In truth, after the deadly poison Tang San had personally brewed entered their bodies, of those seven Soul Saints, only the one who had been struck by the Purple Extreme Divine Light might still have a chance. The other six were beyond saving.
The hidden weapons of the
Tang San's speed was tremendous. Bolstered by the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone and the Eight Spider Lances' ability to ignore terrain, he had pushed his speed to its absolute limit. But the ones chasing them were Soul Saints, and among them were several agility-type Soul Masters. With them going all out, the gap between the two sides continued to narrow.
Tang San's Ghost Shadow Phantom Trail was indeed remarkable, but it excelled at evasion, not sustained running.
He knew full well that in his previous world, there were several lightness skills on par with Ghost Shadow Phantom Trail that were far better suited to this kind of situation — Shaolin's Eight-Step Cicada Chase, for example, or the Floating Light and Fleeting Shadow technique. But what good was thinking about it now? All he could do was keep moving forward.
At the Soul Saint level, once one locked onto a target's aura, it was impossible to lose them as long as they stayed within a certain range. Of the thirteen Soul Saints, five were agility-type Soul Masters. They fanned out in a semicircular formation, closing in with lightning speed in a partial encirclement.
Forget the five of them being more than enough to kill Tang San and capture
The more desperate the situation, the sharper Tang San's mind became. His brain raced at full speed, searching for any way to escape the predicament.
Gradually, they left the territory of the two great Soul Beast kings, and the auras of other Soul beasts began to fill the surroundings once more. For Tang San and Xiao Wu, this was anything but good news. At their current speed, if even a single Soul beast was startled and managed to hold them up for just an instant, the enemies behind would catch up in no time.
"Brother." Xiao Wu called softly.
Tang San lowered his head. He was using his spiritual power to scout the path ahead, so his eyes served little purpose now.
He gently tucked Xiao Wu's long hair aside and held her tighter. "As long as I'm alive, I will never let them hurt you."
With those words, Tang San's forward momentum abruptly slowed. His body, which had been rushing forward, shot upright as he raised four of his Eight Spider Lances and drove them into two large trees ahead. He moved sideways along the tree trunks like an enormous spider, crossing over several trees in succession.
There was purpose behind this maneuver. He was circling in a specific direction. The five closest pursuers were coming in a fan formation, and he was veering toward one flank. This way, when they caught up, he would not have to face the attacks of five Soul Saints simultaneously.
A blue aura erupted as the
This was no time for mercy. Tang San's eyes were already filled with ruthless cold.
The nearest agility-type Soul Master had come into view. Incredibly fast, he hurtled toward Tang San like a phantom.
As the enemy closed in, Tang San stopped moving. The Eight Spider Lances drove into the tree trunk behind him, suspending himself and Xiao Wu in midair.
The pursuing agility-type Soul Master was around fifty years old. He lacked Tang San's spiritual power detection, but through his aura lock he could sense that he was rapidly closing on his target, and his spirits soared. Tang San and Xiao Wu's figures were now clearly visible before him, and his hands instantly transformed into two razor-sharp blades as he lunged forward.
This agility-type Soul Master's Martial Soul was called the Soul-Chasing Swallow, and it specialized in speed and arcing attacks with devastating offensive power. Now, in order to catch Tang San, he had already activated his Martial Soul Avatar, his entire body resembling a massive black swallow, trailing a streak of pitch-black coldness as he slashed toward Tang San and Xiao Wu.
"Stop," Tang San commanded in a cold voice.
As if obeying an order, the Soul-Chasing Swallow Soul Saint froze in midair, his body locking in place before plunging toward the ground. Layers upon layers of Blue Silver Emperor vines had already coiled tightly around him.
To prepare for any possible developments, Tang San had long before encountering Xiao Wu and the others secretly planted Blue Silver Emperor Parasitism seeds on every member of Spirit Hall's group except for the two Titled Douluo. Activating them now produced the perfect element of surprise.
However, his opponent was in the midst of his Martial Soul Avatar. The true delay lasted only one second. As his body began to fall, the Blue Silver Emperor vines wrapped around him were already being shredded by his overwhelming offensive power.
