After the match ended, Xiao Wu happily ran to Su Ming's side, while Dai Mubai looked utterly miserable. Although Xiao Wu had controlled her strength, Dai Mubai still felt like his body was falling apart.
Su Ming could only give Xiao Wu a helpless glance. Then, he activated his fourth spirit ability, enveloping Dai Mubai in a green light, a sight that seemed to carry a hidden meaning.
Seeing himself covered in green light, Dai Mubai's mouth twitched, but he couldn't deny the healing effect was impressive. He also ate one of Oscar's sausages, healing his wounds while filling his stomach.
Finally, the third match arrived, and it was Su Ming's turn. His opponent was a level 48 agility-type spirit master with a Leopard Spirit.
The host announced excitedly from the arena, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is today's first one-on-one battle at the Spirit Elder level!"
"Now, let's welcome our two Spirit Elders to the stage!"
The large screen displayed both participants' information.
True Thousand Hands: Martial Soul: Wood Element, Level 43 Control-type Battle Spirit Master.
Leopard Roar: Martial Soul: Leopard, Level 48 Agility-type Spirit Master.
When the two stepped onto the stage, Leopard Roar was stunned. His opponent was clearly quite young, yet had already reached the level of Spirit Elder. Leopard Roar himself was in his forties, and it had taken him that long to reach his current strength. This young kid was already this powerful at such a young age!
The spectators, having learned from their previous experience, refrained from mocking and jeering. Instead, they were filled with curiosity—what was going on today? Why were there so many talented spirit masters suddenly appearing?
The host, momentarily stunned himself, quickly regained his composure. "The match begins!"
Both contestants released their martial souls. Su Ming's soul ring configuration was two yellow and two purple, while Leopard Roar's was one white, one yellow, and two purple. Just from the soul rings alone, the difference in quality was apparent.
Su Ming politely nodded at Leopard Roar. "Uncle, please guide me."
Leopard Roar, appreciating Su Ming's manners, nodded back. "Kid, your talent is impressive. To reach Spirit Elder at your age is remarkable. Your future is limitless. Let's keep it to a friendly match."
Leopard Roar did not underestimate Su Ming. With his years of experience, he knew that even though there was a noticeable gap in their spirit power, such gaps meant little when facing a talented spirit master.
With no further words, the battle began.
Su Ming lightly tapped the ground with his foot, and immediately, thick vines sprouted all over the arena, growing at an astonishing speed.
Watching from the stands, Tang San noticed Su Ming's approach. He was using the same tactic to restrict Leopard Roar's movements that Tang San had tried against Zhu Zhuqing earlier. However, Su Ming's vines grew much faster than his Blue Silver Grass.
Seeing Su Ming grow stronger day by day, while he remained stuck at level 30, Tang San couldn't help but feel anxious. But he knew that cultivation required patience and progress would come in time. He hoped that after absorbing the spirit ring of the Man-Faced Demon Spider, his strength would see a significant improvement.
Initially, Tang San had thought that with his Tang Sect techniques, combined with his Mysterious Heaven Technique and twin spirits, he was unique in the world. But Su Ming, with an innate spirit power of only level 7, had progressed so quickly, mastering techniques across multiple fields and even creating his own spirit abilities.
Tang San felt frustrated—aside from his hidden weapons, Su Ming surpassed him in every area. Without using hidden weapons, he probably couldn't even defeat Xiao Wu anymore. Upon entering Shrek Academy, he found that his spirit power level was the lowest among all the new students!
These situations made Tang San question whether cultivating his Blue Silver Grass was the right choice. He could feel that his second spirit was much stronger. As a control-type spirit, Blue Silver Grass was too fragile, while his hammer spirit was clearly far more powerful.
On the stage, Leopard Roar saw the rapidly growing vines and his expression changed. The growth speed was abnormal. He had to finish the battle quickly; otherwise, he wouldn't have any space left to move!
"First Spirit Ability: Speed Boost!"
Leopard Roar's first spirit ability, though only a ten-year spirit ring, increased his speed by 30%.
