Of course, Liu Yuan possessed absolute confidence in his own strength.
Therefore, no matter who his opponent was, he wouldn't waver in the slightest.
Lin Xi.
One of the official members of the original Sun Moon Team.
His strength was formidable, ranking among the best in the entire Sun Moon Royal Academy.
Perhaps some people would feel pressure when facing him due to his strength.
But Liu Yuan would not.
At this moment,
under the watchful gaze of tens of thousands of people, Liu Yuan walked out from the crowd with a calm expression, heading toward the highly anticipated Arena Number One at an unhurried pace.
He walked step by step, not fast.
But every step seemed to step precisely on everyone's heartbeat.
The noisy discussions that had erupted because of the drawing results eerily fell silent along the path he passed.
Countless gazes converged on him, filled with curiosity, speculation, alarm, and... a faint, hard-to-detect trace of fear.
At this time, in various parts of the venue, those figures truly at the top of the academy's pyramid also noticed Liu Yuan.
In the viewing area for the sixth-year students.
Ma Rulong sat steadily in the front row with his arms crossed over his chest.
His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, were deadlocked on Liu Yuan as he walked toward the arena, his brow furrowing slightly.
Is he that powerful second-year freshman?
Ma Rulong had certainly heard of Liu Yuan.
After all, the combination of the labels "freshman" and "Core Disciple" was enough to attract anyone's attention.
Moreover, he had heard that even the arrogant Xiao Hongchen seemed to be no match for him.
This left a deep impression on Ma Rulong.
"How interesting..."
"A great show is going to be seen so soon."
"I wonder who will win between Lin Xi and this junior."
Ma Rulong murmured to himself.
He really wanted to see.
Just how strong this freshman—personally recruited by Hall Master Jing Hongchen and mythologized by countless rumors—actually was.
...
On the other side.
In an unknown special office located on the top floor of Mingde Hall.
The Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire, Xu Yunhan, sat regally in the main seat.
Beside him was the Vice Hall Master of Mingde Hall, Kong Deming.
The one personally serving tea to the two was the Dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Jing Hongchen.
They were not present at the scene; instead, they used a massive spirit tool screen driven by a Core Formation to look down on everything happening in the plaza from a god's-eye view.
At this moment, after seeing Liu Yuan's name appear on the large screen, Xu Yunhan, who had maintained a calm expression, showed a look of genuine interest for the first time.
He set down his teacup and leaned forward slightly, a light of anticipation flickering in his majestic eyes.
"Oh? Is it his turn to appear so soon?"
"Then I must truly take a good look at his strength."
Beside him, Kong Deming stroked his beard, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes as he spoke slowly:
"I hope he doesn't disappoint us."
As the number two figure in Mingde Hall, Kong Deming placed more importance on a Soul Engineer's true foundation and potential rather than ethereal fame.
In his view, this youth whom Jing Hongchen had praised to the heavens still needed to prove himself with real strength.
Upon hearing this, Jing Hongchen laughed with full confidence.
He walked to the front of the screen, pointed at the figure who had already stepped onto the arena stairs, and said in a tone that was almost bragging:
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, Elder Kong."
"You will soon... be pleasantly surprised."
...
On the arena.
As Liu Yuan and Lin Xi both took their positions.
The referee on the high platform, after giving Liu Yuan a deep look, immediately announced loudly:
"The match, begin!"
Almost at the very first instant after the referee's voice fell!
Lin Xi's expression became incredibly solemn!
He didn't show the slightest carelessness just because he was an upperclassman!
Because he had also heard about Liu Yuan and knew that this harmless-looking junior before him was a monster in the truest sense!
Therefore, he had to... seize the initiative!
"Hah!"
Lin Xi gave a low shout and summoned his Spirit without hesitation!
A Golden Eagle with a wingspan of over four meters suddenly emerged behind him!
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple—four spirit rings of the optimal ratio lit up instantly!
A sharp aura swept out in all directions with him as the center!
At the same time, he flipped his right hand, and an exquisitely shaped, silver-white ray gun engraved with complex spirit tool formations was already held tightly in his hand!
A Level 4 spirit tool, Rapid-Fire Ray Gun!
However...
In that brief moment when he had just finished summoning his Spirit and raised his spirit tool.
On the opposite side, Liu Yuan moved.
His movement was faster!
So fast that... it exceeded the limits of human vision!
"Buzz—!"
There was no brilliant light of summoning a Spirit.
There were no dazzling special effects of rising spirit rings.
On Liu Yuan's body, only a faint golden halo suddenly lit up, as if draping him in a sacred suit of armor.
Spirit, Possession!
The next second.
His figure disappeared from where he stood.
No, it wasn't a disappearance!
Rather, a golden afterimage flashed past everyone's pupils!
Fast!
Too fast!
In the air, there was even a piercing sound of a sonic boom, like cloth being torn!
Extreme Speed!
Lin Xi's pupils snapped to the size of pinpricks!
The extreme sense of crisis in his heart exploded wildly!
His brain didn't even have time to process everything happening before him!
His finger had only just touched the trigger of the Rapid-Fire Ray Gun!
An indifferent figure had already appeared before him like a ghost, silently and without warning.
A palm that wasn't particularly large rapidly expanded in his field of vision.
Lin Xi couldn't even see the movement of that palm clearly.
He only heard a dull "thud," like a watermelon being smashed.
An irresistible, terrifying force like a mountain torrent or a tsunami erupted from his chest!
"Crack..."
Lin Xi only felt a massive force strike him.
His entire body was like a kite with a broken string, his feet leaving the ground as he was sent flying backward high into the air!
He traced a pathetic parabola in mid-air and finally crashed heavily onto the ground outside the arena with a "boom."
Dust rose everywhere.
The victory was decided.
From the referee's announcement of the start to Lin Xi's defeat.
The entire process took... less than a second.
Upon seeing this scene.
The cheers and discussions of the tens of thousands of people in the Central Plaza came to an abrupt halt.
The entire venue was dead silent.
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