Due to the flames coming from his own body, although Ma Hongjun was in a mess, he didn't suffer any serious injuries. However, as he lost the propulsion of his Phoenix Fire Wire, his body began to fall. Lan Si swiftly activated his powerful "flash step "skill, appearing behind Ma Hongjun just as he was falling, and with a swift kick, sent Ma Hongjun flying out of the arena like a kicked soccer ball, following Oscar's fate.
"Bastard!" Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Xiao Wu roared in unison. They recognized this familiar spirit, and now it was clear that this person was indeed Lan Si. Without thinking, the three charged at Lan Si in a furious attack.
To their surprise, Zhu Zhuqing attacked first, leaping towards Lan Si.
Lan Si, naturally, wouldn't harm the little kitten, but he wasn't foolish enough to hold back either. As he activated the "Sacred Universe Art," his third spirit ring suddenly lit up, and its bright purple glow overshadowed the other two rings.
The green lotus that had blown away Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fire Wire earlier suddenly contracted into a purple energy ball, which Lan Si then hurled accurately at Zhu Zhuqing.
It was Zhu Zhuqing's first time seeing Lan Si's third spirit ability. She instinctively tried to dodge the energy ball, but as it brushed past her, it suddenly expanded into a giant spider web over ten meters in diameter, ensnaring Zhu Zhuqing and sending her out of the arena, where she hung from the ceiling.
Zhu Zhuqing felt her body go limp as her soul power drained away like floodwater breaking through a dam. Before long, her strength was sapped, leaving her unable to resist. Thankfully, she wasn't injured—just drained of most of her soul power.
This was Lan Si's third spirit ability: the Soul-Devouring Spider Web, derived from a 2,500-year-old Soul-Devouring Demon Spider. It was somewhat similar to Tang San's third spirit ability, Spider Web Bind, but with greater area, durability, and usability that scaled with soul power.
However, unlike Tang San's ability, which merely incorporated the stickiness and neurotoxic poison of the Man-Faced Demon Spider, Lan Si's skill also absorbed soul power. Anyone caught in the web, like Zhu Zhuqing, would have their soul power drained almost instantly.
Of course, Lan Si wouldn't poison Zhu Zhuqing. He only absorbed about 70% of her soul power, leaving her unable to resist. The absorbed power didn't disappear; instead, it fed back into Lan Si, replenishing his energy for the battle.
"Quick, while he's just used his third spirit ability! Everyone attack together and finish him!" Dai Mubai, seeing Zhu Zhuqing trapped, was initially stunned by the power of Lan Si's third ability.
But then, a look of excitement crossed his face. With a twisted smile, his third soul ring lit up, and he activated his third ability, White Tiger Vajra Transformation, charging towards Lan Si.
Having lost to Lan Si before, Dai Mubai felt frustrated. Now, with the enhancements of Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, his speed and strength were boosted by 30%.
He was confident that against a Lan Si who had just used up his third soul ability, he had the upper hand. After all, third spirit abilities consumed a lot of power, and even though Lan Si was at level 33, there was no way he could use it again.
Xiao Wu and Tang San exchanged a glance, nodded, and followed up. Xiao Wu, still furious at having been beaten up earlier, wasn't going to let him off. And of course, with her feelings in mind, Tang San wasn't going to show any mercy either.
The three of them coordinated their attack: Dai Mubai charged head-on, Xiao Wu used her teleportation and soft skills to target Lan Si's head, while Tang San, using his Mysterious Heaven Skill, swept at Lan Si's legs.
Seeing the trio closing in on him, Lan Si sneered. He activated his "Sacred Universe Art," and a powerful green-white energy burst from his right hand, easily blocking Dai Mubai's attack. At the same time, he caught Xiao Wu's ankle with his left hand and raised his right leg to block Tang San's kick.
Boom!
Their soul powers clashed in midair, sending shockwaves in all directions like ripples in water, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind.
"How is this possible? He blocked all three of them at once, even though they had the support of Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda!" Yu Xiaogang cried out in disbelief, spitting out the tea he hadn't yet swallowed. His stiff, skinny face was full of shock.
Flander, Zhao Wuji, Qin Ming, and the rest of the audience in the private box were equally stunned.
Even the members of the Emperor Team, who had just been healed by Ye Lingling's Nine-Hearted Begonia, were speechless.
Was this really the same Lan Si? The lazy guy who always appeared slouched and late for nine out of ten of their meetings?
"Damn it, when did this happen? Just when did he get so strong?"
No one was more shaken than Tang San. His eyes, glowing purple from his Purple Demon Eyes, trembled. He had known Lan Si since they were six. Back then, Lan Si had only been a soul scholar with an innate soul power of five.
When he went to hunt for his first spirit ring, he'd rejected Yu Xiaogang's 'kindness' of offering him a Sacred Wood with a 90-year cultivation. When he returned, he defeated Xiao Wu using a century-old spirit ring.
Yu Xiaogang had said that Lan Si's martial spirit was best suited for a support role, and if he pursued the path of a battle spirit master, he would eventually hit a ceiling. Tang San had believed this and gradually forgotten about Lan Si.
Later, when Tang San started working in a blacksmith's shop to practice making hidden weapons, he found out that Lan Si had convinced the shop owner to give him a chance.
They ran into each other occasionally at the shop, but Tang San paid him little attention, thinking that once they graduated from Nuoding Academy, they would never cross paths again.
After all, Yu Xiaogang had said Lan Si would amount to nothing.
But now, Lan Si's soul power had not only surpassed his own, but his combat ability was astonishing. He had just defeated four of his teammates and blocked an attack from three of them simultaneously.
What in the world was going on? How could someone who was supposed to be ordinary suddenly become so strong?
For the first time, Tang San began to doubt everything.
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