Chapter 40: Yan Shaozhe's Confidence
Lin Xuan ignored Cao Jinxuan below the stage, turning his gaze toward the only one left in the arena, the pale-faced Zhou Sichen.
He casually beckoned with his finger.
"Your Martial Soul is a Grimoire, and you fight using summoned beasts. In a sense, my Martial Soul is the same."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the Earthen Bear and Fire Tiger before looking behind himself.
"How about this? I won't bully you. We'll settle this with a simple duel in the style of summoners. What do you say?"
Zhou Sichen looked at Lin Xuan's calm, rippleless eyes, then at Cao Jinxuan, who was scrambling up miserably below the stage, and finally glanced at Long Xiangyue, who was surrounded by Dugu Qing and Wu Feng. His mouth felt bitter.
If he didn't agree, was he supposed to wait for this ruthless guy to personally "send" him off the stage?
He had no doubt Lin Xuan had the ability, and the method might be even more memorable than Cao Jinxuan's.
"...Fine."
Zhou Sichen took a deep breath, suppressing the fear in his heart, and nodded heavily.
This was perhaps his only chance for a dignified exit.
Lin Xuan nodded slightly and said no more.
He quickly formed a hand seal in front of him.
"Divine Dog."
With the low call, the shadow beneath Lin Xuan's feet instantly began to boil.
"Awoo—!!!"
Two distinct but equally ferocious beast roars tore through the air!
One black, one white—two giant hounds, their sizes comparable to young calves and their muscle lines as sleek as a cheetah's—leapt boldly out of the churning shadow domain beside Lin Xuan!
Their appearance instantly drew the gaze of the entire audience.
Compared to three months ago, the transformation of these two Divine Dogs could be described as a complete rebirth!
Their size had nearly doubled, and their fur was as smooth as silk, yet it shimmered with a faint, cold metallic luster.
The black Divine Dog's eyes were as crimson as blood, its bared fangs chillingly cold.
The white Divine Dog's eyes were silver-white and sharp as blades, with fragments of flowing light surrounding it as it moved, looking exceptionally divine.
Even more startling was the pressure they emitted; they were clearly at the level of Thousand-Year Soul Beasts!
Their violent, ferocious, and powerful aura crashed like a physical wave toward Zhou Sichen and his two summoned beasts!
The strength of the Shikigami from the Ten Shadows Technique is closely tied to the user. For instance, Fushiguro Megumi's 'Nue' and Ryomen Sukuna's 'Nue' were Worlds apart.
At this moment, due to the increase in Lin Xuan's Soul Power and the tempering from the Golden Ancient Tree Tea Leaves, the strength of the two Divine Dogs had already increased significantly.
"I have to fight them? Are you for real?!"
Zhou Sichen cried out in shock, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.
Never mind his own two summoned beasts; Zhou Sichen felt that even if Long Xiangyue, who was currently facing off against Dugu Qing and Wu Feng, were included, they probably wouldn't be a match for these two wolf-hounds!
"Go."
Lin Xuan gave a light wave of his hand, his tone indifferent.
"Roar—!!!"
Receiving the command, the savage light in the eyes of the black and white hounds surged. They kicked off the ground with their hind legs, turning into two deathly hurricanes of black and white, pouncing toward the Earthen Bear and Fire Tiger with a violent momentum that seemed to tear everything apart!
...Half a minute later, Zhou Sichen looked at the two Divine Dogs flanking him on the left and right. He gave a bitter smile and helplessly raised his right hand.
"I surrender."
Almost simultaneously, on the other side, Long Xiangyue finally couldn't hold out any longer under the combined attack of Dugu Qing and Wu Feng, dejectedly admitting defeat.
At this point, the Freshman Class Ten team, which had been widely favored and expected to reach at least the top eight, saw their journey come to a dramatic end in the first round of the top sixty-four elimination matches.
"You were right,"
Zhou Sichen said with a complex smile as he watched Lin Xuan retract the Divine Dogs and walk over slowly.
"Our luck really was terrible."
"No need to belittle yourselves."
Lin Xuan walked up to him and patted his shoulder. "Your journey ends here only because you met me in the first round. It's not that you aren't strong enough, it's just that I'm too strong."
"This is what you call a glorious defeat," Lin Xuan continued.
"The ones who are truly embarrassing are those who have decent strength but lose inexplicably to a weak team before even facing a strong one, getting eliminated early. Now that is truly losing face."
"True..."
Zhou Sichen nodded subconsciously, agreeing deeply, but then became a bit confused.
"But... is there really such a team? One that's strong enough but still manages to fail miserably against someone clearly inferior?"
"Who knows," Lin Xuan smiled.
"The World is vast and full of wonders. Maybe there really is such a team of 'talents' who don't follow the usual path."
...On the high platform at the north side of the assessment area.
Yan Shaozhe stood with his hands behind his back, his white robe spotless. His gaze had never left the ninth zone, especially that white-clothed figure.
At this moment, his gentle and peaceful eyes were shimmering with an increasingly bright, almost uncontrollable light of amazement.
"What a kid..." he sighed softly, his voice full of praise.
"He didn't just underestimate his opponents because of his overwhelming strength. Instead, he accurately utilized his opponents' mindset of 'expecting him to be overconfident,' turning their own scheme against them and setting a trap."
"This ability to analyze the battlefield, grasp the human heart, and this level of steadiness and caution far beyond his years... he truly deserves the reputation of someone who has trained alone since childhood and emerged from life-and-death struggles."
He shook his head slightly and remarked with emotion,
"What's even rarer is that Martial Soul. The abilities shown just now—offense, support, agility, control... it has almost no weaknesses! Add to that those inconceivable Soul Ring configurations..."
Yan Shaozhe took a deep breath and slowly uttered two words:
"Terrifying... talent!"
Standing beside him, Xuan Zi, who had been squinting and drinking, let out a sneer. His cloudy old eyes glanced at him as he muttered,
"Who with eyes couldn't see what you just said?"
He raised a withered finger and pointed toward the other end of the assessment area, Zone Seven.
There, the team composed of Ning Tian, Nangong Yuner, and Ya Lu had also just easily defeated their opponents.
Ning Tian stood gracefully, the radiance of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda not yet fully dissipated, illuminating her exquisite profile and noble aura.
"See that? The little princess of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School—her eyes are practically glued to that kid."
Xuan Zi took a swig of wine and teased,
"What is their Sect best at? Identifying talent, investing, and recruiting! If you don't show something now and just stand here watching the show and sighing..."
He paused, turned to look at Yan Shaozhe, and gave a 'hehe' laugh, revealing teeth stained yellow by wine.
"Wait until the day this child is moved by the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School's wealth, resources, honey traps... or even more direct sincerity, and he pats his butt and leaves. He might even become their Sect's son-in-law or Guardian War God in the future... When that time comes, don't you go regretting it so much that you smash the pillars of the Sea God Pavilion."
Yan Shaozhe looked in the direction Xuan Zi pointed and saw Ning Tian talking quietly with her teammates, yet her gaze frequently swept toward Lin Xuan in the ninth zone.
"Elder Xuan's reminder is noted."
Yan Shaozhe nodded slowly. "How can a bright pearl be cast into the shadows? A fine piece of jade should naturally be meticulously carved by my Shrek."
"Rest assured, Elder Xuan, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School won't be able to snatch someone from my hands."
"Let's hope so."
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