In the stands, Han Li stared at the big screen, though his spiritual power was constantly monitoring everything happening on the field. His eyebrows twitched slightly.
Yes, it was this. In his observation, the faint gray aura of the soul beast in Tang San's limbs had once again deeply merged with him, completely blending under these circumstances.
Of course, this wasn't without its benefits. Perhaps after this period, Tang San's strength would increase once again, and his body might become even more robust.
Han Li glanced at Sword Douluo, who was observing as well. However, Sword Douluo seemed unaware. His tightly furrowed brows and dissatisfied expression revealed his mood.
Most of his frustration was directed at Dai Mubai. Earlier, Dai Mubai's White Tiger Light Wave had swept over an area that included Ning Rongrong.
As for Zhu Zhuqing's performance, Han Li was generally satisfied. Although she appeared a bit slow, it was still a steady win.
The main issue was that Zhu Zhuqing had improved too quickly in a short time. She had been in contact with Han Li and the others daily and hadn't fully adjusted her mentality—she wasn't yet aware of her strength.
Otherwise, she could have cleared the field right at the start.
But after this, she should adapt.
Let's wait and see. Han Li withdrew his gaze, still maintaining a faint smile.
...
On the stage, Tai Long glanced weakly at Tang San, who seemed off, before turning to Zhu Zhuqing, who was keeping a safe distance.
"Young Master, what do we do next?"
He noticed the blood constantly flowing down Tang San's arm.
Earlier, when defending against Zhu Zhuqing's clone attack, both he and Dai Mubai had fared better.
Dai Mubai had a protective barrier.
As for Tai Long, although his clan's soul rings focused on enhancing strength, most power-type soul beasts also had excellent defenses. Plus, with his beast martial soul, he gained additional buffs after his martial soul possessed him. So while his clothes were in tatters, the damage was still bearable.
But Tang San was different. Although he had used Blue Silver Grass to wrap his body, the defense was inadequate.
Zhu Zhuqing's attacks were known for their sharpness, and her Hell Hundred Claws had armor-piercing properties. Tang San now had deep claw marks on his chest and arms, some even exposing bone.
Tai Long feared that if Tang San didn't act soon, blood loss alone could overwhelm him. Out of loyalty, despite the poor timing, Tai Long spoke up.
"Mm."
Bloodlust and violent emotions surged in Tang San's mind.
Under normal circumstances, his powerful spiritual strength, cultivated through the Purple Demon Eye, would have suppressed these impulses.
But now, memories of Xiao Wu kept flashing in his mind.
He remembered that night on the grassland when he made a promise to her.
He recalled the sorrowful look Xiao Wu had given him as she asked, "If one day, many people want to kill me, and you can't defeat them, what will you do?"
At that time, he had replied, "Then they'll have to step over my dead body first."
The slap mark on Xiao Wu's face and the blood at the corner of her mouth fueled the killing intent in his heart.
First, they destroyed my Mysterious Jade Hand, and now they've hurt Xiao Wu.
Zhu Zhuqing, you've already chosen two paths to death.
What was the third rule of the Tang Sect again?
Under the influence of the Vajra Baboon's aura, Tang San's mind was no longer clear. He had forgotten the beginning and the middle, but he remembered the end: kill without mercy.
Unconsciously, he tightened his left hand. He now had only one thought: kill Zhu Zhuqing at any cost.
His assassin instincts remained intact, so he didn't immediately reveal the Clear Sky Hammer. He knew Zhu Zhuqing was currently in the cooldown period for her soul skills and would have to engage in close combat to attack again.
And that would be his best chance. With the Clear Sky Hammer, he might land a one-hit kill.
"Kill."
A word dripping with killing intent escaped Tang San's lips. Dai Mubai and the others saw his red eyes as he raised his head. Without waiting for a response, he charged toward Zhu Zhuqing using his strange footwork.
As he charged, more Blue Silver Grass leaves began to fall into his right hand.
Hmm?
In the stands, Han Li straightened up slightly.
He could see that Tang San was losing control, his rationality fading. The evidence was the faint gray soul beast aura that had overtaken his mind.
What surprised Han Li was that, even in this state, Tang San had instinctively used his Tang sect techniques. Wasn't this much more effective than the Blue Silver Bind he had used earlier?
To be honest, if Tang San developed his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul along the lines of poison and tenacity, it would be his best direction, Han Li mused.
However, Han Li wasn't worried. Zhu Zhuqing could handle it, and besides, the match had become more interesting, hadn't it?
Damn.
Dai Mubai and the others exchanged glances, cursing inwardly. Are you crazy? You couldn't defeat her before, and now you're wounded, yet you're charging at her? Have you forgotten you're a control-type soul master?
But since Tang San had already charged out and initiated the attack, what could they do?
