Back at the academy, before Flender even reached his office, Xiao Wu caught up with him.
"Dean, wait a minute!"
She handed a money bag to Flender.
"This is what I've saved up. Please place a bet for me tomorrow too."
Flender didn't answer immediately; instead, he asked with a smile:
Why didn't you take it out yesterday?
Xiao Wu wrinkled her nose.
Yesterday is yesterday. Are you going to help me or not?
"Of course we'll help!"
Just as Flender took the money bag, he heard footsteps behind him again.
Zhao Wuji walked up to him and stuffed a leather bag that was noticeably heavier into his hand.
"Mine too."
Flender weighed it in his hand and raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, Old Zhao, who was it yesterday who said that once you're in the betting ring, the money's no longer yours?"
Zhao Wuji's face darkened.
"I'm telling you, that kid's skills are really good, not just because you're bragging."
"I told you yesterday he was capable, but you didn't believe me. And look what happened today!"
Are you going to accept it or not?
"Receive!"
Flender immediately clutched the money bag, his smile becoming impossible to hide.
At this moment, Ma Hongjun also ran over.
"Teacher, I kept all the profits from yesterday's bet; I'll continue betting tomorrow!"
Dai Mubai followed behind, adding another bag of gold coins.
Looking at the ever-growing purse in his arms, Flender suddenly felt that the dilapidated buildings in the academy, which were never-ending in their repairs, weren't so bothersome after all.
"Okay, I'll keep a detailed record of all the expenses."
He pushed open the office door.
"Wait for your share of the money tomorrow!"
The third day, the ninth Soul Fighting.
Xiao Xuan still did not reveal his Soul Ring.
Faced with his opponent's ever-changing attacks, he only needed to parry a few times before finding an opening and knocking the man off the stage with a single spear thrust.
Nine consecutive wins!
The shouts from the stands were even louder than the previous two days.
The host held up a megaphone and waved his arms in all directions.
"In the next match, Black Bamboo will be aiming for his tenth consecutive victory!"
"Can he claim this honor on just five days into his first appearance in the Soto Soul Fighting? Let's wait and see!"
The betting window immediately became crowded with people.
" Black Bamboo wins!"
"No need to even think about it! In the first nine matches, he didn't even use any Soul Ring!"
"A ten-game winning streak is within reach, how can he possibly falter in this one game?"
On the second floor, Ma Hongjun had already started calculating the money.
He calculated it once, laughed it once, and then moved closer to Dai Mubai to confirm that he hadn't made any mistakes.
Xiao Wu couldn't sit still any longer and grabbed Flender's sleeve.
"Dean, keep my share held as collateral, don't bring it back for me!"
Zhao Wuji crossed his arms, his gaze still fixed on the arena.
"This kid is actually pretty good."
Flender neatly stacked the receipts.
"Now you know? If you had listened to me earlier, you could have made money in the first few games."
Zhao Wuji snorted but didn't refute further.
"My share will remain the same for the next game."
Tang San sat to the side, listening to the group's discussion, his fingers gently stroking the money pouch at his waist.
Nine games now.
Black Bamboo has tried all sorts of attacks: aggressive, agile, and control-based.
No matter how his opponent changed his tactics, he was ultimately unable to force out his Soul Ring.
Tang San had never liked this kind of pretentious, mysterious behavior, but his current achievements left him no room for further denial.
Besides, the next game will be a ten-game winning streak.
Any Soul Master who reaches this stage will give it their all to secure the final victory.
He remained silent for a moment, then finally took out his money pouch.
"Dean."
Flender turned his head.
Tang San placed the money on the table.
"Please also bet on Black Bamboo for this one."
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up.
" Third Brother, are you betting too?"
Tang San nodded, his tone remaining calm.
"After nine matches, he's faced all sorts of opponents. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, his chances of winning the next match are indeed very high."
Flender accepted it with a smile.
"That's right!"
