As the sun set, the shadows of the trees on both sides of the official road were stretched long.
On their way back to the academy from the Soto Great Soul Arena, the Shrek students kept talking about Black Bamboo.
"Just who is that guy?"
Ma Hongjun clutched the back of his head, kicked away the pebbles at his feet, and looked completely puzzled.
"His first victory against Scything Shadow could be attributed to his good eyesight. But in the second match against the level 47 Rock-Shattering Mad Rhino, he didn't even activate his Soul Ring, yet he shattered the stone shield with a single spear thrust! That strength is practically on par with a humanoid Soul Beast!"
Dai Mubai crossed his arms, his brows furrowed.
"A direct confrontation with Power Attack System Soul Ancestor is impossible without resorting to tricks. His spear may look like bamboo, but its sharpness and internal force are extraordinary. I've never heard of anything like it among plant-based Martial Soul."
Oscar, Xiao Wu, and the others also shook their heads.
Tang San, who was walking in front, slowed down and turned around, saying:
"Don't guess yet. I'll ask my teacher when we get back. He's well-versed in all sorts of Martial Soul texts and has studied rare Martial Soul; he should be able to figure out the origin of that bamboo spear."
Upon hearing him mention the Grandmaster, Dai Mubai and the others nodded in agreement.
By the time everyone returned to the academy, it was already dark.
Tang San bid farewell to his companions, quickly crossed the stone-paved path in the village, and went straight to Yu Xiaogang's office.
I knocked on the door and went inside; the candlelight flickered.
Yu Xiaogang was reviewing case files at his desk when he noticed Yu Xiaogang's agitated expression, so he put down his pen.
" Xiao San, why are you in such a hurry? Have you encountered a problem with your cultivation?"
Tang San pulled out a wooden chair, sat down, took a deep breath, and recounted in detail what he had seen and heard at the Soul Fighting Arena.
"Teacher, a young Soul Ancestor, codenamed Black Bamboo, has recently arrived in Suotuo City."
"He never activated his Soul Ring when he went on stage, only using a Lone Bamboo that gleamed with a jade-like luster, and won four matches in two days."
"His opponents were all veteran Soul Ancestor in their forties, some were Power Attack System and some were Agility Attack System. Even his fourth defensive Soul Skill couldn't stop a single shot from him."
He looked at Yu Xiaogang and asked seriously:
"How can Martial Soul like Lone Bamboo possess such powerful attack capabilities?"
Upon hearing the words "Jade-like Lone Bamboo," Yu Xiaogang tapped the table, pondered for a long time, and then stood up with his hands behind his back, saying:
"A plant-based Martial Soul, yet possessing the sharpness and hardness of metal and stone, clearly indicating a mutation."
He walked to the window and continued explaining.
"According to my Martial Soul Core Theory, mutations are divided into benign and malignant. His bamboo spear likely acquired the hardening properties of some kind of refined gold ore or Ferocious Beast bones, which is a rare benign mutation."
Tang San was about to nod when Yu Xiaogang turned around, his tone becoming more serious.
"But you can't just look at the immediate power. Even though it's a benign mutation, and the attack power has greatly increased, there will inevitably be conflicts and flaws in the internal Soul Power circuits."
"He's currently dominating his peers, but that's just relying on the brute force brought about by his mutation. Once his Soul Power continues to increase and the hidden dangers within his Martial Soul are exposed, he'll naturally suffer. Someone like that won't go very far!"
Tang San nodded repeatedly, and the oppression in his heart dissipated considerably.
I see.
Black Bamboo's current strength does not mean it will continue to be so.
He was about to get up and say goodbye when the image of Meng Yiran crying in the forest flashed into his mind again.
After hesitating for a moment, Tang San tentatively asked:
"Teacher, according to your theory, is it possible for a genius to possess two Thousand-Year Soul Ring and two ten- Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring at the level of a level 40 Soul Ancestor?"
Yu Xiaogang's face immediately darkened.
"Foolish!"
He looked directly at Tang San, his tone stern.
"I taught you about the time limit for absorbing Soul Ring, have you forgotten it so quickly?"
Tang San quickly stood up and explained, recounting the tragic deaths of the Peerless Dragon Snake couple in the Star Dou Great Forest, as well as Meng Yiran's tearful account of the two purple and two black boys.
