Elder Ling wasted no time, pouring a small amount of Divine Essence fragments into a formation that reset the ground to its original state. He then called up the next participants.
Xie Fan was deep in thought, planning his next battle strategy when he decided it would be more fun to fight without a plan and think of it on the spot. He used the free time to think about his future actions and how he could use the academy points. He wanted to improve himself. While he was planning, many battles passed, and soon it was time for Yin Bai to fight.
Elder Ling named the next participants: "Ying Luo vs. Yin Bai!"
Yin Bai stepped into the ring. His heart raced—not because he was scared, but because he wanted to test his progress. He took a deep breath and calmed himself, his expression emotionless. Whispers filled the air, everyone curious about the outcome. But Yin Bai was indifferent to their opinions—he wasn't here to prove anything to them, only to himself.
He took a moment to look around, his eyes briefly scanning the faces in the crowd, then focused his attention on the ground beneath him. The surface was smooth because of the formation elder Ling used, he adjusted his posture. His breathing was steady, his stance precise. He exhaled slowly, feeling the flow of his Divine Essence fragments.
Then, he lifted his gaze to his opponent.
She was a young woman, the same age as him, with brown hair cascading down her back and sharp blue eyes that radiated confidence. She wore a deep purple robe, the fabric decorated with silver threads that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. Her posture was relaxed, but her eyes spoke of sharp focus.
But Yin Bai wasn't worried. In his past life, he had been confined to a hospital bed, his body frail and weak, but his mind—his mind was sharp, constantly yearning for the thrill of freedom and battle. Now, in this new world, he had something else that set him apart: experience, maturity, and a calmness that came from a life of waiting and watching. He had also opened 38 meridian gates, far beyond what most at his level could hope to achieve.
The girl's lips curled into a smile, one filled with the confidence of youth and the expectation of an easy victory.
"Begin!" Elder Ling shouted.
The crowd fell silent as the match began. The girl was quick, summoning her Divine Essence fragments into her limbs with practiced ease. Her body glowed faintly as she surged forward, her movements swift and powerful. She closed the distance between them in an instant, aiming a palm strike at Yin Bai's chest, her hand shimmering with enhanced force.
Yin Bai moved fluidly, his body calm as water. He sidestepped the strike with minimal effort, twisting his torso just enough to avoid the blow. The girl's eyes widened slightly, surprised by his speed and composure.
She quickly adjusted, bringing her leg up in a high kick aimed at his head. But Yin Bai was already one step ahead. His experience kicked in as he bent backward, letting the kick sail harmlessly over him. He followed with a swift counter, using the momentum of his dodge to deliver a precise strike to her ribs. His leg connected with her side.
The girl grunted but quickly recovered, backing away to reassess. Her blue eyes narrowed, and her smile faded. She realized Yin Bai was no ordinary opponent.
They circled each other, both drawing on their Divine Essence fragments, but Yin Bai's movements were more deliberate. He didn't rush—he didn't need to. His experience told him that she was relying on speed and bursts of power, but stamina? That was where she would falter. He could already sense her burning through her reserves faster than he was—his daily training was paying off.
The girl charged again, her speed even greater this time. She attacked with a series of rapid punches, each one infused with the power of her Essence fragments. Her strikes were wild and fierce, but they lacked precision. Yin Bai blocked and dodged, his own Essence flaring only when necessary to fortify his body.
He felt his skin harden as he allowed a few of her punches to land on his forearms. His experience told him that defending without wasting excess energy would wear her down faster. He could also gauge her strength compared to before. He saw her starting to sweat, and her punches were growing weaker.
Ying Luo began to pace, realizing she was close to exhausting all her Divine Essence fragments. She also realized that Yin Bai was waiting her out, staying on the defensive to tire her out. In a last-ditch effort, she stopped attacking and went on the defensive.
Yin Bai finally moved in for the offensive. He dashed forward, faster than she expected. He feinted to the left, causing her to block, then shifted to the right in an instant, his palm slamming into her shoulder with precision. The force knocked her off balance, and she stumbled.
Before she could recover, Yin Bai followed up with a sweeping kick, taking her legs out from under her. She hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from her lungs.
The crowd gasped, murmurs of disbelief spreading. This was supposed to be an easy fight for her, but Yin Bai had turned the tables effortlessly.
"The battle is over! Winner: Yin Bai!" Elder Ling shouted loudly.
Ying Luo's face flushed red with embarrassment and disappointment.
Then she heard a voice say, "Do you need help getting up?"
Xie Fan was standing next to her, stretching out his hand to offer help.
She was shocked and embarrassed that he cared so much. She quickly got up, stumbling a bit from the injuries. Seeing that she managed to stand, Xie Fan smiled and said, "It was a good fight," before walking away.