Chapter 28: Ice Element, Ling Luochen (II)

Word Count: 2,698 Words

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Boom—

On the Spirit Dueling Arena, a massive pink lotus burst through the ground, swallowing the small figure below like a giant serpent devouring its prey.

"Hua Yao wins this duel and gains one point!"

The referee descended from the sky and announced the final outcome of the match.

The lotus transformed into pink specks of light and dissipated, revealing Gu Fan's figure. He scratched the back of his head with a slightly disappointed expression, "I felt like I had made some progress recently, but I still lost to you."

Hua Yao smiled, "It was a close call. I almost ran out of spirit power myself."

"I'm planning to head to the Mimesis Training Ground. Want to join me?" Gu Fan invited, with a hint of cautious anticipation.

"Sure," Hua Yao agreed without hesitation.

With their match concluded, the referee wrinkled his nose as if catching a whiff of something sour. As an earth-element Spirit Douluo, he was responsible for refereeing and maintaining the arena.

As his spirit power surged, earth and stones rose, and within moments, the spot where the lotus had emerged was restored to its original state. There was no trace that two high-rank Spirit Emperors had just battled there.

"The next duel is about to begin. Both participants, please enter the arena promptly!"

Ling Bai stood up from the resting area and stepped into the Spirit Dueling Arena.

There weren't many spectators, but his unfamiliar yet exceptionally handsome face and youthful appearance sparked murmurs among them. Many whispered, asking each other if they'd seen this Inner Courtyard student before.

Opposite him, a young woman entered the arena.

Even from a hundred meters away, her cold and aloof aura enveloped Ling Bai.

As expected of the Ice Element...

Ling Bai gazed at Ling Luochen across from him. She was exceptionally beautiful, not as fiery and dazzling as Ma Xiaotao, nor as gentle and elegant as Han Ruoruo. Her unique temperament, aloof and proud like a plum blossom blossoming in the snow, left a deep and lasting impression on people.

'Ling Bai? Ling Luochen?'

Upon seeing the two entering the arena, a stunning red-haired woman in the audience was momentarily stunned.

Ma Xiaotao.

Seizing the rare opportunity not to worry about her evil fire losing control, Ma Xiaotao naturally headed to the Spirit Dueling Arena for a full day of exhilarating battles, aiming to rack up a hefty amount of battle points. She hadn't expected to encounter two familiar faces.

Ling Bai needed no introduction; they had fought fiercely last night, and he had even helped her cure the evil fire.

Her connection with Ling Luochen also originated from the Phoenix Evil Fire.

Ling Luochen possessed the 'Ice Element'. It was undoubtedly the number one ice elemental Martial Spirit in Shrek Academy's Inner Courtyard. In the past, Ma Xiaotao had sought her help to control the evil fire but was flatly refused.

A refusal was understandable. Helping was a favor, not an obligation. She wouldn't hold a grudge against Ling Luochen for that.

What truly infuriated her was the ridiculous reason Ling Luochen gave at the time:

She had a cleanliness obsession!

Ma Xiaotao was so angry she nearly lost control of her evil fire!

Even thinking about it now made her breath quicken!

Beat her up!

Beat her thoroughly!

Just like how you beat me yesterday, you should beat her today!

In her heart, Ma Xiaotao was fervently cheering for Ling Bai!

"Ling Luochen just broke through to Spirit King recently, right? This match... will be tough for Ling Bai." Wu Ming furrowed her brows slightly.

As Chu Qingtian's guide, Wu Ming knew his spirit power was at rank 47, and Ling Bai appeared to be at least three years younger than him.

A lower-ranked Spirit Ancestor facing a Spirit King meant a massive gap in spirit power and experience. Moreover, Ling Luochen had completed two years of study in the Inner Courtyard, further refining her combat skills. Wu Ming didn't believe Ling Bai could be her match.

Han Ruoruo smiled softly, while Chu Qingtian lowered his head, avoiding eye contact. The two of them tacitly chose to remain silent.

Han Ruoruo had witnessed Ling Bai's battle against Ma Xiaotao firsthand. The mighty Evil Fire Phoenix Spirit Emperor had been beaten miserably. Compared to that, Ling Luochen was...

A piece of cake!

High above the arena, two figures observed the impending battle below.

"Elder Xuan, what brings you here today?" Yan Shaozhe asked the elder beside him, who held a chicken leg in one hand and a wine gourd in the other.

Elder Xuan ignored him at first, taking a bite of his chicken leg before glancing sideways. "You sly fox, don't you already know why I'm here?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha..."

Yan Shaozhe tried to laugh off his embarrassment. As expected, this old monster had sensed the majestic and holy aura of the Seraphim last night.

Elder Xuan gazed down at the two participants, chewing his chicken as he mumbled, "Ling Luochen—I remember that girl. She was one of the reserve members in the last Continental Elite Spirit Master Academy Tournament and is currently a provisional main member of the Shrek Seven Monsters. Her Martial Spirit is the Ice Element, and she's the main control-type Spirit Master of the team. She performed quite well in several matches."

