Chapter 73: Winning Streak, Xue Qinghe's Little Scheme
The opponent bowed, his posture crisp and clean.
Tang Shan was somewhat surprised. General Hong Zhen had already stated that he was here to challenge all Spirit Masters and Spirit Grandmasters. To put it bluntly, he was here to cause a scene, yet the first opponent to step onto the training ground was quite polite.
"Tang Shan, Level 19 Battle Spirit Master. Let's keep this a friendly spar."
Since the opponent was courteous, Tang Shan was naturally extra polite. As for the matter of establishing authority that Xue Qinghe had entrusted to him, he had already been provocative enough; the target for establishing authority would surely jump out on their own later.
Wang Shuang stared at the youth opposite him, not daring to be careless in the slightest. It was precisely this caution that had allowed him to survive on the battlefield time and time again.
He took the initiative to summon his Spirit. It was an ordinary iron spear, about two meters long, with a cold, hard metallic luster. A pale yellow spirit ring slowly emerged from beneath his feet, and faint spirit power fluctuations quietly radiated from his body.
Tang Shan also released his Spirit but did not reveal his spirit ring, intending to save that shock for later.
The moment his Spirit was activated, his body expanded rapidly. His height shot up by ten centimeters in the blink of an eye, and his muscles bulged and knotted all over. His explosive physique stretched his clothes tight, the fabric strained to the point of tearing at any second.
He opened his fingers and then clenched them back into a fist. A crisp "crack-crack" sound of joints colliding echoed, exuding an invisible pressure that made the surrounding soldiers subconsciously hold their breath.
He twisted his neck, and the sound of joints stretching followed. As he loosened up, he looked exactly like a formidable warrior warming up before a battle, brewing the power about to erupt.
Facing the pressure constantly climbing from Tang Shan, Wang Shuang could no longer hold back and struck first. He knew very well that if he let this drag on, he might completely lose the courage to wield his spear.
"First Soul Skill, Double Spears!"
With a low shout, a spear identical to his Spirit—as if an exact copy—appeared out of thin air in his left hand. He took long strides, his speed accelerated instantly, and both spears thrust toward Tang Shan's chest and throat. A stern murderous intent involuntarily radiated from him, and the tips of the spears cut through the air with sharp whistles.
"All flash, no substance."
At this moment, the training ground had already subconsciously returned to silence. Numerous soldiers stared breathlessly at the battle before them, and it was precisely because of this quiet that Tang Shan's calm evaluation reached the ears of almost everyone present.
Wang Shuang's face instantly turned livid. He unleashed all the strength he had been holding back, and the speed of the spears in his hands increased once more. As the spear shadows intertwined, they almost formed two afterimages, and his offensive was several times fiercer than before.
Slap! Slap!
Facing the two spears thrusting toward his vital points, Tang Shan's reaction was simple and straightforward. He opened his arms wide, shifted his body slightly to the side, and nimbly dodged the sharp spear tips. Then, with a flick of his wrists, he accurately grabbed the middle of the spear shafts. With force from his fingertips, he instantly immobilized both spears completely; no matter how hard Wang Shuang exerted himself, he could not push them forward even an inch.
Seeing his offensive neutralized so easily, Wang Shuang was startled but not panicked. He instinctively twisted his hands, wanting to shake off Tang Shan's grip, a sneer appearing on his face: wanting to disarm him barehanded, it wasn't that easy.
But the next second, his smile stiffened on his face. The spears in his hands felt as if they were embedded in a hard wall; not only could he not twist them, but he couldn't even make the slightest movement. Tang Shan's palms were like two iron clamps, locking the spear shafts tightly without moving an inch.
"Your strength is too weak, and your Spirit Ability is mediocre. You haven't even mastered a single spear, yet you dare to play with double spears? What are you thinking?"
Tang Shan commented while holding both spears with both hands. His arms exerted force suddenly, and he lifted Wang Shuang into the air by sheer strength. At this moment, Wang Shuang was at least three or four meters off the ground. While he wouldn't be injured if he really fell, he would certainly be dizzy and disoriented.
