Tang San deeply understood the importance of strong backgrounds in this world. On their last trip to the Star Dou Forest, they were threatened by Dragon Duke and Serpent Lady. If it hadn't been for Zhao Wuji and what he said to Dragon Duke, they wouldn't have gotten the Eight Spider Lances, and they might not have even escaped safely.
This was also the reason why he bet that Lan Si wouldn't dare to kill Dai Mubai. Dai Mubai's background was undoubtedly powerful—his demeanor and every move showed it, something worlds apart from commoners like Ma Hongjun and Oscar.
In fact, there was even a moment when he hoped that Lan Si would kill Dai Mubai. If that happened, Lan Si would definitely be hunted by the people behind Dai Mubai, which would save him a lot of trouble.
Hearing Tang San's words, Lan Si rolled his eyes, thinking, "Did you even call me 'Ah SI' before? Besides, even if you did, I wouldn't care."
Before Lan Si could speak, Osler, who had already been healed by Nine-Hearted Begonia, couldn't hold back any longer. "Hey, hey, you're way too arrogant! You were just running away like a rat, and now you have the nerve to speak so boldly?"
"He only defeated my companions earlier, and that should be his true strength. But how much of my true strength have you seen?" Tang San sneered, full of confidence. His strongest point had never been the Blue Silver Grass but rather the Tang Sect's skills and hidden weapons. Although his teacher Yu Xiaogang had instructed him not to rely on hidden weapons, and they were forbidden in the Soul Arena, at this point, he didn't care anymore.
Lan Si noticed the change in Tang San's demeanor and knew that he was going to go all out. He stepped forward and said calmly, "Then let me see your so-called true strength." After speaking, he turned to Yu Tianheng and the others, saying, "Tianheng, I know you haven't shown your full strength earlier, but this time, I want a one-on-one battle with him. You all can step down, and Lingling too."
Hearing this, Yu Tianheng and the others exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. They had all seen Lan Si's strength firsthand. Even if all six of them teamed up, they wouldn't fare much better than the Shrek team.
Yu Tianheng said solemnly, "Be careful."
After speaking, he led Dugu Yan and the others down from the Soul Arena.
"Xiao Wu, you should step down as well. This is between me and him. Today, I'm going to prove to the world that my teacher's theories are correct."
Seeing that Lan Si had sent down the undamaged members of the Emperor Team, Tang San couldn't help but feel a bit surprised. With the Tang Sect's hidden weapons, he was confident he could defeat Lan Si, but if Yu Tianheng and the others joined in, with the support of the seemingly immortal Nine-Hearted Begonia Spirit Master, his chances of winning would be slim to none.
He promptly asked Xiao Wu to step down as well, knowing that she wouldn't be much help here and could even become Lan Si's target.
"Brother San... I…" Xiao Wu was full of worry. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back and reluctantly left the stage.
When she returned to the Shrek resting area, she saw Flender, Zhao Wuji, and Yu Xiaogang with worried expressions. Beside them stood the already-eliminated Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Oscar, who had just regained consciousness.
"You knew that 'I love eating rabbit meat' was Lan Si?" Xiao Wu asked Zhu Zhuqing with dissatisfaction.
"Yes." Zhu Zhuqing's reply was as cold and concise as her usual demeanor—just one word.
"Then why didn't you say anything when Brother San was making the strategy earlier?" If Zhu Zhuqing had mentioned it, her Brother San could have quickly come up with a strategy, just like he did with Yu Tianheng, and Shrek wouldn't have been defeated so badly.
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing glanced at Xiao Wu. She used to avoid interacting with Xiao Wu simply because Lan Si disliked her. Now, she understood why—it was because Xiao Wu was just like Tang San, a hypocrite. Zhu Zhuqing retorted, "Ah SI is the person closest to me, and Tang San is the person closest to you. If you were in my shoes, would you betray Tang San?"
"I..." Xiao Wu was momentarily speechless. Then Zhu Zhuqing continued, "Moreover, Ah SI has never asked me about Shrek. Why would I betray his trust and use him?"
"And besides, a long time ago, Ah SI told me that if we ever met on the Soul Arena, we should give it our all and treat it as training."
"I did that. Even when facing Ah SI, I didn't hesitate to charge at him. I know this is just a soul battle, a form of training. That's all. Ah SI may never have lost, but I know he can handle defeat, and so can I. That's why we don't mix personal feelings into the Soul Arena."
"If you can't handle defeat and believe it's fine to hit others, but not be hit yourself, and want to kill others, then perhaps you shouldn't be a soul master at all. Because, in that case, the whole world would be your enemy. The Soul Arena is meant for showcasing strength and honing one's abilities, not for childish games."
Even Flender and the other Shrek members were taken aback by Zhu Zhuqing's words. Though her tone towards Xiao Wu was sharp, what she said was undeniably true.
Furthermore, Zhu Zhuqing's performance in the arena was also commendable. She had fought with all her might, both against the Emperor Team and Lan Si.
"Alright, Zhuqing, that's enough. Xiao Wu, you too. Let's end this matter here," Flender finally interjected, putting a stop to their confrontation.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing turned her cold face away and refocused on the Soul Arena.
Xiao Wu, perhaps to shift her attention, casually asked Ning Rongrong beside her, "Rongrong, where are Fatty and Dai Mubai?"
"Ah, oh..." Ning Rongrong, still lost in thought after Zhu Zhuqing's words, snapped back to reality and replied, "Fatty's clothes were burned by his evil fire, so he ran out to change. As for Dai Mubai..."
She couldn't help but laugh as she remembered Dai Mubai's swollen face, crying as he fled the scene. The memory filled her with amusement.
Who would've thought that the proud and fearless Dai Mubai, who was always so arrogant in front of others, could ever end up so humiliated?
Just then, Yu Xiaogang's exclamation echoed throughout the central Soul Arena, "Xiao San is getting serious!"
Upon hearing this, the Shrek group was momentarily stunned. Then, one by one, they turned their gaze towards the centre of the Soul Arena.
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