Elder Xuan had led the team in the past three Spirit Master tournaments. The reserve team often participated in matches when Shrek Academy faced weaker opponents to conceal the strength of the main team members, leaving a lasting impression of Ling Luochen.

Yan Shaozhe said calmly, "She's not Ling Bai's match."

He recalled how Ma Xiaotao had been so infuriated by Ling Luochen that her eyes turned red. As her teacher, he had a rather poor impression of Ling Luochen and thus decisively sided with Ling Bai.

"No kidding! It's normal for a Seraphim to fight above their rank!"

Elder Xuan was unaware of the complexities between Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen and replied grumpily, "This old man wants to see if Ling Luochen can force Ling Bai to reveal more of his abilities!"

"Indeed, Elder Xuan is wise..."

Once both participants had entered the arena, the referee shouted, "White Badge Ling Bai versus Yellow Badge Ling Luochen—the duel begins!"

'White Badge, a freshman?'

Ling Luochen caught sight of Ling Bai's face from afar. While marveling at his striking appearance, a hint of delight rose in her heart.

A month ago, she had obtained her fifth spirit ring, which had greatly increased her strength. Winning this match would upgrade her Yellow Badge to a Purple Badge, bringing her one step closer to meeting the three requirements for the graduation examination. To be matched with a freshman at such a critical time...

What a lucky shot!

Let's finish this quickly!

With this thought, Ling Luochen's icy eyes suddenly sparkled. She released her Ice Element Martial Spirit, and five spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black—rose around her. Her exquisite figure was soon covered in a layer of granular ice crystals.

Her first spirit ring lit up as she grasped the air. A two-meter-long staff entirely condensed from ice elements and surrounded by a blue halo appeared in her hand.

First Spirit Skill: Ice Staff!

The Ice Staff reduced Ling Luochen's spirit power consumption by 20% and increased the casting speed and power of all her Ice Element skills. It was a powerful auxiliary spirit skill.

But she wasn't done yet. Her second spirit ring lit up immediately afterward, and ice elements swiftly coalesced into a set of pale blue ice armor around her. Under the glow of her spirit power and the sunlight, it refracted dazzling brilliance.

Second Spirit Skill: Ice Armor.

As the name suggested, it was a spirit skill that greatly enhanced her defense. Ling Luochen's chosen path meant she was a fragile control-type Spirit Master; the Ice Armor helped her withstand attacks from agility attack-type Spirit Masters.

Since both her first and second skills were auxiliary, Ling Luochen's combat strength before reaching Spirit Elder was quite ordinary. However, once she passed that weak phase, her accumulated strength made her exceptionally formidable!

Ling Luochen pointed her Ice Staff toward the sky. In an instant, the sky was enveloped in an icy blue hue, and her pitch-black fifth spirit ring shone brilliantly!

Dark clouds! A patch of dark clouds astonishingly appeared above the Spirit Dueling Arena!

Snowflakes danced, sharp as blades, swirling downward and transforming into a vortex of ice and snow that surged toward Ling Bai. Within the vortex, metallic sounds like clashing swords echoed!

Fifth Spirit Skill: Ice Sky Fury!

The entire arena was covered with a thin layer of ice. The combination of Ice Staff and Ice Sky Fury amplified the coldness of the Ice Element to the point where it could slow down the movements of Spirit Kings and even Spirit Emperors.

The temperature within the arena plummeted to a terrifying degree the moment the Ice Sky Fury descended. Coupled with the pervasive control of the cold currents, Ling Luochen firmly believed that no Spirit Master below the Rank 60 could break through the assault of the Ice Sky Fury!

"She's grown stronger."

Ma Xiaotao raised a phoenix flame with her left hand to resist the invading chill of the Ice Element. Even if she was reluctant to admit it, Ling Luochen had indeed become strong enough to exchange a few blows with her after reaching the Spirit King rank.

On the other side, Wu Ming seemed to share a special connection with Ma Xiaotao as fellow 'active volcanoes' of the Inner Courtyard. She also used her Golden Crow Primordial Fire to warm herself. As a fire-element Spirit Master, coldness firmly occupied the top spot on her list of loathing. When she sensed the power of Ling Luochen's Ice Sky Fury, she became even more certain that Ling Bai wouldn't stand a chance against her!

The icy mist spread across the sky like a rising tide. Ling Bai stood empty-handed amidst the blizzard, his long eyelashes covered in frost and snowflakes clinging to his straight nose. His golden eyes, calm as still water, reflected the storm-ravaged arena and the aloof woman commanding the ice and snow.

"Is he scared stiff?" Wu Ming unconsciously blurted out.

Han Ruoruo and Chu Qingtian's eyes narrowed slightly. They initially believed Ling Bai would win, but not even releasing his Martial Spirit seemed a bit too much!

In fact, many of the Inner Courtyard students watching, including the Spirit Douluo referee, thought the same as Wu Ming. They believed that Ling Bai, as a freshman, had been so overwhelmed by Ling Luochen's display that he'd momentarily forgotten to release his Martial Spirit.