"I concede."
Wang Shuang was quite decisive. Seeing that he had no power to resist, he immediately admitted defeat.
When Tang Shan put him down, Wang Shuang looked at Tang Shan, his tone carrying a bit of dissatisfaction: "I lost this round, that's true, but what you said is wrong. Since my First Soul Skill is to copy an identical Spirit, naturally I should fight with double spears. Should I practice with a single spear? Then what is the use of this Spirit Ability?"
Tang Shan saw that the opponent hadn't left the stage immediately but was instead obsessing over his previous words, and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Who stipulated that a Spirit Ability that awakens a copy Spirit must use double spears? You could completely use the extra spear as a throwing weapon. I saw your spear technique earlier; your foundation isn't bad. I assume your strength didn't improve significantly after switching to double spears, right?"
Tang Shan's words made the expression on Wang Shuang's face stiffen abruptly. Just as Tang Shan said, ever since he switched to double spears, opponents he couldn't beat before, he still couldn't beat now, and he was even occasionally suppressed by Spirit Masters of the same Rank.
"There is no problem with wanting to practice double spear techniques, but you must first master single-handed spear techniques until they are as proficient as an extension of your limbs. Otherwise, mindless practice will only interfere with each other, and in the end, you will only be marking time."
Tang Shan had guided Su Yuntao in Cultivate since he was young. Seeing his opponent walking down the wrong path of training, he couldn't help but be unable to suppress his desire to offer guidance and gave a few more instructions.
Wang Shuang walked off the training ground in a daze, clearly needing a long time to digest the truth in Tang Shan's words.
Looking at his lonely back, Tang Shan ultimately suppressed the urge to complain and didn't say the most soul-crushing words: he could see that Wang Shuang was purely using his Spirit as an ordinary weapon. If it were him, the moment his Spirit was grabbed, he would have retracted and re-released it, never allowing the opponent to control it, let alone letting the opponent use his Spirit as a medium to lift him up.
Soon, the next opponent walked onto the training ground to challenge Tang Shan, but it wasn't long before they were eliminated by Tang Shan in short order. Afterward, one opponent after another came onto the stage, but all were defeated within a few rounds. The Spirit Master who lasted the longest didn't even make it past ten rounds. Tang Shan had never felt that defeating opponents was so simple.
On the viewing platform, Xue Qinghe watched as Tang Shan defeated opponents while precisely pointing out their flaws. Although he remained calm on the surface, he was overjoyed inside: this was exactly it. While crushing the opponents' confidence, he was also guiding them. Tang Shan was even more outstanding than he had imagined. As expected of the Grandmaster's Disciple. With this, why worry that these soldiers wouldn't revere him?
Standing on the side and also watching the battle, General Hong Zhen's expression became increasingly solemn. Finally, he couldn't help but ask: "Your Highness, where did you find this Prodigy, Tang Shan? His combat techniques can no longer be described as exquisite. Every casual strike seems to mobilize most of the power in his body; each hit is comparable to an ordinary person's full-force blow."
"This is normal. After all, his Spirit is a Body Martial Soul, and his ability to utilize his Physical Body is far superior to ordinary people. It is not strange that he can achieve this."
Xue Qinghe responded this way, but his heart stirred. He almost forgot that Tang Shan's control over his body and mobilization of Qi and blood were also superb. After a while, when he became more familiar with him, he would see if he could get him to teach him. After all, even his two uncles said that Tang Shan's use of Qi and blood was something they had only seen in their lives, and might even exceed that of Grandpa Golden Crocodile.
"Body Martial Soul? Could it be the kind of Body Martial Soul mentioned in the Grandmaster's Spirit theory?"
General Hong Zhen was full of surprise.
"That's right, it is a Body Martial Soul. The Grandmaster's vision is truly extraordinary; Body Martial Souls indeed have unique aspects."
Although Xue Qinghe hadn't yet grasped the mysteries of the Body Martial Soul, he believed that if he didn't know, Tang Shan definitely did. He would bluff General Hong Zhen for now.
