In the pit, Wang Zhong, who had initially intended to remain motionless and feign an injury for a while longer, quickly got up upon hearing Hu Liena’s worried exclamation. He brushed the dust off his clothes, shrugged at Hu Liena, and offered a confident smile that conveyed, “I’m fine, you can relax.”
Only then did Hu Liena’s heart, which had been in her throat, settle. She let out a relaxed sigh of relief.
“How is this possible! Why are you unharmed!”
The thick armored shield weighed four thousand six hundred jin, and with the enhancement of his first spirit ability, it was now capable of reaching over nine thousand jin. The instantaneous burst within a two-meter radius possessed a terrifying impact force that could not only collapse a person but even shatter a mountain in an instant.
Yet, Wang Zhong before him, aside from some torn clothing, appeared completely unfazed! This was bound to surprise Lu Xiaoshuang.
A trace of malevolent amusement flickered across Wang Zhong’s face in response to Lu Xiaoshuang’s astonishment.
With a rip, he tore off his upper garment, exposing his lean and robust physique to everyone’s gaze. He wasn't as burly as Lu Xiaoshuang or Yue Shan, nor as tall and slender as Xia Xuan.
However, on Wang Zhong’s body, his muscles were clearly defined and distinct. His shoulders were broad, tapering to a narrow waist, possessing a visually striking aesthetic, as if meticulously crafted by the most ingenious sculptor in the world.
There were no exaggerated bulges, but as soon as you saw it, you would feel the explosive power hidden within this body. Yet, this physique was covered in a dense, intricate network of scars of varying depths.
“This body has been tempered a thousand times in the raging winds of Fenggu Valley, capable of both hardness and softness.”
“I also received the so-called ‘Art of Wind Manipulation’ from a senior sister. Combining the two, I have specially prepared a soul skill for Senior Brother’s second spirit ability, a self-created soul skill called ‘Windborne Force Dissipation’!”
“What does Senior Brother think!”
Lu Xiaoshuang’s breathing momentarily hitched. In half a year, to create a self-created soul skill, and one specifically prepared for his second spirit ability.
If he hadn’t witnessed it with his own eyes, he would never have believed such a person existed.
“Remarkable!” Lu Xiaoshuang sighed in admiration.
“Old Ghost, did you hear that!” Yue Guan stroked his chin, his gaze fixed on Wang Zhong’s figure with a playful glint.
“That young fellow created a self-created soul skill in just half a year, and judging by its use, he seems to have already reached an extremely high level.”
Gui Mei nodded impassively.
“Yes, the level is quite impressive. He emerged unscathed after taking such a blow. This force dissipation technique can be described as miraculous.”
As for the senior sister mentioned by Wang Zhong, the two of them deliberately bypassed that detail. The Art of Wind Manipulation, aside from that little princess, was truly not known by anyone else in the academy.
“Yue Guan, I suddenly have a feeling that the two explosive spirit abilities Wang Zhong possesses might also have been inadvertently created by him during his years of rigorous physical training!”
“Do you think there’s a possibility?”
Gui Mei’s words plunged Yue Guan into silence. His instincts told him this was impossible.
But the current reality was that Wang Zhong had, in half a year, created a soul skill of such remarkable technique and practicality. Such talent made them feel an absurd sense that creating two more soul skills wouldn't be entirely out of the question.
On the throne, Bibi Dong remained silent, but her wine-red eyes, fixed on Wang Zhong, shone brighter and brighter.
“Senior Brother, your Twin-Layered Thick Armored Turtle martial soul is that of a purely defensive spirit master. Your offensive methods are limited to your second spirit ability, your physique, and your spirit power.”
“In terms of physique, you are completely inferior to me!”
“In terms of spirit power, I am indeed inferior to you, but this sort of thing, aside from making our spirit abilities last longer, is useless in this battle!”
“Your second spirit ability, ‘Countershock and Impact,’ is completely countered by my ‘Windborne Force Dissipation.’ It’s utterly useless!”
“It seems you are completely at a disadvantage!”
Wang Zhong’s lightly spoken words exerted an immense pressure, causing beads of sweat to form on Lu Xiaoshuang’s forehead.
“What’s going on, why does this scene feel so bizarre!”
“Shouldn’t the fourth-year senior, Lu Xiaoshuang, be mercilessly crushing the first-year young Wang Zhong? How come it looks like the first-year Wang Zhong is mercilessly crushing the fourth-year Lu Xiaoshuang?”
“Lu Xiaoshuang is completely suppressed!”
“Brother, quickly, give me a punch and let me see if I’m dreaming. This is unrealistic!”
Xia Xuan walked up to Yue Shan, staring at everything happening on the stage, so astonished he doubted if he was awake.
Suddenly, he received a heavy blow to his abdomen, causing his eyes to bulge out in pain. He then clutched his stomach and squatted on the ground for a long time, unable to recover.
“Brother, you actually hit me!”
“Nonsense, didn’t you tell me to?”
Yue Shan stared intently at the stage, his gaze unwavering.
“In terms of physique, strength, technique, and all other aspects, Wang Zhong is indeed dominating Lu Xiaoshuang with an overwhelming advantage.”
“However, the spirit master level remains an insurmountable gulf. Lu Xiaoshuang has one hundred-year, one thousand-year, and ten-year spirit rings, totaling three more spirit abilities than Wang Zhong. If Lu Xiaoshuang can grasp this advantage, he might be able to turn the tables.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Yue Shan smacked his lips, pondering his own words. The more he thought about it, the more it felt wrong.
A Spirit Elder in their forties fighting a young Spirit Master in their teens, and the latter needing to rely on the number of spirit abilities and the age of spirit rings to turn a disadvantage into an advantage? This notion was absurd, yet it was undeniably true.
“The last spirit ring is a ten-year spirit ring! Yan Yang, is that child Lu Xiaoshuang following the same path of single-attribute maximization as you and Xia Xuan?”
Yue Shan finally noticed Lu Xiaoshuang’s spirit rings and turned to ask Ying Yan Yang.
The so-called single-attribute maximization path is to push a spirit master’s specific characteristic to its extreme, disregarding all other factors. As long as one can maximally develop their specialty, even spirit ring years can be ignored.
Fire is extreme fire, water is extreme water, one path to the end, focusing solely on attribute development!
Furthermore, spirit masters who develop in this extreme manner, despite their limitations, possess incredible personal strength. Xia Xuan and Ying Yan Yang are typical examples.
Ying Yan Yang nodded, confirming Yue Shan’s speculation.
“This match, I feel, is going to drag on for a long time! It all depends on who can last longer,” Yue Shan said, shaking his head helplessly after receiving confirmation.
Extreme defensive capability was no joke. Although Wang Zhong was strong, his spirit power and stamina were still his weak points. Whether he could break through Lu Xiaoshuang’s thick armor before those were depleted was the key to victory.
If he could, victory would surely belong to him!
If not, then defeat was inevitable!