Showdown and Unexpected Encounter

" Tap..Tap..Tap.." hearing the sound of footsteps from behind him, Nero who was meditating opened his eyes and stood up. Emerging from the forest were four figures: an auburn-haired girl, a black-haired girl, a blue-haired boy, and an ashen-haired boy. "So, you're the one who dared to mock and challenge us," the black-haired girl declared, her arrogance ringing loud in her tone. While the other three remained silent, their expressions spoke volumes about their intentions.

As Nero turned around, meeting gazes of the four individuals, he responded in a steady tone, "Challenge? As far as I remember, you four vowed to defeat me, especially you, Miss Siduo." Simultaneously, he summoned Yamato into his hand. As soon as the four laid eyes on Yamato, their expressions shifted to one of shock and realization. How could they forget that martial soul? After all, it was from its owner that they had suffered their most humiliating defeat.

Before the four could utter another word, four black soul rings emerged at Nero's feet, enveloping them in an overwhelming pressure. "Number One," the blue-haired boy, Luo Guixing, ranked 17th on the rankings with the nickname 'Slacker,' muttered with a hint of fear in his voice. A sentiment shared by all four, this pressure vividly brought back the memory of the day their pride as geniuses had been shattered.

"You three, wake up," the auburn-haired girl, Wu Siduo, ranked 9th on the rankings with the nickname 'Hell', urgently called to other three, her voice laced with determination. "None of us can defeat him alone, but together, we can't—no, we must never lose to him." Watching the four summon their martial spirits, Nero couldn't help but smirk. 'Aria their status, martial soul, and rank,' he silently requested within his thoughts. He was curious to see how far these once-defeated opponents had progressed.

[

Name: Wu Siduo

Martial Soul: Hell Civet, White Tiger

Rank: 41

]

[

Name: Luo Guixing

Martial Soul: Space Element

Rank: 36

]

[

Name: Xu Yucheng

Martial Soul: Demon Scythe

Rank: 41

]

[

Name: Zheng Yiran

Martial Soul: Jade Phosphor Serpent

Rank: 34

]

As attack-type spirit masters, Wu Siduo and Xu Yucheng were the first to launch an assault on Nero. "First spirit ability, Spatial Lock!" Luo Guixing used his first spirit ability to freeze Nero in place as soon as they closed in on Nero's vicinity. Wu Siduo and Xu Yucheng also employed their enhancement abilities to strengthen their attacks.

Nero effortlessly shattered the spatial confinement with the sheer force of his physical power. In a swift motion, he intercepted Xu Yucheng's attack using Yamato, and with equal grace, he halted Wu Siduo in her tracks, utilizing Yamato's sheath.

As Wu Siduo and Xu Yucheng regrouped, they continued their relentless assault on Nero from different angles. However, none of their attacks managed to even touch Nero, as he consistently used Yamato to block each assault at the very last moment. This might appear as a series of coincidences, but both the four combatants and those observing from the outside were aware that every move Nero made was precise and calculated.

Without warning, Nero summoned Beowulf and launched a powerful punch that simultaneously struck both Wu Siduo and Xu Yucheng, sending them hurtling to distant positions. Nero wasted no time; he teleported to Xu Yucheng's new location and unleashed countless strikes at him { Reference: Vergil Yamato combo c }, each delivered with blinding speed. Despite Xu Yucheng's attempts to defend himself, Nero's assault was so relentless and rapid that he was eliminated before he could even activate his spirit ability.

"Second spirit ability, Silver Vortex Grasp," Luo Guixing called out as a silver whirlpool formed around Nero, its intention clear: to drag him into its vortex and restrict his movements. In response, Nero simply utilized a barrage of exploding mirage blades to disperse the tornado.

Luo Guixing was unbothered by this as his real motive for the attack was to provide Wu Siduo with the time she needed to prepare her assault. In the meantime, Wu Siduo activated her fourth ability, creating three distinct clones, and then further harnessed her second ability, Hell Hundred Claws, and her third ability, Hell Slash, in preparation for her upcoming attack.

Wu Siduo and her three clones launched a coordinated attack on Nero, each coming at him from a different direction. However, Nero responded with lightning speed, unsheathing Yamato in a blur of motion, Wu Siduo and her three clones were engulfed in a whirlwind of slashes. Under the onslaught of Judgement cut, Wu Siduo and her three clones were instantly overwhelmed and destroyed. Nero wasted no time and, with tremendous speed, directed a slashing strike towards Wu Siduo's position. The sheer force of his attack cleaved through the air itself, drawing her toward him with irresistible power. { Void slash }

"Third spirit ability, Spatial Retreat!" Luo Guixing swiftly employed his third ability, teleporting Wu Siduo out of Nero's attack range. Despite having the capability to halt the teleportation, Nero refrained from doing so. He wanted to see what more they could do, curious to witness the extent of their abilities. "Take this!" Zheng Yiran exclaimed, combining all her abilities to release a noxious, poisonous smoke directed at Nero. In response to her attack, dozens of concentric rings formed from mirage blades materialized in front of Nero, creating the appearance of an unfolding lotus. { If someone didn't understand it's like one ' A' ring then a slightly bigger 'B' ring surrounding 'A' ,then another 'C' ring surrounding 'B', and it keeps going on }

Under Nero's precise control, the rings began to rotate at a breathtaking speed, generating a powerful air flow that redirected the poisonous mist back towards Zheng Yiran. As the poisonous smoke dispersed, it revealed Wu Siduo unharmed, but in stark contrast, Zheng Yiran and Luo Guixing both wore pale expressions. They had sacrificed their remaining spirit energy to shield Wu Siduo from the toxic mist. Their actions were not borne out of kindness, but rather out of a strategic recognition that now only Wu Siduo had a fighting chance against Nero.

