I will start updating regularly from next month onwards.
My Exam season is going on.
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"Is there anyone who wants to be the champion? So far, in front of your peers, no one has volunteered. Please—don't take reckless risks on your own."
He paused, then added casually, "One more thing."
"After each battle, the champion will be given time to recover their spirit power. So… is anyone interested in the champion's position?"
Lin Jin, holding a ruler in his right hand, lightly tapped it against his left palm.
His gaze swept over the group with a look of genuine amusement.
The crowd remained still, but their shifty eyes revealed their thoughts.
Even after a long silence, no one stepped forward.
Everyone knew the risks. If you fought first, you'd likely be at a disadvantage.
Once your spirit skills were exposed, others would find ways to counter them in future rounds.
Your chances of winning would drop drastically.
Su Yun glanced around at the people nearby, sighed, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. No one here was stupid.
"In that case, I'll make a fool of myself and step up as champion," he said, rising with a faint smile and offering a polite cupped-hand salute to the other spirit masters.
Not long after he stepped forward, another man emerged from the crowd. He was a middle-aged man, towering and broad-shouldered, built like a mountain.
"I'll be the second champion," he said in a deep, rumbling voice that echoed like thunder in the distance.
The rest of the crowd exchanged glances, then quickly looked away, pretending they hadn't noticed anything.
Lin Jin shook his head with mock helplessness.
"Alright, then, if no one else steps up within three minutes, I'll officially declare the two of you the champions."
Su Yun grinned. "That works for me. Honestly, I hoped no one else would volunteer. Wouldn't it be nice to win easily?"
A few people in the crowd scowled. One man stood up, clearly irritated.
"Hmph. You're young, but your arrogance is unbelievable. Do you think you'll win?"
Su Yun chuckled with a casual air.
"Of course. The difference between any of you is just whether the fight is a little harder or a little easier."
His arrogance lit a fire in the crowd. Though some were annoyed, Lin Jin seemed intrigued.
'This guy's bold—cocky, even. I wonder if he can substantiate it.'
"Fine. I'll challenge you!" the spirit master from earlier stepped forward, eyes locked on Su Yun.
Su Yun met his gaze, a flicker of admiration in his expression.
"You've got guts. I like that."
The man didn't reply. If anything, Su Yun's compliment made him even more furious.
His spirit power surged visibly around him.
Lin Jin quickly called for the others to clear the field, positioning himself nearby to act as referee.
From the dormitory building, students who heard the commotion leaned over railings to watch the scene unfold.
Even Dai Mubai, in the middle of training, stepped out, drawn by the tension of the impending duel.
"Are you both ready?" Lin Jin asked, glancing at the two fighters.
Su Yun replied with a light, casual tone.
"Anytime."
His opponent gave a silent nod, his expression calm but focused.
"Then salute!"
"Su Yun! Level 39 Battle Spirit Master! Martial spirit: Myriad Manifestation Umbrella! Please give me your guidance."
'Is this guy related to Lord Grim?' Lin Jin wondered. (T/N: King's Avatar)
Su Yun's tone was calm, a faint smile playing on his lips. An umbrella nearly as tall as he was appeared in his hands, while three bright spirit rings rose at his feet.
The opposing spirit master's expression darkened slightly. This smug little pretty boy might be a real threat.
"Li Xiang! Level 37 agility-type Spirit Master! Martial spirit: Poison Rat! Please advise!"
At the same time, spirit rings began to glow beneath Li Xiang's feet—two yellow and one purple. His martial spirit's effects surged across his body.
His hair bristled upward, and his fingernails extended into gleaming, ten-centimeter claws, sharp as blades and radiating an eerie, cold light.
"It's starting!"
"Three…"
"Two…"
"One…"
"Begin!"
As Lin Jin's voice echoed across the field, he quickly retreated to the sidelines, leaving the arena to the two spirit masters.
Li Xiang moved first. His first spirit ring flared, and a thick cloud of dark green poisonous fog spewed from his mouth, enveloping the area. In an instant, he vanished into the mist.
Su Yun's brows furrowed slightly. He held the Myriad Manifestation Umbrella behind him in his right hand, his eyes sweeping across the field with focused intensity.
Suddenly, his eyes locked downward. Without hesitation, he leapt backward.
At that exact moment, a pair of razor-sharp claws erupted from the ground beneath where he'd just stood, stabbing upward like deadly bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
The claws shimmered with the same dark green hue, laced with poison.
"It's the Poison Rat… poisonous from head to toe," Lin Jin murmured from the sidelines, stroking his chin.
A holographic display floated nearby, showing detailed information from the Martial Spirit Encyclopedia about the venomous rodent spirit.
Li Xiang burst from the ground again, eyes searching for Su Yun's figure—but found nothing.
"Above you! In the air!" a student from the nearby dorm shouted.
"Shut your mouths! No interfering with the match!"
Lin Jin shouted furiously in the direction of the dorm building, face darkening.
"You noisy brats!"
The startled students quickly fell silent, but it was already too late—Li Xiang had realized the danger.
He raised his claws just in time to block Su Yun's sudden downward strike with the Myriad Manifestation Umbrella.
Clang!
The collision sparked, ringing with the sound of clashing metal.
Su Yun's aerial strike carried overwhelming force, causing Li Xiang to fall to his knees.
Gritting his teeth, Li Xiang braced himself, yet his eyes flicked toward the spreading poisonous fog nearby.
He was playing for time.
Su Yun, too, noticed the encroaching fog, but his expression remained calm.
The corners of his mouth curled slightly as the second spirit ring beneath him began to glow.
The Myriad Manifestation Umbrella in his hand let out a sharp mechanical whir, its gears clicking into motion—and in the blink of an eye, it transformed.
"What the hell…?" Li Xiang's pupils shrank in shock as the umbrella twisted and reshaped itself into a Zhangba spear—long, cold, and deadly.
One end rested in Su Yun's steady grip, while the other had become a sharp, gleaming spearhead.
The blood groove along the tip gleamed with menace, and at this close distance, its killing intent was unmistakable.
Panic overtook Li Xiang's face. Imagine being on the receiving end of a harmless-looking umbrella one moment—only for it to turn into a lethal weapon the next.
His body froze with instinctual fear. Su Yun's eyes sharpened, and he pressed the spear down—three inches closer.
The spearhead hovered just above Li Xiang's forehead, drawing a thin line of red.
The chilling sting of blood shocked Li Xiang back to his senses. His entire body felt as if it had plunged into an icy abyss.
"Brother… you've lost," Su Yun said with a calm smile.
With a smooth motion, he retracted the spear, and as it returned to his side, it shifted back into a Umbrella.
It now looked completely harmless once again, like a mere accessory.
But no one present was fooled.
Every student watching had the same thought: That match ended way too fast.
From somewhere in the back, someone whistled and joked:
"Dudu! Whoever owns that Myriad Manifestation Umbrella, come claim it quickly!"