Nine-Hearted Begonia

The moment the Nine-Hearted Begonia bloomed, most of the advantage Shrek had just gained vanished.

Dai Mubai stared at Yu Tianheng.

He had taken an injury to leave a White Tiger claw mark on Yu Tianheng's shoulder.

Now the wound had nearly faded.

Yu Tianheng rolled his shoulder.

"You work well together."

Dai Mubai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"And you heal well."

Yu Tianheng didn't deny it.

The Imperial Fighting Team could afford a battle of attrition because they had Ye Lingling.

Ye Lingling stood at the rear of the team.

She had barely spoken throughout the fight.

But as long as the Nine-Hearted Begonia remained, Imperial Fighting could fight with confidence.

Ning Rongrong watched the white begonia, her fingers curling slightly.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was the world's greatest support-type Tool Martial Soul.

But when it came to healing, the Nine-Hearted Begonia stood at the opposite extreme.

It granted no strength, no speed, and no Soul Power recovery.

It simply healed injuries.

That sounded limited. Facing it was another matter.

Every wound Shrek struggled to inflict would be erased, little by little, by that flower.

Ma Hongjun couldn't help cursing.

"Isn't that cheating?"

Oscar panted. "Grow yourself a flower, then."

Ma Hongjun glared at him.

"I'm a Phoenix."

"Then the Phoenix had better not pass out from the poison."

They spoke quietly, but the tension eased for a moment.

Tang San spoke at once.

"Get ready to change formation."

Zhu Zhuqing watched Ye Lingling's position.

The Shi Brothers guarded the front, while Osler and Yu Feng could fall back at any moment.

A direct charge wouldn't get through.

"Zhuqing, don't rush."

Zhu Zhuqing stopped.

She said nothing, but she listened.

Xiao Wu returned to Tang San's side from the flank.

"What do we do?"

"Break through her guards first."

He raised a hand, and Blue Silver Grass spread across the ground.

Instead of rushing straight at Ye Lingling, it wound toward the Shi Brothers' feet.

The Shi Brothers' defense was formidable. Their tortoiseshell shields slammed down, blocking the Blue Silver Grass.

Tang San wasn't trying to bind them.

He only needed to stop them for an instant.

The Shi Brothers quickly realized what he was after.

Shi Mo gave a low shout.

The two tortoiseshell shields overlapped, one ahead of the other, holding the Blue Silver Grass back.

Tang San flicked his wrist, sending the grass under the shields.

Shi Mo's brother immediately pinned it beneath his foot.

They didn't rush to counterattack. They only guarded Ye Lingling.

That made them harder to deal with than a headlong charge would have.

"Fatty!"

Ma Hongjun's Phoenix flame swept down, sealing off both sides of the Shi Brothers.

Xiao Wu sprang off the Blue Silver Grass and charged at Yu Feng on the other side.

Thinking she meant to attack him, Yu Feng immediately took to the air.

Xiao Wu flipped in midair, caught the Blue Silver Grass, and swung back.

Her real target was Osler.

Osler was about to fall back to defend Ye Lingling when Xiao Wu stopped him with a kick.

Osler moved with blinding speed, his figure flashing before Xiao Wu.

Her kick missed, but she rolled with the motion and landed squarely in his path back.

Osler narrowed his eyes.

"You did that on purpose?"

"Guess."

They moved at the same time.

Whenever Osler tried to circle around, Xiao Wu stayed close.

She wasn't trying to hurt him. She only needed to hold him there.

In a clash between agility-type fighters, half a step made all the difference.

Zhu Zhuqing moved.

She shot forward along the edge of the flames.

Ning Rongrong's speed boost settled over her.

Zhu Zhuqing moved so fast that the spectators could barely follow her.

She didn't charge straight at Ye Lingling.

She aimed for the gap between the Shi Brothers.

They immediately brought their shields together.

The instant the shields met, Tang San's eyes lit up.

"Boss Dai!"

Dai Mubai unleashed the White Tiger Fierce Light Wave.

He wasn't aiming at Yu Tianheng, but at the side of the Shi Brothers' joined shields.

