After leaving the VIP room, Xu Yuan returned to Blue Tyrant Academy with Liu Erlong and the others.
Just as they returned to Blue Tyrant Academy, Xu Yuan saw someone unexpected.
That person was Gu Yue.
This surprised Xu Yuan; it hadn't been long since he brought Gu Yue from the Star Dou Great Forest back to Heaven Dou City before she left.
He didn't expect Gu Yue to appear before him once again.
Gu Yue stood under the old locust tree at the academy entrance. Her plain long dress made her skin look as white as snow, and her black hair was simply tied up with a wooden hairpin. She quietly watched the direction from which Xu Yuan's group was returning.
"Gu Yue?" Xu Yuan quickened his pace to meet her, asking in surprise, "Why are you here?"
A slight blush appeared on Gu Yue's cheeks as she handed forward a bamboo basket. "I... I heard from people in the city that you won first place in the Qualifiers, so I thought I'd come and see you. These are fruits grown at home; I brought them for you and your friends to taste."
The bamboo basket was lined with clean cotton cloth, holding several fist-sized fruits.
Xu Yuan recognized them as honey heart fruits, which were only found around Heaven Dou City. The flesh was delicate and extremely sweet, but they didn't store well, so they weren't common in the markets.
"Thank you for the trouble." Xu Yuan took the bamboo basket.
Gu Yue whispered, "The Qualifiers... I heard you won every match. That's amazing. I'm sure the Ranking Matches will go smoothly too. You... keep it up."
Xu Yuan nodded, feeling that this side of Gu Yue had an unexpectedly cute gap.
Mainly, Gu Yue gave off the vibe of a cold goddess, but her way of speaking was that of a soft-hearted girl.
He was a bit surprised; he hadn't expected the Silver Dragon King to actually use a Honey Trap.
"We will," Xu Yuan's voice softened unconsciously. "And thank you for making the trip."
Gu Yue was stunned by Xu Yuan's softened voice. "No, no need to thank me... I just thought, you must be tired from the matches, and honey heart fruits can help relieve fatigue."
She quickly glanced up at Xu Yuan, then hurriedly lowered her head, the tips of her ears turning so red they looked like they might bleed. "Th-then, I'll be going now."
Before her voice faded, she had already turned and walked away quickly, her plain dress brushing against the fallen leaves on the ground, leaving behind a series of hurried footsteps.
Xiao Wu leaned over from the side, squinting as she sized him up. "Xu Yuan, what are you smiling about? That sister seems to be quite afraid of you."
"It's nothing." Xu Yuan pulled back his smile and weighed the bamboo basket in his hand. The sweet fragrance of the honey heart fruits seeped through the cotton cloth. "Come on, let's go back and share the fruit."
Xiao Wu rolled her eyes at Xu Yuan. "You big Playboy, you already have us, yet you're still out there flirting with others."
Xu Yuan was momentarily speechless by Xiao Wu's words. Then, caught between laughter and tears, he reached out and flicked her forehead. "What nonsense are you talking about? She's just a friend I know."
"Would a friend blush like that?" Xiao Wu muttered defiantly, covering her forehead.
Zhu Zhuqing added coolly from the side, "Xiao Wu is right. The way that girl looked at you just now wasn't just how one looks at a friend."
"Exactly, exactly!" Jiang Zhu leaned in, her eyes darting around as she said with a grin, "Xu Yuan, be honest. Are you hiding a little secret out there?"
Tai Long and the others watched the scene with chuckles, curious about how Xu Yuan would handle it.
Xu Yuan's head throbbed from their constant teasing. He helplessly raised the bamboo basket in his hand. "Let's share the fruit first. If you keep making a fuss, I'll eat them all myself."
"Hmph, who cares," Xiao Wu said.
Yet her feet honestly followed Xu Yuan into the academy, her eyes occasionally glancing at the basket. She was clearly hooked by the sweet scent of the honey heart fruits... In the blink of an eye, the time for the Ranking Matches arrived.
The first ranking match was Blue Tyrant Academy against Heaven Dou Academy.
"First match: Xu Yuan of the Blue Tyrant Academy team versus Tang San of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy!"
As the referee's voice fell, the entire venue instantly erupted in excitement.
The duel between Heaven Dou Royal Academy and Blue Tyrant Academy was already eye-catching enough, but now it was a head-on clash between Xu Yuan and Tang San, the two most dazzling rising stars of the Qualifiers.
