Chapter 100.
"In this match, you all should have no grievances. Wang Feng deserves to win." the Grandmaster declared as he approached, his voice resonating deeply.
"As he once told Zhu Zhuqing, a seemingly trivial thing or tool, in the hands of different individuals, can be used very differently."
"In this battle, the stones littering the ground, your comrade Zhu Zhuqing and Tang San's Blue Silver Grass—all were exploited by Wang Feng to their fullest. And the most ingenious aspect was his exploitation of your arrogance and pride!"
The revelation left everyone momentarily stunned, a hint of puzzlement in their expressions.
The Grandmaster elucidated slowly, "Even with two toxins affecting him, if the three of you had opted not to engage but instead evaded, there might have been a chance for victory. However, here's the brilliance of it all. As you saw Wang Feng succumbing slowly to the poison and his physical abilities diminishing, you believed it would be impossible for him to defeat all three of you within a minute. So, you attacked, resisted with all your might and even had Xiao Wu join the fray!"
"He manipulated your thoughts to make you collectively face him, ensuring the simultaneous defeat of all three. Consider this, if he had only confronted Dai Mubai and once Dai Mubai was on the ground, you discovered Wang Feng using the toxins on the Blue Silver Grass and the Cobweb vines, would you have still approached him? You wouldn't have. Instead, you would have relied on the mushroom sausages to evade, prolonging the confrontation as much as possible."
"But even Tang San wouldn't opt for this! Wang Feng understands that you are all formidable, with a certain level of arrogance. Despite numerous constraints, he didn't count on you avoiding him. With two types of toxins in his body, choosing to confront him head-on was your instinctive decision."
Having said this, a moment of surprise washed over everyone before a renewed silence settled.
Indeed, even when Wang Feng freed himself from Tang San's Cobwebs, even if they hadn't noticed the spikes and vines concealed in Wang Feng's hands, there was still a chance for victory. Utilizing evasive maneuvers and the flying ability of the mushroom sausages, they could have easily endured for less than a minute.
Wang Feng might not have had a viable counterstrategy for that. However, considering they were all exceptional individuals, why would they choose such an approach? Furthermore, Wang Feng was also afflicted by two types of poison. Why wouldn't they took this opportunity to ttack?
So, in the end, Tang San also opted to initiate attack and called Xiao Wu to join the battlefield.
"After defeating Zhu Zhuqing, he targeted Tang San first. From your perspective, it might seem impulsive and puzzling. However, it was indeed a brilliant move, the sole opportunity available."
"His assault on Tang San yielded three effects. First, it rendered Tang San combat ineffective. Second, he acquired two types of poison from the Blue Silver Grass. Third, by infecting himself with both poison, he managed to lower your guard, ignite your ambition and pride and defeat you collectively effectively!"
"It can be aptly described as hitting multiple birds with one stone!"
The Grandmaster got all profound and after his spiel, he shot a glance at Wang Feng,
"Let's put it this way – it's not so much Wang Feng beating you, it's more about you beating yourself."
After that line, everyone hung their heads in deep shame, then peeked at Wang Feng with newfound respect. Turns out, Wang Feng could even somehow read them.
Wang Feng's honest reaction to that was :
"..."
Internally, he muttered, 'Do I really think that deep? I just wanted to use Tang San's Blue Silver Grass to take down the trio quickly and it was a spur of the moment decision to do that.'
Dai Mubai's got good defenses and strength, making it near impossible to disable him in a jiffy without severely injuring him in the process.
So, he figured, why not use the Blue Silver Grass poison by sneakily using those Ghost Vines spikes and Cobweb vines spike...
But then, why not manipulate everyone's feelings and go for the triple kill?
'Grandmster made it sound a bit too mysterious. Sorry, Grandmaster, I genuinely didn't overthink it. I'm not studying psychology, how am I supposed to delve into all that?'
It was only after the Grandmaster wrapped up that Wang Feng couldn't help but think, 'Damn, am I really that good? I had no idea! Must be my genes.'
Of course, Wang Feng didn't spill the beans on the Grandmaster's grand interpretation. Instead, he just gave a nod and a smile, saying, "Yep, nailed it all just like Grandmaster said."
"..." Everyone's reaction.
Wang Feng maintained his smile and continued, "So, losing gracefully is your best option. Moreover, this battle is one of a kind. You won't easily find another opportunity like this again."
It was true.