Leopard Roar knew time was critical. He had to close the distance with Su Ming as fast as possible.
"Second Spirit Ability: Fierce Claws!"
Leopard Roar charged at Su Ming, his hands forming deadly claws. Just as he thought he was about to succeed, he realized he had struck nothing but a shadow.
Clearly, Su Ming, despite being a control-type spirit master, had impressive speed as well.
Su Ming had used his Lingbo Weibu technique to effortlessly dodge Leopard Roar's attack.
For Su Ming, combat experience was still somewhat lacking. These battles in the Spirit Arena were perfect for him to gain experience and observe different martial souls and their spirit abilities.
Dodging easily, Su Ming smiled and said, "Uncle, you'd better use all your strength. Otherwise, you won't get another chance!"
Leopard Roar's face hardened. He hadn't expected Su Ming to be this strong, especially since Su Ming had yet to even use a single spirit ability. Leopard Roar realized he was being used as practice!
Taking a deep breath, Leopard Roar prepared for his strongest move. If this didn't work, he had no hope of winning.
"Leopard Transformation!"
This ability doubled his attack and speed for ten minutes but would leave him weak for an hour afterward.
"Fourth Spirit Ability: Double Cross Slash!"
This was Leopard Roar's strongest single-target attack. With the boost from his first and third spirit abilities, he reached his peak speed and power.
Su Ming's expression became serious. He could sense the immense power behind Leopard Roar's attack. Both his speed and attack were at their peak!
But even so, it wasn't enough to threaten Su Ming.
Thanks to his various passive boosts, Su Ming's vines had already been reinforced several times over.
Still, to be cautious, Su Ming decided to use his first spirit ability for defense.
"First Spirit Ability: Tree World Wall!"
Instantly, thick vines formed several walls in front of Su Ming. Leopard Roar's attack slammed into them.
Boom!
The stage was shrouded in dust and debris.
When the dust settled, Leopard Roar realized his attack hadn't even broken through Su Ming's defense. He had seen it clearly—this was only Su Ming's first spirit ability. How could it be so strong?
What Leopard Roar didn't know was that all of Su Ming's spirit rings were at least ten thousand years old. Combined with his various enhancements, there was no way Leopard Roar could break through.
Having used a series of powerful spirit abilities in quick succession, Leopard Roar was now exhausted, his face pale. He knew there was no way he could win, so he raised his hand and told the host, "I surrender."
Su Ming smiled and said, "Thank you for the match, Uncle."
Leopard Roar sighed in admiration. "The new generation truly surpasses the old. Kid, your future is limitless!"
The outcome of the match surprised many. Leopard Roar had already won four consecutive matches and was just one victory away from entering the main arena. No one had expected him to lose to someone so young.
The host declared, "The winner is True Thousand Hands!"
Su Ming calmly walked back to his friends, knowing there was still a two-on-two match to come. The one-on-one match had barely drained his spirit power.
Xiao Wu happily hugged Su Ming, laughing. "Brother, you're amazing! You beat a level 48 Spirit Elder so easily!"
Su Ming chuckled. "Basic stuff. After all, control-types counter agility-types. And he couldn't break through my defense."
Su Ming's words felt like a dagger to Tang San's heart. The gap between them was clear as day.
Tang San watched Su Ming with a flicker of determination in his eyes. On the upcoming trip to the Star Dou Forest, he was determined to find a high-quality Man-Faced Demon Spider.
Once he absorbed the spider's spirit ring, his Blue Silver Grass would become much tougher, and its venom would be far more lethal.
Soon, all the one-on-one matches concluded, and it was time for the two-on-two battle.
The host announced, "Today, we have only one two-on-two match at the Spirit Elder level. Let's welcome the Thousand Hands Enchanting Rabbit team and the Iron Hammer Brothers team!"
Su Ming and Xiao Wu stepped onto the stage while the others cheered them on.
