At this moment, the situation on the battlefield became clear.
Dugu Yan had decisively eliminated everyone except Tang San.
The poison of a Level 67 Control-Type Poison Soul Emperor was undetectable and terrifying.
Even Soul Kings had failed to notice they were poisoned before succumbing.
Truly, it was horrifying.
As expected of the granddaughter of Dugu Bo, the master of both poison and medicine—her toxin manipulation was fearsome.
Seven against one.
The Glazed Academy team had suffered no losses, while the Shrek Academy team had only Tang San left.
Even with his confidence, Tang San didn't believe he could defeat a Level 67 Soul Emperor supported by the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda and Nine Heart Begonia. At only Level 51, it was simply impossible.
Tang San's expression shifted several times before he gritted his teeth and said, "We admit defeat in this match—"
"Tang San, how about we have a duel?"
"Just you and me. What do you say?"
The moment Dugu Yan finished speaking, Tang San's raised hand froze midair, and his brows furrowed. "Dugu Yan, what do you mean by this?"
"Simple. You represent the Clear Sky Sect, while I represent the Seven Treasure Glazed School."
"Surely you don't expect Rongrong, a support-type Soul Master, to fight you, right? That would be too unfair."
"Our goal is the championship—even a complete sweep!" Dugu Yan shrugged, glancing toward the rest area with a faint smile. "I imagine the Clear Sky Sect must have similar ambitions."
Tang San scoffed. "Do you really think this is fair?"
"Nothing is completely fair," Dugu Yan replied calmly. "You're participating in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, which means everyone under 25 is competing on equal footing, isn't it?"
Tang San fell silent at her words.
Indeed, in theory, all participants under 25 were competing fairly.
But the problem was—forcing a Soul King like him to fight her was nothing short of bullying.
"I won't use the support of Nine Heart Begonia or the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda. It'll just be you and me."
"Just like two and a half years ago."
"Two and a half years…" The barely suppressed anger in Tang San flared up again at those words.
That had been an indelible humiliation. As a former outer disciple of the Tang Sect, he had been completely outmatched in poison manipulation—unable to even detoxify himself.
Utterly unforgivable.
"I accept!"
Tang San finally made his decision.
Since she had brought up the Seven Treasure Glazed School and the Clear Sky Sect, backing down now was impossible—even if he stood no chance.
Besides, with his Twin Martial Souls, the Blue Silver Grass that had evolved into a mutated Blue Silver Emperor, and the Slaughter Domain, victory wasn't entirely out of reach.
"Good. As expected of someone with Twin Martial Souls. No wonder Rongrong says you're unique."
"You—" Tang San's expression stiffened slightly at the mention of his Twin Martial Souls.
"What, am I wrong?" Dugu Yan tilted her head in feigned confusion. "That little hammer you used two and a half years ago—wasn't that a Martial Soul?"
The more explicit confirmation turned Tang San's face ashen. He never expected his Twin Martial Souls to be exposed like this.
And with Spirit Hall representatives present, no less. Seven Treasure Glazed School—how could they dare…
After this match, Spirit Hall's wariness of him would undoubtedly skyrocket.
"Dugu Yan, I'll fight you with everything I have," Tang San said through gritted teeth.
"Excellent." Dugu Yan gestured for her teammates to retreat to the edge of the stage. Ning Rongrong and the others didn't step off completely.
Seeing this, Tang San didn't comment. Since Dugu Yan had proposed a one-on-one duel, whether others remained onstage didn't matter.
In such a public setting, if he won, would the Seven Treasure Glazed School dare go back on their word?
If they had the shamelessness to do so…
Well, even someone as pure and noble as himself would have to accept it.
Thus, at the center of the stage, Dugu Yan and Tang San prepared for their rematch after two and a half years.
Unlike last time, when he had been utterly helpless, Tang San now believed he had the advantage—his chances of winning were decent.
He excelled in poison, and with the various Tang Sect techniques at his disposal, a mere Level 67 Soul Emperor shouldn't be a match for him.