After listening, Yu Xiaogang let out a long sigh, shook his head, and sneered.
"Nonsense! You Xiao San have been misled by that terrified girl!"
He straightened his sleeves and said decisively:
" The First Soul Ring's lifespan is 423 years, Third Soul Ring can only last for 1700 years!"
" Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring not only possesses immense energy, but also carries the lingering, violent resentment of Soul Beast. Only Soul King of at least level fifty is qualified to attempt to absorb it."
"A teenager who is about to become Quasi-Soul Ancestor, if he dares to absorb Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, will have his meridians shattered on the spot by the violent energy! This is a universally acknowledged ironclad rule, and it is also the foundation of the Ten Core Competencies I have researched and summarized throughout my life."
Yu Xiaogang snorted coldly and gave his conclusion.
"They must have encountered a powerful mind-manipulator. The opponent used illusions or advanced mental techniques like soul-capturing and dream-creating to trap the three generations of the family in an illusion."
"Whether it's the bamboo spear or the double purple and double black ones, they are all illusions forcibly implanted into the brain."
The last trace of hesitation in Tang San's eyes finally disappeared.
Indeed, if it weren't for mental illusion, how could such an illogical Soul Ring Configuration be explained?
"This disciple has learned much from your teachings; thank you for your guidance, teacher."
He bowed in greeting.
Yu Xiaogang's expression softened slightly.
"It's good that you know you were wrong."
Just as Tang San was about to leave, he was stopped again.
"Wait, does Black Bamboo have another match tomorrow afternoon?"
I heard the schedule has already been arranged.
Yu Xiaogang slightly raised his chin.
"Then I'll go with you tomorrow and see for myself what's so special about this mutated Lone Bamboo."
The following afternoon, the Soto Great Soul Arena was even more crowded than the day before.
More than an hour before the event was scheduled to begin, several long queues, stretching for miles, had already formed in the square.
Merchants selling snacks and betting slips weaved through the crowd, their cries and urgings creating a cacophony that blocked even the nearby streets.
When Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and Zhao Wuji arrived with the Shrek Devils, they were also taken aback by the scene.
The group moved slowly with the flow of people, and after nearly two hours, they finally managed to squeeze through layers of ticket gates and into the second-floor stands of the seventh division.
At this moment, Xiao Xuan had also arrived at the backstage area for preparations.
He was dressed in a dark, close-fitting outfit and wore a black iron mask. As soon as he stepped outside the private waiting room, the manager standing by the porch greeted him with a broad smile and offered him hot tea with both hands.
"Lord Black Bamboo, you've finally arrived! Those people outside would have ripped the roof off if they hadn't seen you!"
The manager handed him today's number again.
"In the first match, you'll face a level 47 Power Attack System Soul Ancestor, Mountain-Breaking Mad Hammer. If you win again, your second match will be against another level 47 Mountain-Shaking Wild Bull."
Two veteran Power Attack System Soul Ancestor.
Xiao Xuan took the number plate and nodded calmly.
After entering the private lounge, he walked to the floor-to-ceiling window that let in light from one direction, crossed his arms, and looked down.
The circular stands were already full.
In front of the betting window, gamblers held up their gold coins and shouted " Black Bamboo wins alone," afraid that if they were a step too late, they would miss the chance to place their bets.
Beneath the mask, Xiao Xuan smiled.
This momentum came even faster than he had anticipated.
Taking advantage of these consecutive victories, he has arranged for unemployed spies in the city to bet their money on him in batches.
After winning all four games, my stake has more than doubled.
However, this is just the beginning.
The longer the winning streak, the more confident the bettors are that he won't lose, and the higher the odds of an upset for the opponent.
The time to close the net is when everyone is scrambling to bet their money on him.
As for those who wanted to recoup their losses by betting on others, they had already made quite a bit of money in the previous rounds. If they had known when to quit while they were ahead, they wouldn't have lost everything.
But they wanted to earn even more, and were even prepared to bet their entire fortune on it.
In Xiao Xuan's view, once you've entered the game, you should be prepared to accept the consequences of losing.
He looked away.
The iron gate in front slowly rose, and a heavy rumble echoed into the waiting room. The Soul Guidance Lamp on the dome lit up, focusing their light on the center of the obsidian arena.
Today's Soul Fighting is about to begin.