Chapter 483 The Liquidation Begins!

Jiang Yun's voice exploded over the Colosseum like a thunderclap, every word clearly hammering into the eardrums of everyone present.

The Little Skylark hovered above Lin Xinmu's battle platform, its thirty-meter wingspan blotting out the sky. Cyan and purple Wind-Thunder Divine Roc feathers shimmered with brilliant halos in the morning light, while ten thousand bolts of lightning exploded into fine electric snakes at its wingtips, shrouding half the platform under its majestic Aura.

After a brief, deathly silence, the entire arena erupted into chaos.

"The Heavenly Saint Student... the Heavenly Saint Student actually abandoned his own platform and flew straight to Lin Xinmu's platform?!"

"He had clearly already occupied an ownerless platform just a moment ago! As long as he defended it steadily until the time ended, the spot would be securely in his hands! Why would he take the initiative to seek out Lin Xinmu?! Lin Xinmu is an Amethyst Tier 6 Beast Tamer of the spatial element! His current strength is likely already ranked in the top twenty; he's a dark horse that emerged in this competition, and so many geniuses on the Heavenly Ranking have fallen at his hands! Isn't the Heavenly Saint Student just asking for trouble?"

"Did you forget? Seven days ago, Lin Xinmu publicly challenged the Heavenly Saint Student, saying something like 'the day you advance to Amethyst is the day we fight on the arena.' Now that the Heavenly Saint Student has Advanced to Amethyst, isn't he just here to honor the appointment?"

"Honor the appointment? Are you brain-dead? What day is it today? The Molten Cavern spot competition! Twenty spots concern the Secret Realm Opportunity; who isn't fighting for their lives to keep their platform? Even if the Heavenly Saint Student wanted to honor the appointment, couldn't he do it any other time? Why pick today? He already had a platform. If he wins, it's fine, but if he loses... not only is the spot gone, but he also loses face!"

"Wait... I think I understand now."

A bespectacled student suddenly lowered his voice, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the Longxiang Pavilion camp and the direction of the Jingfeng Sect, a flash of realization crossing his eyes.

"Didn't you see just now? Before the Heavenly Saint Student returned, Feng Ziyue and Lin Feng were constantly targeting the three Earth Ranking Prodigies from Longxiang Pavilion... Liu Qingshuang, Xiao Chen, and Lei Qing. Every time they got on a platform, Feng Ziyue and Lin Feng would follow them up to challenge them, then leave immediately without defending the platform. It was obvious they were just preventing them from getting a spot. Later, Lin Xinmu also entered the fray; he is cut from the same cloth as the Feng Family and the Jingfeng Sect. The Heavenly Saint Student is... he is standing up for Longxiang Pavilion!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the people around them gasped in unison.

They all suddenly understood.

They turned their heads to look in the direction of Longxiang Pavilion.

Liu Qingshuang's right sleeve was torn, Xiao Chen's mouth was still stained with blood, and the pant leg of Lei Qing's left leg was scorched black. The injuries on the three were plain to see.

Looking back at Jiang Yun, who was currently standing on the back of the Little Skylark, looking down at Lin Xinmu from above, a thought rose in everyone's mind simultaneously.

This was not about honoring an appointment...

This was a reckoning!!!

On the main viewing platform.

Zhan Qiong rested his hands on the railing.

His brows were furrowed into a deep frown.

Watching Jiang Yun's figure hovering above Lin Xinmu's platform, his tone was full of worry and confusion.

"This kid... he had clearly already occupied an ownerless platform and could have easily secured a spot by defending it until the time ended. Yet he chose to take the initiative to seek trouble with Lin Xinmu... I have seen Lin Xinmu's Void Shadow Mink in his previous battles; its spatial teleportation is eerie and unpredictable. Even several students ranked in the top twenty of the Heavenly Ranking have suffered losses at his hands. Although the Sacred Student's beast looks ferocious, its Realm is on par with Lin Xinmu's. With the spatial element against the wind-thunder element, the odds of winning are not ten out of ten. If he loses, that spot will be..."

"It's not just a matter of the spot," Vice Dean Yan Lie interjected, his voice also carrying worry.

"The Heavenly Saint Student is the Heavenly Saint Student personally appointed by the Dean and is the focus of the entire school. If he wins this battle, he will naturally be prestigious, but if he loses... being defeated by Lin Xinmu in front of the entire faculty and student body, not only will he lose the spot, but the reputation of the Heavenly Saint Student will also be greatly diminished. Why does he need to take this risk?"

Medicine Dust Son stroked his beard and spoke thoughtfully.

