Chapter 53: The Seven Treasures Duo

When the students saw Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong return, they were all somewhat surprised. Never would they have imagined that the little princess of the prestigious Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect would admit her mistakes. However, Yang Xiong noticed that although Ning Rongrong appeared to lower her head slightly, her eyes darted around restlessly—clearly, this mischievous little devil was already plotting something new.

Under Flender's guidance, the group quickly left the academy and headed to the Suotuo City Grand Spirit Arena for their "first lesson."

After introductions from both Dai Mubai and Flender, it was explained that all Shrek students had to participate in soul battles and earn silver soul fighter badges to graduate.

Ning Rongrong, now back to her lively self, asked, "Principal, as an auxiliary-type soul master, do I really have to participate in soul battles? If so, there's no way I'll be able to graduate."

Flender glanced at everyone. "I know you and Oscar are auxiliary-type soul masters. Although you can't participate in one-on-one battles, you can join two-on-two or team battles. This will help you gain combat experience and better hone your skills."

"Of course, who you choose to team up with depends on your own abilities. That's something I won't interfere with."

In two-person soul battles, auxiliary-type soul masters were rarely seen because, with only two participants, having an auxiliary meant the battle-type soul master would face a disadvantageous one-versus-two situation.

Ning Rongrong suddenly thought of something and rushed over to Yang Xiong. "Little Bear, if I remember correctly, you've been to the Grand Spirit Arena in the Tiandou City before and achieved a record of thirteen wins and zero losses. From now on, we'll enter soul battles together!"

Yang Xiong sighed in resignation. "That's fine, but even so, you need to learn how to protect yourself in the arena. As the Principal taught today, if you can't even outrun your opponents, you'll easily become a target. When that happens, I'll be fighting one versus two, and I won't be able to focus on protecting you."

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The others were astonished upon hearing this. They had just heard from Dai Mubai about the brutality of the soul battles, and yet Yang Xiong, at only level twenty-six, had achieved thirteen wins and zero losses—a shocking record.

Yang Xiong first participated in a solo soul battle, winning effortlessly within minutes. He then teamed up with Ning Rongrong to register for a two-person battle.

At Ning Rongrong's insistence, they named their team the "Seven Treasures Duo" and soon prepared for their second soul battle.

However, their luck wasn't great—they were matched against two beast-martial souls, soul masters known as the "Bear-Panther Combo."

Both opponents were level twenty-eight. One had the Earth Demon Bear martial soul, while the other wielded the Black Panther martial soul. Their records were impressive, with twenty-one wins and four losses.

The Earth Demon Bear was a power-type beast martial soul, wielded by Li Meng, while the Black Panther was a speed-type beast martial soul, wielded by Wang Bao. One specialized in brute force attacks, the other in swift strikes, making them one of the best attack duos in two-person soul battles.

The spectators, all Great Soul Masters themselves, looked on with serious expressions, understanding the significance of such a pairing.

Tang San asked curiously, "Mubai, what are Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong's chances of winning?"

Dai Mubai shook his head. "Their chances are slim. These two have been battling in the spirit arena for a long time. Though their cultivation talent isn't remarkable, their combat experience is extensive. Back when I was a Soul Grandmaster, I faced them with Xiao Ao, and we lost. At that time, they were only level twenty-four, while I was level twenty-nine. But we still lost because their coordination is excellent—they complement each other's weaknesses perfectly."

Tang San thought for a moment before asking, "Yang Xiong just fought a match and seemed to win effortlessly, clearly not using his full strength. What percentage of his power do you think he displayed?"

Dai Mubai replied, "It's unclear. He defeated his opponent without even using his soul skill. Perhaps Principal Flender is right—Yang Xiong's combat ability is exceptional. Among Soul Grandmasters, few can match him."

Tang San smiled. "I'd like to fight Yang Xiong myself someday to see just how strong he is. It's no wonder Principal Flender speaks so highly of him."

At the arena, Yang Xiong turned to Ning Rongrong. "Rongrong, don't assist me for now. Focus on staying safe. I want to test these two's abilities."

Ning Rongrong quickly responded, "Are you sure? They're two battle-type soul masters. Without my support, it'll be tough for you to take them both on."

Yang Xiong smiled faintly. "How will we know unless we try? Besides, I'd like to put some pressure on myself."

As the match began, only three people on the arena summoned their martial souls—Ning Rongrong retreated several meters, clearly choosing not to engage in the fight.

Tang San and Dai Mubai were puzzled. "What's going on with Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong? Is Yang Xiong planning to fight them both alone?"

Dai Mubai's expression grew serious. "In two-person soul battles, auxiliary-type soul masters are heavily restricted. Xiao Ao and I lost to them because they focused on attacking Xiao Ao, forcing me to expend a lot of soul power to protect him. Individually, their combat abilities are inferior to mine, but their teamwork makes them formidable."

The Bear-Panther Combo smirked disdainfully. "Is this girl not assisting you? Entering a two-on-two with an auxiliary shows nothing but disrespect."

Yang Xiong chuckled. "I don't need any assistance to deal with you two. Let's see how long you can last against me."

As the match began, the Bear-Panther Combo moved swiftly. Li Meng's body rapidly expanded, his height surpassing two meters, his muscles bulging as he charged toward Yang Xiong. Meanwhile, Wang Bao moved like a black panther, lightning-fast, heading straight for Ning Rongrong.

Seeing the dual assault, Yang Xiong met Li Meng's massive Earth Demon Bear paw with a punch. His fist shimmered with silvery soul power.

Unexpectedly, Yang Xiong used Li Meng's momentum to quickly retreat backward, rushing toward Ning Rongrong at a speed even faster than Wang Bao's.

Just as Wang Bao was about to attack Ning Rongrong, Yang Xiong appeared in front of him, blocking the panther-like claws with a swift knife-hand strike.

Yang Xiong shouted angrily, "Rongrong, run! Are you waiting to die here?"

Ning Rongrong, clearly overwhelmed by the chaos of her first arena battle, snapped out of her daze and quickly ran to the side.

Wang Bao aimed to overpower Ning Rongrong, intending to eliminate the auxiliary first. After delivering a claw strike at Yang Xiong, he attempted to pursue Ning Rongrong. Similarly, Li Meng charged toward her, executing a classic tactic of targeting the auxiliary to draw out the main defender. Even the strongest Great Soul Masters found it exceedingly difficult to protect an auxiliary-type soul master on the arena.

Yang Xiong's reaction speed was extraordinary. His hands moved like sharp claws, directly grabbing Wang Bao, and his speed surpassed even Wang Bao's.

Though Wang Bao was incredibly fast, his defense was relatively weak. Facing someone faster than himself, he became flustered.

Yang Xiong's mastery of multitasking was evident—he simultaneously focused on attacking Wang Bao while keeping an eye on Ning Rongrong, ready to intervene at any moment.

From the audience's perspective, however, the Seven Treasures Duo appeared somewhat disorganized.

On the spectator stands, Dai Mubai shook his head. "This Bear-Panther Combo has excellent coordination. They used the same tactic to defeat Xiao Ao and me. It seems Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong are in trouble."

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