Word Count: 2,890 Words
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A light shield materialized around Ning Tian. The Golden Leaf, imbued with Ye Wuqing's spirit power and resembling a sharp blade, was nevertheless deflected by the gentle yet resilient white light.
Members and spectators from the original Douluo Continent's three empires instinctively rubbed their eyes. What was that light shield? It actually allowed a Spirit Elder to withstand an attack from a Spirit King twenty ranks above her!
"A Class 7 Spirit Barrier?"
"It even seems to be a rechargeable type!"
The Spirit Guidance Masters from the Sun Moon Empire instantly recognized Ning Tian's Class 7 Rechargeable Spirit Barrier. Their expressions changed dramatically. Shrek Academy had always rejected Spirit Guidance Devices; in the past, the Spirit Guidance Masters on their main team were merely supporting players. Since when did they start equipping such high-grade Spirit Guidance Devices!
"This shouldn't be right. I haven't heard that Shrek Academy changed its stance on Spirit Guidance Devices. They've always been strictly against them…"
Elder Ma furrowed his brows and began pacing around the rest area. The Illustrious Virtue Hall believed that the integration of Spirit Masters and Spirit Guidance Masters was the future development direction of the Douluo Continent. That's why they cultivated the Hongchen siblings and repeatedly contacted Shrek Academy hoping to establish exchange programs.
Could it be that those pigheaded people at Shrek had finally seen the light?
Elder Ma couldn't figure it out, no matter how much he pondered, until he noticed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in Ning Tian's hand. His eyes suddenly lit up. He slapped his left fist into his right palm and exclaimed in realization:
"She's from the main lineage of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan! That explains it."
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had a heritage spanning ten thousand years and was the only top faction on the Douluo Continent that could rival the Illustrious Virtue Hall in wealth. Their 'Heaven's Treasury' was reputed to hold immeasurable riches, so producing an insanely valuable treasure wouldn't be outrageous.
A Class 7 Rechargeable Spirit Barrier? Small potatoes!
"Grandfather, don't worry. A Class 7 barrier isn't a problem. We've brought even higher-grade Spirit Guidance Devices," Ma Rulong whispered as he approached.
Elder Ma sat back down, stroking his stubbly chin in contemplation. "But that Spirit Guidance Device might not be sufficient to defeat the Seraphim, and it might even be somewhat countered by it.
Shrek has already exposed their facade of being strong outside but weak inside. This year is our best opportunity to compete for the championship. I'll write a letter and have someone deliver it to the Illustrious Virtue Hall, asking the Hall Master to send us a few more high-grade Spirit Guidance Devices!"
"Grandfather is wise!"
Back on the competition stage, Ye Wuqing was momentarily stunned seeing his proud Golden Leaf intercepted. The emotion that followed was humiliation and anger. For an arrogant genius like him, being bested by someone weaker was the most unacceptable outcome. In his view, a 3-ringed auxiliary-type Spirit Elder shouldn't be able to withstand even a single attack from him!
Ding—
The previously deflected Golden Leaf fell to the ground with a crisp ring. Ye Wuqing's first and third spirit rings lit up simultaneously. The Golden Leaf floated up again, its original golden color suddenly turning into a brilliant crimson gold. It split into dozens of Golden Leaves that formed a golden net in the air.
Golden Leaf's First Spirit Skill, Leaf Blade, and Third Spirit Skill, Leaf Formation. This was Ye Wuqing's signature spirit skill combination, which utilized the Golden Leaf's sharpness to defeat countless opponents. The Golden Leaf Blade Formation fiercely struck the pure white Class 7 Spirit Barrier. A violent explosion resounded as the Golden Leaves scattered like a mass of crimson-golden flames.
The blaze gradually dissipated, revealing Ning Tian's slender figure and her cold, sapphire blue eyes. The Class 7 Rechargeable Spirit Barrier was a gift she received when she apprenticed under Xian Lin'er. Exquisitely crafted and immensely powerful, it now stood firm and unshakable like Mount Tai. Moreover, two more Spirit Guidance Devices appeared in her hands.
No matter how strong the Spirit Barrier was, it could only protect Ning Tian herself. Xue Lang's eyes darted around. Taking advantage of Ye Wuqing's fierce assault, he bypassed Ning Tian to attack He Caitou, who was charging up his cannon and unable to retaliate.
