Defeating Xiao Wu in a Flash

When Zhu Zhuqing accepted the challenge, everyone turned to look at her.

The Aunties of Douluo Village looked worried. They had only wanted to win through argument, after all. Zhu Zhuqing was their village's precious treasure.

Granny Ruth, the village chief, anxiously took Zhu Zhuqing's little hand and shook her head, signaling that she did not need to step forward.

"Zhu Zhuqing, why don't we forget about this? It won't be worth it if you get hurt." Granny Ruth held her little granddaughter's hand tightly. She was a woman, after all, and disliked fighting and killing.

"That's right. Holy Soul Village is no match for us anyway. Don't let them goad you into this." The other Aunties began trying to dissuade her as well.

Waves of warmth rose in Zhu Zhuqing's heart, a warmth she had never felt before. Had this been the Zhu Family, those clansmen probably would have watched coldly from the sidelines, wouldn't they?

Zhu Zhuqing gently patted Granny Ruth's wrinkled hand with her right hand and reassured her, "Grandma, don't worry. Today, Douluo Village will defeat Holy Soul Village. Have faith in your granddaughter."

Old Jack could not stand watching any longer. These women just loved getting sentimental. He was nearly bursting with impatience-he still had to go back to Holy Soul Village and brag later.

"Can Douluo Village do this or not? If you can't, just admit defeat. We in Holy Soul Village are magnanimous. We won't hold a grudge against a bunch of old women."

Old Jack pulled faces and dragged out his words, looking for all the world like someone begging for a beating.

Granny Ruth grew agitated. She and several of the other Aunties hopped up and down, nearly charging forward to hit Old Jack. But wanting to preserve their dignity, they could only point at him and unleash a torrent of abuse:

"Old Jack, if anything happens to my granddaughter, I'll fight you to the death! I'll make sure bugs eat every last vegetable in Holy Soul Village this year!"

Zhu Zhuqing did not want this farce to continue. More and more people were gathering at the entrance to Douluo Village to watch. What happened today would definitely spread throughout all the nearby villages.

She took several steps forward, moving in front of Granny Ruth, then stepped out with her right foot and lowered her body slightly. Her right hand formed a fist, while her left became a knife-hand. Her expression turned solemn, and her icy gaze settled on Xiao Wu, who had likewise taken a stance opposite her.

"Zhu Zhuqing. Martial soul: Sun-Shooting Bow. Soul power: rank four. Ranged-attack Battle Soul Scholar. Please instruct me!"

Her utterly icy voice rang out as though it came from the deepest netherworld. This was Zhu Zhuqing at her most serious. She knew that physical techniques alone might not win this fight, so she had to bring out one hundred percent of her strength.

If all else fails, I'll have to rely on my spiritual power.

A smug smile appeared on Xiao Wu's face. She had this victory in the bag. Even without using her soul ring, she was one hundred percent certain she would win. How could her opponent possibly be a match for her?

I specialize in close-range power attacks. With us standing this close together, a ranged attacker doesn't have the slightest chance.

"Xiao Wu. Martial soul: Soft-Boned Charm Rabbit. Soul power: rank eighteen. Power Attack System Battle Soul Master. Please instruct me!"

Xiao Wu introduced herself smugly, but she did not summon either her soul ring or her martial soul, showing that she was keeping her promise.

When Xiao Wu announced her soul power level, the Aunties of Douluo Village immediately cried out in alarm. They were all shrewd enough to understand what it meant. Zhu Zhuqing was in danger this time.

But the two girls had already exchanged their names and ranks. This battle could no longer be avoided. Such were the rules among soul masters.

Tang San helplessly covered his eyes, then led Old Jack toward the back. He had tried to dissuade Xiao Wu once more, only to receive a vicious glare from her. He had done all he could. Hopefully, Xiao Wu would show some mercy.

If Zhu Zhuqing got hurt, he would use medicinal herbs to help treat her, then offer some money in compensation for the discourtesy.

The Aunties of Douluo Village also backed away. All they could do now was pray that Zhu Zhuqing would willingly concede when the time came, though a tiny thread of hope still lingered in their hearts.

A sparring area roughly ten meters across quickly opened up.

Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu stood motionless, each studying the other for gaps in her defenses.

Yet after watching each other for a while, neither girl found an opening. The atmosphere immediately grew tense, and both began jogging around the sparring area.

Zhu Zhuqing used footwork exclusive to the Hell Spirit Cat clan. As she ran, she resembled a light-footed spirit cat. Now that cat's fur stood on end and its back was arched, signaling that battle could erupt at any moment.

Xiao Wu, meanwhile, hopped and skipped. This was footwork unique to her, a closely guarded secret of the Soft-Boned Charm Rabbit clan.

"I've given you three minutes, and you still haven't brought out your martial soul to attack me. I'm starting now! Don't blame me if you cry."

As it turned out, Xiao Wu had spent three whole minutes hopping around to show that she was not bullying her opponent.

Watching from a distance, Tang San knew that Xiao Wu had underestimated her opponent this time. He had just used his Purple Demon Eye to examine Zhu Zhuqing's gait and realized that it had to be an exceptionally profound form of footwork. Judging by the position of her hands, she was clearly no novice, either.

There's more to this Zhu Zhuqing than meets the eye!

Just as everyone thought Xiao Wu was merely boasting, she moved. She crouched, planted one hand on the ground, bent her legs, and sprang off her toes.

In an instant, she shot toward Zhu Zhuqing like a cannonball.

Not to be outdone, Zhu Zhuqing immediately employed her spirit cat footwork, bending at the waist as she rushed forward.

Bang!

It was the sound of their fists and feet colliding. In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged dozens of attacks.

The dazzling flurry left every spectator dumbstruck. They had never imagined that two little girls could unleash such powerful attacks.

Was this what made soul masters so formidable?

Xiao Wu was secretly alarmed. Afraid of injuring her opponent, she had used only half her strength. She had merely intended to end the fight quickly and make the other girl concede.

After all, she was already a rank-eighteen Soul Grandmaster. Her physical abilities should have been considerably stronger than her opponent's.

Yet she had never expected that her attacks would leave the other girl completely unharmed. Instead, her own legs had taken several knife-hand strikes.

Xiao Wu's expression grew grave. She began taking the fight seriously, because if this continued, she might lose face. Those little fists were vicious, targeting the fleshier parts of her body.

Zhu Zhuqing pressed her advantage relentlessly, applying some of her yoga movements to actual combat and bringing the Cat Pose into full play.

"Young Tiger Awakening!"

Zhu Zhuqing shouted. Both hands became tiger claws, her right extending forward and her left drawing in front of her chest. At the same time, she lunged fiercely forward, attacking Xiao Wu with her left and right hands in succession.

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. She performed several backward flips, evading Zhu Zhuqing's attacks. After a few flips, she leaped into the air and began spinning.

Her legs came together, and the braid behind her wound around Zhu Zhuqing's right hand before Zhu Zhuqing noticed.

Zhu Zhuqing immediately felt her wrist tighten, followed by a wrenching pull. This is bad, she thought, activating her yoga Entanglement.

Just as Xiao Wu was smugly preparing to wrap her legs around her opponent, a force pulled in the opposite direction from below. She felt her own braid wind around both her legs.

Thud!

Xiao Wu slammed hard into the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.

"You lost!"

Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward and extended her right hand to Xiao Wu. She wanted to make a friend.

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