The light in General Hong Zhen's eyes flickered for a moment, but he ultimately didn't speak again. However, his heart had already been stirred by Xue Qinghe's words: is it also a Body Martial Soul?
"My name is Zhang San, my Spirit is a Power Ape, Level 20 Spirit Master. I am considered the strongest One-Ring Soul Master in our army. If you beat me, then Two-Ring Spirit Grandmasters will challenge you next."
Tang Shan was attracted by the words of the burly man in front of him. First, the opponent's name—someone actually gave their child such a casual name; second, the spirit power Ape was a Power-type Spirit, the same type as his own Body Martial Soul. The upcoming battle could finally pique some interest; lastly, the meaning in these words gave him the inexplicable illusion that he was playing a level-clearing game. The Zhang San in front of him was like a boss at the end of a level; beating him would allow him to enter the second level.
"Why do I have to beat you to have a Two-Ring Spirit Master challenge me?"
Tang Shan was a bit curious; he really didn't understand the thinking of these soldiers.
"It's already unfair for so many of us to take turns challenging you. If we let a Two-Ring Spirit Master come up directly, it would be suspected of bullying the weak. If you defeat me, it shows that your strength has been recognized. By then, even if a Two-Ring Spirit Master beats you, it won't be considered an insult to you."
Zhang San explained sincerely, his words revealing the straightforwardness of a soldier.
Tang Shan's mouth twitched slightly. He could only say that the army of this Barrier City was indeed "strictly disciplined." If it were him, he would have engaged in dimensionality reduction strikes long ago, fearing that Xue Qinghe would go back on his word afterward and not give the promised gold coins.
"Come on."
Tang Shan didn't say anything more and beckoned to the burly man in front of him, a glimmer of anticipation flashing in his eyes.
"Then be careful. First Soul Skill, Rampage!"
Zhang San let out a low shout, and his spirit power erupted suddenly. His body expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye, his hands quickly became longer and thicker, his muscles bulged, and the bright yellow spirit ring at his feet suddenly flashed with dazzling light. His eyes turned blood red, his body expanded by another circle, and he looked like a furious giant ape, full of tyrannical power.
His legs stomped hard on the ground, creating two shallow pits, and gravel splattered. Borrowing this force, his figure leaped several meters into the air, pouncing toward Tang Shan. His massive fists, carrying the whistling wind, descended from the sky, wrapped in powerful force, smashing directly at the top of Tang Shan's head.
"Well come!"
Seeing the opponent's physical changes, Tang Shan let out a loud shout. His bones and muscles chimed in unison. As he stretched his tendons and pulled his bones, his body underwent changes again. His muscle lines became more refined, his Qi and blood surged and flowed within his body, exuding a majestic Aura.
Tang Shan did not use any Spirit Ability but relied on his long-term understanding and polishing of his body to further tap into the potential of his Physical Body. Although this state could not compare to the Seeing God level of development when using Spirit Abilities, the boost to his body was absolutely not to be underestimated.
Vigorous Qi and blood boiled and circulated in his body. Facing the opponent's fist descending from the sky, Tang Shan's soles stomped hard on the ground, gravel flying. Surging power rose from his Yongquan acupoint, passed through his legs, waist, and abdomen, and spine, section by section, and finally gathered on his right fist. He twisted his waist and straightened his back, meeting Zhang San's fist with a fierce, straight-up cannon punch.
Bang!
A violent sound of physical collision rang out. The vigorous power exploded crazily at the point where the fists met, and an invisible air wave spread to the surroundings, blowing the clothes of the surrounding soldiers to flutter, and the ground beneath their feet trembled slightly.
Feeling the surging power coming from the fist, the corners of Tang Shan's mouth curled into an excited arc, and the Qi and blood in his body boiled even more.
Seeing that his attack had missed, Zhang San, who was in the Rampage state, instinctively turned his body. Using Tang Shan's fist as a fulcrum, his figure quickly moved close to Tang Shan. At the same time, his left leg raised subconsciously, and he kicked fiercely toward Tang Shan's chest with a powerful forward kick.
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