NOVEL NEXT Chapter 94: Chapter 94: Bullying the Weak?
"Brother Shaoyu, you're here!" Xu Xiaoyan called out happily.
"Sit here." Gu Yue pointed at the empty seat between her and Xu Xiaoyan, her face expressionless.
Jing Shaoyu sat down, casually placing his arms on the back of both Xu Xiaoyan and Gu Yue's chairs, making it appear as if he had his arms around them. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie exchanged whispers behind him, their faces filled with admiration.
"Gu Yue, who's your opponent today? I hope it's not me," Jing Shaoyu teased.
"It's not," Gu Yue replied flatly.
"Hehe, Brother Shaoyu, Sister Gu Yue's opponent today is a guy from Hailu Academy named Wang Dongqi. He's a Soul Elder," Xu Xiaoyan informed Jing Shaoyu with a smile.
"Hailu Academy's Wang Dongqi?" Jing Shaoyu raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. Isn't he the one participating in the three-person team tournament alongside Zhou Tian'er and Zhou Hanyou?
"And Brother Shaoyu, I know who your opponent is too!" Xu Xiaoyan said with pride. "Your opponent today is Ma Guocheng from Linghai Academy, a Great Soul Master with a spirit-based martial soul."
"Linghai Academy, huh?" Jing Shaoyu already knew his opponent, but he remarked with a sigh, "Looks like we've encountered nearly all five of the major academies of the Tianhai Alliance."
"Mhm!" Xu Xiaoyan nodded enthusiastically, counting on her fingers. "In the second round, Brother Shaoyu defeated Zhou Tian from Tianhai Academy, in the third round, Zhou Tian'er from Hailu Academy, in the fourth round, Wu Bai from Tianhai Academy, and next will be Ma Guocheng from Linghai Academy. Hehe, Brother Shaoyu, you're amazing!"
"Plus, Gu Yue took down Xie Xie—looks like we've accomplished a clean sweep of the five major academies," Tang Wulin said with a grin from behind.
"Haha, well then, shouldn't you thank me?" Xie Xie rolled his eyes, grabbing Tang Wulin by the neck playfully. "Say 'Thank you, Xie Xie,' or else I won't hold back!"
"Aah! Help! He's trying to kill me!" Tang Wulin cried out dramatically.
The three sitting in the front couldn't help but smile at the playful antics behind them.
Not long after, it was time for Jing Shaoyu's match. With a relaxed smile, he walked toward the stage, every step measured and unhurried. Almost all eyes in the crowd were on him—after his incredible performances in the previous rounds, there wasn't a spectator who didn't recognize him.
By contrast, his opponent seemed unremarkable, a young boy with an average appearance. His only notable feature was his eyes, which were bright and clear, a trait common among Spirit-type Soul Masters.
Ma Guocheng, a sixth-year student from Linghai Academy's intermediate division, fifteen years old, Level 29 Control-type Great Soul Master, with the Golden Spirit Monkey as his martial soul.
He looked at Jing Shaoyu with a mixture of awe and dread, inwardly lamenting his luck. Why did he have to face such a formidable opponent in the round of sixteen? How was he supposed to stand a chance?
"Begin!" the referee declared.
Ma Guocheng immediately released his martial soul. Golden fur sprouted on his body, his eyes turned a pale gold, and his posture became monkey-like, exuding a nimble, mischievous aura. Two yellow soul rings rose from his feet and floated above his head, complementing his golden fur.
"Take this!" he shouted, activating his first soul ring. His eyes emitted a dazzling golden light as a wave of invisible mental energy surged toward Jing Shaoyu.
Jing Shaoyu remained motionless, holding his Star Staff with a calm, composed stance, making Ma Guocheng grit his teeth. Is he underestimating me? he thought.
In frustration, Ma Guocheng immediately activated his second soul ring, creating a golden arrow with mysterious energy radiating from it. With a flick of his hands, he sent the arrow flying right behind the mental wave toward Jing Shaoyu.
