As the voice fell, the young man's face revealed a trace of disdain.
"You—!"
The crowd erupted in an uproar.
Mu Rong frowned and reached out to stop him.
"Enough. We're here to compete, not argue! You're just wasting time. Let's get started."
Mu Rong wasn't fond of the boy's arrogant attitude, either.
Still, he knew that no matter how sharp his tongue was, there was no point in arguing. It was better to let his fists do the talking. Violence could solve any problem.
Meanwhile, Cai Bo's old man had his hands folded behind his back, watching with a faint, inscrutable smile.
"All right, everyone, settle down!"
The old man stepped to the front of the stands and cleared his throat.
"Next, I'll call the names of those who are about to compete!"
"First match, Mu Rong!"
At the sound of his name, Mu Rong frowned slightly but still stepped forward.
"Mu Rong, step forward!"
A voice rang out. The boy who had been arguing with him walked out of the crowd, laughing.
"Haha! So you're the little brat called Mu Rong! I hope you can last at least one round!"
The old man stood to one side, a pleased look on his face.
"Listen up! Cai Bo's grandson, Ao De Jiang! Twelve-year-old, control-type Spirit Seed user!"
The audience immediately erupted into a buzz of discussion.
"You're making that up, right?"
"Making what up? That's Ao De Jiang, the young master of the Cai family! He's already a fifteen-year-old assault-type Spirit Seed user, and his martial soul is the Blazing Tiger!"
"Fifteen years old? My god! Isn't that kid as good as dead?"
"That boy looks weak and frail. I bet he won't last even one move."
Hearing the crowd's comments, Ao De Jiang grew even more pleased with himself.
"Pah! You bunch of ignorant fools! That old man is making a fool of himself. Do you really think a country bumpkin like you could know anything about my family?"
The crowd fell silent.
"Mu Rong, Ice Phoenix martial soul, twelve-year-old control-type Spirit Seed user!"
"Ao De Jiang, Blazing Tiger martial soul, fifteen-year-old assault-type Spirit Seed user!"
When the old man on the platform announced the contestants' information, Ao De Jiang's previously arrogant expression turned solemn.
Twelve years old?
He was actually three years older than Mu Rong, yet his opponent's martial soul was far more unusual—especially that cold poison, which was extremely difficult to defend against.
"Let the match begin!"
At the old man's command, Ao De Jiang immediately completed his martial soul possession.
"Roar!"
He let out a roar, his muscles swelling as his body grew taller. His hands transformed into tiger claws, and a clear "王" mark appeared on his forehead. A yellow hundred-year Spirit Seed ring rose beneath his feet, and blazing flames spread in every direction.
At the same time, Mu Rong summoned his own martial soul.
A six-meter-tall Ice Phoenix stood behind him, its body as white as ice crystals. Its sharp eyes gleamed with a chill, and cold poison seeped from its body, causing the temperature around them to drop rapidly.
The two of them both had yellow Spirit Seed rings, but Mu Rong's ring was clearly deeper in color than Ao De Jiang's!
"Hmph! You're playing tricks!"
Ao De Jiang gave a low growl. His legs tensed, and he leaped forward like a cannonball, charging straight at Mu Rong.
He would use the strength of an assault-type Spirit Seed user to crush this seemingly weak and fragile boy!
Facing Ao De Jiang's ferocious charge, Mu Rong didn't retreat. He met him head-on.
Just as the two were about to collide, Mu Rong's first Spirit Seed suddenly lit up!
"First Spirit Skill: Cold Poison Mist!"
A vast cloud of icy mist surged toward Ao De Jiang from all directions, spreading rapidly and enveloping an area several dozen meters across.
The moment he entered the mist, Ao De Jiang felt a bone-piercing chill invade his body. Even his soul power seemed to slow down, and his speed suddenly dropped.
What made him even more alarmed was that the mist seemed to be poisonous!
He felt a wave of numbness spreading through his body.
"Damn it! The mist is slowing me down, and it's poisonous!"
Ao De Jiang's heart tightened. The first Spirit Seed ring on his body lit up as well.
"First Spirit Skill: Blazing Tiger Claw!"
In an instant, flames erupted around him, dispelling the cold mist. He swung his tiger claws, their blazing heat scattering the surrounding chill, and lunged fiercely at Mu Rong, who was right before him!
But Mu Rong's figure was as elusive as a ghost. He shifted through the mist in a flash, dodging the attack with ease.
The cold mist couldn't completely slow him down or poison him, but it could still interfere with his opponent's vision and senses to a certain degree!
"Damn it!"
His strike hit empty air, and Ao De Jiang grew even more furious. He raised his tiger claws and unleashed a series of blazing attacks into the mist, trying to force Mu Rong out.
But Mu Rong was like a slippery loach, able to dodge his attacks with the smallest movements.
"Damn, that guy's slippery!"
The more Ao De Jiang fought, the more frustrated he became.
As an assault-type Spirit Seed user, his greatest strength was a direct confrontation. But now, he couldn't even touch the other boy's clothes. His strength was going to waste, and he was nearing his limit.
The boys watching from the stands were stunned, too.
"What's going on? Why is Ao De Jiang missing every time he swings?"
"That boy called Mu Rong is so fast! He's moving around inside that mist as if he were at home!"
"So his martial soul's power is controlling the battlefield? That's incredible!"
Within the mist, Mu Rong calmly watched Ao De Jiang's every move.
The cold poison had already entered Ao De Jiang's breathing and pores. Although his fire-type martial soul could resist some of the poison, the drain on his soul power and the numbness in his body were growing worse by the moment.
It was time to make his move.
"Brat! You've got some nerve! Come out and fight me properly!"
Ao De Jiang roared, trying to provoke Mu Rong.
His response was a huge, icy-white snake tail that suddenly appeared behind him.
Smack!
The tail lashed Ao De Jiang across the waist like a whip!
The force sent him staggering, and his waist was wracked with searing pain and a wave of icy numbness.
"Damn you!"
Ao De Jiang flew into a rage and charged in the direction from which the snake tail had struck!
But his attack hit empty air.
Mu Rong's figure had already appeared behind him.
Without using any Spirit Skill, Mu Rong simply darted forward and drove a precise punch into Ao De Jiang's waist!
Thud!
Ao De Jiang let out a groan. A tremendous force struck him, and he stumbled uncontrollably forward, crashing face-first into the mud.
He was completely defeated, sprawled there in the dirt.
Everyone stared at the scene, dumbfounded.
A fifteen-year-old assault-type Spirit Seed user had been defeated by a twelve-year-old control-type Spirit Seed user in a single move...
"That's impossible!"
Ao De Jiang roared furiously and scrambled to his feet, his eyes blazing.
He couldn't believe the humiliating defeat he'd just suffered!
"I'm going to kill you!"
He madly urged his soul power, and the flames around his body burned even more fiercely as he charged at Mu Rong again.
This time, Mu Rong wasn't dodging.
He met him head-on, and his fist collided violently with Ao De Jiang's tiger claw!
Thud!
A muffled impact rang out, and both of them staggered back three steps.
Ao De Jiang shook his numb tiger claw, his face full of disbelief.
"Impossible! Your body—how could you be so strong?!"
He was an assault-type Spirit Seed user! Strength and physical prowess were his greatest advantages!
But just now, he felt as though he'd punched a lump of steel! The other boy's strength had actually matched his own!
That boy really was a control-type Spirit Seed user?!
Before you continue