Soul Land: I Am the True Grandmaster

Chapter 208: Laying the Trap · Finale

"I haven't lost yet!" Tang San declared firmly.

Ye Tianshui scoffed, crossing her arms. If she had pressed her advantage earlier, Tang San would already be lying unconscious. Yet here he was, stubbornly refusing to admit defeat.

"Since you're so insistent, I'll knock you down for good this time," she said coldly.

"Hold on, Tianshui," Ye Wen suddenly interjected, drawing everyone's attention.

Ye Wen looked at Tang San thoughtfully.

"Tang San, I see a hint of dissatisfaction in your eyes. Is there something you're holding back, some technique you're unable to use here due to the limitations of a standard soul battle?" Ye Wen asked.

Of course, Ye Wen was hinting at Tang San's hidden weapons. But with so many powerful soul masters watching, Tang San was smart enough not to try any underhanded tricks. Still, the thought of his own signature skills being constrained left Tang San feeling dissatisfied. He nodded slightly.

"Yes, Principal Ye Wen. If I could use techniques other than my martial soul, I could certainly match your daughter."

The scene brought to mind an overeager suitor, desperate to prove himself worthy of marrying into wealth and prestige. Ye Wen felt a flash of disgust.

At this, Yu Xiaogang stepped in to scold him.

"Tang San! Soul battles are sacred they should never involve external techniques!"

Yu Xiaogang knew about Tang San's dangerous little inventions, but since they posed no threat to him, he had dismissed them as mere curiosities.

"But, Teacher " Tang San tried to argue, but Ye Wen cut him off smoothly.

"It's fine. In the presence of the strong, the weak should use any means they can. A soul master's power shouldn't be limited to their martial soul alone," Ye Wen remarked. "Tang San, if you have other techniques, go ahead and use them. But if you lose, I expect you to wholeheartedly support my children in winning the All Continent Advanced Soul Master Tournament. Agreed?"

Having his hidden weapons labeled as "a weakling's tricks" soured Tang San's expression. He would prove to them that his hidden weapons were far from ordinary they were an art form.

Ye Tianshui arched an eyebrow, her lips curving up.

"Interesting. Then let's start round two."

Tang San took a deep breath, steadying himself as the pain from the previous blows lingered. His eyes shone with a sharper purple gleam.

"Second Soul Skill: Parasite, activate."

Almost instantly, dozens of blue silver vines burst from the ground, ensnaring Ye Tianshui. So that's what the spores from earlier were for, she realized. But Tang San wasn't about to stop there he unleashed his full force.

"My apologies!" Tang San shouted, his hands moving in a blur as he flung a barrage of darts, kunai, and small knives at Ye Tianshui.

At this moment, Ye Wen noticed Tang San's wrists were equipped with metal bracers storage soul devices.

"Quite lucky of him to acquire these storage devices after losing the Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges," Ye Wen mused, recognizing Tang San's knack for survival.

What Ye Wen didn't know was that Tang San had obtained the bracers by killing an opponent in Suotuo City's battle arena and claiming them as his own. His self righteous mind saw himself as the rightful owner of any treasure worth possessing.

Meanwhile, Ye Tianshui grew serious, recognizing the danger. With an unrestricted fight, Tang San's confidence indicated he believed he had a genuine chance.

Even a lion uses full strength when hunting a rabbit.

"First Soul Skill: Frost Spirit Dragon Armor! Second Soul Skill: Glacial Breath!"

For the first time, Ye Tianshui revealed her soul rings two purple and one black. Though they were a disguise, hiding her true strength, the sight stunned everyone present. Even so, her ice cold attribute was already an apex ability, one that didn't require a flashy array of soul skills.

The moment Ye Tianshui activated her first soul skill, the blue silver vines encasing her shattered in a flurry of ice. Her glacial breath followed, freezing the ground before her and forcing Tang San to retreat hastily. Any vegetation in its path was instantly crystallized and destroyed.

Ye Tianshui frowned, feeling the sting of Tang San's hidden weapons as they struck her.

"Tang San, you brought this on yourself," she said icily, her breath turning to frosty mist with each word.

Tang San, for the first time, fully realized the vast difference between their martial souls. His ordinary hidden weapons wouldn't be enough to win. But he wasn't one to give up so easily.

"It seems I can't hold back," he thought to himself, deciding it was time to reveal the true essence of his hidden weapons.

"Miss Tianshui, I'm going all out now. Be careful."

Ye Tianshui scoffed.

"Anyone can talk big. I won't be holding back either."

She closed in on Tang San with a sudden burst of speed, using her instant movement technique. Tang San, however, had trained extensively in Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, and he deftly evaded, putting some distance between them.

Taking a deep breath, he brought his hands together, his fingers flashing as he prepared his next move.

"Hidden Weapon Technique: Bat Wing Reincarnation!"

This Tang Sect technique, ranked tenth in his arsenal, allowed him to unleash up to 36 hidden weapons at once, calculated precisely to return like boomerangs with each projectile targeting his opponent with deadly precision.

As a flurry of hidden weapons filled the air, Ye Tianshui remained calm and focused.

"Second Soul Skill: Glacial Breath Ice Wall!"

In an instant, her breath formed an enormous ice wall, effectively blocking Tang San's incoming barrage. His expression faltered.

Ye Tianshui, well versed in Ye Wen's teachings, knew that attacks were meaningless if they couldn't even reach their target. Taking advantage of the moment, she closed in on Tang San again, determined to show him her strength.

She's far too perfect a counter, Tang San realized. Her power, her speed, her combat abilities everything put him at a disadvantage.

But this was an unrestricted duel, and he wasn't without options.

Control Technique: Crane Captures Dragon evasion and control.

Lightfoot Technique: Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track finding the right angles.

Sight Technique: Purple Demon Eye tracking and anticipating soul skills.

Hand Technique: Mysterious Jade Hand for close quarters defense.

Tang San threw himself into the fray, using every trick in his arsenal to match her.

But the biting cold of Ye Tianshui's ice was oppressive, sapping his strength and making every movement an ordeal. Without the protective power of his Mysterious Heaven Technique's internal energy, Tang San would have already succumbed to frostbite.

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