Tang San's money pouch had just been taken away when another cloth bag fell onto the table.
Everyone turned their heads at the same time.
Yu Xiaogang sat in the chair, slowly withdrew his hand, and straightened his cuffs.
" Xiao San, since you've observed carefully, I'll follow your lead this time."
Tang San was slightly taken aback.
"Teacher..."
Yu Xiaogang nodded.
"Judgments cannot remain static. With new evidence, they should naturally be reconsidered."
Flender opened the bag and took a look, his smile widening.
" Xiaogang, you should have thought of this sooner!"
Yu Xiaogang picked up his teacup but didn't reply.
Flender carefully collected all the money pouches on the table, then took out his own savings and gathered them together.
Yu Xiaogang is willing to contribute money, so what is there to worry about in this competition?
He got up and walked towards the betting counter, his steps lighter than the previous two days.
Backstage lounge.
Xiao Xuan stood by the window, watching the increasingly long queue in front of the betting window.
The news of their pursuit of a ten-game winning streak has spread throughout the stadium.
Some people, afraid of missing out on placing their bets, even stopped watching the ongoing Soul Fighting and squeezed into the crowd with their money bags in hand.
Xiao Xuan withdrew his gaze and picked up the betting slip on the table.
My odds of winning have dropped even further.
However, the odds for an upset against his next opponent have already reached the amount he originally expected.
There's no need to wait for the eleventh game.
Everyone felt that he would not lose at such a crucial juncture as his ten-game winning streak.
This very moment is the perfect time to close the net.
There was a gentle knock on the door of the lounge.
The man who ran the errand for him came in and placed several receipts for scattered bets on the table.
"As you instructed, all the betting operations have been arranged."
Xiao Xuan checked each document.
The bets placed above are all on the next opponent.
After confirming that everything was correct, he stored the voucher in his Soul Tool.
Offstage, the host's voice rang out again.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting!"
"The final battle for Black Bamboo's ten-game winning streak is about to begin!"
When Flender returned to the VIP section, he clutched the certificate tightly to his chest.
The group's initial capital, the profits from previous games, plus all of his own savings, were all bet on this one game.
If Black Bamboo wins ten consecutive victories, the money they've earned in the past few days will be enough to keep Shrek Academy well-off for a long time.
Furthermore, Flender decided to retire after this match.
"Have you placed all the bets?"
Zhao Wuji asked.
"Alright."
Flender stuffed the voucher into his inner pocket, patted it through his clothes, and smiled broadly.
"We won this match. First thing we do when we get back is fix those dilapidated buildings in the academy!"
Ma Hongjun immediately came over.
"Teacher, shouldn't the cafeteria add more dishes?"
"Add!"
Flender waved his hand dismissively.
I'll add it for you every day from now on!
Xiao Wu was also counting on her fingers, calculating how much she could earn in this round.
Tang San didn't speak, he just looked at the arena below.
Yu Xiaogang remained calm.
After all, they've already won nine straight games.
Moreover, Black Bamboo has never actually used his Soul Skill until now.
By all accounts, the odds of winning this match are extremely high.
Soon, the tenth Soul Fighting officially began.
The sound of the gong faded.
Xiao Xuan still didn't reveal his Soul Ring, and instead charged forward with his spear.
The opposing Soul Master had clearly studied his previous battles beforehand, and was very cautious at the start, not rushing into a strong attack, but constantly probing.
Xiao Xuan wasn't in a hurry.
The spear was thrust forward again and again, still forcing the opponent to retreat continuously.
Judging from the game itself, it was no different from the previous nine matches.
The gunshot was sharp and powerful.
They acted decisively.
Each attack forced the opponent to take it seriously.
But no one knew that Xiao Xuan had been holding back his strength from the very beginning.
When he needed to go fast, he deliberately slowed down a little.
When the force needed to be applied, he reduced it by a few points.
He neither let anyone see that he was holding back, nor did he ever inflict a real serious blow on the opponent.