Chapter 74: Defeating Zhang San, the Target for Establishing Authority Who Jumped Out Voluntarily
The muscles in his thighs and calves worked in unison, unleashing a powerful force as his foot lunged toward Tang Shan's chest with a sharp whistle.
At the very moment of impact, Tang Shan's body underwent a bizarre transformation.
As Tang Shan exhaled deeply, his chest suddenly caved inward. His bones and organs seemed to vanish into thin air as his entire thoracic region rapidly recessed, narrowly avoiding the heavy, forceful kick.
Whoosh!
The fierce wind brushed past the hem of his robe. A kick clearly full of power missed by a mere inch. Yet, that inch felt like a natural chasm; despite venting all his strength, he could only touch the corner of the fabric.
The moment the kick missed, his center of gravity shifted, and his coordination was instantly disrupted. Zhang San felt his blood surge, his body stiffening until he couldn't Move.
But Tang Shan gave him no chance to catch his breath.
Seeing his opponent's Move miss and reveal a flaw, Tang Shan flipped his wrist. His fist, wrapped in whistling wind, struck upward toward Zhang San's jaw. Before the fist even arrived, a sharp blast of air swept across his cheek.
Bang!
Zhang San reacted quickly, instinctively crossing his hands to push downward, barely blocking the heavy blow. However, the immense force from the fist still numbed his arms, and he flew backward and upward uncontrollably, losing any leverage in the air.
Before mastering the ability to fly, most attacks and defenses rely on the ground as their core. Once separated from the ground, in a sense, one loses their Foundation for offense and defense, left only to passively endure subsequent attacks.
In the blink of an eye, how could Tang Shan miss such an opportunity? The moment his legs pushed off, several fine cracks appeared on the ground. He lunged toward the airborne Zhang San like a pouncing tiger, carrying a sharp Aura.
Turning his fist into a claw, his index fingers tightened like blades with tips glinting coldly. One hand aimed for the throat while the other struck toward the chest like lightning. The two attacks connected seamlessly, sealing off all of Zhang San's escape angles.
Facing the lethal threat, Zhang San's eyes widened and his pupils shrank. Relying on his powerful core strength, he forced his body to twist half an inch in mid-air, barely dodging the claw aimed at his throat, but he was truly powerless to avoid the attack on his chest.
Rip! Bang!
The crisp sound of tearing cloth and the dull thud of flesh impact rang out simultaneously. Zhang San's clothes were shredded by a claw, and five bloody gashes appeared on his chest. Blood seeped out instantly, making him shudder in pain as his body fell faster toward the ground.
After landing, Zhang San ignored the sharp pain in his chest and rolled several times. Though the movement was undignified, it was efficient, allowing him to narrowly escape Tang Shan's follow-up pursuit and stabilize himself.
"What sharp Moves this Tang Shan has."
"Yeah, and that ruthless fighting style... are we sure he didn't just crawl out of a pile of corpses? Every attack goes for a vital spot."
"It shows he has no qualms. He's definitely seen a lot of blood."
The soldiers' chatter didn't affect the two combatants.
Barely escaping Tang Shan's relentless assault, Zhang San pounded his chest and let out a roar filled with violent energy. The spirit power within him surged wildly, his muscles swelling further as he charged at Tang Shan again.
"This Spirit Ability isn't great. Losing clarity and entering a berserk state during battle only leads to reckless behavior. Although combat strength increases significantly, the effect is only average."
Critiquing it thus, Tang Shan also noticed the flaw in this Spirit Ability. As long as one was agile enough, they could completely toy with a Spirit Master who had activated a berserk Spirit Ability.
Despite finding the flaw, Tang Shan had no intention of exploiting it. It was rare to encounter a strength-attribute Spirit Master; how could he not squeeze out every bit of the man's utility?
He stomped the ground, causing it to vibrate slightly, then exhaled and shouted, "Ha!"
