When Cloud · Sun Qi first enrolled, he was at level twenty-nine. Soon after, he broke through to level thirty. With Director Tian's help, he waited for Shui Yuntian to find time to help him hunt for his third spirit ring.
After obtaining his third spirit ring, the gap in spirit power between Sun Qi and Feng Xiaotian narrowed, allowing him to suppress Feng Xiaotian.
It was precisely because of this pressure that Feng Xiaotian began to diligently cultivate his spirit power.
In one year, Feng Xiaotian broke through from level thirty-six to level forty.
Becoming a Spirit Ancestor and gaining a spirit power advantage, Feng Xiaotian once again suppressed Sun Qi in combat, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
However, with Sun Qi chasing him, he dared not be negligent in the slightest, completely abandoning the idea of creating his own Spirit Ability and focusing solely on cultivating his spirit power.
Of course, due to his experience with self-created Spirit Abilities, he had a profound foundation in Spirit Abilities. Even with his fourth Spirit Ability being an attack system Spirit Ability, his strength was no less than in the original work.
"Lao Tian, that's impressive. Feng Xiaotian has actually broken through to level forty."
Director Tian was currently conversing with Teacher Yan of the Blazing Fire Team.
Hearing Teacher Yan's words, Director Tian's face lit up with a brilliant smile.
"He's finally turned over a new leaf. With his talent, if he hadn't wasted energy on self-created Spirit Abilities, he might have had a chance to challenge the Spirit King rank."
"Alas, my Blazing Fire Team still doesn't have a Spirit Ancestor who can stand alone. I hope this exchange can give Huo Wu some pressure and provide her with an opportunity."
Huo Wu had just broken through to level thirty-nine, just one step away from reaching level forty.
Teacher Yan placed great importance on this exchange match.
"Pressure?"
Director Tian chuckled.
"Don't worry, there will definitely be pressure. It's just that, Lao Yan, you'll need to be mentally prepared and do a good job of counseling Huo Wu."
Teacher Yan showed a puzzled expression.
"Lao Tian, what mischief are you brewing?"
"You'll know when the match begins."
Ten minutes later.
Director Tian walked to the referee's position.
"This exchange match is preparation for the Spirit Master Tournament one year from now. The teams from the two academies will clash in advance, each identifying their own shortcomings.
This is the goal of this exchange match."
"The exchange match will adopt the three formats of the Spirit MasterTournament: the seven-on-seven team battle, the individual elimination match, and the two-two-three team match."
"The team battle, as the name suggests, is a seven-person battle. In the individual elimination match, each side selects one member to go on stage. The winner continues, the loser leaves, until one team's seven members are defeated. The two-two-three team match arranges contestants in the order of two, two, and three people, with the team winning two matches being victorious."
After a brief introduction to the rules, Director Tian announced the start of the match.
"First, we will proceed with the individual elimination match."
"Team captains, remember, the goal of this exchange match is to identify deficiencies and make sure every contestant gets to experience it as much as possible."
To put it plainly, it was to let the weaker ones go first, so they would all feel the pressure and thus make greater progress in the coming year.
"Ma Yuan, you're up."
Before Sun Qi joined the team, the lowest spirit power levels in the team belonged to Feinao and Ma Yuan, both at level twenty-seven.
Feinao's Spirit could fly, so he felt less pressure than Ma Yuan.
However, Sun Qi could also fly, which greatly overshadowed Feinao's advantage. Sun Qi took his flying position, and with Feng Xiaotian also possessing the ability to fly, Feinao's role was further compressed.
Thus, Feinao was naturally eliminated from the official team.
Of course, this was only for this exchange match.
In actual competitions, a substitute would be chosen from the remaining Spirit Elder contestants, not simply the one with the lowest spirit power.
Feinao's role in this exchange match was limited, so Director Tian made him a substitute.
The Blazing Fire Team sent out a Spirit Master whose Spirit was a Blazing Lion, with a spirit power of level thirty-two, the same level as Ma Yuan.