Xue Lang's third spirit ring shone, and the sound of wolf howls seemed to arise. The strength of his muscles and bones surged, and his fur transformed from silver-gray to blood-red.
Third spirit skill, Blood Wolf Transformation, a comprehensive enhancement-type skill. His development path was similar to that of the White Tiger Dai Yueheng, focusing on bodily enhancements with his spirit skills and relying on close combat to suppress opponents.
BOOM—
Without warning, a shimmering colorful shield appeared not far in front of He Caitou. Just as Xue Lang thought he had bypassed Ning Tian and could easily deal with He Caitou, the person-tall shield seemed to have grown eyes, preemptively positioning itself in his attack path.
Class 3 defensive Spirit Guidance Device: Colorful Light Shield!
His sharp claws scraped across the Colorful Light Shield, emitting piercing tearing sounds. Sparks exploded brightly against the shield. The wolf claws gouged a deep groove, but then the Colorful Light Shield burst out with a dazzling nine-colored light. Xue Lang let out a miserable scream as his attack momentum waned, and he rolled on the ground clutching his eyes.
Hit directly by the Colorful Light Shield's attached skill, Dazzling Colorful Light, Xue Lang was temporarily blinded and couldn't interfere with He Caitou's Super Energy-Gathering Spirit Cannon's charging process.
"What precise judgment!"
"That girl has exceptional talent!"
The students of the Sun Moon Imperial Academy watched Ning Tian with some surprise. A Spirit Guidance Master's level was evaluated based on two things: crafting and using Spirit Guidance Devices.
This Class 3 Colorful Light Shield had a strong Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan style and was obviously Ning Tian's personal creation. The Shrek Academy roster, obtained by flexing financial muscles, included bone age test results; a twelve-year-old Class 3 Spirit Guidance Master would be considered a top genius even in the Sun Moon Empire. Moreover, Ning Tian was simultaneously using the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to assist He Caitou and intercept Ye Wuqing while controlling the Colorful Light Shield to block Xue Lang. Such multitasking ability made the Spirit Guidance Masters extremely envious.
"She's cultivated the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's secret technique, Heart Separation Control, to the Three Aperture Governing Heart level!"
In Shrek's rest area, Wang Yan couldn't help clenching his fists excitedly at Ning Tian's brilliant performance of fighting two opponents alone.
"No, this is the Four Aperature Constant Heart."
Ling Bai corrected him. Compared to Wang Yan's theoretical knowledge from books, he understood the limits of the Three Aperture Governing Heart better.
Starting from the Spirit Elder rank, the user's Heart Separation Control must advance to match the number of spirit rings acquired with each major realm breakthrough of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Ning Tian had reached the realm of the Three Aperture Governing Heart long ago. Coupled with a year of multitasking while engraving core arrays and creating Spirit Guidance Devices, she naturally advanced to the Four Aperature Constant Heart ahead of schedule.
Sure enough, the second Spirit Guidance Device Ning Tian produced began to play its role. Under her four-way split focus, the powerful Class 3 Explosive Cannon suddenly unleashed firepower toward Ye Wuqing.
Ye Wuqing's face turned black with fury, as if he were carrying a massive, dark wok lid on his neck. The Class 3 Explosive Cannon couldn't threaten a Spirit King's life, but the constant harassment was incredibly vexing!
The Class 7 Spirit Barrier was a rechargeable type; it didn't need the user's additional spirit power until its energy was depleted. If Ye Wuqing wanted to wear down the spirit power inside, he would definitely need to attack with full force. Meanwhile, Ning Tian used the Class 3 Explosive Cannon to force him to divide his attention, making him fend off the cannon while attacking. The dignified Spirit King was so stifled he nearly spat blood.
"Damn it! Which bastard invented these Spirit Guidance Devices!" Ye Wuqing gritted his teeth.
It was common knowledge that Shrek Academy rejected Spirit Guidance Devices. In fact, Justsky Academy despised them even more. At least Shrek had a Spirit Guidance Department; Justsky remained purely a Spirit Master Academy to this day.
