Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
For every 5 Patreon memberships I receive, I'll release 15 chapters all at once. Your support means a lot to me.
******
Su Wen's words were arrogant to the extreme, yet at this moment, no one in the audience found them out of place.
In fact, not a single person thought Su Wen was being careless. With two ten-thousand-year spirit abilities at his disposal, bolstered by a crushing gap in Spirit Power, the Shrek side simply stood no chance. Following Su Wen's declaration, Ning Rongrong and the other five teammates dutifully retreated to the very edge of the arena, making it clear they would not interfere.
What followed was the most absurd scene in the history of the Continental Spirit Master Tournament. Even in the original history of the tournament—during the first battle of the Spirit Hall's "Golden Generation"—nothing quite this ridiculous had ever occurred.
In the spectator stands, the faces of the three members of the Golden Generation had turned a shade of grim so dark they looked ready to boil over. Su Wen was being far too flamboyant. With this kind of display, their own carefully laid plans to dominate the spotlight would be completely overshadowed.
They had expected this tournament to be their "coronation" battle—where three Spirit Kings would be etched into the history books, securing victory for Spirit Hall with an invincible aura. Instead, a wildcard like Su Wen had crashed the party. Even if Su Wen's teammates were useless, and even if Spirit Hall ultimately claimed the championship trophy, Su Wen had already completely suppressed the three of them in terms of raw individual talent.
Even if they won the three Spirit Bones as rewards, they wouldn't be the ones talked about as the legends of the next five years. That title would belong solely to Su Wen.
"Go!" Tang San barked through gritted teeth.
Even if Su Wen's rank was unexpected, even if his spirit rings defied logic, they had to try. Shrek Academy couldn't afford the humiliation of a direct surrender!
Tang San instantly unleashed his Eight Spider Lances. The eight wicked protrusions combined with his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track made him appear like a spectral blur. His figure flickered across the arena, leaving behind a trail of afterimages that made it impossible for most to pinpoint his actual location.
However, to Su Wen, this meant nothing. Even without activating his Phantom Spirit Eye, he could track the movements clearly. With the eye active, Su Wen could even see the flow of Tang San's spirit power, allowing him to predict the very next step of the Ghost Shadow track.
Beside him, Dai Mubai underwent his Martial Soul Possession. Already tall and imposing, his body expanded further, his shirt tearing apart to reveal a barrel-like chest of hardened muscle.
A shrill phoenix cry pierced the air as Ma Hongjun spat out a gout of Phoenix Flame. However, instead of aiming for Su Wen, the fire veered toward the six teammates standing at the back.
Su Wen's brows furrowed. With a flick of his right hand, a fireball condensed out of thin air, intercepting the Phoenix Fire Wire mid-flight.
BOOM!
The battle had officially begun.
"I told you, those six aren't participating. Why must you target them?" Su Wen sighed helplessly. In the blink of an eye, he vanished and reappeared directly in front of the fat youth.
In Su Wen's palm, a swirling sphere of flames—a Fire Rasengan—began to condense. He pressed it forward toward Ma Hongjun. The sphere instantly expanded from the size of a human head into a massive orb of rotating fire that completely engulfed Ma Hongjun's field of vision.
BOOM!
Ma Hongjun's pupils dilated. Before he could even register what was happening, he was sent flying by the explosion. The sphere didn't just explode; it released rotating blades of wind and fire. Even with the protection of his Evil Fire Phoenix, Ma Hongjun was left riddled with cuts and burns.
Most terrifyingly, the wounds on his body were wreathed in persistent, ominous flames. A searing sensation refused to fade, eating away at his vitality. Though he didn't fall off the stage, the injuries were severe enough that he collapsed, unable to stand back up.
Su Wen vanished again, returning to his original starting position.
"My apologies. That fat fellow was acting without honor, so I had to give him a little lesson. If the rest of you still want a fair fight—seven against one—I can give you time to treat him."
Ma Hongjun was experiencing the true agony of being burned for the first time. His face was contorted in pain; the flames clinging to his wounds were far more potent than his own Phoenix fire, causing continuous secondary damage.
Tang San glanced at the wounds and his expression changed. "Fire poison!"
The flames were powerful enough to leave a lingering toxic heat within the enemy's body. Or perhaps, the fire itself was infused with toxin before it was even released?
Oscar stared intently at Su Wen's every movement, terrified that the youth would "cut" him next, as supports were always the primary targets. Seeing that Su Wen remained stationary, Oscar's first spirit ring flashed, and a thick, savory sausage appeared in his hand. He tossed it to Ma Hongjun.
Ma Hongjun swallowed the sausage in one gulp. His twisted expression gradually smoothed out, and he struggled to his feet. However, the look he cast toward Su Wen was now filled with pure dread.
"Teleportation!" he croaked.
It was a spatial ability just like Xiao Wu's, but it seemed infinitely more powerful. Su Wen had crossed a massive distance and returned instantly. There seemed to be no cooldown—or if there was, it was less than a second. That was a terrifying prospect.
"How are they supposed to fight this?" a spectator muttered in shock. Even seven against one felt like an impossible task.
In the Spirit Hall section, the members of the main team began to frown. Against Shrek, Su Wen could afford to be generous and give them a chance. But if he faced the Spirit Hall team, he could use that spatial movement to carry out precise, point-to-point assassinations. Unless the seven of them stayed huddled in a tight circle—which would cripple their mobility—Su Wen would simply pick them off one by one.
"Ridiculous," Hu Liena whispered. This wasn't her first time being shocked today, but her alluring eyes held more than just surprise—there was a deepening curiosity. She wanted to know exactly how he had achieved this.
Up on the VIP stands, Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly, a look of gratification on his face.
While others saw Su Wen's behavior as mere posturing or "showing off," Ning Fengzhi could see the underlying strategic purpose. Su Wen was issuing a warning. By demonstrating spatial translocation, he was showing everyone that he possessed peerless survival capabilities.
He was effectively telling the world: Don't bother trying to hunt me.
And as it turned out, the deterrent was working. The news that Su Wen possessed spirit bones had been leaked by Tang Hao and Tang San back in Heaven Dou City. As the finals progressed and information was gathered, any Spirit Master with a decent background knew Su Wen was a walking treasure chest. Under such circumstances, it was inevitable that some would harbor dark intentions.
But a combination of high-tier survival skills, the backing of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the support of the Heaven Dou Crown Prince, and that monstrous potential... almost no one dared to actually act on those greedy thoughts now.
However, within the Star Luo Imperial Team, there was one exception. And that exception's reaction was becoming increasingly conspicuous.
Standing on the arena, Su Wen actively triggered his Phantom Spirit Eye to sense threats. He could feel the waves of malice from the crowd slowly dissipating into wariness, yet one sharp, intense threat remained focused squarely on him.
The Phantom Spirit Eye usually provided a passive warning during life-threatening crises, but with his recent development, he could now actively sense general hostility. Even if it wasn't a "fatal" threat yet, he could feel it simmering.
(End of Chapter)