Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat

Xiao Wu's long, slender legs had already wrapped around Zhu Zhuqing's neck—the sudden sensation of warm, smooth skin instantly snapped Zhu Zhuqing back to her senses.

Not good! Zhu Zhuqing's heart tightened.

She had witnessed Xiao Wu use this move against Zhao Wuji before—it was incredibly powerful.

Even though Zhu Zhuqing had broken free from the control of Xiao Wu's charm ability, Xiao Wu didn't panic at all. Her Waist Bow was already in motion.

With a swift side flip, Zhu Zhuqing was flung into the air. As she felt the weightlessness take over, she quickly analyzed the situation and searched for a way to counter it.

During her sparring sessions with Tom, Zhu Zhuqing had developed a keen instinct for spotting weaknesses and a resolute determination to fight until the very end.

Xiao Wu had already landed and was preparing to launch a powerful finishing attack.

Zhu Zhuqing caught a glimpse of her surroundings and, the moment Xiao Wu jumped to strike, she seized her chance—her second spirit ring suddenly lit up.

"Nether Hundred Claws!"

Xiao Wu channeled spirit power into her arms and clashed with Zhu Zhuqing's attack.

But because Zhu Zhuqing was mid-air, she couldn't exert full force, so her attack failed to cause substantial damage to Xiao Wu.

However, Zhu Zhuqing's true goal had already been achieved.

Using the rapid strikes of Nether Hundred Claws, she leveraged the recoil from each blow to adjust her aerial position continuously.

Even though her attacks weren't powerful, Xiao Wu couldn't ignore them.

She was forced to constantly block, unable to follow through with her attack.

Watching this, Shen An stroked the cat beside him and sighed, "Tom, you really are impressive. If this were the old Zhuqing, she definitely wouldn't have been able to fight that rabbit."

When Zhu Zhuqing had been thrown into the air, Shen An's heart clenched.

Fortunately, she adapted and countered skillfully.

Having already experienced Xiao Wu's charm ability, Zhu Zhuqing was particularly vigilant this time.

She used her agile footwork to launch relentless attacks from all directions.

The battlefield was a blur of shifting figures, and the fight grew increasingly intense.

But as time passed, Xiao Wu gradually found herself at a disadvantage.

The more she fought, the more shocked she became—

Zhu Zhuqing wasn't just fast.

The real problem was that she seemed to have an uncanny intuition, allowing her to strike directly at weak points and gain an even greater advantage.

Watching from the sidelines, Tang San's expression turned serious.

His Purple Demon Eyes locked onto the battle as he thought to himself:

"I underestimated Zhu Zhuqing. Her combat style is incredibly precise and efficient. She must have a powerful mentor guiding her—otherwise, at her age, she wouldn't be this skilled."

Meanwhile, Tom lazily observed the fight.

Somehow, he had pulled out a bottle of cola and a bucket of popcorn, casually enjoying the show.

As expected of a cat trained by this celestial emperor.

Seeing Xiao Wu expose a wide opening, Zhu Zhuqing didn't hesitate.

She unleashed Nether Hundred Claws once more, sending a flurry of attacks toward Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu's eyes burned with unyielding determination.

She refused to back down.

Instead of blocking, she chose to counterattack—

Four shadowy projectiles suddenly shot out from her sleeves, aiming straight for Zhu Zhuqing's shoulders!

At the same time, seeing that Xiao Wu was about to get hurt, Tang San panicked.

Without hesitation, he threw three poisoned silver needles at Zhu Zhuqing's hands, intending to stop her attack.

What a pair of siblings!

At the exact same moment, they both used hidden weapons!

If these attacks hit their mark, Zhu Zhuqing would undoubtedly be seriously injured.

Shen An had been closely watching the battle.

The instant the hidden weapons were launched, his spirit power surged.

Nine-Leaf Sword Grass shot into the air like a radiant streak of light, intercepting the incoming silver needles outside the ring.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The silver needles were all blocked.

But the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass didn't stop there—it continued toward the battlefield to intercept the shadowy projectiles.

Everything happened in a split second.

But—

Tom was even faster!

The moment Tom saw the hidden weapons, his entire body jolted.

His cola and popcorn went flying, scattering across the ground.

In that instant—

His eyeballs literally popped out, then snapped back in!

