Chapter 47: The Relentless Tang San

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Faced with the combined attacks of Tang San and the others, Zhao Wuji was no longer able to fully focus his assault on Ning Rongrong.

Under Yang Xiong's protection, Ning Rongrong was able to swiftly evade Zhao Wuji's long-range attacks, ensuring she wouldn't be harmed.

However, Zhao Wuji hadn't even summoned his martial soul or soul rings throughout the fight, casually moving as if this were nothing more than a light exercise.

Even when Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing struck him directly on the head, Zhao Wuji remained completely unfazed, not even flinching.

Tang San clearly understood that their only chance of victory lay in continuously pressing the attack. If Zhao Wuji managed to break through and incapacitate Ning Rongrong, their situation would become dire—after all, her support had already boosted their strength and speed by thirty percent.

Countless strands of Blue Silver Grass erupted from the ground, attempting to envelop Zhao Wuji's body entirely. This was Tang San's first soul skill: Entanglement.

Meanwhile, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing relentlessly attacked, but even with their soul skills, they couldn't penetrate Zhao Wuji's defenses.

At this moment, Zhao Wuji suddenly burst into laughter. "These little prodigies are quite interesting, but you lack strength."

A terrifying power radiated from Zhao Wuji's body, and a golden glow surrounded him, resembling a massive Vigorous Vajra Bear. In an instant, all the Blue Silver Grass binding him was shattered, and both Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were sent flying.

Zhao Wuji, who was originally less than 1.7 meters tall, now towered over 2.5 meters, resembling a giant—or rather, a colossal bear.

Tang San quickly caught Xiao Wu, while Dai Mubai outside the arena swiftly caught Zhu Zhuqing before she could fall.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Wuji, now resembling a rampaging bear, charged straight toward Ning Rongrong and Yang Xiong, clearly intending to take out Ning Rongrong first.

Seeing Zhao Wuji charge with overwhelming force, Yang Xiong forcefully pushed Ning Rongrong aside and summoned a blue sphere of energy in his hand, launching a direct, powerful attack at Zhao Wuji.

Zhao Wuji's massive bear paw slammed down, colliding with Yang Xiong's spiraling energy ball. Yang Xiong was sent flying several meters once again.

Surprisingly, Zhao Wuji also took a step back—his first retreat so far. His previously robust right arm now bore traces of blackened burns.

Zhao Wuji glanced at his right arm, his expression one of mild surprise. "A self-created soul skill? I didn't expect you to have such tricks up your sleeve, but it's still too weak."

Now fueled by a competitive spirit, Zhao Wuji abandoned his pursuit of Ning Rongrong and charged toward Yang Xiong, clearly intent on eliminating him first.

But just as Zhao Wuji swung his fist, Yang Xiong suddenly vanished from his original position, reappearing directly behind Zhao Wuji. Another blue sphere of energy materialized in his hand.

Zhao Wuji, being a Soul Sage, reacted with incredible speed. With his right arm already engaged in an attack, he countered with a swift elbow strike using his left arm.

But Yang Xiong had anticipated this moment. He vanished once again, this time reappearing at Zhao Wuji's side, incredibly close to him.

Zhao Wuji, ever the Soul Sage, smirked slightly and thrust his entire massive frame toward Yang Xiong. Though Yang Xiong's spiraling energy struck Zhao Wuji's chest, it was met with a thick layer of protective soul power. The sheer weight of Zhao Wuji's body felt like that of a colossal bear crashing down.

Yang Xiong felt Zhao Wuji's body was harder than granite by countless times. He was sent flying over ten meters, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"This kid has some potential," Zhao Wuji remarked. "You're stronger than I expected."

Seeing Yang Xiong single-handedly withstand Zhao Wuji's assault, Xiao Wu and Tang San quickly rushed over. Countless strands of Blue Silver Grass erupted once again, and this time, vines sprouted directly from Zhao Wuji's body—Tang San's second soul skill: Parasite.

Zhao Wuji roared, "You brats think such feeble attacks can harm me? You underestimate a Soul Sage far too much!"

The mighty paws of the Vigorous Vajra Bear unleashed boundless force, instantly shattering the parasitic Blue Silver Grass. The massive paws then struck Tang San and Xiao Wu, sending them flying. Xiao Wu, in particular, bore the brunt of the impact in order to protect Tang San.

After such a prolonged battle, only two-thirds of the incense stick had burned.

