At this moment, although Tang San found it difficult to accept the result, he kept reassuring himself that the strength of the Dragon Beard Needle lay in breaking internal energy shields, so it was naturally less effective against physical defenses. It wasn't that the Dragon Beard Needle was weak.
Su Ming didn't want to dampen Tang San's spirits, especially since they'd need his full effort in the entrance exam tomorrow. He patted Tang San on the shoulder and said, "Tang San, your Dragon Beard Needle is already very impressive. Although it's less effective against physical defenses, it's highly effective against techniques like Dai Mubai's White Tiger Vajra Transformation, which enhances his defense."
Tang San agreed with Su Ming's assessment and felt a bit better. He would never admit that his Tang Sect hidden weapons were weak!
Su Ming gave Xiao Wu a knowing look, and she caught on immediately, exclaiming, "Yeah, Tang San! You've really surprised us today. Who would've thought that such an ordinary-looking crystal could create such a powerful hidden weapon!"
Tang San smiled slightly, feeling proud. Of course, the Tang Sect's knowledge of minerals was unmatched. After all, only the best materials could create the best hidden weapons.
Seeing that Tang San had calmed down, Su Ming decided the time was right to plant an idea. He casually said, "Tang San, since you've got such a powerful hidden weapon now, wouldn't tomorrow be a good opportunity to show it off during the entrance exam?"
Tang San was puzzled. "Show it off? But tomorrow's just a simple entrance exam. Why would I need to show off the hidden weapon? I should keep it for emergencies."
Su Ming smiled meaningfully. "You never know. The academy's teachers might want to test us if they see that we're talented. And since they'll likely be much stronger than us, using your hidden weapon could be the key to victory."
He added, "If the teacher is someone who specializes in soul power defense, your Dragon Beard Needle would be perfect for breaking through. And even if they're not, with your hidden weapons and my attacks, we'll definitely give them a hard time."
Tang San hesitated. "But this will be our first meeting with the academy's teachers. Do we really need to go that far?"
Xiao Wu also looked at Su Ming curiously, unsure of his plan.
Su Ming laughed. "This isn't going too far. We're just low-level soul masters compared to them. I'm sure they'll handle it easily. And by showing off a bit, we'll prove our talent and make sure they pay extra attention to us in the future. Don't you think?"
Then Su Ming added, "Of course, if the teacher doesn't push us too hard, we can just show some of our strength without going all out. Just play it by ear."
Tang San nodded, starting to see Su Ming's point. If Shrek Academy only accepted geniuses, competition would surely be fierce, and it would make sense to show their real abilities to secure resources and opportunities.
Tang San's thoughts drifted to what he would think of Shrek Academy's real condition when he saw it tomorrow. Few students, more teachers than students, no money, no resources, and terrible living conditions.
Su Ming's subtle hints were aimed at encouraging Tang San to use his hidden weapons during their future fight against Zhao Wuji. Su Ming planned to reveal a bit of his own strength too but not too much. He couldn't overshadow Tang San, especially since Tang Hao might still be watching. He had to avoid drawing too much attention to himself.
Once the tests were over, the three of them surveyed the damage they had caused in the room. It was in ruins and clearly uninhabitable.
Tang San called for the hotel staff, switched to a new room, and paid for the damages. Su Ming, of course, made no offer to pay, reasoning that he had only helped test the Dragon Beard Needle's power. Paying wasn't an option for him.
After that, Su Ming took Xiao Wu back to their room to "cultivate." But in reality, Su Ming was just pretending to cultivate while secretly writing in his diary. Xiao Wu noticed but chose not to call him out.
Su Ming's Diary Entry:
Today, just like in the original story, Tang San found a crystal in a shop, and inside the crystal were materials for one of the Tang Sect's top ten hidden weapons—the Dragon Beard Needle.
Some of the female protagonists, unfamiliar with the Dragon Beard Needle, were curious. A weapon that ranks in the top ten must be really powerful, they thought.
Later, Tang San tested the Dragon Beard Needle, and when he shot it into a blanket, it shredded the fabric instantly. Xiao Wu was amazed. If this needle were to hit a soul master's body, it would rip a piece of flesh out! The weapon is indeed quite powerful.
After that, I noticed Tang San getting a bit cocky, so I had to humble him a little. I let him test his Dragon Beard Needle against my Wood Shield defense skill.
Just as I expected, the Wood Shield broke apart. Tang San probably felt pretty pleased with himself, thinking his Tang Sect hidden weapon was as strong as he imagined.
The female protagonists: ...
Wait, wasn't the goal to humble Tang San? How did he end up feeling more confident?
Seeing Tang San's smug expression, I couldn't let it slide. So, I used a new defense technique—Tree Shield. It's one of the weaker Wood Release defenses, but it's good enough for now.
As expected, after this test, the smile on Tang San's face vanished, only to reappear on mine! Haha!
I love seeing that look on Tang San's face—it's so satisfying!
The female protagonists: Su Ming is terrible! He gave Tang San hope, only to crush it later!
Honestly, while the Dragon Beard Needle is one of the Tang Sect's top hidden weapons, its strengths and weaknesses are pretty clear. It excels at breaking through soul power shields, like those created by techniques that enhance defense, such as Dai Mubai's White Tiger Vajra Transformation or Zhao Wuji's soul power defenses.
The Dragon Beard Needle can easily pierce through those types of defenses, but its downside is that it's much less effective against other types of defenses, like my Wood Release techniques. Physical defenses don't suffer as much from the needle's effects.