141: Chapter 142 Xu Ruohan's Conjecture

No one expected this!

The golden-haired maiden, the "Phoenix Heavenly Maiden" who had just taken the stage under Lin Muyang, not only possessed beauty and noble temperament comparable to the Elf Princess Lilia, but also wielded such terrifying, overbearing, and unimaginably formidable power!

With just a wave of her hand and a single thought, the opponent's massive destructive barrage, composed of forty-five concentrated fireballs—enough to force experts of the same level into a defensive stance—melted away silently like snow under the scorching sun, without even stirring a ripple of energy.

As for the Goblin Archmage · Yan Bao himself, who had unleashed this terrifying attack, he was ignited from the inside out by that same golden flame right before everyone's eyes. He didn't even have time to finish a scream before he was completely incinerated and purified in less than a second—erased cleanly from matter to energy, from form to aura, as if he had never existed on this arena at all.

The entire arena was now empty, save for the maiden Feng Ling, who stood quietly with her skirt fluttering slightly, her expression as calm as if she had merely brushed away a speck of dust. There were no traces of battle, no residual energy, not even a single speck of ash. It was so clean that it sent shivers down one's spine.

One must know that the Goblin Archmage · Yan Bao was a top-tier summon specializing in fire magic, possessing the SS-Rank Talent "Multi-Cast," with natural resistance to fire damage and control over fire elements far exceeding ordinary fire-type professionals.

Yet even so, before the Phoenix Heavenly Maiden's golden flames, it was like a moth flying into a raging fire; all its defenses, all its pride, and all its power became an absolute joke.

This scene caused Wang Jingzhi, the Summoner from Tianhai City who had been full of confidence and looking forward to giving Lin Muyang a harsh lesson with his trump card, to turn instantly pale as paper, his hand holding the summoning rune trembling uncontrollably.

In that very instant, through their soul link, he clearly felt the final perception transmitted back by the Goblin Archmage · Yan Bao before its annihilation—it was an extreme fear and despair that seeped into the marrow, stemming from the very instinct of life!

It was as if it was not facing some powerful flame, but the very master of the concept of flame itself, the source of all fires, the end that burns everything to ash! Its meager ability to manipulate fire, in front of that existence, was as insignificant as a firefly before the scorching sun, or a stream before the vast ocean—it was completely not of the same dimension or level of power!

The brief, near-vacuum silence lasted less than three seconds.

Then, the entire massive martial arts arena, capable of holding 150,000 people, erupted like a lit powder keg! A mountain-toppling wave of cheers, screams, shouts, and incredulous gasps... all kinds of sounds mixed together, forming a terrifying roar that almost blew the roof off the venue!

"Oh my god! What did I just see? A one-shot kill! Another one-shot kill!"

"What kind of flame is that?! It's golden! It can even burn fireballs?!"

"The Goblin Archmage · Yan Bao didn't even leave a trace of dust behind! That's too terrifying!"

"A Phoenix! Is this the power of a Phoenix? Burning everything to ash?!"

"Lin Muyang! Lin Muyang! How many more surprises do you have that we don't know about?!"

"Phoenix Heavenly Maiden! Please accept my worship!"

Countless spectators jumped up from their seats in excitement, their faces flushed, waving their arms and shouting until they were hoarse. The previous strong performance of the Elf Princess Lilia had already shocked them, but what this "Phoenix Heavenly Maiden" displayed before their eyes was a more intuitive, more overbearing, and more fundamental crushing of power! The composure and absolute strength of obliterating a strong enemy with a wave of her hand were deeply branded into everyone's hearts, igniting the most primitive fire of worship for power and mystery.

In the spectator stands, Gu Xiaoyu excitedly tugged on her cousin's sleeve, her little face flushed red: "Did you see that! Did you see that! I told you Lin Muyang isn't simple! My sister's preparations were right! A Phoenix Heavenly Maiden! So cool!"

And the younger members of the Gu family beside her, who had originally been dismissive of Lin Muyang, were now dumbstruck, unable to say a word. Their faces burned, and those previous words of doubt seemed to have turned into invisible slaps, striking their own faces.

Zhao Kai, mixed in among the ordinary spectators, looked at the golden figure on the arena, then at Lin Muyang, who remained as calm as water in the contestant area. The last trace of unwillingness caused by his crushing defeat completely vanished, leaving only deep awe and lingering fear. He was incredibly grateful that back in Zhongnan City, Lin Muyang—or rather, the Elf Priest beside him—had really just taught him a small lesson.