Even Xue Qinghe in the stands sat up straight, his gaze tightly locked onto the competition stage.
Xu Yuan stood at one end of the stage, his gaze falling upon Tang San opposite him.
Tang San, wearing the Heaven Dou Academy uniform, looked at Xu Yuan with a face full of Battle Intent.
This time, he would definitely defeat Xu Yuan!
"I didn't expect to meet you in the first match," Tang San said, looking at Xu Yuan with a hint of Battle Intent. "Your performance in the Qualifiers was stunning."
Xu Yuan nodded slightly. "Likewise. We've also seen the strength of Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
"First Spirit Skill: Life Envelopment."
"First Spirit Skill: Binding."
The blue-gold Blue Silver Emperor gushed out like a tide, its vines bearing faint golden patterns. As soon as it appeared, it emitted a pressure that made all plant-system Spirit Masters in the venue feel a tremor in their hearts.
As soon as Tang San's Blue Silver Grass broke through the soil, it was as if an invisible hand had seized it by the throat.
The grass leaves were instantly covered in a layer of gray decay. Forget about extending and Binding; even the soil it was rooted in was trembling slightly.
"This... what's going on?" Tang San's expression changed drastically.
He could clearly feel that the connection between him and the Blue Silver Grass had been severed by a much more powerful will.
It wasn't a suppression of spirit power, but an absolute crushing blow originating from the Spirit's Origin, like a firefly meeting the bright moon.
Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow and said, "Tang San, don't you know about Spirit Suppression?"
As he spoke, the Blue Silver Emperor had already bound Tang San's limbs.
Bound by the Blue Silver Emperor and unable to move, Tang San looked at his withered Blue Silver Grass, his brow furrowed into a knot. "Spirit Suppression? But we both have Blue Silver Grass, how can..."
Before he could finish, he suddenly felt his spirit power being drained.
"Who told you they're both just Blue Silver Grass?" Xu Yuan's fingertips twitched slightly, and the golden patterns on the Blue Silver Emperor brightened. "Yours is an unawakened Common Grass. Mine is the Blue Silver Emperor, the sovereign among Blue Silver Grass."
"Blue Silver Emperor?" Tang San's pupils shrank. The name exploded in his mind like a clap of thunder.
He had never seen this name in any ancient records, but Xu Yuan's words and the regal aura emitted by the Blue Silver Emperor told him it was real.
Xu Yuan looked at Tang San and smiled. "I'll tell you a secret: your Blue Silver Grass can actually evolve too."
"Evolve?" Tang San looked up sharply, the shock in his eyes almost overflowing.
Teacher Yu Xiaogang had told him more than once that Blue Silver Grass was synonymous with Trash Spirits, with Innate spirit power nearly at zero, let alone the possibility of evolution.
That was a possibility that didn't even exist in theory.
Yet at this moment, Xu Yuan's Blue Silver Emperor was right before his eyes, its regal pressure silently refuting all established conclusions.
The Blue Silver Emperor at Xu Yuan's fingertips swayed gently, and the vines Binding Tang San's limbs loosened slightly, leaving a bit of room to move. "Every Spirit has infinite possibilities, and Blue Silver Grass is no exception. The reason you think it's trash is that you haven't found the method to awaken its potential
Theoretically, that's true; every Spirit has no upper limit, but there's a prerequisite—good talent or opportunity.
Otherwise, 'infinite possibilities' is completely nonsense.
Of course, he would never say such words out loud; he just used them to fool Tang San.
Yu Xiaogang stared fixedly at the patch of blue-gold vines on the competition stage, his knuckles turning white from clenching, and his Adam's apple bobbed twice: "Impossible... absolutely impossible!"
He pulled a yellowed Spirit Illustrated Handbook from his robes and poked forcefully at the page for Blue Silver Grass, "Look! It's written clearly in the ancient texts: Blue Silver Grass, no record of evolution, Spirit evaluation: Trash tier! This is a conclusion verified over thousands of years; how could it just evolve like that?"
Beside him, Flender frowned: "But Xu Yuan's Blue Silver Emperor... is indeed different from ordinary Blue Silver Grass. Look at those patterns, that pressure; even Tang San's Blue Silver Grass is suppressed to the point it can't lift its head. This can't be faked, can it?"
