Yu Tianheng's words also caused Qin Ming to be slightly taken aback, but seeing Yu Tianheng's unyielding expression, he smiled lightly and said, "Tianheng, I understand what you mean. In that case, let's go."
"Everyone, follow me, same place as usual."
After saying this, Qin Ming activated his spirit power, lightly tapping the ground with his foot, and left the room.
Seeing this, the members of the Emperor Team quickly followed suit, unleashing their spirit power and hurrying after him without any intention of showing Cheng Xiao the way.
It wasn't that they disliked Cheng Xiao; rather, they wanted to see if this boy, who had broken through to Spirit Elder at the age of twelve, was really as strong as people claimed.
Cheng Xiao didn't mind being ignored. Although Qin Ming was fast, he wasn't beyond reach. With the activation of his skill, Dash, Cheng Xiao shot forward in an instant.
As Cheng Xiao departed, the shadow soldiers around him turned into black smoke and merged back into his shadow. Of course, some of the shadows still desired to serve their king, but they were all denied without exception.
Qin Ming kept a steady, fast pace, and the gap between him and the Emperor Team members soon became apparent.
Just as they exited the gates of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Cheng Xiao, like a ghostly figure, surpassed Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, and immediately after, overtook the Shi brothers.
Seeing Cheng Xiao easily surpass them, Dugu Yan's face darkened, "How is his speed so fast? Isn't he a Power Attack Spirit Master?"
"Sister Yan, I think his speed is faster than Yu Feng's." One of the Shi brothers, running ahead of Dugu Yan, spoke up.
Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan's eyes flashed with shock. Yu Feng was a sensitive-attack Spirit Master known for his speed, thanks to his spirit, the Wind Bell Bird. How could Cheng Xiao be faster than him? At that moment, it wasn't Yu Tianheng or Oslo who kept pace with Qin Ming, but Yu Feng, the fastest member of the Emperor Team.
After surpassing the four, Cheng Xiao caught up with Oslo. The two were only a few meters behind Yu Feng.
But even this small distance had Oslo exerting himself to the limit. He panted heavily as he glanced at Cheng Xiao, who was casually keeping pace beside him. For a moment, he was in disbelief—had he, a speed-focused Spirit Master, just been overtaken by a Power Attack Spirit Master?
This scene didn't go unnoticed by the other members of the Emperor Team. At that moment, a single thought flashed through all their minds: "Is this guy a monster?"
However, the most surprising event was yet to come. Just as Oslo was about to collapse from exhaustion, Cheng Xiao smirked and suddenly accelerated, heading straight for Yu Feng.
Yu Feng's spirit, the Wind Bell Bird, made speed his greatest advantage, yet now someone was catching up to him? When Yu Feng glanced back, he found that Cheng Xiao was less than a meter away. The pride he had in his speed vanished, replaced by growing pressure.
Despite this, Yu Feng wasn't ready to give up. Summoning all his strength, a gust of wind appeared under his feet as he prepared to use his full power to increase his speed and shake off Cheng Xiao.
But just as Yu Feng thought his enhanced speed would be enough to lose Cheng Xiao, a faint smile appeared on Cheng Xiao's lips. Staring at Yu Feng's fast-moving figure, Cheng Xiao activated another speed-enhancing skill, Stealth.
In the blink of an eye, Cheng Xiao disappeared from everyone's sight. Using the opportunity, he quietly overtook Yu Feng, creating a strong gust of wind as he passed.
The sudden gust startled Yu Feng. He looked back in confusion, only to find that Cheng Xiao was no longer behind him. Just as he was about to feel relieved, the words he heard next hit him like a blow.
"Your speed isn't bad. It seems like your spirit really is special."
Yu Feng froze upon hearing this voice. He stiffly turned his head and saw that, at some point, a figure had appeared next to Qin Ming. It was Cheng Xiao!
"How is this possible? He actually caught up to Teacher Qin? Wasn't he just behind me?" Staring at Cheng Xiao in front of him, Yu Feng felt as though the sky had collapsed. In less than a day, his title of the fastest member of the Emperor Team had been taken, and the new titleholder was clearly Cheng Xiao.
Seeing Cheng Xiao walking calmly beside him, Qin Ming's expression subtly shifted. He thought to himself, "It seems this boy, Cheng Xiao, holds far more secrets than I had imagined."
"How did you catch up to me? I didn't even notice you," Qin Ming asked with a smile.
"Just a simple ability of my spirit. Nothing worth mentioning," Cheng Xiao replied with a slight smile.
"Really? Well, it's certainly impressive."
"Not really. By the way, Teacher Qin, where exactly are we heading?"
Hearing this, Qin Ming pointed ahead and said, "The Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena!"
Following Qin Ming's finger, Cheng Xiao noticed a large building in the distance. It resembled an ancient coliseum.
"Teacher Qin, are you taking us to the Spirit Arena for battles?" Cheng Xiao asked, pointing to the structure.
Qin Ming nodded, "Exactly. The reason I brought you all here is for Spirit Battles!"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiao understood. No wonder they left the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy—it was to come here for Spirit Battles.
…
A short while later, the entire Emperor Team had arrived in front of the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena.
"Cheng Xiao, this building is called the Great Spirit Arena. Only cities at the level of main cities can have one. Its scale can be seen as a symbol of the strength of a city or even a country."
"The Great Spirit Arena is a place where Spirit Masters compete. Tianheng and the others still have doubts about your strength, so show them what you can do in a moment."
"No problem. But Teacher Qin, can you explain the rules of Spirit Battles? It's my first time in a Spirit Arena, so I'm not familiar with the rules."
"Haha, since you don't know, let me explain." Qin Ming laughed and said, "The rules of the Great Spirit Arena are simple. Any Spirit Master entering must register and receive a badge. After winning a battle, they earn points, and once their points reach a certain level, their badge rank will increase."
"The rank of your badge is a symbol of your strength. The higher the badge rank, the more benefits you receive. When you first register, you start with an Iron Spirit Badge, and from there, you can upgrade to Copper, Silver, Gold, Amethyst, Sapphire, Ruby, and Diamond."
"Currently, everyone except you and Lingling already has a one-on-one Silver Spirit Badge. Your task is to obtain your one-on-one Silver Spirit Badge within a year, though I don't think that will be too difficult for you."
As he said this, Qin Ming's gaze swept over the seven members of the Emperor Team. Then he added, "Once we're inside, you can begin your two-on-two Spirit Battles. I've already arranged the teams. Lingling, being a support-type Spirit Master, hasn't participated in two-on-two battles before, since she only has one ability."
"Cheng Xiao, since you're here, you and Lingling will form a team for two-on-two battles," Qin Ming said.
"Okay, teacher." Standing beside Dugu Yan, a girl dressed in black, with a layer of black gauze covering her face, stepped forward. Her figure was slender, and her waterfall-like blue hair cascaded down her back. Her eyes, the same color as her hair, revealed no emotion.
From her, Cheng Xiao could sense a feeling of loneliness and sorrow. Perhaps that was why she hadn't participated in two-on-two battles before.
"Lingling, this is your first time participating in a two-on-two Spirit Battle. Make sure to protect yourself. Don't forget what I've taught you: as a support-type Spirit Master, your priority is to ensure your own safety. Cheng Xiao's spirit is quite unique, and the two of you together might have unexpected results," Qin Ming advised, rubbing his chin while observing Cheng Xiao out of the corner of his eye.
"Yes, teacher." Ye Lingling's voice was pleasant, but it felt empty, as if she were a puppet controlled by strings.
...
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