Chapter 29: The Lord of Water and the Water Surge Technique

Wang Jinxi's second soul skill, Bone Spirit Transformation, allowed him to transform specific parts of his body into a spirit form. Though its duration was short, it made him immune to physical attacks and control effects, proving incredibly versatile in battle.

After freeing his legs from the wild blue-silver grass, Wang Jinxi charged forward without losing momentum. His Bone Dragon Claw tore through the grass with ease, shredding any obstacle into pieces.

He quickly cut a path through the blue-silver grass and closed in on Jing Shaoyu, his massive bone claw raised to strike. Ye Yingluo subtly shook her head, prepared to intervene and end the match. She sighed inwardly, realizing that even with some control abilities, healing-type soul masters were at a disadvantage against assault-type opponents.

However, in the next moment, her eyes widened in shock. Jing Shaoyu suddenly raised both hands, releasing a powerful wave of water that caught Wang Jinxi off guard, forcing him back several steps and disrupting his momentum.

"What…?" The crowd was stunned. No one could understand how Jing Shaoyu had just summoned a wave of water.

Unbeknownst to them, this water wave was one of the abilities granted by Jing Shaoyu's second Great Dao Stone, which he had awakened with his second soul ring.

Just like the first Great Dao Stone, the second had bestowed him with both a talent and an ability.

The talent, called Lord of Water, functioned similarly to Lord of Fire, granting him partial immunity to water elements—currently up to twenty percent, matching his fire immunity.

The ability, Water Surge Technique, allowed him to summon a wave that could push back approaching enemies. The closer an enemy was, the stronger the repulsion, with a minor damage effect included.

"It's over!" Jing Shaoyu smiled slightly.

Wang Jinxi was still reeling from the impact of the Water Surge Technique, feeling short of breath as he staggered. Just as he tried to recover, a large, searing fireball appeared in front of him, instantly drying the water on his clothes with its intense heat.

In that moment, he lost.

Wang Jinxi felt frustrated at his defeat, convinced he had been blindsided by the unexpected. Who would have thought a healer could wield so many offensive skills? He'd been subjected to vines, a water surge, and finally, a fireball—was this some kind of elemental experiment?

Zhang Yangzi and Wei Xiaofeng were now also watching Jing Shaoyu intently, no longer underestimating him due to his classification as a healing-type soul master. Judging by his abilities, they were starting to question if he was actually a control-type Grandmaster. And the most puzzling part? He hadn't activated his two purple soul rings at all. This suggested that none of his abilities—the vines, the water wave, or the fireball—had come from his soul skills.

This left an important question: what were the true effects of Jing Shaoyu's two millennium soul skills? Since he claimed to be a healing-type, they might assume his rings were healing-oriented, but after today's match, Zhang Yangzi and Wei Xiaofeng weren't so sure.

After that, Zhang Yangzi and Wei Xiaofeng both won their matches and advanced to the second round.

Soon, only one battle remained in the first round: Xu Xiaoyan versus Duan Xiaopeng.

"Ready," Ye Yingluo called out, her gaze fixed on the two.

Duan Xiaopeng wore a serious expression, cautiously eyeing Xu Xiaoyan. Once Ye Yingluo gave the command, he immediately summoned his martial spirit. A white soul ring appeared behind him. Although Class One had talented students, most of them, like Duan Xiaopeng, still bore white soul rings due to the high cost of yellow spirit souls.

As a pair of green wings appeared on his back, Duan Xiaopeng's martial spirit possession was complete. He took a defensive stance, watching Xu Xiaoyan closely, who remained calm and leisurely.

Finally, after hearing Ye Yingluo's signal, Xu Xiaoyan summoned her martial spirit with a smile. Her Starwheel Ice Staff appeared in her hand, accompanied by two deep yellow soul rings.

