Kapitel 184: [DD]: 184
"This... This is impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Feeling the powerful aura emanating from Zhu Zhuqing, who stood opposite him, Tang San couldn't help but take two steps back.
Behind him, all his teammates were also staring ahead in a daze. Even Dai Mubai, usually unshakable, was momentarily overwhelmed by surprise when he looked at Zhu Zhuqing. For a brief moment, the deep hatred he couldn't let go of was suppressed by sheer astonishment.
Unlike the audience, who were merely shocked by the sight of another ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring and the emergence of the competition's first Soul King, Tang San and his team knew very well that before Zhu Zhuqing disappeared, she was only at level 33—lower than their levels.
But now, only half a year later, who could explain what had happened? How had Zhu Zhuqing suddenly crossed two major levels to become a Soul King? Moreover, judging by her aura, she wasn't just a newly advanced Soul King. Could this even be possible?
"This is very reasonable."
In the stands, Han Li wore a faint smile as he responded to the question posed by Ning Fengzhi and the three Board members.
"When I encountered Zhu Zhuqing in the Star Dou Forest, she was gravely injured and unconscious in a cave. Next to her was a very peculiar plant."
"Unfortunately, I didn't have a healing-type soul master with me at the time. After observing her condition, I noticed that her martial soul had a faint resonance with that strange plant."
"In such a situation, where she was on the brink of death, I had no choice but to try a desperate measure. I fed her the fruit from the top of that plant. Surprisingly, it turned out to be her fateful opportunity. After consuming the fruit, her martial soul mutated—or you could say, evolved."
"In short, she survived, her martial soul evolved, and inexplicably, her soul power increased as well. Later, after she woke up, she also found a soul bone perfectly suited for her in the cave."
"After that, through a series of fortunate events, she successfully absorbed the soul bone and a ten-thousand-year soul ring. That's about it. Honestly, even I envy her a little."
Han Li spread his hands, his expression vivid, even showing a hint of envy, as if he wished he were the protagonist of the story.
"So, you did encounter her in the Star Dou Forest?"
Ning Fengzhi found it hard to believe, but Han Li's story was so plausible that he couldn't find any flaws.
"Of course, I mentioned this before, didn't I? Could it be that Sect Master Ning didn't believe me?"
A look of mild surprise appeared on Han Li's face, causing Ning Fengzhi to waver in his earlier judgment. Could it be that Han Li was telling the truth?
Nearby, Xue Ye and the others also fell into deep thought.
Could it be that, as Han Li said, he did find Zhu Zhuqing in the Star Dou Forest? No wonder, despite their best efforts, they couldn't find any trace of an insider among them. Perhaps there wasn't one to begin with?
Watching Han Li's performance, Qian Renxue's face showed a hint of envy, though deep inside, she was about to burst out laughing.
What a sly guy. If she hadn't known that Han Li possessed immortal herbs and numerous other tricks, she might have believed his story.
"Holy Son Han..."
Ning Fengzhi hesitated for a moment, looking toward Han Li.
Han Li, however, seemed to guess what he was going to say and waved his hand helplessly.
"Sect Master Ning, you'd better not get your hopes up. I'm no fool. As soon as I discovered her condition, I thoroughly searched that area, and as you might expect, I found nothing."
Hearing this, not only Ning Fengzhi but also the others showed expressions of disappointment, though they quickly returned to normal.
This was the most reasonable outcome. After all, treasures capable of evolving a martial soul aren't so easily found.
"Alright, let's watch the match. We can see what's different about the little girl from the Zhu family after her martial soul's evolution."
Xue Ye called out to everyone, directing their attention back to the arena, though a smile lingered on his face.
A martial soul mutation was excellent news. This would surely deepen the hostility between the Star Luo Empire and the Spirit Hall.
In the arena, Zhu Zhuqing paid no attention to the surprise of her former teammates. She was still the lowest-ranked among the girls, so there was nothing to be proud of.
"Skywater Academy, Zhu Zhuqing, level 55 agility-type battle Soul King, please guide me."
Facing the group once again, Zhu Zhuqing realized she no longer harbored as much hatred for them. If it weren't for them, she might not have encountered Han Li and the others so quickly, or broken free from her chains.
She would just treat them as strangers. Of course, in battle, she would show no mercy—except for Ning Rongrong.
Since brutally defeating them was Sister Xiu's idea, it was almost certain that it was also Han Li's intention. Zhu Zhuqing's eyes grew sharp.
"My goodness! A level 55 Soul King! Isn't she the highest-level student we've seen so far? Does anyone know how old she is?"
"If I remember correctly, she's also the youngest. She should be less than 15 years old."
"A 15-year-old Soul King? That's terrifyingly strong."