The host recognized them immediately. "So, the Thousand Hands Enchanting Rabbit team is actually True Thousand Hands and Bone Soft Enchanting Rabbit! These two were in the earlier one-on-one matches!"
He had noticed that both Su Ming and Xiao Wu had worn identical black masks in their previous matches, but he hadn't thought much of it. Now, it was a pleasant surprise to see that they were a team.
The host shouted enthusiastically, "Everyone, we've already seen the impressive skills of these two. Their strength is undeniable!"
"Their opponents, the Iron Hammer Brothers, are also well-known fighters in this arena. Please look forward to an exciting match between these two teams!"
The Iron Hammer Brothers were two siblings with the Iron Hammer martial soul. The elder brother, Mo Tie, was level 45, and the younger brother, Mo Chui, was level 44. Both had two yellow and two purple spirit rings, an optimal configuration.
Xiao Wu turned to Su Ming and said, "Brother, let me take the lead in this match. I want to test my strength. You can just support me from the side."
Su Ming agreed, curious to see how strong Xiao Wu had become. Although she was only level 39, he had no doubt she could handle opponents a few levels higher.
The host called out, "The match begins!"
"First Spirit Ability: Tremor!"
The Mo brothers simultaneously used their first spirit ability, slamming their hammers into the ground. The ground shook violently, sending shockwaves toward Su Ming and Xiao Wu.
Su Ming used his vines to lift himself and Xiao Wu off the ground, neutralizing the attack. The shockwave, though disruptive, wasn't powerful enough to affect his vines.
After their first move, the Mo brothers quickly followed up with their second and third spirit abilities.
"Second Spirit Ability: Weapon Control!"
"Third Spirit Ability: Weapon Clone!"
They hurled their hammers at Su Ming and Xiao Wu. The second ability allowed them to control their hammers remotely, while the third created additional hammer clones. Their strategy was to focus all their attacks on Xiao Wu, as she was the lower-leveled target. Once she was eliminated, they could easily handle Su Ming.
Seeing the barrage of attacks aimed at her, Xiao Wu didn't hesitate. She activated her first spirit ability, Waist Bow, and used her third spirit ability to teleport directly in front of the Mo brothers, leaving their attacks to strike nothing but air.
The Mo brothers had no idea that Xiao Wu had a teleportation ability. If they had seen her earlier fight, they would have known better than to use such tactics.
"Second Spirit Ability: Charm!"
Xiao Wu unleashed her Charm on Mo Tie, causing him to lose control of his hammer and inadvertently attack his brother.
The host exclaimed, "Incredible! Bone Soft Enchanting Rabbit's Charm ability has caused the Iron Hammer Brothers to turn on each other! Despite being only a Spirit Elder, she's fighting on par with her Spirit King opponents!"
Mo Chui shouted in panic, "Brother, what are you doing? Snap out of it!"
But under the enhanced mental power of Xiao Wu's Charm, Mo Tie remained dazed, attacking his brother without realizing it.
Xiao Wu glanced at Mo Chui, considering her options. It would be too cruel to use her Eight Stage Throw on the brothers. Perhaps this was a good opportunity to try out her newly acquired move.
"Wind God Leg Second Form: Reed in the Wind!"
This was the second technique in the Wind God Leg style, which not only increased her speed but also significantly boosted her attack power. The move had impressive destructive power.
Xiao Wu had only recently begun practicing the Wind God Leg, focusing mostly on integrating its internal energy into her Eight Stage Throw. This had improved her throwing technique and increased her speed. She had already mastered the first form, Catching the Wind, but rarely used it, as her teleportation ability was more convenient.
With one swift kick, Xiao Wu sent Mo Chui flying off the stage, knocking him unconscious. His martial soul disappeared as he lost consciousness. Mo Tie, still under her Charm, soon met the same fate, kicked off the stage by Xiao Wu.
Su Ming watched Xiao Wu's powerful kick and fell into deep thought. When had Xiao Wu's kicking abilities become so strong? Without even using her Eight Stage Throw, she had knocked out two opponents with a single kick!