Earlier, Ma Hongjun had known that the longer he dragged things out, the slimmer his chances of victory would become.
That was the disadvantage brought about by the gap in their cultivation.
But Ma Hongjun still had a trump card that could secure victory: the Scarlet Feather Phoenix's second stage.
However, if he used it and failed to defeat his opponent, his defeat would be certain.
Should I use it?
Get her!
Ma Hongjun did not want his first battle to end in defeat. Third Brother was still watching.
He could not let down either him or Grandmaster after all their teaching!
So Ma Hongjun deliberately left an opening, drawing the somewhat impatient Xiao Ruoxue forward.
Her teammates were watching too, so she did not want her winning streak to end at the hands of some little brat.
Eager to claim victory, she attacked without holding anything back.
But the moment she committed everything to her attack was also when her defenses were weakest.
Seizing his chance, Ma Hongjun unleashed the Scarlet Feather Phoenix's second stage, became a blazing rocket, and slammed Xiao Ruoxue off the platform.
Only after the referee declared him the winner did Ma Hongjun take a small bottle from his Bracelet and drink a sip.
His injuries immediately healed considerably.
The little golden bottle was inlaid with a red gemstone, and what it contained was none other than Tang San's Healing Blue Silver Dew.
Each bottle held enough dew for roughly three uses.
Besides the Healing Red Dew Bottle, there were also the Recovery Blue Dew Bottle and the Purification Green Dew Bottle.
"Hehe, Third Brother, how was that? Pretty impressive, right? Oh! Grandmaster, what brings you here?"
Having recovered, Ma Hongjun eagerly showed off to Tang San, only to spot Grandmaster and immediately feel guilty.
"Impressive." Tang San smiled and gave Ma Hongjun a thumbs-up.
"Well done, Hongjun. As the saying goes, when two foes meet on a narrow road, the brave one wins," Grandmaster added.
"When facing a powerful enemy, you must naturally have the fighting spirit to struggle bravely."
"Of course, more rings, more bones, more skills-go all out; fewer rings, fewer bones-turn tail and run. Don't forget that life-saving rhyme either. Unless absolutely necessary, never gamble recklessly with your life."
Seeing that Grandmaster did not reprimand him for acting on his own, he nodded cheerfully. "Got it, Grandmaster."
"Our next fighter is another youngster making his debut, Tang San."
"Facing the young commander of the Hunting Wolf Mercenary Group, Li Zhanya!"
The announcer's voice interrupted the exchange between master and disciples.
"Hehe! Perfect timing, Third Brother. You're up! Don't even think about playing for time this round. I blasted my opponent off fair and square, so as my senior brother, you'd better put on a good show."
Ma Hongjun retrieved the Phoenix Emperor and grinned at Tang San.
That had also been one of the reasons he had fought so hard just now.
"Just watch."
Tang San gave no direct answer, merely stepping onto the platform with a faint smile.
As he waited for his opponent to come up, he thought that arriving at the right moment truly beat arriving early.
Before long, a man of about twenty entered the arena.
He had a fierce face and stared fixedly at Tang San, like a starving wolf eyeing its prey.
Seeing that his opponent had come with hostile intent, Tang San grew serious. The man's cultivation was higher than his, probably around rank twenty-nine.
The two fellow disciples really had rotten luck; both had encountered opponents whose cultivation stood half a tier above their own.
"Kid, that chubby fellow is your companion, right?"
Li Zhanya suddenly spoke, asking a strange question.
"That's right. Could it be that you're interested in Miss Xiao Ruoxue from the last match, and want to win her favor by teaching me a lesson?"
"No. Kid, you've read too many storybooks."
At Tang San's baseless guess, dark lines seemed to appear across Li Zhanya's forehead.
"Our Hunting Wolf Mercenary Group and the Black Rose Mercenary Group are rivals. We don't have that sort of sappy relationship."
"I mainly wanted to check whether you're as strong as that chubby fellow called Ma Hongjun."
"Boo! You heartless man! And to think our deputy commander gave you her heart."
Below the platform, Xiao Ruoxue, who had recovered, heckled Li Zhanya. A beautiful woman beside her immediately clapped a hand over her mouth.
