The great drilling field had been remodeled, with a one hundred meter in diameter area drawn in the center. Compared to the stages of the qualifiers, this space was even wider, and naturally also even easier to fully use their strength.
On the north side of the great drilling grounds, VIP seats were built facing south, and these were also the referee seats. This time there weren’t as many VIP spectators as last time.
There were a lot fewer nobles. As far as the eye could see, apart from emperor Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi and platinum bishop Salas in the first row, the seats behind were all taken by people dressed like generals and high level attendants from Spirit Hall’s Heaven Dou City Spirit Temple.
Chapter 110: King Among Flowers, Monarch Overlooking All Fragrance
Part 1 (TL by Bagelson)
Group battles were after all chaotic, making it very difficult to see things clearly. And different from the qualifiers, each student would be revealing their own strength under the gazes of all the spectators. This was also the best opportunity to evaluate the strength of the Spirit Masters.
The edges of the great drill grounds were completely surrounded by ten thousand imperial household knights, forming a watertight encirclement, helmets bright and armor shining. The front row of knights stood, while the back rows were mounted.
This kind of strict defense could be called watertight. Of course, just like Tang San suspected, emperor Xue Ye’s goal was to let his most elite subordinate knights take a look at the strength of the new generation of Spirit Masters, using this to ignite their fighting spirit.
Between the great circle of knights and the competition ground, fifteen competing teams were finally arranged. Even the team that could rest today was no exception. Even if they didn’t compete, they still had to gauge the strength of the opponents.
The rules were very simple. Both sides would each participate with seven team members. Each team that went up would fight until defeated, continuing to fight the next opponent if they won, until the seven people on one side were completely defeated.
The lots had already been drawn last evening, and Shrek Academy didn’t pull an empty lot for their first round. Their opponent was an advanced Spirit Master academy from Balak Kingdom. Their turn was the third in the seven matches for today.
The different areas were sorted so teams were grouped by their qualifiers. Tang San naturally saw the familiar rivals of the four elemental academies, and as they looked towards Shrek Academy, several people’s gazes fell on Tang San.
Those included Godwind Academy team captain Feng Xiaotian, Blazing Academy siblings Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu, Skywater Academy team captain Shui Bing-Er, as well as the Thunderclap Academy team captain Tang San had never seen before, a youth with ordinary build and unremarkable appearance.
Grandmaster gathered everyone around him, his gaze sweeping across all the eleven Shrek Academy team members,
“Next I’ll announce the order in which you’ll go up. Xiao Wu, you go up first, after is Tang San, and Dai Mubai.”
Everyone were still listening, but Grandmaster had already finished.
Dai Mubai couldn’t help asking:
“Grandmaster, aren’t we going to send seven people?”
Grandmaster smiled calmly, saying:
“Don’t tell me the three of you don’t have the confidence to end the match? Even though the opponents of the ranking competition are a bit powerful, they still won’t be stronger than the four elemental academies. One on one doesn’t need any teamwork, only strength.”
That simple sentence immediately roused the fighting spirit of the Shrek Academy team. Tang San, Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu all looked at each other, and in each other’s eyes they could all see conviction of certain victory.
Emperor Xue Ye stood from the VIP seats, speaking through a spirit tool:
“The ranking competition formally begins today. I hope all the academy teams will be able to amply display their strength in the next fourteen days, displaying the proper elegance of Spirit Masters. Begin.”
As his words fell, shouts just like a landslide or tsunami resounded,
“Long live, long live, long live!”
The imperial household knights raised the lances in their hands, the sounds of their armor resonating with their voices, immediately startling the competing Spirit Masters. Undoubtedly the manifestation of a great nation’s bearing.
The first match began. Awesomely, first to appear was Blazing Academy. Their opponents was a team known as Fabia Academy.
The first to represent Blazing Academy was the team captain, Huo Wushuang. Clearly, Blazing Academy’s teacher thought much like Grandmaster. Not only would they win this first match, but also strike a large score.
