Douluo: Infinite Lottery System

As they walked to the entrance of the Shrek Academy, Xiao Tianyang glanced around and asked, "Where are the others?"

Zhu Zhuqing replied succinctly, "They said they need to rest for a while."

Xiao Tianyang asked instinctively, "Should we wait for them, or..."

Zhu Zhuqing's answer was as brief as ever. "Let's go now."

"Alright," Xiao Tianyang agreed. He then pulled out his bicycle from his ring and smiled. "But if it's just the two of us, riding this will be faster."

Zhu Zhuqing hesitated. "Can two people sit on this?"

"No problem at all," Xiao Tianyang assured her. He mounted the bicycle first and gestured for her to join him. "Come on, just sit behind me."

Zhu Zhuqing glanced at the seat and, driven by instinct, sat sideways behind him.

"Hold on tight," Xiao Tianyang said with a grin as he pedaled away.

They arrived in Suotuo City in half the time it would have taken on foot. Xiao Tianyang stored his bicycle and asked, "How was the ride? Not bad, right?"

"It's fine... if you're willing to slow down," Zhu Zhuqing replied, her face slightly pale as she tried to suppress the discomfort in her stomach.

Xiao Tianyang shrugged. "You'll get used to it. I can't help it if you're not used to speed yet."

Zhu Zhuqing didn't respond but followed him toward the Great Spirit Arena.

After donning their masks and registering their names, Xiao Tianyang and Zhu Zhuqing took their seats in the Eighth Spirit Arena to watch the next match.

This was a good way to pass the time. As Dai Mubai had explained, the arena was a place where one could witness all sorts of bizarre martial souls and soul skills. Especially in two-on-two battles, as long as the participants weren't complete novices, their teamwork often made for an impressive spectacle.

It was also a great opportunity to learn from others' experiences and apply them to their own battles. At least, it was useful for Zhu Zhuqing.

Soon, their names were called.

Xiao Tianyang stood up and stretched. "Let's go. It's our turn."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded, and the two made their way to the entrance, where they caught sight of their opponents.

"See that guy on the left?" Xiao Tianyang gestured subtly toward the stage. "He's an auxiliary-type soul master, somewhat similar to me. He has some self-protection abilities."

"Understood," Zhu Zhuqing replied.

She was beginning to get used to Xiao Tianyang's pre-battle explanations.

"First soul skill: Myriad Transformations Fire"

Xiao Tianyang's palm lit up, and four balls of green flame shot into Zhu Zhuqing's body one after another.

At the same time, their opponents began to move.

The auxiliary soul master's martial soul was a small grass with purple markings. Notably, his soul ring configuration consisted of two hundred-year soul rings!

The other opponent was a burly man, an assault-type battle soul master with the Earth Bear martial soul. He also had two hundred-year soul rings!

"First Soul Skill: Speed Surge!" 

"Second Soul Skill: Power Surge!" 

The auxiliary soul master's two soul rings lit up simultaneously, and faint wisps of smoke—one green, the other red—drifted toward the assault-type soul master.

"First Soul Skill: Rock Armor!" 

The assault-type soul master roared, and the shadow of an Earth Bear appeared behind him. His first soul ring lit up, and a layer of rock armor formed over his body.

"Second Soul Skill: Iron Palm Strike!" 

With the boost from the auxiliary soul master, the assault-type soul master, who was normally slow, charged forward with surprising speed—faster than even the average agility-type soul master!

But Zhu Zhuqing was ready. Her eyes sharpened as her martial soul awakened, and two yellow hundred-year soul rings rose from her feet.

"First Soul Skill: Hell Rush Stab!" 

In the blink of an eye, Zhu Zhuqing was in front of the auxiliary soul master, her clawed fingertips nearly piercing his chest. But at the last moment, she shifted her claws into a fist and struck his chest with a muffled thud.

The auxiliary soul master was sent flying as if hit by a truck. Although he didn't crash into the wall, Xiao Tianyang thought he heard the sound of bones cracking.

"I didn't expect her to master Wing Chun so quickly," Xiao Tianyang mused with a slight smile.

"How is she so fast?!" The assault-type soul master barely had time to react. When he turned and saw his companion fall, his pupils contracted in shock.

But he was experienced. Instead of rushing to retaliate, he charged straight at Xiao Tianyang!

In his mind, the woman's incredible speed must have been due to the soul master in front of him. If he could take Xiao Tianyang out, the battle would be as good as over.

Even if the assault system didn't completely counter the agility system, it still had some advantages.

But his plan was good in theory—reality, however, was cruel.

After just two steps, the assault-type soul master felt a cold sensation on his back, as if a thousand sharp blades had raked across him.

Though he tried to endure the pain, his legs gave out, and he dropped to one knee.

"Admit defeat. You have no chance," Xiao Tianyang said calmly.

"I surrender!" the assault-type soul master gritted out through clenched teeth.

The announcer declared their victory, and Xiao Tianyang received a notification.

Congratulations, host! You have defeated two level 20 Soul Grandmasters and received Lottery Points x10! 

Zhu Zhuqing walked over, steady this time, though she still reached out to hold Xiao Tianyang's shoulder for support.

"I told you to be careful, but you didn't listen," Xiao Tianyang chided lightly. He waved his hand, and a ball of green flame entered Zhu Zhuqing's body, cleansing her of the lingering effects.

Zhu Zhuqing hadn't noticed at first, but as the flames faded, she saw purple spots on her hands.

"His body is poisonous!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"If your physical condition hadn't improved just now, you would have collapsed in less than five seconds," Xiao Tianyang explained seriously. "Although I don't know the exact name of his martial soul, it's definitely a type of poisonous weed. His amplification method is similar to mine but more aggressive. If not handled properly, it can directly damage the recipient's body. The downside is that the smoke is toxic."

With Xiao Tianyang's explanation, Zhu Zhuqing realized her mistake.

As they walked off the stage, Zhu Zhuqing asked, "But I don't have any mid- to long-range attack methods. How should I handle situations like this?"

"You can focus on taking out the assault-type soul master first. There's no need to fixate on the auxiliary type," Xiao Tianyang advised. "Although your approach is theoretically correct, have you considered how useful his auxiliary abilities would be without the assault type to back him up?"

"Until you have absolute power to overwhelm your opponents, theories can only help you find shortcuts. It's good to know them, but don't get stuck on them."

Zhu Zhuqing's expression was thoughtful, though still a bit confused.

…

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