The matter of Hu Liena and Zhao Shi's challenge match was put aside.
However, the development of events was far from over, because Hu Liena was still standing on the stage.
Amidst the confused and questioning gazes of the crowd, Hu Liena, facing the position of Bibi Dong, placed one hand on her chest, bowed, and said.
"Hu Liena, from Class A, First Year, hereby formally challenges Guan Siyan, from Class A, Second Year, in a lower-rank challenging higher-rank match."
"May Your Majesty the Pope grant permission! May Elder Ghost Douluo, Elder Chrysanthemum Douluo, and all teachers and students bear witness."
Her clear voice, still carrying a girlish charm, now resonated with unparalleled firmness and confidence to everyone in the square.
A lower-rank challenging higher-rank match, in addition to Wang Zhong, had another contender.
"Wow, Class A of the first year is truly terrifying this year! First Wang Zhong, and now Hu Liena, both are incredibly bold."
"Indeed, lower-rank challenging higher-rank matches were never seen before, and now we've encountered two in one year."
"Could it be that all the students in Class A this year are absolute monsters?"
"Don't jump to conclusions so soon. Hu Liena has only issued a challenge; she hasn't won yet! Why is everyone speaking as if her victory is a foregone conclusion."
"Putting aside other things, I deeply admire her courage. What's wrong with speaking up for her?"
Yes, challenging a senior class from a junior class wasn't just about confidence; it required immense courage.
Because a lower-rank challenging higher-rank match was, in essence, a provocation from the weaker to the stronger, and during this process, the challenged individual was permitted to use considerable force against the junior student.
After all, without any form of penalty, if every student decided to try their luck with such challenges, where would the dignity of the senior students lie? Where would the might of the strong be upheld?
This was precisely why, when Wang Zhong challenged Zhang Shuai in the first semester and left him in such a state, neither Gui Mei nor Yue Guan had any grounds for criticism.
A wave of murmurs spread through the square. Though not as intense as Lu Xiaoshuang's challenge to Wang Zhong, it still caused a stir.
Bibi Dong, at this moment, truly focused her gaze on Hu Liena. Her previous attention was due to Hu Liena's relationship with Wang Zhong, but now, something seemed different.
Bibi Dong saw something unique in Hu Liena.
Nodding, Bibi Dong granted her assent. "Approved."
"Yanzi, good luck!"
"Yanzi, be careful. Hu Liena hangs out with that monster Wang Zhong every day, her strength must be extraordinary. Don't underestimate her."
From their seats in Class A of the second year, Pei Yan and Zhang Shuai encouraged and cautiously advised Guan Siyan.
Guan Siyan's face showed seriousness and resolve as she nodded heavily.
"Brother Pei, Brother Zhang, I will."
With agile movements, like a clever and nimble swallow, Guan Siyan leaped from below the stage onto the arena, landing opposite Hu Liena in the blink of an eye.
Guan Siyan's martial soul was as her name suggested, a very ordinary swallow. However, her martial soul was also a mutated one, otherwise, she wouldn't have ended up in Class A.
Her mutated martial soul had transformed the common swallow, which originally had only one pair of wings, into a four-winged flying swallow with two pairs of wings. The appearance of the four-winged flying swallow martial soul not only granted Guan Siyan an exceptionally high innate spirit power level but also elevated her speed as a speed-type soul master to an astonishing degree.
Ying Yanyang had once evaluated Guan Siyan's martial soul as: the ultimate speed in the world!
Yes, this was the highest praise bestowed by Ying Yanyang's sharp eagle eyes, which could see great distances.
"An ultimate divine speed that even the Min Clan cannot match."
Looking at Guan Siyan, standing a few steps away, with her cute appearance, petite and delicate figure, resembling an innocent, undeveloped child, Hu Liena, recalling Ying Yanyang's past evaluation of her, tightly pursed her lips.
Guan Siyan was the same age as Zhang Shuai, twelve years old this year, but her stature was remarkably petite and graceful. Even Hu Liena, who was not yet seven years old, was half a head taller than her.
"Hu Liena, Class A, First Year, Martial Soul: Demon Fox, Level Fourteen Control System Soul Master, I request your guidance."
"Guan Siyan, Class A, Second Year, Martial Soul: Four-Winged Flying Swallow, Level Twenty-Two Speed System Soul Master, I request your guidance."
The two clasped their fists and bowed to each other. Unlike the intense conflict between Wang Zhong and Zhang Shuai, there was less hostility and aggression between these two, perhaps because they were both girls.
Standing on opposite sides, they simultaneously manifested their martial souls. Hu Liena's Demon Fox appeared beside her, and a golden spirit ring rose from beneath her feet.
Guan Siyan extended one hand, and a small, cute black and white swallow appeared in her palm. However, unlike ordinary swallows, the swallow in Guan Siyan's palm had two pairs of wings on its small body, far exceeding its own size.
The two pairs of wings flapped alternately, giving the swallow a unique, exquisite beauty.
"Old Ghost, who do you think will win?"
Yue Guan, stroking his chin, stared at the two on the stage and asked Gui Mei beside him.
Gui Mei remained silent, his gaze also fixed on Hu Liena and Guan Siyan. Various thoughts and reasons flashed through his mind, but in the end, he shook his head with a helpless sigh.
"I don't know."
"Logically speaking, Guan Siyan at level twenty-two has an overwhelming advantage in both spirit power and spirit skills against Hu Liena at level fourteen. The victory should, by all accounts, lean towards Guan Siyan."
"However, with Wang Zhong's past example, any analysis I make now leaves me feeling utterly unsupported. It's as if any possibility could materialize, and any outcome feels disconcertingly normal."
Yue Guan nodded in agreement. It wasn't just Gui Mei; even he felt the same way.
"It's perfectly understandable that you feel this way, because your ingrained perceptions have been shattered!"
Bibi Dong leaned back in her chair and stated calmly.
"Previously, your ingrained perception was that those with higher spirit power levels were stronger than those with lower levels, those with more spirit rings were stronger than those with fewer, and those with more spirit bones were stronger than those with fewer."
"But after Wang Zhong, with his strength as a Great Spirit Master at level twenty-four, defeated a Spirit Elder at level forty-one, these seemingly irrefutable truths in the world of soul masters became a joke."
"Because you have temporarily lost this inherent standard of judgment, you always feel that your conclusions lack supporting theories, like castles in the air, hence this sense of powerlessness."
These simple words made Gui Mei and Yue Guan's eyes gleam. It was indeed the truth.
It was precisely the loss of their established theoretical frameworks that caused them so much internal struggle and self-doubt.
"This problem is actually very easy to solve."
"You only need to remember two points."
"Geniuses are the limit of established theory! Whereas Prodigies will shatter all theories and perceptions!"
Gently murmuring these words, Yue Guan and Gui Mei fell into deep contemplation.
"Prodigies cannot be judged by ordinary standards."
"Geniuses still operate within the bounds of theory."
With unspoken understanding, the two simultaneously echoed these thoughts in their minds.