147: Chapter 147 Showdown with Black Mountain Academy
"The academy's only hope now is you. Your two solo matches will determine whether we can advance to the second round."
"What I want to ask is, how much confidence do you have?"
Her gaze was locked tightly on Lin Fan's face, carrying a hint of expectation.
Lin Fan paused, crossing his arms over his chest.
"You'll know when the time comes."
He gave a slight smile.
In the Vice Principal's eyes, however, this smile looked more like a cunning smirk.
After speaking, Lin Fan turned and left.
Before he had gone far, the woman's voice came from behind him again.
"I've heard about you from some adventurers."
"I heard you joined their squad and carried out missions together. They said that with the advantage of the Space Element, your strength far exceeds most Tier 2 Mages. I believe them."
She paused and continued:
"Lin Fan, I know the academy owes you."
"We ignored you when your progress was slow, and we turned a blind eye when you were being bullied."
"As the Vice Principal, I offer you my sincere apologies."
"Please, win those two matches for the academy."
Lin Fan did not look back.
Silence lasted for half a minute. He lifted his feet again and left without a word.
The Vice Principal watched his back disappear around the corner and gave a helpless smile.
"Perhaps I'm asking too much. After all, his next opponents are from academies that ranked sixth and twelfth last year; they definitely won't be weak."
She stood there for a few more minutes before turning to leave.
On the other side.
Lin Fan walked out of the arena, a cold light flickering in his eyes as a smile curled on his lips.
"I never intended to lose in the first place."
...
The next morning, the sun rose early.
By seven o'clock, the sunlight was already slanting across the sky and the temperature was rising. The people of Baiyun City flocked to the tournament grounds.
As soon as they entered the arena, the refreshing coolness that greeted them formed a sharp contrast with the dry heat outside.
Before long, the venue was packed to capacity, and the entrances were closed.
The arena was bustling with noise as everyone discussed today's schedule...
After all, today was the solo matches.
Several projection light orbs in the air cast today's match list, and everyone was looking for the matches they cared about.
Lin Fan also looked at the light screen and easily found the names of his academy and their opponent.
(11) Longwei Magic Academy VS Heishan Magic Academy
His match against Heishan was scheduled as the eleventh match of the day.
After confirming this, he searched for the name of the academy Su Linlin had transferred to...
He wasn't sure if Su Linlin would compete yet, as that academy had other Tier 2 Mage students.
Soon, he found Void Magic Academy. They were scheduled for the fifteenth match of the day against Jingyue Magic Academy, which ranked tenth last year.
He would take the stage before Su Linlin's new academy.
Beside him, the Vice Principal glanced at Lin Fan, looking like she wanted to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
Another minute passed, the match list disappeared, and the names of the academies for the first battle appeared.
Xishan Magic Academy VS Gongzheng Magic Academy.
The students from both teams had long been waiting outside the field. As soon as their names appeared, they immediately stepped onto the stage.
The two stood facing each other in the center of the field, with the referee standing not far away.
Cheers rose from the audience one after another, rooting for both sides.
"Start!"
A referee gave the order loudly, and both moved simultaneously.
Boom!
Two powerful surges of magic power erupted at the same time, making their robes flutter loudly...
Both of them were actually Tier 2 Mages!
Seeing that their ranks were the same, both immediately summoned stars and constructed Star Arrays, unleashing Tier 2 Spells right from the start!
Ultimately, the student from Gongzheng Magic Academy was one step faster in connecting his stars. While his opponent was still constructing, he had already completed his Star Array.
"Siren Shot!"
The Water-element Mage fired several water bullets as thick as thighs, blasting them toward his opponent.
The blue water bullets sped through the air, trailing long streaks of light.
But his opponent was only a fraction slower. At the same time the water bullets were fired, he also completed his own Star Array.
In front of the student from Xishan Magic Academy, two dazzling yellow Star Arrays lit up... representing the Wind Element.
Looking at the several massive water bullets coming his way, he spoke with a calm expression:
"Air Burst!"
The next moment, the two Star Arrays trembled slightly, and a loud explosion erupted.
Boom!
A violent shockwave swept forward head-on.
All the water bullets exploded one after another, turning into droplets that fell to the ground.
The strong wind blew the Water-element Mage's hair back wildly, forcing him to squint his eyes.
The two summoned stars again.
This time, the Water-element Mage summoned ten stars, while the Wind-element Mage only summoned five.
Unsurprisingly, the Wind-element Mage was the first to complete his Star Array.
"Haste!"
The Spell fell.
A pair of translucent yellow light boots condensed below his knees.
He then set off.
Swish...
The Wind-element Mage's speed skyrocketed, his figure blurring and leaving behind afterimages as he charged straight at his opponent.
The Water-element Mage did not panic, having already completed his own Star Array.
He fired another wave of Siren Shots while leaping back several meters.
Swish swish swish!
The Wind-element Mage's movements were as agile as a phantom.
Under the enhancement of Haste, he leisurely wove through the water bullets, dodging them all as he continued to close in.
In the blink of an eye, he had rushed to within five meters of the Water-element Mage and began summoning stars.
Yellow Wind Element stars slowly emerged, following behind him as if pulled by threads.
Haste could be maintained continuously as long as there was enough magic power.
He didn't need to cancel it to cast other Spells simultaneously.
Seeing his opponent approach, the Water-element Mage jumped away again.
He summoned blue stars in mid-air, and five were already circling him by the time he landed.
Watching the approaching Wind-element Mage, he quickly connected the stars and constructed a single Star Array.
"Water Blade!"
A dazzling blue Star Array lit up above his head.
A meter-long Water Blade shot out, slashing toward the Wind-element Mage ahead... or so everyone thought.
But the moment the Wind-element Mage saw the blue Star Array above his opponent's head.
He suddenly dodged to the side, his speed skyrocketing again as he summoned the remaining five stars, instantly constructing a double Star Array!
It turned out he had been deliberately suppressing his speed just for this surprise.
As the Water Blade flew through the air, the Wind-element Mage had already flashed to the side, and two yellow Star Arrays formed in front of him.
"Air Burst!"
Boom!
The Wind-element Mage's voice fell, and an explosion erupted beside the Water-element Mage.
Terrifying lateral pressure slammed into him, sending him flying like a broken kite.
The speed was so fast that even the referee couldn't react in time; no one had expected him to pull such a move.
Bang!
The Water-element Mage's body flew dozens of meters and slammed hard against the field's barrier. The loud impact made the audience feel the pain for him.
Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the field, worried about his condition.
But the next scene shocked the entire venue.
Around the fallen Water-element Mage, a layer of faint blue light glowed, like a humanoid cocoon of light.
It was a defensive magic item!
Many people showed looks of surprise... this Water-element Mage actually carried magic equipment with him.
It seemed the match was far from over.
The Wind-element Mage also frowned and was about to step forward when he was stopped by a referee.
Another referee walked toward the fallen Water-element Mage.
After all, so much time had passed and he still hadn't gotten up.