It was clear that Ma Hongjun indeed didn't dare to attack.
While he was still hesitating, Zhu Zhuqing had already successfully broken through and reached Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong.
However, just as Zhu Zhuqing was mentally prepared to change direction again, her movements stalled for a brief moment.
It wasn't due to any external force but rather because of Xiao Wu's actions.
To be honest, Zhu Zhuqing was puzzled. What kind of judgment had led Xiao Wu to act this way?
When Zhu Zhuqing saw Xiao Wu pulling Ning Rongrong behind her, she assumed Xiao Wu was preparing to use Teleportation again, which would have been the logical choice.
Although using Teleportation again would drain Xiao Wu's soul power completely, rendering her incapable of further fighting, it was still the right call.
After all, this was the Soul Master Tournament, where surrender was always an option.
But what Zhu Zhuqing didn't expect was that instead of retreating, Xiao Wu shoved Ning Rongrong behind her and revealed a determined expression. Both her second and first soul rings lit up, and she lunged straight at Zhu Zhuqing.
Yes, she lunged straight at her, using her soft skill techniques.
The scene became extremely bizarre.
By the time Xiao Wu cast her soul skills, she had already leaped into the air. Unfortunately, her second soul skill, Charm, was dependent on the opponent's spiritual power.
But Zhu Zhuqing, by nature, had a strong and resilient character. She trained rigorously every day, and her spiritual power was not only strong but slightly superior to most soul masters her age.
Moreover, after meeting Han Li and experiencing significant improvements in her cultivation, her spiritual power had grown even stronger. Thanks to a refined spiritual training method, her spiritual power now surpassed even Tang San's, who had been practicing Purple Demon Eye for ten years. How could Xiao Wu hope to affect her?
Thus, when Xiao Wu's pink glowing eyes met Zhu Zhuqing's calm gaze, Xiao Wu let out a soft groan, rolled her eyes, and fainted.
However, since she had activated two soul skills and leaped into the air, she continued to lunge toward Zhu Zhuqing in a very awkward position.
Yes, it was an odd sight.
Xiao Wu's body was arched, with both her hands and legs stretched toward Zhu Zhuqing, aiming directly at Zhu Zhuqing's waist—perfectly positioned so that, upon contact, she could wrap herself around the enemy and use her flexibility to attack.
But the problem was that Xiao Wu was already unconscious. Meanwhile, although Zhu Zhuqing had anticipated a feint and prepared for it, she still initiated her attack. What if Xiao Wu didn't react in time?
Of course, Zhu Zhuqing held back and didn't use any soul skills.
Both being agility-type soul masters, their movements were incredibly fast. It seemed as though they were on a collision course, and they ended up crashing into each other.
It's worth mentioning that Zhu Zhuqing had extended her claws—though she had retracted the sharp tips, forming a palm strike instead.
By sheer coincidence, the palm strike aimed at Xiao Wu's chest ended up hitting her face.
Instinctively, Zhu Zhuqing pulled her legs back to avoid Xiao Wu's leg attack.
If this scene were paused, it would look as though Zhu Zhuqing had crouched forward, delivering a heavy slap across Xiao Wu's face and sending her flying.
"Smack!"
A crisp sound echoed across the stage. Ning Rongrong only felt a gust of wind rush past her ears as a figure flew by at high speed on her left, crashing hard onto the ground and bouncing several times before coming to a stop.
Zhu Zhuqing was stunned. Ning Rongrong was stunned. Even Ma Hongjun, who had been looking for an opportunity to attack from mid-air, froze in place.
It wasn't just them—the entire audience watching the match on the big screen was also stunned. A deathly silence fell over the entire arena.
The only ones unaware of what had just happened were Tang San and the others, who were still battling Zhu Zhuqing's three clones. With their backs to the scene, they hadn't seen the collision. But they took advantage of the clones' momentary stiffness and quickly destroyed them.
When they turned around, they saw the group standing in a daze.
"Fatty, attack!"
Without hesitation, Dai Mubai unleashed a White Tiger Light Wave toward Zhu Zhuqing, while also reminding Ma Hongjun to attack.
Hearing the shout from behind and sensing the strong soul power fluctuation, Zhu Zhuqing snapped out of it. She dashed forward, grabbed Ning Rongrong, and moved laterally to avoid the incoming attack.
Dai Mubai's attack landed on the stage, while Zhu Zhuqing, after stopping, extended her sharp claws and symbolically placed them near Ning Rongrong's pale neck.
"I forfeit."
Ning Rongrong, who had just snapped back to reality, threw a fierce glare in Dai Mubai's direction before raising her hand to signal the referee.
"Xiao Wu!"