His blood boiled instantly. A sense of abundant power surged through his limbs to his heart. His muscles knotted, veins bulged, and every inch of his physique radiated powerful explosive force.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A straightforward clash of fists followed. The dull thuds of the Collisions vibrated the surrounding air. There was no technique involved, only the purest clash of physical strength.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
His shirt finally couldn't withstand the surging muscles. The fabric kept tearing until it shattered completely, revealing his lean upper body. The contraction and expansion of his muscles exuded a thick masculine Aura. Vigorous power surged in that young body, every movement carrying a powerful sense of pressure.
A trace of unease flashed in Xue Qinghe's eyes before he forced himself to calm his mind.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two rapidly changed positions as they fought, their figures weaving through the field. The sound of fists colliding was as dense as drumbeats. In the blink of an eye, dozens of rounds had passed, leaving the surrounding soldiers dazzled and afraid to breathe.
Exhilarating! Exhilarating! Tang Shan had never fought so satisfyingly. The blood in his body surged, providing a continuous flow of energy. Every Collision made his blood boil with excitement.
The more Tang Shan fought, the more excited he became, and his Aura grew stronger. His fist speed and power were constantly climbing. Unknowingly, Zhang San had fallen into a total disadvantage, forced into passive blocking. Wounds gradually appeared on his body, and his breathing became heavy.
Bang!
Tang Shan spotted a flaw and struck like lightning, grabbing Zhang San's arm. His fingers gripped tightly, sensing the trajectory of the man's power. With a sudden pull, the immense force sent Zhang San flying into the air before slamming him hard into the ground with a loud bang, sending dust flying.
Then his figure blurred, appearing beside Zhang San. He tossed his still-unsteady opponent high again, braced his shoulder with powerful force, and slammed into him, sending him crashing into the edge of the field with a dull thud.
As his body hit the ground, several soldiers rushed forward to check on Zhang San's condition.
"Don't worry, I didn't use lethal force. He's just fainted."
Tang Shan stood with his hands behind his back and exhaled deeply. His boiling blood gradually calmed, and his muscles relaxed. An Aura of consecutive victories radiated from him, causing the surrounding soldiers to look at him with awe.
"This guy is indeed powerful. Even Zhang San, who might be the strongest one-ring user, was no match for him and was defeated so easily."
"It wasn't exactly easy. Don't forget, he ended his previous battles within ten rounds. This time, Zhang San fought him to a standstill for a while."
"True. Even though he won this time, the two-ring captains later will surely put him in his place."
At that moment, a weak voice joined the conversation.
"Has that Tang Shan... not used a Spirit Ability yet?"
Hearing this, everyone froze for a moment before realization struck. Indeed, they were so focused on the back-and-forth fight that they only just realized the opponent hadn't used a single Spirit Ability.
The soldiers fell into a brief silence.
On the high platform, General had clearly noticed this as well. Looking at the high-spirited "youth" in the field, his heart skipped a beat. Could they actually lose this time?
"Your Highness, this Tang Shan is truly extraordinary. Even I can't see any trace of him using a Spirit Ability. I wonder what the specific effect of his Spirit Ability is, for it to be so inconspicuous."
"
Still somewhat unwilling, General tentatively asked Xue Qinghe beside him.
Sensing the probe in the other's words, Xue Qinghe thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth.
"General Hong, Tang Shan hasn't used a Spirit Ability yet. I've seen the specific effect of his Spirit Ability; it's not this quiet. You should be able to see it in a moment."
Hearing Xue Qinghe's somewhat teasing words, General gritted his teeth and sent a voice transmission to his subordinates. He didn't believe that Tang Shan could maintain his Peak state throughout a battle of attrition.
Snake Lance Douluo's voice transmission reached Xue Qinghe's ears. He glanced at General, a smile appearing on his lips. With Tang Shan's current strength, as long as he had enough spirit power, a battle of attrition wouldn't be enough to defeat him.
