Tang San simply took a step back, directly withdrawing from Xiao Chenyu's attack range.
Then, his hands instantly turned white as jade, using Controlling Crane and Capturing Dragon to pull forward.
He attempted to shift Xiao Chenyu's center of gravity forward.
Although Xiao Chenyu had been prepared, the moment Tang San moved, he immediately changed his palm strike into a grab.
But due to the pulling force of Controlling Crane and Capturing Dragon, his body still leaned forward slightly.
"Not good!"
Xiao Chenyu's expression changed. Losing his balance meant he couldn't concentrate his power effectively.
In his urgency, cyan light surged around his body, and the claws on his hands seemed to sharpen further.
The next moment.
Boom!
Cyan and white lights flashed simultaneously.
A circle of shockwave spread out from the center of the two, nearly blowing the watching spectators off their feet.
When everyone regained their footing and looked towards the arena again...
They saw Xiao Chenyu standing unharmed in his original spot, while Tang San was now kneeling on the ground.
The senior students immediately erupted in cheers.
"Haha, I thought this kid was something special, putting on such a show. Boss Xiao took him down with one move."
"In this world, you need connections and backing. Which path are you from?"
"Oh, so it's a little wimp, hahaha..."
The senior students mocked Tang San in a sing-song manner.
Meanwhile, Wang Sheng and the others exchanged glances, each face showing disappointment.
"What's up with this Tang San? We appreciate him wanting to help, but he should know his limits."
"Exactly, putting on such a big show at the start, and couldn't even withstand one move."
"Sigh, their seniors' cultivation was higher than ours to begin with. If we lose this round, how are we going to fight the rest?"
Xiao Chenyu looked down at Tang San, glanced at the wounds on his hands, and calmly said:
"You lost. If you're injured, don't come here to make a fool of yourself."
He then swept his gaze towards Xiao Wu and chuckled lightly:
"You lost the second round. Like I said, I won't let you get another point after this. Who's next?"
At this moment, Tang San's hands were trembling uncontrollably. The once pristine white bandages were now stained red with blood.
No one had held back their words, and hearing his own side's complaints...
His face turned extremely unpleasant.
Seeing Tang San's wounds had reopened, Xiao Wu swallowed the words of reproach she initially had and said flatly:
"It's only the second round. Don't celebrate too early. Xiao San, you're injured, so go back early to avoid aggravating the wound."
As she spoke, she stepped forward, intending to help Tang San up.
But these words sounded even more stinging to Tang San than direct blame.
He was unwilling. The existence of his injuries had prevented him from performing at his true level.
After making such a spectacle of himself, how could he leave in such a disgraceful manner?
"No need. I can still fight. I was careless just now. I haven't even used my martial soul yet."
Tang San struggled to his feet, directly pushing away Xiao Wu's extended hand.
"Xiao San, you..."
Seeing Tang San still insisting on fighting, Xiao Wu was thoroughly angered.
"Hehehe, loser, are you still shamelessly trying to stick around? Are you that eager for Xiao Wu to become my pet?"
Xiao Chenyu couldn't help but laugh seeing Tang San wanted to continue.
Tang San ignored Xiao Chenyu's mockery, instead looking at Xiao Wu with determined eyes.
"Trust me. This time, I will prove myself."
Xiao Wu felt Tang San's resolute gaze, then glanced back at Wang Sheng, who was vigorously shaking his head.
After a moment's hesitation, she said:
"You need to understand this concerns whether we work-study students can hold our heads high in the academy in the future. If you lose this round, not only the senior students, but even your classmates in Dormitory 7 will look down on you."
"Don't worry. I don't care about others' opinions. I'll prove it to you."
Tang San nodded, casually patting Xiao Wu's head.
Then he turned and walked towards Xiao Chenyu.
Xiao Wu frowned, somewhat repulsed by Tang San's presumptuous action.
Muttering 'are we that close?' regardless of whether Tang San heard or not, she turned and returned to their side.
However, as soon as she returned, everyone surrounded her.
"Big Sister Xiao Wu, that Tang San looks like a gust of wind could knock him over. Why are you letting him fight again?"
"Maybe let Brother Sheng go, or even I feel stronger than him."
"If we lose another one, we really have no hope of winning."
Xiao Wu also knew letting Tang San fight again was a bit unreliable. But she felt Tang San wouldn't lie to her, and she knew Tang San had gone to obtain his soul ring these past few days.
Now that he was back, he had clearly become a soul master.
That's why she chose to give Tang San another chance.
"Don't worry, everyone. Tang San still has a trump card. And even if we lose this round, with me here, we ultimately won't lose."
Wang Sheng had witnessed Xiao Wu's strength, so with her guarantee, he couldn't say much more.
Turning, he helped Xiao Wu reassure everyone before looking back at the center of the arena.
"I hope Tang San can really give us a pleasant surprise."
Everyone had their own thoughts, while Zhou Fan alone was happily counting emotion points.
"One point, ten points, fifteen points... Aiya, you guys should mock Tang San a few more times! I was all ready for a big harvest. Seems I'll have to step in myself."
Seeing Xiao Wu and the others really let Tang San fight again, Xiao Chenyu extended one hand mockingly:
"I'm an 11th-level Battle Soul Master. Your hands are injured, so don't say I'm bullying you. I'll only use one hand to fight you. If you still lose, don't go crying for your mommy."
Hearing this, Tang San's expression turned cold. He had never seen his mother since childhood. Xiao Chenyu's words undoubtedly struck a nerve.
A yellow ring instantly rose from his body as he said coldly:
"Is a soul master so amazing? I'm also an 11th-level Tool Soul Master. Even if both my hands were crippled, I could still beat you."
"What?"
Xiao Chenyu looked at Tang San's soul ring and immediately drew a sharp breath.
"A hundred-year soul ring! Tang San actually reached the 11th level too, and it's a hundred-year soul ring!"
"No wonder he was so confident. He does have the capital."
Wang Sheng and the others, seeing Tang San reveal his true strength, immediately switched from worry to pleasant surprise.
"Boss Xiao, we don't need to fear him. Even with a hundred-year soul ring, he just has a trash martial soul."
A senior student beside Xiao Chenyu said.
"Idiot, shut up!"
Xiao Chenyu scolded. At this moment, the way he looked at Tang San had changed completely.
He understood very clearly that for Blue Silver Grass to become a soul master and for the first soul ring to be a hundred-year one... that represented far too many things behind the scenes.
As the son of the city lord, his considerations went much deeper than others.
"Are you really a work-study student?" Xiao Chenyu asked.
"What? Starting to get scared now?"
After activating his soul ring, the feeling of being filled with power made Tang San even more confident. His entire demeanor suddenly changed.
Hearing this, Xiao Chenyu had already made a judgment. He decided that even if he defeated Tang San, he absolutely must not harm him.
Moreover, the strength Tang San displayed was enough for him to take Tang San seriously.
The match began under the stunned gazes of everyone.
Xiao Chenyu attacked first, his entire body shooting forward like a cannonball.
His sharp giant claws drew a streak of light, aiming directly for Tang San's face.
"Still trying to clash head-on? You've missed your chance."
Tang San's feet slid, Ghostly Shadow Perplexing Track making his figure drift to the side like a phantom.
Simultaneously, his right hand rose, pale blue light instantly illuminating everyone's eyes.
(End of Chapter)