"Dean, I heard from Wang Sheng that you were looking for me."
When Cheng Xiao arrived at the door of the Dean's office, the door was already open.
Walking in, Dean Ma Nuo was reading a book. Hearing Cheng Xiao's voice, he slowly raised his head, nodding slightly at the young man standing before him.
"You're here." Ma Nuo closed the book and smiled, "I have a small matter to discuss with you."
"Please, Dean," Cheng Xiao responded.
"I heard that when you went to acquire your second spirit ring, you didn't bring any of the academy's teachers along. Yet, you successfully obtained the second spirit ring and broke through to Spirit Grandmaster, right?" Ma Nuo asked curiously.
Generally speaking, a spirit master usually doesn't hunt for spirit beasts alone unless they have significant strength. But Cheng Xiao was a bit different.
What Ma Nuo couldn't imagine was that Cheng Xiao didn't need to kill spirit beasts to obtain his spirit rings. Bringing people to hunt spirit beasts wasn't something he would do unless a specific situation called for it.
"Yes, Dean, I was fortunate. While hunting for a spirit beast, I encountered a century-old beast that was already dying. I found that it matched well with my martial spirit, so I absorbed it," Cheng Xiao casually fabricated an explanation.
"That's really quite lucky. It seems your luck is always on point," Mano smiled. "Well, tomorrow morning, I've arranged for you and Tang San to have a sparring session. I want to see what level the talents of our Nuoding Academy have reached."
"No problem, Dean." Cheng Xiao nodded, then asked, "Are there any restrictions for the spar?"
"It's just a friendly sparring match, no need for too many rules," Ma Nuo shook his head with a smile. "However, I've heard that you spent money to forge two short swords, and Grandmaster told me that your swords counter Tang San's Blue Silver Grass. So, during the spar, you both should only use your martial spirits—no weapons that could cause real harm. We don't want things to get out of hand."
"Understood," Cheng Xiao replied with a smile.
——
The next morning.
Sunlight filtered through the trees on the academy's field, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Because classes were in session, the field was empty except for four people standing there.
Grandmaster and Dean Ma Nuo stood at the center, with Cheng Xiao and Tang San standing on opposite sides, facing each other from a distance, their gazes interlocked.
"Cheng Xiao, Tang San, you are both Nuoding Academy's top students. In just two years, you've both reached the rank of Spirit Grandmaster. Once I give the signal, you may begin sparring," Ma Nuo's sharp eyes swept over both of them as he reminded, "Remember, you're classmates. This is just a friendly match, so injuries may occur, but don't go overboard. Understood?"
"Yes," Cheng Xiao and Tang San answered in unison.
Ma Nuo nodded slightly. "Alright, then let the sparring match begin!"
"Wait a moment," the Grandmaster interrupted. He looked at Tang San and said, "Xiao San, you are not allowed to use any special weapons in this match. The same goes for Cheng Xiao. You both are to only use your martial spirits in this battle."
"Yes, Teacher," Tang San nodded in agreement. He then turned to Cheng Xiao, his eyes glowing faintly with purple light as he declared, "This time, I won't lose."
Hearing this, Cheng Xiao couldn't help but smile. "Alright, then bring it on!"
As soon as his words fell, a gleam lit up deep in Cheng Xiao's eyes. He raised his right fist, and with the activation of his speed-enhancing skill, his body's speed suddenly surged. In the blink of an eye, his fist was already flying toward Tang San's chest.
"So fast!" Tang San's expression changed slightly. He hadn't expected that after obtaining his second spirit ring, Cheng Xiao's speed would increase so dramatically. If not for his earlier activation of the Purple Demon Eyes, he might not have even been able to track Cheng Xiao's movements!
However, Tang San didn't attempt to dodge. With his knowledge of Tang Sect techniques, he was confident he wouldn't lose to anyone! He quickly raised his right arm, and in an instant, his fist turned into a lustrous, milky white color—the hallmark of the Tang Sect's Poison-Immune technique, Mysterious Jade Hand!
Bang!
The sound of their fists colliding echoed sharply, and both of them momentarily froze in place. But in the next instant, Tang San's body was forced backward, stumbling several steps before he managed to steady himself. He looked at Cheng Xiao in shock. Even with the protection of the Mysterious Jade Hand, he had still come out at a disadvantage in the clash!
How strong must Cheng Xiao's body be to cause this?
Tang San clenched his teeth, feeling a bit unwilling to accept this outcome, but he wasn't ready to give up. If pure physical strength wasn't enough, he would use his spirit abilities. He refused to believe that without his dual swords, Cheng Xiao would be able to counter his Blue Silver Grass's entanglement!
"First Spirit Ability: Entangle!"
Tang San shouted, and deep blue light emerged from his palm. Several strands of dark blue Blue Silver Grass sprouted from within the blue glow.
After absorbing the spirit ring of the Ghost Vine, the Blue Silver Grass had become more slender, covered with tiny purple-black thorns, inherited from the plant-type spirit beast.
As two yellow spirit rings slowly rose from beneath Tang San's feet, spinning and pulsating, the thick dark-blue vines burst forth from his hands, spreading out in all directions towards Cheng Xiao.
"If you don't have a target, your Blue Silver Grass becomes ineffective, doesn't it?" Cheng Xiao grinned as he vanished from his original spot. The vines that had been closing in on him suddenly found nothing to grasp.
Without a target, even Tang San was momentarily stunned. Purple light flashed in his eyes as he continued to activate his Purple Demon Eyes, but with Cheng Xiao's sudden disappearance, Tang San found himself on the back foot.
"How is this possible?" Tang San was shaken. His first spirit ability hadn't even touched Cheng Xiao, so how could he use his second spirit ability, Parasite? Suddenly, a sense of dread rose from the pit of his stomach. His face paled as a deep, ominous feeling gripped his heart. He felt as if he were staring into an abyss, and even his internal spirit power became erratic. For a moment, it seemed as though he was standing in a field of corpses and blood. His body trembled involuntarily, and his Purple Demon Eyes were forcibly shut down.
"It looks like you can't use your Blue Silver Grass spirit abilities anymore." Cheng Xiao suddenly appeared in front of Tang San. With a soft whisper, he activated his Critical Strike skill, and his clenched fist smashed directly into Tang San's chest.
Bang!
The sound was as loud as a clap of thunder, and Tang San's entire body was sent flying like a fallen leaf, rolling twice on the ground before finally coming to a stop.
"Xiao San!" Grandmaster, who had been watching from the sidelines, was momentarily stunned. Seeing his disciple so easily defeated, he quickly ran over to Tang San and reached out to help him up.