"Have you not realized it yet? This kid is not going to honor an appointment at all... He is going to stand up for the Longxiang Pavilion behind him. You and I both saw how Feng Ziyue and Lin Feng took turns targeting those three students, including Liu Qingshuang. When those Little Fellows were being targeted, we didn't step in to stop it. Now that their Pavilion Master has returned, naturally, he wants to settle this score for his own people. This isn't impulsiveness; this is responsibility."

Tie Kuang asked in a muffled voice: "Then should we stop it? After all, this is a personal grudge between the academy's Prodigies. If they get too heated on the platform and lose this spot, it won't be good for anyone..."

The several deans all looked at Vice Dean Ming Jing, who was sitting in the center. Vice Dean Ming Jing picked up his teacup and took a leisurely sip, his calm gaze piercing through the dome of the viewing platform and landing on that battle platform in the distance. His voice remained gentle, yet carried a detachment that understood the ways of the world.

"No need. When those Little Fellows were being targeted earlier, you and I both saw it, and didn't we also not stop it? Since we sit in this position, we must treat these students fairly... Moreover, this matter involves the Prodigy of the Feng Family... Sect Master Feng Tianyang is standing right there, and the Sacred Student is a youth favored by the Dean. If we Old Fellows rashly intervene, it will only give others something to talk about. It is better to let the young people resolve their own conflicts. On the arena, one is responsible for their own victory or defeat; no one can blame anyone else."

Zhan Qiong pondered for a moment and nodded slowly.

"The Vice Dean is right, but I am still worried... If the Sacred Student really loses, the loss to the academy will be great."

Vice Dean Ming Jing put down his teacup, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, that smile carrying a touch of profound meaning.

"Zhan Qiong, haven't you noticed... hasn't this kid been creating surprises and miracles since he enrolled? Since he dared to fly over in public, it means he has absolute certainty. Instead of worrying about him, you might as well watch carefully... This battle will likely be much more exciting than you imagine."

...

In the Longxiang Pavilion camp.

When Jiang Yun steered the Little Skylark to soar into the sky from his own platform and flew straight toward Lin Xinmu's platform, Liu Qingshuang was completely stunned. Her typically cool eyes widened slightly, and a look of incredulous emotion appeared on her face, which usually lacked expression.

"He... he is doing this for us." Her voice was very soft, yet it clearly reached the ears of Xiao Chen and Lei Qing amidst the noise of the Longxiang Pavilion group.

"He clearly already had a platform and could have securely obtained a spot by defending it until the end. But he abandoned his own platform to challenge Lin Xinmu. Lin Xinmu had also targeted us before... although not as directly or intensely as Feng Ziyue and Lin Feng, he also blocked us at our platform once and took back the platform we had just acquired. Jiang Yun... he is going to avenge us."

Xiao Chen raised his hand to wipe the residual blood from the corner of his mouth, looking up at the tall, upright figure standing with his hands behind his back in the sky, a complex light surging in his eyes. His personality was steady, not as boisterous as Zhao Tiezhu's. But at this moment, his voice was trembling slightly.

"He could have clearly and securely obtained a spot. For us, he gave up the safest path... to challenge an Amethyst Tier 6 spatial Prodigy. We have all personally experienced how troublesome the spatial element is; our beasts couldn't even last ten rounds against Lin Xinmu's Void Shadow Mink. Jiang Yun... can he really win?"

"He can." Lei Qing slapped Xiao Chen's shoulder hard. His rugged face was filled with unreserved trust. His left leg was still throbbing with pain, but he couldn't care less; his voice was full of irrepressible excitement.

"When have you ever seen Jiang Yun fight a battle he wasn't sure of? Back in Ash Town, when was there a time that others thought he wouldn't make it, and he didn't carve out a bloody path? Just now, when he asked us on the platform if we were doing well, I couldn't say it... We were bullied by Feng Ziyue and Lin Feng to such an extent that we couldn't even get a single spot. But he saw it at a glance; he didn't say anything, but everything he is doing now is telling us... The Pavilion Master of Longxiang Pavilion is back, and no one can bully us anymore. Are you still worried about whether he can do it? I, Lei Qing, am putting it out there! Jiang Yun will definitely win."

Zhao Tiezhu stood at the very front, looking up at the cyan and purple light in the sky. He clenched his fists and roared at the direction of the platform at the top of his lungs. His voice was hoarse but full of energy.

"Pavilion Master!! You must teach him a lesson!! Let them know the consequences of bullying Longxiang Pavilion!!"

Shang Xiaoxiao stood beside Zhao Tiezhu, her hands clenched tightly in front of her chest. She watched the familiar figure in the sky, her surging emotions more complex than anyone else's.

