Chapter 58: The Cost of Underestimating Your Opponent

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Upon hearing Huo Wushuang's words, Tang San was momentarily stunned and taken aback, his mind racing to process the unexpected revelation.

Throughout the initial ten rounds of the competition, Shrek Academy had faced opponents whose strength was noticeably inferior. To maintain the element of surprise and keep their true capabilities concealed, Ning Rongrong and Ma Hongjun had refrained from participating in these earlier matches. Consequently, aside from Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Zhu Zhuqing, the true core members of Shrek Academy's formidable lineup remained an enigma to most.

However, the shock came when Huo Wushuang divulged the fact that only three primary fighters from Shrek Academy were being fielded for this match. This revelation took Tang San by surprise. He had not anticipated that Blazing Academy had conducted such thorough and precise research on their team.

Despite this revelation, Tang San approached the match with unwavering confidence, bolstered by the knowledge that his Blue Silver Grass had innate immunity to both fire and water. Unbeknownst to him, the Blazing Academy had already anticipated this advantage and had crafted a well-thought-out strategy to neutralize it.

As the match commenced with the official signal, both teams unleashed their soul rings in a spectacular display of their abilities. Each participant exhibited their best soul ring configurations, highlighting an impressive array of power and skill. Both teams were evenly matched, boasting two Soul Elders and five Soul Kings. However, Tang San's additional ten-thousand-year soul ring created a notable imbalance of power.

As the battle began, Dai Mubai, Huang Yuan, and Tai Long surged forward aggressively. Tang San swiftly deployed his Blue Silver Grass to wrap around their waists, providing a protective barrier against the searing flames directed at them. Meanwhile, the rest of the participants on the field had already engaged in fierce combat, while Tang San, Jiangzhu, and Huo Wu remained stationary, observing the unfolding chaos.

Jiangzhu, a healing-type support soul master, lacked offensive capabilities and thus stayed on the sidelines, ready to offer support as needed. Tang San's focus remained fixed solely on Huo Wu, watching her closely for any signs of aggression or strategy while remaining keenly aware of the shifting dynamics of the battle around him.

Xiao Wu and Jing Ling faced off against two of the enemy's agile attack-type soul masters, Huo Yun and Huo Yu, who were powered by the Fire Phoenix soul. Both were exceptionally fast, with Xiao Wu managing to keep pace with Huo Yun, while Jing Ling struggled to match Huo Yu's speed. Despite their best efforts, the twin brothers circled around Tang San, but neither delivered any decisive blows.

Huo Wu, on the other hand, remained stationary, her expression a fixed smile as she observed Tang San with apparent amusement. Tang San, puzzled and wary of her demeanor, stayed vigilant, trying to decipher her intentions and the reason for her apparent indifference.

Meanwhile, Dai Mubai and Huo Wushuang were locked in an intense and furious clash, both demonstrating formidable soul powers as level 44 assault-type soul masters. Despite their comparable strengths, Dai Mubai found himself at a distinct disadvantage against Huo Wushuang's potent and relentless fire attribute attacks. Each strike from Huo Wushuang seemed to amplify the intensity of the battle, putting Dai Mubai on the defensive.

Under the meticulous and strategic guidance of Feng Xiaotian, Huo Wushuang had deliberately conserved his soul power during the early stages of the fight. This careful management of his energy was intended to ensure that he had ample strength reserved for a decisive confrontation with Tang San, whom he perceived as the primary threat.

In another part of the arena, another powerful assault-type soul master from Blazing Academy was slowly being overpowered by the coordinated efforts of Tai Long and Huang Yuan. This was a deliberate part of Blazing Academy's cunning strategy—to feign a disadvantage and thereby lure their opponents into a false sense of security. This deceptive maneuver was designed to mislead Shrek Academy into underestimating their adversaries.

While it seemed that Huo Yun and Huo Yu were directing their attention towards Tang San, their true objective was, in fact, Jiangzhu, the support soul master who was stationed at the back, away from the frontline combat. Their real goal was to incapacitate Jiangzhu, who was crucial to Shrek Academy's support structure.

Suddenly, Huo Wu made her move with precise and deliberate action, unleashing a fireball from her hand with calculated precision. Tang San's initial reaction was one of confusion and surprise as he saw the fireball approaching. He braced himself to counter the attack, questioning inwardly, "Why is she, the strongest among them, sending only a fireball my way? It doesn't seem to be a soul skill. Is she underestimating me, or is there something more to this?"

As Tang San activated his Blue Silver Grass in an attempt to defend himself, Huo Wu's face transformed into a cunning smile, her eyes gleaming with a hint of malevolence. "Tang San, you've fallen right into my trap!" she declared with a tone dripping with triumph.

At that critical juncture, Tang San's internal alarm bells rang loudly as he realized the true gravity of the situation unfolding before him. Huo Yu had managed to break free from Jing Ling's relentless pursuit and was now charging towards Jiangzhu with malicious intent. As a support-type soul master, Jiangzhu was woefully ill-equipped to fend off the swift and aggressive assault of such an agile attacker.

Reacting with immediate urgency, Tang San desperately attempted to use his Blue Silver Grass to pull Jiangzhu to safety. However, before he could execute his rescue effectively, a fiery fist emerged from the chaos, smashing through the Blue Silver Grass and delivering a devastating blow. A piercing scream cut through the air as Jiangzhu was forcefully and unceremoniously kicked off the stage.

The members of Shrek Academy were left in stunned disbelief. This was the first time in their history that one of their team members had been knocked off the stage during the group battles, a significant and humiliating blow to their previously unblemished record.

Huo Wushuang cast a cold, disdainful look at Tang San, his expression a mixture of contempt and satisfaction. He declared with icy clarity, "Tang San, this is the cost of underestimating your opponent!"

(End of Chapter)