After giving his instructions, the Grandmaster left at once—Han Feng suspected he had gone to observe the other battle teams in the Great Spirit Arena.
Since they were told to form their own pairs, Tang San and Xiao Wu naturally teamed up again, reforming their old "Three-Five Combo."
Ning Rongrong glanced at Han Feng, sighed helplessly, then wrapped an arm around Zhu Zhuqing and cooed,
"Zhuqing! Let's team up, just the two of us! No way I'm teaming with those smelly guys! "
"Mm…" Zhu Zhuqing had no objections. As long as it wasn't Dai Mubai, anyone else was fine. Since Ning Rongrong had invited her first, she had no reason to refuse.
Dai Mubai, who had been hesitating, turned pale as he helplessly watched Zhu Zhuqing walk away with Ning Rongrong. He shot Ning Rongrong a murderous glare—so much for mutual support! You snatched her before I even had a chance!
Ning Rongrong didn't look back, so she missed his expression. Even if she had seen it, she wouldn't have cared. Letting Dai Mubai team with Zhu Zhuqing was impossible; neither Oscar nor Ma Hongjun were likely choices either. The only other option would have been Han Feng—and that would've made everyone uncomfortable, since neither Zhu Zhuqing nor Han Feng minded pairing up.
"Heh! And here someone claimed to be a 'master of romance'—looks like you capsized this time! "
Ma Hongjun drifted over with a teasing grin, clearly delighted to needle Dai Mubai.
Dai Mubai gritted his teeth; after spending so much time with Han Feng, his tongue had grown just as sharp.
"Worry about yourself first! Everyone here's a Spirit Elder except for you—still just a Grandmaster, and you're laughing? "
Sure enough, Ma Hongjun's round face fell instantly.
The arena's rules were unforgiving: of the eight Shrek members, five were now Spirit Elders and three were Grandmasters. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing had already paired off, leaving him all alone.
"Hmph! Fatty here rules the Grandmaster division! You're all just jealous! " he shouted, his voice lacking conviction.
Dai Mubai only sneered in disdain; the look in his eyes stung more than words.
"Heh-heh…" A sycophantic chuckle followed. Oscar stood nearby, wearing an ingratiating smile.
"Big brothers… would either of you be willing to take your little brother along? "
Compared to Ma Hongjun, Oscar's situation was worse. He knew his own limits—being a support type meant solo battles were hopeless, and even team battles were uncertain. His only chance to earn points was in two-on-two matches.
With Tang San already claimed by Xiao Wu, that left Han Feng and Dai Mubai. Of course, Oscar would grovel for a spot.
"Back off, you're making me nauseous."
Han Feng shoved Oscar away, visibly disgusted.
Oscar immediately put on a wounded look, like a bullied, abandoned wife.
"Han Feng's a defense type; you'll team with me," Dai Mubai said after some thought. He was right—Han Feng's abilities were formidable, even offensively, but pairing two defensive fighters would leave them at a disadvantage.
Han Feng only shrugged, indifferent.
Oscar lit up with joy. He didn't care who took him—Han Feng or Dai Mubai—as long as he wasn't left out.
From the side, Ma Hongjun muttered sourly,
"Poor Boss Dai… teaming with you is no different from going up there alone."
"What did you just say!? "
Now a Spirit Elder, Oscar's enhanced hearing easily picked up the jab. He pounced on Ma Hongjun, and the two of them began rolling around like street punks, not even bothering to use spirit power.
"You almost got me killed last time we teamed up! " Ma Hongjun shot back, refusing to yield.
"That's because you suck! How can you compare to Boss Dai!? "
"Oh-ho, listen to you brown-nosing! Weren't you saying the opposite just the other day? "
"You damn fatty! One day I'm going to beat the lard right out of you! "
"Bring it on! If you manage that, I'll go on a seven-day fast! "
Han Feng rolled his eyes at the childish scuffle and beckoned Dai Mubai over.
"In that case, I'll go sign up for solo matches."
"Wait! " Dai Mubai suddenly called out, his heterochromatic eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Han Feng… up for another bet? "
The month he'd spent washing Han Feng's socks was burned into his memory.
Han Feng narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Oh? What's the wager? "
"One month of sock-washing! "Dai Mubai held up a finger, grinning.
"Twice a day, no stink, hand-washed! " Han Feng added, baring his teeth in an equally mischievous smile.
Their hands clasped firmly. "Deal! " Dai Mubai declared.
"So, what's the actual challenge? " Han Feng asked, amused. Dai Mubai was clearly scheming, but Han Feng was curious. If it turned out to be ridiculous, he could always back out.
"That fatty gave me an idea," Dai Mubai said excitedly.
"I want to team up with you—our duo will be called the Twin-Slayer Combo! The catch: in every two-on-two battle, only one of us stays onstage. At the start, one of us has to forfeit, leaving the other to fight both opponents alone."
"Oh? Interesting…" Han Feng rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"No time limit? You do realize that if I go full defense, I can hold off two Spirit Elders for half an hour."
"Of course there's a limit—five minutes. Fail to win in five, we forfeit."
"I see. In our two-on-two matches, only one of us fights. If either of us can't win against both opponents within five minutes, we lose," Han Feng summarized, feeling a rush of excitement.
"Exactly! The loser washes the winner's socks. If we both win, the fastest time decides. If we both lose, the longest survival does," Dai Mubai said confidently.
"Sounds fair."
In terms of outward strength, Han Feng was roughly Dai Mubai's equal. Without resorting to his external spirit bone, luck would play a big role—Dai Mubai would fare better against weaker foes; Han Feng, against stronger ones.
"Deal! "Han Feng agreed, the two exchanging confident grins.
"You're teaming up? No way! Don't leave us behind, big brothers!" Oscar wailed, rushing to Dai Mubai's side, bawling like an abandoned lover.
"Yeah… if you two pair up, that's practically cheating! brothers! " Ma Hongjun added, uneasy.
At the mention of the Grandmaster, Dai Mubai hesitated, but Han Feng brushed it off.
"No worries. We're not farming points or forming a long-term duo. Just for fun today—the Grandmaster won't mind."
If Han Feng wasn't worried, neither was Dai Mubai. He grabbed Oscar by the collar and sneered.
"Exactly. Just for fun. I'll team with you again in a few days—so quit looking like I just betrayed you."