Back at Qingquan No. 1 Middle School, she knew that Jiang Yun was not someone who would stay in a small pond. But now, seeing him grow from an ordinary Advanced class student into the Pavilion Master of Longxiang Pavilion, who stepped on a divine roc, suppressed the entire arena, and dared to face everything for his own people, she still felt an indescribable sense of shock and pride.

But besides pride, worry was also just as real. Although she had not personally experienced Lin Xinmu's Void Shadow Mink, even Prodigies as good as Liu Qingshuang and the others couldn't last a few rounds. Could Jiang Yun, alone, really win?

"Jiang Yun... you must win." She murmured, her voice so soft that only she could hear it.

Among the other students off the platform, voices of doubt and worry also rose one after another.

"Isn't the Heavenly Saint Student being too arrogant? Lin Xinmu is the dark horse of this competition! I've watched him in several matches; his Void Shadow Mink can teleport behind an opponent in an instant and unleash spatial cutting. Several people were knocked off before they could even react. Although the Heavenly Saint Student's beast has a strong Bloodline, the eeriness of the spatial element cannot be dealt with by brute force alone!"

"To be honest, the Aura of the Heavenly Saint Student's beast is indeed terrifying; just now, it scared away people in the top thirty of the Heavenly Ranking with just its pressure. But Lin Xinmu is not the type of person who would be scared away... He has the spatial attribute, and spatial teleportation can ignore most pressure. It is hard to say who will win this battle."

"In my opinion, the Heavenly Saint Student is really being impulsive this time. To stand up for Longxiang Pavilion and gamble with his own spot—winning would be satisfying, but if he loses... not only is the spot gone, but the signboard of the Heavenly Saint Student is also smashed. Did he even consider the consequences?"

...

Faced with Jiang Yun's actions, the students were discussing it heatedly. On the platform, Lin Xinmu stood in the center of the arena. He still maintained his arms-crossed posture. But careful observers could see that the fingers he had placed on his arms had stopped tapping at some point and had changed to clutching his sleeves tightly.

Every word of what Jiang Yun had just said, he had heard clearly.

That sentence, "The winner stays, the loser leaves," was spoken as calmly as water, yet it felt like a cold knife pressed against his throat.

As a Heavenly Ranking Prodigy, he read the true intention of the other party's trip from Jiang Yun's eyes, which were calm to the point of indifference.

A challenge? That was merely a pretext.

How arrogant he was when he issued the challenge from afar seven days ago.

At that time, the other party was just a Gold Rank Eight freshman, while he was already an Amethyst Tier 3 powerhouse on the Heaven Ranking.

His statement, "The day you promote to Amethyst is the day we fight in the arena," seemed like a fair challenge, but it was actually bullying the weak with his superior status.

But now, only seven days had passed.

This freshman had descended from the sky riding a top-tier Bloodline Beast of Amethyst Tier 6, throwing the challenge words back in his face in front of everyone.

And he knew full well the deeper reason why.

He had previously targeted Longxiang Pavilion as well.

Although he hadn't taken turns openly attacking like Feng Ziyue and Lin Feng, he had indeed blocked Liu Qingshuang and her group once after they had finally managed to capture a battle platform, personally taking back the arena they had just won.

At this moment, Jiang Yun came to find him using the challenge as a pretext.

It was clearly to settle the score for Longxiang Pavilion.

But what truly made Lin Xinmu's heart heavy was not Jiang Yun's intention, but the avian creature beneath his feet.

From a distance of several dozen zhang, the myriad bolts of lightning blooming between the wings of the Wind-Thunder Divine Roc made the surrounding air tremble slightly.

What made his heart palpitate even more was that from deep within his Beast Taming Space, the Void Shadow Mink transmitted a very distinct feeling of fear through their contract.

That emotion was very subtle and restrained, but Lin Xinmu had been with the Void Shadow Mink for many years, so no matter how subtle the emotional fluctuation was, it could not escape his perception.

His Beast was afraid.

It was not because of how high the opponent's Realm was.

The Void Shadow Mink itself was Amethyst Tier 6, the same rank as that Beast.

It was because of the opponent's Wind-Thunder power, especially those myriad bolts of lightning, which had a natural interference effect on the spatial structure.

The Void Shadow Mink's most prideful spatial teleportation was highly likely to deviate or even be forcibly interrupted under the continuous impact of the lightning.

His most relied-upon Void Concealment could hardly remain fully hidden within a sufficiently dense lightning field.

Lin Xinmu's heart sank.

