Tang San confidently used his Mysterious Jade Hand to block Zhu Zhuqing's Netherworld Slash. Even though his spirit power was lower than Zhu Zhuqing's, he had great confidence in the strength of his technique.
Bang!
The moment Tang San caught Zhu Zhuqing's Netherworld Slash, he felt a sharp pain. His brow furrowed as cold sweat dripped down his face—something was wrong. Shocked, he looked at Zhu Zhuqing, then at his own hands. There were no visible cracks on his Mysterious Jade Hand, so why was he injured?
"Could it be that Zhu Zhuqing's third spirit ability ignores defenses?" Tang San thought, surprised by this unexpected turn.
Zhu Zhuqing, seeing Tang San's reaction, knew her attack had been effective. However, the continuous use of her spirit abilities had drained her spirit power significantly. She quickly began to silently use her internal cultivation technique to recover her energy.
Not giving Tang San any time to think, Zhu Zhuqing pushed her speed to the limit and launched a barrage of Netherworld Slashes at him.
This time, Tang San didn't dare face her head-on. He frowned and tried to distance himself, using his Blue Silver Grass to block her attacks. But Zhu Zhuqing refused to let him retreat, breaking through every vine and staying close to him with relentless pressure.
Outside the arena, Su Ming noticed something odd. "Strange... why is Tang San dodging after taking just one hit from Zhuqing's Netherworld Slash? Why isn't he engaging her in close combat? That's not like him."
Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong exchanged glances, both understanding. They nodded slightly, realizing that Zhu Zhuqing's attack likely had the "true damage" effect she had mentioned earlier, which ignored defense.
Tang San hadn't expected Zhu Zhuqing to be this difficult to deal with. A small misstep caused her attack to slice his arm, and blood began flowing.
Zhu Zhuqing smiled lightly, satisfied that her Netherworld Slash had finally wounded Tang San.
Initially, Tang San thought it was a minor wound and didn't pay much attention to it. But soon, he noticed that the bleeding wouldn't stop—it was actually worsening. The wound grew larger and larger. Could this be another effect of Zhu Zhuqing's ability?
Seeing the opportunity, Zhu Zhuqing calmly said, "Tang San, you should surrender. My third spirit ability, Netherworld Slash, has a bleeding effect. Even a small wound will gradually worsen over time. If you don't surrender, even after healing, you'll be weakened for a while, which could delay your chance to get your third spirit ring."
Tang San was stunned. He hadn't expected Zhu Zhuqing's Netherworld Slash to have such an overpowered effect.
He had seen her use this ability before, during their battle against Teacher Zhao. However, since she couldn't penetrate Zhao Wuji's defense, the ability's effect never took hold.
After weighing the pros and cons, Tang San had no choice but to admit defeat. He felt a bit disheartened—he possessed Tang Sect techniques but still couldn't win even when fighting beyond his level. Was it that he was too weak or that his opponents were too strong?
He couldn't even beat Su Ming, nor could he beat Xiao Wu. And now, he couldn't even defeat Zhu Zhuqing, an agility-type spirit master who he should have had an advantage over. Tang San's confidence was starting to crumble.
As for using hidden weapons against Zhu Zhuqing?
He hadn't even considered it. Zhu Zhuqing was now his classmate, and he wanted to maintain good relations. More importantly, they were in the Great Spirit Arena, and he didn't want to expose his hidden weapons to the public too early. That required more careful planning.
Turning to the host, Tang San declared, "I surrender."
The host, momentarily taken aback, quickly recovered and announced, "Thousand Hands Shura surrenders! Netherworld Spirit Cat is the winner!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, shouting, "Netherworld Spirit Cat! Netherworld Spirit Cat!"
Some spectators, however, were confused. They had seen Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing fighting on par, so why had he surrendered so suddenly? They speculated that if Tang San had delayed a bit longer and covered the arena with Blue Silver Grass, Zhu Zhuqing's speed advantage would have been neutralized. Victory would have been assured then.
