98: Chapter 98: Pressure on Freshmen

By the time Zhang Wen stepped down from the seventh ring, the battles on the other rings were nearing their end.

Vice Principal Zhou Wentao, who was in charge of coordinating the ring battles, stood on the high platform and announced in a clear voice, "The ring battles for the first and second years have concluded successfully. Next, I invite the ten ring masters of the third year to take the stage!"

As his voice faded, ten figures with composed Auras stood one by one on rings numbered one through ten, the pressure radiating from them even greater than that of Lin Shuang—

Ring One: Zhou Tong, SS-grade talent Heaven Burning Flame Breath, capable of spitting flames that burn everything to ashes.

Ring Two: Liu Qingyuan, S-grade talent Thousand-Thread Vine, capable of manipulating plants to weave an impenetrable vine net.

Ring Three: Shi Meng, S-grade talent Diamond Indestructible Body, his Physical Body as hard as refined iron, impervious to blades and spears.

Ring Four: Xiao Nuo, SS-grade talent Phantom Sound Disturbance, sound waves capable of disrupting one's mind and trapping them in illusions.

Ring Five: Meng Yao, A-grade talent Formless Water Flow, capable of turning water into blades or gathering it into shields.

Ring Six: Zhao Lei, S-grade talent Magnetic Attraction and Repulsion, capable of manipulating metal, shattering divine weapons with attraction and repulsion.

Ring Seven: Fang Ting, A-grade talent Gale Step Shadow, her speed unmatched among her peers, her figure moving as fast as an afterimage.

Ring Eight: Lu Chen, S-grade talent Gravity Domain, capable of altering the gravity around him to suppress his opponent's movements.

Ring Nine: Su Ming, A-grade talent Earth Escape Shadow, capable of traveling underground to launch surprise attacks from the enemy's rear.

Ring Ten: Tai Yue, S-grade talent Overlord Qi Energy, a domineering and unparalleled Qi that can crush peers with mere Aura.

Looking at these ten long-renowned powerhouses, most of the second-year students wore solemn expressions.

Challenging a higher grade was already difficult enough, let alone when the opponents were top-tier seniors who had been honed for three years.

The first ring started first, surprisingly; Chu Feng of the second year faced Zhou Tong and was forced to concede within three moves by the Heaven Burning Flame Breath;

Liu Qingyuan on the second ring trapped her opponent with her Thousand-Thread Vine and won easily;

It wasn't until Lin Shuang stepped onto the stage that the situation took a turn.

Facing Meng Yao's unpredictable Formless Water Flow, Lin Shuang showed no fear.

He circulated his Cold Vein Source Tracing with all his might, turning the ring into a frozen Domain.

The cold air continuously froze the water flow manipulated by Meng Yao; from water blades to water shields, everything solidified into ice under the low temperature.

Although Meng Yao could continuously gather water to change tactics, she could not block the continuous erosion of the cold air.

After over a hundred rounds, her control over the water flow became sluggish, and she was finally struck in the chest by Lin Shuang's palm, freezing her Qi and blood, forcing her to stumble and concede.

This was the only duel where a second-year student defeated a third-year, and the stands erupted into enthusiastic cheers.

The battles on the other rings had no such surprises.

Shi Meng on the third ring relied on his Diamond Indestructible Body to take attacks head-on and easily repelled his opponent;

Xiao Nuo on the fourth ring used Phantom Sound Disturbance to make his opponent fall into disarray;

Especially Tai Yue on the tenth ring, who used only his Overlord Qi Energy to suppress his opponent so they couldn't even lift their head, displaying the demeanor of a powerhouse in every gesture.

When the final battle ended, only nine third-year ring masters remained (Meng Yao of the fifth ring had lost).

Vice Principal Zhou Wentao on the high platform surveyed the arena, his voice echoing throughout the venue: "Tomorrow is the final showdown—the first-year New Students will challenge the third-year seniors!"

Zhang Wen looked at Lin Shuang's figure on the third ring, then toward Tai Yue on the tenth ring, whose Aura was as deep as the abyss and as vast as the sea, and clenched his fists.

He had defeated Lin Shuang today; tomorrow, he might have to Face an even more terrifying challenge.

The true Peak duel was already right before his eyes.

Vice Principal Zhou Wentao's voice still echoed in the arena, but the discussions in the stands were already as chaotic as boiling water.

"New Students challenging third-years? Isn't this a joke? In previous years, only second-years dared to test the waters."

Someone crossed their arms and shook their head, their gaze sweeping over the group of boys and girls in first-year uniforms below the stage.

"Even if a couple of talented ones have emerged, can they really overcome the mountain that is Tai Yue and the others?"

Someone nearby immediately chimed in.

"Exactly, Zhang Wen winning against Lin Shuang was already the limit. Look at Zhou Tong's Heaven Burning Flame Breath and Xiao Nuo's Phantom Sound Disturbance—which one of those can a New Student withstand?"

