Below the platform, when Ning Tian saw the pitch-black Soul Ring beneath Gu An's feet, her eyes flew wide and her pupils contracted.
Until now, she'd only heard about it from her mother.
A Ten-Thousand-Year first ring.
Seeing it with her own eyes was a completely different experience. The visual impact was on another level.
The black Soul Ring gleamed with a chilly, ghostly light.
Compared to the two yellow Hundred-Year Soul Rings beside it, the difference was so great it made her scalp tingle.
Across from Gu An, the look of disdain on Wu Feng's face vanished in an instant.
In its place was an expression of utter seriousness.
Ning Tian could only watch from below.
But Wu Feng was standing right in front of him.
She could clearly feel the pressure radiating from that black Soul Ring.
It was so oppressive that she could barely breathe.
Even so, Wu Feng refused to admit it.
"Let's see you break through my disguise."
"First Soul Skill."
"Dragon Fire!"
She gave a sharp cry. The Red Dragon phantom behind her threw back its head and roared, spewing scarlet flames from its mouth. The fire wrapped around Wu Feng's fists.
With the boost from her first Soul Skill, every move she made carried the scorching heat of Dragon Fire.
Wu Feng stamped her foot hard against the ground, cracking the surface beneath her!
She shot toward Gu An like a streak of red.
Her speed was astonishing.
A wave of scorching air trailed behind her.
Though Wu Feng's attack was fierce, Gu An's expression didn't change in the slightest.
He didn't even use a Soul Skill.
He simply raised the Dragon Phoenix Soul Sound Flute to his lips and played a single, soft note.
A blue-green shadow flew out of the flute.
A Green Blade Falcon.
The instant it emerged, it expanded with the wind, growing from palm-sized to a raptor with a wingspan of more than five meters.
Its dark blue-green feathers gleamed like metal in the sunlight, and its silver-gray beak was as sharp as a blade.
With a piercing cry, the Green Blade Falcon beat its wings and blocked Wu Feng's path.
Wu Feng was startled. She slammed on the brakes and stopped, staring wide-eyed at the enormous bird that had suddenly appeared before her.
"What is that thing?!"
Gu An tilted his head, looking puzzled.
"Didn't Sister Qingyun tell you?"
"This is a Soul Spirit."
"A being that can help Soul Masters fight."
The Green Blade Falcon now looked nothing like the tiny, adorable creature that had perched in Gu An's palm earlier.
It was displaying the full might of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
It was several times larger than Wu Feng, and the shadow cast by its outstretched wings engulfed her completely.
The Green Blade Falcon lowered its head and looked down at Wu Feng with amber eyes.
A flash of disdain flickered in them.
A mere two-ring Soul Master was no more than an ant.
She wasn't worthy of its attention.
It didn't take Wu Feng seriously at all.
Wu Feng clearly saw the brief flash of disdain in the great bird's eyes.
She'd just been looked down on by a bird.
Her temper flared in an instant.
"Then let me show you the power of a two-ring Soul Master!"
She stamped her little foot and cried out.
"Second Soul Skill."
"Dragon's Fury!"
The Red Dragon phantom appeared again, more substantial than before. Even the scales on its body were clearly visible.
Dragon's Fury was an enhancement-type Soul Skill.
It could greatly increase her attack and defense, while also boosting the power of her first Soul Skill, Dragon Fire.
The red glow around Wu Feng grew even more intense.
The air around her shimmered in the heat.
She darted aside, bypassing the Green Blade Falcon blocking her way, and charged straight at Gu An himself.
She might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but she had a basic sense for battle.
As a tool-using Soul Master, Gu An's own combat ability had to be poor.
This was her only chance to win.
She had to attack him directly.
Gu An stood where he was, watching Wu Feng charge at him. The corner of his mouth twitched.
"Are you underestimating a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast a little too much?"
Wu Feng hadn't even reached him when she heard the rush of wind behind her.
Her heart sank. She hurriedly dodged to the side.
A blue-green Wind Blade grazed her and slammed into the ground beside her.
The Blue Steel Rock surface was carved open, leaving a deep furrow as rubble flew everywhere.
The shock wave hurled Wu Feng through the air.
She spun once before landing awkwardly, staggering several steps before she managed to steady herself.
Her chest heaved as she gulped down air.
She glanced at the furrow in the ground beside her, her heart still pounding with fear.
If that Wind Blade had struck her—
She couldn't imagine how badly she'd have been hurt.
Below the platform, Ning Tian couldn't help crying out when she saw how battered Wu Feng looked.
"Feng!"
At Ning Tian's cry, Gu An turned his gaze from Wu Feng to Ning Tian in the stands.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Ning Tian."
"Why don't you two come at me together?"
"Wu Feng alone isn't a match for me."
Ning Tian's expression darkened at Gu An's words.
He'd clearly shown no regard for either of them.
And yet she couldn't exactly argue.
She'd seen how battered Feng was.
One Wind Blade had sent her flying, and Gu An hadn't even used a Soul Skill yet.
As an auxiliary Soul Master, Ning Tian had practically no combat ability.
If Feng lost, she wouldn't be much use either.
So, though she hated to admit it, Ning Tian stood up from the stands with a grim expression and walked toward the Soul Fighting Platform.
Wu Yunshan and Ning Qingyun sat in the stands. Neither said a word to stop them.
Their faces were full of delight.
Until now, they'd only heard Gu An and Leng Yaozhu describe Soul Spirits, and seen the palm-sized Green Blade Falcon perched in Gu An's hand.
But this was their first time seeing a Soul Spirit fight.
It was even more astonishing than they'd imagined.
A Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit with its own will could attack, defend, and judge the situation on its own.
For an auxiliary Soul Master, this thing would turn everything upside down.
They no longer had any doubts about Gu An and Leng Yaozhu's Spirit Transmission Academy.
Or about the grand promises they'd made.
They sounded damn appealing.
Besides, they hadn't yet seen the power of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill from the very first ring.
Gu An still hadn't used his first Soul Skill.
So they had no objection to Ning Tian joining the fight.
In fact, they were eager for her to take the field and force Gu An to show what he could really do.
As for Leng Yaozhu and Mother Gu, they weren't worried in the slightest.
Leng Yaozhu still sat with her legs crossed and her arms folded, a faint, entertained smile on her lips.
The worry on Mother Gu's face had eased considerably.
A single Soul Spirit had already left Wu Feng in a sorry state.
What difference would Ning Tian make?
She was only an auxiliary Soul Master.
Ning Tian walked onto the Soul Fighting Platform and stood beside Wu Feng.
Wu Feng's battered little face lit up with delight, and her eyes sparkled.
What one-on-one?
What fair fight?
She tossed it all out of her mind.
Beating Gu An was what mattered most.
Besides, she and Ning Tian had always been inseparable.
They'd grown up together, cultivated together, and entered Shrek Academy together.
Only when they fought as one did they show their true strength.