An Invincible Bearing!

"There are thirteen contestants in this contest: six from the East Courtyard and six from the West Courtyard. There are five ordinary quotas and one Seed Quota. The twelve contestants will fight six decisive matches.

The winners will earn the qualifications for the ordinary quotas.

Of course, anyone who still has their sights set on the Seed Quota may challenge again. Only the final winner will obtain the Seed Quota."

Dean Xiao looked at the students from the East and West Courtyards. "Any questions?"

"No!"

"Very well. The students participating in the contest, take the field!"

As Dean Xiao's voice fell,

the contestants from both courtyards made their way onto the field.

"The old rules still apply. Draw lots to determine your opponents."

With a wave of Dean Xiao's hand,

someone ran up carrying a bucket of bamboo slips.

Everyone drew a bamboo slip from it.

Qing Luo drew number one, which matched him against Chen Tong from the West Courtyard.

Mu Chen drew Mo Ling, while Hong Ling and Qian'er drew each other...

Once the drawing was over,

Qing Luo, as the first contestant, walked straight to the center of the field.

"Qing Luo, excuse me!"

Chen Tong also stepped forward and slightly cupped his fists at Qing Luo.

Qing Luo was, after all, the number one person in Northern Spirit Academy.

Having drawn Qing Luo, Chen Tong's expression was extremely grim. Yet as a Heaven Tier Student, he had his own pride.

Moreover, he had already broken through into the Spirit Wheel Realm not long ago.

It would not be so easy for Qing Luo to defeat him!

"Make your move."

Qing Luo's tone was calm.

He did not take this duel to heart at all.

His strength was at the Spirit Soul Realm Middle Stage. Though he had not broken through again during this month of training, Qing Luo had already mastered and integrated all sorts of secret arts.

Let alone Chen Tong,

even Elder Hao from the Five Great Academies could be suppressed with one hand by Qing Luo.

If not for the quotas of the Five Great Academies, Qing Luo might have already left the Northern Spirit Territory.

"Excuse me!"

"Heavy Rock Spirit Slaughter Fist!"

A ruthless look appeared on Chen Tong's face as the Spiritual Energy of the Spirit Wheel Realm surged through his whole body.

Spiritual Energy boiled in his palm and gathered around his fist, carrying an aura that seemed capable of overwhelming mountains and rivers.

This Spirit Art

was a Spirit Grade Middle Rank Spirit Art Chen Tong had selected from the academy. With every punch, it was like a mountain pressing down, heavy and tyrannical!

That he had used his trump-card Spirit Art the moment he attacked showed just how much pressure Qing Luo put on him.

However,

facing Chen Tong's attack, Qing Luo did not dodge at all. He did not even move a finger, and a lazy expression remained on his face.

"Qing Luo is too arrogant. Even if he is the number one person in Northern Spirit Academy, he cannot possibly ignore Chen Tong's attack!"

"That's a Spirit-grade Spirit Art. Even Teacher Xi praised it."

"Arrogance will be Qing Luo's deadliest flaw!"

Seeing Qing Luo's actions,

the West Courtyard Heaven Tier Students all looked displeased and murmured among themselves.

Qing Luo's arrogance was equivalent to giving the West Courtyard a hard slap across the face.

In contrast to the West Courtyard's resentment, the students of the East Courtyard were filled with excitement and anticipation.

They all knew

that Qing Luo had not cultivated in the academy during this past month, yet their own strength had improved by leaps and bounds during that time, especially Mu Chen's.

He had even earned Teacher Mo's recognition!

They wanted to know just how far their current strength was from Qing Luo's...

However,

just as everyone expected an intense and thrilling match,

Chen Tong, whose Spiritual Energy was boiling throughout his whole body as he strode toward Qing Luo, strangely stopped in the middle of the plaza.

"What happened...?"

"Why isn't Chen Tong attacking?!"

Everyone stared at this scene in astonishment.

In the arena,

beads of sweat slid down Chen Tong's cheeks from his forehead.

His pupils were completely occupied by Qing Luo's pair of strange Double Pupils.

Qing Luo appeared to be standing there with effortless ease.

Yet those strange Double Pupils, and that invisible Pressure, made Chen Tong unable to take another step forward.

If he took that step...

he would die!