Seeing this, a flicker of envy crossed Duan Xiaopeng's eyes. When Ye Yingluo gave the signal to start, he sprang into action, his green wings flapping as his body became shrouded in a blue aura, boosting his speed.

First soul skill: Shadow of the Blue Hawk.

Facing Duan Xiaopeng's swift approach, Xu Xiaoyan smiled and tapped her Starwheel Ice Staff forward. Her first soul ring lit up, and a ring of ice materialized in his path, freezing him in place mid-stride.

"This…" Duan Xiaopeng looked down in disbelief at the ice around his right foot. He had never expected to be trapped so easily, leaving him feeling frustrated. Was this the strength of a hundred-year soul skill?

Seeing her first attack land successfully, Xu Xiaoyan beamed and activated her second soul skill. An ice spear formed at the tip of her staff and shot toward Duan Xiaopeng. Her second soul skill: Rage of Ice.

The outcome was clear. Xu Xiaoyan easily won the match.

Ye Yingluo was thrilled. Jing Shaoyu had already impressed her, but this girl was equally exceptional. While Duan Xiaopeng thought he'd lost due to the strength of her soul skill, Ye Yingluo, as a Soul King, recognized the flawless execution, sharp instincts, and keen perception Xu Xiaoyan possessed. This girl was a natural control-type soul master!

Unbothered by Ye Yingluo's gaze, Xu Xiaoyan bounded over to Jing Shaoyu with a slightly smug smile.

"Hehe, Brother Shaoyu, wasn't I amazing?" she chirped, hugging his arm.

"Not bad. I'd say you're about half as amazing as me!" Jing Shaoyu teased, grinning as he tried to rile her up.

"No way! I'd say I'm at least two-thirds as amazing as Brother Shaoyu!" she retorted, clutching his arm tighter.

"Haha, alright, alright, you're impressive!" Jing Shaoyu laughed, patting her on the head. "You're strong, Xiaoyan—I don't think anyone in our class could beat you."

As he said this, he pinched her cheek, making her playfully swat at him.

While they bantered, Ye Yingluo finished setting up the second-round matchups. Upon seeing the new pairings, Jing Shaoyu felt certain she was doing it on purpose.

In the second round, Jing Shaoyu's opponent was Wei Xiaofeng—another Grandmaster!

He noticed Wei Xiaofeng watching him intently, a serious expression on his face as he pondered how to handle this unusual "healing" soul master.

Xu Xiaoyan was paired against Yang Lan, an eighteen-level soul master with the Golden-Horned Deer spirit. This rare gold-type martial spirit granted Yang Lan a strong offensive edge and made her one of only two students outside the Grandmasters with a hundred-year soul ring.

The first battle of the second round was Xu Xiaoyan versus Yang Lan.

"Brother Shaoyu, I'm off to fight!" Xu Xiaoyan said with a bright smile.

"Good luck! I'll see you in the final round!" Jing Shaoyu replied, unaware of how infuriating his words sounded to Zhang Yangzi and Wei Xiaofeng.

"Arrogant jerk!" Wei Xiaofeng muttered to himself, clenching his fists. "I'll be the one to knock you down a peg!"

"Pretty bold, isn't he?" Zhang Yangzi said quietly, a hint of displeasure in his tone.

"I can't stand it!" Wang Jinxi groaned beside Zhang Yangzi, still reeling from his defeat. "If I had another chance, I'd never lose to him again!"

"Don't worry, I'll get revenge for you!" Zhang Yangzi assured him.

Xu Xiaoyan's match against Yang Lan was quick. Despite Yang Lan's aggressive fighting style, her defenses were weak, and Xu Xiaoyan easily dodged her first attack, Golden Horn Charge. With a simple one-two combo of her soul skills, Xu Xiaoyan clinched victory.

She became the first student to advance to the third round. Zhang Yangzi and another student with a hundred-year soul ring al

so won their matches, leaving only Jing Shaoyu and Wei Xiaofeng to finish the second round.