Defeating Hai Bai, Hai Gui Nearly Died

Not long afterward, amid the expectations of countless students, Ji Wuming arrived at the duel arena behind the dormitory building.

There was a circular arena roughly sixty or seventy meters across, with a pool at its center that was fifty meters in diameter and around eight meters deep.

The area around the arena was already packed with people. Even Director Lu, Dean Shui, and more than a dozen other academy teachers had come to watch.

"Lu, do you think Ji can win? Even if his Soul Ring effect is somewhat absurd, he's facing the Sea Spirit Brothers, who had innate fifth-level Soul Power and have now broken through to level twelve. The situation doesn't look promising. Besides, Ji is a Tool Soul Master."

Director Lu looked at Shui Wuliang. Since he favored Ji Wuming, he felt rather smug inside. He had personally witnessed Ji Wuming's absurd First Soul Skill. In a one-on-one fight, probably no Soul Master below level twenty could defeat him.

Even if the Sea Spirit Brothers possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Ji would still have a chance. However, Dean Shui's final point was indeed reasonable. Against a Sea Soul Master, a Tool Soul Master like Ji Wuming was at far too great a disadvantage.

"Dean, I have faith in that child, Ji."

Director Lu forced a smile. In truth, even he was not entirely certain of the outcome of this match.

Ji Wuming and the Sea Spirit Brothers stepped onto the solid arena at the same time and faced each other.

"Junior Ji, are you ready? Don't cry if you lose!"

Once he finished speaking, Hai Bai raised a hand to stop Hai Gui beside him. He looked at Ji Wuming with faint disdain before confidently saying,

"Little brother, let me handle this match first. He's just a one-ring Rusty Spear Soul Master. I won't even need my First Soul Skill to defeat him within three moves."

Hai Bai immediately leaped into the water. Water splashed everywhere as a Unicorn Sea Leopard burst from the surface, while Hai Bai stood steadily atop it, looking thoroughly imposing.

"Hai Bai, fourth-year student. Martial Soul: Sea Leopard. Level-twelve, one-ring Battle Soul Master."

A standard yellow Soul Ring slowly rose from beneath Hai Bai's feet. He shot Ji Wuming a contemptuous look.

Seeing this, Ji Wuming circulated part of his Soul Power to his feet. With a light jump, he landed steadily atop the water's surface.

This technique was a method of fighting on water that he had gradually developed through trial and error during the holiday. Not only that, it worked on land as well and could greatly increase his movement speed, though it consumed a fair amount of Soul Power.

"Ah! Isn't he a Tool Soul Master? How is he standing on the water?"

"Could he have a movement technique like Treading on Waves?"

The watching students were utterly shocked by Ji Wuming's display. Quite a few female students even swooned and shouted encouragement for him.

As for the academy's dozen or so experienced and powerful teachers, after their initial shock, they also discovered the ingenuity behind it.

"Old Lu, this child in your class has studied the circulation of Soul Power so deeply that even I am ashamed of my inferiority. This is the first time I've seen someone adapt to a Sea Soul Master's battlefield by circulating Soul Power beneath their feet."

"Lu, I'll give you all ten jars of my homemade fine wine if you're willing to part with him and transfer that student from your class to our fourth year."

Director Lu looked at his colleagues rushing over. Even the teacher in charge of the sixth-year class had come to discuss skipping grades and transferring classes. He immediately roared,

"Get lost, all of you! Ji has solid theory, a sharp mind, and trains his Soul Power diligently. I'm the one who cultivated such an outstanding seedling!"

"Why didn't you mention transferring students before? Now that the fruit is ripe, you want to steal it early? How could there be such a good deal?"

At that moment, Ji Wuming summoned his Blood Spear Martial Soul and gripped it in his right hand.

"Ji Wuming, third-year student. Martial Soul: Rusty Spear. Level-twelve, one-ring Tool Soul Master."

Then he extended his left hand in a gesture of invitation.

When a yellow Soul Ring emerged beneath Ji Wuming's feet, the watching students found it even harder to suppress their excitement.

