If it were merely Blue Silver Grass rejecting the other party, Tang San would not have hesitated so much. After all, it was highly likely that the other party possessed a Martial Soul that countered Blue Silver Grass.
But what puzzled Tang San most was that while Blue Silver Grass fiercely rejected the other party, it also seemed somewhat drawn to him. This contradictory reaction left Tang San at a loss for a moment.
Qing Mu had no idea what Tang San was thinking. If he had known, he would have immediately understood that this sense of closeness came from his special physique, transformed by the Wood Spirit Seed.
The Wood Spirit Seed held an extremely strong attraction for all Wood Attribute Spirit Masters, and after fusing with Qing Mu's body, that attraction had been amplified dozens of times over.
If Tang San's Martial Soul had been the Blue Silver Emperor, it would have been one thing. Its quality was high enough that the Wood Spirit Seed would have had limited effect on it.
But Tang San's Martial Soul was still only Blue Silver Grass. Although it possessed the bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor, it was not much different from ordinary Blue Silver Grass in practice. Naturally, it felt close to Qing Mu.
As for why it rejected him, it was probably because the roles of the Blue Silver Emperor and Bulbasaur overlapped somewhat.
The Blue Silver Emperor could control plants, especially Blue Silver Grass, and use them for its own purposes. As a Grass Attribute Pokémon, Bulbasaur had also mastered this ability to a certain extent.
Qing Mu's First Soul Skill, Grassy Terrain, was one concrete manifestation of that ability.
Thus, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass naturally issued a warning. It was a wariness toward a peer originating from deep within its bloodline.
Just then, the announcer walked in and shouted, "Next match: Garlic Turtle versus Xiao Wu!"
"Pfft—Garlic Turtle?"
Upon hearing that name, Ning Rongrong of Shrek immediately burst into laughter, and the others could not help but laugh as well.
They knew it was most likely a codename, but Garlic Turtle? What kind of imagination did it take to come up with a codename like that?
Ning Rongrong even nudged Xiao Wu with her elbow and laughed. "Xiao Wu, you're so lucky. Garlic Turtle—just hearing that name, he doesn't sound strong!"
However, Ning Rongrong's teasing abruptly stopped the next moment.
She saw a strange figure in black robes and a mask suddenly rise from one of the rooms. A powerful aura instantly rushed toward them, making Ning Rongrong's face turn pale.
Dai Mubai, Tang San, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others did not look much better either. The aura he radiated alone was enough to prove that he was definitely no weakling.
On the contrary, judging by the killing intent contained within that aura, he was very likely an expert who had fought his way through countless battles.
Qing Mu paid no attention to the Shrek group. He quickly passed Tang San and the others, heading toward the Soul Fighting Arena.
Only after Qing Mu left did Tang San and the others let out a breath of relief. The pressure Qing Mu had brought them just now had been far too intense.
Tang San then solemnly said to Xiao Wu, "Xiao Wu, this Garlic Turtle is very strong. You must not let your guard down!"
Yet faced with Tang San's warning, Xiao Wu revealed a confident smile. "Don't worry, Third Brother. Don't you know how strong I am? I'll definitely defeat that Garlic Turtle and earn my fifth consecutive victory!"
After saying that, Xiao Wu waved to Tang San and the others, then turned and headed toward the Soul Fighting Arena.
At the center of the Soul Fighting Arena, a middle-aged man in a tailcoat cleared his throat and announced loudly, "Next, we will be holding the eighth one-on-one Spirit Duel at the Twelve Spirit Duel Arena!
This will be a battle between Soul Elders. The first contestant is our old friend, Xiao Wu, the Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul Spirit Master, who has already achieved four consecutive victories.
And her opponent is a newcomer whose Martial Soul is Green Vine. His name is Garli..."
At this point, the middle-aged man in the tailcoat suddenly paused. Only after a moment did he continue, "Oh—looks like this contestant does not wish to reveal his identity. He has chosen an interesting codename: Garlic Turtle!"
The spectators in the stands had initially been rather listless and did not have high expectations for this fight. But after hearing the codename Garlic Turtle, they immediately became interested.
They wanted to see what this newcomer named Garlic Turtle looked like, and what kind of wild imagination had led him to connect garlic with turtles.
"Now, please welcome the two Soul Elders to the stage!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Qing Mu's figure landed on the Soul Fighting Arena. Xiao Wu immediately leaped up after him.
The two stood facing each other. Xiao Wu called out to Qing Mu opposite her, "Hey, use whatever abilities you have right away. Don't lose later and say Sister Xiao Wu didn't give you a chance."
"Since that's the case, I won't hold back!"
Hearing this, Qing Mu smiled faintly. Three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—appeared around him.
As the First Soul Ring lit up, lush green grass instantly covered the Soul Fighting Arena, leaving everyone watching the battle stunned.
"Is that an auxiliary Soul Skill? Could this person be a Support System Soul Master?"
Ning Rongrong's expression immediately became serious as she looked at the grass field that had suddenly appeared on the arena.
As a Support Soul Master, Ning Rongrong could naturally tell that Qing Mu's grass field possessed the ability to heal injuries, and its healing efficiency was not low.
But at the same time, Ning Rongrong was puzzled. If he truly was a Support Soul Master, why was he participating in one-on-one Spirit Duels?
"No, he shouldn't be a Support Soul Master—or rather, at the very least, he isn't a purely Support System Soul Master!"
At that moment, Tang San looked at the grass field and declared decisively, "I can sense a kind of enhancement from this field, and it is no weaker than your Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, Rongrong!"
"What!?"
Upon hearing Tang San's words, Ning Rongrong was shocked once more. Her Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda was the number one support Martial Soul in the world, far superior to ordinary support Martial Souls.
Yet Tang San was saying that a Spirit Master who was not a dedicated support specialist possessed enhancement abilities no weaker than her Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. How could she not be shocked?
Tang San nodded. "That's right. However, this enhancement should only work on Wood Attribute Spirit Masters, so it is far less versatile than your Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, Rongrong."
Hearing this, Ning Rongrong felt conflicted. Tang San did not know that this grass field had not only enhancement effects, but also a degree of healing ability. If that healing ability were included, then the other party's support abilities surpassed hers.
After explaining it to Ning Rongrong, Tang San fixed his gaze firmly on Qing Mu. No wonder Blue Silver Grass felt close to him—the reason was that he possessed a Soul Skill specifically meant to support Wood Attribute Spirit Masters.
But where did Blue Silver Grass's sense of rejection toward him come from?
After covering the arena with grass, Qing Mu made a welcoming gesture toward Xiao Wu and said, "Garlic Turtle, level thirty-four Control System Battle Spirit Master. Please enlighten me!"
Before you continue