"If you can't even beat Xiao Wu, you won't get to be boss, you know?"
Xiao Wu smiled faintly. With a whoosh, she leaped into the air, twisted, and sent a flying Rabbit Kick straight at Tang San's face.
Tang San frowned and immediately used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, barely turning aside in time.
Xiao Wu missed, but her waist was extraordinarily flexible. The instant one hand touched the floor, she flipped into a spinning back kick.
"Damn it, how is she so fast?"
Even Tang San hadn't expected the girl's movements to be so crisp. At this distance, not even Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track could get him clear.
"Mysterious Jade Hand!"
At the critical moment, Tang San activated Mysterious Jade Hand and raised his arm to block.
Bang—
It was as though Xiao Wu had kicked a steel plate. Her shin went numb.
"Oh! You really do have some moves!" Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, her interest growing.
Tang San's expression shifted. "I wanted to leave you with a good impression, but you just had to stand up for that Ao Yin!"
"Then don't blame me, Tang San, for showing no mercy to a flower!"
He pushed Mysterious Jade Hand to its limit, and a faint layer of frost gathered over it.
The next instant, Tang San used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track again and darted at Xiao Wu. He thrust out his Mysterious Jade Hand, aiming to catch her with a palm strike.
But Xiao Wu leaned back, kicked his wandering hand away, then twisted her waist and hooked both legs around him.
Tang San tried to break free, but Xiao Wu giggled. "Xiao Wu won't lose the same way twice. You can have a close encounter with the ground first!"
Xiao Wu gave a soft shout. "Waist Bow!"
The instant her legs clamped around Tang San's neck, Xiao Wu unleashed her grappling technique and whipped him over with a fierce Waist Bow.
Tang San didn't have Ao Yin's Myriad-Jun Strength to bolster him. He felt his neck tighten, then a tremendous force yanked him off his feet. His vision spun wildly.
Thud—
Tang San landed face-first in a close encounter with the ground. The impact made all of Dorm Seven tremble, and spiderweb cracks spread across the marble floor.
Xiao Wu dusted off her hands, puffed out her chest, and looked proudly at Ao Yin, Wang Sheng, and the others.
"Got him!"
Hiss!
Wang Sheng and the others, who had been watching from the side, sucked in a sharp breath.
Ao Yin covered his eyes as he looked toward Tang San. If there was one way to describe the scene, it was that familiar moment at the end of an arcade match.
"K—O—"
Those two letters seemed to hang beside Tang San, whose face was bruised and swollen and whose whole appearance was a mess.
Ao Yin gave Xiao Wu a thumbs-up. "Brutal!"
It took a long while for Tang San to stagger to his feet. He wiped the blood from his nose, seemingly unable to accept the result.
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible!"
"I was careless just now. I shouldn't have underestimated her. I should've used Soul Power from the start!"
Tang San swayed on his feet, unwilling to accept reality. Though he couldn't match Xiao Wu's physical strength, he believed his level-ten Soul Power would crush every other new student there.
Tang San's words made Xiao Wu laugh. She hadn't used Soul Power either, only her physical strength and grappling techniques.
And he was using that as an excuse?
Xiao Wu had won fair and square. She wasn't about to swallow that insult in silence.
"Soul Power?"
"You're strange. You're making trouble for yourself!"
If Tang San had simply admitted defeat, Xiao Wu would have stopped happily enough. But his words made it clear he wasn't convinced, so she marched angrily up to his bruised, swollen face.
"Xiao Wu doesn't want anyone questioning her win. If you want to use Soul Power, I'll reluctantly oblige!"
Tang San froze for a moment, then quickly recovered.
He sneered. "Compete with Soul Power? I was born with level-nine Soul Power, and after three months of hard training, I've reached level ten. Little girl, you're going to lose this time!"
His confidence returned, and he held out his right hand.
Xiao Wu narrowed her eyes at his palm. A little sprig of Blue Silver Grass slowly emerged, and she paused.
Pfft—she couldn't hold back a laugh.
The sound grated on Tang San's ears. Through clenched teeth, he said, "Hmph! Are you going to call my Blue Silver Grass a Trash Martial Soul too?"
"But even a Trash Martial Soul can have... level-ten Soul Power!"
"Martial Soul... Blue Silver Grass, grant me Soul Power!"
Tang San roared. His Soul Power climbed rapidly, and its pressure swept across all of Dorm Seven.
Wang Sheng and the others struggled to breathe. "No way! Blue Silver Grass has Soul Power? Level-ten Soul Power?"
"Sister Xiao Wu, stop laughing! What level is your Soul Power?"
Only Ao Yin remained silent. As far as he knew, Xiao Wu had registered with Innate Full Soul Power upon enrollment. But the truth went far beyond that: she was a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit in human form, and she had possessed Soul Power above level twenty from the moment she transformed.
Of course, Xiao Wu wasn't laughing because she had more Soul Power than Tang San.
It was his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul... She simply couldn't keep a straight face.
"Soft Bone Rabbit, possess me—"
With a soft cry, a pink-and-white phantom Soft Bone Rabbit appeared around Xiao Wu. As her Soul Power rose rapidly, she gazed at Tang San's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul with her mouth watering.
Xiao Wu was so delighted because Blue Silver Grass was food for a Soft Bone Rabbit. How could she not be happy?
"Then Xiao Wu won't hold back! Time to eat—"
Xiao Wu's Soft Bone Rabbit swiped a claw at him. Tang San raised his level-ten Soul Power shield to full strength, but the rabbit's claw tore through it as though it were paper.
Worse, Xiao Wu revealed just a little of her Soul Power above level twenty, directing it at Tang San. It pinned him down completely.
Then Xiao Wu waved her hand. The Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul lunged forward, seized Tang San's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, yanked it up, and swallowed it in one bite.
Crunch, crunch, crunch!
"Aagh—"
A Martial Soul was bound to its owner's life. With his Blue Silver Grass damaged, Tang San suffered a grievous blow.
"Blue Silver Grass, come back!"
Blood trickled from Tang San's mouth as he urgently recalled it. But the Soft Bone Rabbit had eaten half his Martial Soul. His heart bled; he had no idea whether it would affect its future growth!
Tang San seemed to wilt. His eyes went blank, and he dropped to one knee.
"Oh dear, you're no good either!"
"Couldn't you last a little longer? Xiao Wu hasn't had enough!"
"I... admit defeat!"
Tang San's body and confidence had both taken a crushing blow.
Even when Xiao Wu said he was no good, he didn't argue.
"How boring!"
Xiao Wu glanced disdainfully at Tang San, slumped on the floor.
Then she looked at the bedding he had brought and snatched it up. "Since you lost, this bedding is ours!"
"Yours?"
Tang San blinked.
Ao Yin spoke up at just the right moment. "Thanks, Little San!"
"You even knew Xiao Wu and I were short a set of bedding and came all this way to bring us one. I appreciate the kindness from a fellow townsman!"
Xiao Wu smiled again when she saw Ao Yin approach.
"So your name's Little San. Thanks, Little San!"
The words stabbed into Tang San's heart like a knife.
Through clenched teeth, he said, "You're welcome!"
"Then what should you call him?" Xiao Wu pointed at Ao Yin.
"B... boss!" Tang San said, humiliated.
Right now, he truly was no match for Xiao Wu.
And Ao Yin was hiding behind her. Tang San chose to swallow his anger for now and find a chance to get even later.
"Little San, take a word of advice from your boss. Keep a low profile from now on!"
Ao Yin patted Tang San on the shoulder.
Before you continue