In the instant Wang Dong lost his vision, panic overwhelmed him.
Everything before his eyes turned pitch black. Whether he kept his eyes wide open or shut tight, the darkness remained unchanged.
In his panic, the rhythm of his butterfly wings faltered, throwing his body off balance as he plummeted downward.
A sharp, needle-like sense of danger shot up from below, sending Wang Dong into a frenzy. He flapped his wings wildly, regained his balance, and soared higher into the air.
"Che." He could hear the impatient voice of his opponent below. Clearly, he had just attempted to leap up and catch him. His heart raced with relief.
An Wen hadn't expected Wang Dong's reaction to be so quick, but she wasn't in a hurry. She simply tilted her head back, locking his gaze on her opponent in midair. Like a house cat flicking its tail and stalking its prey, he waited intently for the next opportunity.
The standoff was inevitable.
Wang Dong touched the area around his eyes. The cold, dark energy coiled around them like a curse. He tried to counter it with his own light attribute soul power, but it was useless. The dark energy consumed his attempts to purge it, clinging stubbornly like sticky tar.
"This skill is so despicable... Evil bun-head!" Wang Dong cursed inwardly.
In the suffocating darkness, his hearing sharpened. He could hear the wind stirred by his wings, the chatter of the audience in the stands. Though soul masters had superior hearing compared to ordinary people, using it to perceive his surroundings without specialized training was far too difficult.
Nervously, Wang Dong ascended higher and began circling erratically in midair, refusing to stay in one spot. He feared that the evil bun-head might suddenly leap up or throw her spear at him like a javelin.
A gnawing fear persisted in his heart, keeping him on edge and highly alert to any movements below.
Humans' fear of darkness is a primal instinct, etched deep into the soul. Just as hunger drives one to eat, and fire compels one to retreat, even soul masters with extraordinary power cannot escape the grip of such instincts.
It is not darkness itself that humans fear but the unknown lurking within it.
The shadow covering Wang Dong's eyes seemed to amplify his fear, emanating a chilling aura that magnified his unease to an abnormal degree.
The longer time dragged on, the more frantic he became. Fear and tension gnawed at his nerves, like a dull knife slowly slicing into his spirit.
Wang Dong knew all too well that the longer this stalemate continued, the worse his chances became. Who knew how long the bun-head's skill could last? If it dragged on, he might lose without even putting up a fight.
No way! I refuse to lose to that evil bun-head! The boy ground his teeth in frustration.
He decided to gamble it all. Even if it took everything he had, he would drag that detestable bun-head off the stage with him!
"He's losing his composure," Wang Rui remarked softly from the stands.
Wang Dong's butterfly wings flattened, and his body slowly descended. The V-shaped white patterns on his wings turned a brilliant gold, gradually transforming his dazzling blue-violet wings into radiant golden ones.
Five, four, three, two, one...
At the final second, Wang Dong had descended to a dangerously low height. A golden pillar of light suddenly erupted, enveloping his entire body in resplendent brilliance, as if he were bathed in divine sunlight. A powerful force radiated from him.
The golden pillar then bent into a massive crescent-shaped blade of light, sweeping across the arena!
Wang Dong was confident. A wide-range attack like this was sure to hit his opponent no matter where she was!
In that instant, the air seemed to split apart under the terrifying power of the light blade. The arena was awash with overwhelming soul power, far beyond what a Soul Grandmaster should possess.
Butterfly Guillotine combined with Butterfly Goddess Light! Wang Dong's most powerful attack to date!
The moment the light blade was unleashed, the senior sister acting as referee flinched slightly, ready to intervene. But she quickly stopped herself.
Because An Wen showed no fear. On the contrary, her golden eyes gleamed with fervent excitement.
As the massive light blade approached, An Wen stabbed her spear into the ground and vaulted into the air, narrowly surpassing the blade's height.
Her spear disintegrated into purple sparks, evading the blade entirely. In the next instant, it reformed, radiating a chilling edge as it thrust toward an exhausted Wang Dong.
The purple electric glow flashed—and Wang Dong vanished into thin air.
The red-uniformed, purple-haired senior sister appeared in the stands, holding the fatigued, light-blue-haired boy in her arms.
In the darkness, Wang Dong caught a strange scent, like shredded grass mixed with earthy, metallic rain. To be precise, it smelled like the damp air after a thunderstorm.
"The match is over. First-year student An Wen wins."
The referee's cold, emotionless voice rang above him. Wang Dong finally realized he was leaning against something soft. Recalling the beautiful referee senior, his face flushed red.
On the stands, Ma Xiaotao nudged Xu Sanshi and let out a playful whistle, her expression one of fatherly pride, as if she were seeing her daughter speak for the first time.
This was the first time Jiang Lan had shown any expression at all.
"Heh, cleaning the dorm this term is all yours," Ma Xiaotao teased.
The darkness lifted, and Wang Dong was greeted by the smug grin of the detestable bun-head.
Enraged, Wang Dong forgot his embarrassment and scrambled to his feet, pointing at An Wen. "You just wait! I'll win next time!"
"Bleh." An Wen stuck out her tongue at him, bouncing away from the arena. "A whole term of dorm cleaning, don't forget!"
"You just wait! Don't you dare sleep with your eyes closed tonight!" Wang Dong shouted, hopping mad.
"Pfft." A faint chuckle sounded behind him.
He turned back somewhat awkwardly, but Jiang Lan's face remained expressionless, still wearing that blank, dazed look.
"Ah… thank you, senior sister," Wang Dong said, feeling entirely out of sorts.
The emotionless girl gently shook her head.
"Listen," she said abruptly, offering advice. Yet her tone remained flat and devoid of inflection. "Everything in the world possesses a 'rhythm.' Once you find the 'rhythm,' you won't be afraid of losing your vision."
After saying this, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly, as if attempting to form a faint smile. She nodded at Wang Dong and then drifted away gracefully.
(Manta lies flat.jpg)
(End of Chapter)