"That's a difference in spirit power! He used spirit power to forcibly distort its form!" Yu Xiaogang's voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling, as if he were trying to convince Flender, but even more so, himself.
Yu Xiaogang muttered to himself: "The essence of Blue Silver Grass is a low-level plant Spirit. Its low quality dictates that it's impossible to elevate to an Emperor level; this is an iron law of Spirit Studies! That kid Xu Yuan must have used some kind of trickery, or... or it's a special case of mutation, completely lacking universality!"
If anyone else had said those words, he would have believed them and researched it.
But the person saying those things just had to be Xu Yuan!
He absolutely did not believe Xu Yuan's words; Xu Yuan's words had to be fake.
Flender looked at his near-paranoid state and sighed helplessly: "Xiaogang, you've studied Spirit theory your whole life; don't you understand? Theories are dead, but people are alive."
Yu Xiaogang snapped his head up, his eyes bloodshot, looking like a cat that had its tail stepped on: "Alive? Flender, what do you mean? Are you saying thousands of years of Spirit research are all wrong? Just because of one sentence from Xu Yuan, all established conclusions are to be overturned?"
He grabbed the handbook and slammed it hard onto the table, making the yellowed pages rustle loudly: "When I was researching Blue Silver Grass, he wasn't even born yet! From Innate spirit power testing to spirit ring compatibility, from growth environments to mutation rates, I've conducted numerous experiments. Every single time, it proved that Blue Silver Grass is synonymous with Trash Spirits!"
Flender looked at his reddened eyes and his tone deepened: "I'm not saying you're wrong, it's just... Xu Yuan's Blue Silver Emperor is right there. You can't deny the facts your eyes see just because he is Xu Yuan."
"Facts?" Yu Xiaogang let out a cold laugh, pointing at Tang San below the stage, "The fact is that Tang San's Blue Silver Grass is being suppressed like a pile of withered grass! The fact is that Xu Yuan is using this bizarre Spirit to disturb people's hearts! He's doing it on purpose! He's intentionally using this never-before-seen form to shake my theories, to shake my Foundation!"
His voice grew louder and louder, drawing strange looks from the people around them.
Ma Hongjun, among the Shrek Seven Devils, couldn't help but frown: "Grandmaster, Xu Yuan doesn't seem that bad, does he?"
Dai Mubai snorted coldly: "He's not bad?"
His fiancée was the one Xu Yuan snatched away; he could never forget that matter.
Listening to their conversation, Ning Rongrong couldn't help but frown, feeling a sense of disgust toward Dai Mubai and Yu Xiaogang in her heart.
One must know, Xu Yuan was now her fiancé.
How could she not dislike them for speaking about her fiancé that way?
"Not that bad?" Yu Xiaogang suddenly turned toward Ma Hongjun, his gaze as sharp as a knife, "By the time you've been fooled by his flowery words, you won't even know how you lost! He said Tang San's Blue Silver Grass can evolve? He's just painting a pretty picture for Tang San! He wants Tang San to give up on hard work and indulge in ethereal fantasies!"
Flender looked at Yu Xiaogang's near-hysterical state and sighed in his heart.
He understood Yu Xiaogang too well; behind this paranoia was an extreme faith in his theories, and also a form of compensation for his own failures.
Back then, he failed to make Luo San Pao stronger, so he stubbornly believed that all Trash Spirits were destined to be mediocre.
"Xiaogang, you're being too narrow-minded." Flender's voice lowered, carrying a hint of imperceptible heartache, "What kind of character does Tang San have? Would he give up on his efforts because of a single sentence? You've watched his Cultivation these past few years; which time did he not give his all? Even if Xu Yuan's words are just empty promises, at least it gives him something to look forward to and extra motivation. Isn't that a good thing?"
Yu Xiaogang was at a loss for words, his chest heaving violently, but he couldn't find any words to refute him.
He did indeed understand Tang San; that child's inner resilience far exceeded ordinary people. However, he simply could not tolerate Xu Yuan using such a fallacy as Blue Silver Grass evolution to bewitch Tang San.
Ning Rongrong suddenly spoke up, her voice clear and bright: "Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, do you have some sort of prejudice against Xu Yuan?"
She took half a step forward, her gaze meeting Yu Xiaogang's directly, "Whether his Blue Silver Emperor is real or not, everyone in the arena can see it for themselves."
