After one match, Li Yong had not only lost all his clothes—he'd even had every hair singed off. Ma Hongjun was largely responsible for his now-charred skin.
Meanwhile, the fight continued. Although Zhu Zhuqing was at a disadvantage, the resilience she had developed over the years helped her stay calm and look for an opening.
Li Yong finished his consecutive three heavy hammer strikes. He had just spent his strength, and had yet to recover it.
Zhu Zhuqing sprang forward, darting toward Li Yong's side.
There was less than a meter between them. As she moved, her First Soul Ring lit up, and Hell Stab activated!
In the blink of an eye, Zhu Zhuqing flicked her long legs and closed in on Li Yong!
Defense was one of the strongest abilities of Strength-type Soul Masters. Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's sharp claws reach for his throat, Li Yong had no time to dodge. He could only quickly pull back his hammer and hold it in front of himself.
But he was still too slow. Zhu Zhuqing's claws raked several bloody streaks across his neck.
"Li Yong was too impatient. Pressing the attack was the right move, but he shouldn't have poured all his strength into those first three strikes. Fighting an Agility-type Soul Master like that is practically digging his own grave!"
Ma Hongjun shook his head. Li Yong had improved a little since last time, but not by much.
"He probably doesn't know about the Hell Spirit Cat. After all, he's a Soul Grandmaster who came up the hard way."
Oscar shook his head. Although the odds were now tilting in Zhu Zhuqing's favor, Soul Masters who had grown up without guidance and relied on their own hands to secure resources and knowledge were naturally wild.
When these Soul Masters found themselves at a disadvantage, they often erupted with unprecedented strength.
As he spoke, Li Yong took a desperate gamble, letting Zhu Zhuqing's claws strike his neck. He was betting that her attack wouldn't kill him.
In truth, Zhu Zhuqing could have killed him outright with that strike. But this wasn't a fight to the death, and they had no grudge against each other. At the last moment, she pulled back her claws.
Likewise, she failed to notice that, in the brief pause, Li Yong's other fist slammed into her lower back.
"Bang!"
A loud crash rang out alongside the sound of cracking bones. Zhu Zhuqing was sent flying several meters. She tumbled through the air again and again before barely managing to land on her feet. Her face was twisted with pain.
She was badly injured!
"Li Yong, has he no shame? Zhu Zhuqing went easy on him!"
Ma Hongjun's eyes blazed with fury. He looked ready to rush into the arena and beat Li Yong until he couldn't take care of himself.
"Junior Brother, let's watch first. This lesson will be good for Zhu Zhuqing. It's better to suffer a little in the Soul Fighting Arena than to show mercy outside someday and lose her life."
Oscar's voice was calm. He didn't know whether Zhu Zhuqing had fought in the Soul Fighting Arena before, but after their trip to the Star Dou Great Forest, he could tell that, beneath her cool exterior, she was warmhearted, with a soft and innocent nature deep down.
There was nothing wrong with that kind of personality in an ordinary girl. But for a member of the Nether Civet Family who wanted to reach the pinnacle, it wasn't a good thing.
So meeting a cunning, unscrupulous Soul Master like Li Yong, one willing to risk his life, was a valuable experience for Zhu Zhuqing.
But... Zhu Zhuqing, could you still defeat an opponent like this?
He watched Zhu Zhuqing on the Soul Fighting Platform expectantly. Her face was pale, but she pressed her lips together, showing no sign of giving up.
"Zhu Zhuqing, I apologize for what happened earlier. I'll find a way to make it up to you. But I'm determined to win this match. Give up."
Zhu Zhuqing only shook her head. The fight wasn't over yet!
Li Yong had realized that Zhu Zhuqing had held back. He was deeply ashamed, but also stunned by the girl's resilience.
But this was the Soul Fighting Arena. He couldn't give up a victory that was within his grasp. He had to earn points and advance; only then could he have a brighter future.
A winning streak was too hard to achieve. He refused to accept his lot. He would rather face revenge from those two senior brothers, even risk his life—he had to win!
With his ribs broken, Zhu Zhuqing was much slower than before, but Li Yong still couldn't catch her easily.
A strange chase unfolded across the arena. Li Yong could feel his Soul Power rapidly draining, but he couldn't stop pursuing her. If he did, Zhu Zhuqing might close in again.
After what had happened before, he was sure Zhu Zhuqing wouldn't hold back next time.
He could only take advantage of his edge, chase Zhu Zhuqing, worsen her injuries, and end the match as quickly as possible!
Zhu Zhuqing felt the same way. Winning a single match wasn't important to her, but she refused to give up!
At last, nearly half an hour into the match, Zhu Zhuqing finally seized the moment when Li Yong's steps faltered and he paused to catch his breath. She managed to close in.
Her Second Soul Ring lit up instantly!
Nether Hundred Claws activated!
At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing's five fingers seemed to turn into blades as they slashed toward Li Yong's neck.
This time, she didn't hold back! If her opening attack landed, her relentless assault would surely kill him!
Li Yong wanted to grab Zhu Zhuqing, but they were too close, and she was far too nimble!
All his Soul Skills strengthened his hammer. At this point, that put him at a huge disadvantage!
But thinking of the four-match winning streak he was about to achieve, Li Yong gritted his teeth and kept fighting.
Unfortunately for him, Zhu Zhuqing had been handed such a huge opening, and she wasn't about to let it go. Her attacks weren't especially powerful, but one after another, they dealt damage as they darted across Li Yong's upper body.
Before long, Li Yong was covered in blood, and the massive hammer in his hands swung wildly.
Both fighters had pushed their abilities to the limit!
Li Yong was like a huge mouse being toyed with by a cat, with no chance to turn things around.
He felt his body growing weaker and weaker, until at last he collapsed to the ground.
The moment he fell, silence settled around the 1v1 Soul Fighting Platform in the 14th Sub-Arena. They had expected this outcome, more or less.
But no one had imagined the fight would take so many turns. They were also astonished by the resilience of this girl, who was only eleven or twelve years old!
Zhu Zhuqing could no longer hold out against her injuries. She swayed and was about to fall, but a figure darted over and caught her in his arms.
At last, cheers erupted. A lovely young girl with such fighting spirit had earned everyone's respect. Thunderous applause filled the arena.
The host finally came to his senses and hurried onto the platform, loudly announcing:
"Battle Spirit Master Zhu Zhuqing wins! Record: one win, zero losses!"
As soon as the host finished announcing the result, Oscar's match was about to begin. He carried Zhu Zhuqing back to the spectator seats below and placed her on a chair. Ignoring her look of protest, he summoned a Grace Hymn Emerald Sausage and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Get some rest. I'm going up."
Before you continue