The arena was thick with tension as the ash and dust began to settle, swirling in the faint breeze left by the explosion. For several moments, nothing could be seen except the gray haze. The audience held their breath, eyes glued to the battlefield, waiting to see what had become of Yang Feng and Ling Yun. Slowly, the smoke began to dissipate, revealing two silhouettes atop the sparrow.
Gasps rippled through the crowd as the scene became clear: Yang Feng stood tall, holding Ling Yun's spear. The weapon's blade hovered mere inches from Ling Yun's neck. Both fighters were atop the sparrow, its golden feathers shimmering faintly as it flapped its massive wings to stay aloft. Ling Yun, despite the precarious position he was in, smiled.
"You win," he said, his voice steady and free of bitterness.
The entire arena went silent. Moments ago, Yang Feng had dived directly into Ling Yun's devastating fiery attack. To everyone's astonishment, he had somehow disappeared and reappeared behind Ling Yun in the blink of an eye. The precision and audacity of the move left even the most seasoned fighters in the audience speechless.
The announcer, still recovering from the shock, finally managed to stammer, "A-And the winner is… Yang Feng!"
Yet, even as the declaration echoed through the stadium, no cheers erupted. The silence lingered, thick with awe and disbelief. It was as if the crowd collectively forgot how to react, too stunned by the battle they had just witnessed.
Yang Feng lowered the spear and handed it back to Ling Yun. Then, with a graceful leap, he descended from the sparrow, landing on the scorched arena floor. Ling Yun followed, descending more slowly as his sparrow let out a final screech before vanishing into a burst of golden light. The arena floor, now littered with scorch marks and cracks, seemed almost too fragile to bear witness to what had just occurred.
The silence finally broke.
"How could freshmen at bronze rank fight like that?" someone in the crowd shouted.
"Where did the school even find these guys!" another chimed in.
"Wait a second," someone else said. "Who e is the strongest bronze rank again? How could they command that much spiritual energy?"
Even the announcer was at a loss, still staring at the arena floor where the two combatants now stood. "What… what kind of magic is this?" he muttered under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief.
Ling Yun, having composed himself, extended a hand toward Yang Feng. His expression, though weary, was filled with genuine respect.
"Thanks for the fight," he said.
Yang Feng, calm and composed, reached out and shook Ling Yun's hand. "Not bad,not bad at all," he replied, his voice carrying a quiet confidence.
The crowd, which had been murmuring in awe, finally erupted into applause. It started with a few scattered claps but quickly grew into a thunderous ovation. The arena filled with cheers as spectators rose to their feet, celebrating what was undoubtedly one of the most incredible battles the academy had seen in years.
The announcer himself joined in, clapping enthusiastically as he exclaimed, "What a great fight! Truly spectacular!"
Ling Yun smiled as he raised both hands to the sky, waving to the crowd. The cheers grew even louder. Yang Feng, observing him, allowed a small smile to cross his face as he soaked in the moment. For a brief moment, the rivalry faded, replaced by mutual respect and shared glory.
Just as the applause began to subside, a figure emerged from the edge of the arena. A woman, dressed in the academy's formal robes, strode purposefully toward Yang Feng and Ling Yun. Her expression was unreadable, and her presence quickly silenced the lingering cheers.
She stopped in front of them and spoke in a calm yet commanding tone. "Please follow me."
Yang Feng and Ling Yun exchanged puzzled glances but didn't protest. Without another word, they stepped off the battlefield and followed the woman out of the arena. The crowd watched them leave, their whispers of amazement continuing to ripple through the stands.
Meanwhile, in the spectator section, Zhao Lei remained seated, his eyes fixed on the empty battlefield. He replayed the fight in his mind, still trying to comprehend what he had witnessed. "Amazing," he whispered to himself before standing and making his way toward the exit.
Yang Feng and Ling Yun followed the woman through the winding halls of the arena, their footsteps echoing against the stone walls. Eventually, they arrived at a counter manned by a clerk who was busy sorting through stacks of papers. The woman nodded to the clerk before turning and leaving without another word.
The clerk looked up and smiled politely. "Congratulations," he said, addressing both of them. "You've officially registered in the battle arena."
"Registered?" Ling Yun asked, his brow furrowing.
The clerk nodded. "That's right. By participating in a battle within the arena, you've automatically been registered as competitors. Let me explain how this works."
He reached beneath the counter and produced two small badges, handing one to each of them. The badges were intricately designed, with a glowing emblem in the center that seemed to pulse faintly with energy.
"These badges serve as your identification within the battle arena," the clerk explained. "By using the arena to fight battles, you can win prizes and earn points, which will help increase your rank. However, keep in mind that for every battle you lose, your points will decrease, and your rank will drop accordingly."
Ling Yun tilted his head, still processing the information. "What are points anyway?" he asked.
"Exactly," the clerk replied. "Since you haven't officially received points from the academy yet, there's nothing to increase or reduce. However, the winner of your battle today will receive two pills as a reward." He handed a small receipt to Yang Feng. "Take this to the alchemy tower, and they'll provide you with the pills."
Yang Feng accepted the receipt, glancing at it briefly before tucking it away. Ling Yun, still examining the badge, asked, "What's this for?" He pointed to the glowing emblem.
The clerk smiled. "Ah, the emblem keeps track of your battle records. For example, by pressing the center, you can view your statistics."
Curious, Ling Yun pressed the center of his badge. A small, holographic display appeared above it, showing his name along with his battle record: Battles Won: 0 | Battles Lost: 1.
"Oh, come on!" Ling Yun groaned, his shoulders slumping in frustration.
Yang Feng chuckled softly before pressing his own badge. His display read: Battles Won: 1 | Battles Lost: 0.
Ling Yun scowled. "Whatever," he muttered, crossing his arms.
The clerk chuckled at their exchange. "You two were eager to fight, weren't you? Normally, this information would have been released tomorrow during orientation, but it seems you've gotten a little preview."
Yang Feng and Ling Yun nodded, both expressing their thanks before turning to leave. As they walked away, the clerk called out one last piece of advice. "Make sure to rest up! You'll need it for the challenges ahead."
Yang Feng glanced at Ling Yun, who still looked slightly annoyed, and smirked. "Not bad for a first fight," he said, his tone light.
Ling Yun rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Yeah, yeah. Don't let it go to your head."
The two walked side by side, their competitive spirits intact but tempered by newfound respect.