Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat

When Shen An saw that five members of Shrek were present, he noticed that Zhu Zhuqing was among them. However, there was a sense of distance between her and the other four, as if she were excluded.

Shen An hesitated, unsure whether to approach or call Zhu Zhuqing over.

In the midst of this hesitation, Ning Rongrong quickly pulled Shen An away. He had no choice but to let it go, and the two of them, along with Tom, sat off to the side.

As Shen An petted Tom, he continued to watch the battle on the stage. Honestly, it was quite painful to watch.

The battles were all at the Great Soul Master level, and they were chaotic—focused more on physical strength and soul power than on any kind of skill or strategy.

To Shen An, these fights were filled with flaws. After all, he had been trained by Tom, and every move he made was precise and designed to strike at the opponent's weak points.

Shen An believed that if he were to step onto the stage, he wouldn't even need to use soul skills or soul power. With just the sharpness of the Nine-leaf Sword Grass and his physical strength, he could defeat these opponents.

Ning Rongrong whispered, "Shen An, you probably can't fight Dai Mubai anymore. Only opponents of the same level can be matched."

Shen An paused, surprised. Did I ever say I wanted to fight Dai Mubai? I came to the Soul Fighting Arena to make a name for myself.

At this moment, a middle-aged man in a tailcoat called out loudly:

"Next, we will have the fourth battle in the 14th Soul Fighting Arena. The contestants are two Soul Grandmasters. We have Zhu Zhuqing, who possesses the Dark Nether Cat martial soul, and Xiao Wu, who possesses Soft Bone Rabbit martial soul."

"Let's see who will emerge victorious! Please, both of you, step onto the stage!"

Shen An and Tang San were both surprised. There were many people who had signed up, yet it seemed that two members from the same academy had ended up fighting each other.

Zhu Zhuqing glanced at Shen An from afar, and Shen An gave her an encouraging smile. Zhu Zhuqing snorted softly and walked onto the stage without even acknowledging the other Shrek members.

Dai Mubai watched her every move, seeing her behavior. He had been about to advise Xiao Wu to go easy, but now, after seeing Zhu Zhuqing's cold demeanor, he kept his thoughts to himself.

Zhu Zhuqing had been training hard while staying at Shen An's place, and with Tom's sparring, her soul power had reached Level 28. However, she was still at a slight disadvantage compared to Xiao Wu's Level 29.

Xiao Wu, with her innate full soul power and a higher-quality martial soul, had an advantage. Dai Mubai believed Xiao Wu would win easily.

However, Zhu Zhuqing didn't spare a glance for her fiancé Dai Mubai. Instead, her attention was on Shen An, which made Dai Mubai's anger flare.

Xiao Wu, meanwhile, turned to Tang San with a mischievous smile. "Big brother, I'm going up now."

On the stage, Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu stood face-to-face.

Xiao Wu grinned, "Zhu Zhuqing, you seem so cold. We're classmates—why so cold? Who do you think will win?"

"Or maybe you can guess who's stronger, Shen An or my big brother?" Xiao Wu glanced at Tang San and Shen An down below.

Zhu Zhuqing replied calmly, "Being classmates doesn't mean we have to get along. Since you all caused a ruckus in Shen An's shop without apologizing, our relationship was destined to be cold."

"As for who will win, we'll know after the fight. But as for your big brother, he's definitely no match for Shen An."

Xiao Wu narrowed her eyes. "Oh, really? Well, I'm certain I'll win this match, just like how Shen An is no match for my big brother."

The two were about to fight. Their martial spirits were instantly released.

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes changed color—her left eye turned dark green, and her right eye became clear blue. Cat ears sprouted from her head, and sharp claws shot out.

Her body crouched, her pupils turned into vertical slits, and she stared coldly at Xiao Wu like a hunter eyeing its prey. Two soul rings appeared around her, and a suffocating aura surrounded Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu's face immediately turned serious. She hadn't expected Zhu Zhuqing to exert such pressure on her. It felt as if all her weaknesses were exposed.

What Xiao Wu didn't know was that Zhu Zhuqing had been living with Shen An for over ten days, training with Tom. Tom had given Zhu Zhuqing a great deal of insight into combat techniques. And every time she sparred with Tom, he would find flaws in her techniques, forcing her to improve her fighting style.

Zhu Zhuqing was confident that she had become much stronger. Although Tom still outclassed her in technique, she had come a long way.

Xiao Wu's eyes began to redden, and her ears slowly lengthened. Soft white fur rose from her head, and her body grew slightly taller.

Shen An whispered to Tom, "Tom, I think cat-eared girls are much better looking than bunny girls. What do you think?"

Tom meowed in agreement, giving Shen An a thumbs-up with his white-gloved paw. "Of course, we cats are the best."

The battle began, and surprisingly, it was Xiao Wu who took the first move, even though Zhu Zhuqing was the agile attacker.

Xiao Wu's soul power surged, and she quickly closed the distance between them. She lifted her long, powerful leg and aimed a kick at Zhu Zhuqing's head.

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes flashed with cold light. This speed was still insufficient to catch her. She quickly leaped into the air, ducking under the kick.

Xiao Wu's other leg followed up with a sweeping move, but Zhu Zhuqing, knowing Xiao Wu had a soul skill that involved a chain attack, couldn't afford to be caught. She activated her first soul ring.

"Ghostly Nether Strike!"

Zhu Zhuqing's speed doubled as she flickered behind Xiao Wu, her claws aimed at Xiao Wu's back.

Meanwhile, Tang San clenched his fists tightly. In his eyes, Xiao Wu couldn't suffer even the slightest injury.

Xiao Wu suddenly turned around, her eyes filled with a pink, seductive glow. She activated her second soul skill: Charm.

Although Shen An had somehow been immune to it and Zhao Wuji had suffered a backlash, Xiao Wu didn't believe that Zhu Zhuqing could escape its effect. If it worked, Zhu Zhuqing would just have to accept her bad luck.

Sure enough, Zhu Zhuqing's movements froze, and her previously cold expression turned blank.

Xiao Wu smiled triumphantly, thinking she had succeeded in her trap. She wouldn't compete with an agility-based fighter like Zhu Zhuqing in speed; her real strategy was to rely on Charm to take the upper hand.

Xiao Wu leaped forward, wrapping her legs around Zhu Zhuqing's neck, and activated her first soul skill: Waist Bow.

"Watch as I finish you off with my combo!" she declared.