Yu Tianheng wasn't afraid of the lightning on the plants, but the thorns on the vines brought back some unpleasant memories. He quickly took out a flying sausage and swallowed it in one gulp, then dodged the surrounding plants and flew upward.
Tang San and Dai Mubai also reacted quickly, following closely behind as they ascended into the air.
"Hehe, I knew something like this would happen. Phoenix Wings Soaring to the Sky," Ma Hongjun chuckled slyly as his third Spirit Ring lit up. "I'll just fly directly above Li Xun from the air. Let's see what his plants can do to me."
Both Ma Hongjun and Yu Feng's Martial Souls had the ability to fly. Although Ma Hongjun's speed wasn't particularly fast, his flight ability was undoubtedly more sustainable compared to Tang San and the others, who relied on mushroom sausages for flight.
Yu Feng nodded without saying a word and quickly ascended, trying to catch up.
"Fatty, I was planning to skewer you like a skewer, but since you're so confident, I'll have to show you something special," Li Xun sneered as he sensed Ma Hongjun's words.
He channeled his Soul Power into the ground, causing the nourished vines to grow wildly. Even trees that weren't initially aggressive began to extend their branches. These vines and branches grew rapidly and densely, far surpassing their previous state. They intertwined like massive fishing nets, with the gaps between them growing smaller and smaller.
In an instant, they were about to seal off the sky above Tang San and the others.
"Not good! Fatty, Yu Feng, get up here now!" The few who had already risen halfway into the air saw the movement of the vines above and were immediately alarmed. They shouted warnings to Ma Hongjun and Yu Feng.
Without hesitation, they quickly ascended further, using their Soul Skills to break through the vines and escape before the net completely closed.
By this time, Ma Hongjun and Yu Feng had just left the ground. Seeing the speed at which the vines were sealing off the sky above the forest, they were both shocked.
"Dai Laosi, Tianheng, give us a hand!" Ma Hongjun shouted.
Upon hearing this, Yu Tianheng and Dai Mubai immediately activated their Soul Skills, preparing to blast a hole for Ma Hongjun and Yu Feng to escape. However, just as they mobilized their Soul Power, they suddenly heard the sound of something cutting through the air.
Thud—
A spear pierced through flesh. As they turned toward the source of the sound, each was struck by a blue spear crackling with lightning.
Accompanied by the sound of flesh tearing—a sound only they could hear—Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng were horrified. They quickly grabbed the shafts of the spears to prevent them from fully penetrating their bodies and causing even greater damage.
Although they managed to stop the wounds from spreading, the force of the spears sent them flying backward. They only stopped when their bodies slammed into the walls of the Soul Arena.
Cough—
Dai Mubai clutched the spear embedded in his abdomen as a large mouthful of blood suddenly gushed from his mouth. As his consciousness began to fade, he saw that Tailong had also been pinned to the wall not far from him and Yu Tianheng by a spear crackling with lightning.
"How could this…"
At this moment, Dai Mubai, Yu Tianheng, and Tailong were each pinned to the wall separating the Great Spirit Arena from the outside world by a blue spear. Blood continued to rain down onto the heads of the audience in the back row.
Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes were operating at their peak, allowing him to narrowly dodge the long spears. When he turned his head and saw the dire state of his companions, a surge of overwhelming killing intent rose within him. However, before he could unleash his fury upon Li Xun, he heard a series of sharp, piercing sounds cutting through the air.
Tang San was startled and quickly used Crane Control, Dragon Capture to deflect the six long spears. At the same time, he activated his Fourth Soul Skill: "Blue Silver Prison."
As Tang San's Fourth Soul Ring lit up, vines instantly sprouted beneath Li Xun and his five Wood Release Clones, weaving into a cage that trapped him.
Li Xun casually glanced at the Blue Silver Grass that had ensnared him and paid it no further mind. With a snap of his fingers, he directed the long spears that were about to whiz past Tang San.
