Seeing her teammates being completely suppressed, Mu Ningxue finally snapped back to reality.
"Wind Spiral - Heavenly Web!"
A mystical blue wind, resembling a gem-like glow, began swirling around her. This wind held a far more powerful energy compared to ordinary green wind magic. Mu Ningxue's speed instantly surpassed everyone else present who had wind magic.
Her long silver hair danced gracefully in the wind, and even her parted bangs that usually hung down her face flew upward, revealing her nearly flawless face.
Her dazzling eyes gradually turned a brilliant green, akin to the color of wind spirits. Surrounding her slender figure was an enormous cyan-blue wind field with a diameter of about 20 meters, visible to the naked eye.
This wind aura caused her to slightly hover above the ground. As she stood there with her hands crossed in front of her chest, Mu Ningxue transformed from an ice queen to a storm princess—so noble and awe-inspiring that no one dared to even think of desecrating her.
This second-level Heavenly Web attack arose directly at the target's location. It formed a massive tornado-shaped whirlwind with a maximum diameter of 20 meters. Once the target was surrounded by this wind wall, unless they broke through it right away, they would be trapped in the eye of the storm. As the whirlwind spun faster, the target would be pulled into the swirling winds, enduring the tearing pain of the storm's violent force.
"Fiery Fist: Ground Break!"
Boom! Boom!
Mu Ningxue's Heavenly Web was powerful, but Mo Fan's Ground Break was no weaker. The impact of Mo Fan's fiery attack tore through the whirlwind, shredding it to pieces!
He had completely shattered her spiritual-grade Heavenly Web with sheer force?
At that moment, both the audience and the participants felt Mo Fan's overwhelming strength. Calling him a "magical artillery" wouldn't even be an exaggeration.
Most people typically think that powerful destructive magic should be countered by defensive spells. But in truth, the best way to destroy magic is with even more destructive magic.
"I'm done playing. Let's finish this," Mo Fan said, after dismantling the whirlwind. Then, the power of lightning surged through his body.
"Thunderbolt: Yaksha!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, Mu Ningxue was engulfed by lightning. She quickly used her Ice Lock to defend herself, but the force of the Thunderbolt shattered her defense.
Fortunately for her, Mo Fan didn't continue attacking after breaking her shield. Otherwise, she would have had to rely on magical artifacts to survive the next wave of bombardment.
"I've lost."
Mu Ningxue couldn't quite understand how Mo Fan, without any resources or backing, had become so powerful. He had never joined any major factions, yet his strength was undeniable.
But a loss was a loss.
"Just wait. Next time, I'll make sure to show him who's boss!" said Lu Zhenghe, glaring at Mo Fan with a bitter expression, his heart filled with resentment.
"Sigh. I didn't expect the other side to have such a trump card. It looks like we underestimated Pearl Academy." said Lu Yiming, with a sense of resignation.
Lu Zhenghe scoffed, "I don't see what's so great about him."
"He's a natural dual-element mage, which is already amazing. But what's so special about you, Lu Zhenghe, besides relying on your Ghost Wolf?" retorted Liao Mingxuan, taking the opportunity to mock the always arrogant Lu Zhenghe.
"And didn't your wolf just get completely trashed?" added Xu Dalong, making no effort to hide his sarcasm.
"Alright, alright, victory and defeat are part of life. Besides, this was just a sparring match meant for practice. The real test will come during the upcoming wilderness trials." Lu Yiming interrupted, trying to defuse the tension.
Although he felt bitter about the loss, he had no choice but to accept the reality. If they wanted to regain some pride, they'd have to wait for the wilderness training session.
Wilderness trials were crucial for any mage in training. Even if the schools didn't make them mandatory, any mage with aspirations of becoming powerful would seek out such experiences on their own. A true mage needed to be battle-hardened to rise to the top.
The sparring session ended with Mo Fan doing what he needed to do, and he didn't care much about the aftermath. He was ready to move on to the next challenge.
For any aspiring mage, the wilderness trials were of utmost importance. It wasn't like the small-scale military training exercises they had in high school. This was real—students would be sent beyond the safe zones, with no teachers or hunters to protect them. They'd have to rely on their own abilities to overcome obstacles and face the deadly demons that roamed the wilds.
In these trials, death was a real possibility. But from the day a mage awakens their magic, they must be prepared for this reality.
The news of the sparring match spread quickly, and soon, the entire school and even other universities were buzzing about it.
Pearl Academy had won both rounds of the exchange matches, a total victory!
This news shocked many students across various campuses. The elites from the Imperial Capital's Academy had been thoroughly defeated. The once unshakable dominance of the Imperial Academy was now in question, and Pearl Institute seemed to have risen above it.
Though this result didn't directly affect the two schools much—it was, after all, just a friendly competition between newly admitted students—it still caused quite a stir.
The focus soon shifted to the wilderness trials. These trials were crucial for every mage who aspired to greatness. To truly become powerful, one must face real-world challenges, far beyond the controlled environment of the academy.
The exchange students gathered again for the meeting, led by Songhe, the Principal of the Imperial Academy, who explained the details of the wilderness trials.
The students from both Pearl Academy and the Imperial Academy would be going to the same location for their training: Jinlin City.
"Jinlin City? I've never heard of such a place." said Jingjing, who had a keen understanding of geography.
She had a remarkable memory and knew the layout of all the cities in the country. But this Jinlin City was unfamiliar to her.
"Jinlin City is unique because it was erased from maps fifteen years ago." explained Professor Qiu Yuhua.
"Erased from maps?"
Everyone was shocked to hear this.
Principal Songhe then went on to recount the tale of how Jinlin City was ravaged by a tribe of Lizard Skull Giant Demons. With two prestigious schools working together, the students were tasked with collecting data from the area. If the lizard tribe had indeed left, there was a possibility the city could be restored.
(End of Chapter)