"You always say theories need verification, but when a true exception appears, why are you unwilling to face it?" Ning Rongrong's tone was firm, "Xu Yuan's Blue Silver Emperor can suppress Tang San's Blue Silver Grass; isn't that the best proof?"
Yu Xiaogang's face turned beet red, his chest heaving violently as if a fire were burning within him, yet he simply couldn't find the right words to strike back.
Ning Rongrong's gaze was too direct, carrying an unquestionable certainty that acted like a mirror, reflecting all of his stubbornness and prejudice.
He opened his mouth, but it felt as if something was stuck in his throat, and he could only make raspy, wheezing sounds.
His fingers gripped the railing of the spectator stand tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, causing his entire body to tremble slightly.
The surrounding air seemed to freeze, and everyone's gaze fell upon him—some with sympathy, some with confusion, and some with a hint of amusement at the spectacle.
Those gazes pricked him like needles, making Yu Xiaogang wish he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
"You... you..." Yu Xiaogang pointed at Ning Rongrong, his voice shaking uncontrollably, yet he was unable to utter a single complete sentence.
He wanted to berate Ning Rongrong for not understanding the profundity of Spirit theory, and he wanted to argue that he wasn't being stubborn but was instead upholding the truth.
But at the thought of Xu Yuan's blue-gold Blue Silver Emperor and Tang San's suppressed Blue Silver Grass, all his words were blocked in his throat.
Seeing this, Flender quickly tried to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, the match isn't over yet; everyone say less."
He gently patted Yu Xiaogang's back, trying to calm him down, "Xiaogang, don't get upset with the children; it's not worth it."
Yu Xiaogang abruptly shook off his hand and turned to look at the arena, his back projecting an indescribable stiffness and embarrassment.
Seeing his loss of composure, Ning Rongrong felt no sense of victory; she only let out a soft sigh.
She didn't want to make things difficult for Yu Xiaogang; she just couldn't stand someone slandering Xu Yuan like that
At that moment, Tang Hao, watching from the shadows, couldn't help but become excited as he looked at Xu Yuan.
Previously, he hadn't taken Xu Yuan's Spirit seriously, but hearing Xu Yuan's words, he suddenly remembered a few things.
Ah Yin had once told him that Blue Silver Grass could evolve into the Blue Silver Emperor, but there was a prerequisite.
That prerequisite was possessing the Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline.
However, there were not many Blue Silver Grass that possessed the Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline, and there was only one Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast with that Bloodline: Ah Yin.
But he couldn't rule out any accidents; he needed to conduct a proper investigation.
Ning Fengzhi frowned as he looked down at the scene.
He had seen everything that just happened, and knowing what kind of person Ning Rongrong was, he felt some dissatisfaction toward Yu Xiaogang in his heart.
It was only because Yu Xiaogang was a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan; otherwise, he would have been dealt with long ago upon his return.
The others watched the scene with chuckles, feeling that Yu Xiaogang was nothing more than a clown.
After Xu Yuan finished speaking with Tang San, he eliminated him, and then it was Dai Mubai's turn.
Dai Mubai glared at Xu Yuan with gritted teeth; his fiancée, Zhu Zhuqing, had been snatched away by Xu Yuan, and he would absolutely not let the other man off.
"Dai Mubai, let me see how much you've improved during this time," Xu Yuan said with a chuckle as he looked at Dai Mubai.
Anger seethed in the depths of Dai Mubai's eyes as he immediately underwent Martial Soul Possession: "Xu Yuan, today I'll let you know the consequences of stealing someone else's fiancée!"
"First Spirit Skill: White Tiger Barrier!"
The moment the White Tiger Barrier was activated, a white halo of light surrounded Dai Mubai, and his defensive power instantly soared.
"Stealing someone's fiancée?" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of playfulness. "Dai Mubai, get this straight: this was the path Zhu Zhuqing chose for herself. What does it have to do with stealing? Or is she just an object that can be fought over in your eyes?"
These words were like a slap to Dai Mubai's face, making it flush red instantly as he roared, "Enough talk! Take this! Second Spirit Skill: White Tiger Light Wave!"
A blazing white light erupted from his mouth, carrying a sharp whistle as it tore through the air straight toward Xu Yuan, leaving a scorched mark on the ground wherever the light wave passed.