In the final ranking of the ranking competition, besides the match points, individual fight victories were also important. If there was a tie in matches, the ranking would be arranged according to fights.
Tang San didn’t pay any attention the the match, but stood next to Xiao Wu, saying to her in a low voice:
“You’ll go first in our match later. If you find yourself restrained by the opponent, don’t force yourself. You can’t be injured, understand?”
Tang San had originally thought he would go up first, but hadn’t expected Grandmaster would send Xiao Wu. Unable to oppose it, he could only give Xiao Wu a few cautioning words.
Xiao Wu smiled calmly, pinching Tang San’s hand, saying:
“Don’t worry. Are you still uneasy about my one on one capability? If I can’t win, I’ll concede.”
Tang San stroked her head,
“Caution sails a ship for ten thousand years. Our opponents will get stronger and stronger, we can’t be careless.”
The matches proceeded very quickly. Between Spirit Masters, if there was a gap in strength, the result would often be settled in an instant. The one with more powerful spirit abilities, with higher spirit power, would easily defeat their opponent. People with spirit bones were, after all, very few.
In one on one matches it was also impossible for something like spirit fusion ability to appear. Everything had to rely on one’s own strength.
In the first match, Huo Wushuang successively defeated three people, then lost the next match after substantially consuming his spirit power.
The continuous battles didn’t give time to rest. This was another area where the ranking competition was more interesting than the qualifiers, it didn’t just test the strength of each member of the team, at the same time tactics and planning were extremely important. Even the most powerful Spirit Masters would find it difficult to consecutively defeat opponents by themselves.
After all, the more powerful the spirit ability, the more it limited spirit power.
The second to represent Blazing Academy was Huo Wu. It seemed that her expression was somewhat calmer than in the qualifiers, moving with the force of fifteen tons of thunder. Even though she was a girl, she gave the opponents enormous pressure in each fight. Judging by her appearance, this didn’t seem to be a match, but more like life and death.
Relying on the advantages of a control system Spirit Master, Huo Wu unexpectedly successively defeated four people, the two siblings directly smashing the Fabia team.
When Huo Wu returned from the competition area, her physical strength was already somewhat overdrawn due to consuming a large amount of spirit power, but her pale charming face was still brimming with pride, her gaze fixed on Tang San without flinching, and she moreover extended a forefinger, pointing at him.
Confronted with Huo Wu’s provocation, Tang San only wrinkled his eyebrows and didn’t express anything.
Because of Huo Wu’s gesture, a lot of Spirit Masters from other kingdoms and duchies now paid attention to him.
Huo Wu had indeed become strong. Even though only one month had passed, that oppressive strength of hers had clearly grown a lot stronger, and her burst power was even more astonishing. It seemed that she really had worked hard in the past month.
Among all the fifteen competing teams, Fabia Academy was one of the weakest, but having easily defeated them by sending only two people, Blazing Academy had still put themselves in the spotlight among the competing academies.
The second match featured two teams Tang San wasn’t particularly familiar with, however, among these strangers, he still saw one acquaintance.
A simple uniform drawing the outline of a perfect figure, a solid and slender serpent staff held crosswise. It was the Unrivalled Dragon Serpent’s granddaughter, who originally fought Tang San over his third spirit ring, Meng Yiran.
Meng Yiran appeared on the competition ground as the vice captain of Cryptid Academy’s team, in high spirits.
As the first tool Spirit Master to appear, she completely displayed the superiority of a tool Spirit Master.
Even though tool Spirit Masters didn’t have the burst power of a beast Spirit Master, tool Spirit Masters won out in battle endurance. Relying on the extremely toxic serpent staff and her changeable severe attack methods, she unexpectedly also successively defeated three people.
Making Tang San not know whether to laugh or cry, as Meng Yiran walked off the competition ground, her gaze unexpectedly also fell on him, and she simultaneously imitated Huo Wu’s gesture to hold out a hand and point at him.