Zhu Zhuqing, having broken free from Dai Mubai's grasp, quickly joined the fight.

Seeing time slipping away, Zhao Wuji grew irritated. A Soul Sage being held back by mere children was a blow to his pride. He unleashed his first soul skill: Motionless Bright King Body. A golden aura enveloped him, and those around him were repelled by the sheer force.

At this moment, Xiao Wu, relying on her soft martial arts techniques, activated her second soul skill: Charm. Her eyes glowed pink as she attempted to bewitch Zhao Wuji.

However, Xiao Wu had chosen the wrong opponent. Such a mental attack might work against someone of her level, but Zhao Wuji, a Soul Sage, possessed mental fortitude far superior to hers.

In an instant, Xiao Wu suffered a backlash from her own mental attack, collapsing unconscious and coughing up blood.

Tang San's eyes filled with rage as he cradled Xiao Wu, visibly distraught.

Zhao Wuji calmly observed the five students. "This girl will be fine. mental-type soul skills may be effective, but only if used against the right opponent. Against someone with significantly higher soul power, they can easily backfire. She'll recover after resting for a night."

"As for your Blue Silver Grass," he continued, addressing Tang San, "though it carries poison, my defenses and soul power render it completely ineffective against me."

By now, the incense stick was nearly burnt out.

Zhao Wuji turned to Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong. "You two kids from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect have exceeded my expectations, especially you, boy—you've got impressive strength. I'll count this as passing the assessment."

Before he could say more, Tang San brought Xiao Wu to Ning Rongrong. "Ning Rongrong, please take care of Xiao Wu for me."

With the assessment battle concluded, Ning Rongrong retracted her Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul and carried the unconscious Xiao Wu.

Tang San stepped forward to face Zhao Wuji. "Teacher Zhao, I'd like to challenge you again. Please light another incense stick—I'll face you alone for its duration."

Though Zhao Wuji had reservations, these children were far more talented and formidable than he had anticipated. However, their arrogance irked him, so he agreed to Tang San's request.

Yang Xiong, watching from the sidelines, was speechless. Tang San was pushing himself too hard—or perhaps he was simply too extreme. Combat between soul masters was inherently dangerous, and Xiao Wu's injury was partly due to Zhao Wuji, but mostly because she underestimated her opponent.

Yang Xiong carefully observed the ensuing battle between Zhao Wuji and Tang San.

Tang San pulled out every trick he had. Hidden weapons flew in rapid succession: willow leaf blades, flying locust stones, coin darts, bone-piercing nails, and even powerful crossbow bolts coated with a blue toxin. His purple eyes glowed fiercely, and his hands turned white—manifestations of Purple Extreme Demon Eye and Xuan Yu Hand. Throughout the fight, he employed techniques like Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps and Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon.

Finally, Tang San unleashed a hidden crossbow from his sleeve, catching even Zhao Wuji off guard. A direct hit from the Hao Tian Hammer struck Zhao Wuji's head, and the poisoned bolt he caught in his mouth inflicted significant damage.

Both combatants ended up gravely injured. Tang San collapsed unconscious, while Zhao Wuji looked battered and bruised—at least on the surface.

Yang Xiong watched the battlefield with exasperation. Was it really this difficult for a Soul Sage to fight a Soul Grandmaster? And for a simple entrance exam, did they really need to take it this far?

Throughout the process, Yang Xiong couldn't help but feel pity for Zhao Wuji—a Soul Sage being humiliated by children.

Among the original Shrek Seven Monsters, Zhao Wuji was the only one Yang Xiong respected. Despite lacking close bonds with his students, Zhao Wuji always stepped up when needed, even against overwhelmingly powerful foes.

After a brief recovery, Zhao Wuji instructed Dai Mubai and Ning Rongrong to escort Xiao Wu and Tang San back to their dorms to rest.

Seemingly remembering something, Zhao Wuji quickly turned to Yang Xiong. "Kid, are you alright after taking those heavy hits from me?"

Yang Xiong smirked. "Teacher Zhao, do I look like someone who's injured?"

Zhao Wuji was momentarily speechless, muttering under his breath, "It shouldn't be possible. That last attack was unconscious, yet even a Soul Elder should have been severely injured. What kind of monster is this kid?"

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A/N: Details about Shrek Academy won't be overly elaborated, and many aspects will be glossed over.

Looking back at the original storyline, Tang San's extreme tendencies—especially regarding Xiao Wu—are the root cause of many future developments.

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