Hu Liena walked off the arena, and Pei Yan, holding the banner representing the second year, strode onto the high platform.
After handing the banner to Bibi Dong, the competition for the second year began amidst her solemn announcement.
Following that were the third year and fourth year competitions.
Each match had moments of breathtaking brilliance, captivating Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan.
However, none of this concerned Wang Zhong, who was diligently cultivating in the deep pool.
And so, this cultivation lasted for a full half-year!
Within the deep pool, Wang Zhong stood erect at the bottom, eyes closed, like a sharp sword. On his right arm, the weighted soul guiding device’s gem was now gleaming.
After a full half-year of forced training, Wang Zhong could now use the buoyancy of the water to swing the eight-thousand-jin soul guiding device with relative ease. However, it was still difficult for him to completely leave the water and stand on land.
Slowly opening his eyes, Wang Zhong turned off the weighted soul guiding device. His hands hung by his sides, his chest rose and then fell heavily, as if he were breathing in the deep pool.
He slowly raised his right arm until it was level with his body. At this moment, Wang Zhong’s chest heaved more violently, his heart pounded like a drum, and the blood flowing through his veins surged. Even the calm water around him seemed to boil under this influence.
With a glint in his eyes, Wang Zhong murmured in the water.
"Ba Ji Tian, Three Forms, Duan Jiang!"
Bubbles escaped his lips one after another, rushing towards the surface of the pool. But before they could reach the top, Wang Zhong’s raised right arm slammed down with incredible speed.
The deep pool trembled violently with this strike. Where Wang Zhong’s right arm descended, the normally flowing, formless water split apart! A fissure nearly a meter wide, spanning the entire deep pool, appeared abruptly in its center!
This fissure continued to expand outwards, becoming wider and wider, as if a god-like giant had reached into the pool and forcibly separated the thousand-meter-deep, immeasurably heavy water.
When the fissure reached three meters, its expansion suddenly stopped, and the separated water began to pour into it.
Bibi Dong, standing at the edge of the deep pool and watching this spectacle, was filled with shock.
Over the past six months, she had witnessed Wang Zhong perform this action numerous times, but each time, it had only produced large bubbles with nothing else remarkable.
She had even considered that Wang Zhong might just be stretching, after all, who among the soul masters in the world could lift such a soul guiding device weighing eight thousand jin on a single arm?
For a youth to achieve this was already astonishing.
But the scene before her shattered all her previous assumptions. She had underestimated Wang Zhong, underestimated this young man whom she intended to take as a disciple.
He was still creating his own soul skill!
This was the thought that constantly echoed in Bibi Dong's mind. It meant she was witnessing the entire creation process of an incredibly powerful, self-created soul skill, from nothing to existence.
Swinging his arm to split the pool!
With her power as a Level 98 Super Douluo, Bibi Dong could easily achieve such a feat. But Wang Zhong did not possess her immense strength and soul power. He had achieved this solely through his physical strength and technique!
Her wine-red eyes trembled, revealing Bibi Dong’s inner turmoil.
A figure shot out like a sharp sword as the pool water poured into the fissure.
When his feet touched the ground, Wang Zhong stumbled and fell onto the ground inelegantly, gasping for breath.
It was then that Bibi Dong noticed Wang Zhong's bare upper body. His entire body was covered in bulging veins, and his skin was even faintly red.
"He unleashed all of his body's strength at once! That's how he could achieve this."
The rumbling sound behind him could not compare to the tremor in Bibi Dong's heart at this moment.
Seeing the Pontiff standing beside him, Wang Zhong managed a wry smile and said weakly, "My apologies, Your Pontiff, I may not be able to salute you right now."
Bibi Dong merely smiled gently. She had visited this place countless times over the past six months and had watched Wang Zhong’s physical training many times. She was accustomed to it.
Sitting down beside Wang Zhong, Bibi Dong straightened her long, elegant legs, which could mesmerize any man. She gently placed Wang Zhong's small head on her lap and softly wiped away the sweat and pool water from his face.
Wang Zhong was not overly surprised by this intimate gesture, as the Pontiff had treated him in this manner more than once over the past six months.
From initial surprise and speechlessness, to his body stiffening like stone, to his current naturalness, and even enjoyment, Wang Zhong had smoothly accepted it.
"What, your self-created soul skill was successful?"
Wang Zhong's head rested on Bibi Dong's thigh, his gaze upward. He could only see a pair of graceful, upturned curves. Her exquisite jade face was hidden behind them, and only her pleasant voice reached him.
"Mhm, it's considered successful, I suppose."
"I can only achieve the most basic step now. I can't perform the subsequent extensions at all."
Wang Zhong replied with some dejection.
Her actions paused slightly. She had thought this single strike was the limit, but she hadn't expected that such power was merely basic in Wang Zhong's vision.
What were this youth's ambitions and goals? For the first time, Bibi Dong felt a sense of her own insignificance. This was not due to strength, but due to ambition, spirit, and even confidence.
What was splitting the pool with a single strike in the grand scheme of things! In the world I can imagine, I can achieve greater strength!
Smiling, she pinched Wang Zhong's cheek and said, without hiding her astonishment, "You little monster, you're not satisfied after achieving something like this. What goal do you need to reach before you stop?"
Wang Zhong smiled and declared with the arrogance and confidence unique to youth.
"I want to become the number one, the strongest Titled Douluo in the world!"
"I want to be able to protect everyone I care about, and everyone who cares about me, from any harm. I want everyone in all places covered by my Tree Martial Soul to live happily, joyfully, contentedly, and blissfully!"
Bibi Dong’s expression was filled with a gentle smile. She did not speak, nor did she object or question. She calmly listened to the youth’s grand pronouncements, her jade hands softly stroking Wang Zhong's soft, slightly damp hair.
Bathed in sunlight, she appeared gentle and serene, like the most loving mother, listening to her child’s somewhat childish and audacious declaration, gently wiping away the sweat left by his playfulness, and offering endless acceptance and unwavering support with the most tender and affectionate actions.
"Mhm, I believe you. You definitely can!"
She believed Wang Zhong could achieve it. At least at this moment, her heart radiated this unreasoning faith.
Not because of Wang Zhong's strength, nor his talent, but simply because she believed.
As a mother, does one need a reason to believe in their child?
No!
Belief is enough!