Qian Yun vs. Dai Mubai

"Qian Yun, watch out!" Dai Mobai gritted his teeth as he squeezed out the words, then pushed off with his toes, his entire body charging toward Qian Yun as ferociously as a cannonball.

Qian Yun let out a cold snort, his second spirit ring flashing beneath his feet. "Second Spirit Skill, Spirit Blade."

A cluster of dazzling light was gripped in Qian Yun's hand.

With a gust of wind swirling at his feet, he did not choose to evade in the face of Dai Mobai's attack, but instead met it head-on.

For a martial soul with such powerful offensive capabilities as the White Tiger, blind avoidance would only fuel his aggressive momentum.

Moreover, Qian Yun's fighting style was very similar to Dai Mobai's; once he gave way once, he would be forced to retreat at every turn thereafter.

Therefore, Qian Yun had to clash with him directly to avoid falling into a passive position.

After he flashed out, Dai Mobai's White Tiger Light Splitting Wave naturally missed its mark. With wind elemental energy circulating under his feet, the speed at which Qian Yun dashed out was actually a notch faster than Dai Mobai's.

Arriving later but striking first, Qian Yun halted his momentum and thrust his sword straight at Dai Mobai!

Dai Mobai was startled; he never would have imagined that the combat style of a tool martial soul user could be even more ferocious than his own beast martial soul.

Charging at full speed, he could no longer stop himself. Facing the sharp edge flickering at the tip of Qian Yun's sword, his heart tightened, and his first spirit ring flashed beneath his feet.

"First Spirit Skill, White Tiger Protection Barrier!"

A white barrier of light popped out from his chest, just barely blocking the tip of Qian Yun's sword. Qian Yun's heart stirred, and he shifted his body to bypass him.

At the edge of the arena, Tang San, whose eyes were brimming with purple light, raised his gaze slightly. In his vision, just as Qian Yun's sword was about to strike the White Tiger Protection Barrier, the blade seemed to have veered off slightly?

"Heh, my turn!" After blocking the strike, Dai Mobai sneered at Qian Yun, who was now at his side.

What is the experience of being in close quarters with a spirit master who possesses a beast martial soul? Anyone who has experienced it will tell you two words.

Run!

Qian Yun had anticipated this long ago. Almost as soon as Dai Mobai made his move, Qian Yun had already pushed off the ground to leap away. Furthermore, Qian Yun seemed to have used too much force; his body, which only needed to jump aside, now soared high into the air.

At the edge of the arena, a flash of displeasure crossed Flender's eyes. Qian Yun's performance just moments ago had been calm and collected, truly eye-catching—how could he be so foolish at such a critical moment!

Zhao Wuji, whose combat experience was equally seasoned, shook his head at the sight and lifted his foot, preparing to terminate the match.

With the attack missing, the joy in Dai Mobai's eyes grew even more intense. Looking up at Qian Yun's leaping figure, he gave a grim laugh. Knowing the opponent had long-range attack methods and an unknown third spirit skill, he still dared to recklessly jump into the air?

At this moment, Qian Yun had nowhere to leverage his strength, and in his eyes, he was no different from a living target.

He cast a hurried glance at Hu Liena, whose expression was equally surprised, and had already thought up his victory speech in his mind.

"Third Spirit Skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"

Dai Mobai roared, and a touch of vermilion appeared in his deep blue double pupils, turning blood-red in an instant. His stature grew even taller, his muscles stretching his top to reveal black and white stripes all over his body. If not for the lack of fur, he would look no different from a real tiger's hide.

This was Dai Mobai's third spirit skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation. As a thousand-year amplification spirit skill, in this state, his already terrifying advantages in every aspect were doubled!

After completing the White Tiger Vajra Transformation, light flickered in Dai Mobai's eyes, and immediately after, his second spirit ring flashed once more.

"Second Spirit Skill, White Tiger Light Splitting Wave."

A white light wave, which had been seen before, was emitted from his mouth.

This time, he was also cautious, not choosing Qian Yun as the target but aiming directly at his landing spot!

"Sigh." Zhao Wuji let out a soft sigh and took a step forward.

Was things really that simple? Seeing victory in sight, Tang San felt that something was not quite right.

He always felt that Qian Yun was not that simple. After seeing that Qian Yun's expression remained calm despite falling into a dangerous situation, he became even more certain of his judgment.

