Challenge

From now on this will be Yuanen Yehui's image. { Photo in comments}

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Elder Cai's office, Outer court yard, Shrek Academy

Nero, who had just returned to the academy with Yuanen Yehui, was summoned to Elder Cai's office by Shen Yi. Facing Elder Cai, Nero raised an eyebrow and said, "So, let me get this straight. Because of our exceptional performance, the academy is sending us to the Star Luo Continent Tournament, which indirectly allocates more resources to us, and third-year students have a problem with it. So, they requested a match against me, right?" Elder Cai nodded, confirming it.

Nero sighed in resignation and asked, "And I don't have a choice other than fighting them, do I?" Elder Cai replied firmly, "No, you have to fight them." Accepting this unnecessary battle, Nero proceeded to ask, "So, when am I fighting them?" Shen Yi, who was standing at the side, answered, "Tomorrow at 8 AM sharp." Nero nodded and left the office, heading back to his dormitory.

As soon as Nero entered the room, Yuanen Yehui asked in an anxious voice, "Why did Elder Cai call you? Did they find something? or..." Nero hugged Yuanen Yehui and calmed her down. "It was nothing like that," he reassured her, "she called me to inform me that I have to fight third-year students." Hearing that it had nothing to do with the Bright City incident, Yuanen Yehui breathed a sigh of relief.

"See, I told you there is nothing to worry about, I left no dead ends," Aria added in her drone form. Yuanen Yehui retorted, "Why wouldn't I worry when Nero was suddenly called to Elder Cai's office?" Turning towards Nero, she asked in confusion, "Why do you have to fight third-year students?" Nero explained to her what Elder Cai had told him.

"Poor third-year students," Yuanen sighed after learning the reason behind the upcoming fight. Aria asked in confusion, "Why are you pitying them?" Yuanen Yehui replied, "Because all of them are very arrogant and confident in their strengths. Although some of them act modest, when I faced them last year, I observed that they all had that confidence and arrogance in their bones. But now, facing Nero, their confidence might be fully shattered." She paused, shifting her gaze towards Nero, and continued, "And, I'm sure my dear boyfriend won't just stop after defeating them."

Nero smiled and replied, "You know me too well; of course, I wouldn't let them go so easily for wasting my time." Yuanen Yehui asked in curiosity, "What are you going to do?" Nero replied with an innocent smile, "I will not do anything directly; I would just give them hope and have it shattered again." Yuanen Yehui and Aria both became confused, not understanding the meaning behind Nero's words. Seeing their confused looks, Nero just smiled, choosing not to explain further.

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Next Day,

The day of the battle had finally arrived, and it had captured the attention of all the outer court students. Normally, joining the inner court after reaching the fourth grade was nearly impossible. The only alternative was to become a one-word battle armor master before the sixth grade and receive a graduation certificate from Shrek Academy. As a result, there weren't many one-word battle armor masters in the higher grades, since they would graduate directly from the outer court once they became one and were over 20 years old. The third grade, however, was considered the most powerful grade in the academy's outer court even before a certain anomaly entered the outer court yard.

The sparring arena was bustling with outer court students and teachers, all eager to witness the battle. Everyone was curious to see if the third grade could defeat the undefeated Demon King of the outer courtyard. Perhaps, if they were to watch the recording of Nero's recent battle in Bright City, their opinions might undergo a significant change. Students from the first and second grade, especially those from Class One, had arrived much earlier, as their class president was participating in the battle. The anticipation in the air was palpable.

Third-grade students were already standing at their stand while Nero was nowhere to be seen. Finally, ten minutes prior to 8 AM, Nero arrived in the arena. Unlike the third-grade students, who were dead serious, Nero's face had a nonchalant expression as he sipped from his energy drink. Shen Yi wanted to slap her forehead for expecting this guy to be serious.

' How powerful are these famous third grade geniuses?' Nero inwardly asked Aria.

Aria responded, [You don't remember them from the original timeline?]

Nero shrugged his shoulders and replied, 'You expect me to remember every side character.' Aria simply displayed their status.

