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Only now did the referee finally speak, his voice dragging a little. "Shrek Team forfeits. Cang Hui Academy wins."
He didn't have a choice. Stopping the match was his only option. The Shrek Team's leader had confronted him directly, and if anything happened to them because of his inaction, his days as a referee would be over. Worse, it might even draw the wrath of whoever backed Shrek.
At the referee's words, the seven members of Cang Hui Academy pulled back from their Seven-as-One Fusion Skill, though they didn't look happy about it.
The massive seven-colored light pillar faded away, revealing all fourteen fighters, seven from Cang Hui Academy and seven from Shrek on the central Soul Fighting Platform.
Only Cang Hui's team remained standing. Their faces were pale, drained from pouring so much soul power and mental energy into the fusion skill. Still, despite their exhaustion, they couldn't hide their excitement.
Smiles broke out across their faces. They'd won.
Shrek's seven, led by Tang San, were a different story. They lay sprawled on the ground, blood trickling from their ears, noses, and mouths, their hands clutching their heads as they cried out in pain. It wasn't until the glowing colors faded and the world snapped back into focus that their screams finally stopped.
Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and two substitute Shrek members passed out cold the moment the illusion lifted. Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Yu Tianheng weren't so lucky. They stayed conscious, and it was worse for them.
Eyes from every corner of the arena bore into them, curious and piercing. They felt the stares like needles on their skin, sharp and relentless. One by one, they ducked their heads, too ashamed to meet anyone's gaze.
...
Up in the VIP seats, Bone Douluo glared down at Oscar's crumpled form, his voice thick with anger. "This little punk dares to set his sights on Rongrong? I ought to peel his skin off."
Ning Fengzhi's face darkened too, but he quickly put a hand on Bone Douluo's shoulder. "Uncle Bone, we're at the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition. Let's settle this after it's over."
Emperor Xue Ye chimed in, his tone calm but firm. "Sect Master Ning's right. Bone Douluo, hold your temper for now."
"Fine," Bone Douluo growled, forcing his fury down. "For the Sect Master and Your Majesty's sake, I'll let this brat keep his miserable life…for now." He sank back into his seat.
Emperor Xue Ye let out a quiet breath of relief. This was the biggest Spirit Master event on the continent. If a fight broke out here, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family's reputation would take a hit. Still, he couldn't help thinking Oscar had guts, foolish guts. A mere food-type Spirit Master chasing after the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's little princess? The kid was asking for trouble.
Just then, Bishop Salas piped up from the side, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Sect Master Ning, your patience is something else. Someone's out to harm your daughter, and you sit there like it's nothing. I'm impressed."
Ning Fengzhi gave a cold huff, his face smoothing back to calm. "No need for Bishop Salas to concern himself with this."
Inside, though, he was fuming. He and Salas had clashed plenty of times, and Ning Fengzhi always came out on top. But this time, Oscar's stunt had thrown him off. If the kid weren't tied to Tang San and if Tang San's father weren't Tang Hao, the Clear Sky Douluo, he'd have made sure Oscar didn't live to see another day. For now, though, the unity of the three upper sects against Spirit Hall forced him to swallow his anger.
Not everyone could keep it down, though. The second the referee called Cang Hui's victory, Liu Erlong stormed onto the Soul Fighting Platform. She jabbed a finger at Tang San's face and let loose. "Tang San, Yu Xiaogang's your teacher no matter what you say! And you want to kill him? Are you even human?"
Flander trailed after her, waving tiredly at the remaining Heaven Dou Imperial Academy substitutes to haul the unconscious Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and the other two off the stage. He looked worn out as he tried to calm her. "Erlong, it was just an illusion. It's not real."
But at that moment, Flander seemed to age a decade. He knew better. Those words in the illusion? They were the truth. Tang San really meant to kill Yu Xiaogang.
He also knew Shrek was done for. Even if they somehow won the competition, there was no saving it now. Tang San's fiasco at the opening ceremony; spraying filth everywhere had already turned Shrek into the laughingstock "Feces Academy." And now this? Oscar's twisted intentions toward Ning Rongrong, Dai Mubai admitting he was a eunuch, Yu Tianheng's weak-willed ramblings, every revelation was another shove toward the edge. Worst of all, Tang San had admitted he wanted to kill his own teacher. Flander felt the weight of despair settle in.
In the Douluo Continent, a Spirit Master only gets one teacher in their lifetime. Breaking that bond is unthinkable, even if the teacher's a fraud who leads you astray. Tang San had crossed that line and Shrek, the academy that raised him, looked just as rotten.
Liu Erlong didn't know what was eating at Flander. She was too furious to care. If this weren't the competition and if Tang San's father weren't a Title Douluo, she'd have killed him already. Instead, she unleashed everything she had, cursing Tang San like a street thug. Her words were raw and biting, so harsh that even after the day's final match ended, no one in the crowd left.
The New Heaven Dou BatteleTeam watched from below, with a mix of glee and anger in their eyes. Ning Rongrong, caught right in the middle of it, clenched her teeth so hard her head throbbed. "I knew Oscar was trash from the start," she hissed. "His mind's filthier than I thought, always plotting against me."
She'd been happy lately, laughing with Ning Tian all the time. But now? Oscar had turned that joy into a pounding headache. Zhu Qing, Zhu Zhuqing, Ye Lingling, Mona, Yu Feng, and the Shi brothers all shared her outrage, their faces tight with indignation.
Meanwhile, Ning Tian saw his chance. With everyone's eyes on the Shrek mess, he slipped a powerful laxative down his throat and shifted its effects onto Tang San. A scene this big couldn't miss its signature moment: Tang San's infamous spray.
