Yang Xiong and Tang San stepped forward, standing about six meters apart, ready for their first soul battle.
Tang San said, "Yang Xiong, be careful. Although your combat strength is impressive, my Blue Silver Grass is now much faster than before."
Yang Xiong smiled. "I've also been looking forward to facing you. I want to see how much that third soul ring has improved you."
Both were somewhat wary of each other. After all, Tang San was a Soul Elder, one realm above Yang Xiong, and his combat ability was exceptional, he had defeated Dai Mubai, who had far superior physical strength and a beast-type martial soul enhancement.
But Yang Xiong's impressive combat skills had also surprised many. He had previously battled Ning Rongrong and Oscar simultaneously in a soul duel without even using soul skills.
As the match began, both revealed their martial souls and soul rings. A silver shadow instantly appeared around Yang Xiong's body.
Tang San released a flurry of Blue Silver Grass, rapidly charging toward Yang Xiong. It was clearly much faster than when he was just a Soul Grandmaster.
However, Yang Xiong moved with incredible speed, leaping away just as the Blue Silver Grass enveloped where he had been standing.
He ran swiftly and agilely, his speed making it impossible for the Blue Silver Grass to catch up. Though it moved mysteriously, it couldn't match his speed.
Yang Xiong skillfully dodged the attacks and gradually closed in on Tang San. As Yu Xiaogang had once said, control-type soul masters could gain an advantage in the early stages of a battle, especially with ranged attacks, but only if they could restrict the opponent. Otherwise, it was just a waste of soul power.
Tang San realized that his Blue Silver Grass couldn't keep up, so he also began to move with astonishing speed, his ghostly movements bringing him closer to Yang Xiong. It was his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track technique.
Seeing Tang San approach, Yang Xiong grinned. If Tang San had deeper reserves of soul power, his ranged attacks could trap an enemy. But Yang Xiong lacked ranged abilities, this was his weakness.
Despite Tang San's incredible footwork, Yang Xiong wasn't slow either. The two quickly engaged in close combat.
They collided, fist against palm, and both retreated several meters. In terms of strength and physique, Yang Xiong clearly held the advantage.
However, Tang San remained unpredictable. His hands were like polished jade, appearing extraordinarily tough.
The Tang Sect's techniques truly felt like cheats in the early stages for soul masters. In the Douluo world, such martial arts didn't exist, and most soul masters lacked self-created techniques.
Tang San was also surprised. When he struck with his Mysterious Jade Hands, Yang Xiong's fists were even harder and stronger than he expected.
In an instant, their soul duel had turned into a straightforward fistfight.
If Tang San was mysterious and elusive, then Yang Xiong was direct and forceful, similar to mixed martial arts compared to traditional Chinese kung fu. Unlike Tang San's systematized combat background, Yang Xiong had never formally studied martial arts, making his style raw and brute.
After several exchanges, Yang Xiong suddenly clawed at Tang San with his fingers like talons. Though Tang San reacted quickly, his jade-white right hand was still caught.
But his Mysterious Jade Hand was much tougher than Yang Xiong had expected. It only showed five faint claw marks. Still, Tang San was shocked, no opponent had ever damaged it before.
After several claw-like attacks, Yang Xiong suddenly felt his center of gravity shift. It was like trying to grip cotton, his hands lost precision. Tang San's hands created a vortex-like suction force. Before Yang Xiong could react, he stumbled, and Tang San seized the moment to deliver a kick.
Yang Xiong took the full force of the blow to his abdomen and was sent flying. This was Tang San's Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon, a technique known for redirecting force with minimal effort.
Yet, with Yang Xiong's physical endurance, this kind of attack had little effect. In an instant, he flipped midair and charged again.
Tang San reacted quickly, releasing another wave of Blue Silver Grass in an attempt to trap him.
But Yang Xiong didn't flinch. His right hand turned silver, becoming like a blade. He slashed with full force and cut through the approaching Blue Silver Grass.
