The Impossible Soul Ring Combination

"For the next match, Tang San of Shrek Academy will face Bai E of Omphalos Academy!"

As soon as the host spoke, a wave of discussion erupted from the stands. Many people had never even heard of Omphalos Academy.

In the spectator area, Wang Sheng abruptly stood up from his seat. "Tang San? How did that guy end up here too?"

Jiang Zhu looked at him curiously. "You know him?"

Wang Sheng scratched his head. "He was a classmate of mine in Dorm Seven back at Nuoding Academy. His talent was terrifying; he knocked me flat the moment he enrolled."

Jing Ling frowned upon hearing this. "Is he very strong?"

Wang Sheng nodded. "Extremely strong. Even though his martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, his combat style is completely different from anyone else's. Back then, he was only level ten, and he still pinned me to the ground."

"The surname Tang..." Bai Chenxiang mused, lost in thought.

Ignoring the discussion around him, Ye Qiong sat in his seat with a calm expression. He beckoned to Bai E. "Bai E, come here."

Bai E walked up to him.

Ye Qiong lowered his voice. "Tang San is not a man who relies solely on his martial soul; he also uses something called hidden weapons."

Bai E blinked. "Hidden weapons?"

Ye Qiong nodded. "Small mechanisms hidden on his person that can silently fire poison needles, darts, and the like. Furthermore, he is extremely fast and utilizes some bizarre movement techniques. Keep your guard up when you fight him."

Bai E smiled confidently at these words. "Understood. Thank you for the reminder, Principal, but I have confidence in my own strength."

Ye Qiong patted him on the shoulder. "Good lad. Go on, show them the strength of our Omphalos Academy."

Bai E turned and walked toward the contestant tunnel.

Watching his back, Wang Sheng shouted from behind, "Good luck, brother!"

Jiang Zhu and Bai Chenxiang also waved at him. "Good luck, classmate Bai! We're rooting for you!"

Bai E turned back to smile at them before stepping into the tunnel.

On the other side, in the Shrek Academy lounge, Xiao Wu grabbed Tang San's arm. "Brother, is that the Omphalos Academy that stole our prospective students yesterday?"

Tang San glanced at the arena below and smiled slightly. "It should be. I didn't expect to run into them in my first match."

Ma Hongjun suddenly leaned in. "Omphalos Academy? What kind of name is that? I've never even heard of it."

Dai Mubai leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "Have you forgotten? It's that newly opened academy, the one that snatched away most of our new recruits."

Ma Hongjun slapped his forehead. "Oh, I remember now. The Dean was complaining to me about it the night before last."

Dai Mubai sneered. "That's not all; they're the reason our academy's budget is so tight."

Flender sat in the corner, his face as dark as coal. He stared at the entrance on the opposite side of the arena, his teeth grinding audibly. "I want to see exactly what kind of trash that academy can produce."

Xiao Wu turned to look at Flender. "Dean, I believe Brother San will definitely win."

Flender shook his head. "Winning is expected. If he loses..." He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood his meaning. Losing would be a disgrace to Shrek.

Tang San stood on the arena, took a deep breath, and swept his gaze toward the opposing contestant tunnel.

From the tunnel, a white figure emerged. Bai E's pace was neither fast nor slow, and a peaceful smile rested on his face. He walked to the spot opposite Tang San, while the referee stepped between the two of them.

"Both sides, prepare."

Tang San sized up Bai E across from him.

The man looked about his age, his shock of white hair quite striking. He appeared sunny enough, yet his eyes held a steady, composed depth.

Tang San spoke up, "Tang San, please offer your guidance."

Bai E nodded.

"Let us learn from each other."

Seeing both were ready, the referee raised a hand and announced:

"Both sides, please release your martial souls!"

Tang San's gaze sharpened.

He immediately summoned his martial soul, Blue Silver Grass.

Two yellow spirit rings rose from beneath his feet.

A standard hundred-year spirit ring configuration.

A gasp rippled through the spectator stands.

"Blue Silver Grass? There are still people cultivating Blue Silver Grass these days?"

"Two rings, a level twenty-nine Great Spirit Master. That's not simple."

"To be able to train this trash martial soul to this level, he's certainly got some skill."

On the Shrek side, Ma Hongjun shouted at the top of his lungs, "Go, Brother San!"

Xiao Wu clasped her hands together, "Brother, you must win."

Wang Sheng sat in the stands, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the spirit fighting arena.

"That guy Tang San, he's gotten a lot stronger than he was back then."

Jiang Zhu clenched her fists and looked toward Ye Qiong, "Teacher, can Xiao Bai win?"

Ye Qiong did not answer, merely offering a smile.

On the spirit fighting arena, the referee looked at Bai E.

"Please release your martial soul."

Bai E slowly raised his right hand.

Two spirit rings rose from beneath his feet.

One yellow, one purple.

Seeing this, the entire arena fell silent.

The next second, the spectator stands erupted into chaos.

"Holy crap! Purple? The second ring is a thousand-year one?"

"This is impossible! Isn't the limit for a second spirit ring a little over seven hundred years? How did he manage that?"

"Two rings? He's only level thirty? A level thirty Great Spirit Master?"

"Level thirty at twelve years old? Are you kidding me?"

The audience in the stands had gone mad.

This was a configuration they had never seen in their entire lives.

On the Shrek side, everyone was equally shocked.

Ma Hongjun stared at the scene, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit a cow.

"Pur... purple? A thousand-year second ring?"

Dai Mubai also stood up abruptly, his eyes turning sharp.

"This is impossible, absolutely impossible."

Xiao Wu covered her mouth in surprise, while Zhu Qing's eyes, fixed on the arena, held a rare hint of astonishment.

As for Flender, he stood straight up.

His face shifted from black to white, then from white to green.

"A thousand-year second ring? What kind of monster is this?"

Just like the spectators in the stands, Tang San stood frozen in place as he stared at Bai E's spirit ring configuration.

At this moment, Yu Xiaogang's words echoed incessantly in his mind:

"The limit for a second spirit ring is seven hundred and sixty-four years. If you exceed this number, your body will be unable to withstand it and you will explode and die."

Yet now, someone stood before him with a purple spirit ring hanging in the second position.

What was this?

Could it be that his teacher had lied to him?

Bu Dui, His teacher could not have lied to him; the opponent must have used some kind of trick.

However, now was not the time to dwell on such things.

The opponent was only level thirty, just one level higher than him.

As long as his tactics were sound, he still had a chance.

At this thought, Tang San's eyes became resolute once more.

The referee looked at both sides, stepped off the arena, and blew his whistle:

"Match, begin!"

The moment the words fell, Tang San moved.

Blue Silver Grass grew wildly from beneath his feet, spreading rapidly across the ground toward Bai E.

First Soul Skill, Bind!

Watching the Blue Silver Grass surge toward his feet, Bai E merely revealed a faint smile.