What they didn't know was that Tang San was running out of time. His arm was severely injured, though the wound was hidden beneath his clothing. Blood was gushing out faster and faster, and he couldn't stop it.
After leaving the arena, Zhu Zhuqing calmly turned to Oscar and said, "Oscar, give Tang San one of your recovery sausages for healing."
At that moment, Tang San pulled off his sleeve, revealing the full extent of the damage. The sight of his arm shocked everyone.
Ning Rongrong covered her mouth in surprise. "Zhuqing, what's going on? I remember Tang San only had a small cut on his arm from your Netherworld Slash. How did it become this bad?"
Su Ming examined Zhu Zhuqing and then looked at Tang San's gaping wound. The injury was deep, far more serious than what a single strike could have caused. Could this be the effect of her spirit ability? But he didn't recall Netherworld Slash having such an effect.
Zhu Zhuqing, noticing the curiosity in everyone's eyes, explained, "My third spirit ability, Netherworld Slash, has a bleeding effect. If the wound isn't treated in time, it will continue to grow, eventually leading to death."
She then added awkwardly, "I wanted to test it out when we fought Teacher Zhao, but my attacks couldn't hurt him, so the effect didn't trigger."
Oscar, standing nearby, quickly prepared a recovery sausage and handed it to Tang San.
Tang San hesitated for a moment—still not used to the idea—but realized they were classmates now, and he would have to rely on these sausages eventually. He gulped it down in one bite.
Dai Mubai, who was observing, suggested, "Su Ming, why don't you also use your healing ability on Tang San? It will speed up his recovery."
Xiao Wu immediately objected, "But my brother's match is coming up soon, and his fourth spirit ability uses a lot of spirit power. What if he's too exhausted to compete?"
Dai Mubai realized he had put Su Ming in a difficult position. After all, at Su Ming's level, his fourth spirit ability consumed a significant amount of energy.
However, Su Ming didn't seem concerned and chuckled. "It's fine. Afterward, Rongrong can use her third spirit ability to help me recover."
With that, Su Ming's fourth spirit ring lit up, and a green glow enveloped Tang San. Within moments, Tang San's wound was fully healed, and he felt incredibly invigorated.
Of course, seeing Tang San bathed in green light made everyone suppress a laugh. Dai Mubai's mouth twitched—he had almost forgotten that Su Ming's healing ability gave off an eye-catching green aura. Was this intentional?
In truth, Su Ming had only asked Ning Rongrong for help as an excuse. His own spirit power recovered quickly, but he had to maintain appearances.
Watching Tang San glow green, Su Ming felt amused, thinking that the green aura suited Tang San's current state perfectly.
Seeing Su Ming healing Tang San, Xiao Wu didn't say anything further.
Then she asked, "Brother, what's your code name for the one-on-one matches?"
Su Ming thought for a moment. "I'll go with 'True Thousand Hands.'"
Xiao Wu frowned. "Brother, your code name doesn't sound as cool as Tang San's. His 'Thousand Hands Shura' sounds much more imposing!"
Ning Rongrong chimed in, "Xiao Wu's right. Su Ming, why not pick something better?"
Su Ming laughed. "It's just a code name. What matters is strength, not how cool the name sounds. Once you show your true strength, no one will care about your code name. And trust me, you'll understand the significance of this name later."
Su Ming was hinting at something—when they eventually saw the full power of the "True Thousand Hands" technique, they'd realize how fitting the name was.
Tang San, overhearing this, felt a twinge of discomfort. It almost seemed like Su Ming was subtly mocking him. Despite having the fierce-sounding "Thousand Hands Shura" as his code name, he hadn't won his match or lived up to the title.
At that moment, the host announced, "Next, we have our second match: the Bone Soft Enchanting Rabbit versus the Evil Eyed White Tiger! Let's welcome our two Spirit Elders!"
Everyone turned their attention to Xiao Wu and Dai Mubai. Dai Mubai's face darkened as he realized his misfortune—he had been matched against Xiao Wu. He felt as though he was about to lose again. Xiao Wu's Charm and Teleportation, combined with her powerful Eight Stage Throw, made him doubt his chances of victory.
