Chapter 21

With a jolt, Yan bolted upright, a blush of embarrassment flushing his cheeks and heat of anger burning through him. He'd never anticipated being tossed like a discarded plaything. He had been the one destined to reign supreme in this duel, not Cai Wen.

"Remarkable maneuvers, Brother Yan. Your strength surpasses my prior estimation," Cai Wen said, a wisp of a smile dancing on his lips. His tone was meticulously courteous, but his eyes were lit with a playful flicker of amusement and seriousness.

A low growl escaped from Yan's throat, his pride throbbing like a freshly inflicted wound. Rising to his feet, he brushed off the dust clinging to his clothes, his gaze fixated on Cai Wen. "This isn't over yet," he declared emphatically.

His spirit power surged and two radiant spirit rings began to pulsate around him. His Flaming Lord spirit roared to life, flames wreathing his hands as he shattered the chains binding his legs. With a focused determination, he lunged forward, this time exercising more caution.

The onlookers held their collective breath as Yan launched himself at Cai Wen once more. This time, he engaged his first spirit ability, "Flame Lord's Slash." His claws ignited with an intense heat, slashing towards Cai Wen in a fiery arc.

Cai Wen held his ground this time. Matching Yan's onslaught, chains extended from his fingers. Three such chain wrapped around Yan's arm before the Flame Lord's Slash could be fully executed, effectively neutralizing the attack.

With a swift movement, Cai Wen yanked the chain, using it to flip Yan off his feet and send him crashing to the ground on his other side. The spectators gasped in shock. Yan, the rising prodigy of the Spirit Hall, was being treated like a mere plaything.

Yan groaned, the breath knocked from his lungs. He struggled to rise, his gaze colliding with Cai Wen's. No mockery lingered in Cai Wen's eyes, only a serene seriousness. He was treating this duel with unfeigned earnestness.

Yan was awash with humiliation and a tinge of shame. This was not the spectacle he had intended to create. He had wanted to strut his prowess, to impress Hu Liena, not to be subjected to public humiliation. But he refused to capitulate. As a spirit grandmaster, he would not accept defeat from a lower-ranked spirit master.

"There's still fight left in me," Yan declared, panting slightly from the exertion he had expended in his relentless assault on Cai Wen. He had been continuously attacking Cai Wen, even employing his spirit power to augment his physical abilities and using a spirit ring.

On the other hand, Cai Wen remained stationary, observing Yan with a serene demeanor. Internally, he felt a cocktail of emotions - both elation and disappointment. He was thrilled to find that he could effortlessly combat someone close to a spirit elder, all thanks to his robust physique, his chains, and most importantly, the Six Eyes.

He was able to easily control the battle with just these three elements, which made him a qualified control system spirit master.

He hadn't even deployed his first spirit ring, instead, he only enhanced his physical prowess through the spirit power, and at most, he summoned chains using his Dragon Ring Gloves' innate ability.

However he was also disappointed, he both love and hate his Six Eyes, it was a real cheat. Fights feel more easier like, it was like everything was on easy mode. It's so easy that it's boring.

'Recalling Yu Xiaogang's words, a proficient control master could effortlessly battle someone ten levels higher than them. Despite my dislike for him, his intellectual prowess and analytical skills are indisputably among the best in this world,' Cai Wen mused while watching Yan regain some strength.

Catching his breath, Yan remarked with a hint of annoyance, "I don't understand why you held back, but I promise you'll regret giving me the time to recuperate."

His second spirit ring began to radiate and Yan coalesced flames in the gap between his hands, forming a concentrated orb of heat.

"Since you granted me a reprieve, let me enlighten you about this technique. This is my second spirit ring ability, Inferno Blast. It unleashes a concentrated blast of fire at my adversaries, inflicting significant damage. Try and survive this!" Yan declared, before ejecting a devastating concentration of flames towards Cai Wen. The heat was so intense that it melted the floor in its path.