His legs spun like a helicopter, and he sprinted through the air, positioning himself right between the two fighters!

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

"Aaaaahhh!!"

The sound of weapons piercing flesh was accompanied by Tom's tragic scream.

Zhu Zhuqing stared blankly at Tom, who had shielded her with his body.

Then, she saw his pierced torso, and in an instant, her eyes welled up with tears.

Xiao Wu stood frozen, her face filled with shock.

She realized she had been too impulsive.

She had never imagined that she would struggle against someone with lower spirit power, and in her frustration, she had resorted to using hidden weapons.

The referee was at a complete loss—

The match had shifted too quickly.

Xiao Wu, who had been on the losing side, suddenly pulled out a deadly weapon, only to be blocked by a cat.

Meanwhile, Tom looked down at the four wounds on his body, his expression tragic as he gently touched his stomach.

Then—

With a weak groan, he collapsed.

The cola he had just drunk started leaking out of his wounds, flowing like liquid from a broken bottle.

Seeing Tom fall, Zhu Zhuqing's heart trembled violently.

Her tears poured uncontrollably.

She didn't understand why this had happened.

Right now, she only had one thought—

She wanted to kill Xiao Wu.

For the first time in her life, Zhu Zhuqing felt pure, unfiltered hatred toward someone.

They were all students of the same academy.

It was just a sparring match.

And yet, Xiao Wu had gone for the kill.

At that moment, Shen An's figure flickered like an illusion, appearing on the battlefield.

His gaze swept over Xiao Wu with a chilling intensity.

Dai Mubai's eyelids twitched.

Xiao Wu had gone too far.

And Tang San had even used hidden weapons.

Dai Mubai feared that Shen An might not hesitate to draw his sword and attack.

Flender had vanished—who knew where he ran off to?

But Dai Mubai knew one thing for sure—

After witnessing Shen An's terrifying strength, he was certain they wouldn't be able to stop him.

Silently, he whispered to Ma Hongjun,

"Fatty, if that guy pulls out his sword, we'll attack together. Tang San, you too."

Ma Hongjun gave Dai Mubai a weird look.

"Boss Dai, that kid's so young. What, is he a Spirit Elder? Why do we all need to fight him together?"

Dai Mubai's mouth twitched. Reluctantly, he muttered,

"He's a Rank 20 Spirit Grandmaster.

And he was the one who injured me before."

Hearing this, Ma Hongjun's jaw nearly hit the floor.

Dai Mubai's strength was undeniable.

And yet, he had been beaten to a pulp by a Spirit Grandmaster?

That was completely absurd!

But the way Dai Mubai kept quiet about his loss spoke volumes.

Even Zhao Wuji had mysteriously stayed silent about it.

Ma Hongjun was so shocked that he couldn't close his mouth.

What the hell kind of monster was this kid?!

At this moment, Tang San's expression turned grim.

He used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to step onto the stage and spoke:

"Brother Shen, we admit defeat in this match. On behalf of Xiao Wu, I concede. Regarding this cat… please don't hold it against us."

Hearing Tang San's words, Shen An sneered inwardly.

Admit defeat?

You two used hidden weapons to attack first.

If he and Tom hadn't been there, Zhu Zhuqing would have been severely injured or even dead.

And now, Tang San wanted to brush it off with a simple 'we lost'?!

If Tom wasn't immortal, he would be meeting King Yama right now.

Did Tang San really think he could sweep this under the rug with a few words?

Seeing Shen An's aura intensify, Tang San spoke again:

"Brother Shen, we are deeply saddened by the cat's death.

We will compensate you for your loss."

"Earlier, my sister Xiao Wu's life was in danger, so I acted hastily. I hope you understand."

At that moment, Ning Rongrong rushed forward, her eyes also filled with tears.

She had always loved Tom.

Now, she gently picked him up, her heart aching.

Then—

She let out a cold laugh.

"Compensation? Sure."

"Name your price."

"And when I kill you all someday, I'll pay you back too."

Tang San's eyebrows furrowed.

"You're taking this too far. A cat is not the same as a human."

The moment he finished speaking—

A massive killing intent surged toward him.

Countless sword auras erupted from Shen An's body.

His spirit power roared, and his sword gleamed with a deadly light.

A vibrant green sword aura soared into the sky, ready to strike.

The sharpness of the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.