For the finals, the audience around the arena grew even larger. Not only were there new students, but even the high platform reserved for teachers was packed. In the central position sat a tall male teacher, about fifty years old, who was Du Weilun, the Director of the Outer Courtyard of the Martial Soul Department.
The referee entered the assessment area, first read out the precautions, and then waved to the outside of the arena, signaling Wang Nan and the others to step onto the stage.
"Both parties, state your names."
"First-year Class One, Wang Nan, Rank 28 attack system Battle Soul Master."
"First-year Class One, Ling Luochen, Rank 24 control system Battle Soul Master."
"First-year Class One, Gongyang Mo, Rank 32 support system Spirit Elder."
It wasn't that Wang Nan didn't want to report false information; it was just that as the first to use this tactic, others had already thoroughly investigated their team's situation.
"First-year Class Nine, Ji Tongxuan, Rank 29 agility-attack system Battle Soul Master."
"First-year Class Nine, Ji Hui, Rank 21 agility-attack system Battle Soul Master."
"First-year Class Nine, Song Chang, Rank 22 attack system Battle Soul Master."
Wang Nan had paid attention during his previous observation of the matches. This team's fighting style was very unique. The agility-attack system Ji Tongxuan was their main attacker, while the attack system Song Chang was responsible for containment. As for the remaining Ji Hui, he had never been seen to make a move.
"Match start!" The referee didn't give Wang Nan much time to think, announcing the start of the finals with a command.
Following the referee's order, the three of them, including Wang Nan, quickly closed the distance. Unlike the first match, this wasn't a feint to draw the enemy in, but a forced move.
Wang Nan's team was still very wary of an opponent with one attack system and two agility-attack system Spirit Masters. After all, only Wang Nan among the three had the ability for direct combat. Once he was entangled, his control system and support system members would have almost no resistance against the opponent's attack system and agility-attack system Spirit Masters.
Ji Tongxuan's team also saw Wang Nan's weakness, and the three quickly attacked Gongyang Mo. Both Ji Tongxuan and Ji Hui had a pair of gray wings appear behind them. Although they couldn't allow them to fly, they significantly increased their speed.
Normally, Ji Tongxuan's three members should have attacked from three directions. In that scenario, no matter how strong Wang Nan was, he would be a Divided Soul and would inevitably struggle to protect his teammates. However, Ji Tongxuan and Ji Hui stayed close together, and combined with Song Chang's not-so-high spirit power rank, this allowed Wang Nan to block all attacks.
However, Wang Nan dared not be careless. The more unique a team, the more cautiously it should be treated. The fact that the opponents had reached the finals already said a lot.
Could it be a Spirit Fusion Ability? Wang Nan boldly guessed.
Ji Tongxuan and Ji Hui, although one was tall and the other slender in physique, had some similarities in their facial features. It was possible they were brothers, and a Spirit Fusion Ability would be reasonable.
Wang Nan pondered while fighting on the arena, and some in the audience had the same guess.
"Grandmaster Wang Yan, can you tell what Spirit Ji Tongxuan has? The two of them have been sticking close together since the beginning. Do they have a Spirit Fusion Ability or something similar?"
Another teacher sitting next to Wang Yan was quietly asking him. Although Wang Yan was young, when it came to research on Spirits, he was well-known among many teachers.
"Ji Tongxuan's Spirit seems to be a Fiery Spotted Sparrow. In Shrek's records, there are no Spirit Fusion Abilities related to this Spirit. However, our research on Spirits is only the tip of the iceberg. With the formation they've adopted, we cannot rule out that possibility."
On the arena, Gongyang Mo's three spirit rings had all lit up, and three halos of red, orange, and yellow light fell upon Wang Nan. With Gongyang Mo's support, Wang Nan fought one against three, and the situation once fell into a stalemate.
'I have Gongyang Mo's support, and Ji Tongxuan, as an agility-attack system Spirit Master, can still directly clash with me. This must be related to Ji Hui behind him. A Spirit Fusion is definitely happening. I just don't know what their Spirit Fusion Ability is?'
If it's a transformation-type ability like the Hell White Tiger, they should have used it against me already. So, is it an ability with only one strike, which they want to save for a critical moment?
Thinking of this, Wang Nan narrowed his eyes, and his first and second spirit rings lit up simultaneously. The Coiling Dragon Rod, accompanied by whooshing wind, smashed toward Ji Tongxuan.
If the Spirit Fusion Ability didn't appear, Wang Nan would have to constantly be on guard with a Divided Soul. Rather than that, it would be better to force them to act. Whatever the ability, a known one is always easier to deal with than an unknown one.
However, the reality was somewhat beyond Wang Nan's expectations. As the Coiling Dragon Rod struck, the opponent did not use any Spirit Fusion Ability. Instead, a red pattern appeared on the wings behind Ji Tongxuan, and it was Ji Hui behind him who spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood.
This is—
Du Weilun on the high platform's eyes widened sharply. He was about to stand up but was pressed down by a hand.
"Dean?" A figure had appeared beside Du Weilun without him noticing.
"Let's wait and see," Yan Shaozhe said, looking at the arena. As the Dean of the Martial Soul Department, he rarely attended the new student finals in previous years. His presence this time naturally had other reasons.
Wang Yan had a similar reaction to Du Weilun, but he didn't stand up immediately. Instead, he looked towards Du Weilun in the middle of the high platform, and after seeing Yan Shaozhe's figure, he said no more.
Wang Nan naturally didn't know what was happening below the stage. His mind was entirely focused on the battle at hand. With the boost from his first and second Spirit Abilities, he had already swung several rods consecutively. Ji Tongxuan still parried them effortlessly, but Ji Hui's complexion was getting worse and worse.
At first, Wang Nan thought it was because his attack frequency was too fast, not giving the opponent a chance to use their Spirit Fusion Ability. But he quickly realized something was wrong; his attacks seemed to be landing on Ji Hui.
Unlike the battle with Chen Zifeng back then, Wang Nan could feel his force being diverted elsewhere, which allowed Chen Zifeng to remain unharmed. But now, every one of his attacks solidly landed on Ji Tongxuan, yet it was Ji Hui on the other side who was getting injured.
Although he didn't know what was going on with the Ji brothers, Wang Nan knew that continuing this stalemate was not a solution. Gongyang Mo behind him was simultaneously maintaining three Spirit Abilities, and his spirit power consumption was extremely fast. Even a Spirit Elder couldn't last much longer. He needed to speed up.
Thinking of this, Wang Nan no longer held back, his consciousness communicating with his spiritual sea, holding the Coiling Dragon Rod with both hands.
Ji Tongxuan had also prepared before the battle and naturally knew how Yu Chenyu had been sent flying off the arena that morning. Seeing Wang Nan's movements now, in a moment of urgency, he actually pulled Ji Hui in front of him, wanting to block this strike.
Ji Hui was suddenly pushed forward, completely unprepared for defense. If this rod strike landed, it wouldn't just be a simple injury. After all, it was just a new student assessment, not a life-and-death battle. The moment the Coiling Dragon Rod descended, Wang Nan had already reined in his strength, his gaze directed at the referee to the side.
However, before the referee could speak, Ji Tongxuan suddenly let out a clear cry. The red pattern on his wings reappeared, and with a burst of light, the entire pair of wings turned red. Ji Hui's spirit power continuously poured into Ji Tongxuan's body through the point of contact between them.