As the mental wave neared Jing Shaoyu, he felt no pressure at all. Between his brows, a mystical vertical eye opened slowly, its irises in a mesmerizing pattern of gold, silver, and purple, effortlessly absorbing the incoming mental energy.
The Eye of Dao.
Ma Guocheng's golden arrow soon followed, but Jing Shaoyu kept his eyes closed, relying solely on his Eye of Dao, its three-colored irises spinning subtly as he channeled his significant mental power to draw in the arrow. The golden arrow was drawn into his mental sea, instantly trapped in a whirlpool of mental energy.
Jing Shaoyu didn't budge an inch.
Seeing Jing Shaoyu's eyes closed, Ma Guocheng's face lit up with delight. In his perspective, Jing Shaoyu had been hit by his second soul skill and was struggling to stabilize his mental state. Ma Guocheng was confident in his soul skill; although Jing Shaoyu was a Soul Elder, Ma Guocheng's mental power was at the peak of the Spirit Connection realm, higher than any of his peers.
With confidence surging, Ma Guocheng took a step forward, planning to finish Jing Shaoyu off and gain fame by defeating this prodigious opponent.
But as he took that step, Jing Shaoyu's Eye of Dao opened, and a burst of mental energy shot out at lightning speed, reaching Ma Guocheng before he could react and striking his mental sea directly.
Ma Guocheng's body froze, a trickle of blood slipping from the corner of his mouth, and he collapsed onto the ground.
"What happened?" The referee rushed to Ma Guocheng's side and, relieved to find he was still breathing, quickly assessed him. After a brief check, he wore a strange expression.
The referee laid Ma Guocheng back down and stood up, announcing, "The winner is Jing Shaoyu from East Sea Academy!"
"???"
The crowd erupted in confusion. The match just started—how did it end already? All he did was release his martial soul and take one step forward, and suddenly he's on the ground? Was he so terrified of Jing Shaoyu that he fainted? How embarrassing for Tianhai City!
The audience began discussing the strange outcome.
In one of the private boxes, Long Huantian, the principal of Tianhai Academy's intermediate division, wore a dark expression. As a Soul Emperor and Ma Guocheng's principal and homeroom teacher, he immediately understood what had happened. Ma Guocheng's attack had backfired due to Jing Shaoyu's powerful mental defenses. Not only was Jing Shaoyu at the Soul Elder level, but his mental power was also at the peak of the Spirit Connection realm—a truly monstrous talent.
Listening to the murmurings from the crowd, Long Huantian grew more frustrated, and without hesitation, he left the box and headed toward the arena.
His sudden move caught the attention of the other powerful figures present. Zhang Leipeng, Xie Xueyun, Xu Le, and Long Hengxu, all academy representatives, stood up, their gazes wary. Is Principal Long about to bully a kid? How thrilling!
In an unnoticed corner of the stands, a wave of cold energy dissipated, and in an instant, Mu Laosheng appeared on the stage, even faster than Long Huantian. He stood there without expression, but the chill he radiated made the referee shiver.
Fortunately, Long Huantian did nothing drastic. He merely retrieved Ma Guocheng from the arena; leaving him there would tarnish Tianhai Academy's reputation.
However, Long Huantian was taken aback when he saw the young man in white standing protectively behind Jing Shaoyu. He couldn't gauge this man's strength and felt a hint of fear at the icy aura he emanated. Nodding to Mu Laosheng, Long Huantian lifted Ma Guocheng and exited the arena.
After Long Huantian left, Mu Laosheng also departed silently.
Jing Shaoyu shrugged and walked off the stage as well.
This brief incident shifted the atmosphere in the stadium; the audience's focus turned from the match to the unexpected appearance of Mu Laosheng and Long Huantian, with many expressing regret at missing a true showdown.
Long Huantian's attempt
to shift attention from Ma Guocheng's loss was effective; no one discussed him any further.
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