As Justsky's ace, Ye Wuqing already disliked Spirit Guidance Devices, and now he loathed them even more. He secretly vowed that one day, when he ascended to the pinnacle, he would eradicate Spirit Guidance Devices completely!
Time passed unnoticed. The Super Energy-Gathering Spirit Cannon on He Caitou's shoulder was gradually reaching full charge, the intense incandescent light ready to erupt at any moment. Sensing the threat, Ye Wuqing shouted:
"Xue Lang, you useless trash! Hurry up and destroy that cannon!"
"Boss, I can't see anything!"
Xue Lang was rolling all over the ground. Bizarrely, the Colorful Light Shield followed his rolling direction as it continuously emitted brilliant light. Xue Lang's field of vision was a mess of dazzling colors. He couldn't even tell the cardinal directions, let alone find He Caitou.
"You're a wolf! Use your nose!"
Ye Wuqing was hopping mad. Why did he have such a stupid teammate!
"Oh, right!"
Xue Lang scrambled to his feet in a tumble. His nostrils twitched slightly. The fragrant scent belonged to the girl Ning Tian; the familiar scent was Ye Wuqing's. Using the great method of elimination, the one reeking of sweat had to be He Caitou!
"Hey hey hey, here I come!"
His 1,000-year fourth spirit ring blazed brightly. A pair of wolf claws slashed out a blood-red cross-shaped blade of light, knocking the Colorful Light Shield aside. Xue Lang pounced toward He Caitou like a bolt of lightning.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Class 7 Spirit Barrier, Colorful Light Shield, Explosive Cannon—He Caitou knew that Ning Tian, multitasking in four ways, had reached her limit. This junior sister had bought him ample time. He desperately puffed on the cigars in his mouth, squeezing out every last drop of spirit power in his body. Three seconds later, under his frantic inhaling, the cigars all turned to ash, and tiny beads of blood seeped through his skin!
A magnificent white light appeared on the competition stage. An overwhelming aura of destruction enveloped the entire area. The 108 Spirit Masters sensed it and channeled their full spirit power to maintain the protective barrier. At the moment the Super Energy-Gathering Spirit Cannon fired, a cross-shaped mark appeared on Ye Wuqing's chest.
Lock-on.
The Super Energy-Gathering Spirit Cannon was a lock-on version modified by He Caitou. The original was a war machine with power comparable to a Class 7 Spirit Guidance Device. You just had to shoot it into a crowd and be done with it. To adapt it for the Spirit Master Tournament, He Caitou had reduced some of its power so he could barely withstand the side effects of firing, but he added a lock-on core array. Ye Wuqing had nowhere to escape!
After the white beam of light flew out from the Super Energy-Gathering Spirit Cannon, space seemed to distort for a moment in an eerie way. The audience outside saw the scene suddenly become blurry, as if a layer of hazy white light had been applied.
Those who felt the power of the Super Energy-Gathering Spirit Cannon up close on the stage—whether it was Ye Wuqing, Xue Lang, or the Spirit Saint-level referee—all had the distinct impression that space was being torn apart.
The first to bear the brunt of the Super Energy-Gathering Spirit Cannon was not Ye Wuqing, but Xue Lang, who had charged toward He Caitou with reckless courage. Although his eyes were tightly shut, a patch of blinding white light suddenly pierced through his world of dazzling colors.
The white beam burst forth. His wolf fur instantly emitted a scorched smell. A trace of fear and despair appeared on Xue Lang's face. Just before he was about to be swallowed by the Super Energy-Gathering Spirit Cannon, the referee intervened and saved him, effectively declaring Xue Lang eliminated from the two-on-two battle.
Facing this terrifying ultimate-level Spirit Guidance Device, Ye Wuqing's last black fifth spirit ring finally lit up. His entire aura changed dramatically. He raised both hands, palms facing the sky. Specks of golden light glittered, and countless tiny golden dots floated around his body, forming a golden light curtain.
Those golden light spots rapidly expanded, transforming into countless slightly smaller, innumerable golden leaves. The countless golden leaves revolved at extreme speed around Ye Wuqing's body, carrying the sharp cutting power of the Golden Leaf, resembling a dazzling golden storm!
Fifth Spirit Skill, Golden Leaf Dance!
