Chapter 48 – The Sovereign's Arena
The Shrek Six entered the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena. Yu Xiaogang walked at their head, his hands behind his back, looking like a sage among commoners.
"Remember," Xiaogang lectured. "The Arena is not just about strength; it is about the tactical application of my theories. Use the formations I taught you. You are 'Monsters.' The common masters here are beneath you."
The first few matches went exactly as Xiaogang predicted. Ma Hongjun incinerated a weaker opponent, and Oscar's sausages kept the team's stamina high. Their egos began to swell. Dai Mubai, especially, was boisterous. "See? This is where we belong! Nobody in this city can touch a Shrek student!"
But then, the matchups for the afternoon individual rounds were posted.
Match 14: Xiao Wu vs. The Sky Sovereign.
Tang San frowned at the name. "Sky Sovereign? Another arrogant title."
"It doesn't matter," Xiaogang said dismissively. "Xiao Wu's 'Soft Skill' is the perfect counter for anyone who relies on heavy, direct attacks. She will tie him in knots."
As Xiao Wu stepped onto the stage, the crowd went silent. Then, a roar erupted—not for her, but for the figure walking out of the opposite tunnel. Lakan was dressed in his simple white-and-silver robe, his silver half-mask reflecting the torchlight. He didn't even manifest his martial soul.
"Hey, you! Big brother with the mask!" Xiao Wu chirped, her rabbit ears twitching. "You should surrender now! I don't want to hurt you!"
Lakan didn't respond. He simply stood there, his hands behind his back.
"Begin!" the referee shouted.
Xiao Wu lunged, using her Teleportation and Soft Skill to close the gap instantly. She wrapped her long ponytail around Lakan's neck, intending to use her waist-bow to flip him.
She expected resistance. She expected him to pull away. Instead, it was like she had wrapped her hair around a mountain.
Lakan didn't use a soul skill. He didn't even use the Overdrive. He simply performed a Pitik (Sonic Snap)—a flick of his finger against the air. The resulting shockwave didn't hit Xiao Wu's body; it hit her frequency.
BOOM.
Xiao Wu was blasted backward, her soul power instantly disrupted. She tumbled across the stone floor, her breath hitching as the sheer "Intent" of the flick bruised her internal organs. She wasn't maimed, but the pain was sharp and absolute. She lay on the ground, gasping for air, unable to stand.
"XIAO WU!"
Tang San leaped from the spectator stands before the match was even officially called. He landed on the stage, his face twisted in a mask of murderous rage. His Purple Demon Eye flared, and his hands were already reaching for his 24 Moonlight Bridges.
"How dare you!" Tang San roared, his voice trembling with a terrifying double standard. "She is a young girl! You are clearly a higher rank! To use such force against her... you have a path to death!"
Lakan looked at Tang San, his silver eyes cold behind the mask. "A young girl? This is a Spirit Arena, boy. She stepped onto this stage as a combatant. If she cannot handle the weight of a flick, she has no business calling herself a 'Monster.'"
"She was being playful! You could have just stepped aside!" Tang San's logic was spiraling. When he used hidden weapons to maim his enemies, it was "pragmatism." When someone else touched his "Precious Xiao Wu" in a fair match, it was "evil."
"Teacher!" Tang San turned to Yu Xiaogang, who had rushed to the edge of the stage. "He used a forbidden technique! Look at Xiao Wu! He intentionally tried to shatter her soul sea!"
Xiaogang glared at Lakan, his face purple with indignation. "Sir! As a Senior in the Spirit World, I condemn your lack of martial virtue! To bully a child with such high-level 'Sacrificial' energy is a disgrace to all Spirit Masters!"
Lakan let out a dry, melodic laugh that chilled the room. "Martial virtue? You teach these children to be 'Monsters,' to look down on others as 'trash,' and yet you cry like infants the moment the 'trash' hits back? Your hypocrisy is more nauseating than your theories, Xiaogang."
The Shrek group retreated, Tang San carrying a crying Xiao Wu, their hearts full of bitter resentment. But the nightmare wasn't over. When Flender went to collect the winnings from their earlier matches, the clerk shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Dean Flender," the clerk said, pointing to a new notice on the wall. "The Suotuo City Bishop has issued a 'High-Tier Education Tax' on all unregistered academies operating in the Arena. Additionally, because of the 'Property Damage' caused during the entrance assessment last month, your accounts have been frozen to pay for the city's repairs."
"WHAT?" Flender screamed, his owl-eyes bulging. "But we only made twenty gold coins today! That's not even enough for dinner!"
"Then I suggest you take the 'High-Stakes Challenge' tonight," the clerk replied, pointing to the main board. "A 2v2 match. The purse is 5,000 gold coins. But be warned... nobody has beaten them yet."
Desperate and hungry, and driven by Tang San's need for "vengeance," Shrek accepted.
The stadium was packed. The air was electric.
On one side: Tang San and Dai Mubai (The Blue Grass and the White Tiger).
On the other: The Sky Sovereign and The Hellcat.
Tang San stood on the stage, his eyes locked on Lakan. He had hidden dozens of poisoned needles and his Silent Sleeve Arrows were primed. I'll show you, Tang San thought. I'll show you what happens when you touch Xiao Wu.
Dai Mubai stood next to him, his dual-colored eyes scanning the masked girl opposite him. "Hey, girl," Dai growled, his lust still clouding his judgment. "You should leave that masked freak. A beauty like you deserves a real man, a King."
Zhu Zhuqing didn't say a word. She simply adjusted her mask, her violet eyes staring through Dai Mubai as if he were a pile of rotting meat.
Yu Xiaogang sat in the coach's box, his notebook open. "Tang San, use the 'Third Variation.' His energy is high, but his movements are predictable. Strike his pressure points. Dai Mubai, provide the pressure. My theory cannot be wrong."
Lakan looked at the "Grandmaster" and then at the two boys. He didn't even take his hands out of his sleeves.
"Zhuqing," Lakan's voice carried over the roar of the crowd. "The White Tiger is loud. Make him silent. I'll handle the 'Hero' and his toys."