The field fell into a brief silence; no one continued to step up.
Tang Shan paced the field with his hands behind his back. Seeing that no one was coming out to fight, he couldn't help but shake his head intentionally.
"Is this it? No wonder it's called the Barrier Army. It turns out that's just a nice name; it should actually be called the Cowardly Turtle Army. Didn't someone say a two-ring Spirit Master wanted to challenge me? Where is he?"
"You little brat, getting cocky just because you're winning! Your grandpa is here to teach you a lesson."
A somewhat low voice sounded. A Fatty, five feet tall with a waist equal to his height, squeezed out from the crowd. His face was covered in fat, his body greasy, and he had uniquely small eyes.
Tang Shan looked at the Fatty curiously. The man was nearly two heads shorter than him with his Spirit activated. Looking down felt like a father looking at his son.
The Fatty pulled at his tight clothes and let out a cold snort.
"Listen up, brat. Your grandpa's name is Fierce. You—"
Tang Shan's brow furrowed. The man's words were incredibly crude, even starting to insult his family tree.
In that case, you'll be the unlucky Spirit Master I use to establish my authority, won't you?
Tang Shan's brow gradually smoothed, but a cold light flickered in his eyes.
Fierce felt a chill down his spine, as if he were being watched by something terrifying. But the feeling vanished in an instant, and he dismissed it as an illusion. He continued to hurl insults, hoping to disrupt Tang Shan's thoughts.
"General Hong, this man has a really foul mouth."
On the high platform, Xue Qinghe's brow also furrowed as he listened to the man's vulgar language, his eyes showing clear disgust.
General felt a bit embarrassed but explained, "This man is named Fierce. He does have some character flaws, and his words are indeed unpleasant. He wasn't like this before. A few years ago, he got into a conflict with a group and was taught a lesson. Since then, his mouth has become quite poisonous."
"However, he does have his merits. After that incident years ago, he has been at the forefront of every mission, risking his life several times to reach his current cultivation. Otherwise, with his Innate spirit power of level one, he couldn't have reached two rings at this age."
"Come on."
Tang Shan spoke indifferently after the opponent finally finished spewing filth.
Fierce snorted again and then performed Martial Soul Possession.
His Spirit was the Bristleback Boar, which provided a certain amount of defense. One white and one yellow spirit ring emerged from beneath his feet, rising and falling along his body. Bristles protruded from his exposed skin, each as hard as a needle. Two long, sharp tusks grew from his mouth, glinting with a cold light. His nose also expanded rapidly into a pig's snout, with several black hairs poking out. He looked increasingly fierce.
"Kid, take a hit from your grandpa!"
Fierce roared, "First Soul Skill: Collision!"
An earthy yellow light instantly enveloped his stout body, and a heavy glow appeared on his surface. His defense and impact force surged. Then, Fierce lowered his head, tusks pointing straight at Tang Shan, and kicked off. He charged like an out-of-control heavy chariot, whistling with fierce wind, making the ground thud with every step.
Tang Shan's lip twitched slightly. Why did people have to shout when activating a Spirit Ability? Didn't they feel embarrassed?
While thinking of such random things, Tang Shan's reaction in reality was not slow at all. He instinctively dodged to the side, moving as nimbly as a rabbit to avoid the impact.
Eh?
As Tang Shan moved, the direction of the rapidly charging Fierce also shifted slightly, still crashing toward him without any deviation.
Does it have a lock-on function?
Tang Shan quickly assessed the situation. At such speed, it was impossible for an ordinary Spirit Master to change direction. In his eyes, Fierce was clearly an ordinary Spirit Master. Therefore, the reason he could change the direction of the Collision was obvious: it was an effect inherent to the Spirit Ability itself.
Since it can lock on, let's see where the limit of this lock-on is.
A strange smile appeared on Tang Shan's face, a hint of playfulness in his eyes. He no longer just simply dodged but began to weave and Move rapidly.
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