understood it, blood-tears were already flowing from his eye. Bone-drilling pain followed.
"Relax. I controlled the force and direction. It will not enter your brain. At most, it will drill around inside the bone." As Wu Ling spoke, he walked toward Tang San at an unhurried pace.
Tang San had lived two lives, after all. He still had that much mental fortitude. He quickly adjusted his state. When Wu Ling approached, his ten fingers bent at the same time, and six faint golden lights appeared. But before he could attack, Wu Ling swept his hand. Both of Tang San's wrists twisted three hundred sixty degrees and fractured. The six Dragon Beard Needles fell to the ground.
"Agh!" After losing one eye, Tang San's hands were crippled as well.
Wu Ling stepped forward, grabbed Tang San by the hair, and lifted him up with one pull. "I am not looking down on technique. When I was weak, I also used technique to beat stronger enemies. But you? Your techniques are flashy, and your body is pathetically weak. Too low. Whether it is technique or body, the purity is too low."
Tang San listened in silence. He still had a crossbow on his back. At such close range, it could work.
Slap!
Wu Ling noticed that Tang San was still preparing some little trick. Growing impatient, he slapped him directly. With a crisp sound, Tang San spun through the air, and his right cheek swelled visibly red.
"Bastard!" Tang San covered his face as he landed. Anger flooded him again. Two lives, and after all these years, the last time he had been slapped was in his previous life. The person before him had to die.
Wu Ling stood in place, paying no attention to Tang San's inner thoughts. When Wu Ling casually drew a handgun, Tang San's surging anger immediately cooled by half.
Tang San had just seen the power of that little thing. It was similar to the Tang Sect's Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus. It should use special ammunition together with a mechanism. Its power was astonishing. Once it struck a vital point, that was basically the end.
Wu Ling's cultivation was higher than his. He could see through his movement technique. He also held this special weapon. What could Tang San do? He could only stand still and not dare move carelessly, hoping the other party would not dare kill him in public.
Seeing Tang San's angry expression, and seeing how he dared not show it fully, Wu Ling's lips curled into a pleased smile. He raised the gun and pulled the trigger. Bangs rang out in succession.
"Ugh!" Blood stained the ground. Tang San let out a low groan of pain. Three clear bullet holes had appeared in his right knee, and blood flowed from them without stopping.
Wu Ling casually put away the handgun and said, "You spend every day playing dirty tricks and little schemes. You do not dare face an enemy head-on at all. No wonder Tang Hao never taught you the Clear Sky Sect's true secret techniques, and no wonder he let you take that fraud Ethan Drake as your teacher."
Hearing Wu Ling insult his respected teacher, Tang San endured the pain and hurriedly spoke. "What are you talking about? What does this have to do with my father? And do not insult my teacher. His research on Martial Souls is beyond what you can imagine."
"Research? Hahaha. Looks like you still do not know the true name of your second Martial Soul. Right. Ethan Drake does not dare tell you, and he has no ability to choose Spirit Rings for your second Martial Soul. That is why he wasted your first Martial Soul into this state. Such a good Martial Soul. What a pity."
Because Ah Yin and the Blue Silver King were dead, and because Tang San had chosen snake-type Spirit Rings for both of his first two rings, Wu Ling was no longer afraid that Tang San could awaken the Blue Silver Emperor after his origin could no longer be repaired. He directly mocked Tang San. But Tang San's attention was not on that. It was on the second Martial Soul. When he heard Wu Ling mention it, his face filled with shock.
"No need to be that surprised. If a waste like Ethan Drake could guess you had a second Martial Soul, why could no one else? Do not forget, Spirit Hall awakened your Martial Soul."
"You are from Spirit Hall." Tang San was not stupid. After hearing this, he immediately understood.
By then, Alban, who was lying on the ground, finally gritted his teeth and spoke. "Tang San... he is the Saint of Spirit Hall... run!"