Qin Haoyue's voice admitting defeat echoed across the training ground.
For a long moment afterward, complete silence filled the arena.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Every student present stared blankly at the scene before them, their expressions filled with shock and disbelief.
Because what had just happened completely exceeded their expectations.
The battle between Qin Haoyue and Yu Xiaogang had not been fierce or evenly matched as everyone initially expected.
Instead, it had been a one-sided suppression from beginning to end.
Yu Xiaogang had completely dominated the fight.
No matter how hard Qin Haoyue struggled or attempted to counterattack, he could not create even the slightest opportunity to turn the battle around.
From start to finish, he had been firmly controlled by Yu Xiaogang.
Everyone could clearly see the unwillingness and humiliation in Qin Haoyue's eyes after his defeat.
If they had been in his position, they probably would have felt exactly the same.
After all—
On what basis?
On what basis could a mere Spirit Grandmaster suppress a Spirit Ancestor so completely?
The difference between them was an entire twenty ranks and two spirit rings!
Such a gap should have been impossible to overcome.
Even Bibi Dong, the beloved disciple of Pope Qian Xunji of the Spirit Hall, had never displayed such overwhelming dominance against opponents above her level.
Yet Yu Xiaogang had achieved it with shocking ease.
It almost looked effortless.
"Alright, the battle is over."
Zhao Xunxing slowly stepped forward.
"Qin Haoyue, reflect carefully on the reasons for your defeat."
His voice was calm, but his eyes remained fixed on Yu Xiaogang.
Before the battle began, Zhao Xunxing had never believed Yu Xiaogang could actually win.
A twenty-rank gap was not something that could be bridged simply because one possessed stronger spirit rings.
But now…
He had no choice but to admit that he had underestimated Yu Xiaogang completely.
Or perhaps more accurately—
He had been looking at the world from the bottom of a well.
After taking a deep breath, Zhao Xunxing finally asked the question everyone wanted answered.
"Yu Xiaogang…"
"Can both you and your Spirit independently use spirit abilities?"
The moment those words were spoken, every student nearby immediately perked up their ears.
Everyone wanted to understand Yu Xiaogang's strange and mysterious Martial Spirit.
Yu Xiaogang nodded calmly.
"Yes."
"Little Dragon and I can both independently activate spirit abilities and fight side by side."
The moment he confirmed it, the surrounding students gasped.
"In other words…"
Zhao Xunxing narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You alone can count as two combatants?"
Yu Xiaogang smiled lightly but did not deny it.
Zhao Xunxing's expression became even more serious.
"Also, what exactly was the spirit ability you used earlier?"
"The sword formed from spirit power…"
"And those attacks falling from the sky…"
"What kind of ability is your First Spirit Skill?"
Normally, asking directly about another Spirit Master's abilities was considered extremely rude.
Every spirit ability was a Spirit Master's secret.
But after witnessing Yu Xiaogang's combat strength firsthand, Zhao Xunxing could no longer suppress his curiosity.
More importantly, he finally understood why His Excellency Thunder had confidently sent Yu Xiaogang to the Elite Class of Spirit Hall Academy.
Based solely on the battle just now, Yu Xiaogang already possessed enough strength to stand at the top among the elite students.
Qin Haoyue was not weak.
Among the current batch of students, he could already be considered outstanding.
Yet Yu Xiaogang had defeated him so easily.
That alone was enough to prove his terrifying combat power.
Zhao Xunxing's original plan of using the elite students to pressure Yu Xiaogang into retreating had now completely failed.
Since Yu Xiaogang was officially under his guidance now, Zhao Xunxing naturally had the right to understand the student's abilities.
"My First Spirit Skill is called Soul Power Release."
Yu Xiaogang explained calmly.
"It allows me to release spirit power in any form I desire."
"For example, I can condense spirit power into weapons…"
"Or shape it into constructs to assist in battle."
His explanation sounded simple.
However, Yu Xiaogang intentionally hid many crucial details.
Even so, Zhao Xunxing already understood how terrifying the skill was.
"I see…"
"So it's that kind of spirit ability."
A thoughtful expression appeared on Zhao Xunxing's face.
"If used properly, this ability can remain useful for an extremely long time."
"As expected of a skill granted by a thousand-year spirit ring."
The surrounding students became even more envious after hearing that.
A thousand-year first spirit ring.
Just hearing those words felt unbelievable.
Meanwhile, Qin Haoyue, who had been silently standing nearby with a gloomy expression, suddenly raised his head.
"What about your Second Spirit Skill?"
His voice carried obvious unwillingness.
During their entire battle, Yu Xiaogang had only used his First Spirit Skill.
The Second Spirit Skill had not even appeared.
In other words…
Yu Xiaogang had defeated him while still holding back.
That realization made Qin Haoyue feel even more humiliated.
Yu Xiaogang glanced at him before smiling.
"My Second Spirit Skill?"
"How about another battle?"
"Everyone can see it for themselves through actual combat."
