Zhu Ziyang waved his hand, and the Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe returned to his grasp. He landed next to Chen Zifeng, and after exchanging a glance with Chen Zifeng, they both attacked simultaneously.
Behind Chen Zifeng, his third and fourth spirit rings lit up at the same time. The Soul Chasing Sword in his hand flashed with a rainbow light, then flew from his grasp, instantly transforming into more than a dozen identical swords. They hovered in the air, and then, under Chen Zifeng's gestures, they shot towards Jiang Nannan and Bei Bei with a sharp aura that seemed to pierce the sky.
Soul Chasing Sword's third Spirit Ability: Swift. Fourth Spirit Ability: Shadow.
Zhu Ziyang also took a rapid stride forward, unleashing his fourth Spirit Ability. His Star Radiance Shadow clone instantly appeared, with both his main body and clone attacking in sync. Zhu Ziyang stepped into the air, his right leg emitting a bright yellow glow, his target clear: Gongyang Mo in the sky. The clone's target was also simple: Ling Luochen, the only control system Spirit Master in Ma Xiaotao's team.
Seeing Zhu Ziyang directly charging at him, Gongyang Mo flapped his colorful wings without hesitation and flew higher. However, Zhu Ziyang naturally wouldn't let him escape so easily. A sharp glint shot from his eyes, and a purplish-crystal eye instantly appeared above his head, firing a purple aurora at Gongyang Mo.
The Illusory Sky Gaze accurately struck Gongyang Mo, instantly plunging him into a dream. His wings, which had stopped flapping, could no longer sustain flight, and his body immediately began to fall. However, Gongyang Mo was, after all, a top student of the Inner Courtyard. Although he wasn't a mental system Spirit Master, the Illusory Sky Gaze's control over him only lasted for three seconds.
He woke up with a start, discovering that he was less than ten meters from Zhu Ziyang, and was immediately alarmed. He frantically flapped his wings, attempting to escape. At the same time, he didn't forget to check on the others, hoping someone could come to his rescue. Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed. Ma Xiaotao was relentlessly attacking Dai Yueheng, completely preoccupied and unable to check on him. Jiang Nannan and Bei Bei were entangled with the explosive Chen Zifeng. Jiang Nannan wanted to help, but was blocked by Chen Zifeng's Soul Chasing Sword. As for Ling Luochen, she had some energy left against Zhu Ziyang's clone, so she made her move.
Ling Luochen waved the scepter in her hand, and a dense chill instantly condensed into an ice cage in the air, enveloping Zhu Ziyang.
Facing the ice cage flying towards him, Zhu Ziyang remained unfazed. He swung the Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe forcefully, its handle striking an ice pillar, which instantly shattered into powder. After dispersing the ice shards in front of him, he continued to attack Gongyang Mo.
The rest was simple. Gongyang Mo was eliminated by Zhu Ziyang. After eliminating Gongyang Mo, Zhu Ziyang turned to attack Ling Luochen. Ling Luochen struggled symbolically a few times before also being sent out of the assessment area by Zhu Ziyang.
After dealing with Gongyang Mo and Ling Luochen, Zhu Ziyang dashed forward and grabbed Jiang Nannan from behind. Jiang Nannan immediately unleashed her fourth Spirit Ability, breaking free from Zhu Ziyang's control, but this completely exposed Bei Bei to Zhu Ziyang. So, Zhu Ziyang abandoned Jiang Nannan and turned to attack Bei Bei.
After Bei Bei was eliminated, the outcome of this spar was already clear.
Chen Zifeng went to help Dai Yueheng deal with Ma Xiaotao, while Zhu Ziyang was responsible for Jiang Nannan. Jiang Nannan tried to use her speed advantage to engage Zhu Ziyang in a protracted battle, but Zhu Ziyang didn't give her the chance. Without a word, he used the Silver Right Eye's Time Stop, then his left eye flickered, instantly moving in front of Jiang Nannan. He grabbed Jiang Nannan's slender waist and sent her out of the battlefield.
