On the stage, Man Ben's third Purple Soul Ring suddenly lit up.
Third Soul Skill - Brute Bull's Great Strength!
His shoulders and back bulged again, his arm muscles tensed, and his hooves gripped the gun barrel tightly.
"Smash it for me!"
With Man Ben his knees and lowered his waist, channeling all his strength into his arms!
Click!
A crisp snapping sound suddenly rang out.
Yu Xiaogang's spirits lifted.
"It's broken!"
Flender's heart sank.
But then, the Man Ben's face froze.
Several pieces of dark brown armor flew out from between his arms and landed on the stage.
The blue-green spear remained firmly positioned in front of him.
The gun was intact.
What had split open was the hoof nail on his right arm!
"How is that possible?!"
Man Ben stared wide-eyed.
The pain emanating from his arms was a clear reminder that the force he had used had not crushed the bamboo spear, but had instead cracked his hoof!
On the second floor, Yu Xiaogang's hand, which was pointing at the arena, froze in mid-air.
Tang San was about to nod when his movements froze.
Flender looked up and stared at the long spear.
"It's not broken?"
Man Ben gritted his teeth, and his fourth Purple Soul Ring lit up immediately.
Fourth Soul Skill - Savage Bull's Heavy Armor!
A dark yellow soul light surged towards his arms, and a thick layer of carapace covered the cracked hooves.
Instead of letting go, he gripped the gun even tighter and planted his feet firmly on the table.
I must have lacked the strength just now!
If you press down any further, this bamboo spear will definitely not be able to withstand it!
"Break it off!"
Man Ben's arms trembled as he pressed down hard once more.
On the second floor, Yu Xiaogang stared intently at the newly formed layer of heavy armor, his lips moved, but he didn't utter a sound.
Xiao Xuan looked at Man Ben's Man Ben face, his hands still gripping the gun tightly.
The hardness of Gold Crystal Ore, the toughness of Red-Patterned Alloy Ore, plus the enhancements after successive star upgrades...
Want to crush your own Five-Star Blue Jade Bamboo with your bare arms?
Xiao Xuan slightly shifted his footing, Man Ben the direction of the charge, and extended the spear half a foot further.
Man Ben exerted all his strength, the resistance in his hands suddenly lessened, causing his massive body to involuntarily lean forward.
In that instant, Xiao Xuan spun his spear with a sharp flick of his wrist!
The Great Mastery of Spear Techniques - The Entanglement Formula!
The blue-green spear twisted violently between the two hooves, and a surge of hidden energy erupted from the point of contact!
Click!
The newly thickened hoofprints cracked open again.
"Ah!"
Man Ben sharp pain in both arms, and the force he had been using to clamp the gun immediately dissipated.
Xiao Xuan drew his spear from its shackles with both hands, and then swung it horizontally with a twist of his waist!
Bang!
The blue-green spear shaft struck Manben Man Ben in the chest.
His protective aura instantly dissipated, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His massive body flew backward, breaking the ropes at the edge of the arena, and crashed heavily off the stage.
He struggled to sit up, but his arms went limp.
Xiao Xuan stood holding a gun.
From clamping the spear to twice forcefully crushing it, Man Ben used every means at his disposal, yet the bamboo spear didn't even leave a single crack.
The referee quickly confirmed the situation and raised his hand to announce:
" Black Bamboo wins!"
Six consecutive wins!
A deafening roar of cheers erupted from the stands.
Flender let out a long breath, took the crumpled voucher from his pocket, and carefully smoothed it out.
" Xiaogang, you really startled me."
Yu Xiaogang did not respond.
His gaze remained fixed on the arena, on the intact blue-green spear.
Ning Rongrong looked at Man Ben's shattered arm armor and said softly:
"The idea is good, but his own armor isn't as sturdy as that gun."
Oscar pursed his lips and turned his head away.
Tang San lowered his gaze and did not respond to his teacher's words.
Yu Xiaogang slowly withdrew his hand, which had been hovering in mid-air.
On the stage, the shattered hooves from the two previous falls have not yet been cleared away.
Each piece seemed to be a reminder of his resolute words—'It's broken!'
That evening, at the Shrek Academy.
Flender dumped the money bag onto the table, and the Gold Soul Coin tumbled out, covering half of the tabletop.
