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There is a principle known as Murphy's Law, which states that the things you least want to happen are often the most likely to occur.
Upon seeing the final draw for the match, the members of Shrek Academy were clouded with gloom.
Wang Yan pressed his forehead in frustration. "This is troublesome."
Though Wang Yan had given Ma Xiaotao an intensive cram session on Huo Yuer's combat abilities the previous night, even he felt uncertain if they truly faced off.
After all, both possessed extreme attributes, and if Huo Yuer, whose soul power surpassed Ma Xiaotao's, unleashed her ultimate extreme ice, it could suppress Ma Xiaotao's ultimate fire.
(Note: The relationship between ice and fire is like that of water and fire—there's no absolute dominance; it depends on which side is stronger.)
But as a teacher, how could he let his negative emotions affect his students? Wang Yan quickly adjusted his mindset and expression, then earnestly told Ma Xiaotao:
"Good luck!"
Ma Xiaotao didn't say much, nodding seriously before stepping onto the arena stage.
At this moment, Tianxing Academy's representative had yet to appear, but Ma Xiaotao was already brimming with fighting spirit. Fiery soul power began to flow steadily from her body, ready to erupt at any moment.
However, when Ma Xiaotao caught sight of her opponent, her breath hitched, and her emotions became disjointed.
"How could it be you!?" Ma Xiaotao exclaimed in shock.
Walking up for Tianxing Academy was a stunning beauty with waist-length golden hair and a pair of long, straight legs that drew the lustful gazes of countless old perverts in the audience.
In the stands, Xu Sanshi from Shrek Academy leaned precariously over the edge of the competitor's lounge, his eyes glazed as he murmured, "Nannan~"
The sight was utterly embarrassing. Even Bei Bei couldn't bear to watch, covering his face as he pulled Xu Sanshi back.
Throughout this process, Xu Sanshi continued wriggling like a lovesick fool, shouting phrases like "Nannan, I love you, do your best!"—cheesy words of encouragement that made others cringe.
But as far as Jiang Nannan was concerned, Xu Sanshi had long since become just another ordinary man to her.
The past was indeed sorrowful, but after such a long time, Jiang Nannan had resolved to embrace a brighter and more promising future.
With a casual toss of her beautiful long hair, Jiang Nannan confidently said:
"Why can't it be me, Senior Ma?"
By now, the referee had called for both competitors to prepare. Though both women were top-tier beauties with their own unique charms, what did that have to do with him, a mere referee?
He only knew one thing: if he lost his composure, his ironclad job would be on the line.
In an instant, both women summoned their martial souls.
Ma Xiaotao's fiery red hair seemed to transform into actual flames, billowing behind her, while a pair of massive wings, each spanning five meters, slowly unfurled at her back.
A wave of intense heat swept across the entire arena.
Jiang Nannan by contrast, appeared relatively unremarkable.
A flash of brilliance later, her long, beautiful legs were clad in pink armor, and her height seemed to increase slightly.
But none of that mattered—the true attraction for the old perverts in the audience was the pair of soft, pink bunny ears atop Jiang Nannan's head and the tiny rabbit tail at her lower back, both irresistibly adorable.
Just as the referee was about to announce the start of the match, Ma Xiaotao's expression suddenly shifted.
She had seen Jiang Nannan reach into her neckline and pull out a familiar circular metal plate.
"That's—!" Before Ma Xiaotao could finish her exclamation, the referee had already declared the match underway.
At this moment, Ma Xiaotao cast aside her distracting thoughts. Her wings flared violently, propelling her forward as a streak of crimson light hurtling toward Jiang Nannan.
But it was too late. Ma Xiaotao wielded the power of ultimate fire, not ultimate speed.
In just that fleeting moment, Jiang Nannan had already inserted the metal plate into the familiar bracer on her arm.
*[Henshin]*
By the time Ma Xiaotao reached Jiang Nannan, her fist wreathed in ultimate fire slammed against the barrier enveloping Jiang Nannan's body.
Ma Xiaotao's expression darkened. Yesterday, Wang Yan had thoroughly analyzed the techniques employed by Huo Yuer, particularly focusing on her soul-guided armor.
Wang Yan had earnestly advised Ma Xiaotao that if she had the chance, she must interrupt the opponent's action of inserting the metal plate into the bracer at the very start of the match; otherwise, the opponent would inevitably complete their armor transformation.
In Wang Yan's eyes, the barrier formed during those seemingly awkward movements was akin to an invincible shield.
Now, it was too late—all because of Ma Xiaotao's brief moment of distraction.
Unlike Huo Yuer's elegant dance, Jiang Nannan's movements were concentrated in her legs. A series of backflips created distance between her and Ma Xiaotao, and with a final diagonal split, Jiang Nannan completed her transformation.
*[Ultimate]*
*[Celestial Feet]*
*[Supreme Speed Force]*
*[Super—Transformation!!!]*
At this moment, Jiang Nannan's entire body was encased in pink armor, even her soft bunny ears completely covered.
Unlike Huo Yuer's ancient-style battle armor, Jiang Nannan's soul-guided armor resembled that of Kamen Rider, fully enclosing her body.
Even so, the armor accentuated Jiang Nannan's graceful figure, especially her long, captivating legs. The armor's design highlighted her already alluring curves, leaving the old perverts in the audience utterly mesmerized.
"I want to be stepped on~" one burly man muttered unconsciously, but quickly covered his mouth upon noticing the strange glances from those around him. Unable to bear the embarrassment, he fled the scene.
At this moment, the absolute transformation sequence ended.
*[Godspeed Mode GO!!!]*
Faced with the unknown, people instinctively pause—even Ma Xiaotao was no exception.
But she quickly regained her composure. At this moment, she wasn't just representing herself; she was carrying the honor of Shrek Academy's thousand-year legacy. She absolutely could not afford to lose here!
Since she lacked knowledge of her opponent's capabilities, the first step was to probe them.
"First Soul Skill: Phoenix Fire Line!!!"
What might have been an ordinary flamethrower skill in anyone else's hands was, in Ma Xiaotao's possession, a harbinger of despair—an ultimate fire so intense that it was devastating even to those of her level or a full rank above.
If this had been the Jiang Nannan of the past, she might have been afraid.
After all, the Jiang Nannan of old was merely an ordinary Soul Ancestor.
But the Jiang Nannan of today was no longer the same. Facing the onslaught of ultimate fire, she remained chillingly calm.
"The master once taught us," Jiang Nannan murmured, "not to try defeating the enemy in areas where we are weak, but to leverage our strengths."
Jiang Nannan understood that the Soft Bone Rabbit wasn't a top-tier martial soul. The legendary Soft Bone Douluo of ten thousand years ago didn't rely solely on the Soft Bone Rabbit—it evolved into something far greater. After all, a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit was no longer an ordinary creature.
Having come to terms with this truth, Jiang Nannan abandoned the false path of agility-focused attacks and embraced her true potential as a speed-oriented attacker.
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