In the organizer's seating area, the hearts of the three Nation-Guarding Level Experts were also churning with massive waves.

"Originally, this old man thought that even if this young man's other summons were powerful, it would be a stroke of immense luck if one or two could reach the level of that Elf Priest." The Sword Saint, Liu Qingtian, stroked his snow-white long beard, his sword-sharp gaze locked onto Feng Ling, who had just retracted her aura and returned calmly to the contestant area. His voice carried undisguised astonishment, "I didn't expect that as soon as this 'Phoenix Heavenly Maiden' appeared, the level of power she displayed, her control over the origin of fire, had already faintly touched the realm of laws! This is definitely not power that an ordinary level-100 existence could possess! This maiden's talent is likely even above that of the Elf Priest!"

Zhou Wenyuan said in a deep voice: "Phoenix Heavenly Maiden... There are indeed sporadic records in the fragments of ancient texts, stating that she is the supreme being of fire, governing destruction and rebirth. Her flames are not ordinary fire; they can purify all filth and disharmony in the world. Seeing her today, I know the ancient texts were not false! No, they were even understated! That golden flame... being able to 'burn,' 'purify,' and 'absorb' even pure fire elemental energy attacks is simply unheard of! Where on earth did this kid, Lin Muyang, summon such an existence from?"

The two veteran Nation-Guarding Level Experts were knowledgeable and had experienced countless fierce battles in their lives, having seen all kinds of strange races and powerful talents. However, seeing an existence like the "Phoenix Heavenly Maiden," which only existed in legends and forbidden knowledge, truly appear before them still left them shaken and filled with emotion.

Among the three, however, the one most shocked—even feeling a sense of cognitive dissonance—was the young Nation-Guarding Level Summoner, Xu Ruohan.

Her beautiful face still showed no exaggerated expression, but deep within those eyes, clear as a cold pool and seemingly capable of peering into the soul, unprecedented, violent waves were surging.

"This Phoenix Heavenly Maiden... her talent potential has absolutely reached the SSS-Rank, and perhaps, due to her racial characteristics, she even surpasses it in certain aspects." Xu Ruohan analyzed rapidly in her mind, and a thought that she herself found somewhat absurd and unbelievable surfaced uncontrollably, "But how is this possible?"

She was the only SSS-Rank Summoner in the Xia Kingdom, and she knew better than anyone how difficult it was to summon high-talent summons! She herself possessed the SSS-Rank Talent "Angel Affinity," which provided a huge bonus for summoning angel-type creatures. But even so, since her job change, she had summoned over twenty angels, and only three of them had reached SSS-Rank Talent! This was already a shocking probability.

And what about Lin Muyang? According to public information, he had only changed his job for a little over a month, and the number of maidens he had summoned so far, including this Phoenix Heavenly Maiden, was only eight! In this short period of time, in these mere eight summons, two existences with talent potential clearly reaching SSS-Rank had appeared? This probability was so high it defied common sense, so high that the word "luck" seemed pale and powerless!

"Two SSS-Rank... perhaps, one could barely explain it with 'gifted talent' or 'defying heaven's luck.' In history, there have been lucky ones who summoned two SSS-Rank summons in a short period of time." Xu Ruohan forced herself to think calmly, "But it is absolutely impossible for him... no, the probability is so low it can be ignored, to have a third summon with SSS-Rank Talent."

This was a rational judgment based on probability theory and the historical data of countless Summoners. Her heart leaned towards believing this.

However, after witnessing the terrifying performance of Elf Princess Lilia and Phoenix Heavenly Maiden Feng Ling, which completely exceeded level restrictions and almost crushed everything, this genius Summoner, known for her rationality and calmness, felt a faint sense of something wrong deep in her heart.

Like the vast majority of people outside, she had originally believed that Lin Muyang himself possessed an SSS-Rank Summoner talent, and that the Elf Priest he summoned also happened to be SSS-Rank, and the combination of the two had created that astonishing scene at the city tournament. While shocking, this explanation was still within the realm of "understandable."

But now, the appearance of the Phoenix Heavenly Maiden, and the terrifying ability she displayed—which in some sense touched the origin of power even more than the Elf Priest—made Xu Ruohan suspicious.

Could the combination of "SSS-Rank Summoner + SSS-Rank summon" really support such an exaggerated level of cross-level crushing? The opponent was the main summon of a veteran Summoner who was over level 100 and possessed powerful talents and equipment!

