Su Wen's opponent was a big man with his upper body bare, with a cross-shaped scar on his chest.
"Are you a scholar who can fight?" The scarred man looked at Su Wen and laughed heartily, "With those skinny arms and legs, you really look like a scholar."
His expression changed, and he said fiercely, "But you may not understand the true meaning of battle."
Su Wen paid no attention to his opponent's words.
Perhaps it was simply mockery, or maybe the opponent was engaging in psychological warfare, trying to increase pressure on himself.
But none of it mattered.
"Both sides release your Martial Spirits!"
The scarred man's Martial Spirit was a pair of giant axes, with two Spirit Rings, one white and one yellow, rising from under his feet.
His Soul Power level was also not low, reaching level twenty-eight.
While Su Wen's Martial Spirit and Spirit Ring caused the entire scene to fall silent.
One yellow, one purple.
'A purple ring...?'
The scarred man looked bewildered, suspecting that the matching mechanism was wrong, accidentally placing him in a Spirit Elder match.
'But that didn't make sense. Although I'm strong, I'm only a Spirit Grand Master. I didn't apply for a challenge beyond my level. How could I be placed in a Spirit Elder match?'
He carefully counted Su Wen's Spirit Rings again and was even more astonished.
'It's two rings!'
'The second ring is a thousand years old.'
Even the referee was stunned at this moment, failing to announce the start of the match promptly after both sides released their Martial Spirits.
But soon after realizing, he also issued the command immediately.
"The match begins!"
Anyway, this battle had to go on, and the audience outside the arena, after a brief silence, got their emotions stirred up as the referee gave the command.
"Second ring, thousand years old!"
"My goodness, isn't it said that you need to reach the Spirit Elder rank to absorb a thousand-year-old Spirit Ring?"
"How could this be? My second ring is still white, yet others can absorb a thousand years old Spirit Ring. How are we supposed to survive?"
Some doubted whether their status as Spirit Masters was different from others.
The battle commenced.
The referee's voice also brought the scarred man back to attention.
With a slightly wary look in his eyes as he glanced at Su Wen, his vigilance was limited. Su Wen's Book Martial Spirit, emitting a magnificent glow, greatly diminished the intimidation of his second ring.
Swinging a pair of giant axes, the scarred man charged forward.
"First Spirit Skill, Sweeping All Directions!"
Purple light shimmered as two flames enveloped Su Wen's fists, emitting a bursting aura.
Although without Ye Lingling's continuous healing, Su Wen's Flame Fist couldn't reach its full potential, after half a month of combat, he had developed some resistance. Now, Flame Fist could still compress and unleash flames with explosive power.
Boom!
Su Wen stomped fiercely and charged out as well.
"The Scholar Warrior has actually chosen a head-on collision!" the commentator was extremely excited.
"My goodness, his Spirit Skill is actually a fire attribute strong attack Spirit Skill!"
"No wonder it's a thousand years old Spirit Ring!"
The commentator's voice echoed over the arena.
"Second Spirit Skill, Limitless Power!"
The scarred man watched as Su Wen, his fists surrounded by flames, charged towards him, but he didn't let his guard down. Before the collision, he unleashed his Second Spirit Skill.
His arms instantly seemed filled with strength as he swung his right arm, wielding the giant axe directly at Su Wen.
Su Wen threw a punch.
His right fist was thrown out, and before it made contact with the giant axe, the flames on its surface exploded.
Boom!
His body spun, disrupting the scarred man's plan to counterattack with his left axe after the collision, as he was pushed back by the explosion.
But Su Wen continued his charge.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each of his punches exploded into flames.
The commentator and the audience were completely ignited by this fighting style.
The second ring, a thousand years old, was already a highlight, and Su Wen's ferocious fighting style made it even more thrilling.
At this moment, the audience subconsciously forgot that Su Wen's Martial Spirit was a book.
The scarred man couldn't hold on for too long and was defeated.
"The Scholar Warrior wins!"
As the referee announced the result, the audience once again noticed Su Wen's ID.
Before the match, they criticized this ID, and now, they criticize it even more.
"Is he really a scholar?"
"Must be fake, right?"
"Just because he's holding a book doesn't mean he's a scholar!"
Su Wen's second ring being a thousand years old, was bound to attract a lot of attention but it was going to be exposed sooner or later so he didn't mind.
As for what happens next, it depends on how the major forces respond.
"However, I did join the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy after all, and in the eyes of outsiders, I'm considered the legitimate successor of Fire Demon Xiao Zhan's lineage."
Xiao Zhan was also a prominent Spirit Saint. Moreover, Su Wen is currently a student of the academy. The academy itself is backed by the Heaven Dou royal family, so it's unlikely to cause too much turmoil.
Talent is important, but ultimately, strength reigns supreme in the world of Spirit Masters. Potential is potential, and only when it's realized does one deserve equal attention.
Even if someone wants to understand how Su Wen obtained a thousand years old second ring, they would have to go through the proper channels. Apart from individuals like Dugu Bo, who act according to their own rules without much concern, the major powers still adhere to protocols.
...
- In the palace of the Heaven Dou royal family -
Emperor Xue Ye looked at the memorial in his hand, which described Su Wen's battle in the Great Spirit Arena. Naturally, Emperor Xue Ye was aware of Su Wen's existence.
"I initially thought of hiding him away and letting him shine in the Spirit Master Tournament seven years later, but I didn't expect him to progress so rapidly," Emperor Xue Ye recalled Meng Shenji's relayed assessment from Xiao Zhan. "Before the Spirit Master Tournament, Su Wen will definitely break through the Spirit Elder level. By then, he will surely possess the strength of a Spirit Ancestor."
Having the strength of a Spirit Ancestor is considered excellent in the Spirit Master Tournament. Perhaps, in this edition of the tournament, Su Wen will have to make an appearance. And in the next edition after that...
"This Su Wen must be kept in the academy," two years later, he will show his prowess in the tournament, and in the following five years, he will exert immense pressure on the Spirit Hall.
"The Golden Generation? Hmph. Even with your so-called Golden Generation, in the next Spirit Master Tournament, the Spirit Hall might lose the title of champion for the first time."
What the Heaven Dou Empire needs to ensure now is that Su Wen is not poached by the Spirit Hall.
"Well, this time, the Seven Treasure Glazed Glass Clan is likely to inquire. It's an opportunity for the Crown Prince to recruit Su Wen," Emperor Xue Ye thought.
With the Crown Prince's abilities, recruiting Su Wen shouldn't be a problem.
...
In the residence of the Crown Prince, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe looked at the intelligence in his hand with composure.
"This Su Wen, it seems I should meet him."
"Master, there's new intelligence here." A figure suddenly appeared and handed the intelligence to Xue Qinghe.
Opening the intelligence and reading it through, Xue Qinghe remained silent for a long time.
"That woman. What does she mean?"
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