It was precisely this moment of hesitation that left Tang San confused. Should he dodge left or right?
Purple Demon Eye could discern the trajectory of an opponent's attack, but against an unpredictable strike like Huo Wushuang's—one where even he wasn't sure where he'd hit—Tang San was at a loss.
Clenching his teeth, Tang San chose to dodge left. It was a split-second decision.
Huo Wushuang, stunned for a moment, instinctively attacked in the very direction Tang San dodged.
From the audience's perspective, it looked as if Tang San had actively moved to meet the blow!
Tang San was utterly flabbergasted. It was too late to change course.
What to do?
In that fleeting moment, Tang San instinctively activated Mysterious Jade Hands to block the strike!
Boom!
A resounding impact echoed as Tang San was sent flying backward. His sleeve shredded, and both hands bore the brunt of the explosive attack.
"Ugh..."
The sharp pain shooting through his hands made Tang San wince and take a deep breath.
One small misstep, and he ended up with such severe injuries!
"If I had used my hammer martial soul instead of directly relying on Mysterious Jade Hands, could I have blocked it?"
Tang San's mind raced as he replayed the scene. If he had used his Blue Silver Grass martial soul, it wouldn't have been able to withstand Huo Wushuang's attack.
But what if he had employed his second martial soul—the hammer?
Tang San had a strong hunch that if he'd used his second martial soul, Huo Wushuang wouldn't have been able to hurt him!
"With my Blue Silver Grass martial soul, without pairing it with hidden weapons, my combat strength at most matches that of a same-level power-type soul master. Without using my second martial soul, and facing a fire-attribute soul master, I simply can't defend myself."
"What should I do? If this continues, my weaknesses will be exposed, and other teams will develop strategies specifically targeting me."
For someone as proud as Tang San, the idea of having weaknesses was intolerable.
In the original story, even when Tang San had ice-fire immunity, he was nearly devastated by Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er's combined attacks. And right now, he didn't even have the innate talent for elemental immunity.
After sending Tang San flying, Huo Wushuang decided to concede.
He had no choice—victory was out of reach. Their trump card, Huo Wu, and their two support soul masters were all out of bounds. Losing was inevitable.
"Referee, Blazing Fire Academy surrenders!"
Huo Wushuang raised his right hand and gestured to the referee.
"Blazing Fire Academy surrenders. Shrek Academy wins!"
Time passed, and Ma Hongjun and Huang Yuan carried the injured Tang San to the contestant rest area.
Zhao Wuji, grinning widely, was practically beaming with joy.
"Excellent! Today you defeated one of the Five Elemental Academies. While it was expected, your outstanding performance deserves praise!"
"Tonight, the drinks are on me! We won't go home until we're drunk!" Zhao Wuji declared with a hearty laugh.
Ma Hongjun, Huang Yuan, Jing Ling, and others exchanged bewildered looks.
Did we really perform that well today?
Doesn't feel like it...
As a Soul Douluo, Zhao Wuji should've been able to see their strengths, even if they themselves didn't notice, right?
In truth, Zhao Wuji wasn't treating everyone because they performed well.
With two Soul Kings, Dai Mubai and Dugu Yan, participating in the match, their performance was far from stellar.
For someone to still get injured under these circumstances... Isn't that just plain terrible?
But the injured party was Tang San.
In that case, it was fine!
Zhao Wuji's laughter came precisely because Tang San had gotten injured once again!
Tang San, puzzled, glanced at Zhao Wuji. In all the previous matches they'd won, Zhao Wuji hadn't treated them or offered a single compliment.
Now that he was injured, Zhao Wuji wanted to treat everyone?
The last time this happened, Zhao Wuji also suggested drinking to their hearts' content. Back then, Dai Mubai had paid for the meal—with Tang San's gold spirit coins!
Was there some hidden meaning behind all this?
"Could it be... that Teacher Zhao is encouraging me? Helping me overcome the pain?"
Tang San speculated, confused.
Before the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, Zhao Wuji's words of encouragement and praise still echoed in his ears.
Even Yu Xiaogang and Tang Hao had never supported Tang San this much. In Tang San's heart, Zhao Wuji's position was now on par with Yu Xiaogang's.
Off to the side, Dai Mubai watched silently, a faint smile on his lips.
Among everyone present, perhaps only he and Flender knew the real reason.
Feeling slightly guilty, Dai Mubai glanced at Flender. However, Flender seemed preoccupied, his brows furrowed as though deep in thought.
He glanced at Zhao Wuji, then at the inconspicuous Yu Xiaogang, before scanning the entire group. The only one he didn't scrutinize was Dai Mubai.
"Who could it be? Damn it, how could someone make their move so quickly!"
"It can't be Old Zhao. With his rough demeanor, Erlong wouldn't give him the time of day."
"Oscar and Tang San are too young—practically juniors."
"Yu Xiaogang? Absolutely impossible!"
Flender suspected everyone—everyone except Dai Mubai!
After all, everyone knew about Dai Mubai's ambiguous relationships with multiple women. Liu Erlong, being proud and headstrong, detested such behavior. Only a devoted man could win her approval.
Not to mention, Dai Mubai was just a junior!
"Flender, are you coming or not?"
While Flender was deep in thought, Zhao Wuji's booming voice jolted him back to reality.
"Where?" Flender asked, confused.
Zhao Wuji: "..."
The group: "..."
After a brief explanation, Flender shook his head and said, "You guys go ahead. I have something to do."
With that, Flender turned and left.
The group exchanged bewildered glances. Flender, who loved taking advantage of others, refused to join a free meal?
Something was definitely off.
"Well, if Flender doesn't want to come, that just means we save a bit of money!" Zhao Wuji shrugged.
"Alright, everyone, follow me!"
"Teacher Zhao, I'll pass. My hands..."
Tang San spread his hands as he spoke, showing everyone his injured palms.
In this condition, eating and drinking were out of the question.
"Alright then. Yu 'Master,' you take your disciple back," Zhao Wuji said casually, not giving it a second thought.
Yu Xiaogang, who had been looking forlorn after Flender's departure, nodded.
"Alright, I'll take Little San back first."
Tang San, feeling a bit bitter, glanced around.
Among the team, they had two healing-type soul masters and a food-type soul master with minor healing abilities, yet no one offered to help treat his injuries.
He couldn't bring himself to ask, either. Out of the seven people who had fought...
(Chapter ends.)