Chapter 18: Victory
"Not good!" Tang San's heart jumped. He had not expected Charmander to have a technique that could block vision.
He immediately tried to retreat, relying on sound to judge positions and the slight visual boost of Purple Demon Eye. But under the Smokescreen, even his sense of direction was heavily disrupted.
And in the exact moment his sight was cut off and his movement slowed.
Inside the smoke, a speck of orange red fire suddenly lit up in Tang San's vision and rapidly expanded.
Charmander was not affected by the Smokescreen at all. With its control over fire and its own perception, it seized the brief opening when Tang San stalled and attacked again.
"Spark!"
A flame even hotter than before pierced through the smoke, shooting straight at Tang San's face.
With his vision blocked, Tang San had no time to dodge properly. He could only cross his arms in front of him on instinct. His Mysterious Heaven Skill internal energy surged as he tried to endure the oncoming heat.
The power contained in that flame made his heart tighten.
Tang San knew that if he took the hit head on, he would definitely be seriously injured.
At that critical moment, a figure appeared in front of Tang San like a Gui Mei.
It was Dean Wang Zongchang.
With a casual wave of his hand, he neutralized the Spark with ease. At the same time, the smoke around them began to disperse, revealing the situation on the field.
Charmander still held its attacking posture, eyes sharp and alert.
Lin Mo remained where he stood, expression calm.
Tang San looked disheveled, his arms still raised in a blocking stance. His face carried lingering fear, and beads of sweat seeped from his forehead.
In front of him stood Dean Wang Zongchang with his hands behind his back.
The outcome was decided.
If the dean had not intervened in time, Tang San would have taken that Spark directly.
With its power, even with the protection of Mysterious Heaven Skill, he would not have fared well.
Dean Wang Zongchang glanced at the shaken Tang San, then at Lin Mo and the spirit filled Charmander, and the admiration in his eyes deepened.
He announced loudly, "The spar is over. Lin Mo wins!"
Hearing the announcement, Tang San's body jolted. Disbelief flashed across his face.
Lost?
He actually lost?
He was a 1 Ring Spirit Master with a 100 year Spirit Ring. How could he lose to a Rank 10 Spirit Scholar who did not even have a Spirit Ring?
How was that possible?
A huge sense of gap and frustration surged into his chest. Tang San fell into a brief daze, standing stiffly as if he could not accept the reality.
Yu Xiaogang's expression also turned ugly. The muscles on his stiff face twitched slightly.
This result had far exceeded his expectations as well.
In front of Lin Mo's Charmander, his theories looked pale and powerless.
Lin Mo glanced at Tang San's despondent expression, and a faint trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He can't take it?
Tang San's mental resilience was not as strong as Lin Mo had assumed.
From this simple spar, Lin Mo also gained a rough judgment of Blue Silver Grass's current strength.
If the dean had not stepped in, that Spark would have been enough to severely injure Tang San.
After all, not everyone was that freak Ash, with the absurd Pallet Town physique that could tank Thunderbolt and Flamethrower like nothing happened.
Thinking of Ash's ridiculous durability from the Pokémon anime he had watched in his previous life, Lin Mo could not help complaining inwardly.
Dean Wang Zongchang ignored Tang San, who was still struggling to process the defeat, and also ignored Yu Xiaogang's dark face.
He walked toward Lin Mo with a smile, eyes fixed on Lin Mo and the Charmander at his feet.
"Good. Very good!" Wang Zongchang did not hold back his praise. "Lin Mo, your Charmander Martial Soul is truly extraordinary."
"Not only is it a rare external Beast Martial Soul, the power of its flames, and the way it grasps combat openings, are outstanding even among outstanding Martial Souls."
He paused, then continued, "It seems the reward I promised you earlier can be moved forward."
Lin Mo's heart stirred. He looked up at the dean.
Wang Zongchang patted Lin Mo's shoulder and spoke decisively.
"After I finish handling some matters, in 1 week I will personally take you to the Soul Hunting Forest and help you obtain the 100 year Spirit Ring that best suits your Charmander Martial Soul."
His voice was firm and energetic. This was no longer a casual favor. He was clearly extremely optimistic about what Lin Mo had shown.
In Dean Wang Zongchang's eyes, the combat ability and Spirit potential Lin Mo displayed, as a Spirit Master with Innate Rank 6 Spirit Power, had already surpassed Tang San, the Innate Full Spirit Power genius who was still standing nearby questioning his life.
Hatching such a powerful external Beast Martial Soul from an egg that was considered a Waste Martial Soul was already unheard of.
And this spar had shown Charmander's excellence to the fullest.
To defeat Tang San so cleanly, even though Tang San already had his first Spirit Ring, was enough to prove everything.
Yes, there was an obvious attribute suppression between them.
But the gap in rank, and the fact that one side had a Spirit Ring while the other did not, were still real obstacles.
Not to mention, Lin Mo had not yet obtained his first Spirit Ring.
To achieve this purely through the Martial Soul's own abilities, without any Spirit Ring enhancement, was a talent and potential worth investing in heavily.
A promise of a 100 year Spirit Ring in exchange for the goodwill of a student who might become a powerhouse in the future felt like a very worthwhile deal to Wang Zongchang.
Lin Mo was also delighted by the dean's promise.
He suppressed the urge to smile too openly and bowed respectfully.
"Thank you, Dean."
Being taken one on one by the dean to obtain the Spirit Ring that suited him best was far beyond Lin Mo's expectations.
Going into the Soul Hunting Forest alone with the dean meant the chance of finding the right Spirit Beast was clearly much higher than going in a large group.
Because of Charmander's trait of mastering Spirit Abilities as its Spirit Power increased, Lin Mo did not have extremely strict demands for Spirit Rings, but a high quality ring was naturally better.
After all, Spirit Rings did not only grant Spirit Abilities. They also provided major attribute boosts.
And the difference in attribute increase between a 10 year ring and a 100 year ring was obvious.
For Lin Mo, who desperately needed strength for self preservation and longevity, this was the most important step right now.
Wang Zongchang nodded in satisfaction. Then he glanced at Tang San, still unable to recover, and at Yu Xiaogang, whose expression was complicated.
He thought to himself.
It looks like Nuoding Academy has really picked up an extraordinary little freak this year.
Tang San's talent is certainly terrifying, but Lin Mo is even more inscrutable, and more worth investing in.
.....
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