On the other hand, Su Ming wasn't surprised by Xiao Wu's reaction. She was the boss of Notting Academy, and with the love and care she received from Su Ming over the years, along with her own incredible strength, it was no surprise that she wouldn't tolerate Dai Mubai's attitude.
Tang San, however, felt a sense of disappointment as his hopes were dashed. If Xiao Wu knew what he was thinking, she'd surely give him a taste of her Eight Stage Drop!
Dai Mubai, his voice cold, said, "Friends, since the three of you are together, why not let me have one of the rooms? How about this: we have a match. If I win, you give up a room. If I lose, we forget about it. How about that?"
Xiao Wu frowned and retorted, "If we lose, we give up a room. But if you lose, you lose nothing. Why should we agree?"
Dai Mubai frowned in turn, "Then what do you want?"
Before Xiao Wu could speak further, Su Ming smiled and interrupted, "How about this: if we lose, we'll give you a room. But if you lose, you'll give us 100 gold coins and cover any damages to this hotel. How about that?"
The staff member behind the counter gave Su Ming a grateful look after hearing his proposal.
Without thinking much, Dai Mubai agreed. In his mind, Su Ming looked much younger than him, and there was no way Su Ming could be stronger than him. Confident of his victory, he accepted the bet. The two of them set the terms, and the onlookers cleared a space for the duel, standing back to avoid getting caught up in the fight.
Dai Mubai grinned wickedly at the twin girls beside him and said, "Just wait for me, this will be over soon. Then, I'll show you two a good time."
The twins blushed and giggled, "We'll see how strong you are, Dai Shao."
With that, they moved aside.
Dai Mubai stomped his right foot on the ground, and behind him appeared the figure of a giant white tiger, his martial spirit. Three spirit rings floated up around him—two yellow and one purple, the optimal configuration for a spirit master.
His power astonished the crowd. "I didn't expect him to be so young yet already a three-ring Spirit Elder!"
Dai Mubai smirked and introduced himself, "Dai Mubai, martial spirit: Evil-Eyed White Tiger. Spirit power: level 37, assault-type Spirit Master."
"Kid, you don't look very old. How about this? I won't use my third spirit ability to avoid being accused of bullying you. How about that?"
Su Ming shook his head with a smile, "That's not necessary. I'm stronger than you."
As Su Ming spoke, a green orb of light appeared in his hand, and to everyone's shock, four spirit rings appeared around him—yellow, yellow, purple, and purple. A four-ring Spirit Ancestor!
Calmly, Su Ming said, "Su Ming, martial spirit: Wood Element. Spirit power: level 43, control-type Spirit Master."
Dai Mubai was stunned. "That's impossible! You can't be more than twelve years old! How could you possibly be this strong?!"
Dai Mubai couldn't believe what he was seeing. A twelve-year-old at level 43? Such a talent was unheard of across the continent! Even in the Star Luo Empire, he had never heard of anyone so young being this powerful.
Xiao Wu, seeing Dai Mubai's shock, felt smug and proudly said, "For others, being level 43 at twelve might be difficult, but for my brother, it's easy. Even I'm at level 39. Who do you think you're looking down on? You're already an adult and only level 37!"
Tang San: ...
Tang San felt as if Xiao Wu's words were a sharp blade stabbing into his heart. It hurt.
Dai Mubai, startled, turned to Tang San, "Are you also over level 30?"
Tang San awkwardly replied, "Barely, but I haven't acquired my third spirit ring yet."
Dai Mubai: ...
What is happening in this world? How did three such talented people suddenly appear? Have I really fallen behind so much?
Su Ming could only smile inwardly. Of course, Xiao Wu and I are different from the others. As for Tang San, his progress was still within normal limits.
Feeling awkward, Dai Mubai coughed and said, "Ahem, since your brother is so strong, I take back my earlier words. I'll have to use my third spirit ability after all."
Su Ming didn't mind at all. Even if Dai Mubai used his third spirit ability, it wouldn't change the outcome. This was a good opportunity to gauge Dai Mubai's true strength.
With a gesture, Su Ming indicated for Dai Mubai to make the first move.
Dai Mubai didn't hesitate. As an assault-type spirit master facing a control-type, he was already at a disadvantage. Although he didn't know the extent of Su Ming's control abilities, he couldn't afford to be careless.
Additionally, Dai Mubai felt a growing frustration. He had only wanted to enjoy some time with the beautiful twins before entering Shrek Academy. But things weren't going his way.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. Could it be that these three are also headed to Shrek Academy?
But now wasn't the time for idle speculation.
Dai Mubai gathered his strength in his right fist and charged toward Su Ming, aiming for his chest.
"Lingbo Microstep!"
Su Ming gracefully dodged using his footwork technique, evading Dai Mubai's attack with ease.
Seeing Su Ming's odd footwork, Dai Mubai grew frustrated. Though it seemed slow, he couldn't land a hit. Enraged, he shouted, "Su Ming, stop dodging and face me head-on if you've got the guts!"
Su Ming stopped, amused. He had been testing Dai Mubai's abilities but realized it wasn't necessary. Dai Mubai was weaker than expected, probably even weaker than Tang San.
Seeing his taunt work, Dai Mubai quickly unleashed his second spirit ability. A massive surge of white light gathered in his mouth and shot toward Su Ming.
"Second Spirit Ability: White Tiger Light Wave!"
Su Ming remained calm. After all, it was just a hundred-year-level spirit ability. He clasped his hands together, and his first spirit ring lit up.
"First Spirit Ability: Wooden Wall!"
A semi-circular wooden barrier sprouted from the floor of the hotel, rising in front of Su Ming. The White Tiger Light Wave struck it, and a cloud of smoke filled the area.
The onlookers were curious about the outcome.
When the smoke cleared, Dai Mubai was shocked to see that his attack had only shaved off a few wood chips from Su Ming's barrier. It was as if he had barely scratched it.
In disbelief, he shouted, "You said you're a control-type spirit master! So what's with this ridiculously strong defensive ability?!"
Su Ming smiled, "Who says control-type spirit masters can't have defensive abilities? I can do what I want!"
Xiao Wu, standing nearby, couldn't help but giggle. "Su Ming, you're so bad!"