The True Value of Poison Immunity

Liu Jiayi was startled, his expression turning solemn.

He had assumed his opponent wouldn't be able to escape, so he hadn't followed up with a second spirit skill.

But looking at it now, the girl's strength was truly not to be underestimated.

"Haha, it seems I underestimated you." Liu Jiayi laughed, the vines in his hands shifting their posture as they lunged toward Ning Rongrong once more.

This time, the speed was even greater. Although Ning Rongrong dodged a few times, she was eventually ensnared before she could leap away.

The vines coiled from her ankles all the way up to her knees, and soon after, others swarmed in to bind her arms as well.

Watching Ning Rongrong struggle while trapped, Liu Jiayi smiled.

"Second spirit skill, Parasite!"

"Parasite!"

Tang San stood up abruptly, startling those around him.

"Why is his spirit skill so similar to mine? Could it be that all plant-type martial spirits use this method of attack?"

He couldn't help but feel puzzled.

"Rongrong!"

Zhu Zhuqing watched Ning Rongrong's struggling expression, feeling as though the injury was inflicted upon her, the pain echoing in her own heart.

The entire arena fell silent. The situation at hand seemed to have already reached a verdict.

In the end, she was just a little girl, and there were no hidden agendas here...

Truth be told, she shouldn't have signed up for a one-on-one match.

This was the consensus of the countless people in the audience.

Logically, Liu Jiayi should have stopped, and even Liu Jiayi himself felt the same.

"You've already lost," he said to the girl before him.

"Don't be like that, you haven't even attacked yet, have you?"

Ning Rongrong gave a playful smile, a smile that piqued Liu Jiayi's interest.

"Fine, I respect your resolve. Third spirit skill, Poison Thorn Piercing Heart!"

A massive, grotesque spike condensed from the Ghost Vine directly in front of Ning Rongrong, its tip aimed squarely at her heart.

"This is madness!" Dai Mubai slammed his hand down as he stood up, grinding his teeth. "This is a sparring match! How can he use a spirit skill like that? Dean, do something!"

Flender, having produced a cup of tea from somewhere, took a few sips and said, "Don't be so anxious. Ning Rongrong hasn't conceded yet, so what are you worried about? Besides, it would be foolish not to use one's spirit skills."

In his heart, he couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. Perhaps through this, he would finally see the method Ning Rongrong used to deal with the Man Faced Demon Spider.

The spike continued to grow, gradually filling Ning Rongrong's field of vision.

The playfulness on Ning Rongrong's face slowly faded, replaced by a look of terror. She tried to struggle, but she was completely immobilized.

"It's over, an accident is about to happen."

"That girl is really... there was clearly a moment where she could have surrendered, why didn't she listen?"

Liu Jiayi couldn't see Ning Rongrong's true state; seeing that the spike was large enough, he launched it forward.

The spike drew closer and closer to Ning Rongrong, and it looked as though it was about to tear through her clothes—

Suddenly, Ning Rongrong smiled.

"Heehee, I was just scared, I was lying to you."

She activated her third spirit skill, and the Poison Attribute Amplification spread throughout her entire body. Not only did the parasitic toxins from the Ghost Vine vanish, but the very vines binding her were poisoned, forcing them to loosen their grip.

Immediately following this, she utilized her second spirit skill, retreating backward before lunging toward the incoming Ghost Vine spike.

Finally, she used her first spirit skill.

Of course, it was the inverted version of her first spirit skill.

Trapped Beast, activate.

In an instant, Ning Rongrong felt a sharp pain in her palms. Her health points dropped significantly, but it remained within an acceptable range. She managed to seize the spike, redirected it, and sent it flying back toward Liu Jiayi, its surface coated in a green glow—the effect of Ning Rongrong's third spirit skill, Poison Attribute Amplification.

Although Strength Amplification could not boost Trapped Beast, her third spirit skill certainly could. In this way, it was equivalent to her opponent taking 96% of the spirit skill's damage while she only had to endure 40%. In the long run, she was guaranteed to win against someone of the same rank.

Liu Jiayi watched as Ning Rongrong escaped with ease and returned the spike; for a moment, he forgot to dodge. He caught the poison thorn with both hands, the stinging pain radiating from his palms as the toxins began to spread throughout his body.

"Urgh!"

He stumbled backward, finally coming to a halt as he pulled the poison thorn out and tossed it aside.

After halting the spread of the toxins, Liu Jiayi felt that his internal energy had been severely damaged.

In just a single exchange, it was clear that he had suffered the greater injury.

"Pfft!"

Unable to hold it back, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Oh? After one round of combat, our contestant Ning Rongrong has only suffered minor injuries, while contestant Liu Jiayi appears to be quite heavily wounded! This round, Ning Rongrong has taken the advantage!"

The spectator stands erupted once again.

"Thrilling!"

"To think an auxiliary-system soul master could reach such a level, it truly opens my eyes!"

"Does anyone know what that move she just used to redirect force was called?"

"Liu Jiayi, you really aren't as good as her, just surrender!"

On the Shrek side, everyone finally let out a sigh of relief.

"With that move, Ning Rongrong took less than half the damage, while her opponent bore almost all of it. Brilliant."

Flender exclaimed in admiration.

"Was it this same move when she fought Teacher Zhao?"

Dai Mubai recognized the technique.

"Oh? So that's how Teacher Zhao was defeated? Even if he suppressed his strength, it still proves the power of this move!"

"Besides, the opponent was also poisoned. I just don't know if that was an effect of Ning Rongrong's soul skill, or if the opponent's own thorns were poisonous," Tang San added.

"Poison? Then was Rongrong poisoned?"

Zhu Zhuqing asked with concern.

Tang San's heart sank.

No.

He was certain there wasn't a single sign of poisoning on Ning Rongrong.

But he refused to accept it.

If Ning Rongrong could cleanse poison from others, she could cleanse it from herself—how could that be?

It must be that the opponent's poison was too weak!

"The opponent's toxins failed to harm Ning Rongrong."

Tang San provided this answer.

Returning to the Great Soul Arena stage.

Liu Jiayi recovered and lifted his head.

Looking at the grinning Ning Rongrong, a feeling of disgust welled up in his heart.

But as he regained his composure, doubt began to creep in.

Why was this...

Why...

Liu Jiayi was born into an ordinary family, his parents both simple laborers. At the age of six, he awakened the Ghost Vine martial soul with innate soul power of level 5.

He was talented and worked very hard; by age nine, he reached level 10 and obtained his first soul ring. At fifteen, he reached level 20 and obtained his second soul ring, and at twenty-five, he reached level 30 and obtained his third soul ring.

Within his family, he was considered a genius.

But good times did not last.

When he was thirty-three, his parents both fell terminally ill and were bedridden at home. Liu Jiayi spent all their savings and borrowed a significant amount just to keep the two elders alive. At the same time, he had no choice but to earn money through the Great Soul Arena.

As the illness of the two elders worsened, Liu Jiayi's income from the Great Soul Arena gradually became insufficient to cover their medical expenses. He had to take out more and more loans, using new debt to pay off the old, until finally, after an unexpected defeat, the debt collectors came for him.

It was from that moment on that he forced himself to keep growing stronger; only by winning constantly could he save his parents.