But on his cold and arrogant face, he still maintained an expression of indifference.

His lips pressed into a cold, hard line, his chin slightly raised, and his gaze met Jiang Yun's, not flinching.

He was a Prodigy on the Heaven Ranking.

He was conceited.

He was an Amethyst Tier 6 Beast Tamer with a spatial attribute.

He was the dark horse that had fought his way out of this quota competition.

How many students in the top twenty of the Heaven Ranking had fallen to his unpredictable spatial teleportation.

He would absolutely never flee without a fight.

Even if the opponent's Beast countered him, the unpredictability and versatility of the spatial attribute were not so easily suppressed completely.

As long as he could seize one opening.

He only needed one opening, and the Void Shadow Mink's Spatial Cutting could tear through any defense.

He raised his head, meeting Jiang Yun's condescending gaze, and a cold, sarcastic smile curled onto his lips again.

"Why would I not dare?"

His voice was not loud, but it steadily spread across the surrounding battle platforms.

"Heavenly Saint Student! Jiang Yun. Seven days ago, you were still Gold Rank Eight, and I, Lin, cherished talent, so I gave you time to grow. Now, seven days later, you have stepped into the Amethyst Rank and I don't know where you contracted a new Beast that looks decent. However, do you think you can gain an advantage in front of my spatial attribute Beast just by relying on a bird? In the seven days I've been training outside, no fewer than ten Amethyst-tier high-level Vicious Beasts have died under the claws of my Void Shadow Mink. As a freshman who has just broken through to Amethyst, are you even worthy of being arrogant in front of me?"

He spoke these words with bravado, his tone carrying a hint of deliberately emphasized contempt.

But those with discerning ears in the audience could tell.

He specifically mentioned his seven days of training outside and the Amethyst-tier high-level Vicious Beasts.

This was clearly to bolster his own courage, and also to remind Jiang Yun: I am not a pushover either; I also fought my way out of life-and-death training.

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Xinmu raised his hand and slashed in front of him.

A translucent, silver-gray spatial rift tore open silently beside him, the edges of the rift flowing with faint silver spatial Law patterns, like a fissure suspended in the air.

Inside the rift was a twisting, unstable silver-gray Void Realm, where countless fine spatial fragments rotated at high speed, emitting a faint buzzing sound.

The clamor below the stage suddenly quieted down at this moment.

Deep within that spatial rift, two points of cold, silver-gray light quietly lit up.

Those were the eyes of the Void Shadow Mink.

It walked out silently from the crevice of space, its body long and slender like a weasel, covered all over with a layer of translucent silver-gray fur, the surface of which rippled with faint spatial waves.

Its limbs were slender and flexible, its claws sharp as knives, and every time it stepped into the void, it left behind a silver ripple that slowly dissipated.

Its tail was extremely long, and as the tip flicked lightly in the air, it tore several fine cracks in the surrounding space.

The most bizarre thing was its way of moving.

It didn't walk, it didn't jump; it constantly flickered through space.

One moment it was beside Lin Xinmu, the next it had appeared at the other end of the battle platform, with no movement trajectory in between, only circles of silver spatial ripples remaining in the air.

Every time it flickered, its position changed silently, making it impossible for anyone to predict its next move.

Void Shadow Mink.

Amethyst Tier 6 Peak.

Spatial attribute.

"It's out!! Lin Xinmu's Void Shadow Mink is out!!"

A wave of exclamations erupted from the viewing stands.

Those students who had seen Lin Xinmu fight in the quota competition were now calling out excitedly.

"That's the Beast!! I just saw it with my own eyes use spatial teleportation to get behind its opponent, and with one Spatial Cutting, it knocked an Amethyst Eighth Tier defensive Beast right off!! That speed was too fast; there was no way to react!!"

"The Heavenly Saint Student's Beast does indeed have a terrifying Aura, but Lin Xinmu's Void Shadow Mink is no pushover... Its spatial teleportation can ignore most conventional attacks; if you can't even hit it, how can you win?"

"This battle is really hard to call. In terms of Bloodline and Aura, the Heavenly Saint Student wins by more than three city blocks. But the unpredictability of the spatial attribute cannot be compensated for by Bloodline alone... It all depends on whether the Heavenly Saint Student can find a way to counter it."

In the Longxiang Pavilion camp, Zhao Tiezhu cupped his hands around his mouth and roared loudly to cheer for Jiang Yun.

"Pavilion Master!! Beat it!! Beat it to the ground!! Let it know the consequences of bullying Longxiang Pavilion!!"

Shang Xiaoxiao stared intently at the long, upright figure on the battle platform, her lips moving slightly.

