I have added this story to my Patreon. You can support me and read the 40 latest and advanced chapters there. It also fed and motivate me to write more chapters!
Link: Patreon.com/AVRKingsTL
—------------------—
At the same time, Xuan Ming fell from the spatial vortex. He could have landed steadily on the ground, but Gu Yuena, with her quick eyes and hands, directly stepped forward and caught him in her arms.
"Are you alright?"
Xuan Ming was slightly startled. Feeling the faint warmth from Gu Yuena's body and that familiar aura, his expression became a little unnatural. "You've held me before?"
Gu Yuena lowered her head, her purple eyes staring directly at Xuan Ming. She gently shook her head, then nodded, her voice soft but with a hint of panic: "No… not really?"
Xuan Ming remained silent, then asked in his mind: "Ice, you didn't do anything to me, did you?"
During the half-year he spent at the Lake of Life, a long period was spent in a coma. He was knocked unconscious by Di Tian, and due to extreme physical and mental fatigue, he had no consciousness at all.
But his body was not unfamiliar with this current feeling.
Clearly, this Gu Yuena had held him before, and more than once!
"Little brother, are you doubting me?" Ice Dragon King said strangely.
"…" Xuan Ming.
"Am I not worth your suspicion?"
"I'm hurt, I'm not talking to you anymore." Ice Dragon King's voice disappeared as if she was throwing a tantrum.
But Xuan Ming could feel Ice Dragon King's extreme guilt at this moment!
Ice Dragon King's temper was to make a fuss for no reason and be unforgiving when in the right!
If this elder sister were truly angry, she would definitely explain everything to him word by word until he admitted his mistake and appeased her!
But if she suddenly went silent like this, throwing a tantrum, it must be because she was in the wrong and ran away!
"Um… have you two hugged enough?"
Ning Rongrong and her group looked at Gu Yuena and Xuan Ming, who had been motionless for a long time, with strange expressions.
Xuan Ming came back to his senses and looked at Gu Yuena, who was still staring blankly at him. "Put me down."
"Mhm." Gu Yuena nodded gently, slowly released her hands, and placed Xuan Ming on the ground.
"For the upcoming matches, I basically won't be making a move. You all discuss and strategize," Xuan Ming said.
Dugu Yan nodded, "But we still lack a main attack system in our lineup."
Although her poison was powerful, its use was greatly restricted in such competitions. And while Xiao Wu was an attack system, her strength was insufficient to deal with explosive attack system Spirit Masters like Yu Tianheng, who possessed super strength.
Xuan Ming looked at Gu Yuena, "Can you cooperate with them? You don't need to use your full power, just treat yourself as a Spirit Ancestor."
Gu Yuena thought for a moment, then nodded slightly, "I can."
"Then let's go to the training ground later to get some practice in," Xuan Ming said.
"For the later matches, unless there's a special situation, I won't make a move. You all will fight. Since it's a team match, don't try to be a lone star."
In the evening, at Tiandou Royal Academy, on the back mountain training ground.
The warm light of the setting sun outlined the training ground with a soft golden edge. Everyone had just finished an intense team battle simulation. Although they were all a little out of breath, their eyes were still focused on Xuan Ming and Gu Yuena, who were fiercely clashing in the center of the field.
Each collision between the Blood Spear and the Silver Dragon Spear erupted in deafening roars, and the spirit power sparks that splashed out were like dazzling fireworks, blooming freely under the setting sun.
The surrounding air was stirred by this powerful force, forming gusts of wind that made everyone's clothes flap wildly and their hair fly freely.
Xuan Ming's offensive was as fierce as ever, but Gu Yuena's expression was calm. The Silver Dragon Spear in her hand was like an agile silver snake, dancing lightly, skillfully deflecting each of Xuan Ming's attacks.
Her footsteps were light, her figure graceful, moving freely under the Blood Spear's attacks, as if performing a beautiful dance. The Silver Dragon Spear emitted a soft silver light, contrasting sharply with the dark red light of the Blood Spear.
"She… she's too fierce, isn't she?" Dugu Yan's expression was extremely colorful.
Originally, it was Xuan Ming fighting the six of them, but as they fought, Xuan Ming's attacks became heavier and heavier. They couldn't withstand it, so it turned into a one-on-one between Xuan Ming and Gu Yuena.
In all these years, this was the first time she had seen a peer who could fight Xuan Ming like this!
And Xuan Ming wasn't holding back!
"Ice, why do I feel like she understands me so well?"
Xuan Ming, who appeared evenly matched but was actually subtly suppressed, was a little speechless.
Gu Yuena knew all his attacks and moves like the back of her hand!
She could even anticipate them!
Even if the Silver Dragon King had been watching him in the shadows during his time in the Lake of Life, it would be absolutely impossible for her to understand him to this extent!
"Huh? Is that so? Maybe it's your imagination?" Ice Dragon King sounded a little guilty.
"Are you sure?" Xuan Ming hesitated to speak.
This was more than just understanding!
Many of her moves were identical to his!
He even had the illusion that he was fighting himself!
And just as Xuan Ming was momentarily distracted, the Silver Dragon Spear suddenly transformed into a silver lightning bolt, striking towards Xuan Ming's chest.
"Be careful!"