Boom!

The two tortoiseshell shields shifted an inch under the impact.

An inch was enough.

Zhu Zhuqing slipped through the gap.

Ye Lingling looked up.

The Nine-Hearted Begonia glowed in her palm, but she did not use it yet.

She was waiting.

The moment Zhu Zhuqing's claws wounded her, she would heal herself.

Zhu Zhuqing's claws stopped three inches from her shoulder.

Osler had made it back.

Ye Lingling neither cried out nor retreated in haste.

She merely stepped back half a pace.

But that half-step was enough to alarm the rest of the Imperial Fighting Team.

The two women's claw strikes collided.

Zhu Zhuqing was forced back.

She hadn't wounded Ye Lingling.

But Ye Lingling had retreated half a step.

And for the first time, that half-step threw Imperial Fighting's formation into disarray.

A wave of startled cries rose from the stands.

Qin Ming straightened slightly.

Shrek's levels weren't high, but their coordination in that exchange had been impressive.

Below the platform, Flender could no longer hide his pride.

"See that?"

Zhao Wuji said, "I saw. She almost got through."

"Almost counts for something."

Flender pushed up his glasses.

"Against a team like Imperial Fighting, making their formation shift at all takes skill."

Qin Ming heard him but did not argue.

Shrek had played that exchange well.

The spectators understood it too.

Ye Lingling's half-step back was more telling than a wound on anyone else would have been.

The Imperial Fighting Team was no longer an unbroken wall. Shrek had pried open a crack.

The Imperial Fighting Team felt it as well.

Yu Tianheng stopped watching only Dai Mubai.

He began paying attention every time Tang San raised his hand.

This level twenty-nine control-type Soul Master was shaping the battle with something more troublesome than his level suggested.

Yu Tianheng's brows drew down.

They couldn't let this drag on.

"Yanzi, draw back the poison."

"You're going on the offensive?"

"Yes."

Dugu Yan did not argue. She drew back part of the poisonous mist.

Lightning flared around Yu Tianheng.

The light of his third Spirit Ring dominated the arena.

Dai Mubai faced him, pushing his White Tiger Vajra Transformation to its limit.

Tang San shouted at once, "Everyone, spread out!"

Yu Tianheng stepped forward.

The Dueling Platform shuddered beneath him.

Lightning from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon erupted from his right arm and shot straight at Dai Mubai.

Dai Mubai did not retreat.

Ning Rongrong's support reached him.

"Seven Treasure Mantra, First: Strength!"

"Second: Speed!"

Dai Mubai crossed his arms and took the lightning head-on.

Boom!

The White Tiger's figure vanished in the glare.

At the same moment, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass wrapped around Dai Mubai's waist.

He did not pull Dai Mubai away.

If he did, their front line would be left open.

Instead, he pulled the grass taut from behind, helping Dai Mubai absorb some of the force.

Strands of Blue Silver Grass snapped one after another.

The shock left Tang San's fingers numb.

Xiao Wu whipped her head around.

She wanted to rush over, but Yu Feng blocked her from above.

"Don't even think about it."

"Move!"

Yu Feng didn't dare let her get close. He kept harrying her from the air instead.

Zhu Zhuqing tried to go to Dai Mubai's aid, but Osler held her back as well.

The Imperial Fighting Team had responded quickly.

So quickly that every member of Shrek first had to deal with the opponent in front of them.

"Boss Dai!"

The lightning faded.

Dai Mubai was down on one knee, his arms numb and fresh blood at the corner of his mouth.

But he was still standing on the stage.

A hint of respect entered Yu Tianheng's eyes.

"Not bad."

Dai Mubai looked up and grinned.

"You're not bad yourself."

Below the stage, Yuan Yu's gaze swept past Dai Mubai and settled on the rear door of the VIP seating area.

The figure in black from earlier was gone.

Ling Yuan had gone after the figure, while Azure Luan remained up above.

Yuan Yu touched the token marked with the character for snow inside his sleeve.

The Rosy Cloud Pattern was still cool to the touch.

This trap wasn't ready to be sprung yet.