Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

Looking at Dai Mubai's miserable state, Tang San could no longer remain calm. The Blue Silver Grass extended from his palm, directly pulling the unconscious Dai Mubai over from the ground.

Dai Mubai had passed out. During the confrontation, Cheng Xiao's Shadow Power had utterly crushed Dai Mubai's spirit power. Without the protection of spirit power, his fists were as fragile as thin paper.

Seeing Dai Mubai's already bent hands, a fierce light flashed in Tang San's eyes. He quickly pressed his palm against Dai Mubai's chest, channeling the gentle internal energy of the Mysterious Heaven Skill to stabilize his injuries.

While Tang San worked on healing Dai Mubai, Cheng Xiao didn't say anything. It was just a Spirit Battle after all; he had no need for words or for cleansing any supposed humiliation. So, he merely watched coldly.

Moments later, after stabilizing Dai Mubai's injuries, Tang San sighed in relief, placing him on the edge of the battle platform. At that moment, Tang San's face was as pale as paper, as if he had been drained of all energy.

After doing all this, Tang San's expression darkened. He lowered his head, hands hanging at his waist, and a cold gleam appeared between his fingers as he slowly approached Cheng Xiao.

"You've hurt my brother. For that, you'll pay with your life!" As soon as he finished speaking, Tang San suddenly raised his head, and purple light exploded in his eyes.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Over ten cold gleams shot from his fingertips, aimed at Cheng Xiao's eyes, throat, heart, knees, and other critical areas.

Seeing the incoming cold gleams, Cheng Xiao's expression remained calm. With a wave of his hand, two daggers appeared in his grasp.

His gaze sharpened as he lightly twisted his wrists, the daggers tracing two silver arcs in the air, precisely blocking all the incoming projectiles.

Clang clang clang!

As soon as Tang San's hidden weapons touched the daggers, it was as if they had hit an impenetrable wall, falling to the ground with crisp clangs.

"Besides hidden weapons, it seems you have nothing else to show," Cheng Xiao remarked coldly, glancing at the gloomy-faced Tang San.

Seeing all his hidden weapons blocked, Tang San's face turned livid as he quickly pondered a way to break through. He knew Cheng Xiao's mastery of daggers was no less proficient than his own mastery of hidden weapons. Without being able to deal substantial damage, his only options were his Eight Spider Lances or the Zhuge Crossbow.

However, before the battle began, he had promised his teacher not to use any lethal hidden weapons...

Soon, Tang San made his decision: he would hold off on using the Zhuge Crossbow for now and test his Eight Spider Lances first, turning Cheng Xiao into a stationary target!

"First Spirit Ability, Bind!"

"Third Spirit Ability, Spider Web Restraint!"

With a bright flash of yellow, yellow, and purple light from the three spirit rings around him, blue vines shot up from the ground, wrapping around Cheng Xiao in an instant.

Cheng Xiao didn't attempt to dodge. With both hands gripping his short swords, he charged forward, and at that moment, a faint black glow coated the blades.

As Cheng Xiao slashed through the Blue Silver Grass vines, a smile crept across Tang San's lips. "Second Spirit Ability, Parasite!"

In a flash, countless Blue Silver Grass plants sprouted from the vines, binding Cheng Xiao's body. As the Parasite ability activated, the seeds grew rapidly, adding another layer of restraint around him.

Simultaneously, Tang San's third spirit ability was unleashed, as a large spider web expanded in midair, looping over and ensnaring Cheng Xiao.

After releasing all three spirit abilities, Tang San's face became even paler. His already depleted spirit power was further drained, but he didn't give up. Staring at the tightly bound Cheng Xiao, his eyes sharpened. With a flick of his hand, a cold gleam shot out from his sleeve, aiming directly at the incapacitated Ye Lingling.

"I'll deal with this support-type spirit master first, then settle you!" Tang San's eyes glinted with a faint red light. With a sudden pop, his shirt shredded into pieces, scattering in the wind, and from his spine, eight bizarre spider-like spears burst forth.

With the emergence of his Eight Spider Lances, Tang San's aura turned significantly more sinister. Now that he had used his external spirit bone, he was completely confident, as spirit bones were rare, and external spirit bones were even more so. However, just after releasing the Eight Spider Lances, Tang San realized that the Blue Silver Grass binding Cheng Xiao had all been cut, and the person he had trapped was now nowhere to be seen.

As Tang San sensed something was wrong, Cheng Xiao was already charging towards Ye Lingling.

Seeing the two projectiles rushing toward her, Ye Lingling's pupils contracted, and her body stiffened in fear.

Just as the projectiles were about to strike her, a figure stepped in front of her. With two crisp clangs, Cheng Xiao effortlessly deflected the powerful hidden weapons onto the ground.

"How… how is this possible?!" Tang San was shocked to see Cheng Xiao standing in front of Ye Lingling.

Glancing at the cracks on his daggers from deflecting the projectiles, Cheng Xiao frowned slightly before storing them back into his spirit tool. He turned to look at Ye Lingling, his voice soft, "Are you alright?"

Ye Lingling was briefly stunned before shaking her head. "I'm fine, thanks to your timely intervention."

Hearing this, Cheng Xiao nodded slightly, though a violent glint flickered in his usually calm eyes.

"The game ends here."

Cheng Xiao nonchalantly snapped his fingers. The crisp sound echoed through the air, and in the stunned eyes of the spectators, dozens of black shadows emerged from the ground on the battle platform. Among them, the most noticeable was a spirit beast identical to Tang San's Eight Spider Lances, the Man-Faced Demon Spider.

"What… what are those?!" Tang San was frozen in place, especially when he saw the Man-Faced Demon Spider, the source of his third spirit ring and external spirit bone. He was utterly dumbfounded.

Tang San could clearly sense the murderous aura emanating from the Man-Faced Demon Spider.

"Oh, sorry about that," Cheng Xiao said with a casual smile. "It seems your external spirit bone has some connection to my shadow spirit beast, the Man-Faced Demon Spider."

Hearing this, Tang San felt a chill run down his spine. The Man-Faced Demon Spider before him was clearly more powerful than the one he had killed. If they fought, he would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.

But now, there was no way out. He had no choice but to fight.

With this in mind, Tang San's eyes turned cold, and the eight purple-glowing spider lances behind him suddenly spread wide. Using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, he charged toward Cheng Xiao, who was protected by the shadow spirit beasts.

"Good! The Man-Faced Demon Spider has been eagerly waiting for you."

Cheng Xiao smiled and, with a mere thought, the shadow soldiers sprang into action.

The Man-Faced Demon Spider took the lead. Although it was no longer a spirit beast, the killing instinct and hatred for human spirit masters embedded in its DNA made it immediately enraged.

Each time its sharp legs struck the ground, it was like a heavy hammer, causing the ground to tremble slightly. The two massive front legs, like sharp scythes, lifted high, carrying a chilling killing intent.

The moment the Man-Faced Demon Spider launched its attack, the Eight Spider Lances on Tang San's back seemed to sense something, trembling in response.

Then, Tang San leaped from the ground, his eight spider lances moving like agile serpents.

The upper four lances shot forward at an astonishing speed to meet the Man-Faced Demon Spider's front legs, their sharp tips gleaming coldly.

However, just as the Eight Spider Lances clashed with the Man-Faced Demon Spider's front legs, Tang San's expression drastically changed. In disbelief, he looked up, only to meet the deep, dark, abyss-like eyes of the Man-Faced Demon Spider, resembling a black hole.