Returning to the hotel, Jing Shaoyu received a notification from the design competition committee, informing him to return to the third competition venue the following morning at the same time for the second round of the competition. He smiled, unsurprised by the expected result.
After a long day of competition, the group ate dinner and retired to their rooms to rest. Jing Shaoyu relaxed with his spirit companion, Hongfei, before heading to bed and beginning his nightly cultivation.
The next morning, Jing Shaoyu left the hotel early for the second round of the design competition.
The second round was similar to the first, with a new task for the practical portion: a fresh level-three design with only 25% completion, half of what they'd worked on the previous day. The lower completion rate meant a higher level of difficulty; he'd need to fill in more gaps, eliminate possible issues, and minimize any final deviations, testing both his fundamentals and creativity.
But for Jing Shaoyu, there was little difference between a design at 50% or 25% completion—both were manageable. This time, he completed the round in twenty minutes. Under the watchful eyes of the same surprised examiner and his competitors, he calmly exited the third venue and headed to Tianhai Stadium for his second-round individual match.
This time, his match was on Platform 9 in the second group. Jing Shaoyu's opponent, a large, muscular youth in the uniform of Tianhai Academy, already stood across from him, exuding a strong, imposing aura.
The referee called, "Prepare yourselves!"
The young man introduced himself with the traditional greeting of Soul Masters. "Tianhai Academy, Zhao Yiming," he said with a steady voice that hinted at his experience.
Jing Shaoyu smiled politely. "Donghai Academy, Jing Shaoyu."
The referee nodded approvingly before starting his countdown. "Five, four, three, two, one… Begin!"
"Golden Bear Possession!" Zhao Yiming roared. His body swelled as golden fur covered his skin, exuding a fierce aura, with two yellow rings glowing behind him and massive bear paws forming at the ends of his arms. Zhao Yiming's martial soul, the Mighty Golden Bear, was a rare, ancient power-type soul known for its strength and durability.
Seeing Zhao Yiming roar his skill aloud, Jing Shaoyu couldn't help but feel amused. So some people still shout out their martial soul techniques. Interesting.
Despite his inner thoughts, Jing Shaoyu didn't hesitate. Summoning his Star Staff, he lifted it, conjuring a rain of fireballs that cascaded toward Zhao Yiming.
"Roar!" Zhao Yiming stood his ground, unleashing a radiant golden glow from his body as his spirit rings lit up. His first ability, Mighty Power Form, and his second, Mighty Power Strike, both activated simultaneously, reinforcing his arms as he stood ready to swat down each incoming fireball.
One, two, three… In total, over forty fireballs crashed toward him, but Zhao Yiming shattered each with a powerful swing of his claws, scattering flames harmlessly as his thick hide absorbed the impact.
He was clearly pleased with himself, thumping his chest as he eyed Jing Shaoyu with a look of triumph. Perhaps he thought the fireball storm had been Jing Shaoyu's strongest attack and believed they were evenly matched.
Jing Shaoyu simply smiled and shook his head, lifting his Star Staff and sweeping it downward. A massive wave surged forth, crashing into Zhao Yiming and sending him tumbling to the platform's edge, bewildered and drenched.
As he stood there in confusion, Jing Shaoyu didn't miss a beat, summoning a cyclone that appeared at the platform's center and swept swiftly toward Zhao Yiming. With no time to react, Zhao Yiming was helplessly drawn into the tornado's pull and thrown from the platform, giving Jing Shaoyu a quick victory.
The third round of the individual tournament would narrow the field to thirty-two, drawing increased attention. Early rounds in the youth division didn't attract much interest, as they often featured lopsided matches, but the next round promised head-to-head battles among genuine prodigies, and the organizers planned to ramp up promotion.
But all that was outside Jing Shaoyu's concerns. He was just a regular participant, content to focus on his own matches.
After his match, Jing Shaoyu started heading back to the hotel, only to be intercepted by Wu Zhangkong. Alongside him were Gu Yue and Xie Xie, who had also completed their matches, and Xu Xiaoyan, who had been reluctantly summoned from the hotel.
"Teacher Wu, are we going to watch Wulin's match?" Jing Shaoyu asked, guessing Wu Zhangkong's intention from his contemplative expression.
"Yes," Wu Zhangkong replied. "Tang Wulin's opponent is from Shrek Academy. Watch closely and think about how you'd respond if you were in his position."
Jing Shaoyu smiled knowingly, recalling how poorly Tang Wulin had fared in the original story.
Gu Yue seemed indifferent, showing no reaction to Wu Zhangkong's words, while Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan listened intently, mentally preparing as though they were the ones about to face this Shrek Academy student.
On the platform, Tang Wulin and Ye Xinglan faced each other, their expressions tense. The referee called for the match to begin, and Ye Xinglan charged, wielding her Star God Sword with unparalleled precision. Although Tang Wulin initially held his own, drawing on his Golden Dragon King bloodline, once Ye Xinglan got serious, she quickly took control.
Ye Xinglan dominated the fight, pushing Tang Wulin back until he struggled to keep up. In a final attempt, Tang Wulin resorted to a reckless move, willing to take injuries in exchange for a chance to strike back. He managed to disrupt Ye Xinglan's stance, but the price was steep. His body bore the marks of the Star God Sword's radiant blades, leaving him bloodied but otherwise unscathed.
Despite his injuries being mostly superficial, Wu Zhangkong didn't hesitate to carry Tang Wulin back to the hotel.
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