Ye Xinglan's expression gradually darkened.
"Good. Very good."
"I'd like to see just what you're capable of."
With that, she turned and walked away, her quick strides and retreating figure betraying her anger.
Zhou Tian'er made a face at her back, then turned to Wang Zhi and patted his shoulder.
"Come on, Xiao Zhi!"
"Beat her up!"
Wang Zhi smiled and ruffled her green hair.
"Don't worry, Tian'er Jie."
Soon, it was Wang Zhi's turn to compete.
The announcer's voice rang out, calling the two contestants' names.
The whole stadium erupted.
Wang Zhi came out of the Contestant Passage and stepped onto the competition platform.
Ye Xinglan came up from the other side. Her expression was still gloomy, but her eyes held a little more focus.
The two took their places in the center of the platform.
Ye Xinglan stared at Wang Zhi, her eyes sharp as blades.
Wang Zhi, meanwhile, remained as calm as ever, as if the person standing across from him weren't a Shrek Student but just an ordinary opponent.
Seeing his expression, Ye Xinglan grew even angrier.
Putting on an act!
He's still putting on an act!
She was sure Wang Zhi was simply hiding his fear.
She resolved to defeat him as quickly as possible and humiliate him in front of everyone.
Then, tomorrow, she would defeat Tang Wulin too, for daring to disrespect her!
The referee stepped to the side of the platform and briefly announced the rules.
"Three, two, one..."
"Begin!"
As soon as the words left his mouth,
Two purple Soul Rings rose abruptly around Wang Zhi.
Purple.
Thousand-year.
Both were Thousand Year Soul Rings!
The crowd gasped.
"Holy crap! Thousand-year Soul Rings! Two of them!"
"How old is he? Barely over ten, right? Two thousand-year rings?"
"How is that possible!"
The stands erupted. Countless people stared wide-eyed at the boy on the platform, unable to believe what they were seeing.
A hint of surprise showed in Ye Xinglan's eyes too.
Wang Zhi hadn't released his Soul Rings in any of his earlier matches, so she hadn't known he had two thousand-year rings.
Only now did she understand why he had dared to refuse her demand.
After all, anyone with two thousand-year Soul Rings really was a prodigy.
But...
That wasn't enough to shake Ye Xinglan's fighting spirit.
As a student of Shrek Academy, confidence came naturally to her.
She'd seen plenty of prodigies. Shrek was full of them.
So what if he had two thousand-year Soul Rings?
She could still win!
She raised her right hand, and two yellow Soul Rings rippled into view beneath her feet.
Two Hundred Year Soul Rings.
A Long Sword appeared in her hand. Its blade was bright yellow, glimmering with countless dazzling points of starlight.
There was no powerful surge of Soul Power, but the instant the sword appeared, Ye Xinglan herself seemed to vanish.
It was as if she and the sword had become one.
Body-Sword Unity!
It was an exceptionally profound state of swordsmanship.
Holding the Stargod Sword, Ye Xinglan moved, charging straight at Wang Zhi.
She was as fast as lightning, the tip of her sword aimed directly at his throat.
At that moment, the Shadow beneath Wang Zhi's feet stirred.
Two dark figures emerged from it.
One was a Ghost Shadow Ninja, dressed in a tight black outfit and wielding a kunai.
The other was a Warrior Soldier under General Yika's command.
Unlike the Ghost Shadow Ninja, this Ghost Shadow Warrior didn't specialize in Hidden Weapons, but excelled in close combat.
It wore a samurai uniform and wielded a Shadow Warrior Blade, radiating a murderous aura.
The Ghost Shadow Warrior charged at Ye Xinglan.
Blade clashed with sword.
"Clang—"
The sharp ring of metal on metal burst through the air.
Ye Xinglan felt immense force travel through her sword. Her wrist jolted, and she was knocked back several steps.
She steadied herself, her expression changing dramatically.
She hadn't gained the upper hand in that exchange!
How was that possible?
She was a student of Shrek Academy!
Her opponent was just a summoned creature!
Ye Xinglan gritted her teeth and charged in again, swinging her sword.
But the Ghost Shadow Warrior's swordsmanship was bizarre. Every slash came from an unimaginable angle, leaving her unable to defend herself.
Its attacks were also crushingly powerful. Every blow left her arm numb.
But at least...
She knew the weakness of a Summoner Type Soul Master.
The summoner's own body was the most vulnerable.
If she could just get close to Wang Zhi, one strike would end the fight.
But against this Ghost Shadow Warrior, whose strength far exceeded hers, she couldn't break away at all.
And worse, a Ghost Shadow Ninja stood nearby, watching her like a hawk.
The ninja didn't attack. It simply stood there, still and silent. Yet the darkness in its eyes made Ye Xinglan's heart turn cold.
Her concentration wavered.
No, I can't panic!
Ye Xinglan drew a deep breath and forced herself to regain her composure.
"Not bad."
She floated back several steps to open up some distance. Light blazed in her eyes, as if two stars burned within them.
"Looks like I'll have to get serious."
Starlight swirled around her. She took a step forward, and her speed suddenly more than doubled.
The Stargod Sword in her hand seemed to transform into countless points of starlight, sweeping toward the Warrior Soldier.
This was her finishing move, Starfall Ten Thousand Points.
However...
Just as she launched her attack, pain suddenly flared in her back.
A tremendous force struck her from behind. She flew forward uncontrollably and slammed hard into the competition platform.
"Thud!"
Dust billowed into the air.
Ye Xinglan lay facedown on the ground, her entire body aching. For a long while, she couldn't get back up.
She struggled to raise her head and saw the Ghost Shadow Ninja standing quietly some distance behind her, one hand still held out from its strike.
A sneak attack from behind.
She'd lost.
The entire stadium fell silent.
Then...
"Roar!!!"
Deafening cheers erupted, nearly lifting the roof off the stadium.
"We won! We won!"
"Sea and Land Academy! Wang Zhi!"
"So strong! He's incredible!"
Countless people in the stands leapt to their feet, waving their flags and shouting wildly.
Ye Xinglan struggled back to her feet, her face deathly pale.
She gritted her teeth and looked at Wang Zhi, her voice full of indignation.
"You attacked me from behind! That was no fair victory!"
Wang Zhi looked at her and shook his head helplessly.
Was it his fault that he'd failed to keep track of the Ghost Shadow Ninja beside her?
He couldn't be bothered to explain. He turned and left the platform.
Behind him, the cheers rose in wave after wave.
The news spread through Skysea City as if it had wings, then reached across the entire Federation.
A headline shot straight to the top of the trending list: A Young Prodigy Emerges at the Tianhai Competition, Defeating a Shrek Student!
Countless people clicked on the video and watched the boy face his opponent...
No, they watched him use his summoned creatures to defeat a Shrek Student with ease.
The comments section exploded.
"Holy crap! What kind of summoned creatures are those? They're insanely strong!"
"A Shrek Student actually lost? Am I seeing things?"
"How old is that boy? Ten? Eleven? He's got a bright future!"
"Hahahahaha, Shrek finally got what was coming to them!"
Of course, there were doubters too.
"Was Ye Xinglan underestimating him? How else could she have lost?"
"Exactly. How could a Shrek Student be so weak?"
But most people were amazed and impressed.
This was the first time a student from Shrek Academy had ever lost a match outside the academy!
Before you continue