"Next up, Tang San of Shrek Academy will face Phainon of Omphalos Academy!"
As soon as the host made the announcement,
a wave of discussion swept through the stands.
Many people had never heard of Omphalos Academy.
In the audience seats, Wang Sheng abruptly stood up:
"Tang San? What's that guy doing here?"
Jiang Zhu looked at him curiously:
"You know him?"
Wang Sheng scratched his head:
"We were classmates in Dorm Seven at Notting Academy. His talent was terrifying. He knocked me flat the day he enrolled."
Jing Ling frowned at that. "Is he strong?"
Wang Sheng nodded. "Very strong. His Martial Soul may be Blue Silver Grass, but he fights completely differently from everyone else. Back then, when he was only level ten, he pinned me to the ground and beat me."
"The Tang surname..."
Bai Chenxiang mused.
As the others around him discussed the matter, Ye Qiong sat in his seat with a calm expression. He beckoned to Phainon:
"Phainon, come here."
Phainon walked over to him.
Ye Qiong lowered his voice. "Tang San doesn't rely solely on his Martial Soul. He also uses something called Hidden Weapons."
Phainon blinked. "Hidden Weapons?"
Ye Qiong nodded. "Little mechanisms concealed on his person. They can silently launch poisoned needles, darts, and the like. He's extremely fast, too, and uses some strange footwork. Keep your guard up when you fight him."
Phainon smiled confidently. "Understood. Thank you for the warning, Principal. But I'm confident in my own strength."
Ye Qiong patted him on the shoulder. "That's the spirit, lad. Go show them what our Omphalos Academy can do."
Phainon turned and headed toward the competitors' passage.
Watching him go, Wang Sheng called after him:
"Good luck, brother!"
Jiang Zhu and Bai Chenxiang waved to him as well. "We're rooting for you, Phainon!"
Phainon turned back and smiled at them, then entered the passage.
Meanwhile, in the Shrek Academy rest area,
Xiao Wu grabbed Tang San by the arm:
"Brother, is that the Omphalos Academy that stole students from our academy yesterday?"
Tang San glanced at the arena below and smiled faintly:
"Probably. I didn't expect to face them in my very first match."
Ma Hongjun suddenly leaned over. "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:
"Forgot? It's that newly opened academy—the one that poached most of our students."
Ma Hongjun slapped his forehead:
"Oh, right! I remember now. The principal was complaining about them the night before last."
Dai Mubai sneered:
"That's not all. They've also left our academy short on funds."
Flender sat in the corner, his face as black as coal.
He stared at the entrance opposite the Soul Fighting platform, his teeth grinding audibly.
"I want to see what kind of trash that academy across the way can turn out."
Xiao Wu turned to Flender. "Principal, I believe Third Brother will win."
Flender shook his head. "He's supposed to win. If he loses..."
He didn't finish, but everyone understood what he meant.
Losing would bring shame to Shrek.
Standing on the Soul Fighting platform, Tang San took a deep breath and looked toward the competitors' passage opposite him.
A white figure emerged from the passage.
Phainon walked at an unhurried pace, a peaceful smile on his face.
He stopped opposite Tang San, while the referee took his place between them:
"Both sides, get ready."
Tang San sized up Phainon.
He looked about Tang San's age. His white hair stood out, and he seemed cheerful enough, but his eyes held a steady calm.
Tang San spoke. "I'm Tang San. Please guide me."
Phainon nodded:
"Likewise."
When the two were ready, the referee raised a hand and announced:
"Both sides, release your Martial Souls!"
Tang San's gaze sharpened.
He immediately summoned his Martial Soul, Blue Silver Grass.
Two yellow Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet.
A standard Hundred-Year Soul Ring configuration.
A wave of gasps rose from the stands.
"Blue Silver Grass? People still cultivate Blue Silver Grass these days?"
"Two rings, level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster. That's no joke."
"To train that Trash Martial Soul to this level, he must have something going for him."
From the Shrek side, Ma Hongjun shouted at the top of his lungs, "Go, Third Brother!"
Xiao Wu clasped her hands together. "Brother, you have to win."
In the stands, Wang Sheng stared at the Soul Fighting platform without blinking.
"Tang San's gotten a lot stronger since back then."
Jiang Zhu clenched her fist and looked at Ye Qiong. "Teacher, can Phainon win?"
Ye Qiong didn't answer. He just smiled.
On the Soul Fighting platform, the referee turned to Phainon:
"Please release your Martial Soul."
Phainon slowly raised his right hand.
Two Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet.
One yellow, one purple.
The moment they saw this, the whole arena fell silent,
then the audience erupted.
"Holy crap! Purple? His second ring is a thousand-year ring?"
"That's impossible! Isn't the limit for the Second Soul Ring a little over seven hundred years? How did he manage that?"
"Two rings? He's only level thirty? A level-thirty Soul Grandmaster?"
"Twelve years old and already level thirty? Are you kidding me?"
The audience was going wild.
This was a configuration they had never seen in their lives.
The people from Shrek were just as stunned,
and Ma Hongjun's mouth gaped wide enough to fit a cow.
"P-Purple? A thousand-year Second Soul Ring?"
Dai Mubai also sprang to his feet, his gaze turning sharp:
"That's impossible. Absolutely impossible."
Xiao Wu covered her mouth with a gasp. Zhu Zhuqing looked toward the Soul Fighting platform, a rare trace of surprise in her eyes.
Flender had already stood 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 froze as he stared at Phainon's Soul Ring configuration.
At that moment, Yu Xiaogang's words echoed over and over in his mind:
"The limit for the Second Soul Ring is seven hundred and sixty-four years. Go beyond that, and your body won't be able to withstand it. You'll explode and die."
Yet now, right before his eyes, someone had placed a purple Soul Ring in the second position.
What did that mean?
Could his teacher have lied to him?
No.
His teacher couldn't have lied to him. His opponent must have used some kind of trick.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
His opponent was only level thirty, just one level above him.
With the right tactics, he still had a chance.
At that thought, Tang San's gaze grew firm again.
The referee looked at both sides, stepped off the platform, and blew his whistle:
"Begin!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Tang San moved.
Blue Silver Grass burst from beneath his feet, rapidly spreading across the ground toward Phainon.
First Soul Skill: Entanglement!
Looking at the Blue Silver Grass surging toward his feet, Phainon merely gave a faint smile.
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