Each Had Their Own Gains
"Match over! Winner: Wind Leopard!" the referee announced loudly.
Zhu Zhuqing got up from the ground, her face pale, the bloodstains on her shoulder particularly glaring, but she didn't cry, she just clenched her fists tightly, her eyes full of resentment and disappointment.
She knew she lost because of her lack of experience and insufficient Soul Power reserves, which fueled her growing desire for strength.
"Zhu Zhuqing!" Xiao Wu rushed over, handing her a water pouch and healing pills. "Are you alright?"
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, took the healing pill, and swallowed it, her voice hoarse. "I'm fine, I was just too weak."
Yan Zu walked over and said calmly, "It's not that you're weak, it's that you lack experience. Wind Leopard's tactics are very clear: use Wind Blade to force you close, and then use the paralysis effect of his Second Soul Skill to restrain you. You were too eager to succeed and fell into his rhythm."
Next time you encounter an opponent like this, avoid their sharpest attacks and use agile movements to wear down their Soul Power. Wait for their skills to cool down before looking for an opportunity to counterattack. Their Soul Power circulation is more powerful than yours, but their resilience is lacking; they will inevitably weaken in a prolonged battle.
"I understand." Zhu Zhuqing nodded, a determined glint in her eyes. "Next time, I'll definitely beat him."
"Let's go, it's my turn to compete." Yan Zu patted her shoulder and turned to walk towards the No. 1 Soul Fighting Arena. His opponent, "Iron Arm," was already waiting there. He was tall and muscular. After being possessed by the Iron Arm Ape Martial Soul Possession, his arms became as thick as iron pillars, exuding a powerful aura.
"Kid, you're young, but you've got guts, daring to challenge me." Iron Arm grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Considering your young age, I'll give you three moves, so people won't say I'm bullying a child."
Yan Zu did not speak, but calmly walked onto the Soul Fighting Platform. Little Jade on his shoulder jumped down and transformed into a jade-colored Qilin half the height of a person, with two yellow and one purple Soul Ring slowly rising.
"A separated Martial Soul? That's quite rare." A hint of curiosity flashed in Iron Arm's eyes, followed by disdain. "Too bad the level is too low. Watch me take you down in one move!"
The referee announced the start of the match, Iron Arm immediately activated his First Soul Skill, "Iron Arm Impact." With a whistling sound, his arms crashed towards Yan Zu, the force of which caused the Soul Fighting arena to tremble slightly.
Yan Zu moved his feet, unleashing the Nine Spiral Shadows Step, his figure transforming into three afterimages, easily dodging the impact. At the same time, his First Soul Skill, "Vitality Corridor," was activated, a pale green halo spreading out from him, enveloping the entire Soul Fighting Arena—this was an auxiliary skill that could nourish himself and also slightly interfere with the opponent's Soul Power circulation.
"What kind of skill is this?" Iron Arm was stunned, feeling a sudden heaviness all over his body, and his Soul Power circulation became inexplicably sluggish. But he quickly realized that this was an auxiliary skill. With a roar, he activated his Second Soul Skill, "Stone-Shattering Fist," and his fist, carrying dense Soul Power, smashed towards Yan Zu's afterimage.
Yan Zu's afterimages vanished one after another, and his true form appeared behind Iron Arm. Taking advantage of the Nine Spiral Shadows technique, he quickly struck Iron Arm's back, shoulders, knees and other joints with both hands—these were Iron Arm Ape's weak points. The force of the strikes contained Nine Yin True Qi, with the aim of disrupting the operation of his Soul Power core.
"Boy, dare to come close?" Iron Arm roared, throwing a backhand punch at Yan Zu.
Yan Zu swayed and dodged again, while continuing to interfere with Iron Arm's Soul Power circulation with his palm force. The audience below the stage was completely confused, not knowing what Yan Zu was doing. They only saw Iron Arm flailing around like a headless fly, but he couldn't even touch the hem of Yan Zu's clothes.
"That's about it." Yan Zu thought to himself, seizing an opening, he gathered a dense amount of Nine Yin Soul Power in his right hand and slammed it hard into the core of Iron Arm's Soul Power in his chest.
Iron Arm felt a tightness in his chest, his Soul Power instantly became disordered, and he could no longer maintain his Soul Skill. He collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
"Match over! Winner: Wen Yan!" the referee announced loudly.
Yan Zu withdrew his hand, walked to Iron Arm's side, and helped him up. "Your Iron Arm Ape Martial Soul excels in strength, but your Soul Power circulation is too forceful and lacks resilience. Your joints and Soul Power core are your weaknesses. In the next battle, you can try to use your Soul Power to focus on protecting these parts, or change your attack rhythm. Don't just charge in blindly; reserve some Soul Power to deal with unexpected situations."
Iron Arm was stunned for a moment, but seeing Yan Zu's sincere eyes, the anger in his heart instantly dissipated. He had been fighting in the Great Soul Arena for many years, and no one had ever sincerely given him pointers after winning. He scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly. "Thank you for the pointers. You're really amazing, kid. Your footwork and use of Soul Power are indeed unique."
