Wood Spirit Guardian: Azure Moon Willow (Seeking Investment! Seeking Monthly Ticket! Seeking Recommendation Ticket!)

Wood Spirit Guardian: Azure Moon Willow (Seeking investment! Seeking monthly ticket! Seeking recommendation ticket!) Xie Xie stared blankly at the terrifying storm on the stage, his heart filled with rage and fear. That woman Gu Yue had not cared in the slightest whether he and Tang Wulin lived or died. Without any regard for the fact that they were still in front, she had unleashed such a terrifyingly powerful move. If Long Hengxu had not acted in time to pull them off the competition stage, he did not dare imagine what would have happened.

The Ice and Snow Storm roared continuously on the stage. The audience below had all sorts of reactions, though most were stunned and questioning their lives. It was hard to imagine that a move capable of trapping a Four Ring Soul Ancestor had come from the hands of a mere two-ring Soul Grandmaster. It was simply difficult to accept.

Long Hengxu sighed inwardly, while Wu Zhangkong frowned tightly. Gu Yue's talent was undoubtedly exceptional, but her personality was far too cold. She had no sense of teamwork. Just look at what had happened—she had not cared at all about Tang Wulin and Xie Xie! He could not help feeling a headache coming on.

On the competition stage, Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi watched the Ice and Snow Storm sweeping toward them, their expressions grave. They clasped hands as black currents of air swirled between them, their martial souls continuously resonating. This was the prelude to their Martial Soul Fusion Skill! Jing Shaoyu knew perfectly well that Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and the two had not hidden it. They had explicitly told Ye Yingluo, Jing Shaoyu, and the others about it, and had even used it once before. Well, during a practical combat training session, against Jing Shaoyu.

"Yangzi, Jinxi!" Just as the two finished preparing, Jing Shaoyu's voice came from behind them. They froze and turned around, only to see Jing Shaoyu shaking his head. "You two go down first. This is a duel between her and me."

"This..." Wang Jinxi was immediately confused and opened his mouth to ask.

Zhang Yangzi grabbed him and shook his head. Wang Jinxi immediately understood what Zhang Yangzi meant. He said nothing more and jumped off the competition stage alongside Zhang Yangzi.

Their actions immediately left all the spectators puzzled. They could not understand what Freshman Class One was doing. Could it be that, like Freshman Class Five's three-man team, they too were internally divided?

Jing Shaoyu paid no attention to the audience's discussion. He stood calmly, his gaze passing over the howling Ice and Snow Storm in the center of the stage and landing on Gu Yue's face. Gu Yue was equally calm, her eyes fixed on Jing Shaoyu's face as well. Standing at opposite ends of the stage, the two silently stared at each other.

The fierce wind howled, and ice and snow rustled. Dense Wind Element and ice element energy, like greedy bandits, continuously crowded into the space above the stage. The icy blue Ice and Snow Storm kept expanding, nearly swallowing the entire competition stage. The tornado-shaped storm had completely taken control of the air currents above the stage, countless shards of ice spinning with it. There was almost nowhere on the stage that could escape it. Even the edge of the stage released a white Soul Guidance Barrier because of the violent wind and snow, preventing the storm from spreading into the audience.

Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi felt fortunate that they had listened to Jing Shaoyu and left the competition stage. Otherwise, faced with such a terrifying Ice and Snow Storm, even if they used their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, it would likely have been useless. They might even have been dragged into the storm and injured. At the same time, they developed a sense of awe toward Gu Yue. As expected of someone who could compete with Xiao Yan for the position of class monitor. She was terrifying.

Long Hengxu, Wu Zhangkong, and Ye Yingluo all watched the situation on the competition stage with rapt attention. The moment anything went wrong, they would intervene immediately. They could not allow these two promising talents to be harmed over an insignificant Promotion Tournament.

The spectators below were incomparably tense, but the two onstage remained as calm as water. The storm carrying countless ice fragments drew close to Jing Shaoyu, and his vision was already filled with blue and white. Sharp gusts of wind and piercing ice blades seemed to have touched his skin. Everything appeared to fall into stillness.

A jade-green radiance erupted from Jing Shaoyu's body. Immediately afterward, the Crown of Nature behind his head rapidly expanded. In the blink of an eye, it changed from a ring into a mysterious gateway five meters in diameter, like a passage leading to another world. Dazzling jade-green light flickered within it, and an indescribable aura spilled out.

Then, the enlarged Crown of Nature swiftly tilted until it was parallel to the ground before rapidly descending and merging with the earth.

Under everyone's shocked and astonished gazes, a towering plant emerged from the Crown of Nature. It resembled a willow tree, with countless branches hanging from its lush canopy. Every branch was covered in crescent-shaped leaves, each as green as jade porcelain. Its branches swayed gently while its trunk stood firm and steady.

"This is... a Thousand Year Soul Beast!" A flicker of surprise appeared in Wu Zhangkong's usually impassive eyes. He had not expected Jing Shaoyu's martial soul to be capable of summoning a Plant Soul Beast.

Yes, the plant that had emerged from the Crown of Nature was an Azure Moon Willow with a cultivation of a thousand years, a Plant Soul Beast that had gone extinct in ancient times.

