As the referee's signal echoed through the arena, Xiao Wu's Spirit Power flared gently—soft, flowing like a breeze.
Her Martial Spirit, Soft Boned Rabbit, manifested behind her—an elegant form shimmering with agility and flexibility. Three Spirit Rings lit up around her: two yellow, one purple.
She lowered herself into a half-crouch, hands raised with dancer-like grace.
Mu Qing didn't summon her poison mist right away this time. She watched, carefully.
"She's fast," Mu Qing thought, her smirk fading slightly. "But how does she deal with poison?"
Xiao Wu vanished.
SWISH!
She crossed the distance between them in an instant, her foot sweeping toward Mu Qing's ankle. Mu Qing dodged—barely—but Xiao Wu spun midair, using the momentum to launch her signature technique.
"First Spirit Skill: Waist Bow!"
She grabbed Mu Qing's arm, twisted her body mid-spin, and flipped her violently through the air—SLAM!
Mu Qing hit the stone platform back-first, the impact echoing like thunder.
But as the dust cleared… Mu Qing was smiling.
"Not bad," she murmured. "But getting close to me… has its cost."
From beneath her sleeve, her ivy vines lashed upward.
"Second Spirit Skill: Viper Thorn Bind!"
Even while on the ground, Mu Qing launched the poisonous tendrils straight at Xiao Wu's exposed midsection. Xiao Wu's eyes widened as they coiled toward her—but she backflipped away, her body arching like a ribbon.
The vines grazed her side, slicing a shallow line—but no direct hit.
Still, a faint green tint appeared along the edge of the cut.
"Even a scratch carries venom," Yu Xiaogang muttered grimly from the stands. "She doesn't need a solid hit to disable her opponent. It's all about attrition."
Tang San clenched his fists but stayed silent.
Xiao Wu didn't retreat. She launched forward again, relying purely on speed and her erratic rhythm.
"Second Spirit Skill: Teleportation!"
She vanished mid-dash—and reappeared directly behind Mu Qing, aiming a palm at her back.
But Mu Qing had anticipated it.
"Heaven's Bane Reflex." Her third spirit ring pulsed—Mu Qing's personal mutation skill.
Her ivy twisted like a living shield, instantly reacting to hostile intent. It flared behind her—intercepting Xiao Wu mid-strike. The vines lashed out and formed a venomous spiral cage, forcing Xiao Wu to retreat again or risk being engulfed.
Xiao Wu landed with a somersault and slid back, panting slightly.
"She's adapting to my style too quickly…"
Mu Qing stood, brushing dust from her arms, eyes sharp now.
"No more games."
Her third ring glowed once more.
"Third Spirit Skill: Heaven's Bane Bloom."
Just like with Ma Hongjun, the ground beneath Xiao Wu exploded into vine bulbs—but this time, they didn't release poison immediately.
Instead, they began to pulse, rhythmically, like a heartbeat.
Xiao Wu leapt into the air, avoiding the bulbs. But Mu Qing extended a hand—and with a snap of her fingers, the bulbs exploded all at once.
BOOM!
Thick purple gas burst into the air—denser than before, more toxic. This wasn't just paralytic or hallucinogenic. It was Mu Qing's dead-zone poison—a concoction that would burn Spirit Power upon contact, slowly eroding a Spirit Master's core.
Xiao Wu teleported again, appearing just outside the edge of the cloud.
But she wasn't fast enough to completely escape.
Her movements slowed.
Mu Qing calmly walked out of the smoke herself, unharmed—the cloud parted for her like obedient mist.
"You're good," she said simply. "But your style relies too much on rhythm. Once I disrupt your tempo…"
She lunged forward this time.
Not dodging. Not defending. Attacking.
The vines shot toward Xiao Wu from every angle.
Xiao Wu gritted her teeth. Her body twisted into a handstand mid-air and spun in a final attempt to repel the vines with her limbs.
But she'd already been hit once earlier.
The venom had begun to spread.
Her movements faltered, just enough.
The vines wrapped around her wrist.
Snap.
The next moment, her body was bound—gently but completely—by Mu Qing's ivy. The poison hadn't reached dangerous levels, but paralysis was setting in.
The referee didn't wait.
"Stop! Fighter immobilized—Mu Qing wins!"
The arena broke into roars and murmurs. Four wins. Only three Shrek fighters remained.
Mu Qing loosened the vines gently and stepped back.
Xiao Wu dropped to one knee, breathing heavily, her body trembling faintly from the toxins. Still, she managed to raise her head and whisper, "She's… a monster in disguise."
Mu Qing gave her a glance. "Fluffy, but fierce. You weren't bad either."
She turned and walked back toward Max, who nodded once, satisfied.
On the Shrek side, Tang San finally stood again. This time, no one stopped him.
Yu Xiaogang looked over and said nothing.
Tang San simply stepped forward.
As Tang San stepped onto the stage, the crowd shifted into a hushed murmur.
Mu Qing, already at the center, watched him approach with cool amusement. "So… the little genius finally decided to play."
Tang San's gaze was calm, steady. "You've defeated four of my teammates. That ends here."
Max leaned forward from the bench, eyes gleaming. "Let's see how she handles him."
Lan Xue nodded slightly. "Tang San isn't like the others… he won't charge in blindly."
Mu Qing tilted her head, vines softly rising behind her like living shadows. Her voice remained playful, but there was steel underneath.
"Let's not disappoint the audience then."
The referee raised his hand. "Next match—Tang San versus Mu Qing. Begin!"
Tang San's Spirit Power surged. His Blue Silver Grass emerged in a deep, rippling wave, coiling like a sea of living steel. Three Spirit Rings lit up: two yellow, one purple. But more than that—his calm battle aura enveloped the field.
Mu Qing didn't attack first this time.
She simply activated her first Spirit Skill: "Poison Mist Veil."
A soft cloud of green mist began to gather around her, toxic and fluid, spreading slowly like a hunting tide. But unlike before, she didn't rush to lash out. Not yet.
Tang San's purple ring flashed.
"Third Spirit Skill: Spider Web Restraint!"
A flash of white!
Thick, sticky webbing exploded from his palm and shot toward Mu Qing at breakneck speed. But she was ready. Her second Spirit Skill—Viper Thorn Bind—shot out, intercepting the web in midair.
***
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