After the match ended, Xiao Wu joyfully bounded over to Su Ming's side, while Dai Mubai was left looking utterly defeated. Though Xiao Wu had restrained her strength, he still felt like his body was on the verge of collapsing.
Su Ming could only give Xiao Wu a resigned look before activating his fourth spirit skill, casting a green glow over Dai Mubai's body—a light that seemed almost foreboding.
Seeing himself enveloped in green light, Dai Mubai grimaced, but he couldn't deny that Su Ming's healing spirit skill was highly effective. He even took an Oscar sausage to recover and fill his stomach a bit.
Then it was time for the third match, with Su Ming finally taking the stage. His opponent was a level 48 agility-type Spirit Master with a Leopard Martial Soul.
The announcer enthusiastically called from the stage, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first one-on-one Spirit Elder-level match of the day!"
"Now, let's welcome these two distinguished Spirit Elders to the stage!"
Simultaneously, the big screen displayed both participants' information:
The Thousand-Handed Overlord: Martial Soul: Wood Element, Level 43 Control-Type Battle Spirit Master.
Luo Boa: Martial Soul: Leopard, Level 48 Agility-Type Battle Spirit Master.
As they took the stage, Luo Bao was momentarily stunned. His opponent was clearly quite young but already possessed the power of a Spirit Elder. Luo Bao himself was over forty and only just reached this level, while this kid was only a child!
The spectators, already mindful from previous experience, held back any jeers, instead growing curious as to why there were suddenly so many genius Spirit Masters today.
The announcer, taken aback for a moment, quickly regained his composure. "Let the match begin!"
Both fighters activated their martial souls. Su Ming's spirit ring configuration was two yellow and two purple rings, while Luo Bao's was one white, one yellow, and two purple rings—a clear indication of the disparity between them.
Su Ming politely inclined his head toward Luo Bao. "Sir, please go easy on me."
Luo Bao nodded slightly, appreciating Su Ming's courtesy. "Kid, your talent is impressive. At such a young age, you've reached four spirit rings. Your potential is boundless. Let's just keep this friendly."
Luo Bao, wary of Su Ming's talent, dared not underestimate him. He knew, with his age and experience, that the difference in spirit power levels was negligible when facing a genius Spirit Master.
Without further words, they launched into battle.
With a light tap of his right foot, thick vines erupted across the platform at an astonishing speed.
Tang San watched intently from the stands, noting Su Ming's technique. Su Ming's intent was to restrict Luo Bao's movement, similar to how he had tried to restrict Zhu Zhuqing's speed earlier, but these vines grew far faster than his own Blue Silver Grass.
Observing Su Ming's progress day by day, while he himself was still only at level 30, Tang San couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. He knew, however, that cultivating was a gradual process, and once he absorbed the spirit ring of the Man-Faced Demon Spider, his strength would surely see a significant boost.
Originally, Tang San thought that with his Tang Sect techniques, Mysterious-Heaven Skill, and innate full spirit power from his twin martial souls, he had an edge unmatched in the continent. But Su Ming's innate spirit power was only at level 7, so how was he progressing so rapidly and so comprehensively, even creating his own spirit techniques?
Apart from hidden weapons, Su Ming outclassed him in every way! Without hidden weapons, he might not even be able to defeat Xiao Wu now. Joining Shrek Academy, he discovered that his spirit power level was actually the lowest among the newcomers!
These realizations made Tang San question whether cultivating Blue Silver Grass was the right choice. He sensed that his other martial soul was much stronger, with Blue Silver Grass being fragile as a control-type, whereas his hammer was clearly superior in terms of power.
Onstage, Luo Bao's expression changed as he observed the rapidly growing vines. The growth rate was unusual; he needed to act quickly, or he'd have no space left to stand!
"First Spirit Skill—Speed Boost!"
Though his first spirit ring was only ten years old, it could increase his speed by 30% instantly.
Understanding the urgency, Luo Bao closed in on Su Ming as fast as he could!
"Second Spirit Skill—Blazing Claws!"
Forming his hands into claws, Luo Bao lunged at Su Ming. Just when he thought he had struck, he realized it was only an afterimage!