With no other option, Dai Mubai turned to Xiao Wu and pleaded, "Xiao Wu, we've fought before. How about we put on a show, and then I surrender?"
Xiao Wu readily agreed. It was a good way to conserve spirit power, especially with the two-on-two match coming up later.
Soon, the two of them stepped into the arena.
As they entered, the audience buzzed with excitement. Xiao Wu, though masked, was clearly much smaller than Dai Mubai, and the size difference had many spectators convinced that she would lose. Some even heckled, telling her to go home.
Their mockery irritated Xiao Wu greatly.
The screen displayed their match details:
Evil Eyed White Tiger, level 37 power-type battle spirit master, spirit: White Tiger.
Bone Soft Enchanting Rabbit, level 39 power-type battle spirit master, spirit: Bone Soft Rabbit.
This revelation left the crowd in shock—another prodigy? They couldn't believe that someone so young had reached such a high level.
Dai Mubai had also realized that the crowd's jeers had angered Xiao Wu. He feared that she might take it out on him in the fight.
"Begin!" the host called out.
Xiao Wu wasted no time, instantly using her third spirit ability to teleport right next to Dai Mubai.
Dai Mubai's heart skipped a beat. He whispered, "Xiao Wu, don't mind what those people said. We agreed to just put on a show, right?"
Xiao Wu scoffed, "There's no way I'm letting this slide. I have to show them what I'm made of! Don't worry, I won't use Charm on you this time. You'll just get a few scrapes. Oscar or my brother can heal you afterward."
Xiao Wu, despite being adorable around Su Ming, had a fiery temper when provoked. Dai Mubai knew he had no choice but to give it his all.
But despite his best efforts, Dai Mubai couldn't even touch Xiao Wu. Though she was a power-type spirit master, her speed was impressive, and combined with her teleportation ability, she had Dai Mubai running in circles. He grew increasingly frustrated, unable to land a hit.
The audience, initially mocking Xiao Wu, now realized her true strength. They had severely underestimated her.
Ning Rongrong asked Su Ming, "Didn't they agree to just go easy? What happened?"
Su Ming sighed, "I think those spectators insulted Xiao Wu, and she got angry. Now she's taking it out on Dai Mubai."
He added with a chuckle, "Xiao Wu may seem sweet, but she can be quite fiery when someone pushes her buttons. She used to be the top student at the academy, known as 'Sister Xiao Wu.' She only behaves this way around me."
Ning Rongrong giggled. "It seems like you're the only one who can calm her down and make her listen."
Su Ming turned to Oscar and said, "Oscar, better get some sausages ready. Dai Mubai's going to need them."
Back in the arena, Dai Mubai had had enough. "Xiao Wu, what's with all the dodging? Stop running and fight me!"
Xiao Wu grinned, "Upset already? Fine, I won't dodge anymore. Let's see if you can handle this!"
Dai Mubai suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Why did I have to provoke her?
He quickly activated his White Tiger Barrier and White Tiger Vajra Transformation, boosting his defense and offense. Xiao Wu had promised not to use her Charm ability, so he thought he might stand a chance. After all, she was small—how much damage could she do?
"First Spirit Ability: Waist Bow!"
"Third Spirit Ability: Teleport!"
Xiao Wu's waist bent with incredible flexibility, and with a powerful kick, she sent Dai Mubai flying into the air.
"You wanted me to fight you seriously, right? Here you go!" Xiao Wu yelled.
"Exploding Eight Stage Throw!"
Dai Mubai had been keeping a close eye on Xiao Wu, but even then, she was too quick for him. Before he could react, she launched him into the air and delivered a flurry of devastating throws. Thankfully, Xiao Wu held back, avoiding any major injuries, but Dai Mubai still took a serious beating.
The host and the audience were left speechless by Xiao Wu's incredible agility and strength.
The host finally found his voice. "The winner of the second match is Bone Soft Enchanting Rabbit! Let's give a big round of applause to this impressive young Spirit Elder!"