"I... concede!"

Under the gaze of the entire crowd, Chen Tong unwillingly spoke those words.

As Chen Tong's words fell,

he did not hesitate. Dejected, he walked down from the arena.

Whoosh—

Chen Tong's cowardly retreat caused an uproar across the entire plaza.

They did not know what had happened.

Chen Tong had been so imposing just moments ago, yet in the next instant, he had directly conceded.

At that moment,

Qing Luo's tall, upright figure appeared incomparably dazzling and eye-catching!

A Heaven Tier prodigy of the West Courtyard,

someone qualified to participate in the selection of the Five Great Academies, yet he did not even have the courage to attack Qing Luo...

Such an outcome was truly difficult for everyone present to accept.

"He really is strong. But I'm strong now too. I won't concede so easily."

Looking at Qing Luo's back,

Mu Chen unconsciously clenched his fists as boundless fighting intent welled up in his eyes.

The brief silence was quickly broken.

As the second duel began, Mu Chen and Mo Ling successively stepped onto the arena.

"My luck is truly terrible. I actually drew you!"

Mo Ling remarked.

As fellow students of the East Courtyard,

during this past month, Mo Ling had witnessed Mu Chen's terrifying strength. Even Teacher Mo, after suppressing his Spiritual Energy, had not been Mu Chen's match.

It could be said

that in all of Northern Spirit Academy, only Qing Luo could contend with Mu Chen.

"Still, I won't concede so easily."

Mo Ling smiled.

"I'll go all out," Mu Chen said.

"I'm looking forward to it. Let me see what you can do."

As Mo Ling's words fell,

his boiling Spiritual Energy burst forth, and his entire body swept toward Mu Chen like a cannonball.

"Flame Burst Spiritual Fist!"

At that moment, all the Spiritual Energy within Mo Ling's body poured forth. Flames seemed to layer upon layer over his fist

as he fiercely blasted it toward Mu Chen.

"Netherworld Death Seal, Three Layers!"

Boom—

Mu Chen threw a punch, and the ultimate power of the three-layer Netherworld Death Seal exploded across the arena.

As the Spiritual Energy dispersed,

Mo Ling's face was deathly pale, and a trace of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth. He had clearly suffered severe injuries.

Mu Chen, meanwhile, still stood proudly as before.

The victor had been decided!

The matches that followed did not produce crushing victories like Qing Luo's and Mu Chen's.

Most were hard-fought victories,

but they also lost the qualifications to compete for the Seed Quota.

The match between Hong Ling and Qian'er was placed last.

With their tall figures and elegant Spirit Arts, their exchange ignited the atmosphere again and again. Compared to the matches of the other students,

the duel between them was more like a display of Spirit Arts!

In the end,

their strength was evenly matched, and the match ended in a draw.

After the first round of matches ended, the most exciting battle for the Seed Quota arrived.

Qing Luo took a step forward and landed leisurely on the arena. Looking down at the winners, he asked, "Who wants to challenge me?"

"The main event is finally here!"

"That kid from Azure Domain really is formidable. He has the bearing of invincibility!"

"Mu Chen isn't bad either. The Seed Quota winner should be decided between those two!"

"I really can't wait..."

As Qing Luo stepped onto the stage, the atmosphere in the plaza was pushed directly to its peak.

They all knew

that the upcoming matches would be the peak showdown among the students of Northern Spirit Academy, determining who would receive the Seed Quota.

Even Elder Hao, who had worn a lazy expression,

sat upright when he saw Qing Luo take the stage.

"I'll be the one to experience the methods of the Young Master of Azure Domain."

Mu Chen slowly stepped onto the arena.

As he spoke, vast Spiritual Energy spread from Mu Chen's body. Sensing that dense Spiritual Energy, everyone present was astonished.

They could sense that Mu Chen's strength was not at the Spirit Wheel Realm Early Stage,

but at the Spirit Wheel Realm Middle Stage!

He had been hiding his strength in the previous fights...

"As expected of the fellow who caused such a commotion in the Spirit Road. I hope this little fellow won't disappoint me. Otherwise, this trip will have been for nothing."

Sensing Mu Chen's Spirit Wheel Realm Middle Stage strength, Elder Hao muttered softly.