Chapter 20

"Little brother Cai Wen, would you indulge me in a sparring match? I'm intrigued by the combat skills Nana praises so much," Yan proposed, his voice laced with an amiable smile. He had nonchalantly joined their conversation, his gaze fixed on Cai Wen.

Yan grappled with a twinge of jealousy. Pushing it aside, he hatched a plan to challenge Cai Wen to a duel.

In his mind, this would provide him a chance to beat the shit out of Cai Wen, hopefully winning Hu Liena's attention, and even possibly securing the coveted position of the Pope's disciple.

Hu Liena's brows furrowed slightly. Yan had addressed her by her nickname, a familiarity she found presumptuous considering their acquaintance was barely a week old.

Their past interactions had been scarce - mostly due to her exhaustion from rigorous training schedules. More often than not, she would dismiss his attempts at conversation, leaving him talking to the wind.

Unaware of Yan's ulterior motives, Hu Liena believed he genuinely sought a friendly spar. However, she found the prospect unsettling as Yan, a Spirit Grandmaster of 28th Spirit Rank, was also on the brink of ascending to a Spirit Elder.

"Junior brother, feel free to decline," she advised Cai Wen, worried that his innocence might lead him to accept the challenge without realizing the skill disparity.

Xie Yue frowned at Yan, aware of his not-so-secret crush on his sister. His tolerance for Yan's antics was wearing thin, especially now that Yan was challenging a six-year-old, whose spirit rank was significantly lower than his. Xie Yue saw this as nothing short of bullying.

Cai Wen, the focus of all this attention, studied Yan. Despite Yan's effort to mask his hostility, Cai Wen could see right through it. He gave a wry smile, thinking how love often drove people to act in foolish ways.

After a moment, Cai Wen's face broke into a grin, "Sure, I've been looking forward to experiencing a fight against another spirit master."

His acceptance took Xie Yue by surprise, who had assumed Cai Wen could see through Yan's intentions. Hu Liena, while worried, didn't voice her concerns, assuming this to be a simple spar.

They relocated to a spacious area in the school training ground. The impending fight drew attention, as Yan was a renowned rising star at Spirit Hall.

Yan stood a few meters away, a gleeful grin plastered on his face as he pictured himself beating Cai Wen to oblivion and impressing Hu Liena.

Opposite him, Cai Wen watched Yan's display with silent amusement, shaking his head at the sight. 'I always thought it was a myth, who would have thought that I'd find myself in a fight with someone so consumed by jealousy that they'd want to beat me senseless. Is this what love does to people, or do I have some sort of protagonist halo that lowers the intelligence of those around me?'

As they faced off, they engaged in the time-honored tradition of spirit masters preparing for battle.

Yan summoned his martial spirit - an aura that burned like a wildfire spread from his body, heralding the appearance of a demonic figure made of flames. As it possessed him, he morphed into a terrifying visage, sprouting horns and claws. Two yellow spirit rings began to orbit him.

"Yan, Beast Spirit, Flame Lord, twenty-ninth rank, Assault System, Spirit Grandmaster . Hope we have a good fight," Yan announced with a wolfish grin, though inside he was burning with impatience to impress Hu Liena.

"Wait, twenty-nine!?" Xie Yue blurted out, astonished. Yan had made a breakthrough - only yesterday, he had been at the 28th spirit rank. Hu Liena also looked taken aback, and Yan savored her surprise, a hot flash of satisfaction coursing through him.

Next, it was Cai Wen's turn. In stark contrast to Yan's grandiose display, light simply gathered in his hands before his martial spirit was summoned - a single yellow spirit ring revolving around him.

"Cai Wen, Tool Spirit, Dragon Ring Gloves, fifteenth rank spirit master, I haven't decided which system I am, but I am in between agility, assault and control system" Cai Wen declared, smiling with genuine excitement. Despite knowing Yan's intentions, he could not help but feel exhilarated about his first fight against another spirit master.

"15 rank!?" Yan gasped, incredulous. "How long have you been a spirit master?" Yan's envy had deflated somewhat, replaced by sheer disbelief.

"Umm, probably about two weeks," Cai Wen responded after a moment's thought. His casual answer only served to astonish Yan and the surrounding students even more.

"Looks like we have another monster on our hands," one student muttered under their breath.

"I see, you truly are worthy of being the Pope's disciple," Yan conceded, his voice taking on a more serious tone. His foolish aspirations of becoming the Pope's disciple were long gone, and took the spar more seriously, but he still held onto the hope of impressing Hu Liena in this battle.

With a steely determination etched on their faces, both Yan and Cai Wen readied themselves for the inevitable conflict.

Yan, bristling with primal energy, was the first to strike. He closed the gap between them in a heartbeat, his claws gleaming ominously in the dim light. His speed was so awe-inspiring that he seemed to shrink the distance between him and Cai Wen to nothing, his claws slashing through the air towards his adversary with lethal intent.

Cai Wen, the embodiment of tranquility amidst the violent storm, stepped back with perfect timing, effortlessly dodging Yan's savage attack. But Yan was relentless, his claws moving with deadly proficiency, punctuated by a series of powerful kicks.

Yet, Cai Wen danced around Yan's onslaught with an unruffled calmness, his movements minimalistic but effective, as if he was performing an intricate ballet rather than engaging in a brutal showdown. This apparent nonchalance flared Yan's temper further, making him feel as though he was being disdainfully dismissed by his opponent. His attacks grew even more ferocious in response.

To the onlookers, students engrossed in the dramatic spectacle, Yan's blistering attack speed was already akin to an agility or speed system Spirit Master of his same rank. However, to Cai Wen, Yan's movements seemed almost sluggish. Despite Yan's superior strength and speed, in Cai Wen's enhanced perception, every action was in slow motion. The six eyes that gifted him this extraordinary vision and reaction time had magnified his abilities thirty-fold.

As Cai Wen continued to evade Yan's increasingly frenzied attacks, Yan's anger swelled into a monstrous fury. Just as Yan was gearing up to change his strategy, Cai Wen suddenly crouched down and swept his leg towards Yan's, toppling the balance Yan had been desperately clinging to.

Caught off guard, Yan tried to stabilize himself, spreading his legs in an attempt to regain control. But Cai Wen was already one step ahead. He blocked Yan's left leg with his own, catching Yan by surprise. Seizing the moment, Cai Wen struck Yan's chest with both hands, sending him rocketing backwards, coughing and gasping for breath.

Cai Wen didn't stop there. A single chain materialized from one of his fingers, a testament to his recently gained spirit ring which now allowed his chains to extend up to 15 meters. The chain swiftly coiled itself around Yan's right foot. Yan, looking down, was about to wriggle free when he was suddenly yanked off his feet, landing heavily on his back.

Cai Wen, having just retracted his chain, reassumed his stance, watching Yan with the calm composure like of a martial arts master from an old movie. His eyes, brimming with a quiet intensity, were fixed on the fallen Yan, awaiting his next move.