Meng Yiran had originally noticed him when Huo Wu pointed him out. This wasn’t only a demonstration towards him, but also a challenge.
Sensing the gazes of numerous Spirit Master students fix on him, Tang San could only stand there helplessly. Even Oscar couldn’t keep from snickering to the side:
“Little San, it seems you’ve really offended a lot of beautiful women. If you also add that Skywater Academy’s Shui Bing-Er, you’re going to have a lot of people as your enemies. You tell me, won’t the students of other academies think you’ve discarded the two of them after playing around, turning love into hate?”
Tang San unhappily glared at Oscar,
“Little Ao, I feel it would be relatively suitable to let you go up for a match, how about I propose it to Teacher?”
“Eh…...”
Oscar hastily smiled:
“Little San, we’re good brothers! Big brother is an auxiliary system Spirit Master, it’s still better to leave a difficult challenge like the ranking competition to you. You also don’t want our Shrek Academ to lose face because of me.”
While they chatted, the situation in the match had already started to change somewhat. Even though Cryptid Academy had Meng Yiran’s three victories, the other students of their academy clearly weren’t as powerful as her, and the opponents wore through four people. In the end the match finished with a close victory for Cryptid Academy after ten fights.
From the previous two matches, Tang San could already see that the kingdom and duchy academies still had a certain gap in strength to the five elemental academies.
There was at most only one fortieth ranked Spirit Master among the three academies that had already appeared, while the majority were thirty something ranked. Like Meng Yiran, whose spirit power was presently only at the thirty seventh rank or so.
This suggested that the fight over the final ranking of the competition should be between the five teams from Heaven Dou City.
Part 2 (TL by Bagelson)
Finally it was Shrek Academy’s turn,
“Come.”
Dai Mubai was first to extend his right hand, followed by Tang San, Xiao Wu, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, Zhu Zhuqing…… Eleven people put their hands together, cheering with loud voices.
Boosted by everyone’s expressions filled with confidence, Xiao Wu unhurriedly walked into the competition area.
Shrek Academy’s first opponents were from Balak Kingdom, their Royal academy. Just like Heaven Dou Imperial Academy’s position in Heaven Dou Empire, their name was also the same as the kingdom’s, Balak Academy.
First to appear from Balak Academy was a large youth, looking twenty something years old, wearing a black and gold uniform. When he saw Xiao Wu he couldn’t help staring blankly.
There were two things that made him stare in a daze, one was Xiao Wu’s appearance, and the other was naturally Shrek Academy’s abnormal uniform.
The Shrek Academy uniform long since didn’t have any room for advertisements, advertising logos could be found on practically each corner of the uniform. Shrek Academy was enormously famous in Heaven Dou City.
However, Balak Academy from Balak Kingdom naturally wouldn’t know anything about this.
Seeing Xiao Wu’s snot green and logo covered uniform, that big youth immediately laughed. If Xiao Wu hadn’t been a beautiful girl, he would definitely have mocked her.
“Little sister, how old are you? Your Shrek Academy wouldn’t be without people, and sending you to make up the numbers? It would be no good if big brother is a bit serious and you get hurt. I think you had better go down. Find someone stronger to come over. This isn’t a place you should be.”
The big youth said earnestly.
Even though Xiao Wu’s body was already close to that of an adult, she was still growing in some important areas. Moreover, her childish face clearly wasn’t something someone in their twenties would have. Nobody would notice when fighting as a team where numerous people were mixed together, but in the current one on one format, both sides appearance were naturally conspicuous.
Xiao Wu frowned. That tall youth’s voice was very loud, practically all the students around the competition area had heard him.
Oscar somewhat puzzled said to Ma Hongjun next to him:
“Fatty, what are you covering your eyes for?”