Both were injured.
Both sides sent out their second person.
The Blazing Fire Team won.
The Shenfeng Team's third person came out and defeated the Blazing Fire Team's second person.
After that, it was alternating eliminations.
Until Sun Qi.
By the time it was Sun Qi's turn, there were only a few members left on both sides.
The only person behind Sun Qi in the Shenfeng Team was Feng Xiaotian, while the Blazing Fire Team still had three people: a Spirit Master with a Blazing Firebird Spirit who had already fought one match and had depleted spirit power.
The Blazing Fire Team's choice of contestants for the individual elimination match was not the seven people Sun Qi knew from the tournament, but rather included substitutes.
Because two of their official members were not suitable for such high-intensity combat, they chose to train two attack system substitute members.
Sun Qi ascended the stage.
Due to his spirit power cultivation, the twelve-year-old Sun Qi was already one meter eighty tall.
However, a trace of youthfulness remained on his face.
So when he stepped onto the stage, the opposing Blazing Firebird Spirit Master was visibly stunned.
He carefully observed Sun Qi, and no matter how he looked, he felt that Sun Qi must be five years younger than him.
Teacher Yan of the Blazing Fire Team asked, "Lao Tian, this kid is too young, isn't he?"
"Haha, Sun Qi may be young, but he's strong. I guarantee he'll give you a surprise."
"Really?"
Teacher Yan showed a surprised expression.
He knew Director Tian's character well, so for him to say that clearly implied some kind of mischievous intent.
"Both sides, prepare."
"Battle start!"
"Blazing Firebird, possess!"
The Blazing Firebird Spirit Master immediately soared into the air.
The depletion of his spirit power made him choose a conservative fighting style.
However, as he ascended, Sun Qi on the opposite side also ascended.
At the same time, three unusual spirit rings rose from Sun Qi's feet.
Yellow, Purple, Purple!
The three abnormal spirit rings shocked the Blazing Firebird Spirit Master's mind.
Not only the Blazing Firebird Spirit Master, but everyone on the Blazing Fire Team was stunned.
Clearly, the news of absorbing spirit rings beyond one's rank had not yet truly spread across the continent.
Currently, the only ones on the continent who truly understood this news were the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Spirit Hall; they had researched it the most deeply.
Next were several forces in Soto City and Shui Yuntian's side.
Did other forces on the continent have news?
There was a little bit of a rumor, but it was incomplete. Some knew that the price of whale glue had been driven up and followed suit, collecting some whale glue. Others knew that a Spirit Master had achieved absorbing spirit rings beyond their rank, but didn't know how it was done.
Blazing Academy belonged to the former.
They had hoarded some whale glue, following the trend, but didn't know its purpose.
"A thousand-year second spirit ring..." Teacher Yan murmured, his gaze unable to leave Sun Qi.
So, that was Lao Tian's trump card?
Blazing Fire Team's preparation area.
Huo Wushuang felt immense pressure.
"Two thousand-year spirit rings, no less than a Spirit Ancestor."
He was only at level thirty-eight now, with only one thousand-year Spirit Ability.
Beside him, Huo Wu looked completely astonished.
"A thousand-year second spirit ring..." The same thousand-year second spirit ring, in different forces, played the same role, shocking the minds and worldviews of Spirit Masters witnessing such a spirit ringcombination for the first time.
However, merely the thousand-year second spirit ring was not the limit of the impact Sun Qi brought to the Blazing Fire Team.
As the Blazing Firebird Spirit Master ascended, Sun Qi's body transformed into a cloud of mist, soaring into the sky.
He transformed into wind and lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he had already rushed in front of the Blazing Firebird Spirit Master, piercing through him.
The Blazing Firebird Spirit Master's consciousness was still lingering on the yellow, purple, purple spirit ring combination when he felt his whole body go numb and lost consciousness.
Bang!
Instant kill.
Sun Qi looked towards the Blazing Fire Team's preparation area.
Next one.