On the other side, Ma Hongjun had now become a bald, chubby guy.
His once-signature red hair was now completely gone.
Worse still, a few scars had appeared on his scalp. If not treated properly, hair might never grow back in those spots.
Oscar was cautiously applying ointment on Ma Hongjun's wounds.
"You dumb fatty! Great, now all your hair's gone. Let's see how you plan on showing off now!"
Ma Hongjun said dejectedly,
"They had no sense of martial ethics—beating people is one thing, but why pull my hair?! Burned it all off, and not just that—my scalp's wounded too. How am I supposed to live with this? Will I even grow hair again?!"
Oscar shook his head helplessly.
Although both he and Ning Rongrong were support-type soul masters, neither had a soul skill that could help regrow hair.
"This one's up to fate, buddy. Whether it grows back or not, we'll have to wait and see. But I'm guessing you'll be rocking the bald look for life. Want me to buy you a wig?"
Ma Hongjun exploded in rage:
"It was just a few jokes! Did they really have to go that hard? Especially their captain—absolutely brutal!"
Dai Mubai shook his head with a bitter smile and said,
"Fatty, you've got to remember this—don't talk nonsense next time. Restrain yourself around pretty girls. Not everyone is someone we can afford to offend. If this hadn't happened in the Soul Arena, we might've all been buried there."
Tang San patted Ma Hongjun's shoulder.
Among the group, only Tang San, Ma Hongjun, and Xiao Wu were actually injured. The rest had just been knocked out.
"Be more careful in the future. At least until we're strong enough, let's not draw too much attention to ourselves."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Just then, Yu Xiaogang walked in.
Tang San immediately stepped forward and asked,
"Teacher, how's everything?"
"Your twin martial spirits have been exposed, and so has the external soul bone. But that's okay—someone will take care of the aftermath. You all just focus on your training."
Tang San asked curiously,
"Is it someone from the Blue Lightning Tyrant clan? Your family?"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head and replied,
"That's not something you need to worry about. As for the team battle earlier, the Fengshen team's level was far above yours, so there's no reference value. What you should do now is forget about the fight as quickly as possible. Tang San, your mental state needs tempering. Starting today, meditate for two hours daily. Got it?"
Tang San nodded helplessly.
Due to this battle, the Soto City Great Soul Arena had begun enforcing strict restrictions on cross-rank challenges.
The reason was simple—someone was putting pressure on them. That someone was none other than Tang Hao.
In the face of a Level 95 Title Douluo, the arena's resident Title Douluo didn't dare take any chances and could only comply—otherwise, even his life wouldn't be safe.
And overnight, the soul masters who had greedily eyed Tang San's external soul bone mysteriously disappeared. Word quickly spread among Soto City's soul masters—Tang San had a terrifying Title Douluo backing him.
Though they still looked at him with greedy eyes, none dared to gamble with their own lives.
They might stare at Tang San's back, but as for taking action? Not a chance.
Tang San was also curious—who was secretly protecting them? Someone strong enough to intimidate all of Soto City's soul masters had to be powerful. At the very least, their identity couldn't be simple.
Tang San and his group continued to participate in battles at the Soul Arena to improve themselves, but the Fengshen Team led by Jiang Xiaofeng had other plans. Three of their members needed soul rings.
The next morning, Jiang Xiaofeng and his team left the inn.
"Your Highness, we'll head to the Star Dou Forest now to find a suitable soul ring for you."
Jiang Xiaofeng nodded.
Inside the carriage—
"Instructor Mobot, what kind of soul beast would be best for Sister Ling's fourth soul ring?"
Mobot took out his notebook, showing several soul beasts he had picked out the night before.
"For Feng Lingling, the ideal fourth ring should offer a defensive soul skill. That means the soul beast should be thick-skinned and tough. Power-type beasts also tend to have good defense."
"For example, this 5000-year-old Earth-Splitting Bear. Its defense is among the best for its age group. If we can't find it, we have a second option—a 5500-year-old Gold-Armored Crocodile. This thing's even tougher than the bear, but it's quite clumsy. I'm worried that absorbing its ring might negatively impact Lingling's soul skill, so it's our backup. The third choice is more of a last resort—just a random decently defensive beast. Ideally, we go with the first—the Earth-Splitting Bear has both strength and defense. The Gold-Armored Crocodile has solid defense but obvious flaws, so let's avoid it if we can."
Jiang Xiaofeng nodded, but Feng Lingling looked concerned.
"Mr. Mobot, I don't think I can absorb a soul beast over 5000 years. My third ring only came from a 1000-year beast, though it increased to 1200 years because of a celestial herb. I thought the max for a fourth ring was under 5000?"
Mobot smiled and replied,
"That herb you took wasn't just for show. It caused your martial spirit to mutate and also improved your physical strength. While 5000 years might be the 'limit,' the herb's power lets you go beyond that—just like our Saint did. His soul ring durations have already surpassed what common sense would allow."
Feng Lingling glanced at Jiang Xiaofeng and said with a wry smile,
"He's not a normal person. Honestly, he's a monster. I've never seen anyone get a black soul ring as their fourth. I can't compare to him!"
Jiang Xiaofeng smiled bitterly and replied,
"Don't tease me, Sister Ling. I'm no monster. I'm just someone who works hard. True 'monsters' are born with extraordinary talent—I'm not one of them."
Mobot, laughing heartily, said,
"Now you're being too modest. Members of the Shrek Team are called little monsters. If they qualify for the name, and you don't—that's basically an insult to them!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
(End of Chapter)