Finally, Ma Xiaotao, fighting three opponents, had no chance of winning. Xuan Zi directly called a halt to the match and announced the result.
"The battle is over! Dai Yueheng's team wins!" Xuan Zi said, holding a wine gourd and smiling, "Ma Xiaotao's team, honor your bet and accept the punishment."
"What?! If it weren't for you, Elder Xuan, stopping me, I definitely could have defeated Ziyang and the three of them!" Ma Xiaotao said, her pretty face filled with dissatisfaction.
"Begin!" Xuan Zi ignored Ma Xiaotao's complaints and instead looked at them with a smile, saying.
Zhu Ziyang, Dai Yueheng, and the others also looked at them with smiles.
"I am a pig!" Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and He Caitou shouted out readily.
Jiang Nannan, Ling Luochen, and Gongyang Mo, however, were a bit shy, their faces flushed, and they also quietly shouted, "I am a pig!"
"Hahaha! Nannan, even though you eliminated me, you still have to shout it yourself!" Tang Ya shouted to Jiang Nannan, a smug smile on her face.
As for Ma Xiaotao, since everyone else had already shouted it, she couldn't renege. She reluctantly shouted, "I am a pig."
"Very good." Xuan Zi was very satisfied with everyone's performance, then said, "Now, let's begin the second round."
"Ah? Again?" Xuan Zi's words made everyone groan.
"Of course, I am very fair. I can't just let one side shout while the other watches the show!" Xuan Zi said cheerfully, "This second round, let's play something different. Ma Xiaotao, Zhu Ziyang, this time you two will each lead a team. Zhu Ziyang and Bei Bei will swap places, Bei Bei enters the main team, and Zhu Ziyang enters the reserve team. Then, Ma Xiaotao will lead the other members of the main team and Bei Bei to battle the reserve team led by Zhu Ziyang. How about it, do you have any objections?"
"This..." Xuan Zi's proposal greatly surprised everyone, and their gazes couldn't help but fall on Zhu Ziyang, because this proposal was clearly very unfair to Zhu Ziyang's team.
However, to everyone else's surprise, Zhu Ziyang actually agreed. He said, "I have no problem."
"I have no problem either!" Ma Xiaotao, seeing this, naturally had no objections and agreed.
"Alright then, same as before, five minutes to discuss tactics." Xuan Zi was very satisfied and said.
Zhu Ziyang immediately pulled the six members of the reserve team to one side of the assessment area and began to discuss strategy.
"Ziyang, isn't Elder Xuan deliberately making things difficult for us?" Tang Ya said with dissatisfaction on her face, "I think he's just deliberately trying to make us shout 'I am a pig!'"
"At least you only have to shout it once! Cai Tou and I might have to shout it twice!" Xu Sanshi said with a dejected face. He Caitou next to him also looked depressed.
"I say, do you really have so little faith in me?" Zhu Ziyang was amused by the three of them and said, "The battle hasn't even started yet, and you're already giving up? Three senior students, you're not even as good as the three junior students, Yu Hao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao."
"Uh!" The three, Huo Yuhao, who were called out, were a bit embarrassed. They said, "Big Brother Ziyang, our strength isn't great, but we definitely won't hold you back. We'll do whatever you say."
"Alright!" After getting the answer from the three, Huo Yuhao, Zhu Ziyang smiled and said, "Since that's the case, then we'll do this and that, and then this and that!"
With the plan set, both sides stood facing each other.
At Xuan Zi's command, the battle immediately began. The seven of Zhu Ziyang immediately acted according to the plan. Xu Sanshi instantly unleashed his fourth Spirit Ability, swapping positions with Gongyang Mo, who was at the very center of the opposing team. Then, he and Gongyang Mo were both eliminated, a perfect one-for-one trade.