The gap in base attributes brought about by level suppression is real. But these two young ladies of Lin Muyang solve battles too easily, too far beyond specifications. That feeling, it doesn't seem like strength, but more like a difference in dimensions.

"Is there a possibility..." A bolder, even shocking idea, like a sprout breaking through the soil, stubbornly emerged in Xu Ruohan's rigorous mind. "Is Lin Muyang's own Summoner talent not just SSS-Rank Talent? But an existence that transcends SSS-Rank Talent?"

"And the reason these young ladies he summons are so powerful is not simply because their own talents are high, but more likely because the buffs Lin Muyang bestows upon them are high to a degree we cannot imagine? High enough to allow A-rank and s-rank talent summons to exhibit SSS-Rank, or even stronger, actual combat effectiveness?"

Once this thought appeared, it spread like a wildfire, instantly sweeping through Xu Ruohan's thoughts. Although since records began on Blue Star, there has never been a publicly revealed talent exceeding SSS-Rank Talent, and all theories and cognition regard SSS-Rank Talent as the pinnacle of talent. But does not appearing mean it doesn't exist? The universe is so vast, the heavens and myriad worlds are mysterious and unpredictable; has humanity's understanding of itself and the job transfer system truly reached its end?

If... if Lin Muyang's talent truly transcends SSS-Rank Talent...

Xu Ruohan's breathing became slightly rapid, and her gaze towards the black-haired young man in the contestant area became incomparably complex, interwoven with shock, inquiry, a hint of indescribable anticipation, and a faint palpitating feeling.

What does that mean? It means the cognition of the human talent system will be completely shattered! It means Lin Muyang's growth potential will be an immeasurable bottomless pit! It means the height he may reach in the future will far exceed any genius in history, including herself!

More importantly, he is a Summoner! The strength of the Summoner profession lies in the fact that its growth limit is almost only restricted by the quantity and quality of the summons and the Summoner's own support abilities. A Summoner with top-tier talent is in itself an army, a mobile strategic fortress!

Xu Ruohan couldn't help but start to speculate: With the potential and growth speed Lin Muyang has shown so far, perhaps when he reaches around level 150, he and the young ladies under his command, joining forces, would be enough to confront the top handful of experts globally head-on!

If he truly grows up, levels up, and summons more powerful young ladies, with a dozen or dozens of top combat powers gathered in one person's hands... what a terrifying scene that would be?

By then, I fear the beautiful girl legion led by him alone would be enough to annihilate regional powers with limited top-tier experts, like Japan and Kimchi Country! It is no exaggeration to say that with Lin Muyang, the Xia Kingdom is equivalent to possessing a super strategic force composed of dozens of "Nation-Guarding Level" combat powers in the future!

Of course, the prerequisite for all this is that he can grow up safely and smoothly. This also makes Xu Ruohan understand better why Sword Saint and Zhou Wenyuan would take the initiative to come and sit in, and why the high-level officials of the Xia Kingdom would protect him at all costs. Lin Muyang's value is no longer just that of a genius, but a national treasure and future linked to the rise and fall of the country's destiny!

"Must ensure his safety, at all costs." Xu Ruohan made a decision in her heart instantly, and her eyes became even more determined. At the same time, she was filled with unprecedented curiosity and anticipation for the other summons Lin Muyang might send out next.

"If... if the other young ladies he summons also possess strength not too inferior... then my guess is likely close to the truth." She thought to herself.

The battle on the arena, for Lin Muyang and the just-returned Feng Ling, seemed like just an insignificant, taken-for-granted warm-up. Feng Ling returned to Lin Muyang's side and nodded slightly, while Lin Muyang gave her an approving smile, everything unspoken. This indifferent reaction formed a sharp contrast with the boiling shock of the entire venue, further highlighting an unfathomable confidence.

However, the impact of this battle is fermenting rapidly. On the internet, those so-called "big shots" and "analysts" who previously vowed that "Lin Muyang only has the Elf Priest who can fight" and "he will definitely reveal his true colors in the Provincial Tournament" collectively lost their voices, and the comment section was quickly flooded with mockery and face-slapping remarks. The black market betting odds were filled with wailing!