Xuan Ming snapped back to attention and quickly dodged. The Silver Dragon Spear grazed his shoulder, leaving a shallow wound.
Gu Yuena's expression changed slightly. She quickly retracted the Silver Dragon Spear, approached, and looked at Xuan Ming anxiously, "Are you alright?"
Xuan Ming shook his head, "I'm fine."
As he spoke, the wound on his shoulder had already disappeared under the powerful recovery ability of the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone.
"Are you all rested?" Xuan Ming looked at the stunned Dugu Yan and her group.
"If you're rested, let's continue."
Dugu Yan's eyelid twitched slightly, "With the way you two are fighting, we… can't really get involved, can we?"
A clash between two top Spirit Emperors!
Were they, these little rookies, supposed to join in and mess things up?
Xuan Ming looked at Gu Yuena, "Use the initial fighting style. You suppress yourself to the Spirit Ancestor level and cooperate with them. During the competition, you also maintain the Spirit Ancestor state and do not expose your Spirit Emperor cultivation."
This current farce was aimed at him. He didn't know what the Silver Dragon King wanted to do, but if a genius like Gu Yuena was exposed, it would make the subsequent events even more complicated.
Gu Yuena nodded, "I understand."
While Xuan Ming and his group were undergoing training, all Spirit Master academies had also completed the first round of preliminaries and were preparing to begin the second round.
"Canghui Academy?"
Upon entering the lounge area, Xue Qinghe stepped forward and introduced their opponent for the day.
"Are they very strong?"
Listening to Xue Qinghe's emphatic warnings, Dugu Yan was a little confused.
Within the Taindou Empire competition zone, aside from the Five Element Academies, there didn't seem to be anyone who could pose a threat to their team, right?
"Not strong, but special," Xue Qinghe said.
"I've received some information, but it's not yet confirmed. Be careful."
"Especially you." Xue Qinghe looked at Xuan Ming.
"Don't act recklessly."
Xuan Ming frowned slightly, vaguely guessing something, but he didn't say much.
The twenty-eight teams were divided into three groups. The Royal Fighting Team was in the first group to play. As the representative team of Taindou Royal Academy, their match was still arranged on the central main stage.
On the competition stage, the matches on the five arenas began simultaneously with the referee's announcement.
What the audience loved to see most was all the Spirit Masters releasing their Spirits at the very beginning, the appearance of each spirit ring, and the different effects produced by different Spirits. The dazzling brilliance could fully stir the audience's emotions.
At Dugu Yan's call, everyone began to release their Spirits. First was Xiao Wu, with two yellow and one purple. Closely following, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ye Lingling also had four spirit rings rise from their bodies: two yellow and two purple.
Finally, five spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, and one black—slowly rose from Dugu Yan's body. Especially when that black spirit ring appeared, the audience immediately erupted.
"Spirit King?" Salas's expression changed slightly.
"How is this possible?"
Besides the Golden Generation of Spirit Hall, there was actually someone else who could reach the Spirit King realm at this stage?
Seeing Salas's somewhat incredulous look, Emperor Xue Ye smiled and looked at Ning Fengzhi beside him, "School Master Ning, I never expected your sect's little princess to have already reached the Spirit Ancestor realm. Congratulations."
He didn't know much about this temporarily reorganized Royal Fighting Team. The three Education Committee members also didn't know the details. Xue Qinghe only told him there would be a surprise, but he never expected it to be such a surprise.
One Spirit King, three Spirit Ancestors, one Spirit Elder, and Xuan Ming, whose strength was terrifying, comparable to a Spirit Emperor. The last young girl, who came from who knows where, was at least a Spirit Elder. With this configuration, winning the championship should not be difficult.
Ning Fengzhi smiled faintly, "Your Majesty flatters me."
"However, besides Xuan Ming, this team is all girls, and they are all incredibly beautiful," Xue Ye said, looking at Ning Fengzhi with a hint in his words.
Ning Fengzhi was a little embarrassed, only able to respond with a smile.
Seeing this, Xue Ye didn't continue speaking, but instead looked at Xue Qinghe, who was watching from the back row, "However, Qinghe, even if Xuan Ming doesn't plan to make a move, he wouldn't even release his spirit rings, would he?"
"Imperial Father, his spirit rings, I'm afraid everyone will only see them during the finals," Xue Qinghe said.
"The finals? Why?" Xue Ye asked, puzzled.
"It's a way of hiding his strength," Xue Qinghe said.
The fact that Xuan Ming had reached Spirit Emperor was known almost only by the people in this team. Even the three Education Committee members of the academy were unaware of Xuan Ming's true strength.
Regarding the Shrek Academy incident before, most people actually leaned towards the idea that Xuan Ming had a hidden Titled Douluo behind him. At that time, Yu Luomian was also secretly ambushed by that Titled Douluo, and it wasn't Xuan Ming who had that ability.
In the perception of the vast majority of people, Xuan Ming was at most a Spirit Ancestor now, after all, when he left Tiandou City with the Royal Fighting Team two years ago, he had just reached level forty.
Under this premise, some people would definitely have ideas.
Although Xuan Ming said he was just looking to relax, he always felt that this guy had other intentions.
After all, if he truly wanted to relax, why form a team consisting entirely of beautiful young girls, besides himself?
Moreover, anyone with eyes could see that every girl in this team was interested in him!