He just had to be careful.
Very careful.
Victory was within his grasp.
Meanwhile, in the corner, Ning Rongrong and the others—especially Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er—were whispering among themselves.
"Rongrong, is this really okay?" Shui Bing'er asked, puzzled. Why had Ning Rongrong allowed Dugu Yan to act so recklessly? Initially, there hadn't been any plans for a solo duel.
"What's the problem?" Ning Rongrong shrugged. "Wasn't the whole point of this match to let Dugu Yan do as she pleases?"
"Don't forget our real objective."
"The Domain…"
Shui Bing'er fell silent. She knew just how powerful Domains could be.
Ning Rongrong had used hers to accelerate the fusion of her and Shui Yue'er's Martial Souls by at least half.
Moreover, Shui Bing'er had a vague feeling that Ning Rongrong's Domain wasn't as simple as it appeared—what they'd seen was likely just the tip of the iceberg.
At the center of the stage…
Tang San still couldn't comprehend why his opponent had proposed such an asymmetrical duel.
From a certain perspective, he was the one benefiting—he at least had a chance to win.
But Tang San wasn't one to overthink. He struck first with his soul skill—Blue Silver Entanglement.
Blue Silver Grass erupted from the ground, lashing toward Dugu Yan from all directions. The thorny vines would undoubtedly inflict excruciating pain if they struck her.
"Is this all you've got?"
Dugu Yan didn't dodge. Instead, a pale green mist seeped from her body.
The mist enveloped the surrounding space, and the encroaching Blue Silver Grass began withering at a visible pace, stopping half a meter away from her.
"Poison again?" Tang San thought to himself.
This time, he had reinforced his soul skill with enhanced toxicity resistance—yet it had no effect whatsoever.
What kind of poison was this green mist? It didn't resemble snake venom.
Just like last time, when he had tried neutralizing it with realgar wine—only to fail completely.
He needed a way to counter this toxin, or he wouldn't stand a chance.
Taking a deep breath, Tang San steeled himself.
Since he had decided to go all out, there was no point holding back.
With his Twin Martial Souls—his trump card against Spirit Hall—already exposed, there was nothing left to hide.
A faint crimson hue gradually spread outward from Tang San, tainting the air around him.
An aura of slaughter and malice began permeating the battlefield.
"Intentional or not?"
Seeing the Slaughter Domain creeping toward them, Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda emitted a radiant glow, forming a barrier that shielded her group from its influence.
At a time like this, he was still testing them? Was this recklessness or sheer audacity?
Once the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda's barrier isolated the Domain's spread, Tang San retracted its reach toward the edges, focusing it entirely on Dugu Yan.
"Fifth Soul Skill—Misfortune Poison!"
Almost the instant Tang San's Slaughter Domain closed in, Dugu Yan's fifth soul ring flashed brightly.
The pale green poison mist, as if obeying a command, surged toward the Domain.
Sizzle—!
The clash between the two forces produced an eerie sound.
After all, the Slaughter Domain was tied to divine laws, and Dugu Yan had held back slightly when unleashing her Misfortune Poison. Thus, the two powers reached a temporary stalemate.
"This… is this a Domain?"
Beads of sweat formed on Tang San's forehead.
"No—it's not a Domain. It's some kind of soul skill. How can a soul skill's poison corrode the energy of the Slaughter Domain? Is that even possible?"
Not even he—let alone his great-grandfather Tang Chen—had ever heard of such a thing.
Theoretically, a soul skill's energy shouldn't be able to devour the power of the Slaughter Domain.
Yet within minutes, Tang San could feel his Domain teetering on the verge of collapse.
This wouldn't do. His opponent's soul power was stronger. He needed to find a way to break through.
Gathering his soul power, Tang San conjured a blood-red spear in his hand.
Bathed in the Slaughter Domain's glow, the weapon radiated a sinister crimson light.
With a swift motion, he hurled the spear.
"Fifth Soul Skill—Blue Silver Overlord Spear!"