The referee took a deep breath, gathering his spirit power beneath him, ready to intervene. He feared that Ling Bai would be directly crushed to death by the Ice Sky Fury, and he couldn't afford to be held responsible for that!

It had been hard enough to secure his position at Shrek Academy!

He was determined not to lose it!

Only Yan Shaozhe and Elder Xuan hidden in the air watched Ling Bai intently. Experienced as they were, they knew...

What they were waiting for was about to happen!

The sky suddenly brightened as a golden domain descended with a thunderous roar. The light from the Angel Sword swept across like a golden rainbow!

Ling Bai took a step forward the moment the Angel Sword slashed down. The sword's trajectory expanded rapidly, and in an instant, the icy mist, snowflakes, Ice Sky Fury, and even the dark clouds covering the arena were all cleaved in two!

A single hundred-meter-long sword light sliced through everything!

Evil-Banishing Slash!

"Impossible!"

Ling Luochen cried out in disbelief. The usual coldness on her face and the pride in her heart seemed to be shattered by the Evil-Banishing Slash!

Shock, anger, and incredulity!

These were emotions Ling Luochen never displayed openly!

"H-how did you do that?"

At this moment, winning or losing no longer mattered to Ling Luochen. All she wanted was an answer!

An ethereal six-winged silhouette appeared behind Ling Bai. A pair of golden angelic wings unfurled, and the rhythmic pulsation of his four spirit rings—yellow, purple, purple, black—caused Ling Luochen's pupils to quake. Ling Bai swiftly approached her and chuckled softly:

"The innate domain suppresses elemental Martial Spirits. I'm sorry, Senior Sister, but this duel..."

Is my lucky shot!

"Good, good, good! As expected of the Seraphim, a god among Martial Spirits! The Ice Element can't even make a ripple in its presence!"

Elder Xuan laughed heartily, took a big gulp from his wine gourd, and patted Yan Shaozhe's shoulder vigorously. "Shaozhe, the fourth golden age of the academy is upon us! We must keep this little monster here at all costs!"

"Elder Xuan, I wish we could!"

Yan Shaozhe smiled wryly. "But he's a disciple of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Taking the Seraphim out of Jianmu Douluo's hands is as difficult as snatching a Gold-ranked, Second Awakening Body Martial Spirit user from under the noses of those old monsters in the Body Sect!"

"Jianmu Douluo? That Old Zhou is still alive?" Elder Xuan smacked his lips, a flash of apprehension flickering in his eyes.

Jianmu Douluo who had once fought alongside Dragon God Douluo Mu En against the two Body Sect brothers was not someone to be trifled with!

"We need to plan carefully. Here's an idea. In a moment, you and I will do this and that... like so and so..."

"Mm... mm... that might work. It will require Elder Xuan's expertise!"

Yan Shaozhe discreetly gave a thumbs-up, appreciating the wisdom that came with age. This old folk certainly had a lot of ideas!

Intricate and devious, sharp and cunning!

Back in the arena, Ling Bai swiftly approached Ling Luochen like a golden phantom with a gentle flap of his angelic wings. A slight curve formed at the corner of his lips; he was relaxed and in high spirits.

A lucky break!

Upon learning that his opponent was Ling Luochen, the outcome of this Spirit Battle had become a foregone conclusion.

Let alone the fact that Ling Luochen only had a rank 51 spirit power, even if she had a rank 61 today, Ling Bai would still confidently wag his finger at her.

Ice Element?

Not quite up to par!

The reason was simple.

The effect area of the Angelic Domain inherently contained holy power, and holy power could equally suppress all non-ultimate attributes while continuously applying Angelic Purification within the domain until only the holy attribute remained.

Ling Luochen's Ice Element Martial Spirit was purely ice element. This meant that her painstakingly unleashed spirit skills, when faced with the Angelic Domain, were like ice meeting the blazing sun. After a few exchanges, the Ice Element was entirely purified, and the power of her spirit skills was naturally greatly reduced!

Seeing the approaching figure, Ling Luochen unconsciously bit her pale pink lips, a crimson line slowly trailing from the corner of her mouth.

She paid no mind to such details. At eleven years old, Ling Bai was neither tall nor imposing, appearing more like a delicate young noble. Yet, it was precisely this very person who had given her the greatest pressure she had ever experienced in her eighteen years of life!

Her grip on the Ice Staff tightened, and the veins on her pale hand bulged!

"It's just a duel, why push yourself so hard..."

The stubborn expression on her face told Ling Bai that she had no intention of giving up!

Given Ling Luochen's combat experience, Ling Bai didn't believe that she couldn't tell that her defeat was inevitable. It wasn't a life-or-death battle, yet she stubbornly chose to fight to the end and burn her bridges!

Icy mist and snowflakes swirled once more. Ling Bai shook his head.

"Such a stubborn person..."

Amidst the golden light, the icy mist and snowflakes scattered. Everything along the way was torn apart by the sword light. Once the Angel Sword was unleashed, it was like an enraged dragon roaring!