It appeared that the two of them engaged in numerous conversations, yet due to their occurrence in the mental realm, only a brief period passed in the external world.
Upon Tang San's completion of his speech, a radiant golden beam emanated from the space between Tang Wulin's eyebrows. Piaofiao soared before him, and the golden light swiftly elongated, transforming into a resplendent double-pointed spear. The weapon exuded a potent essence of life.
Compelled by an impulse, Tang Wulin reached out and gripped the spear. The moment it touched his hand, he sensed an intrinsic connection, as if the spear was an extension of his own body, drawing and amplifying the energy and blood within him.
Though lacking a tangible trial, Tang Wulin perceived an unprecedented strength within himself at that instant, and the prior apprehension about gains and losses vanished entirely.
"This sensation is peculiar. Is this what they mean by an exclusive weapon?" Tang Wulin murmured within.
"Yes, this is the exclusive weapon accessible only by breaking the sixth-level seal. It's called the Golden Dragon Spear, an exceedingly potent weapon," Tang San calmly explained.
Observing the appearance of the weapon in Tang Wulin's grasp, bystanders assumed it was likely his martial spirit. Those like Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan, witnessing it for the first time, simply regarded it as a formidable weapon.
However, upon Gu Yuena's sighting of the golden dragon spear, her eyes narrowed, and she earnestly cautioned Anping, "Exercise caution with that spear."
Recalling the attributes of the Golden Dragon Spear, though uncertain why Tang Wulin obtained it prematurely, Anping nodded seriously in response to Gu Yuena's grave words.
After both sides completed summoning their spirits, the referee declared, "The game begins!"
Upon the referee's pronouncement, Tang Wulin, Ye Xinglan, and Xie Xie swiftly adjusted their formations, shielding Xu Xiaoyan and Xu Lizhi behind them. They cast serious gazes at Anping and Gu Yuena opposite them.
Xu Lizhi swiftly chanted, and several steamed buns soared towards his teammates. Some caught the airborne buns, hastily consuming them.
Simultaneously, Anping raised his hand, conjuring a pale silver-white magic circle at Xu Xiaoyan's feet.
"Be cautious!" Xie Xie and Ye Xinglan couldn't help but exclaim, yet it was too late. In an instant, Xu Xiaoyan vanished under the flickering silver light.
It was Anping's short-distance space teleportation. Reappearing outside the protective shield, Xu Xiaoyan looked around with a bemused expression, exuding a charming innocence.
"It's settled; please commence your performance," Anping remarked, glancing at Gu Yuena with a faint satisfaction in his words, earning him an eye roll from Gu Yuena.
Witnessing Xu Xiaoyan's disappearance, Tang Wulin and his companions frantically scanned the surroundings. Shock set in as they spotted Xu Xiaoyan outside the ring. Could spatial abilities be wielded in such a manner? How were they to engage in combat under these circumstances?
Amidst their astonishment, Gu Yuena's fourth soul ring glimmered, summoning a silver long-handled staff into her grasp. She elevated the staff with her right arm, directing it towards their adversaries, causing the elemental forces in the entire arena to fluctuate.
In the blink of an eye, a belt of red and green elemental light encircled the group. The searing heat and razor-sharp wind blades rained down upon them, inflicting wounds. Tang Wulin reacted swiftly; tendrils of blue silver grass emerged from the ground, forming a shield to protect them, but it shattered in an instant.
The fragments of Bluesilver Grass strewn across the ground gradually dissipated. The group struggled against the onslaught. Xu Lizhi, being a food-type soul master, succumbed first, collapsing to the ground in agony with grievous burns.
Observing Xu Lizhi's plight, Ye Xinglan's heart ached. Emitting a low roar, she lowered her sword and charged towards Anping and Gu Yuena amidst the elemental storm. After a few strides, she too fell to the ground.
"How about we concede?" Xie Xie, battling with increasing difficulty, waved his dagger while his voice weakened.
Tang Wulin gazed down at the fallen Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi, growling at Anping and Gu Yuena, "This is merely a competition! Why resort to such extremes?"
Anping retorted angrily, "Oh? Just a friendly match? If someone approached Shrek Academy with a challenge like this, I believe you'd respond similarly."
Tang Wulin struggled to find a reply, acknowledging within himself that faced with such provocation, he might indeed act as Anping suggested.
"For the glory of Shrek!" Tang Wulin declared, roaring, and brandished the Golden Dragon Spear towards Anping, charging forward. Empowered by the Golden Dragon Spear, he moved with incredible speed, reaching Anping in the blink of an eye.
Anping, taken aback, assumed Gu Yuena had intervened. In haste, he manipulated the truth-controlling ability, preparing to evade simultaneously. A clang resounded, and ripples emanated from the point of impact.
Tang Wulin, bewildered, questioned whether the weapon in his hand truly possessed the might Old Tang had spoken of. In a flash of silver light, Anping reappeared in the distance. He glanced at the unscathed sky of truth and uttered a nonchalant sound.
"What an unusual martial spirit. Release your mental power and allow me to assist you," Tang San's timely voice intervened.
Filled with anger, Tang Wulin, at this moment, cared little about potential consequences. He uttered a low "okay" and relinquished control over his body.
Suddenly, a sea-blue light flashed between Tang Wulin's eyebrows. As his eyes opened and closed, his entire demeanor underwent a drastic transformation. Sensing the ephemeral aura of Poseidon, Gu Yuena's eyes flickered with animosity as she glared at Tang Wulin.
Anping also discerned that something was amiss with Tang Wulin. He sidestepped to Gu Yuena's side and whispered, "Martial soul fusion skill!"
A burst of colorful light ensued, completing Anping and Gu Yuena's martial soul fusion skills in an instant. Observing Tang Wulin's seemingly unavoidable strike, it appeared dodging was an impossibility.
While Anping continued flashing, attempting to narrow the distance, his mind raced, seeking a technique to address the current situation among his known skills.
"Breath of life, breath of life, breath of life..." The incessant whisper in Gu Yuena's fused state induced a hint of irritability.
"Yes!" Anping harnessed the substantial mental power during the fusion phase, laboriously constructing a technique he had calculated numerous times but never attempted due to mental power constraints.
Just as the tip of the Golden Dragon Spear neared them to break apart, Anping elevated the staff in his hand, and a profoundly dull green light blossomed from its apex, resembling a delicate flower precisely aimed at the superior tip of the Golden Dragon Spear.
Upon initial contact with the green light, it swiftly merged into the golden dragon spear. The rich life essence on the golden dragon spear rapidly withered.
Sensing the alteration in the spear, Tang Wulin, under Tang San's influence, involuntarily released his grip. The spear silently descended to the ground, disintegrating like porcelain. The fragments cascaded, transforming into imperceptible debris.
This showcased the might of Anping's extensively studied secondary magic cracking technique, infused with the concept of withering, although it had not yet attained the status of a level two wizard. Even after merging with Gu Yuena, it depleted all their magic and soul power. To wield it freely, a level three wizard might be necessary.
"What an unusual and ruthless method," Tang Wulin, under Tang San's control, uttered a cold snort. Although he let go in time, a trace of bitter radiance still extended from Tang Wulin's body to Tang San's consciousness. Above his consciousness, a blue light flashed, then fell silent. Subsequently, Tang Wulin spat blood and collapsed.
In a fleeting radiance, Anping and Gu Yuena reappeared in the ring. The green light's expenditure had exhausted all their magic and soul power, leaving the two standing in place, supporting each other.