Ma Hongjun said with feeling:
“Because I can’t bear to see it. Being so disdainful to Xiao Wu, I’m afraid this Balak Academy brother is out of luck. Did you forget that terrifying continuous throwing technique Xiao Wu has? I think it was called Eight Stage Drop. Eh, that’s right, you weren’t there. It’s a pity, you didn’t see the circumstances at that time. I really can’t bear to see it.”
While Ma Hongjun and Oscar were talking, the referee on the competition grounds had already declared the match started.
Xiao Wu was in no rush to act, and blinked at the big youth in front of her,
“Big brother, I think you’re right, this really isn’t a place I should be.”
Even if her mouth said this, her body had already begun to change, her spirit quietly releasing. Two yellow and one purple, three spirit rings spiralled up.
The tall Balak Academy youth should originally have paid attention to Xiao Wu’s spirit rings and gone on alert, but just like Ma Hongjun said, he really was too contemptuous of Xiao Wu. Even more, he had complete confidence in his own strength. In the whole Balak Academy team, he was not only the captain, but also the strongest person, his spirit power surpassing fortieth rank. Unfortunately, his opponent was Xiao Wu.
The split second Xiao Wu’s spirit released, a spirit ability also launched simultaneously. Second spirit ring ability, Demon Confusion, launched.
A yellow ring of light flared, and Xiao Wu’s eyes became an alluring pink color. The tall youth immediately turned stupid, completely in a daze. And at this moment, Xiao Wu moved.
According to the competition rules, both sides started the match at a distance of twenty meters. Xiao Wu’s long legs shot out forcefully, and in practically a split second, the distance between the two had closed to ten meters.
This tall youth still had higher spirit power than Xiao Wu, and his mind didn’t stay stunned for too long. Subconsciously becoming aware he was in a bad situation, he hastily opened up his own spirit while still only fuzzily aware of the situation in front of him. At the same time he slapped his own face hard, clearing his head somewhat.
His reactions really weren’t slow, and when Xiao Wu still was five meters away he had already completely sobered. With those growing three spirit rings in front of him, as well as Xiao Wu’s rapid approach, how couldn’t he be alarmed?
Raising both hands pract
ically subconsciously, he launched his first spirit ability at Xiao Wu.
However, the instant he launched his spirit ability, he was once again staring blankly. Because, that opponent who had originally been in front of him, had disappeared.
Xiao Wu appeared behind the tall youth with her back to him, scorpion braid whipping out, while that big youth was still shocked, he only felt his neck tighten.
Xiao Wu didn’t even turn around. At the same time as the braid whipped around her opponent’s neck, her left foot supporting on the ground, she raised her right foot behind her, planting it directly on the tall youth’s waist. Her first spirit ability, Waist Bow, launched.
Pulled back by the braid, waist pushed up, the instantly erupting force immediately choked the big youth. The next moment, he was already completely thrown into the air by Xiao Wu.
Only a few moments had actually passed from the start of the competition until now. Launching Demon Confusion, Xiao Wu dashing forward, launching Teleport, applying Soft Skill, throwing the opponent. The entire process was as natural as flowing water and moving clouds, without the slightest pause.
It was also because of this that her opponent wasn’t given any opportunity to react.
Leaning forward, Xiao Wu’s braid quietly separated from her opponent. Now, she leapt high into the air to meet her uncontrollably spinning opponent.
At this point, this fight no longer held any suspense.
All spirit abilities required a bit of time to store up strength, but if the Spirit Master lost their balance, and were simultaneously locked down by a spirit power burst of their opponent, it was basically impossible to use any spirit abilities.
Whether it was Xiao Wu’s Demon Confusion ability, or the spirit power she used after her scorpion braid wrapped around her opponent’s neck, both had this kind of effect.
“Goodbye.”
Xiao Wu’s one hand grabbed the back of the tall youth’s neck, her left knee shooting up and, with a profound spirit power, heavily striking her opponent’s waist. At the same time, Waist Bow launched. With a twist of her body and a simple throw, the big youth heavily struck the ground.
Douluo Dalu - Volume 01-48 Page 196