The Absolute Offense and Defense duo continued bickering, while Dai Mubai and Oscar had already completed their martial soul activations.
Dai Mubai's golden hair had turned completely white, though his bangs remained black. A "king"-shaped (王) martial soul armor now adorned the center of his forehead.
Ye Wen didn't notice any changes in Oscar's martial soul armor, but his martial soul caught Ye Wen's attention for a moment.
"The martial soul is tofu instead of sausage? It seems this world really leans more towards the manga version. But why is Tang San's personality so... off? In the manga, wasn't he portrayed as truly 'pure and untainted'?"
Ye Wen glanced subtly at Xiao Wu, feeling a pang of guilt.
Could it be that Tang San became corrupted because he lost his "little sister"!?
Ye Wen inwardly muttered, "My bad, my bad," though he didn't regret his actions.
Even though the manga tried its best to portray Tang San in a positive light, his decision to have Dugu Bo channel all his toxins into his soul bones was undeniably a major oversight—or perhaps even sinister.
Moreover, the final outcome at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye left everything utterly devastated. Not a single valuable herb was left for Dugu Bo—though, admittedly, Dugu Bo himself wasn't particularly skilled at using them. Still, this point couldn't be justified no matter how one looked at it.
Thus, even if given another chance, Ye Wen wouldn't regret his choices.
By now, the bickering between the Absolute Offense and Defense duo had reached its conclusion. Sinael was still stuttering:
"You… want… want… want…"
"Both sides are ready! The match begins now!"
"Make it look like an accident!" Sinael said with an innocent face, but his low, sinister tone betrayed his true intent.
"First Soul Skill—Venomous Tongue Coiling Strike!"
Wu Qing seized the initiative. His already elongated tongue, amplified by his first soul skill, shot out tens of meters in an instant, directly targeting Dai Mubai.
Even ordinary frogs could shoot their tongues at speeds of four meters per second, completing a catch in just 0.15 seconds. How much more formidable would this be in the extraordinary world of soul masters?
Wu Qing's tongue reached Dai Mubai's face in the blink of an eye.
However, human eyes were also adept at tracking fast-moving objects. Dai Mubai dodged instinctively.
Though Dai Mubai could have countered with his hands, the slimy texture of the tongue repulsed him, making him reluctant to touch it.
At this moment, a plaintive voice came from behind Dai Mubai.
"Oh no, I got careless again…
Sigh, I'm going to get scolded by Master Yu again~" Oscar lamented helplessly.
By now, the supportive Oscar was already entangled by Wu Qing's tongue, which had wrapped around him more than a dozen times. His once neat jacket was now covered in disgusting saliva, making the sight unbearable.
Dai Mubai attempted to rescue him, but Wu Qing, a seasoned competitor, quickly retracted his tongue with practiced ease.
Ye Wen was speechless. Didn't they know the basic rule of team battles—to take out the healer first? What kind of teamwork was this?
Now, what was originally a two-on-two battle had effectively become one-on-two.
However, Oscar wasn't some helpless insect. Though Wu Qing pulled him back with great speed, it wasn't fast enough. Dai Mubai gritted his teeth and prepared to intercept.
Just then, Sinael moved swiftly to block Dai Mubai's path.
"Martial Soul Activation—Iron Armor Snail!"
A thick snail shell materialized, forming a solid barrier directly in front of Dai Mubai.
Dai Mubai frowned, muttering internally about the trouble, and channeled soul power into his right hand, intending to knock the fat opponent away.
But Dai Mubai clearly underestimated this soul master, who shared the same optimal soul ring configuration as him.
Boom!
A muffled impact echoed. Dai Mubai felt his right hand go numb, and a powerful recoil sent him flying backward.
Any soul beast capable of surviving in the world of soul masters undoubtedly possessed its own unique abilities.
Though the Iron Armor Snail appeared unremarkable, its iron shell spoke volumes about its astonishing defensive capabilities.
Sinael sneered, "Too… too weak~"
Meanwhile, Oscar was now fully in the enemy's grasp. Faced with these two grotesque and menacing opponents, Oscar tried to appease them with his tofu, but it was futile—and arguably counterproductive.
"Boss, save me! These two are freaks!"
"Don't worry, I'll avenge you."
Dai Mubai readjusted his stance, showing no sign of concern despite being outnumbered.
Slowly standing firm, he extended three fingers tipped with sharp claws.
Wu Qing was puzzled. Their side clearly had the upper hand—what was this handsome young man planning?
"Three moves. Three moves to take you both down. Sound good?" Dai Mubai declared confidently.
"Good, good, good—" Sinael stuttered as usual.
Wu Qing, however, was not known for his patience and snapped angrily.
"Good my ass!"
Wu Qing then assumed a fighting stance. "If you're looking to die, come at me!"
This time, Dai Mubai wasted no time. Two of the three soul rings on his body lit up brightly, one of which was his thousand-year soul ring.
First Soul Skill—White Tiger Barrier combined with Third Soul Skill—White Tiger Diamond Transformation!
The effect of Dai Mubai's first soul skill was to create a weak protective shield while enhancing his physical abilities. The third soul skill was also an enhancement—but far more exaggerated than the first, and it included a transformation effect.
(A/N: According to canon, Dai Mubai's third soul skill doubles all his attributes, completely overshadowing the amplification provided by the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda. However, if it were truly that powerful, even a subpar Dai Mubai wouldn't have been dominated by average opponents in his tier, leading to poor arena results. Thus, the effectiveness of this soul skill remains questionable.)
With these two soul skills activated, Dai Mubai's intent to attack was clear—he planned to overpower his opponents with brute force.
But judging from Absolute Offense and Defense's earlier performance, as well as Sinael's Iron Armor Snail martial soul, it was evident that this opponent specialized in defense.
"First Soul Skill—Spiral Shield!"
Instantly, a meter-wide spiral shield of earthy yellow appeared in front of Sinael. Without even discussing its other qualities, the sheer thickness of the shield indicated its formidable defensive capabilities.
After the amplifications from his two soul skills, Dai Mubai felt invincible. With a roar, he charged forward with a punch!
The audience watched with excitement, but Ye Wen simply shook his head.
Earlier, this fat guy had blocked Dai Mubai's attacks without even using a soul skill. Now that he'd activated one, his defense would only be stronger.
In such a situation, choosing to engage in a direct clash was clearly unwise.
Instead, he should have focused on rescuing Oscar or targeting the clearly fragile attacker.
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