Streams of different colored light erupted from both ends. One side was the incandescent glow of the Super Energy-Gathering Spirit Cannon, and the other was the golden brilliance of the Golden Leaf Dance.
The competition stage, constructed by the Star Luo Empire at enormous expense, suffered widespread damage from the collision of these two terrifying forces. The sound was so deafening that even spectators at the outer edges of Star Luo Plaza could hear it.
The smoke gradually dissipated, the strong wind creating ripples as it swept across. Everyone eagerly looked toward the center of the stage. At this moment, they completely ignored the difference in cultivation between the two teams and just wanted to see the outcome as soon as possible.
Thud—
He Caitou's tall figure collapsed to the ground. The single shot from the Super Energy-Gathering Spirit Cannon had drained all his spirit power, leaving not even a bit to resist the explosion's aftermath. With both his spiritual power and spirit power exhausted, plus injuries from the shockwave, he struggled on the ground for a moment before fainting.
"Cough! Cough!"
Ning Tian waved away the white mist before her, revealing she was unharmed. The audience immediately erupted in earth-shattering cheers.
Although He Caitou released that incredibly destructive strike, those with discerning eyes could see that Ning Tian was the true MVP. A 3-ringed Spirit Elder had actually held back Spirit King Ye Wuqing and Spirit Ancestor Xue Lang, buying time for He Caitou to decide the match with one shot.
"We won?!"
On Shrek's side, Wang Yan found it hard to believe. Who could understand this? After playing the Tian Ji horse racing strategy for so long, the lower-tier horse ended up directly taking out the higher-tier horse!
"Where's Ye Wuqing?"
Bei Bei suddenly asked.
"Yeah, where did Ye Wuqing go?"
Only then did everyone react and frantically search for Ye Wuqing's figure. Their gazes stopped at the center of the explosion.
It was a massive fan-shaped area of destruction, nearly forty meters at its widest point. The ground was riddled with large cracks, a shocking and devastating sight.
A charred figure slowly rose. The pupils of Shrek's team members unconsciously dilated.
The charred figure was, of course, Ye Wuqing. He expressionlessly shook his left hand, revealing numerous leaf vein–like blood vessels covering it.
Golden Leaf's Fourth Spirit Skill: Golden Left Hand!
The Golden Left Hand was a spirit skill similar to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's Dragon Transformation, making the hand exceptionally tough and powerful. The Golden Leaf Dance had absorbed most of the Super Energy-Gathering Spirit Cannon's might. Ye Wuqing had only managed to withstand the remainder by relying on his Golden Left Hand, consuming eighty percent of his spirit power in the process. He was left with less than one-tenth of his peak strength.
"What's your name?"
Ye Wuqing offered Ning Tian the highest level of respect. Previously, he had only cared about Ling Bai. He spoke, "You are the first Spirit Elder to push me to the brink. Even a 3-ringed Seraphim couldn't have done better than you.
Your Spirit Barrier's energy must be depleted from withstanding the explosion's aftermath. After unleashing multiple spirit skills and controlling Spirit Guidance Devices, you likely have little spirit power left.
A Class 3 Spirit Cannon is useless against me. The outcome is decided. You should voluntarily leave the stage."
Ye Wuqing stepped within five meters of Ning Tian, pointing his Golden Left Hand toward the ground off the stage.
"I have just enough spirit power left for one more skill."
Ning Tian smiled brilliantly. In an instant, her sapphire blue eyes turned into lifeless gray vertical pupils. The illusory figure of the Serpent Queen Medusa rose behind her.
"Remember, my name is Ning Tian."
10,000-year Medusa Skull Spirit Bone Skill: Medusa's Gaze!
Crack, crack, crack!
As petrification took hold, Ye Wuqing's expression froze mid-transition from calm to utter astonishment.
One glance determines the outcome!
"Second match, Shrek Academy wins! In the 2-2-3 format, victory is decided by the best of three. Therefore, there is no need for a third match. Shrek Academy achieves victory in the second round of the round-robin!"
Upon hearing the referee's loud announcement, Ning Tian's delicate body, which had been holding on by sheer will, couldn't help but sway before she fell into a warm embrace. A familiar clear voice sounded in her ear.
"Sorry for underestimating you earlier."
"Hmph!"