At this moment, relying on the vision enhanced by his Purple Demon Eye, Tang San finally detected a powerful force suddenly accumulating within Qian Yun's body, and it was about to erupt.

Not good, Boss Dai is going to lose! Tang San's thoughts moved like lightning; he finally understood where Qian Yun's confidence came from.

One had to know that Dai Mobai had already exhausted all his means, while Qian Yun had yet to use his first and third spirit skills!

What to do, should I intervene? A pebble fell into Tang San's hand from his sleeve. His fingers tightened, aiming the pebble at Qian Yun, and he hesitated whether to strike.

If he didn't intervene, Dai Mobai would surely lose; if he did, he might be criticized.

However... as long as he didn't admit it, who could say it was his doing?

The only people present with the ability to detect his small movements were the teachers of Shrek Academy, and they would certainly not expose one of their own.

Therefore...

Tang San's eyes narrowed. For the sake of Shrek Academy's reputation, you will have to accept this defeat.

With a flick of his finger, a pebble shot out silently. The pebble did not fly in a straight line, but instead traced an arc in the air, aiming for the small of Qian Yun's back.

This was exactly the Meteor Chasing the Moon technique from the Tang Sect's hidden weapon arts!

After launching the attack, Tang San was no longer anxious. On the Douluo Continent, no one had ever been able to defend against his hidden weapon techniques, and Qian Yun, who was only at the third ring, certainly could not either.

Watching the pebble get closer and closer to Qian Yun, who still seemed completely unaware, Tang San felt a sense of triumph, yet a trace of guilt inevitably rose in his heart. After all, he had a decent impression of Qian Yun; was it really right to treat him this way for the sake of Shrek's reputation?

Before he could think further, Qian Yun had already detected the object coming from behind.

"Sigh." Qian Yun let out a soft sigh. With his understanding of Tang San's character, how could he not have been on guard? The other party had finally lost his patience and made a move.

A petty person is always a petty person. Hidden weapons are always a low-handed tactic. Expecting Tang San to let go of his obsessions is no different from a daydream.

Beneath his feet was Dai Mobai's White Tiger Light Splitting Wave, and behind him was Tang San's Meteor Chasing the Moon. At this moment, he could be said to be under attack from both front and back.

Qian Yun's eyes shimmered with brilliance, and his third Spirit Ring finally flared to life. "Third Spirit Skill, Starlight Link."

As a pale blue figure detached from his body, a sudden gust of wind erupted from behind Qian Yun.

This gust came so unexpectedly that the pebble Tang San had thrown, which was about to strike the small of Qian Yun's back, suddenly veered off course for no apparent reason.

It missed?!

Tang San felt a chill in his heart. He wasn't sure if this was Qian Yun's doing, or if... his gaze shifted toward Flender.

No, it must have been a coincidence!

"He won." The moment Qian Yun used his thousand-year Spirit Skill, Hu Liena had already set her mind at ease. She no longer worried that Qian Yun might get hurt, and victory was undoubtedly theirs!

After Qian Yun split off a spirit body, he reached out a hand toward it, and the spirit body, as if possessing its own intelligence, reached out a hand in return.

In mid-air, the hands of Qian Yun and his spirit body slowly touched, and then, the pale blue spirit body swung its arm, tossing Qian Yun's figure higher until he stood side-by-side with it.

Looking down at the no-longer-composed Dai Mobai, Qian Yun sneered. "First Spirit Skill, Spirit Roar!"

A transparent wave of light erupted from Qian Yun's chest, and simultaneously, a second Spirit Roar followed right behind it.

Dai Mobai looked up at Qian Yun, who was moving in perfect synchronization with his spirit body, feeling both shocked and suspicious. What kind of Spirit Skill was this?

However, Dai Mobai was no pushover. Even if he felt a sense of foreboding, how could he just surrender? Locked onto by Qian Yun's aura, he had nowhere to hide, so he made a decision he thought was correct, but in reality, was a grave mistake.

"First Spirit Skill, White Tiger Protection Barrier!"

Protected by the barrier and still under the effects of his White Tiger Vajra Transformation, his current defensive power was something even some low-level defense-type Spirit Masters specializing in defense couldn't match.

"Hmph, no matter how overbearing, this is still just your first Spirit Skill. So what if you use two at once? Just watch me..."

"Clang—Clang—!"

Two sounds, like strikes against an iron barrel, rang out one after another, echoing eerily in everyone's ears.

"Damn it!"