Before the referee could respond, a wretched scream echoed across the stage.
Even Dai Mubai, standing next to Tang San, was startled and quickly turned to look at him, confused by what had happened.
Tang San's eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaving as he glared fiercely at a spot not far from Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong.
Following his gaze, Dai Mubai and Tai Long finally noticed someone lying on the ground. That person was dressed just like them. Who else could it be but Xiao Wu?
As soul masters, their eyesight was excellent. They could see that the left side of Xiao Wu's face was swollen, sporting a bright red handprint, and there was even a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth.
Only now did they understand the strange sound they had heard earlier, and why the atmosphere on the stage and in the arena had become so eerie.
If Xiao Wu had been attacked, then Tang San's reaction was perfectly understandable.
This was the first time Xiao Wu's face had swollen so much.
Unconsciously, Tang San's hand moved to his belt, as if ready to pull out the hidden weapons stored there at any moment.
Zhu Zhuqing, watching him closely, noticed his actions. She moved even closer to Ning Rongrong. Having witnessed the power of Tang San's hidden weapons during the Shrek Academy entrance exam, and after her training under Han Li's tutelage, she wasn't sure what level Tang San had reached now or what kind of hidden weapons he might have. But she didn't want to find out.
Given what she knew of Tang San, in his current state of rage, he might attack her in public.
"Match paused! Everyone, stay where you are, and don't move!"
At that moment, the referee overseeing the match descended from the sky, casting an annoyed glance at Tang San. Why are you shouting so loudly? Isn't it just a teammate fainting?
In previous matches, you had no problem severely injuring others. Why all the shouting now? Don't you know that after someone forfeits, aside from those still engaged in combat, it's my job to remove the participants from the stage?
And this is Ning Rongrong we're talking about. Her father, the head of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, is right here in the audience. Show some respect.
The big shots are all watching from the stands. If you break the rules, doesn't that make me, the referee, look incompetent?
Besides, others might not realize it, but as the referee, I can see what's going on.
That girl Xiao Wu... sure, she looks a bit battered, but it's just superficial injuries. Her most serious wound is the backlash from overestimating her abilities during her attack.
Yes, it was a comical scene, but her injuries aren't that severe. The blood at the corner of her mouth is probably from hitting the ground. She likely bit her tongue or something. If she can't handle a little bit of blood, then why even participate in the Soul Master Tournament?
Earlier in the matches, this same girl, Xiao Wu, was happily kicking people into serious injuries, or using her soft skills to slam opponents. Didn't you seem quite pleased then, Tang San?
So, it's okay for you to hurt others, but not for others to hurt you, huh?
Feeling the implicit threat in the referee's words, and with Tai Long pulling him back to sense the situation, Tang San finally regained some composure. However, his glare at Zhu Zhuqing still carried a near-demonic fury.
The referee quickly walked over to Xiao Wu, picked her up, nodded toward Ning Rongrong, and carried them both to the edge of the stage.
Only after escorting them off the stage did he loudly announce, "The match will continue."
As soon as the fight resumed, Ma Hongjun, having already made up his mind, quickly distanced himself from Zhu Zhuqing. His wings, about to expire along with his third soul skill, flapped as he flew toward his remaining three teammates.
Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing dodged a ball of flame and Tang San's Blue Silver Web Bind, pulling back again as she waited for her soul skill cooldowns to finish.
Tang San's venomous glare made her even more cautious.
To Zhu Zhuqing, this battle felt more like a training exercise assigned by Han Li. She always remembered his advice:
"Agility-type soul masters are like assassins. If you fail in one strike, retreat immediately. If the mission is a must-complete, stay on the periphery and patiently wait for another opportunity."
He emphasized, "If a situation can be resolved with skills, don't foolishly engage in close combat. What if your opponent has also trained in close combat? I want you to practice close combat to improve your strength, but that doesn't mean you should avoid using your skills."
Unfortunately for Tang San, from Zhu Zhuqing's perspective, he was someone proficient in close combat. Although she had learned corresponding techniques, she knew that compared to Xiu'er and the others, she was still quite inexperienced. It was better to play it safe.
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing pulling away again, Tang San's expression grew even darker.
Ma Hongjun, now on the ground, was panting heavily. On the stage, the flames were gradually dying down. Without needing to be told, Tang San knew Ma Hongjun was nearly out of soul power and couldn't be relied upon anymore.
With Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong already eliminated, they had no backup. But Tang San wasn't willing to surrender.
He had promised Xiao Wu that he would never let anyone hurt her, and now he had failed.
As the blood from his arm flowed into his hand, the metallic scent filled his nostrils. A wave of murderous intent surged through his mind, making his expression turn even more ferocious.