[

Name: Ye Wu

Age: 17

Martial soul: Flame Body

Soul ring configuration:  🟡🟡🟣🟣

]

[

Name: Li Qiankun

Age: 18

Martial soul: Heaven and Earth sphere

Soul ring configuration:  🟡🟡🟣🟣

]

[

Name: Mo Jue

Age: 18

Martial soul: Black Swan

Soul ring configuration:  🟡🟡🟣🟣🟣

]

[

Name: Wu Rui

Age: 18

Martial soul: Heaven's book

Soul ring configuration:  🟡🟡🟣🟣

]

[

Name: Li Mengyang

Age: 18

Martial soul: Blazing Demon Lion

Soul ring configuration:  🟡🟡🟣🟣

]

[

Name: Li Mengtian

Age: 18

Martial soul: Blazing Demon Tiger

Soul ring configuration:  🟡🟡🟣🟣

]

Nero didn't react much to the presence of a soul king on their team. If it were some other martial soul, then Nero might have become a little bit excited. However, a darkness attribute martial soul against a Demon was like trying to burn magma with fire.

Nero and the Third Grade team made their way into the arena. Shen Yi looked at them and asked, "Are you guys ready?" Nero and the third-grade students nodded. "Start!" As soon as Shen Yi announced the start of the match, Ye Wu's feet blazed in flames as he dashed towards Nero. Simultaneously, he used his first spirit ability, Flame Burst Fist, and threw a punch straight at Nero.

Contrary to Ye Wu's flashy attack, Nero simply raised his hand and caught Ye Wu's punch. Ye Wu sneered, as his Flame Burst hit would release a burst of intense flames upon contact, but the next second, he became stunned as the burst of flames was encaged in a spherical spirit energy sphere. Nero, with his mental power, threw the sphere into the sky and then dispersed it, creating fireworks in broad daylight.

Nero raised his other hand, clenching it into a fist, and threw a punch at Ye Wu. Sensing the danger from Nero's fist, Ye Wu activated his third spirit ability, Heat Shield Aura, while Li Qiankun simultaneously used his first ability, Celestial Barrier that added an extra layer of protection on top of Ye Wu's flame barrier. Perhaps, thinking that Nero's martial soul was a sword, they both assumed that Nero's physical power wouldn't be outrageous. However, the term "capable of overpowering Golden Dragon King" wasn't just a casual claim.

Nero's punch effortlessly tore through both their barriers like a hot knife through butter. Wu Rui wanted to use his second spirit ability to teleport Ye Wu, but Nero used the Law of Separation to erase the spatial fluctuations. As a result, Ye Wu was sent flying backward like a rocket, becoming yet another victim of Nero's face punch.

Li Mengyang and Li Mengtian both managed to catch Ye Wu, but the force of the impact still sent them sliding backward several meters. Wu Rui, on the other hand, attempted to use his first spirit ability to conjure numerous vines in an effort to bind Nero. However, before the vines could even reach him, they were sliced into tiny pieces.

In the stands, Tang Wulin was utterly astonished and couldn't contain his surprise. He exclaimed aloud, "What was that?" Seeking an explanation, Ye Xinglan clarified, "It's sword consciousness. At this stage, Nero can control sword intent with just a thought, and he doesn't even need an actual sword for it." Curious about his own experience, Tang Wulin inquired further, "Then why was I able to bind him in our match?" Xu Xiaoyan, who was sitting nearby, sighed and said, "Boss, it's clear that you still haven't figured it out. Obviously, it's because of Sister Yehui that Brother Nero didn't use his full capabilities." The members of Class Zero all turned their gaze toward Yuanen Yehui, who couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.

Mo Jue, who possessed the highest spirit rank, finally decided to take action. She unleashed her spirit ability, Weakness Curse, in an attempt to weaken Nero. However, the black skull, the manifestation of her ability, couldn't even affect Nero before it was promptly destroyed. Undeterred, Mo Jue activated her second ability, Shadow Devil Flame, but the result was the same—the flames dissipated like a gust of wind upon contact with Nero. Growing increasingly anxious, Mo Jue resorted to her third spirit ability, Darkness Erosion, but once again, it had no effect on Nero.

Li Qiankun attempted to intervene and stop Mo Jue, but she ignored his efforts. She activated her Battle Armor and unleashed her fourth spirit ability, Cursed Spear. Mo Jue watched intently, hoping that Nero would finally be affected by her abilities. However, her hopes were dashed when Nero simply caught the spear and effortlessly broke it, dissolving it into particles of spirit energy.

