From Jiang Chen's perspective, the power of the Blue Silver Grass was indeed formidable. If it were wielded by other soul masters of Tang San's level, it would be nearly impossible to break free from its grasp through sheer strength alone.
The Blue Silver Grass was covered with sharp thorns, and if Jiang Chen remembered correctly, those thorns could pierce into the target's body and release the Grass's own toxins.
The toxin in this first skill caused paralysis.
Jiang Chen's clothes were instantly torn by the thorns, but his skin was extraordinarily tough, making the thorns ineffective against him.
"Not bad, the strength is decent, but still too weak for me," Jiang Chen grinned, his whole body beginning to exert force.
At this moment, he hadn't even used any soul skills yet, but with the enhancement of his zombie physique and soul spirit, his power was already terrifying.
The Blue Silver Grass instantly stretched taut, cracks spreading across the vines like a web of fractures.
Tang San's face changed. Before, that formidable Elder Xiao in the arena had used his soul skills, yet he was powerless against the Blue Silver Grass.
But now, Jiang Chen hadn't even unleashed his soul skills, yet Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was on the verge of snapping.
"Good toughness," Jiang Chen complimented, increasing his strength once more.
"Bang!" The Blue Silver Grass entangling his body shattered into fragments, scattering in all directions.
"Still a long way to go!" Jiang Chen laughed wildly and charged at Tang San without hesitation.
Having already experienced the power of Tang San's soul skill, now he was ready to thoroughly beat him.
For Jiang Chen, being able to suppress Tang San — the protagonist of the original story — was a great source of pride.
This was something he never dared to imagine before awakening the Zombie Soul Spirit and activating the system's ultimate cheat. His confidence had begun to swell little by little.
Tang San had his own hidden advantages, and Jiang Chen had his — advantages even stronger.
His mindset about following Tang San had shifted; perhaps making Tang San a subordinate wouldn't be such a bad idea.
The Blue Silver Grass failed to restrain Jiang Chen — a result Tang San had anticipated, but he hadn't expected Jiang Chen to hold back his soul skills entirely.
"Could the gap between us really be this wide?" Tang San wondered silently.
Though a bit discouraged, his movements didn't slow. Seeing Jiang Chen closing in, he struck without hesitation.
For this duel, he had prepared over a thousand pebbles in his belt.
Pebbles, also called Locust Stones, were a common weapon among martial artists — small stones thrown like swarms of flying locusts, hence the name.
With his palms flickering, Tang San launched pebble after pebble at Jiang Chen.
Though Jiang Chen's raw strength was far greater, these hidden weapons could multiply their impact many times over.
Tang San was confident he wouldn't lose easily this time.
Seeing the dense barrage of stones flying towards him, Jiang Chen thought, "Just as expected."
He had already guessed that after their last encounter, Tang San wouldn't let him get close so easily.
Using stones as weapons was a merciful choice on Tang San's part.
Jiang Chen's fists swung rapidly, knocking down stone after stone, but two fists couldn't match four hands — especially with stones coming from all directions.
In just one brief exchange, he had already been hit seven or eight times.
If it had been Tang San's fists, he wouldn't have minded much — they wouldn't cause serious harm. But these pebbles inflicted real pain instantly.
It was like the difference between fists and firearms — no explanation needed as to which dealt more damage.
Tang San's hidden weapons were like giving him a firearm, multiplying his attack power several times.
The hard pebbles struck Jiang Chen's body, causing unbearable pain, and some even shattered upon impact.
Jiang Chen was silently shocked by the power of Tang San's hidden weapons; the Tang Sect was indeed not to be underestimated.
What Jiang Chen didn't realize was that Tang San himself was even more shocked.
Tang San was already unleashing his full power, yet all Jiang Chen felt was pain — no real injury.
Jiang Chen roared and tried to break through from the side, but the stones flew too fast. Under the Purple Extreme Demon Eye, Jiang Chen's speed advantage was nullified.
Forced, Jiang Chen activated his first soul skill: Zombie Armor.
His defense increased by 1.5 times, and both strength and speed doubled.
Tang San noticed Jiang Chen's purple soul ring flash, and in the blink of an eye, Jiang Chen's appearance changed.
His entire body was covered in black armor, leaving only his eyes and nose exposed — every other part sealed tight.
The fierce-looking armor was visually shocking, causing Tang San's heart to skip a beat.
Jiang Chen halted. The pain from the stones instantly dulled by more than half; now, the stones only caused a faint tingling sensation upon impact.
Under his first soul skill, Tang San's stones could no longer harm him.
Jiang Chen laughed loudly, his figure shooting forward with lightning speed, completely ignoring the hidden weapons as he rapidly closed the distance on Tang San.
Tang San's expression changed drastically. He shouted repeatedly, "Stop! Stop! I admit defeat!"
The moment he finished speaking, Jiang Chen's fist had already stopped mere centimeters from Tang San's face.
Tang San let out a relieved breath and immediately activated his Ghost Shadow Steps, retreating swiftly backward.
Jiang Chen no longer feared Tang San's hidden weapons. If Tang San didn't admit defeat now, he'd be foolish—did he want to get beaten up like last time, with a swollen face and bruised nose?
In truth, Tang San still had other hidden weapons stored in his belt — bone-piercing nails, willow leaf knives, money throwing stars — all far more lethal than the pebbles. But since this was just a friendly sparring match, there was no need to go that far.
After stepping back, Tang San didn't linger and immediately dashed back to the academy at full speed.
Jiang Chen was momentarily stunned by Tang San's sudden surrender. By the time he snapped out of it, Tang San was already far away.
"Damn, I really lost big," Jiang Chen muttered as he withdrew his armor, his face full of frustration.
Tang San was the one who had proposed the spar in the first place, yet in the end, it was Tang San who admitted defeat and ran off. What kind of outcome was that?
Jiang Chen touched his face, noticing several large swollen bumps and even dark bruises around both eye sockets. The pain made him gasp for breath.
He'd just been pelted mercilessly for no good reason — a total loss.
What Jiang Chen didn't know was that his situation was actually quite fortunate. Tang San had gradually escalated the power of his hidden weapons based on Jiang Chen's condition, unleashing full force only at the end. If it had been any other kid, their bones might have been broken countless times over.
Now, pain wracked his entire body, and only the circulation of his cultivation technique alleviated some of the soreness.
He didn't dare return to the dormitory and instead slipped alone into a small grove. Until the swelling went down, he didn't have the face to show himself.
Who would have thought that after just a few days, Tang San would have avenged their battle on the mountain peak?
…
While Jiang Chen nursed his wounds in solitude, another group of heavy-hitters arrived in Notting City — enough to shake this small town three times over.
Yet Jiang Chen remained unaware, lost in his lonely recovery. It would likely take several days before the swelling on his face healed.
The newcomers were none other than Bibi Dong and Hulenna, accompanied by several Title Douluo warriors. They did not make a grand entrance but quietly arrived at the Notting City Martial Soul Hall.