Captain of the Spirit Hall Academy team, Su Linfeng, fifty-second rank Spirit King!
Su Linfeng also returned Qin Ming's gesture with a polite motion of his hand.
Five-ring Spirit King! At the age of fifteen!
And three of those rings were black! This was impossible!
Exclamations rippled through the stands. Forget his age for a moment—just those three ten-thousand-year spirit rings alone were enough to blind everyone present with their brilliance.
Even the accompanying teachers nearly had their eyes pop out of their sockets, not to mention the competing students.
Yellow, purple, black, black, black.
A configuration that broke the Ten Core Spirit Master Theories.
"Ten-thousand-year third ring!"
Qian Renxue couldn't help but exclaim inwardly, staring blankly at Su Linfeng standing in the arena. Even she hadn't expected this guy's spirit ring configuration to be so terrifying.
The Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the Star Luo Royal Academy—everyone present except for Dugu Yan had their pupils shrink, staring fixedly at those three black rings.
Illogical spirit rings. Rings that shouldn't exist!
No matter how much they wanted to deny it, the reality was right there in front of them. Surely they weren't all hallucinating at the same time.
"Begin the match!"
The three minutes quickly passed. With the referee's announcement, he leapt back to clear the stage.
Although Qin Ming's heart was still reeling from shock, his actions were swift.
"Second Spirit Skill — Cang Wolf Possession!"
Boom!
Scorching flames erupted from his body.
Having seen Su Linfeng's spirit ring configuration, he didn't hesitate to directly invoke his Martial Spirit Possession.
"First Spirit Skill — Cang Wolf Assault!"
In the same breath as his transformation, Qin Ming launched his opening strike. His martial spirit and spirit skills were centered entirely on violent flame-based offense, following a route of pure destructive power. From the start, he showed no restraint.
Cang Wolf Assault.
A straight-line charge, his attacking hands transforming into wolf claws, searing with flames that inflicted tearing damage. Speed boosted by fifty percent.
In the blink of an eye, Qin Ming appeared before Su Linfeng, claw arcing straight for his throat.
Every move aimed to kill.
Truly worthy of being called the Spirit Master, most like a wolf!
But Su Linfeng wasn't flustered. With his Stellar Eyes, he had already foreseen Qin Ming's attack trajectory. No matter how fast, it couldn't escape his lock-on.
Just as Qin Ming's claw was about to rake across his throat—
Su Linfeng's hand shot out, catching his wrist first. With a twist and a surge of force, he flung Qin Ming away.
Qin Ming, however, was no novice.
The instant his body hit the ground, he pushed off again, exploding forward once more.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thudding detonations echoed across the arena. Though Su Linfeng didn't feel pressured, he had no choice but to defend passively. Qin Ming's speed was simply too overwhelming.
"Now!"
Qin Ming's momentum only grew. After repelling Su Linfeng once more, his palms slammed into the ground.
"Fourth Spirit Skill — Blazing Wildfire Domain!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, flames engulfed a hundred-meter radius, searing everything within. Even Su Linfeng's silhouette vanished into the sea of fire.
And it didn't stop there.
From beneath Su Linfeng's feet, pillars of magma erupted, pinning his movements and blasting him into the air.
Damn—it turned him into a living target!
Su Linfeng could already see Qin Ming's next move coming. This man was fast—too fast. He clearly understood he couldn't drag things out. Against three ten-thousand-year rings, hesitation was death. Qin Ming's only chance was to strike first, allowing no room for reaction, and concentrate all his damage in the shortest possible time.
Otherwise, he had no hope.
Since that was the case, they would simply have to compare flames!
With that thought, Su Linfeng unleashed his Second Spirit Skill: Heavenly Flame Storm. Three towering flame tornadoes spiraled up around him, shielding him from the burning damage of Qin Ming's Wildfire Domain.
"Third Spirit Skill — Cang Wolf Frenzy Assault!"
With Su Linfeng forced skyward, Qin Ming's third skill was primed.
He blurred into dozens of afterimages, striking from every direction.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
His speed skyrocketed—tripled in an instant.
The Cang Wolf Frenzy Assault was designed for rapid strikes, overwhelming opponents with sheer speed. Unless one was at Spirit Emperor level or higher, it was impossible to track his movements.
The air erupted with continuous explosions of flame.
Every spectator's eyes widened, terrified to miss even a single detail.
A feast of fire.
"Su Linfeng… is actually being suppressed?"
Yu Tianheng of the Heaven Dou team stared in disbelief. "I thought he would stun everyone with his strength. But even with three ten-thousand-year rings, he can't fight back? Qin Ming really is battle-hardened."
"No."
Dugu Yan shook her head. "I think Su Linfeng simply hasn't struck yet."
"Oh? Really?"
Ye Lingling covered her mouth with a laugh. "You're not just saying that because he's handsome, are you? Look at him—he hasn't even had the chance to counterattack. How can you say he hasn't made a move?"
"Exactly, Yan-yan."
Yu Tianheng snorted. "I'd rather Qin Ming injure him, or even beat him. At least then, when we meet Spirit Hall Academy in the semifinals, we might stand a chance."
Dugu Yan: …
The audacity of these two!
Even if Su Linfeng never stepped onto the stage, they couldn't possibly beat Spirit Hall Academy. Only she truly understood how terrifying that team was.
But she didn't bother to argue, turning her eyes back to the match.
The clash had entered a deadlock. Qin Ming's speed was incredible, but no matter what he tried, he couldn't break through the three blazing tornadoes. And deep down, his martial spirit shuddered at Su Linfeng's flame.
He couldn't wait any longer!
Qin Ming shot upward, hands raised high in a gesture of gathering.
The final strike?
Su Linfeng tilted his head back, eyes narrowing as he saw the massive energy coalescing in Qin Ming's palms. His third spirit ring began to glow.
To attack—was the greatest respect he could give Qin Ming.
"Fifth Spirit Skill — Sky Wolf Flame Break!"
Qin Ming's roar shook the arena. His body plummeted in a dive, wolf claws cradling a compressed fireball, streaking straight for Su Linfeng's head.
The Sky Wolf Flame Break. His strongest technique. On impact, it detonated, dealing three hundred percent damage and piercing through any defense.
But facing this overwhelming strike, Su Linfeng didn't dodge.
Instead, before countless stunned eyes, he raised his hand—
and caught the blazing fireball barehanded.
BOOM!
An eruption shook the arena.
The flames swallowed both figures whole.
At the same moment, three blazing orbs—each five meters wide—descended from the sky, crashing into the inferno. The explosion seared the spectators' eyes white, robbing them of vision for an instant.
What just happened?!
Whose spirit skill was that?!
That guy actually dared to catch Qin Ming's fifth spirit skill with his bare hand!