Seeing the Prey, the Heart Rejoices

This wasn't due to his injuries, but because he was furious.

He was clearly the one who had been injured, so why was everyone taking Ning Chuan's side? And Zhu Zhuqing, that bitch—she was obviously his fiancée, yet instead of helping him, she was helping Ning Chuan, an outsider.

This was simply outrageous.

Dai Mubai roared inwardly!

Xiao Wu looked at Ning Chuan. "Little Six, are you alright?"

Ning Chuan shook his head. What could possibly have happened to him? Even if someone was hurt, it would be Dai Mubai. He then waved toward the host below the stands.

The host finally came to his senses and hurried onto the platform, announcing Ning Chuan's victory.

The matches moved quickly. Before long, Zhu Zhuqing took the stage. Due to Ning Chuan's butterfly effect, she did not face Tang San. Her opponent was a Soul Master with a Gray Wolf Martial Soul. Though his Soul Power was somewhat higher than Zhu Zhuqing's, he did not even possess an optimal soul ring configuration, and his Martial Soul was not particularly impressive. Zhu Zhuqing therefore won without much effort.

When Zhu Zhuqing jumped down from the Soul Battle Stage, Ning Chuan was already waiting for her in the Soul Master passage. After briefly registering their points, the two did not return to the one-on-one battle stands. Instead, they went to the two-on-two battle area.

Ning Chuan asked around and learned that their battle would not begin for another three matches. Neither of them went to watch the others fight, instead waiting in the preparation area.

Zhu Zhuqing removed her Cat Face Mask, her voice carrying a trace of apology. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier. I dragged you into this."

Ning Chuan took off his Fire Fox Mask. "This has nothing to do with you. I've only known him for a few days, but from what I've seen, he's a lecher through and through. No matter what woman catches his eye, he considers her his possession, then tosses her aside once he's tired of her. This morning, after you left the cafeteria, he asked me to give you to him. I didn't want to see a classmate of mine get hurt, so I refused. It was only natural that he would turn against me."

Hearing that, Zhu Zhuqing's heart warmed, and she softly said, "Thank you."

"There's nothing to thank me for. I'm not the one who suffered, anyway. And don't be fooled by how I look—I have selfish motives too." Ning Chuan pointed at himself.

Zhu Zhuqing froze. "What selfish motives?"

Ning Chuan looked Zhu Zhuqing up and down, smiling. "Well, look at you. You're so beautiful, and you have such a good personality. There aren't many men who wouldn't be tempted."

This was the first time anyone had said she had a good personality. Zhu Zhuqing was amused by Ning Chuan's words and, for some reason, asked, "Then would you be tempted?"

"Of course. Extremely tempted." Ning Chuan nodded lightly, wearing an utterly matter-of-fact expression.

At those words, Zhu Zhuqing fell silent. The smile on her face abruptly vanished, and she lowered her head slightly.

To be honest, she did not dislike this boy she had only recently met. She even found it comfortable being around him, without the suffocating feeling she had known before.

If she had to choose between Dai Mubai, Ning Chuan, and everyone else, she would most likely choose Ning Chuan without hesitation.

Unfortunately, heaven and hell had never given her the right to choose. She had only ever been destined to be chosen.

As a daughter of the Zhu Family of the Star Luo Empire, her fate had already been decided from the moment her Martial Soul awakened—perhaps even from the moment she was born.

She could not defy the Zhu Family, the Star Luo Royal Family, or the Star Luo Empire. She was only a lowly Soul Grandmaster. She had no choice. Agreeing to Ning Chuan would only harm him.

Ning Chuan knew what Zhu Zhuqing was worried about, but he did not mind. After all, haste made waste. Since Little Cat had not rejected him outright, he knew he was already halfway there.

Neither of them spoke again afterward. Sitting cross-legged in their chairs, Zhu Zhuqing recovered her Soul Power while Ning Chuan cultivated.

