"Teacher, this…"
On the other side of the spectator area, Tang San watched the battle that had ended almost instantaneously and instinctively glanced at Yu Xiaogang.
This wasn't what Yu Xiaogang had just explained. Didn't he say that the weakness of a Spirit Beast Soul Master lies in their true body? How is it that Shui Wuhen didn't even use his Articuno and yet instantly annihilated Thunder Academy all on his own?
"Cough cough~"
Yu Xiaogang coughed lightly. He had just said Shui Wuhen's true body was weak, and now Shui Wuhen had easily defeated Thunder Academy by himself. It was undeniably awkward for him.
Still, despite the embarrassment, he explained, "Perhaps Shui Wuhen's Articuno is different from my Luo San Pao. After all, disembodied Spirit Beasts are extremely rare; some differences are to be expected."
"That's true."
Tang San nodded. Indeed, since his birth, he had only ever heard of masters and Shui Wuhen possessing disembodied Spirit Beasts.
...
"Watch out!"
At Thunder Academy's guest quarters, Yu Tianxin suddenly awoke with a start, shouting.
Seeing him awake, the academy's head immediately approached, asking, "Tianxin, you're awake?"
Yu Tianxin glanced at the head, then at the other Thunder students lying on their beds, recalling the scene on the arena, and gave a bitter smile:
"Did… we lose?"
The head of Thunder Academy remained silent for a moment, then sighed, "It's not your fault, Tianxin. Shui Wuhen—no matter who faces him, the outcome wouldn't change. Even Feng Xiaotian of Wind God Academy wouldn't last more than a few moves against him.
I just checked your injuries. While they look serious, they are actually quite minor. After treatment by a healer, you'll be almost fully recovered, with barely any effect on tomorrow's battles.
Do you know what this means?"
Hearing this, Yu Tianxin hurriedly examined his body. Aside from some soreness where he was struck, there were no other adverse effects.
He was shocked. Even if he had fought a Spirit Lord, he knew there was no way he could have inflicted such minor injuries on a vital target unless there was a huge gap in strength, allowing the opponent to strike effortlessly yet effectively.
"His strength… has already surpassed the realm of the young generation!"
The head of Thunder Academy also thought to himself, wondering where Shui Yue Ruo had found such a monster.
Generally, breaking through to Spirit Lord before the age of twenty is already considered top-tier talent.
The Tian Dou division gathered nearly three hundred elite students from twenty-eight top Spirit Academies, but only thirty to forty of them were Spirit Lords.
And this doesn't even account for those who only broke through after twenty, or exceptionally gifted individuals in the current generation—the odds would be even lower.
But Shui Wuhen?
In a context where breaking through to Spirit Lord at twenty is already extraordinary, he had reached Spirit King at only sixteen, with terrifying combat power.
His mastery of Spirit Skills had already reached near perfection. Among the young generation, and even many older prodigies, none could match him.
Hearing this, Yu Tianxin fell silent. Clearly, Shui Wuhen's appearance had left an incredibly deep impression on the twin stars of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus lineage.
...
At Tian Shui Academy's guest quarters, Shui Wuhen had to expend great effort to escape the surrounding female students and headed out toward Tian Dou City.
Yet as he walked, he became increasingly vigilant, sensing a peculiar gaze following him from the shadows.
It had been subtle within the city, but as he left Tian Dou City, the malicious intent became stronger and more overt.
Finally, Shui Wuhen stopped, swung his hand, and a piercing ice-blue beam shot out toward a certain direction.
Clang~
At the point of impact, a pale-faced young man staggered into view, half of his body covered in frost, looking extremely disheveled.
Seeing him, Shui Wuhen raised the ice-blue longsword formed in his hand, staring coldly: "You've been following me for so long. What is your purpose?"
Articuno flapped its wings overhead, emitting a chilling aura and locking its cold gaze on the pale youth.
"Cough cough~"
The pale youth coughed and looked at Shui Wuhen with surprise. "I didn't expect you to discover my location. Truly a genius."
Shui Wuhen's expression remained unchanged. He wanted to see what else this man could say.
"However, you, this genius, have made a mistake."
The pale youth's Spirit Power surged, melting the frost on his body. Seven Spirit Rings—white, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—appeared around him, rotating and radiating dazzling light.
Shui Wuhen's eyes narrowed. This man was a Spirit Saint—the same Fallen One who had fought Shui Yue Ruo and Huo Yangyan.
"Director Yue Ruo and Director Huo couldn't kill him?" Shui Wuhen thought grimly. He now understood why this youth had been following him—these two directors had really underestimated him.
With his Spirit Beast unleashed, black mist enveloped the pale youth's body again, and skulls emerged one by one, screaming with eerie cries.
"You genius… shouldn't have come outside Tian Dou City. In this situation, no one can save you!"
Wrapped in black mist, the pale youth laughed maniacally, as if thrilled by the prospect of killing a peerless genius.
The skulls around him turned sharply toward Shui Wuhen, their voices hoarse: "Since that wretch dared meddle and injured me, today I'll first kill a genius from her academy to collect interest!"
At his words, the skulls formed from dozens of black mist surged toward Shui Wuhen, seemingly intent on devouring him entirely.
"Ugh~~~"
Just then, Articuno unleashed an ice-blue freezing beam from its mouth. The misty skulls charging at Shui Wuhen instantly froze into blocks of ice, crashing down from the sky.
"What?"
The pale youth's pupils contracted sharply. His attack had been effortlessly neutralized by this person?
Shui Wuhen slowly walked toward him. Accompanied by the cry of a bird, tiny white snowflakes began drifting through the sky.