The snap seemed to be a signal, as the six spears exploded instantly, releasing a mix of thunder, extreme cold, and scorching heat that filled the space around Tang San.
Seeing this, Tang San's pupils contracted, and his expression changed drastically.
He immediately curled his body, using his Eight Spider Lances to shield himself while releasing a large amount of Blue Silver Grass to entangle himself.
However, the energy from the exploding spears was exceptionally violent. The Blue Silver Grass he had deployed was torn apart in an instant, followed by the Eight Spider Lances.
The moment his External Soul Bone was shattered, Tang San could clearly feel the impact of the raging thunderstorm around him. He curled up tightly, protecting his head to minimize the damage.
In this critical moment, a scream echoed throughout the arena. Tang San faintly recognized it as Ma Hongjun's voice.
At that moment, Ma Hongjun was entangled by thorny vines that covered his entire body. The thorns pierced into his flesh like steel needles.
Ma Hongjun struggled fiercely, burning his Second Soul Skill in an attempt to incinerate the surrounding plants, but it was all in vain.
Although his flames had some effect on the plants, it took a long time to ignite them, and time was precisely what he lacked.
Despite being a strong attack-type Soul Master, Ma Hongjun's physical body was not particularly robust. Every movement of the thorns embedded in his body caused significant damage.
What was most unbearable for him was that some of the thorns carried electric currents that had deeply penetrated his vulnerable areas.
"No! Let me go!" Ma Hongjun screamed in agony, tears and snot streaming down his face. Most importantly, he didn't want to end up like Dai Mubai. He still had the issue of his Evil Fire to resolve.
"Save him, quickly!!"
Everything happened so fast that by the time anyone realized what was going on, it was already too late.
The most devastated were the spectators sitting in the last row of the stands. They touched their heads, looked at the blood on their hands, and froze in place. When they finally regained their senses, they erupted into hysteria.
It wasn't until the commotion reached Flender, the Grandmaster, and the referees that they snapped out of their daze. When Li Xun had used his Ninjutsu, the entire arena's visibility had been completely obstructed, and even with their cultivation, they couldn't see what was happening inside.
Only when Tang San and the others flew out of the forest did the audience finally get a sense of the match.
"We, Shrek Academy, concede!!"
Hearing Ma Hongjun's screams and seeing the dire state of Dai Mubai and Tang San, Flender immediately shouted, pulling Tang San out of the chaotic energy before the explosion could completely engulf him.
Then, holding Tang San tightly, he plummeted downward. His Soul Power surged instantly, allowing him to break through Li Xun's plant blockade at an incredible speed and reach Ma Hongjun's side.
Seeing Flender step in to stop the match, the referee quickly signaled for Li Xun to cease his actions.
"I was just getting started," Li Xun muttered, feeling somewhat bored. He retracted his Wood Release Clone and slowly made his way through the Blue Silver Grass cage.
If he had been trapped by other Soul Skills, Li Xun might have immediately tried to destroy the barrier or think of another way out. But when it came to plants, unless he was willing to stand still, even if Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was incredibly resilient, Li Xun could move through it as effortlessly as taking a leisurely stroll.
"Li Xun, we've already conceded. Let Ma Hongjun go!" Flender looked at the plants entangling Ma Hongjun, feeling helpless.
"Relax, he won't die," Li Xun said with a slight smirk. He began retracting the Soul Power that had spread across the entire arena. The trees and vines rapidly degenerated, turning into seeds that quickly retreated into the ground.
Although the plants had disappeared, the damage they had caused to the arena was irreparable. The once-intact fighting platform was now gone, replaced by deep pits, scattered rubble, and freshly exposed soil, all laid bare before the eyes of the 80,000 spectators.
If they hadn't witnessed it themselves, no one would have believed that this level of destruction was the result of a Soul Skill unleashed by a teenager.
"Hongjun, how are you holding up?"
(End of Chapter)