These clever tactics weren't soul abilities, they couldn't be duplicated. Breaking Ning Rongrong's incantation by using stones, for instance, was too simple to counteract. Leveraging the toxicity of the Blue Silver Grass might not work again if the opponents were prepared or already knew about it.
"It's true. While this battle is a classic and unmatchable, it's irreplicable." the Grandmaster agreed.
"However, the use of intelligence in combat is what soul masters lack the most. Besides martial arts and soul skills, there are many other tools that are at our disposal. At least until reaching a very high level, all these tools remain valuable and of use. This battle has given me a lot of inspiration and I'm sure it has sparked ideas for all of you as well."
Everyone nodded in agreement, finding the experience enlightening.
Ning Rongrong never anticipated that her incantation could be disrupted, leaving her with a hoarse throat and an inability to exert her soul power. Though such spells might lose importance at higher levels, they were crucial at their current stage.
Oscar never thought that his sausages could be shot in mid-air before reaching his allies.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't expect to be strategically eliminated by Wang Feng, effortlessly dismantling the four prepared killing moves. The realization left her gently biting her lip in humiliation.
Tang San, too, didn't foresee that the spikes and vines on his Blue Silver Grass could be turned against himself. These unforeseen perspectives were like opening a door to a new world for everyone.
"Well, Tang San, first, use the Blue Silver Grass to extract the toxins from them and then begin your punishment." Wang Feng concluded.
The atmosphere shifted as the grandmaster spoke sternly, "The stone in the basket at the academy's door has been prepared for you. Have you forgotten about the punishment?"
Silence fell and when no one spoke, Tang San took the lead, followed closely by the others.
"Xiao Feng, you should join as well." the Grandmaster added, looking at Wang Feng with kindness.
"You all are a group, so the punishment should be endured collectively. However, given your independent role outside the seven, winning this battle exempts you from mandatory participation. The stone is there for you too, it's your choice whether you want to accept punishment with them or not."
"???"
Wang Feng's expression betrayed his confusion.
Was the stone also prepared for him as well? Did they doubt he would not win?
Wang Feng's mouth twitched slightly, "Alright, I'll also go. I'll run alongside them."
With his exceptional physical prowess, running ten laps back and forth on those stones amounted to tens of kilometers—a routine reminiscent of his training six years ago, even with the Black Thorns Armor added weight, he could endure it without a break.
Black Thorns Armor, weighing two thousand kilograms, as an external soul bone, adds a substantial amount of strain on his body.
Wang Feng had practically integrated its control into his instincts. Dividing his strength into various grades, he could gauge the effort needed for different tasks.
Wang Feng possessed a multi-tiered system for deploying his strength:
First tier: Comparable to the battle with the Seven, relying solely on pure physical fitness and the [Reversal] techniques. Avoiding complex maneuvers, this level kept the Black Thorn Armor added weight still on his body. In this state, the fight could last a long time, with the outcome being difficult to discern.
Second tier: Deactivating the Black Thorns Armor while also using soul power. This weakened defense but explosively enhanced physical attributes, enabling quick defeat of opponents within minutes.
Third tier: Involved using [Deification] soul skill, doubling the attributes. Control over the Black Thorns Armor allowed for resistance when being attacked and augmented strength during an assault. This level also introduced attacks with lightning paralysis and has immunity to toxins, capable of defeating the Shrek Seven Devils within thirty seconds.
Fourth tier: Building on the third tier, the third soul ability, Lotus of Thorn's individual petals, was also activated, further boosting defensive power. Additionally, the use of second soul skill, Ice Flame Lotus petals, enabling potent long-range attacks. The killing potential of this gear was immense but was deemed too overpowering for use against the Shrek Seven Devils.
Fifth tier: The ultimate level involving the deployment of real trump cards. It included fighting in the air, an increase in the soul power with the help of the Golden Lotus, the karmic fire power of the Red Lotus, a powerful defensive cover from the full Black Lotus and the finishing move of the second soul ability—the Ice Flame Fury Lotus, a large-scale long-range attack. Wang Feng estimated that the fifth tier, capable of unleashing a massive Ice Flame Lotus covering the entire square, could swiftly resolve the encounter within a second. This level was considered a last resort due to its life-and-death implications.
Sixth tier: Wang Feng's tentative final configuration. However, its deployment was dependent on absorbing the enemy's tyrannical anger and other breaths using the Black Lotus, transforming them into energy reserves or rapidly reaching level 40 to activate the Pangu Axe. This ultimate move had the potential for a single, decisive strike, where either the opponent or Wang Feng would face death.
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