As the barrage of hidden weapons rained down on him, Lan Si was well-prepared. He launched countless Stingers from his hands, intercepting Tang San's hidden weapons.
Clang! Clang!
The stingers collided with Tang San's weapons, creating a sharp, metallic sound as sparks flew at the point of impact between them.
The more they exchanged attacks, the more shocked Tang San became. Initially, it seemed like Lan Si only knew a basic hidden weapon technique, but gradually, Tang San realized something was off.
Not only was Lan Si managing to block his weapons with what appeared to be a crude technique, but he was also learning and mimicking Tang San's hidden weapon methods.
Although Lan Si's replication was rough and imperfect, he was visibly improving with each move.
Tang San felt an indescribable sense of powerlessness. Why? Why is he this strong?
As their hidden weapons and stingers were gradually depleted, the frequency of their attacks slowed. When Lan Si launched his last stinger, and Tang San his final needle, both of them halted their assault.
Lan Si, with a disappointed look on his face, said, "Is this your so-called competition? If so, then I'm really disappointed. Sure, it's strange and may work well against weaker opponents, but against someone stronger? As long as they have enough insight, it's not that hard to counter. I was hoping to see your third soul skill!"
Lan Si nonchalantly held the last steel needle Tang San had fired between his fingers, the blue and white flames in his hand burning faintly. He spoke with indifference, "Tang San... or should I say, Thousand-Handed Asura, to be honest, you disappoint me."
"You clearly possess the rarest, most enviable talent of innate full soul power, yet you waste your time playing with these trivialities. Even that lazy rabbit, who spends her days indulging in food, fun, and idleness, doesn't have lower soul power than you. So, what have you been doing these past six years? Immersed in these little gadgets? Memorizing useless theories? Or flirting with that rabbit?"
Upon hearing this, Tang San's pupils shrank. He looked down at his hands, confusion and self-doubt rising within him.
A subtle smile appeared on Lan Si's face as he continued, "I had originally looked forward to facing you in battle, but now I see you're no longer worthy of being my opponent."
His voice wasn't quiet, and with all the present soul masters, both the Emperor team and the Shrek team heard his words clearly. Everyone was stunned. The members of Emperor were surprised to learn that this powerful Blue Silver Grass soul master knew Lan Si.
Meanwhile, Shrek was in disbelief that Tang San's hidden weapons, which had previously been effective against Zhao Wuji, seemed to have no impact on Lan Si.
Especially Xiao Wu and Yu Xiaogang, whose expressions became noticeably grim.
The "rabbit" Lan Si mentioned was clearly referring to Xiao Wu, while the "useless theories" were aimed directly at Yu Xiaogang's 'Invincible Theory.'
Both teams exchanged glances. Xiao Wu's face flushed, and in a timid voice, she whispered, "That's not true… I've been training hard…"
Yu Xiaogang, on the other hand, was visibly furious. For the first time in six years, he felt the sting of doubt directed at him once again. Clenching his teeth, he yelled to Tang San on the stage, "Tang San, don't listen to him! He already expended a lot of soul power fighting the rest of Shrek earlier, and he's used his third soul skill twice already. His soul power must be almost depleted. Don't fall for his tricks! You haven't lost yet, so don't let his words break your will."
Yu Xiaogang's words snapped Tang San out of his daze. He took a deep breath, and his eyes hardened as he stared at Lan Si's face under the mask. Coldly, he said, "Are you done talking? You think I'll fall for your tricks? Now, I'll make you lose to these things you look down on."
"Oh? Is that so? Show me whatever tricks you have left," Lan Si smirked as he spread his arms.
Destroying a person from the inside is often the most effective method. For various reasons—whether it was due to Qian Renxue or other factors—Lan Si knew that he and Tang San would inevitably clash in the future.
However, with Tang Hao watching from behind, Lan Si couldn't just kill Tang San outright. So, he planned to undermine Tang San's potential.
In the original storyline, Tang San had almost been broken by Shui Bing'er during the Soul Master Tournament and had considered switching to the Clear Sky Hammer.
Lan Si decided to push him down that path, weakening his potential by leading him to switch to the Clear Sky Hammer prematurely.
Of course, it was going to be a long process.
After all, neither Yu Xiaogang nor Tang Hao would allow Tang San to easily abandon the Blue Silver Grass and switch to the Clear Sky Hammer.
"As you wish," Tang San said coldly, pulling out two Zhuge Crossbows. Crossing his arms, the mechanisms clicked as dozens of bolts fired in Lan Si's direction.
Oddly enough, the crossbows glowed with a strange hue.
Instead of blocking the Zhuge Crossbow bolts head-on, Lan Si used his Green Flame Eyes to predict their trajectory. Activating his powerful flash step, he dodged the bolts while simultaneously charging up his third soul skill, lunging toward Tang San.
If he was correct, after using up all the crossbow bolts, Tang San would resort to his third soul skill, Spider Web Bind, to try and trap him. In that case, Lan Si would counter it with his own third soul skill.
Sure enough, after Lan Si dodged the bolts, Tang San's face didn't show any surprise. A subtle smirk played on his lips as he fired more bolts. When Lan Si got close enough, Tang San's third soul ring lit up. The brilliant purple light enveloped him, eclipsing the glow of the other two rings.
Raising his right hand, Tang San released a blue-green light that spread out in a five-meter diameter, quickly contracting to ensnare Lan Si.
In Tang San's mind, there was no escape for Lan Si. His third soul skill, inherited from the 2,000-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider, was so strong that even the power-focused Dai Mubai couldn't break free from it.
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