Cai Wen watched the impending attack with calmness. Just as Yan's Inferno Blast was about to engulf him, his lone spirit ring illuminated.

Boom!

Yan's attack exploded, obliterating the surrounding area. His attack was potent enough to critically injure a spirit elder. However, this was a double-edged sword, as this attack could only be deployed 4 times a day and drained lot of his total reserved spirit power.

Panting heavily from the substantial loss of spirit energy, Yan questioned, "Did I... did I win?"

Noticing the astonished expressions of the nearby crowd, he questioned in confusion, "What...?"

Suddenly, chains bound him from legs to arms. Two more chains circled his neck with their pointed blades aimed at him, resembling a poised snake.

"Apologies, Brother Yan, but it seems that the victory is mine," a voice echoed from behind. Turning his head, Yan saw Cai Wen, with chains extending from his gloves and binding his body.

Despite his urge to resist, Yan knew that he had been defeated. "I... I lost..."

The moment he conceded defeat, the crowd erupted into a commotion.

"Did Yan just lose?"

"Who is this new kid?"

"I heard he's the Pope's new disciple!"

"We've got a new prodigy in the Spirit Hall!"

"Prodigy my ass! Yan could rival a spirit elder, and he was beaten by a 15-rank spirit master who looks incredibly young. He's not just a prodigy, he's a monster!"

The crowd didn't understand what was happening. All they saw was Yan's Inferno Blast aimed at Cai Wen, who didn't seem to react. They thought he was done for. Suddenly, however, Cai Wen used his spirit ring ability and vanished from his position, leaving behind an orange trail. He reappeared behind Yan, ending the fight almost instantaneously. Many in the crowd speculated that his first spirit ring ability must be some form of teleportation.

Only those with a high spirit level saw the truth of what occurred, which made them even more astonished. Cai Wen's speed rivaled that of a spirit elder from the agility system or even a spirit ancestor. They couldn't ignore his level and this realization caused them to further amplified their shock.

The crowd buzzed with chatter, among them, Xie Yue looked particularly shocked. Having been friends with Yan for two years, he understood Yan's strength better than anyone. The pair were always a duo, and Xie Yue had fully expected Yan to dominate the fight, but the reality proved to be the exact opposite.

Hu Liena was equally taken aback. She was familiar with Cai Wen's capabilities to a certain extent, but it was hard to believe he could defeat someone nearly fifteen levels higher than him, and do so in such a commanding fashion.

"Ah! Junior brother Cai Wen, you're so cool!" Her unexpected fangirl outburst added insult to Yan's metaphorical injuries.

A chuckle escaped Cai Wen's lips at Hu Liena's exuberance. He appreciated her support, even if it was a bit excessive. He released the chains binding Yan, causing him to collapse. Extending a hand, Cai Wen helped his opponent to his feet.

"Good fight, Yan. You're a skilled opponent," He spoke sincerely, his voice free of arrogance or superiority. "I now understand why everyone in Spirit Hall Academy considers you a rising genius."

"If I am a genius, then what are you?" Yan responded with a bitter smile. Accepting Cai Wen's hand, he rose to his feet, his expression a blend of exhaustion and newfound respect. The jealousy he initially felt had vanished, replaced by the shock of his defeat.

The crowd continued to buzz with excitement and speculation. The news of Yan's defeat by a lower-ranked, younger spirit master spread like wildfire.

This unexpected turn of events drastically boosted Cai Wen's reputation within the Spirit Hall Academy overnight, even reaching the ears of elders in the Elder Palace.

Bibi Dong, engrossed in her usual tasks, was interrupted by a servant's knock. The servant relayed the news of Cai Wen's match. "Heh, he's not even a month into awakening his martial spirit and he's already strong enough to contend against someone who could combat a spirit elder," Bibi Dong mused privately. More than ever, she felt satisfied with her decision to accept Cai Wen as her disciple.