But one second was more than enough for Tang San.
He surged forward, using the flight ability granted by the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone. In the instant the opponent was restricted by the Parasitism ability, Tang San closed the gap. The enemy had been charging straight at him, and under these conditions, the distance between them vanished in the blink of an eye.
Tang San's hands swept in a circular motion before his chest, and the Clear Sky Hammer materialized out of thin air with a sharp clang, perfectly intercepting the enemy's blade-hands as they broke free from the Parasitism.
Judging by Soul Power reserves and the strength of his Martial Soul Avatar, under normal circumstances Tang San would certainly have been blown away by that strike. But in reality, he was not knocked out of combat range — because the incomparably sharp Eight Spider Lances had already pierced into his opponent's body from eight directions.
The Blue Silver Emperor's second Soul Skill, Parasitism, had stunned the opponent. The panic of breaking free — these were the openings Tang San had been waiting for. In that single instant, the battle was already over.
Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer had blocked the opponent's attack, but the enormous impact forced the hammer back into his own chest. His other hand pulled Xiao Wu clear just in time, but the Clear Sky Hammer slammed directly into his own torso, and the enemy's blade-hand also left a bloody gash across his chest.
But that was all the Soul-Chasing Swallow Soul Saint could manage. With the Eight Spider Lances embedded in his body, the deadly poison eroded him instantly. Tang San clearly felt the opponent's life force draining away through the lances. And his own previously depleted Soul Power recovered slightly in kind.
What was the weight of the Clear Sky Hammer? On top of that came the shockwave of the opponent's Soul Power. A sweetness rose in Tang San's throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. But when the Eight Spider Lances withdrew from the opponent's body, the man had already been completely reduced to a husk — entirely drained by the lances.
From start to finish, the entire process had taken less than three seconds. Barely the time of a single breath, and the battle was over.
In a one-on-one fight, Tang San, with his two great domains and three great Soul Bones, would certainly have won even against a Soul Saint whose Soul Power exceeded his by more than ten ranks. He could even have achieved a flawless victory.
But right now, he had no time to carefully search for openings to achieve a clean win. Fighting as fast as possible forced him to resort to this life-risking method, and he had dispatched the Soul Saint-level agility-type Soul Master in an instant.
This "life-risking" method was not truly reckless. What Tang San did was pay the smallest possible price for the greatest possible result.
He had only coughed up some blood and suffered a minor injury — the wound on his chest was not even deep — yet he had traded it for the opponent's life. It was, without question, an exceptionally favorable bargain.
The instant he withdrew the Eight Spider Lances, Tang San had already launched himself and Xiao Wu into the air again. At the very moment he vacated his previous position, at least four ranged attacks struck the spot where he had just been. The other four agility-type Soul Masters had caught up.
Tang San understood that if he wanted to escape with Xiao Wu, these agility-type Soul Masters had to be dealt with. Otherwise, he could never outrun them. The moment they encountered a Soul beast blocking their path, both he and Xiao Wu would be finished. So he made a bold decision — no matter what, he had to find a way to take out the ones behind him.
On the surface, the price he had paid seemed small, but in his heart, Tang San felt a bitter taste.
A Soul Saint was still a Soul Saint, especially one who had activated a Martial Soul Avatar. In terms of Soul Power, they were not even on the same level as him. Even though what had just happened could not be called a full exchange, having the Clear Sky Hammer rebound into his chest left Tang San with a tight, constricted feeling. The blade that had grazed his chest had also deposited a stream of piercingly sharp destructive energy inside his body, which was now drilling desperately through his insides. He had no choice but to divert a portion of his
This, in turn, slowed his and Xiao Wu's forward progress once more. The other four agility-type Soul Masters, now driven into a frenzy, were closing in at a terrifying pace.
Having been pushed aside by Tang San earlier, Xiao Wu had watched wide-eyed as the agility-type Soul Saint had left that wound on Tang San's chest, snapping her out of her daze. She regulated her breathing and lightened her body as much as she could to reduce the burden on Tang San.
"Brother, what do we do?"
Tang San flew forward at full speed as he answered in a low voice, "We have to take out these four agility-type Soul Masters behind us, or we'll never escape. I just killed one — four remain."
