Chapter 317: A Thousand Stones Breaks the Scythe

Xu Yucheng's Demon Scythe definitely had a long reach. In order to keep him from taking advantage of that, Tang Wuling threw his clawed fist straight at him.

Xu Yucheng, now recovered from the Purple Demon Eyes's spiritual attack, stared at Tang Wulin straight in the eye. He loosened his grip on his scythe and slid his hand up toward the blade's curved edge, then, his expression as impassive as ever, slashed at the incoming claw with his shortened scythe.

A crisp note rang through the air, and violet darkness ran up Tang Wulin's scaled arm. Xu Yucheng borrowed the force of their clash to jump backward.

However, he staggered a few times as he retreated. Clearly, he had underestimated Tang Wulin's strength.

Now that Xu Yucheng opened up some distance between them, it would be difficult for Tang Wulin to penetrate the range of the Demon Scythe again. He was disadvantaged in both reach and soul power.

It was too late to use Bind. Xu Yucheng would simply shred all the bluesilver grass Tang Wulin threw at him.

Xu Yucheng was stunned by Tang Wulin's strength.

Although Tang Wulin revealed a shocking golden ring, he only had two soul rings and the soul power to match. It was on this basis that Xu Yucheng was confident he could overwhelm Tang Wulin in a contest of power. Even when he was forced to retreat, he still felt confident he could defeat Tang Wulin.

Now, however, he realized that Tang Wulin's strength was beyond his expectations. Despite the disparity in their soul power, their clash had resulted in his complete and utter loss. Uncontrollable tremors still gripped him from the impact.

He probably thinks I specialize in long weapons. Unfortunately for him, my Demon Scythe is just as good for close quarters fights! I can use it like a short weapon instead. He might be able to unleash explosive strength, but there's no way he can keep it up for long.

Xu Yucheng's judgement was accurate, but he didn't know just how differently Tang Wulin viewed the situation.

Trying to open up distance?

Bluesilver grass shot out to hinder his opponent while Tang Wulin brandished his claw once more.

Golden Dragon Body blood essence surged out, instantly dispersing the black haze surrounding his right arm. Then he lifted his arm up, the brilliant gold luster of his claw darkening as he slashed down. Five dark-gold waves of light shot out.

A magnificent scene unraveled before the spectators, demanding their full attention. Even Wu Siduo opened her eyes in awe.

They watched Tang Wulin lift his arm, then slash down and release those five waves of light. The waves tore through the sky, rapidly closing in on Xu Yucheng.

Apprehension dawned on Xu Yucheng's face, but it came too late. He only managed to turn around and hold his scythe in front before the attack reached him.

The deafening screech of metal tearing metal resounded, and Xu Yucheng was sent crashing into the ground.

He coughed up some blood, his complexion paler than usual. Despite his condition, his scythe only had a few cracks in it. He truly was worthy of being a ranker.

The lower half of his body was buried in the ground, as if he was a nail waiting to be hammered.

Tang Wulin descended upon him, his claw held high in preparation to attack him. Xu Yucheng could only feebly raise his scythe in defense.

Metallic shrieks pierced the air every time Tang Wulin's claw clashed with the scythe. Although his attacks weren't fast, each one carried tremendous power. Xu Yucheng sunk deeper into the ground with every strike, and the cracks in his scythe spread like a web.

Blood began to trickle out of his mouth and nose, then his ears and eyes. All seven apertures of the head had blood streaming out of them, the flow only increasing with each blow.

When the fifth strike landed, Xu Yucheng coughed out a spray of blood and his scythe shattered. A moment later, he disappeared in a flash of white light.

This...

Everyone watching gaped.

That was the Immortal! He had just defeated Immortal Xu Yucheng, ranked 19 on the Genius Youths Ranking!

Even if he consumed a lot of soul power to defend against Tang Wulin's attacks, he was still a four-ringed Soul Ancestor! He was one of the only two Soul Ancestors in the first grade!

He was defeated? Just like that?

When Tang Wulin defeated Xu Yucheng, Xie Xie unleashed his full might as well.

