Now was the round of sixteen, deciding who would advance to the quarterfinals. Even though the competitors were merely freshmen who had only been in school for three months, each of them possessed formidable abilities.
To prevent any accidents or injuries among the students, the referees overseeing the matches were naturally powerful individuals themselves.
Thus, despite the dense maple leaves obscuring the view, the referee could still sense the situation within the sea of crimson leaves. He couldn't help but feel a tinge of worry for Ning Tian, keeping himself on high alert and ready to rush onto the stage to rescue her at any moment. After all, she was the precious heir to the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect—any mishap on stage would be disastrous.
However, despite being surrounded by three wind blades, Ning Tian's expression remained calm and composed.
Amidst the layered maple leaves, Wang Rui's second spirit ring flashed, and behind him rose a golden-red phantom.
The figure had four legs and two wings, its body covered in thick, rugged scales. A mane, resembling roaring flames, trailed down its neck. Upon its lion-like head sat a pair of curved, razor-sharp horns, exuding an aura of primordial savagery.
It was the image of the Flame King Dragon.
The phantom tilted its head back, opening its mouth in a roaring stance.
A thunderous bellow erupted.
The sound was deep, yet carried an incredible penetrating force. Within it lay boundless authority, akin to the reverberation of an ancient bell tolling from the depths of time, exploding in the ears of all who heard it. It carried an undeniable, domineering presence that belonged solely to the dragon race.
An invisible shockwave spread outward, sweeping away all the maple leaves around it.
A primal fear, ingrained in blood and bone since ancient times, began to stir in the hearts of all present. Even the teachers watching the match from the sidelines couldn't suppress the rising sense of dread in their chests.
Standing below the stage, Wang Yan's eyes, on the other hand, lit up with excitement—he had been waiting forever to see Wang Rui use his spirit abilities. How could he not be thrilled?
If his guess was correct, Wang Rui's spirit skill likely fused mental power with dragon might, creating an overwhelmingly powerful ability that could disrupt an opponent's skills while inducing fear.
Even with his own Spirit Emperor-level cultivation, Wang Yan himself felt an uncontrollable panic rise in his heart. That alone was enough to demonstrate just how terrifying this ability was.
On the battlefield, the effect was even more pronounced. The moment that fearsome roar rang out, the soul power within the three opposing contestants stagnated completely.
Ye Xuan, the auxiliary-type Tool Soul Master with the weakest physical constitution, even had trickles of blood seep from her ears, as if crimson serpents were slithering down. Her wind flute's melody halted abruptly.
Zhang Jingkun's sea of maple leaves flickered and vanished for an instant, though it quickly restored itself.
Meanwhile, Jiang Xin's Wind Whisper Swords lost all momentum as if their power had been stripped away. The three wind-forged blades surrounding Ning Tian shattered on the spot, disintegrating into nothingness.
Even though Jiang Xin's soul power soon returned to normal, this brief gap was enough for Ning Tian to retreat with ease.
The referee who had been poised to rescue Ning Tian wore a stunned expression. Even he had felt a momentary pause in his own soul power circulation—and he was a Spirit Sage!
Wang Yan's theoretical knowledge was indeed solid—his guess had been spot-on. Wang Rui's second spirit skill, Flame King Roar, was a unique sonic attack that fused mental energy with dragon might.
Aside from causing direct damage through sheer sound waves, it induced temporary mental blankness and fear, even forcibly interrupting an opponent's soul power circulation.
Well, considering all of Wang Rui's spirit skills were self-designed… Since his Flame King Dragon martial soul was basically ripped straight out of Monster Hunter, how could it possibly lack a Dragon Roar?
"Dear players, we recommend equipping Earplug Jewels~"
But regardless of what the referee thought, the match had to go on.
At this moment, Jiang Xin's Wind Whisper Sword was far from her body. While Tool Soul Masters could quickly recall their martial soul, there was still an inevitable time delay.
Wang Rui seized this brief window of opportunity. Folding his wings, he shot forward like a cannonball, hurtling straight toward Jiang Xin.
Jiang Xin had chosen the Agility Attack path because her Wind Whisper Sword could connect with the wind element, making her incredibly fast—but this speed didn't apply to her physical body. In truth, her own mobility wasn't much different from that of an ordinary Tool Soul Master.
With no time to dodge, she was struck directly by Wang Rui's wing and sent flying out of the competition arena, where the referee caught her.
Now, only Zhang Jingkun and Ye Xuan remained on the field. The two exchanged glances, determination flickering in their eyes.
Ye Xuan's second soul ring glowed, and the melody of her flute shifted. The rhythm slowed compared to her previous Rebellion of Lightning, yet an inexplicable sharpness seeped into the notes.
At the same time, Zhang Jingkun activated his second soul ring. As its glow enveloped him, his round, chubby face turned visibly pale—this ability clearly consumed a great deal of energy.
His second spirit skill, Leaf Blade, imbued the edges of his maple leaves with razor-sharp cutting power.
Currently, he could only transform one-tenth of his vast sea of maple leaves into these lethal blades, but even this pushed his soul power reserves to the limit.
Within the vast ocean of crimson maple leaves, countless hidden assassin leaves lurked—visually identical to the rest but armed with deadly edges. If one relied on eyesight alone, distinguishing them was nearly impossible, let alone dodging them.
Meanwhile, Ye Xuan's second soul skill, Scorching Blades, imbued her ally's attacks with increased offensive power and a fire attribute.
A faint red glow coated the transformed Leaf Blades, though it was subtle enough to be nearly imperceptible.
Yet, in Huo Yuqing's mental detection, these altered leaves stood out as glaringly obvious—like green leaves on a red maple tree. Every change in the battlefield was relayed to their minds through mental sharing.
Still, within the sheer volume of falling leaves, even one-tenth being lethal meant a terrifying number of hidden blades.
Even with Ning Tian's speed boost, both she and Huo Yuqing struggled to dodge, ending up in an awkward scramble. Inevitably, the razor-sharp leaves left minor cuts on their bodies.
Fortunately, Ning Tian's second spirit skill allowed her to neutralize abnormal status effects, negating the fire damage Ye Xuan had added. Otherwise, in addition to their cuts, they would have suffered burns as well.
"Wang Rui!" Huo Yuqing suddenly shouted in frustration. "Stop slacking off!"
Hovering in midair, effortlessly avoiding the Leaf Blade assassins, Wang Rui visibly stiffened.
(End of Chapter)