When the students saw Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong return, they were all a bit surprised. They hadn't expected the noble little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to admit she was wrong. However, Yang Xiong noticed that although Ning Rongrong had her head slightly lowered, her eyes were darting around. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of mischievous idea this little troublemaker was plotting now.
Under Flender's guidance, the group quickly left the academy and headed to the Great Spirit Arena of Soto City, this was considered their first lesson.
After a brief introduction by Dai Mubai and Flender, it was made clear that all Shrek students had to participate in spirit battles and earn a Silver Spirit Fighter Badge in order to graduate.
Ning Rongrong, regaining her usual liveliness, said, "Headmaster, I'm a support-type spirit master. Do I have to join spirit battles too? That means I'll never be able to graduate."
Flender glanced at everyone and replied, "I know both you and Oscar are support-type spirit masters. While you can't participate in one-on-one battles, you can join two-on-two or team battles. This will not only build your combat experience but also help sharpen your abilities."
"Of course, who you choose to team up with in these battles depends on your own abilities. I won't interfere with that."
In theory, support-type spirit masters rarely appear in two-person spirit battles. With only two fighters, bringing a support-type would put the combat spirit master at a disadvantage, essentially turning it into a one-against-two situation.
Seemingly struck by a thought, Ning Rongrong rushed over to Yang Xiong. "Xiao Xiongzi, if I'm not mistaken, didn't you fight at the Great Spirit Arena in Heaven Dou City and win thirteen matches with zero losses? From now on, let's team up for the spirit battles."
Yang Xiong looked resigned. "That's fine, but even so, you still need to learn how to protect yourself in the ring. Like the headmaster said, if you can't even run away, you'll easily be targeted. Then I'll be forced into a one-against-two situation, and I won't be able to protect you while fighting them."
Everyone around them was surprised upon hearing this. They had just heard Dai Mubai describe the brutality of the Spirit Arena, and now they found out that Yang Xiong, who was only level 26, had a 13-0 record. That was a bit terrifying.
Yang Xiong first participated in a solo spirit battle, which he easily won in just a few minutes. After that, he and Ning Rongrong signed up for the duo battles.
At Ning Rongrong's insistence, the two called themselves the "Seven Treasures Duo" and soon prepared for their second spirit battle.
Their opponents, however, were quite formidable: two beast-type spirit masters known as the "Bear and Panther Duo."
Both opponents were level 28. One had the Earth Demon Bear spirit and was named Li Meng. The other had the Black Panther spirit and was named Wang Bao. One was a power-type attacker, the other a speed-type, making them one of the best offensive pairs in duo battles. They had an impressive record of 21 wins and 4 losses.
The others in the stands looked a bit tense. As spirit masters themselves, they clearly understood what such a pairing meant.
Tang San asked, puzzled, "Mubai, what do you think Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong's chances are?"
Dai Mubai shook his head. "Not very good. These two have been a pair in the arena for a long time. While their cultivation talent isn't great, they're rich in combat experience. I faced them once when I was a Grandmaster level spirit master, teaming with Oscar, and we lost."
"At that time, they were only level 24, and I was already at level 29, but their coordination was excellent. They covered each other's weaknesses very well."
Tang San thought for a moment and asked, "Yang Xiong already fought once and won easily. He didn't seem to be using his full strength. How much do you think he was holding back?"
Dai Mubai replied, "Not sure. He didn't even use a spirit skill. Maybe the headmaster was right, he's very strong. Among Grandmasters, there probably aren't many who can beat him."
Tang San smiled. "I'd like to fight him too someday, just to see how strong he really is to have earned the headmaster's praise."
On the stage, Yang Xiong said to Ning Rongrong, "Rongrong, don't assist me right away. Focus on keeping yourself safe. I want to test these two's strength."
Ning Rongrong quickly responded, "Are you sure? They're both combat-type spirit masters. Without my support, it's hard to go one against two."
Yang Xiong smiled slightly. "How would we know if we don't try? I could use the pressure."
As the match began, only three people revealed their spirits on the stage. Ning Rongrong had stepped back a few meters, clearly avoiding the fight.
Tang San and Dai Mubai were shocked. "What are they doing? Is Yang Xiong really trying to fight two opponents by himself?"
Dai Mubai's expression turned serious. "Tang San, duo battles are very limiting for support-type spirit masters. Oscar and I lost to them because they both focused on attacking Oscar. I had to use most of my energy protecting him. Otherwise, in terms of raw power, they're not even close to my level."
The Bear and Panther Duo were clearly experienced and even sneered, "That little girl isn't going to assist you? Bringing a support-type to a duo battle is such an insult."
Yang Xiong smirked. "I don't need any support to deal with you. Let's see how long you can last against me."
As the match officially began, the Bear and Panther Duo moved quickly. Li Meng's body rapidly expanded, growing to over two meters with bulging muscles, and charged at Yang Xiong. Wang Bao moved like a real black panther, fast and agile, and headed straight for Ning Rongrong.
Seeing both opponents attack, especially the Earth Demon Bear's massive paw swinging toward him, Yang Xiong threw a punch imbued with silvery spirit energy. But unexpectedly, he used the force of Li Meng's charge to retreat quickly, running toward Ning Rongrong even faster than Wang Bao.
Just as Wang Bao was about to strike Ning Rongrong, Yang Xiong suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking the panther-like claws with a swift knife-hand strike.
Yang Xiong shouted, "Rongrong, run! Are you planning to die just standing there?"
Ning Rongrong, clearly new to the battlefield, was stunned but quickly snapped out of it and ran to the side.
Wang Bao had planned to quickly take down the support-type spirit master and attacked Yang Xiong, trying to rush past him. Li Meng was also charging toward Ning Rongrong. This was a classic tactic: target the support first, overwhelm their protector. Even powerful Grandmasters would struggle to defend a support-type partner in such a situation.
Yang Xiong reacted instantly. His hands moved like claws and grabbed at Wang Bao, showing speed even faster than his opponent's.
Although Wang Bao was fast, his defense was lacking. Facing someone faster than him threw him off balance.
What stood out most was Yang Xiong's ability to focus on two things at once, attacking Wang Bao with full force while keeping an eye on Ning Rongrong, ready to help her at any moment.
Despite this, their coordination as a team seemed rather clumsy at the moment.
In the audience, Dai Mubai shook his head. "The Bear and Panther Duo have excellent synergy. That's how they defeated me and Oscar. Looks like Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong are in trouble."
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