Xu Yucheng's two teammates were stunned by his defeat. Xu Xiaoyan took advantage of this, finally making her move.

She shot an ice spear toward the youth on the left, piercing through the air like a bolt of lightning. Just as the two youths noticed the incoming ice spear, a violet light flashed at the eyes of the one on the right.

Xu Xiaoyan was undoubtedly a master at exploiting any momentary openings her opponents revealed. Since her martial soul's strength couldn't compare with that of her companions, so she had focused her efforts in this direction.

The trajectory of the ice spear put the youth in a tight spot. If he wanted to dodge it, he would fall right into Xie Xie's hands. Xie Xie activated Light Dragon Storm while releasing Light Dragon Blades, his appearance like a radiant whirlwind of death as he headed towards the two gray youths. Between the pincer attack and the shock from Xu Yucheng's defeat, there was no suspense in his fate. White light sparkled, signalling his demise. As for the remaining youth, the Purple Demon Eyes stunned him. One of Xie Xie's clone promptly sliced his neck.

It was only because of Xie Xie's preserved strength and deepened understanding of his third soul skill that he could corner the two with such ease.

Xu Yucheng was not well versed in the art of scheming, he'd relied on sheer brute force to charge through every battle thus far. This resulted in his two teammates being exhausted and ripe for the picking.

Tang Wulin's golden aura faded as he dispelled Golden Dragon Body, revealing a somewhat pale complexion. His battle with Xu Yucheng may have been short, but he didn't hold anything back from the very beginning and even brought out one of his trump cards.

Xu Yucheng had been shocked to death at the end. Tang Wulin hadn't forgotten Yang Nianxia's evaluation that Xu Yucheng's body was too frail to contain a thousand-year soul ring. His plan was simple; overpower Xu Yucheng from the very start! In the face of absolute strength, it didn't matter even if Xu Yucheng's soul power was stronger. Tang Wulin just pounded Xu Yucheng until his body couldn't hold out anymore.

It was thanks to Golden Dragon Body that he could pull off such a daring plan. Without this skill and the physical enhancements it wrought on his body, it would have been impossible for him to suppress Xu Yucheng so thoroughly.

Tang Wulin panted heavily, but a radiant smile blossomed on his lips all the same as he regrouped with his teammates. Oddly enough, Xie Xie stood there without the slightest hint of a victor's excitement. Rather, he wore a pensive expression.

Tang Wulin took care not to disturb him. It was clear he was in the middle of some kind of enlightenment.

Wu Siduo was still seated, but a fire blazed in her eyes as she looked at Tang Wulin. She had always assumed that Tang Wulin was Yang Nianxia's underling even though all his soul rings were purple. He only had two, after all!

When he had saved her in their battle against Luo Guixing, it left a deep impression on her. Yet now, he was burned into her memories. She finally understood what it meant to disguise one's self as a pig to devour a tiger.

This guy is so good at hiding himself! I'm not sure about others, but the strength he displayed in his battle against Xu Yucheng is no less than Yang Nianxia's!

"Captain," Xu Xiaoyan called out with a smile. Gu Yue stood up and returned to his side.

For Wu Siduo to make it in the top ten of the Genius Youths Ranking, there was no need to doubt her intelligence. She instantly connected the dots and understood the relationship between the four.

So that girl from Luo Guixing's team was his comrade all along!

"Come!" Wu Siduo shot to her feet, a cold glint in her eyes.

She wasn't resigned to defeat.

One versus four? So what!

Tang Wulin turned to Gu Yue. He stared deep into her eyes. The fire burning in their depths told him everything he needed to know. He pulled on Xu Xiaoyan's sleeve. "We're just going to observe."

"Huh?" She looked at him in astonishment.

Tang Wulin responded with a reassuring smile. "Believe in Gu Yue."

"Okay." Xu Xiaoyan immediately agreed. "Big sis Gu Yue, good luck!"

"Mn." Gu Yue nodded, then took three steps forward. She regarded Wu Siduo with a calm gaze, her demeanor as serene as a still lake.