Chapter 136 – Dugu Feng: This Is Only the Beginning, Let's Keep Playing!
The battle reignited atop the stage.
Yu Tianheng once again clashed head-on with Dai Mubai.
The Shi brothers, Shi Mo and Shi Mo'er, found themselves entangled by Tang San and Xiao Wu—caught between the Blue Silver Grass and dazzling footwork.
Yu Feng and Ao Si Luo were locked in combat with Ma Hongjun and Zhu Zhuqing respectively.
But the moment the second round began, one side instantly secured an unexpected victory—
No one anticipated it would be Zhu Zhuqing.
Of course, the Shrek team had planned it, but no one thought her strike would come this fast.
At level thirty-three, Zhu Zhuqing faced Ao Si Luo, a level thirty-six Ghost Leopard spirit master. Both were agility-type attackers—her Nether Spirit Cat against his spirit leopard.
Even with that three-level difference, Ning Rongrong had diverted all her amplifications to Zhu Zhuqing at the very start.
As a result, Ao Si Luo suddenly found himself being overwhelmed.
Under the combined flurry of Nether Thrust, Nether White Claw, and Nether Slash, the young leopard spirit master was driven completely onto the defensive.
He hadn't expected the petite girl to be so ferocious or explosive—her barrage of attacks unrelenting and fierce.
Caught off guard, Ao Si Luo's body was carved open repeatedly, crimson blooms marking his chest and arms under Zhu Zhuqing's claw strikes.
Even Ye Lingling's healing couldn't heal those wounds completely; Zhu Zhuqing's attacks had piercing effects that damaged his internal meridians.
His clothes were ripped to tatters, leaving his bloodied upper body exposed—a ghastly sight.
Terrified, Ao Si Luo could barely fight anymore. He limped back behind the Shi brothers, licking his wounds.
"Brilliant. Spectacular!"
In his observation box, Dugu Feng murmured with amusement. This, after all, was partly his doing.
The pearl embedded within Zhu Zhuqing's body had just released energy, accelerating the flow of her spirit power and pushing her into a burst state.
That brief surge of strength had led to her decisive strike.
A little taste of power only made Dugu Feng think further—perhaps it was time to raise the stakes.
Not far away, Zhu Zhuyun's eyes glimmered with pride; her younger sister's talent surpassed even hers.
Yet when she noticed Dugu Feng's approving expression, she sighed inwardly.
Her sister too carried one of his pearls, utterly unaware of the invisible bond of control she now bore.
On the battlefield, the situation shifted again.
After driving Ao Si Luo back, Zhu Zhuqing didn't hesitate—she lunged straight for Shi Mo.
She'd spotted her chance.
The Shi brothers' turtle-shell shields had just spun through the air, slicing toward Tang San and Xiao Wu.
But that heavy attack was the exact mistake Tang San waited for.
Using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps, Tang San sidestepped the edges of the twin shields and intercepted them with two precise taps of his Jade-Hand Technique, redirecting their trajectories.
The Shi brothers used the change in force to slice through the Blue Silver Grass connecting Shrek's formation, but that redirection backfired.
The violent recoil jarred their internal energy flow, leaving both momentarily sluggish.
Right then, Zhu Zhuqing struck.
They were completely unguarded; with their shields flung outward, their defenses dropped drastically.
Against someone of her speed, they had no time to react.
Normally, against Tang San or Xiao Wu, they could manage—Tang San's close movement was short-range, and Xiao Wu's agility stayed within predictable bounds.
If it were those two attacking, they still had a window to activate their third spirit ability: their millennium skill, a defensive counter where their shells shattered into thirty-two rotating fragments, covering a vast area.
But Zhu Zhuqing's sudden charge from defeating Ao Si Luo was too abrupt—her speed beyond their limits.
With Nether Thrust propelling her like a black blur, she reached them before they realized she'd moved.
Her Nether White Claw shredded the air—
Sparks flashed; the twins' armor cracked; sprays of blood followed.
Part of this success came from Xiao Wu's impeccable timing.
Originally, Xiao Wu had feared the spinning turtle-shell attack.
But as Zhu Zhuqing drew near, the shields were being recalled, leaving her a safe gap.
She seized the moment, casting her second ability—Charm.
For an instant, the stronger Shi Mo froze, eyes glazed.
And that single heartbeat sealed his fate.
Zhu Zhuqing's claws slashed again and again—then she swiftly withdrew, leaving Shi Mo bloodied and staggering.
Both brothers were now out of immediate combat; without treatment, Shi Mo might even bleed out.
That Zhu Zhuqing could strike so freely, without interruption from the rest of the Emperor Team, came with reason.
At that same moment, Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan were simultaneously focusing their full assault on Dai Mubai.
Neither had expected Ao Si Luo to fall so quickly. But with their attacks already committed, reversing course would only create greater risk for themselves.
They could do nothing but trust the Shi brothers to withstand the pressure—something that had gone terribly wrong.
Dugu Yan's Phosphor Finger Force and Yu Tianheng's Thousand Thunder Bolts slammed into Dai Mubai.
He reeled under the combined assault, blood spilling from his mouth as he struggled to stay upright, chewing antidote sausages one after another just to avoid collapsing.
But Yu Tianheng had made up his mind—Dai Mubai had to go down.
His lightning aura flared, violent and merciless.
The white tiger's roars shook the air, yet even with Ning Rongrong's support amplifying him, Dai Mubai was forced back again and again.
Among the chaos, Dugu Yan's eyes flickered.
Her energy… was flowing unusually smoothly.
Her Phosphor Finger technique had never felt this effortless before.
Ever since Dugu Feng's guidance on refining her technique, she had practiced tirelessly, using spirit power to temper the meridians of her arms each day.
And today, that refinement seemed to pay off.
Her poisonous fingertip strikes, though still less refined than Dugu Feng's, were now almost at the level of a proper soul skill.
She unleashed another volley, each one landing flawlessly on Dai Mubai's body.
Her eyes glowed in satisfaction. Never before had her poison struck with such precision.
Moments later, Yu Tianheng saw his chance and unleashed another full-power attack.
The next strike enveloped Dai Mubai completely.
The white tiger staggered and collapsed with a heavy thud, his face pale as chalk.
A strangled groan escaped him as poison and lightning exploded within his body simultaneously.
He was out.
Oscar darted forward, shoving detox and recovery sausages into Dai Mubai's mouth as quickly as he could.
Yu Tianheng didn't chase. He knew who Dai Mubai was—the Star Luo Empire's crown prince. Killing him would be inviting war.
In his private box, Dugu Feng appeared calm, but inwardly he was laughing.
What good was a fight without a little chaos?
How else could he make them hate each other?
This is only the beginning, he thought, a wicked smile forming. Let's keep playing.
As for Dugu Yan's newfound precision in her Phosphor Fang technique—
That, too, was his handiwork.
He had simply activated the pearl inside her, letting it release a faint energy that briefly reinforced her meridians, allowing her attacks to flow effortlessly.
And, just as expected, the effect had been immediate.
(END CHAPTER)
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