"Teacher, I can't feel my body anymore."
As the plants gradually returned to the earth, Ma Hongjun and Yu Feng collapsed to the ground. Their bodies were riddled with bloody wounds, resembling blood-soaked gourds at a glance.
Even with Flender's composed demeanor, he was startled by the shocking sight. He quickly turned to Ye Lingling, who was hiding under the stands: "Quick! Don't just stand there, come and heal them."
"Oh, right, okay." Ye Lingling snapped out of her daze and hurried over to Ma Hongjun and Yu Feng.
Meanwhile, the event organizers responsible for handling emergencies were also busy. They carefully retrieved Dai Mubai, Yu Tianheng, and Tailong from the ceiling and placed them next to Ma Hongjun in the center of the arena.
After that, they left. Although the Shrek Academy Team was in a dire state, no fatalities had occurred, and the organizers were not responsible for providing treatment.
"This is too brutal!"
"Can they even continue in the next matches?"
As the referees left, the arena erupted in murmurs. The audience hadn't expected to witness such a devastating moment in the very first preliminary match.
Yu Xiaogang ignored the surrounding noise, his expression numb as he stared at the Shrek members lying in the center of the arena.
He hadn't anticipated that Tang San and the others would be defeated in such a short time. This not only shattered his understanding but also left him feeling lost.
Yu Xiaogang walked dazedly toward the center of the arena, muttering to himself, "How is this possible?"
Tang San was the student he had placed the highest hopes on. Not only did he possess extraordinary talent, but he also carried the responsibility of promoting Yu Xiaogang's theories. While he didn't favor the other students as much as Tang San, he had still taught them with great care.
Yet, these seven individuals, together, had been defeated by Li Xun in an instant.
"Could I have misjudged Li Xun's talent?" Yu Xiaogang stopped in his tracks, looking down at Tang San, who was gradually regaining consciousness.
When he had accompanied Tang San to obtain his Spirit Ring, he had estimated Li Xun's talent. At the time, he had assessed Li Xun as having a Mutated Spirit but far inferior talent compared to Tang San. That was why he hadn't paid much attention when Li Xun challenged his theories and engaged in debates with him.
Now, it seemed he had not only underestimated Li Xun's talent but might have also made a small mistake in choosing Tang San's Spirit Ring.
Yu Xiaogang quickly shook his head, driving the thought away: "No, this isn't my fault or Xiao San's. Back then, we simply didn't have a choice."
Yes, at the time, he was only a Level 29 Soul Grand Master, and Tang Hao hadn't appeared. When he took Tang San to obtain his Spirit Ring, there was no guarantee of safety—after all, the Mandala Snake had nearly taken both their lives.
Yes, it wasn't my fault. It was Tang Hao's. If he had appeared earlier and discussed Tang San's future plans with me, today's events would never have happened.
Yu Xiaogang looked around at the audience cheering for Li Xun, his emotions complex and hard to articulate.
But now, there was no point in dwelling on who was right or wrong. Xiao San and the others would suffer a significant blow from this match.
And the theory he took such pride in might also be ignored or discarded by the world because of this failure.
No! I haven't proven myself yet. I haven't delivered a resounding slap to those who once humiliated me.
There is still hope. There is still hope. I waited in Notting City for nearly twenty years before encountering a talent like Xiao San. As long as Xiao San is fine, there is still a chance.
Seeing Tang San slowly open his eyes, Yu Xiaogang quickly forced himself to pull together.
Liu Erlong, noticing Yu Xiaogang's distracted state, dared not disturb him. Instead, she quietly went to assist the other students.
The Nine Heart Begonia, as a top-tier healing Martial Soul, quickly stabilized the injuries of Dai Mubai and the others. Tang San also regained consciousness shortly after.
Because Flender had pulled him out of the violent thunderstorm at the critical moment, he was the least injured among the Shrek Academy group, though this was only relative to the others.
At this moment, Tang San's body hair was completely destroyed, his exposed skin was pitch black, and it was covered with dense lightning patterns.
Although the damage caused by these lightning patterns was not as severe as the penetrating wounds of Dai Mubai and the other two, it was far more serious than ordinary burns.
Tang San opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling of the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena: "Teacher, do you think I made a mistake in choosing my Spirit Rings?"
"Xiao San, what are you saying?" Yu Xiaogang was startled and looked at Tang San in surprise.
"Teacher, although Li Xun's Soul Power level is higher than mine, I feel it shouldn't have been like this!"
Tang San took a deep breath, enduring the pain: "I have witnessed the strength of Teacher Zhao Wuji and fought against Tailong's father, Tai Nuo. Although I used Hidden Weapons in my battles with them, they never gave me a feeling of being completely outmatched."
"Teacher, you must have seen the overwhelming vines from outside the arena, right? The plants Li Xun's Martial Soul cultivates are far denser and tougher than my Blue Silver Grass, and my Blue Silver Grass is completely destroyed upon contact with his plants."
After speaking, Tang San shifted his gaze from the ceiling to Yu Xiaogang: "And this is already the second time."
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"Xiao San, are you doubting that the path I planned for you to obtain Spirit Rings is wrong?" Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San in disbelief. He never expected that the one to stab him in the back at his most disappointed moment would be his most proud disciple.
"Have you forgotten who helped transform your useless Martial Soul, Blue Silver Grass, into what it is today?"
Tang San looked at Yu Xiaogang and remained silent for a moment: "Teacher, I will always remember your kindness, but seeing the current situation, do you still think Li Xun's discussion with you about Spirit Ring choices was wrong?"
"Xiao San, didn't we already discuss this issue?"
Yu Xiaogang's face turned stern, and he spoke with deep sorrow: "Everyone's Martial Soul is different, and the development path of others may not necessarily suit you. Are you doubting yourself just because of this one failure?"
"Have you forgotten what I once taught you? If a strong person cannot face failure bravely, how can their mentality grow? Is the path of cultivation always smooth sailing?"
After finishing his words, Yu Xiaogang let out a deep sigh, and in an instant, he seemed to have aged another ten years: "Xiao San, a person who falls into self-doubt with every failure will never become a strong one. If you think the theories I've taught you are wrong, I won't blame you."
"But Xiao San, don't forget, what you should truly care about is not this Blue Silver Grass."
The same old rhetoric again, why does Teacher always say these things?
Tang San slowly closed his eyes. However, Yu Xiaogang's final words did remind him that his strongest Martial Soul had always been the Clear Sky Hammer.
It's just that both his father and Teacher had repeatedly warned him not to reveal it, to the point where he sometimes forgot about this Martial Soul.
(End of Chapter)