Tang San's face suddenly turned a sickly green. The stomach ache couldn't have come at a worse time. Why, just as he was about to step onto the stage, did his body decide to betray him? He vaguely remembered Yu Xiaogang mentioning something earlier, but he hadn't paid it any mind. Rubbing his stomach, he suddenly recalled the questionable, day-old food his teacher had bought. That was undoubtedly the culprit.
A trickle of cold sweat formed on his forehead. The pain was becoming unbearable. An old, crude saying came to mind: a man in his predicament couldn't take a single step. And for someone in as much of a hurry as Tang San, holding it in was simply not an option.
He looked toward the stage and saw the host had already walked out. The battle was about to begin, but his stomach was churning, and the situation was becoming critical. Still, Tang San refused to give up his first spirit battle since returning to the Soto Arena. He desperately wanted to prove himself again. He had to prove himself to his teacher, to Dean Flender, to the other seven Shrek students, and to everyone who had ever looked down on him.
Thinking of this, Tang San clenched his fists. In a moment of desperation, he reached into his Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges, grabbed a random handful of medicinal herbs, and shoved them into his mouth, chewing and swallowing them raw. As he circulated his Mysterious Heaven Skill, the medicinal effects quickly spread through his body, briefly suppressing the overwhelming urge in his gut.
I have to end this fight quickly, Tang San resolved. He knew the battle couldn't last more than five minutes, or the consequences would be unimaginable. The medicine was only a temporary block, not a solution.
"Next, let's welcome his opponent, the twenty-fifth level Control System Spirit Grandmaster, codenamed 'Shrek Eight'!" the host's voice boomed through the arena. "Both of these fighters are new to the Soto Great Spirit Arena. I wonder what kind of sparks will fly tonight! Let's wait and see!"
Because he had paid to change his name to a codename, his previous losing record had been wiped clean. He was starting from scratch. Tang San breathed a small sigh of relief. It would have been incredibly embarrassing if the host had announced his two prior losses.
As he stepped onto the stage, he was met with polite, but unenthusiastic, applause. He paid it no mind. I may not be famous now, he thought, repeating the kind of affirmations his teacher had drilled into him, but if I keep moving forward, one step at a time, one day I will command everyone's attention and earn their applause. Filled with this renewed confidence, the pain in his stomach temporarily forgotten, Tang San faced his opponent.
The man wore a black robe, with black hair and a slender figure. The spirit power fluctuations around him weren't particularly strong. From the host's introduction, Tang San knew he was only a level twenty-three Spirit Grandmaster, also fighting for the first time. This boosted Tang San's confidence even further.
His opponent, however, frowned upon seeing Tang San's masked attire. "Wearing a mask? Just for show?" he muttered.
The crowd's interest was piqued. Someone so mysterious must be powerful, right? Maybe this would be an exciting battle after all. A wave of cheers rippled through the audience as the host waved his hand, officially starting the match.
The moment the announcement was made, the man in the black robe unleashed his spirit power. Two spirit rings, one white and one yellow, rose from beneath his feet. At the same time, a pitch-black spear appeared in his hand. It was his spirit: the Black Rhino Spear.
Tang San didn't dare to delay. He activated his own spirit power, releasing his identical white and yellow spirit rings while circulating his Mysterious Heaven Skill. Dark green strands of Blue Silver Grass sprouted from his right hand, spreading out around his body.
The audience, however, seemed unimpressed. Judging by the spirit rings and the common-looking grass spirit, the masked boy wasn't as special as they had hoped. Some people shook their heads, their initial excitement already fading.
Clang! The man in black slammed the butt of his spear onto the stage, the point of impact shattering the floor. Spiderweb-like cracks spread out for half a meter. With a flash, he charged, spear in hand, rushing toward Tang San with incredible speed.
"Wow, he's fast!" someone in the crowd yelled. For a power-attack type spirit master, his speed was nearly on par with an agility-attack type.
The speed startled Tang San as well. He immediately activated his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to dodge, while using Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon with his hands. At the same time, vines of Blue Silver Grass coiled toward the black-robed man from all directions. It was his first spirit skill: Bind. To be safe, Tang San used all the Tang Sect techniques at his disposal.
"Hmph!" The man in black sneered. He swung his right arm, and the spear trailing behind him whipped around in a graceful arc, sweeping heavily toward the incoming Blue Silver Grass. With a flash of the spear's shadow, the vines were sliced in half. The powerful gust of wind from the attack was enough to make Tang San stagger.
With just one move, it was clear who was stronger. The audience began to boo. Was it going to be over so soon? After all the hype about the mask, was this all he had?
But in that moment, an unnoticed, sinister smile crept across Tang San's lips. "Second spirit skill: Parasite!"
His spirit power surged, and without warning, thick strands of Blue Silver Grass erupted from all over the black-robed man's body. They intertwined and tangled together, wrapping him up tightly with lightning speed.
"Hahaha!" Tang San couldn't help but laugh out loud at his successful sneak attack.
However, the next moment, his smile froze. He stood there, motionless, as if turned to stone. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Tang San tentatively reached a hand down to touch his pants. He had used too much force.
He had had an accident.
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