Zhao Wuji slapped his bewildered head and hurriedly rushed into the rising dust.

Qian Yun landed gracefully and didn't spare Dai Mobai another glance; in his perception, Dai Mobai was already down.

"So cool!" Hu Liena opened her arms and hugged him, her small face flushed with an alluring rosy glow from excitement.

Qian Yun was suddenly constricted by her forceful embrace, feeling a bit stifled. "Hey, let go of me."

Thinking he was exhausted, Hu Liena hurriedly let go. "Hehe."

At this moment, the dust finally settled, and everyone could clearly see the situation inside. Zhao Wuji was supporting the tattered, pale-faced Dai Mobai, preparing to walk to the sidelines.

"Hiss—" The Shrek students gasped, their eyes once again fixed on Qian Yun as if they had seen a ghost.

Oscar swallowed hard. "What kind of Spirit Skill is that? It took down Boss Dai in one go?"

"So strong." Ning Rongrong was astonished. Qian Yun's strike just now had a hint of what the experts in her sect called "breaking ten thousand techniques with a single force."

Hu Liena, however, looked at the still-breathing Dai Mobai with surprise. Based on her understanding of the Spirit Roar's power, Dai Mobai should have been unconscious after one hit. The fact that he was only pale after two hits could only mean one thing: Qian Yun had held back!

Hu Liena tilted her head in confusion to look at the composed Qian Yun, but then shook it off. Qian Yun had his own reasons; she only knew that they had won.

Dai Mobai's state was far from good. His clothes were shredded into rags, his long hair was a mess, and he looked so disheveled that one might feel inclined to toss him some spare change.

He sat on the ground, trembling and gasping for air, his heart filled with dread. That last hit had made him feel as if his soul had left his body.

What was most terrifying was that Qian Yun's first Spirit Skill was so fast that even agility-type Spirit Masters wouldn't dare claim they could dodge it.

Seeing that he was not in critical danger, Zhao Wuji returned to the center of the arena to announce the result. He looked at Qian Yun, who wasn't even panting, and then at Dai Mobai's miserable state, and couldn't help but shake his head.

Such a gap could not be bridged by spirit power alone. In fact, when Qian Yun used the Spirit Roar, he had a feeling that the kid had still held back.

"First match, Qian Yun wins!"

"Yay! Congratulations, Qian Yun." Hu Liena clapped happily. Even though there were only two of them, it couldn't hide the joy in her heart.

Qian Yun smiled and, as he turned, caught a glimpse of the indifferent Tang San.

Tang San's eyes subconsciously shifted away. Did he notice me?

No, that's impossible.

I could attribute him neutralizing my attack just now to a coincidence. If he really could so easily detect my subtle movements, then Qian Yun's strength would be too exaggerated, wouldn't it?

"Qian Yun, leave the next match to me." Hu Liena volunteered. Through the battle between Qian Yun and Dai Mobai, she realized that this dilapidated academy was actually quite strong. At the very least, those students looked stronger than most people at the Martial Soul Academy.

Qian Yun also urged her, "Then you must look after your own safety."

"Mm, I will be careful." Hu Liena stepped forward, full of confidence.

In truth, with his strength, he could have finished Dai Mobai in a single exchange, but he didn't. From start to finish, he had acted with propriety, showing no provocation or arrogance.

After all, this was Shrek Academy's territory. While a one-shot victory would have been satisfying, it would undoubtedly have stirred up conflict between the two sides.

Therefore, he didn't just want to win the match; he wanted to win it in a way that left everyone convinced.

"Uh... who's going up for the next match?" Oscar scratched his head and looked at the others.

Dai Mobai was no longer in a condition to fight, and he and Ning Rongrong were support-type Spirit Masters. That left only Tang San, the fatty, and Xiao Wu.

Hearing this, Tang San felt a stir of interest. Through watching the previous battle, he had grasped Qian Yun's combat style. Although it was tricky, he was confident he could win using his superior combat experience and Tang Sect techniques.

Before he could express his intent, Ma Hongjun wiped the drool from his mouth and rushed out in a hurry. "It's my turn, it's my turn!"

Tang San was surprised. He hadn't expected this seemingly lecherous fatty to be so eager to fight.

"Damn! This dead fatty." Oscar cursed in regret. He shouldn't have asked; he should have just pushed Tang San out.

Perhaps in others' eyes, this guy was just eager to fight, but how could Oscar, who knew him inside and out, not know his true nature?