"Swish, swish, swish!"
The sound of claws scraping against fabric erupted in rapid succession.
Zhang San felt a sharp pain in his side, as if multiple ice picks had pierced through simultaneously, causing his speed to falter instantly.
He turned his head in shock, only to see Zhu Zhuqing had already retreated three meters away using the momentum from her attack.
Faint traces of nether glow still lingered on her fingertips as she stared coldly at him, looking at him as if he were prey.
Zhang San lowered his head to look at his side, where his black clothes had been torn open in several places.
Blood was already seeping through the fabric beneath, the intense pain forcing a muffled groan from him as his Soul Power became slightly disordered.
Only then did he realize that this seemingly aloof young woman before him was far more ferocious than he had imagined.
The spectators in the stands were stunned into silence by the lightning-fast exchange, then erupted into even more enthusiastic cheers:
"So fast! That Netherworld Cat is too fierce!"
"Zhang San didn't even have time to react!"
On the arena, Zhu Zhuqing gave her opponent no chance to catch his breath, lightly tapping her toes against the ground.
Her figure once again transformed into a black shadow as she pounced toward the injured Zhang San, her eyes gleaming with the light of a hunter.
Feeling the intense pain from his side, all traces of frivolity vanished from Zhang San's eyes, replaced by solemnity and a hint of lingering fear.
He took a deep breath, circulating his Soul Power wildly within his body as the cyan glow lit up again, this time several times more intense than before.
That single strike had made him completely understand that this seemingly cold girl before him was not someone to be taken lightly - the slightest carelessness could lead to his defeat here.
"You're strong," Zhang San said through gritted teeth, his voice trembling slightly from pain, but his eyes sharp as a wolf's.
"But I won't admit defeat so easily!"
Enduring his injury, he swayed and launched another charge.
This time, he kept his Wolf Claws close to his body, using the speed boost from his Wolf Soul to strike directly at Zhu Zhuqing's center, clearly intending to force a power confrontation to break the stalemate.
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes remained icy cold, showing no reaction to his words. In her view, once battle began, only victory and defeat mattered - no unnecessary words were needed.
Her footwork shifted, her body moving like a wisp of ghostly black smoke as she easily avoided Zhang San's charge.
Meanwhile, her cat claws gathered nether glow once more, searching for the next opportunity to strike.
The spectators in the stands could also see Zhang San's transformation:
"That Gale Demon Wolf is finally taking this seriously! Serves him right for trying to act like a ruffian earlier!"
"Miss Zhu Zhuqing is so impressive! She should be ruthless against people like him!"
On the arena, though Zhang San was fast, he always seemed one step behind Zhu Zhuqing's extreme agility.
Several of his charges missed their mark, the wound on his side growing more painful from the intense movement. His Soul Power consumption kept increasing, and his movements gradually became slower.
Zhu Zhuqing keenly noticed this, a cold glint flashing in her eyes as she stopped evading.
She suddenly reversed direction, spinning like a top to avoid Zhang San's swinging Wolf Claws while simultaneously activating Netherworld Hundred Claws.
The black cat claws landed precisely on Zhang San's shoulder.
"Ah!"
Zhang San screamed in agony as excruciating pain shot through his shoulder. He could no longer maintain his stance, staggering backward several steps before collapsing to his knees on the arena with a "thud."
Zhu Zhuqing retracted her claws and stood calmly, coldly watching him as the phantom of the Netherworld Cat around her slowly dissipated, as if she had done nothing out of the ordinary.
Zhang San shook his heavy head, forcing himself to rise from the ground. The wounds on his side and shoulder made him grimace in pain with every movement. But the look he gave Zhu Zhuqing grew increasingly fierce, like a lone wolf cornered in desperation.
"Little girl, you've got some skill, but don't think that's enough to beat me!" he snarled, his voice hoarse. "Second Soul Skill: Wild Wolf Assault!"
As the Spirit Ability activated, his second Soul Ring suddenly glowed, its cyan light tinged with an eerie green. In the next moment, Zhang San dropped to all fours, his back slightly arched. His eyes flashed with a sinister green glare, and combined with his black attire, he looked like a starving wolf poised to strike from a distance.
"Awoo—" Zhang San let out a beast-like growl, his limbs propelling him forward as he slid low to the ground like a cyan lightning bolt, aiming straight for Zhu Zhuqing's lower body. The attack was incredibly fast and came from a tricky angle, abandoning all human combat posture to unleash the full savagery of a wolf.
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes narrowed slightly; she could sense the ferocity of this strike. With a light tap of her feet, her figure drifted backward like a falling leaf, while she crossed her cat-like claws in front of her, shimmering with a dark glow, ready to counter at any moment.
Zhang San's assault missed, but he used the momentum of his slide to twist around and adjust his direction. He charged at Zhu Zhuqing again, his green eyes locked intently on her, determined not to give up until he had his prey.
"First Soul Skill: Netherworld Thrust!" Zhu Zhuqing's first Soul Ring trembled, and her form flickered. In an instant, she appeared behind Zhang San, her cat claws slashing fiercely at his back.
Zhang San let out a howl of pain, but before he could react, Zhu Zhuqing activated her second Spirit Ability again. Multiple claw strikes landed directly on his back. With another cry, Zhang San collapsed to the ground, unable to continue fighting.
The host hurried over to check and promptly announced, "Zhang San is unable to fight! The winner of this Soul Duel—Zhu Zhuqing of the Netherworld Cat!"
The stands erupted in enthusiastic applause, with many cheering for Zhu Zhuqing's clean and decisive victory. She merely gave a slight nod, turned, and walked off the Arena, her black figure quickly disappearing into the passageway, leaving only the moaning Zhang San on the stage and a buzz of discussion throughout the venue.
As soon as Zhu Zhuqing stepped off the Arena, Ning Rongrong was the first to run up, grabbing her wrist with sparkling eyes. "Zhu Qing, that Netherworld Hundred Claws move was so cool! It was almost too fast to see!"
Xiao Wu also came over, shaking her arm and laughing, "Yeah, exactly! That Zhang San tried to pull something dirty, but you put him in his place—so satisfying! Congrats on starting off with a win!"
Xue Na stood to the side, a gentle smile on her face, nodding in agreement. "Your speed and explosive power are astounding. That was a beautifully executed fight."
Surrounded by them, a faint blush rarely appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's cool face, her voice still calm. "It was alright."
While Zhu Zhuqing had successfully secured her first victory, things weren't going as smoothly for Tang San on the other side.
Control systems could somewhat restrain power types to a certain extent, but Tang San's opponent possessed the Martial Soul of a Lava Beast!
After activating his Second Soul Skill: Lava Embodiment, his entire body became enveloped in flames, making it impossible for Tang San's Blue Silver Grass to get close!
With so many people watching, Tang San couldn't readily use his Hidden Weapons. He was directly knocked off the Arena, losing his first Soul Duel.