"Another Hundred-Year Soul Ring! Director Lu really went all out this time."

For the first time, Hai Bai and Hai Gui felt an indescribable pressure. Their Soul Power Levels were the same, and both possessed yellow first rings—but so what? They were fighting on their home turf. Taking down a mere Ji Wuming would be easy.

Hai Bai swiftly dove beneath the water and charged toward Ji Wuming at incredible speed, activating his First Soul Skill.

The Sea Leopard's tail doubled in size. As it swam, the entire pool seemed to undergo an earthquake. Waves rose and fell across the surface, making it difficult even for Ji Wuming to keep his footing.

First Soul Skill, Battle Spear Flood Dragon Transformation. A layer of pale red, scale-like energy armor appeared over his body, greatly increasing his defense.

As Hai Bai leaped from the water, half the pool had already been drained. The wave carried by the Sea Leopard's leap rose two meters high and crashed head-on toward Ji Wuming.

Just as the Sea Leopard's tail was about to strike Ji Wuming and the water was about to engulf him, he seized the moment when the Martial Soul descended. His Blood Spear pierced directly through the Sea Leopard's enormous tail. With a casual pull, he split the tail cleanly in two.

Ji Wuming shifted his feet and fiercely swept the spearhead across the Sea Leopard's side. A wound roughly three meters long appeared along its flank. When Hai Bai fell back into the water, a thirty-centimeter-long cut had also appeared on his left arm.

Once the pool's surface settled, Hai Bai rode his Sea Leopard Martial Soul back onto the water. He panted heavily, his face haggard.

"You lost. This match ends here. My spear is poisoned. Hurry and find a teacher to treat you and remove the poison. If you wait any longer, you may lose that arm."

Ji Wuming looked at Hai Bai before him and sincerely reminded him. Injuries were unavoidable in sparring, and he had already achieved his goal. He could not let Hai Bai die.

Hai Bai looked at the students and teachers around him, who had fallen completely silent. His eyes were filled with unwillingness.

"I haven't lost yet!"

He forcibly circulated his Soul Power and expelled some of the poisoned blood from his left hand. After his complexion improved somewhat, he turned to look at Hai Gui.

"Little brother, use that move with me!"

"Alright!"

Hai Gui jumped into the pool and immediately summoned his Sea Leopard Martial Soul. The two activated their First Soul Skills at the same time and rapidly swam around the pool's edge. A Water Spout around fifteen meters in diameter rose into the air, its power no weaker than an eight-hundred-year Second Soul Skill.

The suction swept away every leaf in the surrounding area. Without the teachers' protection, most of the students would have been caught up in the Martial Soul Fusion Skill as well.

"This is the strongest Soul Skill we brothers possess. With only one ring, all you can do is suffer a crushing defeat," the Sea Spirit Brothers said in unison to Ji Wuming.

At that moment, with little resistance from the water's surface, Ji Wuming was sucked into the Water Spout. Layer upon layer of water pressure mercilessly crushed his flesh and blood. Fortunately, his forty-percent physical defense relieved much of the pressure.

Inside the Water Spout, the two brothers began charging at Ji Wuming. He clenched his Blood Spear, predicted Hai Gui's movement path, and calculated the water pressure.

Whoosh—

The Blood Spear flew out. Hai Gui, moving at high speed, could not react in time, and their Martial Soul Fusion Skill could not be interrupted. As he watched the Blood Spear about to strike his chest, panic seized him.

However, the entire water surface rapidly began freezing from bottom to top. In less than a second, a four-meter-tall Ice Tornado formed, freezing all three of them into ice sculptures.

"Ah, these children never know when to stop during a match."

With a snap of Dean Shui's fingers, the Ice Tornado shattered. Ji Wuming and the other two, their Soul Power exhausted, fell from the air, and three teachers capable of flight swiftly caught them.

"Quick, take them for treatment. Treat Hai Bai first. Nothing must happen to him."

"Yes, Dean."