As soon as Ma Hongjun picked up his teacup, his eyes were glued to it.
"Teacher, are all these wins from today?"
"Of course!"
Flender reached out and flicked back a gold coin that had rolled to the edge of the table, then smiled and adjusted his glasses.
"I bet 500 Gold Soul Coin, and won both rounds. You all saw it too, that Black Bamboo didn't even light up his Soul Ring from beginning to end."
Zhao Wuji pulled out a chair and sat down.
"So what?"
"So, this is an opportunity!"
Flender lowered his voice and gestured for the group to move closer to the table.
"He has two more Soul Fighting tomorrow. Let's all chip in some money, and I'll place the bets. If he wins, we'll split the winnings according to each person's contribution."
The room fell silent.
Zhao Wuji glanced at the gold coins on the table.
"You can place your own bet, why drag us into it?"
"Too little capital, too little profit."
Flender sighed.
"Several rooms in the college are leaking, and they've been under repair for ages without being fixed. The students are at a crucial stage of their growth, and the cafeteria only serves the same few dishes every day. With that meager tuition fee, when will we ever be able to patch up these holes?"
He tapped the table.
"The money I won in these few games is more than I made in several months!"
Yu Xiaogang sat to the side, not responding.
Tang San shook his head and said, "Dean, the outcome of Soul Fighting is unpredictable. Black Bamboo is indeed very strong, but no one can guarantee victory in the next match."
"I didn't ask you to hand over all your belongings!"
Flender looked at Zhao Wuji.
" Old Zhao, how much are you offering?"
"No."
Zhao Wuji answered decisively.
"Once you're in the betting market, the money's no longer yours. You might be happy winning today, but if you lose tomorrow, don't come looking for a loan from me."
Flender's smile faded slightly, and he looked at the others.
Oscar patted his pocket and took a half-step back.
Xiao Wu leaned over the table, looking at the gold coins, and seemed somewhat tempted, but seeing that Tang San hadn't contributed any money, she resisted the temptation.
"Dean, I'll contribute one hundred."
Dai Mubai took the money pouch from his waist and placed it on the table.
Flender's eyes lit up.
" Mubai has excellent taste!"
Dai Mubai smiled.
"I also want to see just how many games that Black Bamboo can win in a row."
Ma Hongjun hesitated for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a deflated money pouch.
When poured out, there were only a dozen or so Gold Soul Coin.
He counted them, kept two, and pushed the rest in front of Flender.
"Teacher, I'll bet fifteen."
"Good!"
"Let's get this straight first: if you make a profit, you're definitely going to share it with me!"
Flender glared at him.
"Why would I be greedy for your little bit of money?"
Ma Hongjun then let go, watching eagerly as the fifteen gold coins were put into the large money bag.
Flender asked around again, but ultimately no one else offered to pay.
He carefully put the gold coins away, muttering to himself:
"Opportunity is right in front of them, but they don't know how to seize it."
Zhao Wuji picked up the teacup.
"You win first, then we'll talk."
The following afternoon, at the Soto Great Soul Arena.
Black Bamboo's seventh opponent was a Control System Soul Ancestor who excelled at long-range control.
His opponent laid out several restraints on the field, trying to trap Xiao Xuan in a corner of the arena, but he repeatedly broke through them, finally sweeping him and his martial Martial Soul off the stage.
In the eighth match, the Beast Soul Ancestor, known for its endurance, was replaced.
This match lasted a little longer.
But while his opponent was panting heavily and even his Soul Skill were starting to falter, Xiao Xuan's spear remained perfectly steady without the slightest tremor.
A sweeping shot sent his opponent tumbling out of the court.
Eight consecutive wins!
As soon as the announcement of the winner was made, Ma Hongjun jumped up from his chair.
"You won again! Teacher, you won again!"
Flender had already clutched the two vouchers in his hand, his eyes crinkling with laughter.
Dai Mubai leaned against the railing, glanced at the departing Black Bamboo below, and smiled.
"It seems that spending those 100 Gold Soul Coin wasn't a waste."
Xiao Wu listened to their conversation and couldn't help but ask:
"Fatty, how many of those fifteen coins are you talking about now?"
Ma Hongjun counted on his fingers and gave a number.
Xiao Wu looked down at her purse but didn't say anything.
But he had already started making plans in his mind.