Judging by her expression, there seemed to be something to it.
Ignoring the little interruption below, Tang San felt the vigorous fighting spirit radiating from Li Zhanya. His mistaken guess left him neither embarrassed nor shaken.
Like a blade of grass facing wind and driving rain, he remained unyielding.
Looking at Tang San's bearing, Li Zhanya could tell that although his cultivation was lower, he was undoubtedly an expert.
Perhaps this battle would let him fight to his heart's content!
"Li Zhanya, rank twenty-nine Battle Soul Master. Martial Soul: Wolf Fang Frenzy Blade."
Li Zhanya tightened his grip on his great blade and announced himself sharply.
The great blade in his hand had an unusual shape. A wolf's head was carved at its tip, while its edge was segmented, resembling fangs lined up side by side.
Tang San knew this was an unconventional weapon called a chain sword.
It could strike both near and far, changing unpredictably. With those sharp fangs added to the mix, a single careless moment could leave his throat slit.
"Tang San, rank twenty-three Tool Soul Master. Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Please instruct me."
So what?
A powerful opponent was exactly what Tang San wanted.
"Blue Silver Grass?"
Seeing the flourishing patch of Blue Silver Grass beside Tang San, Li Zhanya and the spectators alike were taken aback.
Even Blue Silver Grass could be cultivated?
But why did this Blue Silver Grass look different? And then there was that astonishing Soul Ring combination of one yellow and one purple.
These two youngsters really were monsters.
"Hah!"
Li Zhanya advanced with his blade raised. This battle would surely send him from one exhilarating peak to another!
Tang San chose not to dodge. Instead, he met the challenge head-on, channeling the Blue Silver Creation Palm to clash with Li Zhanya.
Since Ma Hongjun had shown his mettle, he could not allow himself to fall behind either.
Li Zhanya's blade struck Tang San's hand, only for him to discover that it was remarkably hard.
Had he used some Soul Skill on his hand?
Tang San, meanwhile, inwardly marveled at Li Zhanya's strength. Had he not been steadily tempering his body, that blow would probably have cost him dearly.
One blow failed, so another followed.
This time, Li Zhanya used his First Soul Skill, Iron-Crushing Fang.
The toothed edge of the Wolf Fang Frenzy Blade instantly separated, its sharpness growing even more formidable.
Along with changing its form, the skill tripled the blade's attack power!
"Raaagh!!"
Li Zhanya swung the Wolf Fang Frenzy Blade wildly, as though intent on tearing Tang San apart completely.
Facing such a ferocious assault, Tang San employed the Flying Floss Movement Technique and easily evaded the attack.
While retreating, Tang San gathered a ball of Blue Silver Grass in his hands.
Once he had opened up some distance, Tang San thrust both palms forward, sending the ball of grass flying.
In midair, it transformed into a vast net.
It covered Li Zhanya completely.
"Hmph!"
Li Zhanya snorted coldly, then activated his second Soul Skill. A yellow glow clung to his blade.
Exploding Fang!
He brought his blade down in a fierce chop!
The Blue Silver net overhead was cleaved in two.
Then, without losing momentum, the strike slammed into the ground. The frenzied blade's fanged edge burst apart, shooting toward Tang San like ten thousand arrows loosed at once.
The spectators broke into a cold sweat for Tang San. If that attack struck home, not a single patch of flesh on him would remain intact.
But below the platform, Ma Hongjun clenched his fists, while Grandmaster remained perfectly composed. He knew Tang San still had cards left to play.
"Yah!"
Tang San did not dodge either, choosing instead to meet force with force again. His Soul Power emptied in an instant, and the Blue Silver Grass beside him surged forward, growing as tall as a person.
At the same time, he poured vitality into it, making it tougher and lending it a keen edge.
Blue Silver Boundless Sword!
The boundless tide of Blue Silver swords shattered Exploding Fang's assault, then continued toward Li Zhanya without losing momentum.
Li Zhanya drew his blade back to guard, but the Blue Silver Boundless Sword still forced him to the edge of the arena.
Although he had been driven into a disadvantage, Li Zhanya did not lose heart.
Such a powerful Soul Skill had to consume a great deal, while he was still in fighting form.
This battle was his to win!
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