Yan Zu nodded, turned, and walked off the Soul Fighting Platform. Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing immediately surrounded him. Xiao Wu clapped her hands excitedly, "A-Zu, you're amazing! You won so easily!"
"It's my turn next!" Xiao Wu was eager to try and walked towards the third Soul Fighting Arena. Her opponent was a level 35 Spirit Cat Soul Master. He was fast, but he was still a step behind Zhu Zhuqing's Hell Spirit Cat, not to mention that Xiao Wu also had the Moon Shadow Instant Step to enhance him.
After the match began, Xiao Wu flashed forward, activating her Moon Shadow Instant Step with lightning speed, leaving the Spirit Cat Soul Master unable to keep up. Xiao Wu didn't rush to attack, but instead circled around her opponent, occasionally probing with her leg strikes. When her opponent became impatient, she suddenly activated her First Soul Skill, "Waist Bow," bending her body and springing up, delivering a powerful kick to her opponent's chest with her right leg, sending him flying off the stage.
"Match over! Winner: Xiao Wu!"
Xiao Wu skipped back, her face beaming with joy. "So easy!"
Seeing Xiao Wu win so easily, Zhu Zhuqing's determination grew even stronger. She clenched her fist. "I must become stronger quickly."
Yan Zu and Ning Rongrong's first doubles match was against a pair of level 35 opponents: one was Power Attack System (Martial Soul Great Strength Bear) and the other Control System (Martial Soul: Ivy).
"Two kids again, what good luck today." The Great Strength Bear Soul Master grinned, his tone full of disdain.
Ning Rongrong immediately raised the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, her face darkening. "Stop talking nonsense, let's begin!"
"The Seven Treasures Transform into Glazed Tile: First, Strength! Second, Speed! Third, Soul!" Three beams of colorful light landed precisely on Yan Zu, and his strength, speed, and Soul Power instantly surged.
The Ivy Soul Master was the first to activate his First Soul Skill, "Vine Entanglement," as several emerald green vines wrapped around Yan Zu and Ning Rongrong.
"Leave it to me." Yan Zu forward and activated the Qilin's Second Soul Skill, "Jade Blessing." A pale blue shield enveloped the two of them, and the vines were entangled in the shield, unable to break through. At the same time, he condensed the Shaoshang Sword at his fingertips, and an invisible sword aura shot towards the core of the Ivy's Soul Power, causing the vines to wither instantly.
"What?!" The Ivy Soul Master was shocked.
Seeing this, the Great Strength Bear Soul Master activated its Second Soul Skill, "Bear Pounce," charging towards Yan Zu. Yan Zu moved his feet, unleashing the Nine Spiral Shadows Step, dodging the impact while simultaneously striking the Great Strength Bear's joints with his palm, disrupting its Soul Power circulation.
After more than ten rounds, Great Strength Bear and Ivy had exhausted more than half of their Soul Power, and their movements slowed down. Yan Zu seized the opportunity, condensing the Zhongchong Sword at his fingertips, and shot an even stronger sword aura towards the Soul Power node on Ivy Soul Master's wrist. Ivy Soul Master screamed in agony as his Martial Soul was shattered. Without the support of Control System, Great Strength Bear was unable to hold on alone and was slapped off the stage by Yan Zu with a single palm strike.
"The match is over! The winner Auspicious Glazed Tile!"
As Yan Zu and Ning Rongrong stepped off the stage, the Great Strength Bear Soul Master shouted indignantly, "You cheated! You used underhanded tactics to injure people!"
"This wasn't a sneak attack; it was a derivative attack of my Soul Skill," Yan Zu said calmly. "Your teamwork was good, but the Ivy's vine defenses were weak, and the Great Strength Bear's attack rhythm was too predictable, making it easy to be restrained. Next time, let the Ivy control the situation first, and then the Great Strength Bear can concentrate its power for a surprise attack. Don't spread your attacks out at the same time and waste your Soul Power."
The Great Strength Bear and the Ivy Soul Master were stunned for a moment, exchanged a thoughtful glance, and ultimately did not refute further before turning and leaving.
The combination of Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing presented a completely different picture. Both of them were Agility Attack System, with extreme speed, transforming into two streaks of light, one pink and one black, on the Soul Fighting Stage.
"Zhu Zhuqing, the left side is yours!"
"Clear!"
Xiao Wu's Waist Bow and Zhu Zhuqing's Netherworld Hundred Claws formed a perfect crossfire, and the two opposing Defense System Soul Master had no time to react before their defenses were shattered from different angles.
However, Zhu Zhuqing was clearly a bit impatient. In her pursuit of a fatal blow, she made several risky advances and almost got hit by her opponent's counterattack.
"Zhu Zhuqing, calm down, keep up with my rhythm!" Xiao Wu urged.
"I know!" Zhu Zhuqing gritted her teeth, forcibly suppressing her anxiety. In the end, the two still won due to their absolute speed advantage.
However, when she left the stage, Zhu Zhuqing was pale, clearly dissatisfied with her performance.
(Thanks to ALing Dream's monthly ticket support)