"Intense, thrilling, and fair—welcome to the Grand Spirit Arena! I'm today's host, Yi Yi!" The match's announcer, a striking young woman with a microphone spirit, was clearly born for this role.
"Today's match features two teams who have both achieved notable records here at the arena. This is their first encounter, and we'll soon see who will continue their winning streak and who might face their first defeat. Let's all watch closely and enjoy the show!"
"And now, let the battle begin!"
At Yi Yi's signal, both teams activated their spirits. Blue Tyrant Academy's seven members revealed their abilities, and as expected, the four youngest members had familiar spirits: Giant Ape, Skeleton, Healing Scepter, and Wolf.
Currently, all four of them were Spirit Grandmasters, but judging by their spirit energy, they were below the Heaven Dou team's level. The strongest among them, Tai Long, was only around rank 25, which explained why he'd only reached rank 37 by the time of the Spirit Master Tournament.
These talents weren't exactly what one would call exceptional.
As for the three Spirit Elders, they were also low-ranked and possessed shield, ant, and chain spirits, respectively. Their lineup—a defense type, an attack type, and a control type—was quite balanced, but not all of them had optimal spirit rings. Only the ant spirit user had two yellow and one purple ring; the shield and chain spirit users both had white, ten-year rings for their first spirit ring.
This wasn't surprising. Blue Tyrant Academy only admitted commoners, and without a powerful spirit master to assist with hunting stronger spirit beasts, most of them were forced to settle for lower-tier rings for safety's sake. Though this limited their future potential, it was better than risking their lives.
"Alright, everyone, activate your spirits!" commanded Yu Tianheng, their captain. On his signal, all seven team members unleashed their spirits and spirit rings.
Apart from Nan Feihuang, the team sported perfect spirit ring configurations. Even with one less Spirit Elder, they didn't lack in momentum.
Nan Feihuang's spirit rings, particularly his second thousand-year ring, drew gasps of astonishment from the audience.
It wasn't the first time he had fought in the Grand Spirit Arena, so there were already rumors about his unusual spirit rings. After his public match with Yu Tianheng, his reputation as a prodigy had spread far and wide. Still, each time spectators witnessed it, they couldn't help but cry out in awe.
Liu Erlong's eyes widened. "Impossible! A thousand-year second ring? How could he achieve that? Xiaogang's research indicated that the maximum absorption for the first ring is 423 years, and the second is 764 years. His theory has always been accurate!"
This was her first time seeing Nan Feihuang in person. Known as a recluse, she typically stayed in her personal quarters tending to her garden. It was rare for her to bring her students to the arena for hands-on training. And yet, here she was, witnessing something that defied logic.
"I'll get right to it! First spirit skill, Jade Phosphor Red Poison! Second spirit skill, Jade Phosphor Blue Poison!" Dugu Yan activated her Jade Phosphor Snake spirit and applied her first and second spirit skills on Nan Feihuang and Yu Tianheng.
Though Dugu Yan was a control-type spirit master, her true offensive skill wasn't until her third spirit skill. Her first two were strictly auxiliary.
Her first skill, Jade Phosphor Red Poison, induced a state of exhilaration, increasing attack power and speed by 20%. Her second, Jade Phosphor Blue Poison, numbed pain and increased defense by 30%.
These buffs were nearly as potent as the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda at the same level, though they came with side effects. After the battle, those affected had to cleanse themselves of the poison; otherwise, it would harm them. Moreover, this enhancement could only be used once daily to avoid prolonged exposure to the poison's effects.
This was all Dugu Yan could do for now. Her third skill, Jade Phosphor Purple Poison, was a deadly large-area attack that could melt targets into a puddle. Qin Ming had forbidden her from using it recklessly in the arena, given that this was a friendly match, not a life-or-death battle.
"Captain, let's go!" Nan Feihuang called out, charging forward with Yu Tianheng at his side.
"Haha, finally, someone to fight beside me!" Yu Tianheng laughed. As the team's only previous power-attack type spirit master, he was used to bearing the brunt of every clash alone. Today, he had someone to share the fight with.
With a sweep of his long halberd, Nan Feihuang pulled the shield and ant spirit elders into his own combat zone.
Even without Dugu Yan's boost, his physical strength was already greater than most Spirit Elders. Now, taking on two of them simultaneously was no problem.
"Hmph! Just a Spirit Grandmaster, yet daring to face two Spirit Elders. Think you're something special? Well, I've got a thousand-year ring too, brat!" The ant spirit user felt insulted by Nan Feihuang's confidence. He'd been ready to take on the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon himself, yet here he was facing a mere Spirit Grandmaster. It made his blood boil.
"Second spirit skill, Force Punch!" The ant spirit master swung a powerful punch straight at Nan Feihuang.
It was no ordinary punch. Although his ant spirit wasn't as elite as a bullet ant or Hercules ant, regular ants still made for formidable strength-based spirits.
Ants possessed astonishing strength. Though small in size, they could carry objects several times their own weight. Some species could lift items up to fifty times heavier than themselves—akin to a human lifting a small car.
While the spirit master hadn't developed his spirit to that extent, his punch was still three times stronger than usual.
Nan Feihuang countered with a sweeping strike from his Single-Handed Eighteen Forms, colliding with the ant spirit master's punch. Both men were forced back—Nan Feihuang by a single step, while his opponent stumbled back nearly three. The difference in power was obvious.
"Not bad for an ant spirit—good strength," Nan Feihuang said with a smirk as he quickly regained his balance and charged forward, his halberd thrusting straight toward his opponent.
The ant spirit master felt a chill. "Damn it, what kind of monster strength does this guy have? His physique is even more terrifying than mine as a beast spirit elder, and he hasn't even used any spirit skills!"
His hands still tingled from their clash, while Nan Feihuang had barely flinched. Though it seemed like an even exchange, he realized he was already at a disadvantage.
"Second spirit skill, Merging Gold Shield!" The shield spirit master activated his defensive skill, positioning himself in front of his teammate.
With a loud clang, Nan Feihuang's halberd struck the center of the shield. The initial impact was fully absorbed.
"Impressive defense-type weapon spirit, but…" Nan Feihuang gripped his halberd firmly, twisting it with one hand until the weapon began spinning rapidly. Shifting from a thrust to a drilling motion, he employed The Stab from his Single-Handed Eighteen Forms.
The spinning halberd's tip drilled into the center of the shield. Soon, cracks appeared on the sturdy weapon spirit, and it began to splinter under the pressure.
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