"You..." Tang San was at a loss for words. Although he didn't think he would lose to Lan Si, if he did lose, he wouldn't hesitate to have Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others step in. It wasn't about pride or fairness; as his teacher Yu Xiaogang had said, they were a team and should support each other. The most important thing was that he wouldn't let anyone who harmed Xiao Wu get away with it.
Lan Si couldn't be bothered with him any longer. He turned his gaze toward the masked Zhu Zhuqing standing at the back, also looking at him with a complicated expression. After hesitating for a moment, he decided not to approach her. Since Zhu Zhuqing had chosen to stay at Shrek Academy, approaching her now would only make things difficult for her.
Then, he turned to the host and said, "Host, you can announce the result of the match."
The host quickly recovered and, taking the microphone, announced loudly to the crowd, "As the Soft-Bone Demon Rabbit Battle Soul Master has fallen off the stage and lost the ability to fight, I declare that the winner of this one-on-one battle is the Battle Soul Master 'I Love Eating Rabbit Meat.'"
As the host's voice rang out, the crowd erupted into cheers. Although Lan Si didn't use any flashy soul skills or even his martial soul, the audience witnessed a different kind of battle. Thoughts like, "Oh, so soul masters can fight like this, without even using their martial souls," began to surface in their minds.
With the match officially announced, Lan Si cast one last glance at Zhu Zhuqing before turning to leave the stage.
Tang San wasted no time. He carried Xiao Wu in a princess hold and turned to leave in another direction. Though he hated the person named 'I Love Eating Rabbit Meat,' Xiao Wu's treatment took priority. Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun followed closely behind.
Zhu Zhuqing, still standing where she was, stared at Lan Si's departing figure for a long time, lost in thought. Now, she was sure of it. The person before her was indeed Lan Si.
Those eyes, that voice—she couldn't be mistaken.
"Zhuqing, what are you looking at? We should go." At this moment, a crisp voice broke Zhu Zhuqing's thoughts.
"Oh... Rongrong, you go back with them first. I have something to do and will return later." Without waiting for Ning Rongrong to respond, Zhu Zhuqing turned and pursued the direction where Lan Si had gone.
Watching Zhu Zhuqing's retreating figure, Ning Rongrong felt a hint of suspicion. Ever since Xiao Wu stepped onto the stage, Ning Rongrong had sensed that Zhu Zhuqing was acting strangely. Her gaze had never left the young man named 'I Love Eating Rabbit Meat.' Could it be that Zhu Zhuqing knew him?
"Rongrong, it's time to go. The dean and the master want us to meet up," Oscar's voice called from a distance.
"Oh, coming." Ning Rongrong shook her head helplessly, deciding not to dwell on it anymore, and followed after the others.
Meanwhile, Lan Si had already returned to where Ye Lingling was waiting in the stands.
"Sorry for the wait, Lingling," Lan Si said to Ye Lingling.
"Ah Si, it seems like you know that Soft-Bone Demon Rabbit," Ye Lingling said with a smile as she stood up and approached him.
"Well, sort of—just an annoying old rabbit. Let's go. It's time we head back." Lan Si shrugged and turned, taking off his mask as he headed for the arena's exit.
Ye Lingling nodded, choosing not to ask further, and walked alongside him.
Walking out of the Great Spirit Arena, strolling down the spacious and well-lit street, Ye Lingling skipped over the previous topic and asked, "Ah Si, I noticed that you didn't seem to use your martial soul in that fight. How did you defeat the Soft Bone Rabbit Soul Master? That guy didn't seem weak, especially in close combat. They seemed stronger than Osler and the others, and that teleportation skill and the charm skill—soul masters of the same level generally have a hard time dealing with that."
Lan Si smiled and shook his head, explaining, "Just some simple combat techniques. When used correctly, they can have unexpected effects. Since we'll be fighting in the Great Spirit Arena in the evenings for a while, we'll have plenty of free time during the day. I'll teach you a few self-defense moves."
"As for that charm skill, it's basically a simple mental attack. It can briefly confuse the mind, but if your mental strength is strong enough, there's no need to fear it."
Lan Si didn't plan to teach her the "Sacred Universe Technique" or the "Five Thunder Heavenly Heart Technique." Those required starting from the foundation, opening up all the body's acupuncture points, and cultivating step by step. If Ye Lingling had already practiced some technique, even a basic one, she could skip the foundational step after switching techniques and raise her level without affecting her existing power.
But that wasn't realistic. Ye Lingling's soul power was the accompanying soul power generated when her martial soul awakened. She had improved it level by level through meditation and had already reached level thirty-five. Switching techniques would mean giving up her current soul power and starting over, which wasn't worth it.
However, she could still learn some simple grappling techniques and basic footwork. Once she mastered those, Lan Si would prepare some weapons for her. With these skills and some weapons, she wouldn't need to fear soul masters of the same level. In fact, with some surprise tactics, she could even use firearms to turn the tables.
Ye Lingling's eyes brightened at his words, and she laughed lightly, "Ah Si, you're amazing! You know more than Teacher Qin Ming. But is it really okay for you to teach me those combat techniques? Being able to defeat a soul master of the same level without relying on martial souls or soul ring skills is akin to the most advanced self-created soul skills. Their value is incalculable. For some auxiliary-type soul masters, it's a treasure since it gives them a means of attack."
"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't teach them. But you're my cousin; we share the same bloodline, so it's nothing. Besides, these techniques are easy to learn but hard to master. How well you do depends on you." Lan Si laughed.
Hearing this, a warm current surged in Ye Lingling's heart. Then she heard Lan Si say, "I'll also give you some self-defense weapons."
A sweet smile appeared under Ye Lingling's veil. "I'll be waiting for that, cousin."
Lan Si nodded but then sensed something following them. Earlier, when it was farther away, he didn't mind it since there was no hostility.
Just now, he felt the other party's soul power fluctuate. Although it wasn't necessarily hostile, there was a hint of anger.
Lan Si glanced at a dark corner far behind them and thought to himself, "Could it be those people from Shrek Academy looking for revenge?"
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