Complete Victory

To avoid being late for the tournament, Yue Ling and Gongyang Mo did not have time to eat in the morning, and even Ma Xiaotao, who had arrived early to wait, competed on an empty stomach.

Having just finished a morning of grueling battles, all three were so hungry they felt weak, their physical and mental energy nearly bottomed out.

Ma Xiaotao's expression was grim, and the aura around her was icy, clearly signaling that she was not to be approached and that no one should bother her.

Gongyang Mo was so hungry he felt as though his chest were pressed against his back; he was completely wilted, lacking even a shred of his usual vitality.

The three headed straight for the cafeteria, ignoring their image as they buried their heads and wolfed down a hearty meal, only then recovering enough to feel some strength return to their bodies.

After finishing the last drop of water, Yue Ling let out a long breath, his gaze turning firm once more.

"The round of thirty-two to sixteen is this afternoon. Let's do our best!"

"Let's do it!"

Ma Xiaotao's expression remained somewhat awkward, but she still responded in a low voice.

"Let's do it! These three Spirit Bones will definitely be ours!"

"Exactly!"

After a brief rest to stabilize their turbulent Spirit Power, the three immediately set off and hurried back to the Assessment Area.

As the afternoon school bell rang, the round of thirty-two to sixteen of the Freshman Elimination Tournament officially began.

Following the morning's eliminations, the number of competing teams had been cut in half. The students drew lots again before heading to their respective competition zones.

The layout of the grounds remained unchanged, still using the partitioned zone mode from the morning, though only the first sixteen battle zones were activated today.

Yue Ling once again drew lots on behalf of the team, and this time, they were assigned to the fifth competition zone.

But the moment he saw their opponents, Yue Ling's heart sank.

The situation he feared most had come to pass—their opponents were actually their own classmates from Class One.

Facing classmates was never easy, regardless of who won or lost, but the rules of the tournament were set in stone; there was no backing down, only facing the challenge head-on.

The proctor for the arena was still Wang Yan.

"Both sides, enter the arena!"

At Wang Yan's command, the six people from the two teams stepped onto the wide battleground simultaneously, standing on opposite sides and setting up their combat formations.

Yue Ling's team maintained their usual positioning: Yue Ling stood at the very front to absorb pressure and lead the attack, Ma Xiaotao stayed in the center to provide support, and Gongyang Mo held the rear, responsible for auxiliary buffs.

The opposing class team's formation was also quite orderly: a Power Attack Type and an Agility Attack Type Spirit Master stood side-by-side in the front to apply pressure, while a Control Type Spirit Master remained in the back, creating a balanced offense and defense.

"The match begins!"

The moment Wang Yan's voice fell, the atmosphere in the arena tightened, and all six people moved at once.

Gongyang Mo activated his Spirit Soul immediately, two Spirit Rings lighting up in succession as he unleashed his Crimson Power and Orange Soul skills simultaneously.

Double-layered colored halos spread out instantly, steadily enveloping Yue Ling and Ma Xiaotao in the front, boosting their strength while accelerating their Spirit Power recovery and skill casting speed.

Bolstered by the powerful support, Yue Ling did not hesitate, his first and second Spirit Rings flashing in tandem.

His second spirit skill, Falling Blossom Storm, erupted with Flower Blades, sending countless sharp golden petal blades flying; his first spirit skill, Heavenly Chrysanthemum Body Protection, enveloped his entire body, a solid layer of golden light shielding him and maximizing his defensive capabilities.

Ma Xiaotao's third spirit skill, Phoenix Wings Soaring to the Heavens, activated simultaneously, surging with phoenix flames that swirled around her.

The two charged left and right, heading straight for the opposing Power Attack and Agility Attack Spirit Masters.

The opposing Control Type Spirit Master tried to block their path, but it was all in vain.

At the same time, Yue Ling controlled the sky full of sharp flower blades, changing their direction to bear down on the opposing back-row Control Type Spirit Master, preemptively sealing off the opponent's crowd-control skills.

With the Heavenly Chrysanthemum Body Protection, all attacks from the two opposing Spirit Grandmasters landed on Yue Ling, only to be steadily blocked by the golden light; they could not break his defense at all.

The embryonic form of his Indestructible Diamond granted him excellent pressure resistance.

Ma Xiaotao deliberately held back, not dealing fatal damage, and relied solely on continuous Phoenix Fireline suppression to force the two frontline Spirit Masters back, eventually pushing them off the competition platform and disqualifying them.

Seeing their teammates defeated and being tightly locked down by Yue Ling's dense flower blades, the opposing Control Type Spirit Master lost all will to fight and gave up resistance.

The entire match was a total suppression, ending completely in less than five minutes.

Yue Ling's team won without pressure, steadily advancing to the top sixteen of the freshman assessment.

Wang Yan and the other teachers watching from the sidelines were all somewhat stunned.

This team was truly the strongest seed team of Class One; not only was their execution of spirit skills perfect, but they also used their own formidable strength as a foundation to quickly scatter the opponent's formation and resolve the battle in short order.

After finishing the battle quickly, the three of them did not rush to leave, instead standing by the sidelines to observe the matches of other teams.

A single day of the elimination tournament had already weeded out the vast majority of freshmen.

Only the final sixteen teams, totaling forty-eight students, remained to continue competing on the second day.

Those who made it this far were the absolute elite among the current batch of freshmen, and even when looking at their peers across the entire continent, they were definitely at the top tier.

Dai Yueheng and Xixi's team also finished their match quickly, winning cleanly and decisively; it was clear their strength was formidable and not to be underestimated.

The spectator platform today was much livelier than yesterday.

Before the matches had even officially started, the stands were already packed to the brim.

The eyes of Yue Ling and his two teammates swept across the platform, and they quickly spotted a familiar figure.

The man looked to be about fifty years old, dressed in loose white robes with snow-white short hair. His features were upright and refined, and a faint smile played on his lips.

Though he looked gentle and scholarly, his eyes were sharp and piercing. He stood straight and tall, carrying an inherent air of authority that made people afraid to look him in the eye without him even needing to display his aura.

It was none other than Ma Xiaotao's teacher, Yan Shaozhe.

Gongyang Mo's eyes widened as he looked at the Dean; he hadn't expected him to come and watch.

Ma Xiaotao, seeing him, immediately raised her hand and waved vigorously.

The surrounding students looked toward that direction with puzzled expressions, squinting to see.

There was no one there?

Yan Shaozhe, seeing this from the high platform, responded with a gentle nod, acknowledging the greeting.

With a teacher personally watching, Ma Xiaotao, who had been a bit lazy and exhausted, instantly became spirited, her entire state completely transformed.

She turned to look at Yue Ling, her tone carrying an unquestionable seriousness.

"We will finish the next match quickly as well. We must fight well and let the teacher see our true strength!"

Yue Ling nodded gently.

He understood; with an elder present, everyone wanted to perform well, so he didn't say much more and accepted her idea.

Soon, the drawing of lots for the round of sixteen to eight began.

This time, Yue Ling drew the second battle platform.

There were no weaklings left among the opponents who had made it this far.

Every team that had reached the top sixteen possessed strength far exceeding the opponents they had encountered previously; none of them were easy to deal with.

Every match from here on out would not be easy.

The competition area expanded once again, with eight wide arenas starting their matches simultaneously.