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The rest day passed in a flash. Although Heaven Dou Royal Academy directly entered the finals as a guaranteed team, they did not receive the privilege of a bye due to not participating in the preliminary and promotion rounds.
After the first round eliminated half the teams, Heaven Dou Royal Academy drew the obscure Star Luo Dragon Sunflower Academy in the second round. Under Feng Xiao's leadership, the Huang Dou Battle Team easily won, demonstrating their strength as a seeded team.
The Red-robed Referee flashed onto the stage as the competition continued, "Second round, Star Luo Empire Royal Advanced Spirit Master Academy versus Shrek Advanced Spirit Master Academy."
The Red-robed Referee's voice made Feng Xiao's gaze sharpen, turning towards the Shrek waiting area. Sure enough, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's aura was different, with raging battle intent burning in their eyes.
The two teams ascended the stage and lined up. Feng Xiao noticed a familiar figure in the Star Luo Royal Academy—Zhu Zhuyun. On the Shrek side, the six monsters, excluding Ma Hongjun, plus Yu Tianheng, stood ready. Dai Mubai's evil eyes were more solemn than ever, while Zhu Zhuqing coldly stared at Zhu Zhuyun opposite her.
"Zhuqing, your luck has always been good," Zhu Zhuyun sneered, "Zhuqing, I have to say, your luck has always been very good. Back then, you met that boy in Heaven Dou who saved you, and now you and Mubai have even gotten connected to the Upper Three Sects. However, this is as far as you'll go. Actually, Mom and Dad both miss you, but they can't go against ancestral rules. After the competition, why don't you come back with me?"
Zhu Zhuqing returned a cold smile, not saying a word.
The Red-robed Referee came to the center of the two teams, "Prepare for the match. You may release your Spirits. The rules are as before. The loser will be directly eliminated, and the winner will enter the top eight. Shrek Advanced Spirit Master Academy team versus Star Luo Royal Advanced Spirit Master Academy. Ready."
Dai Mubai and Dai Weisi, Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun, their gazes clashed fiercely in the air. Amidst dragon roars and tiger cries, Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng both summoned their Spirits. Tang San, meanwhile, brought out the Clear Sky Hammer without a spirit ring. The dark hammer body changed size in his hand, finally resting steadily on his shoulder.
Looking at Tang San in this state, Feng Xiao was quite surprised. He wondered what it would be like for someone who plays Hidden Weapons and tactics to use a head-on weapon like the Clear Sky Hammer.
"Huh? It seems Tang San didn't participate in the last match. Can this Clear Sky Hammer without a spirit ring really work?" Dugu Yan asked doubtfully.
A strange glint flashed in Feng Xiao's eyes as he smiled and explained, "Tool Spirit is different from Beast Spirit. For a Spirit of extremely high quality like the Clear Sky Hammer, even without a spirit ring, it weighs five hundred jin. For Tang San, although its power cannot compare to a Spirit of the same quality with normal spirit rings attached, this weight instead allows him to better control his Spirit. His spirit power cultivation still exists, and compared to ordinary Spirit Masters, the Spirit's quality is enough to bridge the gap, only lacking Spirit Ability."
The seven members of Star Luo Academy instantly released their spirit power. Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun stood at the very front, and their spirit power fluctuations were the largest.
In an instant, two yellow and two purple spirit rings appeared on their bodies.
Even more surprisingly, among the five people behind Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun, four of them had released Spirits that were above fortieth rank. Including the former two, the entire Star Luo Academy team had as many as six Spirit Ancestors.
Excluding the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team and Spirit Hall Academy team that had already appeared, they were the team with the most Spirit Masters above fortieth rank among the teams that had appeared so far.
"Match starts!"
The battle was about to erupt!
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in Ning Rongrong's hand glowed, and several colorful rays of light precisely entered Dai Mubai's body. At the same time, Oscar's Sausage, controlled by Tang San's exquisite Hidden Weapons technique, shot into Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng's hands like meteors. Tang San and Xiao Wu quickly retreated, forming a solid defense line to protect the two auxiliary Spirit Masters.
"Dragon and Tiger?" A flicker of anticipation crossed Feng Xiao's eyes. He really wanted to see what kind of tactics Yu Xiaogang had designed for this combination.
Dai Mubai swallowed the Sausage without hesitation. Pink amplification light and the colorful light of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda intertwined and ascended around him. On the opposite side, Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun launched their attacks simultaneously.
Dai Weisi led the charge, instantly activating White Tiger Protection Barrier and White Tiger Vajra Transformation, intending to single-handedly confront Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Yu Tianheng. Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuyun, amplified by auxiliary Spirit Ability, disappeared like a ghost, leaving only an afterimage, directly rushing the back row from the flank.
"Overestimating yourself." Dai Mubai's lips curved into a slight smile.
Just as Dai Weisi was about to collide with the three, a cold smile suddenly appeared on his face: "Naive!" A strange mirror appeared out of thin air, and Dai Weisi's figure instantly passed through the mirror, actually completing a rendezvous with Zhu Zhuyun.