"Do you think she can take on the entire opposing team by herself?"
"Take on the whole team? Are you forgetting that her opponents are the second team of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy? Who are you even supporting?"
"Of course, Skywater Academy! I bet on them to win. Besides, even if the second team loses, what's the big deal? The first team has already qualified for the finals, and losing to Skywater Academy isn't shameful. They're also part of the Heaven Dou Empire, aren't they?"
...
In the arena, the audience was abuzz with discussions. Whether due to personal bias, financial interest, or simply comparing strength, the crowd was lively, warming up for the match even before it began.
Level 55! Tang San and Dai Mubai's breathing hitched, their teeth nearly grinding to dust. Why?
But time wasn't on their side. As the whistle blew, the match officially began.
The sound of the whistle seemed to activate Zhu Zhuqing's instincts. Without hesitation, a faint black mist rose around her, and her figure disappeared from where she had been standing.
"Not good, protect the backline!"
The moment Zhu Zhuqing made her move, Tang San reacted quickly, a flash of purple light passing through his eyes as he fully activated his Purple Demon Eyes.
Even with that, he could only catch a glimpse of a blurry figure rapidly darting past the three people in front of them, heading straight for the backline.
If there was a support-type soul master from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan in the enemy team, they had to be dealt with first. This was an ironclad rule recognized across the Douluo continent, and Zhu Zhuqing was no exception.
Although Ning Rongrong's level wasn't particularly high, and Zhu Zhuqing held an absolute advantage, it was still a one-versus-seven situation. Even if Ning Rongrong only activated her boost soul skills, it would still strengthen the team's combat effectiveness.
Moreover, Zhu Zhuqing wanted to take her out early to prevent accidentally hurting her when the fight intensified later.
Thanks to Tang San's warning, Ning Rongrong wasn't foolish—or rather, she was used to this kind of treatment. No matter who they faced, the first attack always seemed to be directed at her.
Realizing she couldn't track Zhu Zhuqing's movement at all, Ning Rongrong made a decisive choice. Her right hand swiftly spun the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, and six beams of light shot directly toward Tang San and Dai Mubai.
Now, even Tang San couldn't say anything, could he?
Ning Rongrong gave up on resisting, thinking slyly. She didn't want to fight Zhu Zhuqing in the first place, especially not to help someone she disliked—like Dai Mubai.
After all, I've already cast the boosts. Whether the timing is right or not doesn't matter anymore. If you can't protect me, at least I provided the boosts before getting eliminated. I did my best, okay?
But while that was her perspective, Tang San saw it differently.
After witnessing Zhu Zhuqing's speed, he knew that, aside from their other three teammates, Ning Rongrong's survival was crucial. Her boosts would be the key to standing a chance against Zhu Zhuqing.
"Xiao Wu."
A soft command came from Tang San's mouth. Almost without needing the instruction, Xiao Wu had already understood his meaning.
As her body half-rotated, a purple soul ring flashed above her, and she instantly crossed the space, appearing right in front of Ning Rongrong.
Teleportation. She had used her third spirit ability.
This skill allowed Xiao Wu to instantly transfer within a five-meter radius.
While Ning Rongrong was still in a daze, Xiao Wu swiftly wrapped her arm around her waist. With a backward leap, she carried them both toward the center of the team.
There was no other choice. Though it was sudden, Xiao Wu couldn't afford to explain. Zhu Zhuqing had already appeared in the spot where Ning Rongrong had been standing just moments ago.
Then, Xiao Wu saw the first soul ring above Zhu Zhuqing's head flash briefly.
Oh no!
Xiao Wu's face changed. As a former teammate, how could she not recognize Zhu Zhuqing's spirit skill?
Hell Rush Stab.
Aside from the attack, it instantly doubled her speed.
There was no time for further thought. Although teleportation consumed a lot of energy—especially when carrying someone—it was better than facing elimination, or worse, being attacked along with Ning Rongrong.
Once more, the faint purple soul ring above Xiao Wu's head lit up.
While still in mid-air, and before the two of them had even landed, they disappeared again, reappearing beside Tang San and Dai Mubai.
However, Xiao Wu's face had turned pale.
Ning Rongrong, now released and back on her feet, snapped out of her daze. She realized she had been saved.
After a frontal charge and seeing Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong vanish into thin air, Zhu Zhuqing understood that her attack had been missed.
However, there was no change in her expression. Familiar with her former teammates' spirit abilities, she had already anticipated this scenario before making her move.
Besides, she hadn't come away empty-handed. Forcing Xiao Wu to use Teleportation twice in a row was already a success. And this was just the beginning.
Without any pause, Zhu Zhuqing swiftly turned and dashed toward Oscar, who was still standing there in shock not far away.
Let's see how they're going to save him this time.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein