Yun Yibai launched his attack swiftly—his speed was lightning-fast.
His fist, wrapped in golden lightning, shot toward Lei Keli like a thunderbolt.
Lei Keli's pupils contracted sharply. But he wasn't a pushover—flames surged from his palms as he clashed head-on with Yun Yibai's golden thunder punch.
He was still knocked back.
Yun Yibai followed up immediately.
"First Spirit Ability: Flame Leopard Claw!"
For the next full minute, Lei Keli was completely overwhelmed by Yun Yibai's relentless assault.
"What kind of monster is he? How can he still be in such good condition?! Didn't the previous matches drain anything from him?"
Lei Keli cursed internally. Yun Yibai's performance was far beyond what he had anticipated.
Seeing that Lei Keli's condition had finally deteriorated somewhat, Yun Yibai's fourth spirit ring lit up.
The difference in power wasn't vast enough to end the match instantly. Using a trump card too early would only wear down the opponent and weaken their state, but wouldn't necessarily end the fight outright.
Would you play your strongest card at the very beginning of a hand?
Obviously not.
Like Ultraman, you use smaller skills to chip away first, and only unleash your ultimate move when the opponent is weakened, maximizing damage with percentage-based effects.
"Ten-thousand-year spirit ability?!"
Lei Keli was shocked.
Though he didn't know what Yun Yibai's fourth ability was, his instincts kicked in, and he activated his fourth ability to counter.
"Fourth Spirit Ability: Ice Fang Thunder Dragon Fist!"
"Fourth Spirit Ability: Fire Leopard Meteor!"
Lei Keli's ability was inspired by the White Tiger Meteor Shower technique of the Star Luo Empire's Dai family.
Of course, not all spirit masters in the Fire Leopard Sect modeled their techniques after the Dai family—only a select few chose to absorb similar ring abilities.
A pillar of lightning and ice intertwined, shaped like a dragon's fang, blasted directly toward Lei Keli.
Lei Keli hurled a fireball to intercept it mid-air.
However, the difference in spirit ring quality, spirit power, and innate strength played a significant role here.
Lei Keli's fireball was overwhelmed in seconds.
The icy lightning column surged forward and engulfed his entire body.
"Ahhh!!"
The cold immobilized Lei Keli, limiting his ability to move.
The lightning's paralysis and continuous damage made it nearly impossible for him to control his inner soul power to fight back.
That was when it happened.
"Collapse Fist!"
Yun Yibai appeared behind Lei Keli and launched a thunderous punch that sent him flying off the platform.
The entire match lasted less than three minutes.
Of course, that was just in the context of a tournament.
If it had been a life-or-death battle, it would've ended even more brutally.
But as for the victor…
Roxen:
"In the first round of the ranking matches, the Heaven Dou Empire's Wuji Academy faced the Star Luo Empire's Rock Academy.
Wuji Academy wins."
As he announced this, he gave Yun Yibai a meaningful look, as if to say, Well done.
Yun Yibai's decision to reveal his true strength during the ranking matches was part of his long-term plan.
He had two primary goals for participating in the Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament:
The three spirit bones were awarded by Spirit Hall to the champion team.
To firmly establish Wuji Academy's name across the continent, there's no better advertisement than being crowned champion of this tournament.
The plan was divided into three stages:
Stage One, within the Heaven Dou Empire's territory:
Let Dugu Yan, Feng Xiaotian, Oscar, and others carry the name of Wuji Academy and begin spreading its fame.
Stage Two: The ranking matches, now handled by Yun Yibai himself.
Stage Three: The finals in Spirit City.
The entire Wuji Academy team would rise to claim the championship title.
As for security, there might be ambushes along the way, but within Spirit City, right under Spirit Hall's nose, things would remain safe.
For Bibi Dong to achieve her ambitions, a strong reputation and public recognition were essential.
The battle between Wuji Academy and Rock Academy made a stunning first impression on everyone present.
One versus seven.
Such a performance was rare in the Elite Tournament.
Of course, that was largely because most teams in the tournament lacked high-level Soul Ancestors or Soul Kings among the younger generation.
If Spirit Hall's team were to join the early rounds, it would be nothing short of a massacre.
"Teacher, this situation turned out very differently from what I expected…"
"I thought I had figured out the truth—but it turns out what we anticipated wasn't even close."
"Perhaps to him… There was never any need to hide his power from people like us."
Xue Qinghe's voice was calm, but her heart was anything but.
If she hadn't been hiding her true identity, she would never have remained so composed.
She felt... offended.
It was as if she'd been acting like a fool in front of Yun Yibai, proud of herself while he had been quietly watching the whole time, mocking her from behind that serene gaze.
She now realized that the final look Yun Yibai gave her a few days ago had carried subtle contempt and ridicule.
"Qinghe, don't let this trouble you."
"From another perspective, an eighteen-year-old Soul King with a ten-thousand-year fourth ring… this kind of genius belongs not just to the Heaven Dou Empire—but he's someone even Spirit Hall would never be able to steal away."
Ning Fengzhi smiled gently, adjusting his glasses before continuing:
"To be honest, Yun Yibai's level of genius is something rarely seen in the world."
"Even Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Sect might not compare."
"Even I have never personally witnessed, nor heard of, a soul master absorbing a ten-thousand-year spirit ring at the fourth ring."
"The last time I heard about someone pushing the limit like that… it was Tang San, Tang Hao's son from Shrek Academy."
"His third ring was two thousand years; his fourth was eight thousand years."
"But compared to Wuji Academy's Yun Yibai… It's like a candle to the sun."
"Qinghe, I must say—your judgment is excellent. But for now, our true concern is Spirit Hall…"
His eyes shimmered meaningfully.
Giant Sword Mountain Marketplace
Located on the border between the two great empires, this region was a neutral, lawless zone—and that made it a hotspot for merchants operating outside of regulation.
Thus, the so-called Giant Sword Mountain Marketplace became known as a black market.
Shady goods, illicit deals—anything that couldn't be openly traded was brought here.
As the scale of black market trade grew, so too did the profits, so much so that both empires turned their eyes toward it.
But when Spirit Hall got involved, neither empire could maintain their grip.
Eventually, they both backed off—yet due to their presence, Spirit Hall also failed to fully take control.
This neutral territory became a treasure trove of rare and exotic items from across the continent:
Legendary weapons
Priceless herbs
Exquisite gemstones
All could potentially be found here.
Of course, most of what was sold in this black market was cheap imitation junk.
But what made this market truly famous across the continent… was one particular event:
A Soul Bone Deal.
A true, dreamlike soul bone transaction had once taken place here—something every spirit master dreamed of.
(Author's Note: The Author changed some details about Dugu Yan earlier regarding the head soul bone. As we get to this black market, the Author suddenly had a flash of inspiration—new ideas for the head bone plotline.)