The Price of Victory

The uproar in the stands seemed to have its throat seized by an invisible hand, falling silent for an instant when the referee announced the result before erupting into an even fiercer wave of sound mixed with shock and frenzy. Gamblers' curses, spectators' cheers, and incredulous cries intertwined, nearly lifting the roof off the Soul Fighting Arena.

On the field, the price of victory was plain to see.

Dai Mubai panted heavily. The wound across his chest, torn open by Yu Tianheng's Dragon Claw, was deep enough to expose bone, and blood had soaked through his tattered clothes. Yet he grinned, his evil eyes brimming with exhilarated fighting spirit. Xiao Wu clutched her left arm, where a vicious claw mark had nearly ripped through the flesh. The pain scrunched up her little face, tears welling in her eyes, but the corners of her mouth still could not help curling upward. Zhu Zhuqing was pale, barely able to stand steadily while leaning against Dai Mubai. Her breathing was uneven, and it was obvious her internal organs had suffered a shock. Ning Rongrong had exhausted her Soul Power. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda had long since been withdrawn, and she sat limply on the ground, unable even to lift a finger. Oscar lay sprawled beside her, his chest rising and falling violently. The soul skill used to make sausages had nearly drained all his energy.

Tang San supported his arm. The backlash from blocking the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon with his Mysterious Jade Hand had left his entire right arm numb and stabbing with pain, while he forcibly swallowed the metallic sweetness in his throat. He turned to look at Xiao Xiaoxiao, who was relying almost all her weight on his arm.

Her condition was the worst. After repeatedly casting large-scale illusions and Mental Interference at high intensity, both her Soul Power and Spiritual Power had been depleted. Her face was frighteningly pale, the hair on her forehead soaked with cold sweat and stuck to her smooth skin. Her body trembled faintly, as though she might fall apart at any moment. Yet her eyes were astonishingly bright. Looking up at Tang San, she smiled weakly but sincerely. "We... really won..."

"Mm." Tang San's voice was lower than usual. The hand supporting her arm held her steadily, his fingertips clearly feeling her faint tremors and icy body temperature. His gaze swept over her bloodless face, and his brows knitted almost imperceptibly.

"We won! Hahaha! We won!" Xiao Wu finally could not hold back any longer. Crying and laughing, she jumped up, only to tug at her wound and hiss in pain. She hurriedly used her uninjured hand to hug Zhu Zhuqing beside her. Zhu Zhuqing's body stiffened, but she ultimately did not push her away, merely giving a soft "Mm."

Dai Mubai heavily patted Oscar's stomach, drawing a miserable howl from him. "Get up, stop playing dead! When we get back, have Teacher Shao Xin make you ten Big Sausages to build you back up!"

"Boss... are you trying to choke me to death..." Oscar protested weakly, but he still struggled into a sitting position. Taking out several Recovery Big Sausages, he passed them around one by one. "Quick, eat them while they're warm. The effect is better."

Ning Rongrong took a sausage and nibbled at it. Watching her companions support one another, bedraggled but with shining eyes, her eyes reddened slightly while a gentle curve formed on her lips. Was this... what having companions felt like?

Tang San first brought the sausage Oscar had handed him to Xiao Xiaoxiao's lips. Xiao Xiaoxiao froze for a moment, then took a small bite from his hand. Warm Soul Power flowed into her body along with a somewhat strange taste. Her depleted meridians felt as though they had finally received rain after a long drought, easing a little. She whispered, "Thank you."

Tang San said nothing. He simply waited until she finished before taking another one and quickly eating it himself.

The atmosphere on the Imperial Dou Team's side was grave. Yu Tianheng was helped up by the Shi Mo brothers, his face ashen and the wound on his back still seeping blood. He looked at the Shrek Seven Devils, who supported each other and remained high-spirited despite being covered in injuries. His expression was complicated. His pride had been completely shattered, and in the end, he closed his eyes despondently. Dugu Yan clutched her chest and barely stood under the faint healing light of Ye Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia. She stared fixedly at Xiao Xiaoxiao, her gaze like the tongue of a venomous snake, filled with unwillingness and resentment. Ye Lingling's complexion was scarcely any better than Xiao Xiaoxiao's, and her healing light was extremely dim.