Clearly, Su Ming, though a control-type Spirit Master, was also remarkably fast.
Su Ming had indeed evaded using the "Shadow Step," dodging Luo Bao's attack with ease.
His combat experience was still limited, and this spirit battle was a perfect opportunity to accumulate experience and observe the skills of other martial souls.
Smiling slightly after dodging, Su Ming remarked, "Sir, you'd better use your full strength, or you might not get another chance!"
Luo Bao's face darkened. He hadn't expected Su Ming to be this strong, and Su Ming hadn't even used any spirit skills yet. It was as if Su Ming were using him as practice!
Taking a deep breath, Luo Bao prepared for his strongest strike. This was his only hope to turn the tide. "Leopard Transformation!"
This spirit skill doubled Luo Bao's attack and speed for ten minutes, though it would leave him weakened for an hour afterward.
"Fourth Spirit Skill—Double Cross Slash!"
This fourth spirit skill was Luo Bao's most powerful single-target attack, capable of amplifying his speed even further. Enhanced by his first and third spirit skills, this was his ultimate move, reaching peak speed!
Su Ming's eyes narrowed as he sensed the immense power behind Luo Bao's strike—speed and attack power at their pinnacle!
However, this move still wasn't enough.
Not relying solely on his spirit skills, Su Ming's passive enhancements had already strengthened his vines several times over.
For added safety, he decided to use his first spirit ring to shield himself.
"First Spirit Skill—Forest Barrier!"
Immediately, several thick walls of vines formed in front of Su Ming, and Luo Bao's attack collided with them.
Boom!
A cloud of dust filled the arena, mixed with wood splinters.
As the dust settled, Luo Bao realized that he hadn't even breached Su Ming's defense. He had clearly seen Su Ming use just his first spirit skill, yet it provided such formidable protection!
What Luo Bao didn't know was that Su Ming's current spirit rings were all at the ten-thousand-year level or higher, and with the various amplifications he had, breaking through his defenses was simply beyond Luo Bao's capability.
Due to the rapid use of multiple spirit skills in a short time, Luo Bao was also greatly drained; his face even showed a hint of pallor. He knew that even if he kept fighting, victory was out of reach. Defeat was inevitable. Raising his right hand, he turned to the announcer and said, "I concede."
Su Ming gave Luo Bao a small smile. "Thank you for going easy on me, uncle."
Luo Bao sighed, "Truly, the young surpass the old. Kid, your future is limitless!"
The outcome of this match was quite surprising to the audience. Luo Bao had already won four consecutive matches, and just one more would have secured him entry to the main arena. Yet, at this critical moment, he lost to a much younger competitor.
The announcer immediately declared, "The winner of this match is 'The Thousand-Hands Overlord'!"
Su Ming slowly walked off the stage. Next up should be the two-on-two match, and his spirit power consumption wasn't significant in this one-on-one round.
Xiao Wu embraced Su Ming with a joyful laugh, "Brother, you're amazing! You beat a level forty-eight Spirit Ancestor so easily!"
Su Ming chuckled, "Just standard stuff. After all, control types counter agility types, and he couldn't even break through my defenses."
Su Ming's words struck Tang San like a knife to the heart, clearly showing the gap between them.
Tang San watched Su Ming with a thoughtful look. The next time he went to the Star Dou Forest, he was determined to find a high-quality Man-Faced Demon Spider.
Absorbing the spirit ring from the Man-Faced Demon Spider would make his Blue Silver Grass tougher and give it more potent venom.
Soon, the one-on-one matches ended, and it was time for the two-on-two round.
The announcer called out from the stage, "Today, we only have one match in the Spirit Ancestor category for the two-on-two event. Welcome the 'Thousand-Hands and Enchanting Rabbit' team and the 'Iron Hammer Brothers' team to the arena!"
Su Ming and Xiao Wu quickly took the stage, while the others cheered them on from the sidelines.
The announcer was surprised to see that the "Thousand-Hands and Enchanting Rabbit" team was none other than Thousand-Hands Overlord and Soft Bone Enchanting Rabbit from the earlier one-on-one matches. He hadn't noticed before since they both wore the same black masks, which were common in the arena.