Shen Yi, who was observing the battle, shook her head in disappointment. The moment Mo Jue realized that her most frequently used ability had no effect on Nero, she lost her composure. Instead of considering the team dynamics, she expended all her spirit energy to activate her sixth spirit ability, Swan's Feathers, which unleashed rings of dark green airflow.

Nero, growing tired of the futile attempts, unsheathed Yamato and executed a series of slashes. His slashes not only disintegrated Mo Jue's attack but also eliminated Mo Jue herself from the battle.

Nero's swift and decisive victory over Mo Jue left the third-grade students in a predicament. Li Qiankun, who had taken charge of the battle, quickly issued commands to his remaining teammates.

"Mengyang, Mengtian, Ye Wu, use your Martial Spirit Fusion Skill. I'll provide defense until you merge," Li Qiankun directed.

He then turned to Wu Rui, instructing him, "Wu Rui, engage with him in battle to stall for time."

According to the new strategy, Ye Wu, Li Mengyang, and Li Mengtian joined hands, preparing to execute their Martial Spirit Fusion Skill. Meanwhile, Wu Rui, in his Battle Armor, activated his first spirit ability, Bind. Countless dark-green vines erupted from the ground, racing toward Nero.

Nero, surrounded by a rotating ring of Mirage Blades around his waist, advanced calmly. The vines attempting to trap him were effortlessly cut down by the Mirage Blades before they could make contact. In retaliation, Nero unleashed a rapid barrage of slashes, the movements so swift that they appeared as blurs, aimed at Wu Rui.

Wu Rui, determined to continue the fight, summoned a clone of Nero using his fourth spirit ability. This clone replicated Nero's third spirit ability, Shadow Void, attempting to evade Nero's incoming attacks. Unfortunately for Wu Rui, Nero was the bane of his own skills. The bug ability of moving the body into a different layer of space was ineffective as his control over the Law of Separation allowed Nero to effortlessly cleave through the very space itself. As for making the Clone Nero attack, just cloning Nero and using Shadow Void drained away most of Wu Rui's spirit energy. 

As a dozen Mirage Blades closed in on Wu Rui, he made one last desperate attempt to counter Nero's onslaught. He employed his third spirit ability, Reflective Mirror, to bounce back the incoming attacks toward Nero. However, Nero teleported behind Wu Rui and incapacitated him with a blow, rendering him unconscious.

Li Qiankun activated all his spirit skills to create a defensive barrier around himself and the trio undergoing Martial Fusion. Nero shook his head, realizing that breaking the barrier directly would be a waste of effort. Under the astonished gazes of onlookers, Nero sat cross-legged on the ground and continuously fired exploding Mirage Blades at the barrier, turning it into a battle of endurance to see whose spirit energy would run out first.

Five minutes later the barrier disappeared revealing Li Qiankun unconscious due to spirit energy depletion. There was no way Li Qiankun could have won against Nero's Bug first spirit ability which restored his physical, mental and Demonic-spirit energy amidst battle. Third Grade who were feeling hopeless cheered up as the trio finally completed their Martial Fusion skill. 

The trio's flame barrier dissipated, revealing an Armored Flame Knight atop a Blazing Liger. Nero's expression turned puzzled. He inwardly asked Aria, ' Aria, a liger is a child of Tiger and Lion, right ' Aria answered [ Yes ] Nero continued, 'And a rider and their mount have a master-servant relationship, correct?' Aria, still puzzled by Nero's question, replied, [Yes.] Nero finally made his point, ' Then, it technically means that those Sibling have an incest relationship and they both have some submissive kink going on with Ye Wu ' 

Aria was initially stunned by Nero's reasoning, but she quickly regained her composure and shouted, [ STOP WASTING TIME AND FINISH THE MATCH! ]Nero inwardly raised his hand and thought, 'Jeez, no need to be so angry; I was just joking.' Then, addressing the Martial Fusion skill, Nero continued, "You guys shouldn't have used the Martial Fusion skill against me." The third-grade students looked puzzled, while the first and second-grade students sighed, recalling Nero's previous match against both classes combined.

A blue halo enveloped the entire arena as Nero snapped his fingers. "Snap"  the Martial Fusion skill of the third-grade team vanished, revealing the trio who now stared at Nero with fear in their eyes.

A pin-drop silence enveloped the arena as everyone processed what had just happened.

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