Tang San's pupils contracted—the opponent had clearly studied their tactics; this was aimed at the weakness of the Clear Sky Hammer's lack of a spirit ring!
A brilliant light burst from Dai Weisi's eyes. Under the amplification of White Tiger Vajra Transformation, a White Tiger Light Wave struck directly at Tang San. At the same time, his tiger paws spread wide, aiming straight for Ning Rongrong and Oscar.
Facing the whistling light wave, Tang San remained unhurried. He lowered his body, and his right hand whipped out like a lash:
"Combine power, break with speed, Break Character Art!"
The dark Clear Sky Hammer, carrying a whistling wind, met the golden light wave. Without fancy Spirit Ability, relying solely on the pure weight of the Spirit and exquisite force application, it actually shattered the violent energy wave! Where the hammer wind passed, the air itself trembled.
"This isn't Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method?"
Below the stage, Feng Xiao frowned slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. In his understanding, Tang San should only use Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method when wielding the Clear Sky Hammer; other uses were mostly throwing it with Hidden Weapons techniques.
But the scene before him was completely different—Tang San's starting posture was steady and restrained, his hammer path concise and sharp, as if it had been tempered a thousand times. It was clearly some kind of more exquisite force application technique.
Noticing Feng Xiao's confusion, Dugu Bo, not far away, scoffed and leisurely explained, "Excellent Battle Spirit Hammer, majestic Clear Sky Sect. Kid, watch closely, this is Clear Sky Nine Absolutes."
Feng Xiao was stunned by the words, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes—this was completely different from the Clear Sky Sect's unique skill described in the original work in his memory.
Dugu Bo stroked his beard and continued, "Don't you think it's unremarkable?"
The old poisoner narrowed his eyes, "This is simply the most unadorned method of applying force, although it is a secret technique of the Clear Sky Sect."
At this point, he glanced at Tang San on the stage: "But in different hands, the power varies greatly. With this kid's current mastery, he's still far from it."
Feng Xiao suddenly understood. It was the product of refining the most basic force application techniques to the extreme. Just like music, the simplest notes, under different hands, can interpret vastly different artistic conceptions.
Feng Xiao casually adjusted his sitting posture, his slender fingers gently stroking the strings of the 'Fuxi' zither. Strands of ultrasonic waves silently spread out, precisely locking onto Tang San, who was fiercely battling in the arena. The invisible sound waves rippled like waves, clearly feeding every subtle movement of Tang San back into Feng Xiao's sea of consciousness.
He thoughtfully caressed the zither body, secretly thinking: his own attainments in zither sound strong attacks these past years were indeed limited. His strongest attack method currently was merely compressing sound waves into sound blades like sword qi. This technique might be effective against ordinary Spirit Masters, but it seemed powerless against equally strong opponents—after all, sound waves attenuate with distance, an unchangeable law of nature.
Dugu Bo was very close and naturally felt Feng Xiao's small movements. A playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Kid, trying to steal skills?"
The old poisoner lowered his voice, "The Clear Sky Sect's unique skills aren't that easy to learn."
Feng Xiao smiled without speaking, only the zither's tune subtly changed again. He constantly verified the force application details perceived by the ultrasonic waves with his own understanding of rhythm, deducing new possibilities in his sea of consciousness.
The battle in the arena was in full swing. Tang San, holding the ringless Clear Sky Hammer, directly confronted Dai Weisi's White Tiger Spirit. The dark hammer face and the sharp tiger claws collided with a roar, neither giving way.
"Combine movement and stillness, penetrate point by point, Penetrate Character Art!"
Tang San let out a low roar, and his hammer stance suddenly changed. Both retreated several steps simultaneously. Dai Weisi's tiger paw trembled slightly, and a piercing pain came from his palm. His expression instantly became solemn.
Through ultrasonic perception, Feng Xiao instantly grasped the essence of Clear Sky Nine Absolutes: he saw Tang San's legs storing power like a bowstring, his feet pressed tightly to the ground, drawing strength from the earth; and at the moment of the hammer's strike, the imperceptible tremor of his wrist was the key to determining the direction of the force—just like the last subtle force a zither player applies when plucking a string, seemingly light, but actually containing the mystery of changing the timbre.
"So that's it..." Feng Xiao's fingertips trembled slightly on the zither strings, imitating that method of applying force. He suddenly understood why Tang Chen could be called invincible on land—this technique of borrowing the earth's strength would indeed be greatly diminished in the air where there was no leverage.
A brilliant light flashed in Feng Xiao's eyes, as if the clouds had parted and he had suddenly seen the light. He lowered his head, gazing at the Fuxi in his arms, his fingertips gently caressing the zither strings. He already had a brand new understanding in his heart.
"Playing the zither, though not like using a hammer, doesn't require force from the ground..." he mused, his fingers gracefully gliding over the zither body, "But in terms of the agility of wrist turns and the exquisiteness of finger techniques, it's even superior."
The zither strings vibrated slightly under his fingers, emitting a clear resonance. Feng Xiao seemed to already see that when he integrated this essence of force application into his zither skills, every note would be able to contain different strengths—some as gentle and continuous as spring rain, others as violent as thunder, and even, like Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer, capable of concealing penetrating power within fierce hammer techniques.