He grinned at Ning Rongrong. "Rongrong, I've got a way to make you feel better."
Her eyes lit up instantly. "Tell me, quick!"
The others leaned in, curious. Ning Tian started, "Later, you can get your dad and Grandpa Bone to—"
He cut off, switching to soul power to whisper the rest. No one but Ning Rongrong heard it, but her face brightened like a spark had caught. She nodded to herself. It was perfect. Nothing suited a creep like Oscar better than this.
...…...
Up on the stage, Liu Erlong hadn't let up. "Tang San, you call yourself human? Xiaogang's your teacher! He poured his heart into you, and even if he messed up, don't you bear any blame? You backstabbing, teacher-hating scum!"
The Heaven Dou Imperial Team's substitutes had already dragged Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and the two extras off the Soul Fighting Platform. Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng, humiliated beyond repair, bolted down the steps. That left Tang San alone, taking the full brunt of Liu Erlong's fury.
Over on Cang Hui's side, their teammates rushed up to help the exhausted seven off the platform. The crowd greeted them with cheers. Shrek was so hated that anyone who beat them got treated like they'd slain a monster.
While the audience roared for Cang Hui, Tang San stood amid Liu Erlong's cursing and the mocking laughter around him. His head buzzed until he couldn't take it anymore.
He let out a raw, ragged yell. "Enough! Enough! All of you, shut up! Shut up!"
The arena went dead quiet. Even Liu Erlong paused her rant. Every eye turned to Tang San. His eyes burned red, his chest heaving like a winded beast. He scanned the crowd, then locked onto Liu Erlong, his voice booming with rage. "You think I don't want to honor my teacher? You think I want to hate him? Look at what Yu Xiaogang did to me!"
He jabbed a finger at his ink-black skin, then raised both his hands and summoned two martial souls.
He glared down at Liu Erlong. "Look at me! See what I've become because of him! And all you mocking me, listen up. I, Tang San, was a genius born with full innate soul power and twin spirits."
"My first spirit's Blue Silver Grass. My second's the Clear Sky Hammer. My father's Tang Hao, the youngest Title Douluo in the Douluo Continent. I inherited the world's top tool spirit from him."
"I was meant for greatness."
"But Yu Xiaogang, that useless wreck ruined me. He pushed his half-baked, stolen theories on me. Made me take three poison-attribute Soul Rings for some control path. Now the poison's wrecked me; black skin, stunted growth, twisted body and the constant diarrhea. I'm your 'black bear,' your 'feces guy.' It's all because of him. Yu Xiaogang destroyed me."
He didn't care anymore. To vent the fury and bitterness choking him, Tang San laid his twin spirits bare. From now on, he wouldn't hide them. He'd prove himself with the Clear Sky Hammer, the best tool spirit in the world.
For a moment, it worked. The crowd's anger shifted, pointing at Yu Xiaogang instead. Even Flander and Liu Erlong started wondering if maybe Xiaogang really was to blame.
But that didn't last.
A loud pfft cut through the air. A fart so strong Tang San's pants soaked through in seconds. The Soul Fighting Arena filled with a stench that hit everyone at once. He'd done it again.
Flander and Liu Erlong stepped back fast, dodging any splash. Then the whole place erupted in laughter. Tang San's face flushed red. He fumbled for a spare toilet, plopped down, and summoned his Blue Silver Grass to handle the spirit's side effects. The fear of those uncontrollable bouts flooded back.
Ning Rongrong grinned wide. "Looks like this creep's stuck there for a while," she said to Ning Tian. "Let's go."
Ning Tian nodded, leading his team out. At the entrance, they ran into Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo again. They'd clearly come about Oscar's earlier nonsense. Ning Rongrong was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's pride. If her elders let this slide, people would think the sect was weak.
Seeing her, though, they sensed something different about her but couldn't pin it down. Ning Fengzhi, sharp as ever, frowned. "Rongrong, where were you last night? Why'd you show up at the arena so late today?"
She froze for a second, then covered it with soul power whispers. "Dad, Grandpa Bone, Ning Tian gave me an Illusion Wisdom Skull yesterday. I was absorbing it all night, that's why I was late."
Since fusing the soul bone, her mental strength had spiked, letting her use soul power to speak privately.
'Illusion Wisdom Skull?' Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo shared a look, their faces lighting up. They glanced at Ning Tian with new approval. Sure, he was a flirt, but he treated Rongrong well and even gave her a soul bone, perfect for a support Spirit Master.
Ning Fengzhi felt a quiet relief too. He didn't mind her and Ning Tian, but only if Ning Tian joined the sect first. Until then, he wasn't letting his daughter rush into anything.
"Dad, Grandpa Bone," Ning Rongrong said, pouting, "you heard what those Shrek creeps said in there. You've got to back me up."
"Don't worry, Rongrong," Bone Douluo said, his voice edged with menace. "Grandpa Bone's got your justice covered."
Ning Fengzhi was smoother. "Rongrong, that's why we're here. Come with us to Shrek's place later. This isn't over."
"Hmph, I'm not going near those filthbags," she shot back. "And neither are you two."
Bone Douluo gave a wry smile. "Alright, little miss, what's your plan then?"
Her eyes flicked mischievously. She whispered again through soul power. Both men blinked, stunned. Bone Douluo looked eager to jump in. Ning Fengzhi raised an eyebrow at her. "You thought of this?"
"No, Uncle Ning," Ning Tian cut in. "It was me."
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