Though fast, the Blue Silver Grass lacked durability. Even Tang San was surprised, Yang Xiong's hand resembled a sharp weapon martial soul, which was hard to believe.
Before Tang San could respond, Yang Xiong closed in again, and Tang San quickly used his Mysterious Jade Hands to meet the attack.
They continued exchanging blows for several minutes. Although Tang San landed many hits, they had little effect on Yang Xiong due to his formidable physique.
The spectators were puzzled. This soul battle looked more like a street brawl, with constant physical clashes.
Yu Xiaogang's expression grew grim. He hadn't expected Tang San to rely so much on his body and combat skills instead of using his Blue Silver Grass like a true control-type soul master.
Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon was one of the Tang Sect's peak techniques, soft overcoming hard, redirecting force. Even though Yang Xiong had trained physically and was quite skilled, he was still at a disadvantage in finesse and precision.
But after countless attacks, Yang Xiong once again aimed a claw at Tang San, only to find himself hitting "cotton" again.
This time, though, Yang Xiong was ready. His hands came together like palms. The powerful strike abruptly slowed and changed into a circular motion.
Tang San intended to redirect Yang Xiong's force again, but he didn't expect this. He felt caught in a vortex himself.
Even with his full strength, Tang San's strikes landed as if hitting air, seless. It was as if Yang Xiong had also learned Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon.
Before Tang San could react, his hand was drawn in, pulled off balance. Yang Xiong, moving slowly but steadily, completed a circular push. It looked light, but it sent Tang San flying, the first time he'd been knocked away.
Yang Xiong had used Taiji Push Hands. Compared to the elegance of Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon, Taiji Push Hands was the essence of Taiji. Yang Xiong had practiced it back on Earth; every Taiji practitioner knew this move.
Tang San's expression turned ugly. He had always believed in the supremacy of Tang Sect techniques, especially Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon, which could defeat even stronger opponents through technique alone.
Though shaken by the Taiji Push Hands, Tang San refused to back down. He attacked again.
Now he was using all three techniques, Mysterious Jade Hands, Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon, and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, while Yang Xiong stood his ground, calmly switching between punches, palms, and claws.
The fight no longer resembled a soul master duel but rather a martial arts showdown.
Tang San kept using Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon, as if to prove that being knocked away earlier was a fluke. He was confident his skill was superior.
Yang Xiong's Taiji appeared basic, yet backed by his strong physique, he was hard to overpower. In terms of endurance, he surpassed Tang San.
After countless exchanges, Yang Xiong was clearly knocked away more often, but he occasionally managed to repel Tang San with Taiji as well.
This battle was less about soul power and more about stamina and physical resilience.
After more than ten minutes, Tang San was sweating, while Yang Xiong showed no signs of fatigue. Clearly, he had the advantage in endurance.
Tang San began to realize that if this continued, he would fall into Yang Xiong's rhythm and likely lose, not from a single blow, but from exhaustion.
Yang Xiong's strength exceeded expectations. Even after being hit many times, he showed no signs of injury. Tang San hadn't held back, his Mysterious Jade Hands and other techniques had been used at full force.
Tang San knew Yang Xiong's Taiji Push Hands was far more basic than his own Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon, yet he couldn't gain the upper hand. Worse, Yang Xiong was becoming more proficient, and Tang San found it harder to dominate through technique.
While Tang San was frustrated, Yang Xiong had actually relaxed. He had always trained alone and didn't know the limits of his skills. This fight wasn't just a battle, it was a learning experience.
As the fight went on, Yang Xiong's understanding of Taiji deepened. He began to grasp its core principles.
Taiji emphasized using softness to overcome hardness, responding to change with stillness. Though it didn't look aggressive, its movements concealed deeper truths, balance between yin and yang, and between motion and stillness.
As his understanding grew, Yang Xiong's soul power began to circulate naturally. His Yin-Yang Meditation Technique seemed to expand from his torso and head to his limbs and eventually into every cell of his body.
Through repeated use of Taiji, his soul power started to unify, not just flowing in a simple loop, but forming a harmonious balance of yin and yang, moving as one.
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