Chapter 372: Endings and Departures
"Huff… Huff…"
Heavy breaths echoed across the Great Spirit Arena, where the final clash was reaching its conclusion atop the wide central platform.
Both teams had suffered severe losses—several members downed and eliminated. Thankfully, none had sustained life-threatening injuries.
On the Fierce Dragon team, only two members remained, one of whom was a support-type Spirit Master. She was currently channeling her spirit skills, desperately healing their battered captain and restoring his spirit power.
Meanwhile, the Undying team still had three members standing. Among them was Mo Ran.
No matter the team, the strategy was the same—protect the support-type Spirit Master at all costs. Even if it meant being eliminated themselves, preserving their healer was paramount.
Support-types lacked direct combat power, but their presence in a team battle was no less important than any other class. They were the heart of logistics, the ones who kept their teams on their feet.
Behind Mo Ran, three spirit rings shimmered in succession—pale red, pure white, and soft green. One by one, their lights enveloped the two remaining teammates.
First Spirit Skill: Stamina Recovery Aura.
Second Spirit Skill: Spirit Power Recovery Aura.
Third Spirit Skill: Blessing of Life Aura.
Each skill served a critical function—restoring stamina, spirit power, and vitality. Both in configuration and spirit ring age, Mo Ran's setup was top-tier.
Yet even with all his strength focused on support, the healing of his teammates lagged behind the other side. Their wounds were recovering visibly slower.
"We can't drag this out any longer." Zhao Panqing's voice was grim as he shook his head. "Quick battle. If we strike now, we have a good chance. Their captain is roughly on par with me—two against one, we can win. Delay, and things may change."
He wasn't speaking to Mo Ran, but to another teammate—Li Qingfeng—who stood nearby, gripping a heavy meteor hammer.
"…Got it." Li Qingfeng's expression was tight. He gave Mo Ran a complicated glance, then charged forward with weapon in hand, aiming directly at the Fierce Dragon team's captain.
"Attack!" Zhao Panqing roared, tilting his head back with a beastly bellow, then sprinted forward in tandem.
Mo Ran's expression faltered for a moment—guilt flickering in his eyes—but his reaction was swift. His first and second spirit rings dimmed temporarily as the third and fourth lit up together.
Fourth Spirit Skill: Valor's Protection Aura.
This aura reduced the damage his allies received from external attacks—an exceptional spirit skill that didn't overlap with the others.
A light yellow glow mixed with pale green burst forth, flowing around the two charging teammates like armor. Mo Ran followed behind closely, ensuring his auras remained within range to protect them.
The battle didn't last long.
Faced with two equally matched opponents at once, the captain of the Fierce Dragon team held out only briefly before raising his hand in surrender.
With only their support-type spirit master remaining, the Fierce Dragon team was no longer able to continue. Victory now belonged to the Undying team.
When the announcer officially declared the outcome and congratulated them on becoming a Gold Spirit Fighting Team, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause.
"It's over!" Zhao Panqing grinned ear to ear, visibly trembling with excitement. They had finally made it—Gold-ranked.
The rest of the team was just as thrilled. Their joy was plain to see, impossible to contain.
"…Yeah. It's over."
Mo Ran lowered his head slightly, hiding the look that didn't quite match the celebration. In a whisper too soft to be heard, he muttered to himself.
"Six whole years… and now it's ending."
As the audience slowly filtered out of the arena, the victorious Undying team made their way back to their private lounge.
"Captain, that final Rampaging Bull Strike was epic," said Meng Ke, a tall and lanky young man, grinning ear to ear. But then he added, in a voice laced with snide sarcasm,
"Shame that a certain support-type can't even heal half as fast as the other side. Almost dragged the whole team down."
Mo Ran's expression darkened slightly, but he said nothing.
He had never gotten along well with Meng Ke. Especially after breaking through to the fourth ring, his support abilities had been noticeably weaker than other support-type spirit masters at the same level, and Meng Ke had never missed a chance to mock him for it.
Under normal circumstances, Mo Ran would have retorted—he was never one to take things lying down.
But today… might be his last day in the team. He wanted to leave with some good memories.
Mo Ran held his tongue. However, Zhao Panqing's expression grew a little colder. "Alright, it hasn't been easy for Xiao Mo. His spirit is actually very strong—it's just not well-suited for seven-on-seven battles. If it were dozens or even hundreds of people, that's where Xiao Mo's spirit would really shine."
"But Spirit Battles never have more than seven people," Meng Ke replied, oblivious to Zhao Panqing's displeasure. Seeing that the one who had been holding the team back was finally leaving, he was visibly elated. "Dozens or hundreds? What is this—warfare?"
"I said, enough!" Zhao Panqing barked, finally causing Meng Ke to realize their captain was angry. He fell silent, a little embarrassed.
Zhao Panqing stood up and clapped a hand on Mo Ran's shoulder, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Xiao Mo, your Brother Zhao's earned quite a bit. Don't be shy tonight—this meal is both a celebration and a send-off."
"Brother Zhao…" Mo Ran was visibly moved. He nodded firmly. "Alright!"
He had originally planned to sneak away early. He hadn't even intended to attend the celebration.
But Zhao Panqing's words made him change his mind.
This was the last time, after all. He should go.
Zhao Panqing had always been kind to him.
It was, in fact, Zhao Panqing's bold and straightforward personality that had drawn Mo Ran to join the Undying Team in the first place.
This older brother, a few years his senior, had truly looked after him all this time.
Even during their recent private conversation, Zhao Panqing had spoken with genuine guilt.
Mo Ran could understand Zhao Panqing's predicament. That was why he had taken the initiative to propose leaving after they became a Gold Spirit Fighting Team. He didn't want to make things difficult for his captain.
Now that the team had reached Gold rank, staying would only hold them back.
There was really no other choice.
Mo Ran let out a bitter smile. Why does my spirit have to be so strange?
"Xiao Mo, don't lose heart," Zhao Panqing said sincerely, gazing at the young man in front of him. When they first met, Mo Ran had only been eleven or twelve. Now he is seventeen.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Zhao Panqing had watched him grow up.
"I have a distant relative working in the military of the Heaven Dou Empire. If you ever want to pursue a path there, I can help put in a word," Zhao Panqing said earnestly.
"Your spirit's auras affect everyone within range, with no limit to the number of people. Unlike normal support spirits that increase the buff percentage as your level increases, yours only increases the maximum range. The more people within that range, the greater your value. The military is, in my opinion, the place best suited for your abilities."
Mo Ran shook his head. "Captain, I'll think about it some more."
In truth, he didn't want to join the military. When he was young, his father had died in a war, and that left him with deep aversion and resistance toward anything involving warfare.
"Alright." Zhao Panqing nodded. "It's definitely the kind of decision that deserves careful thought."
"No more of that talk. We'd better go get in line for Han Shi," Zhao Panqing said with a grin. "I heard there were nearly a thousand people lining up for lunch there today. If we go now, we might actually get to eat early. Otherwise, we'll be out of luck."
"Sounds good!"
At the mention of food, everyone perked up instantly. With renewed enthusiasm, they all stood and headed out of the Great Spirit Arena.
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