The Azure Moon Willow extended a slender willow branch. A faint azure light clung to it like moonlight, giving off an aura of peace and tranquility. Yet in the face of the violent Ice and Snow Storm, that aura appeared so weak and useless. The branch had only touched the outer edge of the storm when it was immediately swept inside. The hundreds of crescent-shaped willow leaves upon it were blown away one after another, spinning along with the storm.

The anticipated scene did not occur. The Azure Moon Willow's branch was not torn apart by the terrifying Ice and Snow Storm. On the contrary, the now-bare branch followed the storm's rotation and slowly penetrated deeper into it, attempting to bind the storm's core. Those willow leaves also gradually sank into the storm, as though called by the branch, all gathering toward its core.

However, a single willow branch did not seem capable of shaking this terrifying Ice and Snow Storm.

So then, "Whoosh—"

The Azure Moon Willow erupted with all its strength. Like a graceful maiden flinging her flowing hair, it hurled out all its vines in one sweeping motion. The sight was immensely bold and spectacular, like ten thousand galloping horses—overwhelming and unstoppable.

As countless willow branches and leaves invaded, the Ice and Snow Storm, whose power and destructive force rivaled a Soul Ancestor's full-strength thousand-year soul skill, instantly collapsed. Countless branches bound the storm's core, while countless leaves eroded the ice and snow. Thus, the ice and snow melted, and the storm subsided.

Plant Control, Wood Spirit Guardian.

This was a soul skill Jing Shaoyu had derived from his Plant Control talent after becoming a Soul Grandmaster. Through the Crown of Nature, he could summon plant spirits to fight for him. The number of plant spirits was tied to Jing Shaoyu's Soul Rings. At present, he possessed two Soul Rings, so he could summon only one plant spirit—the Azure Moon Willow on the stage. Limited by Jing Shaoyu's Second Soul Ring, its cultivation age was half that of the Second Soul Ring.

Furthermore, the plant spirits that Wood Spirit Guardian could summon were fixed.

Tang Wulin watched the Azure Moon Willow still swaying on the competition stage. Recalling the wild Blue Silver Grass from before, his eyes could not help revealing envy.

Wu Zhangkong thought even further. From beginning to end, the Soul Rings behind Jing Shaoyu had not lit up. In other words, whether he controlled Blue Silver Grass, released Water Waves, or summoned a Plant Soul Beast, they were all abilities inherent to his martial soul. Or perhaps they were bloodline abilities similar to Tang Wulin's?

On the competition stage, Gu Yue looked at Jing Shaoyu with a little more indescribable meaning in her eyes, as if she were throwing a tantrum. Azure light flickered around her. Under the protection of Gentle Wind Protection, her speed suddenly increased. Her hands danced swiftly, forming one simple yet distinct gesture after another. Clusters of Fireballs, rows of Ice Cones, and chunks of rock immediately rained down on Jing Shaoyu like a flood.

Jing Shaoyu's eyes shifted slightly, and a helpless smile appeared on his lips. At his command, the Azure Moon Willow standing behind him moved again. Its bare branches interwove and crisscrossed, forming a dark-green barrier before him while quietly spreading in the direction Gu Yue was advancing.

Like most Plant Soul Beasts, the Azure Moon Willow lacked offensive power but excelled at control.

Gu Yue seemed determined to approach him. Her gaze never left Jing Shaoyu as her graceful body weaved back and forth among the willow branches, constantly shifting position, completely ignoring the swaying Azure Moon Willow.

Under Jing Shaoyu's calm gaze, a willow branch silently wrapped around Gu Yue's ankle. She finally arrived before Jing Shaoyu and extended her hand, a blazing ball of fire about to strike.

"There's an opening!" Jing Shaoyu said softly. He extended his palm and suddenly clenched his fist. Amid Gu Yue's shocked and flustered expression, the Azure Moon Willow's branches shot out from every direction, instantly binding her limbs and body. In nearly an instant, she was tied up.

Gu Yue was trapped spread-eagle, her legs apart and arms outstretched, even her head fixed in place. She could only look toward Jing Shaoyu, and for some reason, the seven-colored glow misting in her eyes dimmed.

Jing Shaoyu walked over to Gu Yue with a smile. Looking at her in that posture, he chuckled inwardly. If this were not the wrong setting, he would definitely let the Silver Dragon King's primary personality experience just how treacherous human hearts could be.

"I won!" Jing Shaoyu whispered into Gu Yue's ear. Then he quickly retreated, raised his right hand, and snapped his fingers. The willow branches wrapped around Gu Yue immediately released her and slowly withdrew in orderly fashion until they vanished.

"Hmph!" After being released, Gu Yue gave a soft, cold snort, her earlobes slightly red. Then, amid a flash of silver light, her figure disappeared.

The spectators below sighed with emotion. Lower-grade Cadets looked on in envy, while upper-grade Cadets sighed in amazement. The most valuable match of the first year ended with Class One's victory, and every spectator was glad they had not missed such a thrilling battle.

This new book is a tender sapling in desperate need of care! Seeking investment, Seeking monthly ticket, Seeking recommendation ticket! My thanks to all you bosses!