Two-on-two Soul Battles lasted longer than one-on-one matches. By the time it was their turn, Zhu Zhuqing had already recovered her Soul Power.

At that moment, a new round of two-on-two Soul Battles was being announced on the stage.

"...Match Seven: Axe and Blade Combination versus Green Bamboo Combination."

As their name implied, Axe and Blade Combination consisted of one Soul Master with a Narrow Blade Martial Soul and another with a Giant Axe Martial Soul. Their soul rings were two yellow and one purple, both possessing optimal configurations. Their Soul Power also exceeded that of Ning Chuan and Zhu Zhuqing, both being above level thirty-five. The Narrow Blade Soul Elder in particular had even greater Soul Power than Dai Mubai, at least level thirty-eight.

Had they faced any of Shrek's other members with such a gap in Soul Power, they would most likely have won.

Unfortunately for them, they had encountered Ning Chuan.

"I'll take the lead. Support me from the side." Ning Chuan set their strategy the moment they stepped onto the stage.

When Axe and Blade Combination saw that their opponents were merely a Soul Elder and a Soul Grandmaster, both were somewhat taken aback. The host was also stunned for a moment. "It seems Green Bamboo Combination's luck isn't very good. Let the Soul Battle begin!"

The instant the host finished speaking, Ning Chuan, unusually, took the initiative. He shot into the air, flipped midair, and delivered a powerful Mountain Splitting Chop at the Giant Axe Soul Elder, who possessed the higher Soul Power.

Clang!

The Giant Axe Soul Elder's axe was knocked aside, his eyes filled with disbelief.

No matter what, he had never expected this secretive fellow to unleash such terrifying strength, sending his eighty-pound giant axe flying with a single sword strike.

"Don't think you'll get away with this!" The Narrow Blade Soul Elder naturally could not stand by and watch his companion be instantly defeated. His First Spirit Ring and Second Soul Skill lit up in succession. First, he sent out a half-meter-long yellow blade aura to force Ning Chuan back, then immediately slashed at him dozens—perhaps even hundreds—of times, faster than Zhu Zhuqing herself.

It seemed he was a speed-attack type, and the direction of his Martial Soul development was somewhat similar to Zhu Zhuqing's.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

After sidestepping the Narrow Blade Soul Elder's yellow blade aura, Ning Chuan held his sword one-handed and used horizontal slashes to contend with the Narrow Blade Soul Elder's Second Soul Skill.

At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing seized the opportunity to attack.

First Spirit Skill: Hell Stab!

Second Soul Skill: Netherworld Hundred Claws!

Against Zhu Zhuqing, whose speed did not pale in comparison to an ordinary speed-attack Soul Elder, the Giant Axe Soul Elder, whose weapon had been knocked away, had no ability to resist at all.

Within moments, Zhu Zhuqing's Netherworld Hundred Claws sent him flying off the Soul Battle Stage.

At the same time, Ning Chuan's fight was also nearing its conclusion. After receiving the Narrow Blade Soul Elder's Second Soul Skill in full, Ning Chuan struck downward with one hand, followed by two consecutive downward slashes, unleashing three intersecting Sword Qi that shattered the opponent's Third Spirit Ability. With one final upward slash, he sent the opponent's narrow blade flying.

They had won this two-on-two Soul Battle.

After the host announced their victory, Ning Chuan and Zhu Zhuqing walked side by side off the Soul Battle Stage.

"Why didn't you use your soul skills just now? With your strength, you should've been able to win easily if you had."

Zhu Zhuqing asked curiously. Having just defeated their opponents, she was in a very good mood. A bright smile had appeared on her usually icy face.

Ning Chuan smiled faintly. "I was simply eager to see what he could do. That Narrow Blade Soul Elder was quite capable; he gave me quite a few insights."

It was a habit he had developed long ago. Whenever he encountered a soul master with a blade or sword spirit, he would wait until the other party had fully displayed all their soul skills before defeating them.