Narrow Victory

Zhu Zhuqing's first attack failed, but she remained calm. With a flash, she shifted to her opponent's side and unleashed her Second Soul Skill, Netherworld Hundred Claws. Relying on the rapid rotation of her body and the sharp, piercing power of her cat claws, Zhu Zhuqing seemed intent on ending the battle in one burst.

As for the short Spirit Master, although the Executioner's Blade in his hand could serve as a shield against an opponent's attacks, its weakness was equally obvious.

Because the Executioner's Blade was too large, it was extremely unwieldy to swing. The short Spirit Master's speed simply could not keep up with Zhu Zhuqing's.

Now that Zhu Zhuqing was attacking from the side, the short Spirit Master had no time to use his Executioner's Blade to block her attack.

Just as she was about to defeat her opponent in one strike, Zhu Zhuqing instinctively let her guard down ever so slightly.

However, in that instant, the situation in the arena abruptly changed.

The short Spirit Master who had been wielding the Executioner's Blade suddenly abandoned it. With one hand, he drew a Short Blade from behind his back and blocked Zhu Zhuqing's attack, while his other hand pulled another Short Blade from his waist and slashed at Zhu Zhuqing from the side.

At the same time, the short Spirit Master finally activated his Soul Spirit Avatar. As it possessed him, his already small body appeared even shorter, and distinct rat-like features emerged across his body.

Along with his Soul Spirit Avatar, he activated both of his Soul Skills. One white and one yellow soul ring lit up.

The rat Spirit Master's speed instantly rose to a terrifying level, not much slower than Zhu Zhuqing, who possessed the Netherworld Cat Soul Spirit.

Clearly, Zhu Zhuqing had been lured into a trap from the very beginning. That enormous Executioner's Blade had merely been a tool to mislead his opponent.

This short Spirit Master possessed a rat Soul Spirit, and the first two soul rings he had added were both meant to enhance his speed.

With both soul rings activated, his speed instantly caught up to Zhu Zhuqing's, allowing him to seize the initiative in the battle.

However, Zhu Zhuqing's combat instincts were just as sharp. Seeing that the situation had turned against her—

She did not panic. Instead, in the very next moment, she activated her First Soul Skill once more.

There were many ways to win, but Zhu Zhuqing had clearly chosen the most dangerous one.

Kill the enemy before the enemy killed her!

Netherworld Hundred Claws and Hell Stab, two speed-based Soul Skills, stacked in an instant. Zhu Zhuqing shot forward like an arrow released from its bow, her claws leaving afterimages as they struck.

Although the short Spirit Master blocked Zhu Zhuqing's first attack with his short sword, there was no way he could block the second.

Clang!

With a crisp ring, the short Spirit Master was sent flying. His neck twisted grotesquely, and the short sword in his hand was ruined as well. It was clear that he would not survive.

However, his final strike had indeed landed. That sword left a wound across Zhu Zhuqing's abdomen.

Clearly, this short Spirit Master was no honorable man either. His weapon had been coated in poison as well, and Zhu Zhuqing's wound quickly turned black.

Still, he was only a low-level Spirit Master and could not obtain any particularly potent poison. Although Zhu Zhuqing had been poisoned, she would not immediately lose her fighting ability.

Of course, if too much time passed, that would be another matter.

Zhu Zhuqing had only won because she had been decisive enough to trade injury for injury and kill her opponent after being forced into a desperate situation. Otherwise, the outcome of this match might well have been different.

Yet despite her victory, Zhu Zhuqing still looked shaken.

She hurriedly took an antidote from her Soul Tool and neutralized the poison in her body. Only then did Zhu Zhuqing finally breathe a sigh of relief.

At the same time, Li Ang's voice rang out at just the right moment as he commented, "Overall, not bad. You were a little inexperienced, but your decisiveness in that final strike was commendable."

"But Teacher, my opponent's Soul Power was a full five levels lower than mine. His Soul Spirit and soul ring configuration were far inferior to mine as well." Zhu Zhuqing could not help but smile bitterly at Li Ang's assessment.

Although she had long suffered under her elder sister's oppression, Zhu Zhuqing had always been fairly confident in her own strength. At the very least, against opponents of the same level, she believed she should not lose to anyone.

But today's Death Duel completely reshaped Zhu Zhuqing's worldview.

To be honest, her opponent in this match had been utterly ordinary. Whether it was his Soul Spirit, soul ring configuration, or Soul Power, he had been far inferior to her.

Yet he had nearly killed her.

After going through such an experience, Zhu Zhuqing felt exceptionally dejected and even began to doubt herself.

Seeing that his disciple had become even more dispirited after a Death Duel, Li Ang had no choice but to comfort her. "Disciple, this is perfectly normal. After all, you haven't experienced many battles in the true sense."

"Although the Xingluo Imperial Family's methods of education are much better than those of the neighboring Tiandou Imperial Family, they likewise do not encourage their own children to take part in Death Duels. So long as you train according to my methods, I guarantee that one day, you'll be the most impressive one in the Xingluo Imperial Family!"

After his words of comfort, Zhu Zhuqing's mood finally improved somewhat. However, she no longer had the desire to continue participating in Death Duels.

Unlike the spirit battles in the neighboring Gambling Zone, Death Duels in the Life and Death Zone had no daily limit on the number of matches. Competitors could enter as many as they wished.

In the history of the Great Spirit Arena, someone had once participated in forty-eight Death Duels in a row, only to be killed by his opponent in the forty-ninth.

Thus, Li Ang did not recommend that Zhu Zhuqing participate in too many Death Duels in a single day.

After earning one thousand gold soul coins and gaining experience from one Death Duel, Zhu Zhuqing left the Life and Death Zone and headed to the Gambling Zone to rejoin the others from Shrek Academy.

When Zhu Zhuqing appeared, the Shrek Academy group did not think much of it. They assumed she had merely gone to watch matches in another area of the Great Spirit Arena.

The five of them left the Great Spirit Arena together. Tang San asked Dai Mubai beside him, "Brother Dai, where's our dean?"

"Who knows where he went?" Dai Mubai shrugged helplessly and explained, "The dean already left, but before he went, he told us to return straight to the academy once we were done with our spirit battles."

"You all go back first. The dean told me to head out for something." At that moment, Ma Hongjun suddenly spoke from the side. As he spoke, a few excited glints flashed in his small eyes.