Staff members stepped forward to guide the two teams out. The Shrek side practically supported one another as they slowly made their way toward the passage.

After returning to their private lounge, Teacher Shao Xin and Teacher Lu Qibin, who had been waiting there, immediately came forward. Shao Xin hurriedly took out higher-grade Recovery Candy and distributed it to everyone, while Lu Qibin examined their injuries.

"You little brats! Well done!" Flender's voice arrived before he did. He rushed in like a gust of wind, grinning like a chrysanthemum as he rubbed his hands together. "Hehe, we've hit it big this time. My nest egg has multiplied several times over!"

Zhao Wuji followed behind him, his fan-sized hands patting Dai Mubai, Tang San, and the others on the shoulders one by one while carefully avoiding their wounds. His voice boomed like a bell. "Not bad! You didn't disgrace me! Especially Tang San and the little girl—you two worked together beautifully!"

Master Yu Xiaogang entered last. His steady gaze swept across the team, and as he looked at the seven of them—injured but full of spirit—a trace of barely perceptible gratification and pride flickered deep in his eyes. He nodded. "The tactics were executed very well. Especially the final surprise attack against Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan—the timing was just right. Xiaoxiao's illusion interference was the key."

Xiao Xiaoxiao was currently being fed a cloyingly sweet candy by Teacher Shao Xin. Hearing that, she smiled embarrassedly, only to pull at her throbbing temples from Soul Power exhaustion and suck in a breath of cold air.

Tang San's gaze fell upon her slightly furrowed brow.

"Alright, stop crowding around. Hurry back and treat your wounds, then rest." Flender waved a hand. "Shao Xin, Old Lu, I'll leave them to you. Mubai, that injury needs treatment right away. Xiao Wu too... Oscar! Stop slacking off and keep making sausages!"

The group left the noisy Great Soul Arena in a grand procession, supporting one another as they boarded the carriage back to the academy.

It was already late at night, and the carriage swayed along the road. Most of them were so exhausted they were drifting into sleep. Xiao Wu leaned against Ning Rongrong, nodding off. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing sat with their eyes closed, regulating their breathing, while Oscar had already begun to snore faintly.

Xiao Xiaoxiao leaned against the wall of the carriage, her head bobbing with its motion, her heavy eyelids nearly sticking together. The fatigue after overexertion surged over her like a tide, leaving her whole body sore, weak, and limp.

Suddenly, the carriage rolled over a stone and jolted violently.

Xiao Xiaoxiao's body tilted, and her forehead was about to strike the window frame.

An arm reached out in time, firmly cushioning the space between her forehead and the frame. Her forehead bumped into a slightly rough yet warm palm.

Xiao Xiaoxiao drowsily opened her eyes and met a pair of deep eyes. Tang San had somehow moved to sit beside her.

"Sleep. I'll wake you when we arrive." His voice was low, somewhat indistinct in the nighttime carriage.

"Oh... thank you..." Xiao Xiaoxiao mumbled. Overwhelmed by sleepiness, she could not be bothered to think about anything else. Her head tilted as she instinctively sought a more comfortable position, ultimately resting against the shoulder of the person beside her, which looked lean but was unexpectedly reassuring. She sank completely into sleep.

Tang San's body stiffened slightly.

The girl's light, warm breath brushed against the side of his neck, carrying a trace of the cloying sweetness of candy and the faint saltiness of sweat. The soft crown of her head rubbed against his chin, making it a little itchy. He could feel the relaxed, dependent weight of her entire body.

Lowering his eyes, he looked at her peaceful sleeping face. Her long eyelashes cast faint shadows beneath her eyes, and the dim light inside the carriage softened her earlier pallor. The hand supporting her arm had never let go, and the cold skin beneath his fingertips was gradually warming.

The carriage continued onward. Inside, there was only the steady breathing of their companions and the rumble of wheels rolling over the road.

Tang San maintained his position without moving. Moonlight flowing past the window occasionally illuminated his calm profile. In those eyes that were always composed and wise, there flickered an extremely faint gentleness, one even he himself had not noticed.

Meanwhile, in some unnoticed shadowed corner of the Soul Fighting Arena, the cloaked figure had long since vanished, leaving behind only empty silence, as though no one had ever stood there watching.