As Xiao Wu spun rapidly in midair, she suddenly reversed into a fierce backflip, forcing the armored giant's body to move with her. Using her hands for support, she lashed out in a scissor-kick aimed straight at its neck — if her opponent had been an ordinary person, the blow would have snapped their neck instantly, followed by a head-first crash into the ground. With this powerful flip, Xiao Wu had gone all out.
"Little rabbit, who gave you the courage to compare physical strength with a Battle Spirit Master?" Yun Chuan's exasperated voice came from within the armored giant. 'Is this ten-thousand-year-old rabbit stupid? With that delicate body, she dares to pit raw power against a Soul Sage?'
Suddenly, Xiao Wu felt the rapid spin of her body grind to a halt. Her legs could no longer budge the giant beneath her. A powerful force surged upward, reversing her momentum — the backflip she was leading was abruptly pulled forward again.
Boom! The vines covering the armored giant's body shattered all at once, scattering in all directions, and its feet planted firmly back on the ground.
At the same time, the others' attacks arrived.
Ding-ding-ding-ding…
A rapid flurry of crisp impacts rang out from the giant's back. Seizing the moment, Xiao Wu tapped her toes against its shoulder, twisting her supple body down along its back. Her scorpion braid lashed downward like a snake, winding around the giant's left ankle as she pulled with her whole body.
The sharp sounds were from Zhu Zhuqing's strikes. She had erupted into motion in utter silence, her astonishing speed fully on display — befitting an Agility Attack System Soul Master. Even Dai Mubai, watching from the side, couldn't help but marvel.
Most terrifying of all, Zhu Zhuqing made no sound whatsoever in her movements, not even the whistle of soul power cutting through the air. Her presence was like a shadow — unseen until the strike landed.
In her Spirit Attachment state, Dai Mubai's ten fingers became razor-like tiger claws. For Zhu Zhuqing, her cat claws were even deadlier — their tips sharp as thorns. Her eyes changed as well: the left a deep emerald, the right a clear blue. Her long hair lay sleek down her back, her swift movement traced by faint afterimages, making it hard to lock onto her true position.
She struck at the exact moment the giant's strength eased after shattering Tang San's Blue Silver Grass and dragging Xiao Wu back — her timing flawless.
But the gap in strength was not something that could be bridged so easily.
The so-called armor, though carelessly crafted by Yun Chuan, still carried the defense and striking power of a Soul Sage. Her attacks simply couldn't break through.
Though it appeared to be made of plants, the armor was far tougher than steel. Even Zhu Zhuqing's full-powered claw strikes only scratched its outer surface.
The sheer defense of this Blue Silver Grass armor left Tang San stunned. For the first time, he doubted what his teacher had taught him. Was Blue Silver Grass truly so fragile? How could this teacher make it harder than metal?
'If I could learn from him… my Blue Silver Grass cultivation could reach an entirely new level!'
Xiao Wu's grappling techniques were utterly ineffective — no matter what leverage she tried, the armored giant wouldn't budge. Even aiming for the back of its knee had no effect.
Her anxiety spiked, but she had no solution. It wasn't that her skill was weak — it was simply countered.
Her first spirit skill required her to use her flexibility to lock down an opponent — a one-hit kill move. But with her power so far below that of this Soul Sage-level giant, she couldn't hold it still long enough to trigger the effect. Unless she too were a Soul Sage, her grappling was at its weakest against such raw strength.
Tang San didn't hesitate. With a burst forward, thick vines reappeared around the giant's body. Though they were torn apart easily, they still slowed it, if only slightly.
Zhu Zhuqing struck again from the flank, her claws testing every spot on the armor, searching for the "weak point" Yun Chuan had mentioned earlier.
Taking the chance, Tang San darted in close and slammed a fist toward the giant's chest.
"Heh…"
A light chuckle came from the armor's mouth. The giant thrust its chest forward, soul power condensed there — clearly curious to see how strong Tang San's blow could be.
Tang San's eyes flashed. His punch, which seemed full-force, landed feather-light. The shift in weight made the giant, bracing against a heavy strike, overextend.
'Interesting… Control Crane, Capture Dragon?' Yun Chuan was mildly impressed. 'Four ounces to move a thousand pounds — clever. But that's all.'
While Tang San and Xiao Wu's strength alone couldn't move him, combined with the giant's own misplaced force, the result was different. Tang San's fist turned into a grasping palm, pulling as he hooked the giant's movement, his foot flicking against its toes. Even this mighty armor lost balance.
"Up!"
With a shout, Tang San heaved — and actually lifted the armored giant off the ground.
"Xiao Wu!"
For the first time completely airborne, the giant was vulnerable to Xiao Wu's skill. Her long legs coiled around its waist, hands gripping its ankles as her first spirit ring blazed. Using both of her spirit abilities, she spun the massive armor three times in midair before slamming it head-down toward the earth.
Though Zhu Zhuqing's claws hadn't damaged it, they had disrupted its balance, allowing the three to combine for this strike.
A thick vine wrapped around Xiao Wu's waist just before impact, yanking her free as the armored giant plummeted.
BOOM!!!
The enormous form smashed into the ground headfirst, sinking its head into the dirt.
Xiao Wu landed lightly on Tang San's shoulder, one foot balancing on him as she spread her arms for stability, gasping for breath. That throw had taken everything she had. Without Tang San's Control Crane, Capture Dragon, she couldn't have pulled it off at all.
"Xiao San… did we hit too hard?" she asked nervously.
Tang San shook his head, glancing toward the incense stick — it had only burned a third of the way.
Retrieving his vines from the armor, he thought grimly about the soul power cost of letting them be destroyed repeatedly.
Inside, Yun Chuan pushed off the ground, pulling the armor's head free and shaking off the dirt. The giant rose, entirely unscathed. Their flashy cooperation had, in truth, accomplished nothing. The power gap was simply too vast.
A Soul Sage's defense was not so easily broken.
"Not bad… come on, again."
Step by heavy step, the giant strode toward Tang San and Xiao Wu — their earlier teamwork had caught his attention.
"Xiao Wu, Meteor Hammer!" Tang San called.
She launched from his shoulder again, this time feet-first toward the giant's head. At the same time, dozens of Blue Silver Grass vines lashed forward from Tang San's sides to bind the target.
The giant ignored them and swung a massive palm at Xiao Wu — only for her to veer aside midair, his strike swiping at nothing.
She flashed past the side, her foot slamming into its shoulder. The "Meteor Hammer" was just a chain-weapon variant, using Blue Silver Grass to swing Xiao Wu's body for agile, repeated strikes.
Inside, Yun Chuan actually froze for a second at the unorthodox tactic. 'This Tang San really does live up to his protagonist status — so many odd tricks… But meaningless. Against absolute power, all cunning is wasted.'
(End of Chapter)