"Weisi! Are you alright?"
Zhu Zhuyun's figure flashed like a ghost, her slender hand steadily supporting the staggering Dai Weisi. A hint of worry flickered in her purple eyes, but it transformed into determination upon meeting her beloved's resolute gaze.
"Hell White Tiger?" Her red lips parted slightly, and before her words finished, the spirit power of the two surged together like a tide. The moment their fingers interlocked, dazzling white light shot into the sky, and a gigantic, entirely dark blue tiger proudly appeared, its tiger eyes flickering with Hellfire.
Dai Mubai sneered, "This is what I've been waiting for!" Almost simultaneously, another Hell White Tiger, slightly smaller but more agile, tore through the light curtain. The two divine beasts confronted each other, and violent spirit power stirred up a hurricane in the arena.
"Fourth Spirit Ability, Blue Lightning Divine Dragon Dash!"
Yu Tianheng suddenly erupted, his dragon roar shaking the clouds. What was astonishing was that the blue lightning giant dragon, carrying immense thunder, actually turned its direction and charged directly at Dai Mubai's Hell White Tiger!
"This is...?" The spectators gasped in surprise. They saw the electric dragon and the white tiger intertwine. In the blue and white energy storm, the Hell White Tiger appeared with a new form. The blue electric dragon coiled around the white tiger like a tattoo, and the white tiger's four claws emitted dazzling electric light.
"Combination Fusion Skill: Blue Lightning White Tiger Shatter!"
As Yu Tianheng and Dai Mubai roared in unison, this unprecedented fusion beast, carrying the power to destroy the world, charged towards the enemy formation. Space itself twisted wherever it passed.
In the VIP section, Sword Douluo Chen Xin's eyes narrowed slightly, his sharp gaze piercing through the rampant energy storm in the arena: "Borrowing the White Tiger's body to carry the power of lightning? That's quite ingenious." He lightly tapped the armrest with his fingertips, "It's a pity that this Clear Sky Nine Absolutes, in his hands, only has its form."
Ning Fengzhi gently rotated the glazed cup in his hand, his mellow voice carrying a hint of playfulness: "Little San is still young. After all, his main cultivation is Blue Silver Grass. To be able to use the Clear Sky Hammer to such an extent is already rare."
Bone Douluo Gu Rong suddenly chuckled, his hoarse voice containing a hint of mischief: "Fengzhi, that kid from Heaven Dou isn't honest."
Ning Fengzhi's lips curved slightly, his spirit power transmission echoing between the three: "No matter. If the Clear Sky Sect's unique skills were so easy to glimpse, how could it have stood strong for so long?"
Boom—!
Accompanied by a deafening explosion, the violent energy formed by the intertwining of blue lightning and white tiger power swept across the entire arena like a raging tide. Although Dai Weisi's Hell White Tiger was powerful, it was ultimately unable to withstand the combination Spirit skill with double amplification. Dazzling lightning tore through its tiger body, Hellfire disintegrated inch by inch, and the massive white tiger phantom dissipated in a mournful wail.
The victor was decided!
The remaining impact force of the Hell White Tiger still raged like a hurricane. Five figures were violently thrown like broken kites, falling one after another outside the competition stage. As the dust gradually settled, the colossal beast that remained in the arena gradually faded, turning into specks of spirit power halo, finally disappearing into nothingness.
Feng Xiao gazed at the gradually dissipating spirit power afterglow in the arena, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He secretly thought, "Yu Xiaogang still has some tricks up his sleeve, at least when it comes to Spirit Fusion Skills." His slender fingers gently caressed his chin, and as his thoughts flowed, he had already seen through the profound mystery within.
"However..." A playful arc curved at the corner of his lips, "Such a tactic can only work once." Feng Xiao's gaze swept over the opponents by the side of the arena, whose expressions varied. He secretly thought, "Unless the opponents are fools, why would they give a second chance?"
The Huang Dou Battle Team members looked at the shocking scene in the arena, their expressions varied. Feng Xiao's lips curved slightly, and a hint of playfulness flashed in his eyes: "It seems he's thriving at Shrek."
Upon hearing this, Yu Feng's expression froze. His usually talkative mouth was uncharacteristically silent. He gave Feng Xiao a strange glance, an expression of wanting to speak but holding back flitting across his face, and ultimately remained silent.
Ye Lingling stood quietly to the side, her clear, cold eyes lightly sweeping over Yu Tianheng on the stage. A faint, almost imperceptible ripple appeared in her eyes, but it quickly returned to calm.
The Shi Brothers exchanged a smile, scratching their heads honestly, their rugged faces filled with simple joy.
"Heh." Dugu Yan played with the purple hair draped over her shoulder, a meaningful smile appearing in her purple eyes. Her red lips parted slightly: "Little Feng, are you feeling unwell?"
"Just kidding." Feng Xiao chuckled and waved his hand, but an elusive glint flashed in his eyes.