Dark blue vines slithered across the ground, stretching out like silent serpents.
The Blue Silver Grass had already covered a ten-meter radius around Tang San, writhing ominously.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun stepped beside Tang San without hesitation.
They were the type to stand by their friends, right or wrong.
Ma Hongjun kept shooting Zhu Zhuqing pleading looks, hoping she'd step in and say something to ease the tension.
But—
Zhu Zhuqing only stood there, her black eyes void of emotion, staring coldly at Tang San and the others.
Seeing that a fight was about to break out, the Soul Arena referee quickly stepped forward.
"Everyone, this is the Great Soul Arena! Private fights are forbidden! If you wish to settle grievances, take it outside! Otherwise, don't blame us for interfering!"
"Shut up!"
Ning Rongrong's icy glare locked onto the referee.
She snapped, "I am the daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's master! Our family funds this arena! This has nothing to do with you!"
She flung a glazed token toward the referee.
The moment he saw it, his face drained of color.
His mouth opened, but no words came out.
With a wave of his hand, he signaled the guards to disperse the crowd.
Then, before leaving, he whispered respectfully to Ning Rongrong,
"It was my ignorance that offended you, Young Princess. If you need anything, just call—I will come immediately!"
Tang San and the others felt a deep sense of unease.
They thought they only had to deal with Shen An, but now they realized—
The entire Soul Arena belonged to Ning Rongrong's family.
"Principal Flender, where are you?!"
The Great Soul Arena was established by seven of the most influential clans on the continent.
Among them, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was a pillar of support.
With Ning Rongrong here, there was no way the arena would offend her for the sake of a few nobodies.
Tang San took a deep breath.
No matter what—for Xiao Wu's sake, he could not back down.
At this point, his only chance was to subdue Shen An and Ning Rongrong.
Silently, his Blue Silver Grass spread further.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun's martial souls began to manifest.
Meanwhile—
Shen An smirked.
Seeing how overly cautious his opponents were, and glancing at the Blue Silver Grass covering the field, he thought—
"Looks like I have no choice today—I have to be the Weed-Clearing Sword Immortal."
"Meow~"
A small, weak cry rang out.
Tom, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly noticed the vines spreading around.
His fur stood on end, and he yelped in surprise.
Zhu Zhuqing: ???
Ning Rongrong: ???
Tang San's group: ???
Tom glanced around at the hostile atmosphere and the fierce expressions on everyone's faces.
He blinked in confusion.
"Why does it look like everyone is about to fight to the death?"
Then, his gaze fell on Tang San and Xiao Wu.
Tom quietly shuffled closer to Shen An.
These two were the ones who almost killed Zhu Zhuqing earlier.
So bad! So evil!
Dai Mubai exhaled in relief.
At least the cat wasn't dead.
That meant there was still room to negotiate.
At this moment, Ma Hongjun boldly stepped forward and spoke:
"Hey, sword boy! The cat's alive! We're all classmates with Zhu Zhuqing—there's no need for you to get involved, right?"
Shen An silently looked at Ma Hongjun.
Just one glance—
And Ma Hongjun suddenly felt as if an invisible sword had pierced into his soul.
His breath hitched.
He dared not say another word.
Dai Mubai gritted his teeth.
It had barely been two or three days.
His injuries had just healed.
And yet—
Shen An was already stronger than before?!
Shen An's voice was cold.
"You injured my cat. You broke the rules and used hidden weapons in a fair duel. Now, you want to brush it off? If I don't settle this today, I don't deserve the surname 'Shen'!"
At first, Shen An hadn't taken Xiao Wu's challenge seriously.
He let it slide when she first clashed with him.
But this was different.
A Spirit Duel was meant to be a contest of skill, a test of strength and technique.
Yet Xiao Wu had resorted to hidden weapons.
Even worse—Tang San had pulled a sneak attack from the sidelines.
If this had happened in Tang San's previous life, using hidden weapons during a formal duel would have been utterly disgraceful.
And if that wasn't enough—
Now they wanted to pretend it never happened?
If he forgave them, he might as well join the Ninja Turtles instead!
"Seven Treasures, Glaze!"
Ning Rongrong had already summoned her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, boosting Shen An's stats.
Seeing Ning Rongrong act, Tang San's heart sank.
"Not good!"
All at once, his Blue Silver Grass shot up from all directions, forming a massive cage around Shen An.
"Fatty! Phoenix Fire Line!"
"Got it!"
Ma Hongjun released a torrent of flames, engulfing the Blue Silver Grass, turning it into a massive purple inferno.
A burning cage sought to consume Shen An.
CLANG!
A crisp sword hum rang through the arena.
With Ning Rongrong's buff, Shen An's spirit power surged.
His sword techniques, "Chasing the Wind" and "Sword Mastery," activated simultaneously.
A yellow spirit ring and a purple spirit ring glowed—
The second one was a thousand-year ring!
"Holy shit!"
Ma Hongjun gawked.
"Is this guy even human?! His second spirit ring is a thousand-year one?!"
His full power surged into the Phoenix Fire Line.
Dai Mubai activated his own abilities.
"White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
"White Tiger Fierce Light Wave!"
A beam of golden-white energy shot through the purple inferno.
Tang San activated his Purple Demon Eye, straining to see through the flames.
His vision sharpened—
And then—
PAIN!
His eyes burned with searing agony as if pierced by countless swords.
He instantly shut his eyes and grabbed Xiao Wu, retreating at full speed.
A blinding emerald sword light erupted from Shen An.
A single gleaming sword, the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass, soared into the air.
Its sharp aura shredded the flaming cage and pierced through the White Tiger energy wave in an instant.
Shen An had only Rank 27 spirit power.
But with Ning Rongrong's buffs, his speed techniques, and perfect control over his sword—
Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun's combined attacks were completely neutralized.
Tang San clutched his eyes.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun felt blinded, as if they had stared into the sun itself.
Fear filled Dai Mubai's heart.
He would never forget—
The day Shen An toyed with him like a cat playing with a mouse.
Dai Mubai muttered, "His sword is too fast... too sharp... We have to split up and attack from different angles!"
The others nodded.
But—
Shen An ignored them completely.
He turned to Zhu Zhuqing.
"Zhuqing, protect Ning Rongrong. Leave the rest to me."
With that, he took a step forward—
His sword aura roared.
"Come. Let me show you what true swordsmanship is."