"We're going to lose." At some point, Zhu Zhuqing had retreated to Xiao Tianyang's side.
"Of course. There's a clear gap in strength, and that Ye Lingling's martial soul is ridiculously powerful." Xiao Tianyang shook his head.
Zhu Zhuqing frowned slightly, a hint of wariness flashing in her eyes. "How do you know her name is Ye Lingling?"
"You're focusing on the wrong thing here, aren't you?" Xiao Tianyang sighed. "Grandmaster's intel was incomplete. Can't I look things up myself?"
"Liar!" Ning Rongrong placed her hands on her hips, eyes narrowing. "Just now, when you spoke, your gaze was shifty, your movements were unnatural, and even your nose twitched."
"…And what's that supposed to mean?" Xiao Tianyang rolled his eyes.
"Hmph! It means you're lying. It's a sign of a guilty conscience." Ning Rongrong smirked, feeling quite pleased with herself.
"Shouldn't you all be more focused on the fight right now?" Xiao Tianyang gestured toward Tang San. "Instead of standing here chatting with me, why not go and help him?"
"I want to win!" Zhu Zhuqing declared.
"But the grandmaster won't let me intervene." Xiao Tianyang looked perplexed.
To be honest, if he stepped in, he could settle the fight in just a few moves. But then what?
The team would lose their best opportunity for growth.
And there was nothing wrong with losing—it was a way to see their weaknesses. The key was whether they could learn from it.
Besides, Tang San and the others weren't so fragile that a single defeat would break them.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged glances, their beautiful eyes curving into crescent smiles.
"We're not asking you to fight. Just use your buffs to enhance our strength."
"Then why not just let me do it myself?" Xiao Tianyang raised an eyebrow.
Ning Rongrong grabbed his arm and shook it. "Tianyang, pleeease help us."
"Hey, what are you doing?" Xiao Tianyang pouted. "Alright, alright, stop shaking me. Otherwise, I might as well just give you my arm."
"So you agree?" Ning Rongrong grinned.
"What else can I do? You're not letting me go, are you?" Xiao Tianyang glared at her.
…
On the battlefield, Tang San was struggling against four opponents at once, gradually falling into a disadvantageous position.
Suddenly, a figure flashed past Osler like lightning.
"Huh—" Before he could react, he was sent flying.
"Zhuqing?" Everyone was stunned. Only Tang San managed to call out her name.
But at this moment, Zhu Zhuqing was different from before.
Her gaze was sharper, and faint flames flickered on her hands—small, as if they could be extinguished at any moment, yet exuding a fierce, menacing aura.
Not only that, but as two balls of green fire entered Tang San and Dai Mubai's bodies, their states recovered almost instantly.
"This healing ability…" Ye Lingling, sitting in the distance, turned her gaze toward Xiao Tianyang, surprise and curiosity flickering in her eyes.
"A single flame can fully restore their condition?"
Yu Feng swallowed. "And there are nine flames next to him… That means we have to defeat them nine times?"
"This buff must also be coming from that green fire," Yu Tianheng said in a deep voice.
"Swish!"
Zhu Zhuqing waved her hand lightly, and five fiery claws shot toward the three opponents before her!
"Pfft!" Blood sprayed from their mouths as they were sent hurtling backward.
The impact was so overwhelming it was as if they had been hit by a truck. The sheer power left everyone momentarily speechless.
The arena fell silent.
Even Tang San and Dai Mubai, who had just prepared to attack, stood frozen in shock.
They hadn't expected the battle to end so quickly.
Ning Rongrong, watching from the sidelines, pursed her lips in envy. "Didn't you say the buffs only had four effects? How come Zhuqing's attack range has increased too?"
"It's just something she figured out recently."
Xiao Tianyang chuckled. "Besides, Zhuqing's body has already adapted to these buffs. Otherwise, I wouldn't dare stack five enhancements on one person—especially not you."
The ones most surprised, however, were Yu Tianheng and his teammates.
"Just now, Tang San's eight spider lances poison was still affecting us. Why is it completely gone?"
As Ye Lingling helped Dugu Yan up, the latter voiced her confusion.
"Not only that, but after coughing up blood, I actually feel lighter."
Yu Feng bounced on the spot a couple of times before exclaiming, "Could it be that their soul skills have some strange effect?"
"No." Yu Tianheng stood up, fixing his gaze on Xiao Tianyang, who was smiling from afar. His expression turned solemn.
"He's giving us a way out."
"…So now…" Dugu Yan's previous frustration vanished in an instant.
"We concede!" Yu Tianheng decisively turned to the referee, Doudou.
"I declare the winner—Team Shrek!" Doudou, still in shock, finally announced the result.
To be honest, even now, she was a little overwhelmed.
Throughout the battle, both sides had exchanged blows, neither gaining a clear upper hand. This proved that their strengths were fairly evenly matched.
However, there was one key point—Team Shrek had fought with only six members.
And if you didn't count Xiao Tianyang's intervention at the end…
Then there was also Yu Tianheng's decisive thunderous attack.
Even Xiao Tianyang hadn't expected him to go all out like that.
And that single moment had turned the tide of battle.
Without that crucial maneuver, Tang San and his team wouldn't have faltered.
Shi Mo wouldn't have been forced to retreat.
Ma Hongjun wouldn't have run out of soul power.
Dai Mubai wouldn't have been defeated.
Though Tang San had tried to recover the situation and could have won in a head-on fight, the cost would have been too high.
Xiao Tianyang saw no need for that.
Realizing you're outmatched is enough. There's no need to push for mutual destruction.
Besides, it would've been even more troublesome if he had been forced to intervene later.
That was why he agreed to Ning Rongrong's request. Otherwise, did she really think he gave in just because she acted cute?
If the grandmaster asked later, he would absolutely deny it. And he'd blame it all on Ning Rongrong.
Yes, that was the plan! Everything was Ning Rongrong's fault! She was the one who sweet-talked him into it!
Yep, that's right.
"Tianyang, what are you laughing about?"
Xiao Tianyang snapped back to reality, only to find a pretty face very close to his.
He awkwardly smiled.
It was Ning Rongrong.
For some reason, she had suddenly felt a strange sense of foreboding just now.
Looking down at Xiao Tianyang, she saw him grinning to himself, a hint of smugness in his expression.
'Just winning a match made him this happy?'
'Impossible.'
At least, in Ning Rongrong's eyes, Xiao Tianyang wasn't that kind of person.
"Ahem, stop staring at me." Xiao Tianyang coughed lightly before waving his hand. Green flames shot forward, landing on the injured contestants.
"Consider it a gift. Now, let's get going."
With that, he began ushering people off the stage, ignoring the bewildered looks from Yu Tianheng and the others—especially Ye Lingling, who stood at the end, her delicate face half-hidden behind a veil.
…
If you'd like to support me and gain access to 40+ advanced chapters, you can follow the link:
patreon.com/DarkLord621