Wagner gave up his position to Fergerson, who waved to the surrounding teachers from both departments as they stood and greeted him, "Please take your seats, everyone. The competition is about to begin."
In the vast trial field that reached a thousand square meters, ten contestants from the Divine Music Department and the Water Attribute were already at the center of the field. Haiyang, with his black hair partially covering his face, stood in the back, not attracting much attention. Lanxi, Xueling, and Peacock were all rare beauties that naturally drew the eyes of the thousands of students watching from below. But the real focus of everyone wasn't them; it was Ye Yinzhu, who stood at the very center of the five Divine Music Department contestants.
The pure white Moon God's Robes were spotless, with the collar, cuffs, and other areas outlined in gold trim. On the left chest, there was a crescent-shaped gemstone that emitted a soft light, giving the otherwise simply decorated robe an atmosphere of nobility and elegance.
His black hair lay softly over his shoulders, enhancing the elegant aura on his handsome face. Ye Yinzhu, dressed in the Moon God's Robes and standing on the trial field, seemed transformed, his every movement filled with noble bearing. His elegance was pure and unadulterated, especially those deep and clear black eyes that seemed capable of peering into one's very soul. His back was exceptionally straight, and his tall figure made the four girls beside him seem like the perfect adornments.
Standing in the central position—as the main representative of his department—nobody expected that the Divine Music Department's main will not be Haiyang from the second year, but Ye Yinzhu, who accepted the challenge from the Wind attribute genius girl, Roland.
The five Water Attribute representatives, two males and three females, were quite plain in comparison to the beauties from the Divine Music Department. Their gazes were completely captivated by the elegant Yin Zhu before them, with some even noticeably showing a pink glow. Just as men like beautiful women, women also like handsome men.
"Hello, I am Karat, a second-year student of the Water Attribute, and the main contender for the newcomers' competition. Please instruct me," said Karat, facing the Divine Music Department's contestants, feeling a tinge of jealousy. It was bad enough that the Divine Music Department produced beauties; it was their first time fielding a male contestant who was also so handsome that he stole the limelight. Humph, I'll show you how formidable I am shortly.
Karat was half a head shorter than Ye Yinzhu, and though not unattractive, he had the pallor common among mages, which paled in comparison to Ye Yinzhu's sunny elegance.
Ye Yinzhu nodded and responded, "Hello, I'm the main contender for the Divine Music Department, a first-year student, Ye Yinzhu. Please instruct me."
Suppressing his jealousy, Karat responded with a smile, "May I know which type of competition your department has chosen?" According to the rules of the newcomers' competition, to show respect for females, the side with more female contestants had the right to choose the form of the competition. If the number of female contestants was equal, then a draw decided. Without question, in departments focused on combat and magic, the Divine Music Department was unique in producing four female contestants—an advantage in itself.
"Team battle," Ye Yinzhu replied succinctly and powerfully.
Karat acknowledged with a sound, and both sides retreated. An official from the Academy's Office of Academic Affairs acted as the referee for the match, and after confirming the mode of competition, he announced loudly, "The competition begins."
The six points surrounding the Hexagram No. 6 Arena lit up simultaneously, and a massive Magic Hexagram appeared in midair. A faint milky white glow formed a huge transparent cover that enveloped the entire trial field. Only the wealthy Milan Magic Martial Academy would go to such lengths to construct the Testing Field Defense Cover with Advanced-rank Magic Stones. This Elemental Defensive Cover, filled with various elements, could withstand the impact of Blue-rank and below magics as long as the presiding mage had enough energy to sustain it.
Wooden tables and chairs had been arranged; Haiyang sat in the backfield of their side with her guzheng laid flat on a table. Ye Yinzhu led the other four, standing five meters in front of Haiyang, forming an arc, subtly protecting her from the front.
"Ye Yinzhu, we are about to start," Karat shouted from across. He was not in a hurry to launch an attack. They had some understanding of Divine Music Masters; as long as the music couldn't reach midway, the Divine Music Master's power couldn't be brought into play. With such a long duration, even the forbidden curse of the Water Attribute could be completed.
In response to Karat, a resounding and vibrant string sound trembled like a dragon's chant. Haiyang's performance had already begun.
Orange light, accompanied by a melody as clear as splashing jade, rippled outward. The name of this piece on the zither was "Dream." The gentle yet sorrowful melody seemed to express Haiyang's emotions as it was played.
A spark of light flashed in Karat's eyes, "Good, Orange-rank High Rank. Truly the top talent of the Divine Music Department. Such a pity..."
Ye Yinzhu did not understand what Karat meant by 'such a pity.' At this point, the opponent's attack had already begun. The four contestants selected from among a hundred freshmen were naturally the cream of the crop, and shades of orange almost simultaneously released from them, each displaying the standards of an Intermediate Mage. The deep chanting of their spells rose, signaling the start of their magic.
Karat did not chant; he emitted a faint yellow light, Yellow-rank Beginner. A red Water Arrow spell that instantaneously cast was heading straight for Ye Yinzhu's chest. As the team captain, Karat's opening was a probing attack. Having reached Yellow rank, he could instantly cast Red-rank Magic.
Nina's instructions for the first match were just four words: win with a surprise element. The Divine Music Department had never appeared in the academy's internal competitions, and nobody was familiar with Divine Music Masters; this was their greatest advantage.
Ye Yinzhu stepped his left foot to the side, and though the Water Arrow was fast, his seemingly casual movement skillfully dodged it. The red Water Arrow struck the Testing Field Defense Cover, causing a slight ripple.
Karat was startled. In a Mage versus Mage confrontation, it was rare to see dodging. He could not have expected Ye Yinzhu to deal with his attack in that manner. Right at that moment, he realized something was not right. According to the original plan, the first wave of magic from his four teammates should have already been released, but their chanting was still not completed. Why was that? The zither sound—it was a sudden realization that made Karat's expression turn severe; he suddenly found that Divine Music Masters might not be entirely useless after all, as Haiyang's zither performance was already taking effect.
He must stop him. He had finally found someone who might allow the Divine Music Department to avoid coming in last, and he was not willing to give up this opportunity. Karat cast consecutive Water Arrow spells at Ye Yinzhu and his team, some even aimed at the gaps between the teammates, targeting Haiyang. Karat thought that if he could interrupt the zither performance, they would certainly win.
Peacock snorted in disdain, "Is this the best you can do?" With a flick of his right hand, a ring on his middle finger released an intense elemental glow. An orange Defense Cover instantly expanded, protecting the four players. The Red-rank Water Arrows were completely blocked by the Orange-rank defense, causing a series of dense impact noises.
At this time, the other four students from the Water Attribute finally completed their magic. Water Roar, Huge Wave-shaped Magic. If only one Orange-rank Mage performed it, the power would naturally be limited, but when four Mages unleashed it together, the force was tremendous. The quadruple amplified orange waves, with a powerful howling sound, charged towards the Divine Music Department's side.
Karat raised his Magic Staff, and a dazzling blue gemstone at the top emitted a gentle halo. His chanting had begun. Someone in the audience shouted, "Blessing of the Water Sprite."