Immediately after, He Caitou, Tang Ya, and Xiao Xiao stood at the very front, attempting to delay the charge of Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, Jiang Nannan, and Bei Bei. However, their actions were akin to a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot, only able to barely obstruct the five for half a minute.
However, that half a minute was already enough. Behind them were Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. Half a minute was enough for the two to unleash their Spirit Fusion Ability. A giant golden eye shone with a brilliant golden light, directly illuminating Ma Xiaotao and the five others. Ma Xiaotao and the five others, facing a Spirit Fusion Ability capable of shaking a Spirit Douluo, dared not be careless. Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng stood at the front, simultaneously unleashing their Spirit Abilities to meet the two's Spirit Fusion Ability, while Jiang Nannan, Chen Zifeng, and Bei Bei also made their moves.
The clash between the two sides ended. Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng were a bit disheveled, but in good condition, and their aura didn't fluctuate much. Jiang Nannan and the other two were also in similar states. In contrast, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, due to exhaustion, had already been pulled out of the assessment area by Xuan Zi.
However, their mission was complete. Zhu Ziyang had also finished charging his power by this time.
After Ma Xiaotao and the five others broke through the Spirit Fusion Ability, they saw a scene that shook their hearts. Zhu Ziyang was suspended in mid-air, with six spirit rings—one white, two purple, two black, and one red—floating behind him. The Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe was held high, and a celestial moon rose from his feet, arcing through space until it reached above his head.
What kind of celestial moon was that? Four words: dreamlike and illusory! A resplendent golden crescent moon radiated magnificent light. Below the moon, a faint gray aura formed a cloud, which seemed like an envoy from hell, swirling with a chilling aura that reached the soul. The brilliance of light and the coldness of Death were perfectly combined, so captivating.
The aura emanating from this celestial moon was terrifying.
Outside the assessment area, the eliminated individuals were dumbfounded, surprised that Zhu Ziyang's sixth spirit ring was actually a hundred-thousand-year one. However, Xuan Zi's expression was solemn, his eyes filled with excitement. Just the aura of this celestial moon alone was comparable to the full-power strike of an ordinary Spirit Douluo!
Elder Mu's judgment was indeed sharp. If this allows Zhu Ziyang to grow into a Titled Douluo, then what Beast God Di Tian and Dragon Emperor Douluo, they would all have to stand aside!
Zhu Ziyang's lips curved into a smile. The Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe swung down fiercely, and the celestial moon sliced through space, striking towards Ma Xiaotao and the others.
Half Crescent Style — Moon of the Mourner!
Looking at the crescent moon that obscured half the sky, Ma Xiaotao and the others dared not take any chances. Their expressions were grave, and they all unleashed their strongest attacks to defend against this strike. Xuan Zi also kept his eyes fixed on everything, ready to intervene and save anyone at any moment.
As the Moon of the Mourner approached, Ma Xiaotao and the others appeared so tiny and were inevitably engulfed. Xuan Zi's figure flickered, saving Bei Bei, who had the weakest cultivation.
The celestial moon dissipated, revealing several disheveled figures. Ma Xiaotao fell directly from the sky to the ground, her face filled with terror. Dai Yueheng, Jiang Nannan, and Chen Zifeng also had pale faces and were greatly exhausted.
On the ground where the Moon of the Mourner had passed, a huge crack (fissure) over a hundred meters long and nearly ten meters wide was left. Everything outside the fissure was normal, but on the inner walls of the fissure, there were golden light auras and gray Death auras, lingering for a long time.
This strike was Zhu Ziyang's first fusion of the Power of Light and the Power of Death, and it was also Zhu Ziyang's most powerful attack method currently. In terms of actual combat effectiveness, Zhu Ziyang was very satisfied.
The result of the spar was also very clear. Ma Xiaotao and the five others had no energy left to fight, leaving only Ling Luochen in disarray at the back. Although Zhu Ziyang had used a powerful Spirit Ability, he still had some spirit power left. Although not much, it was completely sufficient to deal with Ling Luochen.
This was the advantage of having a Spirit core.