At this moment, dozens of Earth Dragon Gate Disciples were practicing in pairs within the arena. The sounds of shouting and the collision of Soul Power were constant, and many among them were the same young men and women who had been following Nan Qiuqiu earlier.
Seeing the Sect Leader arrive in person, all the Disciples immediately stopped their movements and bowed respectfully. Their curious gazes then focused on Caelus and his group of strangers.
When they saw Nan Qiuqiu and Caelus ascend the largest central arena one after another, surprised whispers began to spread like a tide.
"The Young Gate Master is going to have a match?"
"Who is that boy? I've never seen him before. He's not from our Dragon City, is he?"
"I know, I know! They're from Shrek Academy."
"We're in for a good show. The Young Gate Master is the strongest of the younger generation in our Earth Dragon Gate. Aside from Yu Tianlong of the Heavenly Dragon Gate, who else can suppress her?"
Nan Qiuqiu held immense prestige among the younger generation of the Earth Dragon Gate, and her strength was publicly acknowledged as top-tier. Seeing a strange boy about to fight her, everyone's interest was piqued to the maximum.
Some of the bolder Disciples had even begun to set up private bets on the outcome of the match.
Nan Shuishui looked at the excited expressions of the Disciples below the stage with a gentle smile on her face, making no move to stop them.
Regardless of whether she won or lost, this match would only benefit the Earth Dragon Gate.
If she won, it would naturally boost the Earth Dragon Gate's prestige. If she lost, it would serve to humble these Disciples who were usually a bit too arrogant, letting them understand that there is always someone better. It was killing two birds with one stone.
On the arena stage, Nan Qiuqiu and Caelus stood facing each other.
Nan Qiuqiu's long pink hair fluttered without any wind, her beautiful eyes burning with Battle Intent. She shouted,
"Hey, Shrek boy, don't go crying when you lose later. This Young Miss's Rouge Dragon is no pushover."
Caelus remained as calm and indifferent as ever, nodding slightly. "I am Caelus. Please advise me."
An Elder of the Earth Dragon Gate acted as the referee. Seeing that both sides were ready, he announced loudly,
"Let the match begin."
The moment the referee Elder's voice fell, Nan Qiuqiu gave a sharp cry, and a powerful surge of Soul Power instantly erupted from her body.
A pink silhouette soared into the sky behind her, condensing into a vigorous and elegantly lined dragon phantom.
This dragon was different from the ferocious and mighty dragons of traditional perception; its entire body was a dreamlike pink, with delicate and smooth scales like fine rouge jade. Its dragon horns were small and exquisite, but its eyes were a deep purple, exuding an air of mystery and nobility.
This was the top-tier dragon-type Martial Soul—the Rouge Dragon.
With her Martial Soul Possession, a layer of fine pink dragon scales quickly covered Nan Qiuqiu's arms, her fingertips became slightly sharp, and a strange force field carrying an aura of destruction spread out with her as the center.
At the same time, two yellow and one purple—three spirit rings of the optimal ratio—rose from beneath her feet and circled her body, demonstrating her solid cultivation at the Soul Elder level.
"Hmph, take this!"
Nan Qiuqiu showed no mercy, launching the first attack.
However, at the very moment she prepared to strike, Caelus on the opposite side also moved.
A profound aura, seemingly transcending the long river of time, permeated the air.
A blurred and noble golden phantom flashed behind him. Though it did not fully materialize, it carried a majesty that made one's heart tremble.
The most striking part was his eyes; his pupils had transformed into slowly rotating, precision clocks, their golden hands seemingly measuring the trajectories of the birth and death of all things.
At the same time, one yellow and two purple—three spirit rings quietly emerged.
"Hiss—!"
"A thousand-year ring for the second spirit ring? How is that possible?!"
"His Martial Soul... what is that? A humanoid Martial Soul?"
"Those eyes... so eerie, yet so... captivating?"
The entire training ground instantly erupted into a frenzy.
The Earth Dragon Gate Disciples stared with wide eyes, looking at Caelus's spirit ring configuration in disbelief.
A second spirit ring being thousand-year rank completely subverted their understanding.
Even some of the older Disciples and Elders showed expressions of shock.
And the sense of mystery and divine charm brought by Caelus's Regent of Time Martial Soul gave them a shock that resonated from their very Souls.
On the high platform, Nan Shuishui's consistently gentle smile froze for a moment, and an astonishing light erupted in her eyes, filled with amazement.
'A thousand-year second spirit ring... Shrek Academy is indeed unfathomable. This boy is certainly no ordinary person.'
Even Ma Xiaotao, Ling Luochen, and Xi Xi, these three Inner Court Disciples, were seeing Caelus release his Martial Soul and spirit rings for the first time.
A flash of surprise crossed Ma Xiaotao's crimson eyes, Ling Luochen's ice-blue eyes narrowed slightly, and Xi Xi watched the arena without blinking.
The way they looked at Caelus now carried an unprecedented level of importance.
As Caelus's direct opponent, Nan Qiuqiu's feelings were the most intense.
When she met those clock-eyes that seemed to contain the infinite mysteries of time and space, her heart involuntarily skipped a beat.
After Caelus released his Martial Soul, the faint, ethereal, and otherworldly divine charm he exuded caused her to daze for a moment. Two red clouds instantly flushed onto her small face, and her originally high Battle Intent even faltered slightly.
"You... what are you looking at!"
Nan Qiuqiu cried out with some embarrassment, trying to use her voice to cover her lapse in composure.
"First Spirit Ability: Annihilation Light."
She shook her head, forcing herself to concentrate. Her first spirit ring glowed, and she spat out a slender pink beam of light.
Wherever this beam passed, the air seemed to be annihilated, leaving a brief vacuum trail. Carrying a terrifying aura that eroded Soul Power and matter, it shot straight toward Caelus.
Facing this strange attack, Caelus didn't move his feet; only the invisible air currents around him rippled slightly.
"Dustless Land."
When that pink beam, capable of annihilating energy, came within a foot of Caelus's body, it seemed to hit an incredibly slick flowing barrier. Its trajectory was forcibly diverted, grazing his sleeve and shooting behind him, where it was silently absorbed by the arena's protective shield.
"What?"
Nan Qiuqiu was stunned. Her Annihilation Light had never been neutralized so effortlessly before.
Dustless Land was one of Caelus's Self-Created Spirit Skills based on his innate Wind of Time.
Using himself as the core, he maintained a continuous layer of high-speed air currents flowing tightly against his skin.
This layer of air would 'adsorb' and deflect any incoming long-range energy attacks, causing them to slide off the surface of the air current like a 'ricochet'.
At the same time, he could gain powerful mobility by changing the direction of the air currents on different parts of his body, achieving movements and changes in direction that almost violated physical inertia.
This Spirit Ability required very precise operation and was a great test of Caelus's control over air currents.
Caelus was not in the habit of being a passive target. With a wave of his right hand, the air surged, and several wind blades broke through the air, creating a piercing friction sound.
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