The announcer enthusiastically announced, "So it turns out the 'Thousand-Hands and Enchanting Rabbit' team is Thousand-Hands Overlord and Soft Bone Enchanting Rabbit! From their performances earlier, the audience knows that they are exceptionally powerful!"
"Their opponents, the Iron Hammer Brothers, are old favorites in the arena. Let's look forward to an exciting showdown between these two teams!"
The Iron Hammer Brothers consisted of two siblings with Iron Hammer spirits. The elder brother, Mo Tie, was at level forty-five, and the younger, Mo Chui, at level forty-four, both with optimal spirit ring configurations of two yellow and two purple rings.
Xiao Wu leaned over and whispered to Su Ming, "Brother, let me handle this one. I want to test my strength. You just back me up."
Su Ming readily agreed, as he was also curious to see how strong Xiao Wu had become. Although she was only level thirty-nine, she could easily handle a few levels above her.
The announcer declared, "Let the match begin!"
"First spirit skill, Tremor!"
The Mo Brothers simultaneously used their first spirit skill, striking the ground hard with their hammers. The arena shook violently, and invisible ripples headed towards Su Ming and Xiao Wu.
Feeling the intense vibrations, Su Ming and Xiao Wu struggled to keep their balance and quickly used vines to lift themselves off the ground, hovering mid-air.
This earthquake-like attack was just a hundred-year spirit skill and couldn't harm Su Ming's vines.
After using their first skill, the Mo Brothers immediately launched their second and third skills.
"Second spirit skill, Weapon Control!"
"Third spirit skill, Weapon Split!"
They threw their hammers at Su Ming and Xiao Wu. The second skill allowed remote control over their spirit, while the third enabled their weapon to split into two, letting them focus fire on one target—a common combo for them.
The initial attack was meant to catch their opponents off guard and disrupt them, followed by coordinated attacks. They aimed to take down Xiao Wu first, as she was only level thirty-nine, making her an easier target. Once she was out, defeating Su Ming alone would be straightforward.
Seeing the incoming attacks, Xiao Wu didn't hesitate. She used her first spirit skill, Waist Bow, then teleported with her third skill, Instant Shift, right in front of the Mo Brothers, causing their attacks to miss.
The Mo Brothers hadn't watched Xiao Wu's one-on-one match earlier, or they would have been more cautious. Her third spirit skill allowed her to teleport, making her hard to hit.
"Second spirit skill, Charm!"
Xiao Wu cast her Charm on Mo Tie, who was instantly mesmerized, causing him to attack Mo Chui's spirit instead.
The announcer exclaimed, "Unbelievable! The Soft Bone Enchanting Rabbit's Charm has turned the Mo Brothers against each other! Even though she's only a Spirit Elder, she's holding her ground against Spirit Ancestors without any disadvantage!"
Mo Chui shouted to his brother, "Big brother, what are you doing? Snap out of it!"
Unfortunately, with Xiao Wu's heightened spiritual power, breaking free from her charm wasn't easy.
Xiao Wu turned her attention to Mo Chui, considering her options. It might be too harsh to use her Eight Stage Drop against them both. Maybe she should try that other move she had just recently started practicing.
"Wind God Leg Technique: Resilient Grass in the Wind!"
This was the second move of the Wind God Leg technique, combining high speed with immense power. Xiao Wu had only recently started learning it. Previously, she'd been focusing on integrating the internal techniques of the Wind God Leg into her Eight Stage Drop, enhancing its power and her own speed.
For example, she rarely used the first move, Catching Shadows, because her Instant Shift was already more convenient.
With one swift kick, Xiao Wu sent Mo Chui flying out of the ring, knocking him unconscious, causing his spirit to dissipate. Mo Tie was still charmed, so she gave him a light kick as well, making sure not to show favoritism, and he, too, passed out.
Watching her powerful kick, Su Ming fell into thought. When did Xiao Wu's kicks get so powerful? She just knocked them out with a single blow—without even needing her Eight Stage Drop!
[T/N:
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