Looking at the incoming White Tiger Light Wave, the smile on Xu Yuan's face remained unchanged, and he didn't even bother to use his Spirit.
He clenched his right fist and swung it directly against the residual heat of the light.
"Bang!"
What seemed like a casual punch actually managed to shatter the blazing light wave by force, sending scattered energy splashing onto the ground and burning small sparks. Dai Mubai's pupils shrank, and before he could react, Xu Yuan had already closed in like Gui Mei, the force of his punch whistling through the air as it aimed straight for his face.
"You're looking for death!" Dai Mubai roared as he raised his arms to block, the white light of the White Tiger Barrier suddenly brightening in an attempt to take the punch head-on.
"Boom!"
The moment the fist collided with the light barrier, Dai Mubai felt a surge of massive force; his arms went numb, and many cracks actually appeared on the White Tiger Barrier's halo.
He looked at Xu Yuan in horror; the opponent clearly hadn't used a Spirit Ability, yet had broken his defense relying purely on Physical Body strength?
Dai Mubai didn't know that Xu Yuan had held back most of his strength; otherwise, a single punch could have finished him.
Xu Yuan gave Dai Mubai no chance to catch his breath, using his left hand to seize his wrist while his right hand changed from a fist into a palm, striking toward his chest with a sharp wind.
His movements were as fast as lightning, with every move aimed at a vital point—it was entirely a style of close-quarters combat.
With his wrist seized by Xu Yuan, Dai Mubai felt a surge of brute force; his arm couldn't move at all.
He watched helplessly as Xu Yuan's palm struck with a sharp wind, and though he hurriedly twisted his body to dodge, he was still clipped on the shoulder by the palm wind, resulting in a sudden burst of sharp pain as if his bone were about to crack.
"Third Spirit Skill: White Tiger Vajra Transformation!" Dai Mubai howled as he activated his Third Spirit Skill.
His muscles throughout his body bulged, and his fur became as hard as steel needles as he tried to break free from the restraint.
But Xu Yuan's fingers were like iron pincers, firmly gripping his wrist and remaining motionless no matter how much he struggled.
"Is this all you've got?" Xu Yuan's tone was cold as he suddenly raised his knee, striking Dai Mubai squarely in the abdomen.
"Ugh—" Dai Mubai cried out in pain, his body curling up like a shrimp; the defense provided by the White Tiger Vajra Transformation was completely useless against this knee strike.
Xu Yuan released his hand and followed up with a horizontal elbow strike, hitting him squarely on the side of the face.
"Slap!"
The crisp sound echoed across the arena as Dai Mubai was sent flying sideways, crashing heavily onto the ground.
Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and a clear red mark was imprinted on his face.
As Dai Mubai struggled to crawl back up, Xu Yuan had already closed in on him.
Xu Yuan stepped on his chest and looked down at him: "Still want to fight?"
Pinned to the ground, the sharp pain from his chest made Dai Mubai almost unable to breathe, yet he still glared at Xu Yuan with deathly intensity.
Bloodshot veins spread like a cobweb in Dai Mubai's eyes: "Let... let go of me! I haven't lost yet!"
He suddenly surged his spirit power, attempting to use the strength of the White Tiger Vajra Transformation to flip Xu Yuan over, but just as his body moved an inch, he was pinned firmly in place by the sudden increase in pressure from Xu Yuan's foot.
"Ngh!" Dai Mubai let out a muffled groan as more blood appeared at the corner of his mouth, his ribs feeling as if they were about to be crushed.
"Haven't lost?" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow and kicked Dai Mubai off the stage.
Dai Mubai was kicked flying like a ragdoll, passing through the light screen at the edge of the competition stage and crashing heavily onto the empty ground below, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Pfft—" Dai Mubai suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the ground in front of him red.
The effects of the White Tiger Vajra Transformation instantly faded, his fur returning to normal, leaving behind only wretchedness and sharp pain.
The entire venue went silent at first, followed by an eruption of low murmurs of discussion.
No one had expected Xu Yuan to end the duel in such a clean and decisive manner; that kick had seemed casual, yet it carried a sense of overwhelming dominance that brooked no argument.
The referee hurriedly ran down to check; seeing that although Dai Mubai was seriously injured, his consciousness was still clear, he immediately raised his arm high: "Xu Yuan of Blue Tyrant Academy, victory!"