After all, they were assault-type battle soul masters. If their control soul master was charging, even in defeat, they had no choice but to follow. The three of them gritted their teeth and followed behind Tang San, charging toward Zhu Zhuqing.
"Die! Swallows Parting Flight!"
A large number of Blue Silver Grass leaves, guided by Tang San's Dragon-Capturing and Crane-Controlling techniques, were lifted by his soul power, swiftly falling into his hands and flung out in various patterns.
Straight lines, arcs, angles.
Each Blue Silver Grass leaf, enhanced by his soul power, flew in unison, shooting toward Zhu Zhuqing from tricky angles.
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes narrowed, and the faint black mist around her thickened as she swiftly dodged.
She wasn't unfamiliar with this. Han Li had once given them a small booklet containing these hidden weapon techniques, suggesting they practice if interested.
She hadn't practiced, though. Among them, only Dugu Yan had shown some interest, primarily due to her fascination with poison. Zhu Zhuqing had focused more on quickly raising her level and fully developing her martial soul, so she hadn't invested time in this.
She knew this was one of Tang San's secret techniques. However, something seemed off with his mental state today.
While dodging Tang San's hidden weapon attacks, Zhu Zhuqing calmly waited for her soul skills to cool down.
Meanwhile, at the edge of the stage, Dugu Yan's eyes lit up with interest.
Han Li had previously used mental sharing to show her these hidden weapon techniques. But—perhaps because the scenes were drawn from dreams, and Tang San already had a foundation in hidden weapons—the guidance focused on complex techniques, mainly to show off, leaving her somewhat confused.
Now, however, with Tang San giving a real-life demonstration, it was much easier to understand.
"Zhuqing, if the pressure isn't too much, drag it out a bit longer."
Dugu Yan skillfully condensed her voice into a line and transmitted it directly to Zhu Zhuqing's ear.
Zhu Zhuqing dodged another leaf with ease, instantly understanding. She slowed her movements, which she had originally planned to use to finish the match.
That works. Once Sister Yan learns this, her training regimen will have a new addition.
Besides, letting Tang San showcase his skills isn't a bad idea. Han Li was still in the stands, and so was the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire. Letting him take the spotlight might give them a face. She couldn't let Han Li shoulder all the pressure alone.
Thinking of Han Li, a faint smile appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's usually cold face.
Her rare smile made Tang San, already losing his mind, even more frenzied.
"You deserve to die!"
With a voice like a beast's roar, Tang San's hands moved faster.
"Heavenly Flower Rain!"
"Sky Filling Flower Rain!"
"One Thousand And One Nights!"
"Phoenix Guides Nine Chicks!"
One after another, these hidden weapon techniques, full of intricate beauty, were unleashed from Tang San's hands. The Blue Silver Grass leaves, flying everywhere, became deadly weapons, shooting toward Zhu Zhuqing in dazzling formations.
Zhu Zhuqing continued dodging, and for added safety, she activated an elemental shield—a modified version of the Mysterious Jade Hand that Han Li had improved.
Of course, she disguised it, intentionally wrapping soul power around her left arm, pretending to use a soul bone.
Despite Tang San's exquisite techniques, the few leaves that broke through the black mist around her lost their power upon striking the elemental shield and fell weakly to the ground.
On the other side of the stage, Dugu Yan focused her mental power, her eyes glowing faintly white as she absorbed every aspect of Tang San's hidden weapon techniques.
In the arena, though Tang San's mental state was off and his attacks couldn't truly harm Zhu Zhuqing, the spectacle was impressive, drawing cheers from the audience.
Zhu Zhuqing stopped moving and glanced toward the three girls. Dugu Yan, retracting the white glow from her eyes, smiled and nodded in response.
Time to wrap it up. Zhu Zhuqing glanced at the three behind Tang San, whose excitement had grown due to his frenzied attacks, and shook her head.
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing stop, Tang San's speed increased again.
Closer, even closer. He was about to enter his attack range, and his soul power had already begun gathering in his left hand.
"Bat Wing..."
Batwing Rebound, huh? Unfortunately for him, Sister Yan had already mastered that technique.
Zhu Zhuqing finished the words Tang San hadn't yet spoken in her mind. At the same time, her wings unfurled once more, and her fourth and fifth soul rings lit up.
Her body leaped backward into the air.
In front of her, four identical clones appeared. The fifth, first, and second soul rings lit up, and along with the nine afterimages created by her fifth soul skill, they all charged toward the four opponents ahead.
In an instant, excluding her original body, 49 identical Zhu Zhuqings—some clones, some afterimages—formed an army of shadows, leaping forward in unison.
Hell Hundred Claws × 49.
Forbidden Secret Art: Instant Hell Shadow Killing Array!
The Shadow Master of the Douluo Continent, Zhu Zhuqing, had arrived!