Apprentice Promotion Ceremony, Pecking at Each Other!

"Apprentice Promotion Ceremony." Mordo's lips curled into a meaningful smile. "Congratulations, Strange. Once you pass the upcoming practical test, you'll officially shed your apprentice status and become a true battle Sorcerers."

"Wait!" Strange was completely dumbfounded. "We have to compete again?"

"Nonsense. Kamar-Taj is a military fortress for training Earth's protectors, not a retirement home for you to collect diplomas." Mordo's voice turned cold. "Even academic researchers need to have the ability to fight on the battlefield at any time."

Strange felt a chill run down his spine.

He used to be a surgeon who never even got into a fight, and now they're asking him to compete in Magic?

Before he could ask any more questions, Mordo waved his hands.

A flash of golden light, and the three of them stepped directly into a vast Mirror Dimension.

This is not an ordinary Mirror Dimension, but a large barrier built by several Master working together.

At this moment, the interior of the space has been transformed into a magnificent circular arena.

The high stands all around were packed with Sorcerers.

Several key high-ranking officials were seated on the central platform.

Below, the spacious arena was divided into dozens of sturdy fighting rings.

The ascension ceremony at Kamar-Taj has always been the most exciting event in the sect.

The only way for an apprentice to become a full-fledged employee is to gain the approval of their instructor in the ring.

At the same time, this is also an excellent opportunity for experienced Sorcerers who are traveling abroad to exchange ideas and learn from each other.

When they're in a good mood, even Master will personally join in for a few moves.

When the three arrived, the grand ceremony had already begun.

Spell light flew wildly across dozens of arenas, and the Sorcerers in the stands cheered loudly, creating an extremely exciting atmosphere.

"Look at ring number eight! This young man Yatuo, is really good."

"I heard that he mastered all the basic Magic after only half a year of training."

"Far from it. Xue Ren, whom I brought, is a natural-born genius with superhuman Divine Power and unparalleled fighting skills."

"I wonder if the Master will come down and offer some pointers today."

Various voices mingled together, creating a cacophony as loud as a market.

Mordo didn't immediately approach Strange, but instead went up to the central platform and greeted the several Masters in charge of coordination.

"Mordo, I heard that your apprentice, whom you've been personally mentoring recently, has amazing talent!" a white-bearded Master joked with a smile.

"It's just a rumor, don't take it seriously."

Mordo waved his hand humbly.

"Alright, stop pretending. We all know you've struck gold." The Master laughed heartily, clearly having already heard about Mordo's new apprentice.

Mordo smiled but offered no further explanation.

After confirming that the promotion process was correct, he turned and walked down from the platform to Strange and Ren's side.

"Strange, come with me. It's time to test the results of your recent training," Mordo said kindly.

Strange's face turned somewhat bitter.

Although he has learned a lot of Magic recently, he is still a doctor who wields a scalpel at heart, and he is really afraid of this kind of close combat where fists and knives are used to hitting.

Noticing Strange's nervousness, Ren patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't panic, it's just a formality. Just do your usual thing."

"Sorcerer Ren." Strange took a deep breath and walked onto the arena, trying to appear calm.

Mordo stood in the center of the arena early on, his expression serious, displaying the demeanor of a grandmaster.

"The first lesson for battle Sorcerers at Strange Kamar-Taj is always melee combat."

"Magic power will eventually run out; a body forged through countless trials is the ultimate trump card. Today, I'll test your fighting skills."

"Understood, Mordo Sorcerers." Strange assumed a defensive stance, his eyes gradually sharpening.

"Very well, go ahead and attack." Mordo one hand behind his back and slightly raised his chin.

"Excuse me!"

Strange gave a low shout and darted out like a cheetah.

After more than half a month of Magic Power tempering, his explosive power far exceeded that of ordinary people, and there was even a slight sound of wind breaking in the air.

The Sorcerers in the stands were instantly drawn to the commotion.

"Wow! That's fast! Is this really a beginner who's only been learning for half a month?"

"As expected of Master Mordo's personal disciple. Look at his power generation technique; it's even more skillful than many seasoned apprentices who have practiced for three to five years."

"Master Mordo is indeed skilled at teaching his disciples. I heard that the one he trained, Ren, is even more monstrous, but it's a pity we didn't see him make a move today."

"Sorcerer Ren is already a high-level combatant. I heard he's been studying with the Sorcerer Supreme recently. How could he possibly participate in this apprentice competition?"

"Judging from this situation, it's absolutely a done deal that Strange will be officially hired today."

Praises and compliments were heard all around.

Even the high- Master on the platform nodded frequently.

"His speed and power are both impressive. Mordo is probably in for a tough time today."

"Haha, this kid's pretty ruthless, he always targets the weak points."

"I wonder if Mordo will be able to save face after being thoroughly humiliated by his apprentice."

The bigwigs watched the show with schadenfreude.

Below the arena.

With his arms crossed, Ren watched the two fighters locked in a fierce battle on stage and couldn't help but yawn.

In his eyes, the two people were moving far too slowly, as if they were playing a slow-motion replay.

The punches and kicks were weak and ineffective, utterly harmless.

On the arena.

Strange indeed displayed exceptional combat talent.

With powerful punches and kicks, he forced Mordo to retreat repeatedly, gaining a complete advantage for a time.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The dull thuds of flesh colliding echoed continuously.

Mordo crossed his arms, desperately blocking Strange's relentless onslaught. Though his footwork was erratic, his defense remained impenetrable.

"Rapid progress, Strange. Warm-up over, now it's time for my counterattack."

Mordo's eyes narrowed, and he stopped focusing solely on defense.

Bang!

Their fists collided violently, and a powerful shockwave rippled outwards from the two of them.

The two then engaged in combat once again.

They went back and forth, neither giving an inch, and the battle quickly escalated to a fever pitch.

The apprentices around them watched with great enthusiasm, cheering loudly.

"That's incredible! It's a perfect match!"

"Is this the power of a genius? He can actually fight Master Mordo to a standstill!"

"Unbelievable! I can't believe he's only been in Kamar-Taj for half a month!"

Hearing the deafening praise around him, Ren idly touched his nose.

"Bite!"

"The host's [Kamar-Taj Martial Arts] is observing the battle ahead."

"[Kamar-Taj Martial Arts] feels utterly contemptuous of this low-level match where noobs are fighting each other, and is in a terrible mood!"

"The efficiency of gaining skill proficiency has decreased significantly!"

The System Notifications that suddenly rang in his mind startled Ren.

Is this even allowed?

I was just standing here watching the show, doing absolutely nothing, and the system still gave me a negative status effect that reduced my experience gain!

This skill has such a weird temperament!

Ren sighed in exasperation, wishing he could just turn around and leave.

On the arena.

The intense hand-to-hand combat has finally reached a turning point.

Although Strange is exceptionally talented and possesses explosive power.

But Mordo was, after all, a battle- Master practical experience far surpassed Strange's.

After the two fought for dozens of rounds,

Strange's strength began to wane, and his breathing became heavy.

Mordo astutely seized upon the flaw in Strange's move.

He suddenly shifted his body to the side, deftly dodging Strange's powerful straight punch.

Then his left arm transformed into a hard iron elbow, slamming it into Strange's vulnerable chest.

Bang!

Strange let out a muffled groan, staggered back five or six steps, clutched his chest, and knelt on the ground, panting heavily.