Xiao Wu flashed a bright smile. The situation before them reminded her of the days when she and Tang San had faced powerful opponents in the Grand Battle Arena.
"Then let's show them what the Three-Five Combo can do." As she spoke, Xiao Wu wrapped one arm around Tang San's neck. Her boneless body slid effortlessly up over his shoulder and onto his back. As her lithe, supple form passed over his body, a rich wave of Soul Power rippled outward.
Xiao Wu had not yet reached Rank Sixty, and her Soul Power level felt comparable to
"They're closing in. Xiao Wu, in a moment I can take out two of them directly. But after dealing with those two, I'll need time to recover. Once I launch my attack, you carry me and run forward — as fast as you can, with me on your back. Understood?"
Clinging to Tang San's back, Xiao Wu nodded to show she understood.
Because of Tang San's earlier pause and reduced speed, the four agility-type Soul Masters behind them had drawn close. To avoid another surprise attack, the four Soul Saints had grouped up as they advanced, and the distance to Tang San and Xiao Wu had shrunk to less than fifty meters.
The Eight Spider Lances rose sharply from both sides of his body. On Tang San's signal, Xiao Wu tapped off his back with one foot, launching herself skyward. Tang San himself touched his left toes against a large tree ahead, whirling around to face them. Both hands rose simultaneously, lifted high.
The agility-type Soul Saints were simply too fast. Tang San had only made a single, simple motion before they had already closed to within twenty meters, all four of them with their Soul Skills fully prepared.
But at that very moment, all four bodies stiffened simultaneously. The two Soul Saints on the flanks were instantly entangled by Blue Silver Emperor Parasitism vines, while the two in the center — their eyes already completely glazed over — hurtled forward uncontrollably under their own momentum, crashing to the ground.
Tang San's body, too, seemed to have been hollowed out. His face turned deathly pale in an instant. Without the Eight Spider Lances supporting him in time, he would no longer have been able to stay standing.
The Soul-Snatching Life-Taking Yan King's Note. Yes — against Soul Saints who had activated their Martial Soul Avatars, of all the hidden weapons Tang San carried, only the Soul-Snatching Life-Taking Yan King's Note could deliver a one-hit kill.
Tang San had originally refined three of these notes. He had used one before, and now the remaining two were flung outward in the same instant.
The horror of the Soul-Snatching Life-Taking Yan King's Note lay not only in the weapon itself, but in the combination of throwing technique and Mysterious Heaven Skill power that accompanied it.
To deploy the Tang Sect's third-ranked inner-gate hidden weapon, all four great techniques were indispensable — the
When Tang San had been only Rank Forty, expending all of his Soul Power had only allowed him to launch one. Now, approaching Rank Sixty, he had fired two Notes simultaneously, and more than seventy percent of his Soul Power had been drained in the process. Combined with his earlier expenditures, the toll was devastating.
"Xiao Wu, help me!" Tang San shouted. For both him and Xiao Wu, this was the best opportunity they would get. If they let this chance slip, then Tang San — with nearly all his Soul Power spent — and a far weaker Xiao Wu would never get another.
A powerful surge of force struck Tang San from behind. In the next instant, his entire body was already hurtling through the air, slamming toward one of the agility-type Soul Masters.
Like the agility-type Soul Saint who had died to the Eight Spider Lances earlier, the one Tang San had now chosen as his target was only trapped by Parasitism for a single second.
Seeing Tang San hurtling toward him, the Soul Saint who had activated his Martial Soul Avatar barely had time to launch a frontal attack.
But just as he was about to strike, he found that his arms and legs would no longer move.
Xiao Wu had somehow appeared behind him at some point. A dazzling pink glow shone across her arms and legs, forming a unique layer of armor-like energy on the surface of her skin. She had locked herself onto his body like a massive clamp, holding him fast.
This was Xiao Wu's fifth Soul Skill — Soft Bone Lock.
Once an enemy was locked in place at close range by the Soft Bone Lock, unless their strength exceeded the user's by at least double, they had no choice but to remain trapped until Xiao Wu's Soul Power was exhausted or she voluntarily released them.