COMPETITION
With a faint buzzing sound, Lan Xuanyu suddenly felt his body relax, as though he were falling. In the next moment, the darkness before him lit up.
He found himself in a small room, furnished with just two chairs, a table, and a soul TV. Suddenly, Ye Ling appeared in the room.
"Your turn to fight is third," she said. "After two matches, it will be your fight. For now, sit and watch the others."
Xuanyu nodded, settling into a chair. As they watched, Ye Ling pointed out the mistakes and excellent moves in each battle. She also mentioned that Xuanyu's opponent was a boy named Wang Xiao, whose spirit rank was 15.
The only information released before a match was the players' names and spirit ranks. Other details had to be learned through observation.
Soon, the second match ended. "It's your turn," Ye Ling said. "Don't be nervous. Do your best."
She gave Xuanyu a reassuring pat on the back. Xuanyu smiled in response, then vanished from the room and reappeared in what he assumed was a stadium.
The arena was surrounded by spectator seats, and muffled cheers echoed from the stands.
Xuanyu looked ahead and saw a boy, around nine or ten years old, standing opposite him. He quickly used the "Observe" skill.
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[NAME: WANG XIAO]
[AGE: 10]
[MARTIAL SPIRIT: AZURE BOW]
[SOUL RANK: 15]
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"Let the match begin!"
Wang Xiao immediately summoned his martial soul—a green-colored bow—and a yellow spirit ring appeared around him. He quickly pulled back the bowstring and released five wind arrows.
Lan Xuanyu's hands transformed into Silver Dragon Claws. Yes, he could change both hands into either Golden or Silver Dragon Claws. A white spirit ring appeared around him.
Xuanyu pointed his hand forward, and an ice shield materialized in front of him. The five wind arrows struck the shield and dispersed harmlessly.
Wang Xiao, not deterred, pulled the string again, this time releasing ten wind arrows simultaneously.
The arrows struck the shield one after another, and by the eighth, it shattered.
Xuanyu leapt into the air to dodge the remaining two arrows.
Seeing his opponent reload, Xuanyu furrowed his brow. He couldn't keep relying on the ice shield—his opponent was too persistent.
While shielding himself with the ice, Xuanyu formed an ice spike with his other hand and hurled it at Wang Xiao.
The spike flew with a loud whistling sound. Wang Xiao was surprised but managed to dodge it just in time. The ice spike pierced the ground deeply, halfway embedded in the earth.
Wang Xiao's expression shifted. If that spike hit me, I'd be done for. Its piercing power is like my hundred-year-old soul skill!
"Hey, he looks like a mage but fights like a brute?" Wang Xiao thought, still trying to process the situation.
More whistling sounds filled the air. Xuanyu was creating more ice spikes, throwing them violently toward him.
Five spikes flew toward Wang Xiao one after another. His yellow spirit ring flared as he shouted, "Wind Arrow Barrage!"
Fifteen large arrows, each with a small tornado swirling at their tips, were released at once.
Seeing the size and speed of the arrows, Xuanyu's expression turned serious. He switched his claws to Golden Dragon Claws and his spirit ring flared with energy.
"Golden Dragon Body!"
Golden dragon scales spread over his body as Xuanyu unleashed a powerful dragon's roar. The body enhancement was all-rounded: attack, endurance, defense, and speed. He charged toward Wang Xiao.
The first great arrow was approaching fast. Xuanyu spun and struck it with his dragon claw, using his newly acquired ability—SMASH.
The tip of the arrow collided with the claw, creating a sharp whistling sound. A small tornado formed but was quickly smashed apart by Xuanyu's claw, shocking Wang Xiao.
Xuanyu continued charging, destroying the second great arrow. He quickly switched his left claw back to a Silver Dragon Claw and, with his spirit ring glowing, summoned ten ice spikes around him. He hurled them at the incoming arrows.
Though the ice spikes shattered after striking the arrows, they slowed their momentum, reducing their impact.
Xuanyu pressed on, continuing to destroy the remaining arrows. However, he wasn't fast enough. The last two arrows struck him—one pierced his left thigh, the other his right shoulder.
Gritting his teeth, Xuanyu pulled out the arrows and pressed forward. To his surprise, the bleeding had already stopped.
Wang Xiao's face turned pale. He had already used most of his energy with his soul skill, thinking he would win. But now, seeing Xuanyu charge with such force, he realized he couldn't win.
"I surrender!" Wang Xiao shouted, vanishing into specks of light before Xuanyu's claw could reach him.
Xuanyu smiled. He had won his first match. However, he had revealed the abilities of both his dragon claws, which might not be advantageous for his future fights. But he still had his Clean Sky Hammer as a hidden trump card.
Back in the room, Ye Ling looked at him, puzzled. "Do you have three martial spirits?" she asked.
Xuanyu smiled and lied, "No."
Ye Ling raised an eyebrow. "Then what are those two white spirit rings?"
Xuanyu explained, "They're from a single spirit ring that split into two."
He demonstrated by turning his hands into Golden and Silver Dragon Claws. A yellow spirit ring appeared and then split into two white rings, one for each claw.
Ye Ling stared, surprised. "Huh, that's a strange martial spirit. But it's quite beneficial for you. With this, you'll have twenty-seven spirit rings at this rate."
Xuanyu just smiled at her, unfazed.
"Your next match will be in an hour. You can rest or watch the next matches," Ye Ling said.
Xuanyu nodded and sat cross-legged. He opened the Achievement tab and saw:
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[DING! YOU HAVE WON YOUR FIRST MATCH. YOU RECEIVE A RARE RANK GACHA TICKET.]
[FOR EVERY MATCH WON, YOU WILL RECEIVE A GACHA TICKET. THE RANK OF THE TICKET WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE STRENGTH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR OPPONENT.]
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Xuanyu was surprised. He had a new goal now: give his all to win and earn more Rare Rank Gacha Tickets.
X-X-X-X
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