Standing in the center of the competition stage, Xu Yuan's gaze indifferently swept over the curled-up Dai Mubai below, not saying another word.
To him, there had been no suspense in this duel from the very beginning; Dai Mubai's anger and resentment were nothing more than a futile struggle.
Watching this scene, Huo Wu's eyes lit up as she said, "So strong. This is the first time I've seen someone this powerful."
The others nodded, agreeing with Huo Wu's words wholeheartedly.
On the other side, in the audience seats.
Dugu Yan said to Ye Lingling beside her, "Lingling, look, Xu Yuan is so amazing."
Ye Lingling nodded gently, her voice as soft as spring water: "Mhm, his strength is indeed unfathomably deep."
As she watched Xu Yuan fight, Dugu Yan said, "Look at those moves just now; he broke Dai Mubai's White Tiger Barrier relying purely on his Physical Body. What a monstrous physique! If it were me, I probably couldn't even take one of his punches."
Seeing this, Ye Lingling joked, "Yanyan, you couldn't possibly have a crush on Xu Yuan, could you?"
Dugu Yan was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on; her fur stood on end instantly, and her cheeks flushed crimson. She reached out to scratch Ye Lingling's arm. "What nonsense are you talking about! Who... who likes him!"
Her movements were so exaggerated that the hairpin on her head almost fell off, causing several surrounding students to chuckle secretly.
Ye Lingling dodged with a laugh, her eyes shimmering with a hint of mischief. "Oh? Then why were you staring at him for so long just now, constantly muttering'so powerful' under your breath? That's not just ordinary attention."
"I was... that was admiration! Yes, admiration!" Dugu Yan argued with a stiff neck, yet her eyes involuntarily drifted toward the competition stage.
Dugu Yan happened to see the back of Xu Yuan turning to leave the stage. She hurriedly looked away, her earlobes turning so red they looked ready to bleed. "Besides, isn't he Rongrong's fiancé? How could I possibly..."
As she reached the last few words, her voice grew smaller and smaller, clearly lacking conviction.
The fact that Ning Rongrong had a fiancé was known to the vast majority of high-level figures in the Heaven Dou Empire.
Ye Lingling was dismissive. "What's the big deal? Isn't it normal for the strong to have three wives and four concubines? If you like him, go for it. Don't leave yourself with regrets."
Dugu Yan was so shocked by Ye Lingling's blunt words that her eyes nearly popped out. She quickly covered Ye Lingling's mouth, looked around, and lowered her voice. "Are you crazy! How can you say such things? Rongrong is right down there!"
Her palms were sweating, fearing that Ning Rongrong might have heard those words just now.
The little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School didn't have a temper as soft as she appeared. If she knew someone was eyeing her fiancé, there was no telling what kind of chaos would break out.
In the past, she certainly wouldn't have cared, but after developing some feelings for Xu Yuan, she began to care about what others said.
Ye Lingling gently pushed Dugu Yan's hand away, her tone remaining calm. "I'm just speaking the truth. In the Spirit Master's world, strength is respected. As long as both parties are willing, having multiple partners isn't strange. Besides, matters of the heart have never been locked down by a mere marriage contract."
She paused, looking at Dugu Yan's reddened earlobes, a faint smile curling at the corners of her mouth. "If you really have no thoughts about him, why were you blushing just now?"
Dugu Yan was left speechless by the question. She could only turn around and pretend to watch the match, but her heart was thumping like a trapped rabbit.
Ye Lingling's words were like a seed falling into her heart.
Indeed, Xu Yuan was so strong; even if there was a marriage contract, could it be that... "What am I thinking!" Dugu Yan shook her head violently, tossing those messy thoughts aside.
"Dugu Yan, wake up! That's Ning Rongrong's fiancé, the person chosen by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. It's not your place to daydream!" Dugu Yan thought to herself secretly.
But the more she tried to restrain herself, the more clearly Xu Yuan's figure emerged in her mind.
His composure when he shattered the White Tiger Light Wave with one punch, the strength in his grip when he held Dai Mubai's wrist, and even that faint smile he gave Ning Rongrong as he left the stage... "How annoying!" Dugu Yan cursed under her breath.
She took out her water bottle and took a large gulp. The icy water slid down her throat, but it couldn't suppress the heat on her face.