"Jiang Yun... you must win."

Lei Qing slapped his thigh and said in a rough voice.

"Why are you all looking so gloomy? How long have I known the Sacred Student? I understand him; when has he ever fought a battle he wasn't sure of? Since he dared to go up there, he must have a sure-fire move!! Just set your hearts at ease and wait to watch the show!!"

Xiao Chen and Liu Qingshuang looked at each other, both seeing in the other's eyes a sense of stability infected by Lei Qing's confidence.

That's right!! Every time, didn't everyone think Jiang Yun couldn't do it, and yet he fought his way out of a desperate situation??

This time, it should be no exception.

Above the battle platform, Jiang Yun stood with his hands behind his back on the back of the Little Skylark, looking down expressionlessly at the Void Shadow Mink constantly flickering in space below.

He didn't respond to a single word of Lin Xinmu's biting sarcasm.

Because in his combat Dao, no matter how much is said, it is all nonsense.

On the arena, there are only those who stand and those who fall.

The winner does not need to explain.

His gaze fell on the Void Shadow Mink, and a glimmer of light that only he could see quietly emerged deep within his pupils.

Entry Manifestation talent, activate.

The Entry panel slowly unfolded before his eyes.

[Race]: Void Shadow Mink · Adult (Dual Spatial/Shadow attributes)

[Realm]: Amethyst Tier 6 Peak

[Aptitude]: Sun-Level

[Introduction]: A spatial attribute Beast possessing the ancient Void Shadow Mink Bloodline, naturally endowed with the ability to freely traverse the crevices of space. Its race resides year-round in the boundary zone between void rifts and spatial turbulence, feeding on spatial fragments, and possesses an innate, keen perception of spatial Laws. This Beast has a cunning and agile personality, adept at confusing opponents with unpredictable displacement maneuvers and launching fatal strikes from the angles where the opponent is most caught off guard. Its combination of spatial skills is centered on high mobility and surprise attacks, making it extremely difficult to deal with.

[Skill/Talent]: Void Teleportation (Legendary · Displacement Skill): The Void Shadow Mink can instantly tear open a spatial rift, crossing a distance of several dozen zhang to appear at any position. During the teleportation process, it is immune to all non-locking attacks. The cooldown is extremely short, and the consumption increases with each consecutive use. This skill is the core mobility method of the Void Shadow Mink, and combined with its cunning combat style, it is extremely difficult to predict or intercept.

Spatial Cutting (epic · Single-Target Burst Skill): Waves its claws to tear space, releasing three silver-gray spatial blades. The spatial blades ignore 30% of the target's physical and spiritual defense and carry a spatial tearing effect, causing wounds to continue expanding within three breaths and making them difficult to heal. This skill is the Void Shadow Mink's primary output method and can be combined with other skills to launch surprise attacks.

Void Concealment (epic · Stealth Skill): Causes the Void Shadow Mink to completely merge into the spatial crevice, with its figure and Aura disappearing simultaneously, lasting for ten breaths. During concealment, it is immune to all locking skills but cannot attack. The first attack after leaving concealment is a guaranteed critical hit, with critical damage increased by 100%. This skill is the precursor for the Void Shadow Mink to launch fatal surprise attacks.

Dimensional Mirror (Rare · Clone Skill): The Void Shadow Mink uses spatial refraction to create a mirror Clone with an Aura identical to the original body. The Clone does not possess attack power but can mimic the movement trajectory of the original body. The original body can instantly switch positions between the Clone and itself, with a switching cooldown of three breaths. This skill, when used in conjunction with Void Teleportation, makes it extremely difficult to distinguish the true from the false.

Spatial Cage (epic · Control Skill): The Void Shadow Mink condenses a spatial barrier around the target, imprisoning the target in a narrow spatial cage. The cage is composed of the power of spatial Laws, making it extremely difficult to destroy from the inside, and it lasts for three breaths. During the imprisonment, the target cannot move or use displacement-type skills. This skill is the opening move for the Void Shadow Mink's combo, often combined with Spatial Cutting to form a lethal combo.

Void Storm (epic · Area Burst Skill): The Void Shadow Mink detonates the space around it. It releases a small-range Void Storm. The spatial structure within the range of the storm will vibrate violently, with all enemies taking continuous spatial tearing damage, while their movement speed is reduced by 50%. The Void Storm lasts for five breaths, during which the Void Shadow Mink's own Void Teleportation cooldown is halved. This skill is the ultimate killing move of the Void Shadow Mink.

[evolution path]: Void Shadow Mink → Void-Rending Beast...