Purple Demon Eye activated, and a dim purple glow rose in Tang San's eyes. His gaze was as keen as a hawk's, clearly catching Lin Kong's every minute movement, even the faint trembling of his hair and the rise and fall of his steps; Mysterious Jade Hand followed close behind, the skin of his hands rapidly losing its color and turning lustrous white as jade, hard as iron and strong enough to shatter stone barehanded; Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon secretly gathered force, an invisible pulling force circling his body, waiting only for the right moment to strike; Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track quietly unfolded as well, his footwork turning elusive and unpredictable, his entire presence becoming more nimble along with it.
Tang San stared fixedly at Lin Kong as he approached step by step, fighting spirit blazing in his chest as he roared over and over in his mind: Come on! Just a little closer!
As long as Lin Kong came a little closer, he could use the uncanny movements of Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to launch a sudden attack and engage him at close quarters!
He had lost the clash of Blue Silver Grass Martial Souls, but as long as he could knock Lin Kong himself flat, he would still be the winner of this match!
His purple eyes brimmed with eager anticipation, as though he could already see Lin Kong's defeat.
Tap, tap-
The footsteps stopped abruptly.
Lin Kong came to a steady halt a full four meters from Tang San, watching him calmly without taking another half step forward.
The anticipation froze on Tang San's face, and the corner of his mouth twitched. The little figure in his heart was practically going mad: Come on! Come closer already! What's the meaning of stopping there?!
A knot of frustration clogged his chest, nearly making him cough up blood on the spot.
"There's no other choice... I'll have to charge over myself!" Tang San gritted his teeth, a trace of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.
He abruptly lowered his body and, like a cheetah that had long been poised to strike, sprang into action. His figure became a blur as he charged straight into the dark blue silver grass, planting his foot on the first blade.
"So fast!"
Everyone at the sidelines could not help exclaiming under their breath, their faces full of disbelief. Tang San was clearly a control-type Soul Master with a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, so how could he unleash such astonishing explosive speed over a short distance?
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes narrowed, and towering waves surged through her heart-when it came to short-distance acceleration and changes of direction, her Nether Civet Martial Soul should have been among the best, yet the speed Tang San had just displayed in that fleeting instant seemed to have edged past hers!
"With Tang San moving that fast, Lin Kong's going to lose now, right?" Dai Mubai pumped his fist hard.
Just then, Lin Kong's calm voice rang clearly across the entire field.
"Second Soul Skill, Growth!"
The instant his words fell, the dark blue silver grass, originally only about a foot high, seemed to have been infused with some miraculous power and shot upward at a speed visible to the naked eye! In the blink of an eye, it had grown over two meters tall, its densely packed, ink-black blades weaving into a deep, shadowy "forest" that completely swallowed Tang San and Lin Kong.
Before everyone could recover from this sudden change, another cool voice rang out.
"First Soul Skill, Netherworld Shriek!"
Swish-
The blades of dark blue silver grass trembled violently, rubbing and colliding against one another, producing waves of shrill, hoarse shrieks. The sound was piercing and chilling, making everyone at the sidelines frown involuntarily as their eardrums began to ache faintly.
If even they felt this way, what must Tang San, right in the center of the "forest," have been experiencing?
Everyone craned their necks, their gazes fixed on the surging sea of ink-black grass, their hearts rising into their throats.
Five seconds passed in the mere flick of a finger.
The dark blue silver grass rapidly shrank in height before finally disappearing completely from the ground, revealing the two figures facing each other in the field.
Lin Kong still stood perfectly straight, his expression calm and the hem of his clothes stirring slightly, as though he had never made a move.
Tang San, meanwhile, knelt on one knee, one hand braced firmly against the ground to barely keep himself from collapsing and the other clamped over his ear. His face was as pale as paper, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his expression almost twisted with pain.
Silence. After a brief silence, the entire field erupted.
In this duel with its vast disparity in Soul Power, Lin Kong had ultimately claimed victory!
With the match over, the atmosphere at the sidelines became somewhat delicate.
Tang San remained kneeling on one knee for a long time, his head bowed low. The loose hair over his forehead hid his brows and eyes, obscuring his expression. Only his knuckles, clenched white, betrayed the surging resentment and frustration in his heart.
Of all the people he could have lost to, it had to be Lin Kong, whom he had scorned for six years-and in such a nearly crushing fashion. How could someone as proud as him accept it?
Xiao Wu was the first to recover. She hurried over to Tang San and supported his arm worriedly, then looked toward Lin Kong nearby, her tone carrying genuine amazement. "Lin Kong, I really didn't expect you to have become so strong."
It was a perfectly ordinary compliment, but to Tang San, whose heart was filled with dejection, it was like a thorn driven viciously into his heart. He abruptly flung Xiao Wu's hand away, stood without a word, and turned to stride toward the dormitories, his retreating figure carrying an indescribable loneliness and stubbornness.
"Hey, Xiao San!" Xiao Wu froze for a moment, then quickly looked back at Lin Kong, her face full of apology. "Lin Kong, I'm sorry. He's just..."
Before finishing, she hurried off after Tang San's retreating figure.
Dai Mubai stood where he was, his gaze somewhat dazed. As he watched Lin Kong, a jumble of feelings filled his heart-just moments ago, he had been aggressively demanding to "lay down the rules" on Shrek's behalf, only for Lin Kong to turn around and beat Tang San so thoroughly that he had been unable to fight back. That strength was far more terrifying than he had imagined.
He opened his mouth, wanting to step forward and say a few words to ease their relationship, but the moment he recalled his earlier overbearing manner, he forcibly swallowed the words again. He rubbed his nose sheepishly, lacking the courage to approach.
Ma Hongjun, however, had no such complicated thoughts. Rubbing his hands together, he came forward with an admiring grin. "Lin Kong, you're way too strong! No wonder Teacher made a special trip to bring you back. Even Tang San isn't your match!"
Lin Kong glanced at him, a faint smile curling his lips as he said casually, "I can't compare to you."
At those words, Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up, and he puffed his chest out, his smugness plain to see-wasn't that right! His Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul naturally countered plant types. If they really fought, Lin Kong would certainly be no match for him!
That thought made him feel even better, and he smiled until his eyes narrowed into slits.
Oscar stepped forward and patted Lin Kong on the shoulder, wearing his signature gentle smile as he said sincerely, "Welcome to Shrek. We're classmates from now on."
Zhu Zhuqing remained as cool as ever, merely giving Lin Kong a slight nod. Her voice was chilly but still polite. "Welcome."
The one most eager to join the excitement was Ning Rongrong. She walked briskly up to Lin Kong, her beautiful, wide eyes curving into crescents and a charming smile on her face, though her tone carried a hint of sly provocation. "Lin Kong, you're amazing! Tang San fought so brilliantly in yesterday's match that we all thought he was the strongest one here. But then you showed up and defeated him so easily. Now it looks like you're the strongest!"
"Hahaha!"
Flender laughed several times and clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention. "Now, does anyone have any objections to Lin Kong joining Shrek?"
"None!"
"Welcome!"
"This is great!"
"Lin Kong is really strong."
"Teacher has the best eye for talent!"
That chorus of remarks left Flender thoroughly pleased.
He composed himself. "Mm, there's nothing much to do today. Pay your tuition first-one hundred Gold Soul Coins. Just give it to Teacher Li."
"Then you're free to do as you please. Gather here at dusk!"
"Oscar and Ning Rongrong, stay behind."
Lin Kong understood. Flender was going to give Ning Rongrong, that Little Demoness, a talking-to.