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Han Ruoruo slowly ascended the stairs to 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 in the center of the ring and took a deep breath.
A soft golden light surged from within her body, transforming into a seemingly soft yet incredibly tough golden long rope. The rope moved slowly around her body as if it were a living creature. This was her Spirit, the Shaking Gold Rope.
Soon, six optimally matched spirit rings rose from beneath her feet: two yellow, two purple, and two black. As a Spirit Emperor, her powerful aura slowly spread across the stage, drawing loud gasps from the people in the stands.
The audience was excited, knowing that a powerhouse at the Spirit Emperor level would clearly make the competition even more thrilling to watch. Her gaze immediately fell upon Kong Mingan on the opposite side of the stage.
She saw a thick blood mist emanating from his body. Then, he reached out and gently grabbed the air. The spreading blood mist began to converge and condense right before her eyes. In a short while, a massive and heavy crimson spear appeared in his hand, which he then planted firmly on the ground beside him.
Immediately after, he raised his hand again, and a blood-red longsword, condensed like a blood crystal, appeared in his grip. Behind him, several blood Qi chains, which looked almost solid, slowly coiled and danced around his body like snakes.
Han Ruoruo's gaze fell upon those blood Qi chains. She wondered if it was just an illusion, but she felt that the way those chains moved looked very familiar. They looked just like her Shaking Gold Rope. A sense of unease rose in Han Ruoruo's heart.
She wondered if the opponent was actually imitating her. If that was true, then his ability to learn and imitate his enemies was far too terrifying. At this moment, the referee confirmed that both sides were ready. He raised his right hand and then sharply brought it down.
The match begins!
Almost the instant the words were spoken, Kong Mingan moved. He waved his right hand, and the heavy blood Qi spear was already in his grip. He hurled it fiercely towards Han Ruoruo, and the weapon pierced the air with a sharp whistling sound.
Han Ruoruo tapped her foot against the stage, her body as light as a willow catkin. She floated backwards and to the side, narrowly dodging the heavy spear. She then began to move further away, trying to utilize her advantage as a control system Spirit Master.
However, after Kong Mingan threw the spear, he did not use the strange blood mist to hide himself like he had in the previous matches. Instead, he leaped onto the spear that was now stuck in the ground behind Han Ruoruo. The spear shaft bent slightly under his weight, and then he shot forward like a spring.
He wanted to engage her in close combat. Han Ruoruo showed no carelessness at all. The fourth spirit ring on her body lit up with a bright glow. The coiling Shaking Gold Rope instantly extended like a golden Spirit snake, cunningly wrapping around Kong Mingan to restrict his movements.
At that very moment, the blood Qi chains coiling around Kong Mingan also moved. They seemed to have come alive, moving with a speed and flexibility that was no less than the Shaking Gold Rope. They went directly for Han Ruoruo, who was currently protected by her own rope. Han Ruoruo's eyes were solemn as she realized he really was imitating her.
The way he manipulated those blood Qi chains was even more refined and fluid than what he had shown in the previous matches. She felt as if she were being treated as a mere sparring partner for him to practice his skills.
Han Ruoruo frowned, and her fifth spirit ring suddenly lit up. She intended to use a stronger control Spirit Ability to block the chains that were attacking her first. But the moment her Shaking Gold Rope entangled with his chains, those chains seemed to receive a new command. They abruptly abandoned their original target and wrapped around her Spirit rope with even greater speed.
His target is my Spirit?!
Han Ruoruo reacted instantly, wanting to retract her Spirit, but it was already too late. A strange and extremely uncomfortable sense of stagnation 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 heavy grease.
The flow of her spirit power became very difficult, and the movements of her Spirit became sluggish. She realized the opponent's strange ability was not only effective against a Spirit Master's body, but it could even seal the Spirit itself.
As this thought flashed through her mind, a huge and irresistible pulling force came from the Shaking Gold Rope. Kong Mingan's blood Qi chains had wrapped tightly around her Spirit and were now pulling it back sharply. Han Ruoruo let out an exclamation as her body was uncontrollably pulled forward toward him.
At the same time she was pulled over, Kong Mingan moved again. He exerted force with his feet, making the ground tremble slightly. His entire body shot out like an arrow from a bow. The distance of several tens of meters was covered in a single leap.
Han Ruoruo only saw a blur before her eyes, and suddenly his calm face was within reach. The tip of his blood Qi longsword was already aimed directly at her heart. The cold touch and the deadly threat made the blood in her body seem to freeze. Her thoughts came to a sudden halt, and in the next moment, she acted on instinct.
I surrender!
She shouted those words with all her might, and her voice carried a small tremor. The tip of the sword against her heart stopped instantly. The terrifying sense of stagnation in her Spirit stopped getting worse. Although her spirit power was still affected, she at least retained about seventy percent of her original strength. A sense of relief washed over her. She had escaped death. Han Ruoruo gasped for air and looked into Kong Mingan's calm, black eyes.
At this moment, she thought she saw a hint of helplessness and regret in his eyes. It was as if he was disappointed that she had surrendered so quickly, which prevented him from finishing his test. She felt relieved that he strictly followed the rules of the competition.
If he hadn't, she might not have been able to fight in any more matches. However, she also felt a heavy sense of powerlessness. She still had no idea how to counter his strange abilities.
She slowly retracted her dimmed Shaking Gold Rope and nodded to Kong Mingan. Her voice felt dry as she spoke.
Thank you for showing mercy.
After speaking, she turned and walked down the stage with heavy steps. A moment later, Shrek's Team Leader Teacher confirmed with the referee that Shrek would concede the individual match. The Sun Moon Battle Team had won. Back in the Shrek resting area, the atmosphere was terribly oppressive. Han Ruoruo sat down, her face still pale. She gathered her thoughts and quickly told the team about what she had discovered.
She explained that his ability could affect Spirits directly, and she warned them about his terrifying speed of learning. Everyone's expressions became incredibly grim. Any hope they had left was now completely gone.
They had lost all three individual matches, and none of them had even lasted three minutes. This was a humiliating record that Shrek had never experienced before. All the joy from their previous victories was replaced by pressure and confusion.
The Team Leader Teacher looked very upset. He had expected Shrek to defend its championship and continue its glory. But now, he felt like something very bad was about to happen. He could already imagine how the higher-ups would react when they returned home after failing this competition.