A fusion of black and gold threads enveloped Wu Siduo, creating a unique aura around her. Within this combination of black and gold energy, a translucent white tiger materialized in her place. "Roar!" The white tiger, which was Wu Siduo's self-soul fusion technique, unleashed a powerful roar as it lunged toward Nero, its massive claws aimed at his head. However, before the tiger's claws could make contact, Nero executed a swift teleportation, reappearing above the tiger. Utilizing Beowulf, Nero executed a spinning kick aimed at the tiger's back, effectively embedding it into the ground.

Without giving the tiger a moment to react, Nero seized its tail and began spinning it like a rope. Once he had generated enough momentum, he released the tiger, sending it hurtling towards the forest. A deafening "Boom" echoed through the forest as the tiger collided with the trees. Nero waited as he was sure that Wu Siduo won't give up this easily.

As anticipated, the tiger swiftly emerged from the forest, lunging directly at Nero. Deciding to bring the battle to a conclusion, Nero summoned a mirage blade and executed a rapid whirlwind of stabs. Nero's actions weren't random; he utilized his Demon Eyes to pinpoint the precise core locations of the fusion skill and directed his stabs exclusively at those vulnerable points. { For reference : Vergil, Mirage blade or edge: million stab }

"Withdraw," Nero declared, pointing Yamato at Wu Siduo. Who now sat on the ground with a pale face, acknowledging the outcome of the battle. Despite her reluctance, she pressed the exit button, bringing an end to their confrontation.

Nero, who was about to sheath Yamato, halted his actions as he sensed the presence of numerous students surrounding him in the forest. ' Did these idiots really think that I would be exhausted after that battle? ' Nero mused inwardly, his thoughts filled with a mix of amusement and confidence as he sensed the surrounding students. Shaking his head , Nero waved his hand, summoning two doppelgangers and went towards the students who were surrounding him.

----

As soon as Nero emerged from the pod, he could sense numerous gazes fixed upon him, many tinged with fear. Shen Yi, standing beside Wu Zhangkong, spoke up, acknowledging the evident disparity in strength, "The difference in strength is clear, so there was no need for the competition to continue any longer."

He then turned to Nero, addressing him as the president, and presented a choice, "Nero, since you are the president, please choose who will be the vice-president, Tang Wulin or Gu Yue."

" Teacher, I give up. Let Wulin be the vice-class president " before Nero could say anything the lovesick dragon raised her hand and exclaimed. The remainder of the class time was spent in the assignment of positions within the class. Nero, in a rather straightforward manner, dumped all his responsibilities onto Tang Wulin, striking a deal to compensate him with money for meals in exchange for taking over his duties.

After a meal at the cafeteria, Nero headed back to the dormitory. He couldn't help but ponder on Yuanen Yehui's martial soul and the metamorphosis that would happen after Aria finishes all the detail . Turning to Aria, he asked, "So, what kind of metamorphosis Yehui's martial soul might undergo?" His curiosity about her abilities was evident. [ You remember that Rock core ] hearing Aria's question, Nero was stunned for a moment and then remembered the Rock core which is still in his inventory. The Rock core was a 50,000 years old earth essence which he and Ren found at the first location. Although it sounds awesome but it was sitting in his inventory like a garbage because neither Ren nor Nero possessed an Earth martial soul.

" Yeah, What of it ? " Nero asked Aria. Aria explained her plan, [ Well I am gonna use it to amplify the Earth and gravity attribute in Yuanen Yehui's martial soul, This would also overwrite the Titan giant ape bloodline and martial soul to an extent where it would only provide the physical boost for her ].

Nero's eyes widened with realization, and he began, "Don't tell me you were inspired by...", Aria interjected, confirming his suspicions, [ Yes, The Rock God Heart from Genshin Impact. After scanning her, I found that she has a very high affinity for the Earth or Rock element, but due to her martial soul, she can't utilize it ]. Nero was left speechless as he really didn't expect Aria to come up with something like this.

"You know, those in the Spirit Pagoda wouldn't even hesitate to sell their souls just to get this knowledge from you," Nero remarked with a chuckle. Aria responded with a hint of pride, "[Hmm! Of course, I might not excel in combat, but no one can beat me in research]."

As Nero opened the door to his room, a coincidental mishap occurred. Just as he was about to enter, Yuanen Yehui, who had been on the inside and was in the process of opening the door herself, tripped and stumbled forward, falling toward Nero.

Nero's reflexes kicked in, and he instinctively reached out, encircling his hand around her waist and preventing her from falling. Their bodies were now in close proximity, and for a brief moment, their eyes locked. In that fleeting instant, they could feel each other's breath.

" I.."

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