Countless gamblers who held a fluke mentality, betting that Lin Muyang would not exceed 5 wins today, believing he would be unable to continue after using up his Elf Priest, were now ashen-faced. The large sums of money they invested, with that light wave of the Phoenix Heavenly Maiden's hand, completely vanished into bubbles. Countless tearful posts of "see you on the rooftop" and "bankrupt" instantly appeared on the forum, but what does this clamor have to do with Lin Muyang?

The competition is still continuing and will not stop because of anyone's shock or bankruptcy.

For the next fifth and sixth matches, Lin Muyang still sent out Feng Ling.

After witnessing the terrifying power of the "World Purifying Flame" that burns everything, the next two opponents were very sensible and directly sent out their relatively weaker summons to the stage, dealing with it in an almost give-up-treatment manner.

The result was without suspense; Feng Ling didn't even need to use the true power of the "World Purifying Flame," just releasing some ordinary Phoenix flames that were strengthened by her origin, and she easily defeated the opponents, winning cleanly and neatly as well. This made many people's doubts even deeper: Does Lin Muyang have absolutely no intention of hiding his strength or keeping trump cards? Is he so confident that the remaining young ladies are also enough to deal with any powerful enemy?

You must know, his seventh match, about to face, is another undefeated expert in the same group — the champion from Qinghe City, the "Beast Summoner" Wang Yanzhang!

Before this, Wang Yanzhang also achieved a brilliant record of six consecutive victories. Moreover, unlike Lin Muyang who showed the Elf Priest and Phoenix Heavenly Maiden early, Wang Yanzhang's combat style is more treacherous and changeable. He has not yet sent out the several legendary-grade beasts under his command that are recognized as his strongest, clearly consciously preserving strength, observing opponents, and preparing for the most critical battle.

At this moment, Wang Yanzhang, with a ferocious scar on his face, is sitting in the contestant area diagonally behind Lin Muyang. He is surrounded by seven or eight beast phantoms of various shapes, all emitting ferocious and violent auras, and the low beast roars and bloody wind make people shudder. His cold, gloomy gaze sweeps over Lin Muyang's back from time to time, with a sneer on the corner of his mouth.

"Hehe..." Wang Yanzhang calculated in his heart, "If this kid saved Phoenix Heavenly Maiden until the end to deal with me, relying on her strange flames, I would really have to avoid the sharp edge, or even consider conceding a match directly to preserve my main force... After all, that flame is too restrictive to flesh and blood bodies and energy bodies."

"But I didn't expect him to be so arrogant, having used this trump card three times early, and according to the rules, it can no longer be used against me!" A flash of triumph and ruthlessness crossed Wang Yanzhang's eyes. "Without Phoenix Heavenly Maiden, his Elf Priest has also used up its times... The rest are just little girls who haven't shown their faces. Even if they are strong, can they be stronger than my 'Hell Three-Headed Dog' and 'Thunder Lizard King'?"

He felt satisfied with his precise tactical prediction, as if he had already seen the scene of defeating this genius who is currently in the limelight, proving himself and Qinghe City.

Finally, amidst the rising anticipation of countless audiences, the host's voice resounded throughout the venue through the amplification magic circle:

"Group 2, Match 7!"

"Zhongnan City's Lin Muyang, versus Qinghe City's Wang Yanzhang!"

"Please, both contestants, submit the information of the summons for this match!"

The wave of sound climbed to a peak again! Everyone knows that this will be the first true powerful enemy Lin Muyang encounters in this round of the group stage, and it is also a key battle to test the quality of his third summon!

On the black market betting odds, the odds of Lin Muyang winning this match actually climbed quietly again. Obviously, even after witnessing the terror of Phoenix Heavenly Maiden, there are still a large number of gamblers and "experts" who believe that Lin Muyang cannot continuously possess three top-tier combat summons, and facing the prepared and unfathomably strong Wang Yanzhang, he is likely to meet his first defeat in the Provincial Tournament.

Under the gaze of countless eyes, Lin Muyang's expression remained calm. He turned his head and looked at the purple-haired young lady who was sitting quietly on his other side, silent like a shadow all along, yet emitting a cold aura that kept strangers at a distance.

Lin Muyang reached out and gently rubbed Night Elf Seraphina's soft purple long hair, which felt slightly cool to the touch.

"Seraphina," his voice was gentle, yet carried unquestionable trust, "This match, you go. After this match, let Daji go for the next one."

The Night Elf Maiden raised those violet eyes and looked at Lin Muyang, with only a piece of calm coldness in her eyes, and a slight, imperceptible leap after being named.