Hearing this, Zhao Xunxing nodded slightly.
"That works too."
Then he turned toward the surrounding students.
"Who wants to fight Yu Xiaogang?"
However, before anyone could respond, Yu Xiaogang suddenly spoke again.
"Teacher Zhao."
"My Second Spirit Skill is more suitable for group battles."
"So…"
"You can send a few more people up together."
The moment those words were spoken—
The entire training ground fell silent again.
Everyone stared at Yu Xiaogang in shock.
A student even dug at his ear as if he suspected he had heard wrong.
"Wait…"
"What did he just say?"
Another student swallowed nervously.
"He said his Second Spirit Skill is suited for group combat…"
"And he wants multiple people to fight him together."
The surrounding students instantly exploded into discussion.
"Isn't he being way too arrogant?"
"I think so too!"
"He already defeated a Spirit Ancestor despite being only a Spirit Grandmaster, and now he wants to fight several more at once?"
"This guy really looks down on us!"
Although everyone acknowledged Yu Xiaogang's terrifying strength after witnessing the earlier battle, his current attitude still made them furious.
After all, they were all elite students personally selected by Spirit Hall Academy.
Each of them possessed extraordinary talent and pride.
Yet Yu Xiaogang was openly challenging them all.
Even if his Second Spirit Skill was powerful, wasn't this too excessive?
Did he truly think a Spirit Grandmaster could suppress multiple Spirit Ancestors simultaneously?
"Teacher Zhao!"
A tall student stepped forward angrily.
"Since he's so confident, let's give him what he wants!"
Another student immediately followed.
"That's right! I also want to participate!"
"I refuse to believe he can really defeat a whole group of Spirit Ancestors!"
"Exactly!"
"No one gets to act this arrogant in front of us!"
Soon, more and more students began volunteering.
The competitive spirit within the Elite Class had been completely ignited.
Zhao Xunxing quietly observed the crowd.
After seeing Yu Xiaogang's earlier performance, he already understood one thing clearly—
Common sense simply did not apply to this monster.
In that case…
He might as well see just how far Yu Xiaogang's abilities truly extended.
"Fine."
Zhao Xunxing nodded slowly.
"Five people will fight him."
"But let me warn you first…"
"If you lose, your future training intensity will increase dramatically."
Hearing that, several students instantly stiffened.
But none of them backed down.
Soon, five elite students stepped into the center of the training ground.
They stood opposite Yu Xiaogang in formation.
One after another, they announced their names, spirit ranks, and Martial Spirits.
All five were Spirit Ancestors.
All five possessed impressive combat strength.
As Zhao Xunxing gave the signal, the five simultaneously released their Martial Spirits.
In an instant, dazzling spirit rings filled the training ground with brilliant light.
Powerful spirit power fluctuations erupted everywhere.
After completing Martial Soul Possession, the five exchanged glances.
Then one of them shouted loudly—
"Attack together!"
Boom!
The five immediately charged toward Yu Xiaogang simultaneously from different directions.
They had already witnessed how dangerous Yu Xiaogang was in one-on-one combat.
Therefore, none of them intended to hold back.
Their plan was simple:
Overwhelm him instantly before he had time to react.
But seeing the five charging toward him together—
Yu Xiaogang smiled.
In truth, his Second Spirit Skill possessed an extremely large range.
The only issue was that the training ground itself was also enormous.
If the five opponents had spread out and attacked separately, handling them might have been slightly troublesome.
But instead…
They had foolishly grouped together.
To Yu Xiaogang, this was the perfect opportunity to fully display the power of his Second Spirit Skill.
Since they were being so cooperative—
How could he disappoint them?
"Little Dragon!"
"Awoo!"
Little Dragon let out an excited cry and immediately flew above Yu Xiaogang's head.
At the same moment—
Yu Xiaogang's second spirit ring began glowing brilliantly.
An astonishing pressure spread outward.
"Second Spirit Skill…"
"Soul-Confusing Vibration!"
ROAR—!!!
A deafening dragon roar exploded across the entire training ground.
The terrifying soundwave spread outward like a violent storm.
The expressions of the five charging students changed instantly.
Their minds shook violently.
For a brief moment, their consciousness became dizzy and chaotic.
The spirit power circulating within their bodies suddenly fell into disorder.
Some even staggered where they stood.
The students watching from outside widened their eyes in disbelief.
A control-type soul skill?
No—
This was far more terrifying than ordinary control abilities.
The soundwave attack covered an enormous area and directly affected the target's spirit and consciousness.
Before the five opponents could recover—
Yu Xiaogang moved.
Like a shadow, his figure rushed forward instantly.
Spirit power condensed rapidly in his hand and transformed into a sharp sword.
At the same time, Little Dragon descended from the sky alongside him.
Human and Spirit fought together in perfect synchronization.
At that moment, everyone finally understood something.
Yu Xiaogang's confidence had never come from arrogance.
It came from absolute strength.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)