Seeing her restless state, Ye Lingling stopped teasing her and instead turned her gaze toward the Blue Tyrant Academy rest area, lost in thought.
She felt that Dugu Yan didn't have much of a chance, because she had noticed earlier that Xu Yuan was close with several women.
The main reason she felt Dugu Yan's chances were low was that Dugu Yan was too proud. If she could let go of her pride, perhaps the two of them could work out.
After Xu Yuan stepped down, he patted Tai Long's arm and said, "Tai Long, I'll leave the next duel to you."
Tai Long patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Boss. Leave everything to me now."
He was incredibly confident now, feeling that besides his Boss, no one could compare to him.
Tai Long strode onto the competition stage, his muscles bulging.
The person sent out from Tang San's side was Ma Hongjun. Seeing it was Tai Long, Ma Hongjun felt nothing but disdain.
If it were Xu Yuan, he would be one hundred percent terrified, but this guy Tai Long looked like a brute at first glance.
"Tai Long? You think you can stop me?" Ma Hongjun looked at Tai Long walking onto the stage, a mocking sneer curling his lips. "Is there no one left in your Blue Tyrant Academy? Sending a brute out to make up the numbers?"
Tai Long didn't have a good temper to begin with. Hearing this, his eyes widened in anger, and his entire spirit power erupted. His body expanded, his muscles knotted, and the moment he underwent Titan Giant Ape Martial Soul Possession, a tyrannical aura swept across the field.
"Cut the crap! If you have the guts, come up and fight!"
"If it's a fight you want, let's fight! Who's afraid of who!" Ma Hongjun snorted coldly, undergoing Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul Possession.
A pair of flaming wings unfolded behind his back, the scorching aura causing the surrounding air to distort slightly.
Ma Hongjun flapped his wings and rose into the air, hovering several meters above the ground, looking down at Tai Long. "Hey, big dummy, come up here if you can?"
In his view, Tai Long was of the attack system, meaning speed and flexibility were his weaknesses. As long as he kept his distance and used fire to wear him down from afar, he could surely drain this brute's spirit power until it was exhausted.
Tai Long looked up at Ma Hongjun in the air, his eyes fierce. However, he didn't become exasperated as Ma Hongjun expected. Instead, he slowly crouched down, the muscles in his legs tensing like a fully drawn bowstring.
With a sudden roar, Tai Long kicked off the ground with such force that the hard stone slabs of the competition stage actually cracked!
Tai Long's body shot into the sky like a fired cannonball, accompanied by a whistling gale, instantly closing the distance with Ma Hongjun!
Ma Hongjun's expression changed abruptly. He hadn't expected Tai Long to be able to jump so high. He hurriedly flapped his wings to retreat, while simultaneously opening his mouth to spit out a blast of fire.
"First Spirit Skill: Phoenix Fire Wire!"
The blazing fire whipped toward Tai Long like a crimson lash, the air crackling from the heat.
But Tai Long didn't dodge at all. The powerful Physical Body of the Titan Giant Ape took the hit head-on. The flames left charred marks on his skin, but they couldn't stop his forward momentum.
"Bang!"
Tai Long grabbed Ma Hongjun's arm in one go.
Ma Hongjun only felt a heart-wrenching pain from his arm as he was forcibly dragged down from the sky, slamming heavily onto the competition stage amidst a cloud of dust.
Ma Hongjun was slammed so hard his vision went black. He just started struggling to flap his wings and get up.
Tai Long had already mounted him like Mount Tai pressing down, his palm as large as a cattail leaf fan pinning down his flaming wings with such force that he couldn't move.
"Weren't you quite good at flying?" Tai Long's voice sounded like muffled thunder. "Try flying again for me!"
As he spoke, his fist smashed into the ground beside Ma Hongjun's head with a whistling wind.
"Boom—"
The stone slab shattered, and the stone fragments stung Ma Hongjun's cheeks.
"Second Spirit Skill: Bursting Great Strength."
Tai Long gave a low shout, the muscles in his arms bulging as the force pinning Ma Hongjun down suddenly increased.
Ma Hongjun felt as if his wings were about to be crushed. He grimaced in pain, and the light from his flaming wings dimmed significantly.
Only then did he realize that this brute's strength was actually terrifying to this extent. His plan to wear him down from a distance had completely failed