Amidst the discussions, Zhang Wen stood in a corner of the resting area, his fingertips tapping against his palm unconsciously.

Before his eyes, the battle scenes from the rings seemed to reappear—Zhou Tong's flames could melt metal and stone, and Shi Meng's body could take heavy blows without a scratch.

And when Tai Yue stood on the tenth ring, he caused his challenger's Qi to become chaotic with just a glance.

These images were dismantled and reassembled in his mind, faintly touching upon some kind of pattern.

"Are you worried about tomorrow's battle?" Ding Siyi squeezed through the crowd and naturally hooked her arm into Zhang Wen's, the tips of her hair carrying the scent of the outdoor breeze.

Zhang Wen looked down at her, pulling her into his embrace, his fingertips brushing against her cheek.

"You still don't trust my strength?"

He raised an eyebrow with a smile, though a hint of seriousness was hidden in his eyes.

"I'm just thinking about how to fight more impressively tomorrow so that your boyfriend doesn't lose Face."

"Cut it out."

Ding Siyi swatted his hand away, but there was a smile in her eyes, "Which one of the third-year seniors isn't in the Penetration Realm?"

"Just the level of their Qi refinement is a whole Realm higher than ours. I was shocked when Lin Shuang was able to win against Meng Yao today."

She leaned in closer, her voice lowering.

"Moreover, you are only in the Subtle Realm. If you really Face someone like Shi Meng with his Diamond Indestructible Body, are you going to hit him with your Face?"

"Oh? So you don't believe in me?"

Zhang Wen deliberately put on a straight Face and reached out to tickle her waist.

"Do you want to bet that I'll go to the third ring right now and drag Shi Meng down to be your stool?"

"Stop it!"

Ding Siyi laughed and dodged, her cheeks turning a light shade of red, "I'm done joking with you; I have to go to the Hundred Refinements Pagoda. While meditating earlier, I felt my Qi Sea surging; I might be able to break through the Forming Realm Peak."

She straightened her clothes, her eyes shining with anticipation, "Once I have my Breakthrough, I'll be your cheerleading captain tomorrow and scream until my throat is hoarse!"

"Go ahead."

Zhang Wen smoothed out the bangs that the wind had messed up for her, "Don't be too hasty; the pressure in the Hundred Refinements Pagoda is nothing to joke about."

Ding Siyi made a Face at him, turned around, and ran toward the trial area, her skirt sweeping across the ground and leaving behind a series of light footsteps.

Watching her back disappear at the entrance of the passage, the smile on Zhang Wen's Face faded slightly.

He raised his hand and pressed it against his chest, clearly feeling the power deep within his Qi Sea, which had just broken through to the Subtle Realm, stirring restlessly.

Penetration Realm... he was indeed still a bit short, but during his deductions last night, he discovered that his "Myriad Force Thunder Guidance" seemed capable of borrowing the opponent's power to nourish himself.

For instance, Zhou Tong's flames could force out the cold energy hidden within his body, and Shi Meng's fierce fist techniques could make his own deflection techniques more refined.

"So what if I'm in the Subtle Realm?"

He muttered to himself, his fingertips tapping in the air as if outlining the battle situation for tomorrow.

"Realm has never been the only standard for victory or defeat."

At this moment, a commotion came from not far away.

Zhang Wen looked up and saw Zhou Tong walking down from the first ring, still surrounded by lingering heat waves; several New Students wanted to step forward to ask for advice, but were forced back by the fiery Qi radiating from him, not daring to get close.

Meanwhile, in the direction of the fourth ring, Xiao Nuo was sitting by the edge of the ring with eyes closed, tapping his fingertips against the surface as if adjusting the frequency of his sound waves—he was likely preparing for tomorrow's battle.

Zhang Wen withdrew his gaze and turned toward a quiet spot in the opposite direction.

He needed to deduce it once more, especially Tai Yue's Overlord Qi Energy.

That power was domineering and unparalleled, yet it seemed to hide a flaw within its extreme ferocity; however, after thinking about it for a long time last night, he had never been able to grasp that fleeting point.

The wind blew through the arena, swirling the fallen leaves on the ground. Zhang Wen stood still and slowly closed his eyes.

In his mind, Tai Yue's figure reappeared, that mountain-like Aura pressing down, his Qi Energy transforming into an invisible giant wave...

Just at the moment the giant wave crashed before his eyes, he suddenly captured a trace of anomaly—when the Qi Energy climbed to its Peak, there was a momentary stagnation.

"Found it."

Zhang Wen opened his eyes abruptly, a sharp light flashing in his pupils.

In the distance, at the Hundred Refinements Pagoda, a Shimmer flashed by.

It must be that there were signs of a Breakthrough on Ding Siyi's side.

Zhang Wen clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking softly.

Tomorrow, it will indeed be very interesting.