Han Ruoruo slowly ascended the competition stage. Her figure was graceful, and her demeanor was as gentle as water, but at this moment, her soft eyes held an unprecedented solemnity.
She stood still, took a deep breath, and a soft golden light surged from within her, transforming into a seemingly soft yet incredibly tough golden long rope, which slowly moved around her body as if alive—this was her Spirit, "Shaking Gold Rope."
Two yellow, two purple, and two black, a total of six optimally matched spirit rings rose from beneath her feet. A powerful Spirit Emperor aura slowly spread out, drawing gasps from the stands.
A powerhouse at the Spirit Emperor level would clearly make the competition even more exciting.
Her gaze immediately fell upon Kong Ming'an on the opposite side.
She only saw a blood mist emanating from his body. Then, he reached out and gently grabbed, and the spreading blood mist began to converge and condense.
In a short while, a massive and heavy crimson spear appeared, which he planted on the ground beside him.
Immediately after, he gently raised his hand again, and a blood-red longsword, condensed like a blood crystal, was held in his grip. Behind him, several blood Qi chains, almost corporeal, slowly coiled and danced around his body... Han Ruoruo's gaze fell upon the blood Qi chains behind Kong Ming'an. She wondered if it was an illusion, but she always felt that the posture of those chains looked very familiar, just like... her Shaking Gold Rope?
A sense of unease rose in Han Ruoruo's heart.
Could the opponent be imitating her? If so, the opponent's learning and imitation ability were too terrifying.
At this moment, the referee, confirming that both sides were ready, raised his right hand and then sharply brought it down:
"The match begins!"
Almost the instant the words fell, Kong Ming'an moved.
He waved his right hand, and the standing blood Qi spear was already in his grip. He hurled it fiercely towards Han Ruoruo, the sound of it piercing the air sharply!
Han Ruoruo tapped her foot, her body as light as a willow catkin, floating backwards and to the side, narrowly dodging the spear. She then began to distance herself, utilizing the advantage of a control system Spirit Master.
However, after Kong Ming'an threw the spear, he did not, as she expected, use the strange blood mist to conceal himself as before.
Instead, his body leaped onto the spear that was obliquely stuck behind him. The spear shaft bent slightly, and then he shot out!
He wanted to engage her in close combat!
Han Ruoruo showed no carelessness. Her fourth spirit ring on her body lit up, and the coiling Shaking Gold Rope instantly extended, like a golden Spirit snake, cunningly wrapping around Kong Ming'an, attempting to restrict his movements.
And at this very moment, the blood Qi chains coiling around Kong Ming'an's body also moved!
They seemed to have come alive, moving with a speed and flexibility no less than the Shaking Gold Rope, directly targeting Han Ruoruo, who was protected by the Shaking Gold Rope.
He really is imitating me... Han Ruoruo's eyes were solemn. The opponent's manipulation of these blood Qi chains was more refined and fluid than in previous matches!
She seemed... to have been treated as a sparring partner?
Han Ruoruo frowned, her fifth spirit ring suddenly lighting up. She intended to use a stronger control Spirit Ability to block the chains that were attacking her first.
But the moment the Shaking Gold Rope entangled with the chains, those chains seemed to receive some command, abruptly abandoning their original target of her, and then wrapped around her Spirit with even greater speed!
His target is my Spirit?!
Han Ruoruo reacted instantly, subconsciously wanting to retract her Spirit, but... it was too late.
"Buzz—!"
A strange, extremely uncomfortable sense of stagnation instantly transmitted through her Spirit.
She felt as if the connection between herself and the Shaking Gold Rope had been covered with a thick layer of grease. The flow of spirit power became somewhat difficult, and the movements of her Spirit began to become sluggish.
The opponent's strange ability was not only effective against the Spirit Master's body and spirit power, but could even affect and seal the Spirit itself?!
As this thought flashed, a huge, irresistible pulling force suddenly came from the Shaking Gold Rope!
Kong Ming'an's blood Qi chains tightly wrapped around her Spirit, pulling it back sharply!
Han Ruoruo exclaimed, her body uncontrollably staggering forward!
And at the same time she was pulled over, Kong Ming'an moved again.
He exerted force with his feet, and the ground trembled slightly. His entire body shot out like an arrow released from a bowstring. A distance of several tens of meters seemed to not exist, instantly covered by this single leap!
Han Ruoruo only felt a blur before her eyes, and that handsome yet calm face was already within reach!
At the same time, the tip of that blood Qi longsword, emanating a heart-stopping aura, was already aimed at her heart.
The cold touch and the deadly sense of threat made all the blood in her body seem to freeze instantly!
All thoughts came to an abrupt halt, and then the next moment,
"I surrender!"
Almost instinctively, Han Ruoruo shouted these three words with all her might, her voice carrying an imperceptible tremor.
The tip of the sword against her heart suddenly stopped, and the terrifying sense of stagnation transmitted through her Spirit also stopped intensifying. Although it still existed, it at least no longer worsened, roughly retaining seventy percent of its original effect.
A sense of relief at having escaped death surged into her heart. Han Ruoruo instinctively gasped slightly, only to meet Kong Ming'an's calm, unruffled black eyes.
At this moment, she seemed to see a hint of... helplessness and regret in his eyes?
It was as if he regretted that she surrendered too quickly, preventing him from completing the final test.
She couldn't help but feel a bit of relief, at least the opponent strictly adhered to the competition rules. Otherwise, she might not even be able to participate in the subsequent matches.
However, more than that, there was a heavy sense of powerlessness.
She still hadn't found any effective method to counter the opponent's strange ability.
Slowly retracting her somewhat dimmed Shaking Gold Rope, she nodded slightly to Kong Ming'an, her voice a bit dry:
"Thank you... for showing mercy." After speaking, she turned and walked down the competition stage, her steps slightly heavy.
A moment later, Shrek's Team Leader Teacher confirmed with the referee that Shrek conceded the individual match, and the Sun Moon Team won... In Shrek's resting area,
At this moment, the atmosphere here was terribly oppressive.
Han Ruoruo sat in the resting area, her face slightly pale, but she still gathered her Spirits and quickly recounted her feelings and discoveries from just now.
She particularly emphasized that the opponent's ability was also effective against Spirits, as well as his terrifying learning and evolution speed.
Everyone's expressions became incredibly grim, and the last shred of their lucky psychology was completely shattered.
All three individual matches were lost, and the longest battle didn't even last three minutes; all were swift defeats.
This was almost a humiliating record that Shrek had never experienced since participating in the competition!
The joy and relaxed atmosphere accumulated from continuous victories were completely gone, replaced by immense pressure and confusion.
The Team Leader Teacher's face was grim.
He had originally thought that Shrek would defend its championship this year, as in previous years, continuing Shrek's glory.
But... why did it feel like something bad was going to happen!
The Team Leader Teacher could already imagine the scene of failing this competition and then being held accountable by the higher-ups upon returning...