On Blue's side, she was so shocked by Yu Yan's ability to use both ice and fire Spirit Abilities that she became dazed.
Two Spirit Abilities?
Is he a Two-Ring Great Soul Master?
No, no—if he were a Two-Ring Great Soul Master, how could he appear on the Spirit Duel stage of a First Ring Spirit Master?
But if he is a First Ring Spirit Master, how can he use two completely different Spirit Abilities? This is illogical!!
Isn't it common knowledge that the first ring only has one Spirit Ability?
Can someone tell me what exactly is going on?
Yu Yan had only just explained the unique nature of the Ice and Fire Twin Fish Martial Soul today, and the news hadn't spread yet. Blue was still unaware of the Companion Spirit and the phenomenon of two Spirit Abilities on a single ring.
Consequently, she was shocked—so shocked that she forgot she was in the middle of a Spirit Duel.
It wasn't until the flames drew near that the searing heat pulled her back to reality, making her realize the match was still ongoing.
Watching the fire breath approach her, Blue hurriedly channeled her spirit power to protect her vital points, desperate to avoid an immediate defeat.
The flames enveloped Blue. The heat was far beyond her imagination, making it unbearable for her since her Spirit was a snake. After struggling within the fire for three seconds, she raised her hand to signal her surrender.
Seeing her concede, Yu Yan summoned his Ice Fish for possession and approached Blue, using its cold aura to extinguish the scorching flames.
A Healing System Spirit Master standing by the Spirit Duel stage rushed forward, summoning a Herbal Medicine Spirit to treat Blue.
Blue had lost the match because she was dazed by shock, while Xiao Wu was still struggling in close-quarters combat against White Flower.
The reason White Flower could hold her ground and avoid immediate defeat was that her White Snake Spirit granted her flexibility far exceeding that of an ordinary person.
The close-quarters grappling between the two girls was, truth be told, quite a sight to behold.
Despite his thoughts, Yu Yan didn't just stand there watching them fight. He moved forward quickly to help Xiao Wu defeat White Flower, securing their victory.
Their loss wasn't unfair; both White Flower's and Blue's Spirit Abilities were countered by Yu Yan's Frost Scale Armor, preventing them from gaining the upper hand with their perfectly coordinated opening strike.
Afterward, the powerful duo of Yu Yan and Xiao Wu seized the opportunity to defeat them one by one.
In the audience, those who hadn't been at Spirit Duel Arena No. 28 to hear Yu Yan's explanation reacted just like the spectators there had earlier.
Meanwhile, the spectators who had heard Yu Yan's explanation in Arena No. 28 took the opportunity to explain the situation to the confused people around them.
Listening to the discussions of the crowd below the stage, Yu Yan and Xiao Wu left the area together.
Before leaving, Xiao Wu turned back to make a little face at Blue, who had boasted so much before the fight. Then, she followed Yu Yan away, feeling quite satisfied... To avoid any complications, they went to Teacher Sun Qian at the Academic Affairs Office the next morning to request a long leave of absence, which went very smoothly.
For one, Yu Yan and Xiao Wu had already met the graduation requirements for the Elementary Spirit Master Academy. In theory, they could graduate as soon as they applied. Therefore, Sun Qian didn't particularly care whether they attended classes or not.
Secondly, the reason for the leave was perfectly valid. Yu Yan claimed that an Elder in his family was taking them out for experiential training, so Sun Qian had no reason to refuse.
After accepting an escort mission at the Soul Master Guild, Yu Yan and Xiao Wu donned hoods and left Balak City with a merchant caravan. Their destination was Vast Sea City, located at the westernmost edge of the continent, right by the ocean.
Taking an escort mission allowed them to earn gold coins and Soul Master Guild points while also hitching a ride on the caravan's ship and ensuring a degree of safety.
The former was easy to understand, while the latter was because the caravan traveled these routes year-round and already possessed a relatively safe trade path.
The goods being escorted this time were local specialties purchased in Balak City—nothing particularly rare that would draw the attention of powerful Spirit Masters.
The caravan would travel downstream along the Balak River until they reached the capital of Fasinuo Province, Fasinuo City.
Once they reached Fasinuo City, Yu Yan and Xiao Wu would only need to cross the West Ridge Mountains to arrive at their destination, Vast Sea City.
It was a perfectly convenient travel plan.
Vast Sea City was the largest city near the ocean; they would certainly be able to buy a sufficient amount of Whale Dragon material there.
Standing on the caravan's large ship, Xiao Wu—who had never been on a boat before—ran around with great excitement. Out of curiosity, she even climbed up to the lookout of the three-masted sailing ship to view the distant scenery.
On the way to Fasinuo City by boat, Yu Yan and Xiao Wu saw many sights they had never encountered before.
Midway through the journey, pods of Finless Porpoises leaped out of the Balak River. Seeing these porpoises, which represented good luck, brought joy to everyone.
On the vast Huangjin Plain, the vibrant grasslands merged with the horizon in the distance. Flocks of sheep ran past, and as the wind blew across the grass, it created waves like the ocean. The magnificent scenery left a deep impression on them.
The exotic atmosphere within Fasinuo Province, which differed from the Balak Kingdom, expanded Yu Yan's and Xiao Wu's horizons.
The journey was smooth and uneventful, and the caravan successfully arrived at its destination, Fasinuo City.
After completing the mission at the Soul Master Guild, Yu Yan and Xiao Wu found an inn in Fasinuo City to stay, planning to spend some time exploring and sightseeing.
In any journey, if one only focuses on the destination, they will miss the beautiful scenery along the way.
Of course, this didn't mean the destination was meaningless. In Yu Yan's view, the destination and the process of reaching it were equally important... Meanwhile, after the news of Yu Yan, his Companion Spirit Ice and Fire Twin Fish, and his two Spirit Abilities on one ring had time to ferment, it caused quite a shock and drew the attention of many major powers.
As for Xiao Wu, her Soft Bones Rabbit Spirit was seen as incredibly weak by outsiders. Even with an Innate spirit power of level seven and a half, she didn't attract the interest of any major factions.
In the palace at the heart of Balak City, the King of the Balak Kingdom carefully studied the files on his desk and issued a recruitment order to the dean of the Balak Spirit Master Academy.
In the luxurious and extravagant meeting hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Ning Fengzhi handed the files to two Titled Elders.
"Uncle Jian, Uncle Bone, this is information on a Genius submitted by our disciples in the Balak Kingdom. Have a look at it first."
"Mutated Spirit Ice and Fire Twin Fish, one Spirit with two fish, two Spirit Abilities on one ring? Is this for real?"
After reading the file, Gu Rong looked at Ning Fengzhi with some disbelief, wanting to confirm the truth of the matter.
In all his years, this was the first time he had heard of something so preposterous.
"Though I haven't seen it with my own eyes, it is most likely true."
Ning Fengzhi had already read the report dozens of times and had questioned the reporting disciples repeatedly to confirm its veracity.
"This is truly astonishing. If this child grows up, he will definitely be able to crush Spirit Masters of the same rank."
Once the truth was confirmed, Gu Rong focused his attention back on the files.
Chen Xin's gaze swept over Yu Yan's Innate Spirit Power Level. "Innate Spirit Power Level seven and a half. That's a bit on the low side. With enough resources, there might be a slim chance for him to reach Titled Douluo."
"From the information gathered, this child has a steady temperament and acts with great discipline. Even if he only reaches the level of a Spirit Douluo, he would be an excellent helper for Rongrong in the future."
Ning Fengzhi said this with a smile, then asked, "I intend to recruit him. Uncle Jian, Uncle Bone, what kind of conditions do you think we should offer?"