Chapter 21: Suppressing Shi Gao (Seeking collection, recommendation tickets, monthly tickets!)
Even though Gu Xuan's spirit power Rank was two levels lower than his, Shi Gao still felt immense pressure from Gu Xuan; the scene of Gu Xuan suppressing Yu Tianheng yesterday still occasionally echoed in his mind.
Thinking this, Shi Gao couldn't help but sigh inwardly once again: "Is this the power of Absorbing a spirit ring across tiers?"
"Shi Gao, use all your strength. I won't hold back. Your training this morning already left me dissatisfied, so now it's my turn to replace Teacher Qin and drill you," Gu Xuan said slowly.
Hearing this, a hint of embarrassment flashed across Shi Gao's face. This morning's training was unforgettable for him; none of the movements were complicated, all were extremely simple, easy to understand at a glance, but when actually performed, without using his Spirit and spirit power, he almost couldn't even do a hundred push-ups.
Although this was his first time doing it, his Single Attribute also revealed a problem: if he were to discard his identity as a Spirit Master, he might even be inferior to an ordinary person.
Of course, saying that is a bit exaggerated, but Shi Gao himself couldn't deny feeling somewhat useless.
If anyone else had said what Gu Xuan said, he would have directly gone up and beaten them up, but with Gu Xuan saying it, he really didn't have the courage to beat Gu Xuan up.
A trace of helplessness flashed across Shi Gao's face as he replied in a muffled voice, "Come on, I won't give up resisting."
"Heh heh," Gu Xuan grinned, "That's the attitude I want."
Qin Ming watched from the side and nodded with satisfaction at Gu Xuan. Although they had only known each other for less than two days, he was very pleased with Gu Xuan, and if Gu Xuan weren't just a Spirit Elder, Qin Ming would even think Gu Xuan could be competent as a teacher.
Now, hearing Gu Xuan's words, Qin Ming also wanted to see how Gu Xuan would train Shi Gao. After all, Gu Xuan's training methods, even if applied to him, could have a significant effect, so he was very much looking forward to Gu Xuan's next moves.
"I'm going in!" Gu Xuan announced.
As soon as he spoke, Gu Xuan's leg muscles bulged, erupting with a speed far exceeding that of a Battle Spirit Master, and he charged straight towards Shi Gao.
During this process, Gu Xuan's first yellow spirit ring on his body lit up.
"First Spirit Ability: Bone Dragon Battle Body!"
With the release of the Spirit Ability, Gu Xuan's body seemed to be clad in a thick layer of silver-white armor, and his pair of Bone Claws also became heavier. With his Bone Claws clenched into fists, the massive fists directly descended towards Shi Gao.
Shi Gao naturally couldn't stand there and let Gu Xuan hit him. After all, even if his Black Tortoise Shell had amazing defensive power, it had to withstand Gu Xuan, who could suppress Yu Tianheng.
"First Spirit Ability: Shield Transformation!"
Shi Gao roared, and his first spirit ring on his body shone brightly. His Spirit Ability was exactly the same as Shi Mo's. With the release of his first Spirit Ability, the Tortoise Shell originally attached to his body detached and transformed into a Tortoise Shell shield, one and a half meters high and sixty centimeters wide.
"Clang!"
A clanging sound, like a steel hammer striking a large bell, rang out as Gu Xuan's massive and domineering fist slammed into Shi Gao's thick Tortoise Shell shield.
Although Shi Gao blocked Gu Xuan's attack, Gu Xuan's terrifying strength directly sent Shi Gao retreating nearly a meter.
This was merely the first probing exchange, and it directly allowed Shi Gao to personally experience Gu Xuan's might, because his first Spirit Ability could not only transform his Tortoise Shell into a shield but also amplify his strength by thirty percent.
Yet, even so, his strength was still inferior to Gu Xuan's, who was two spirit power Ranks below him.
However, Shi Gao no longer had time to be surprised. As Gu Xuan's first punch landed, it was immediately followed by a second punch, a third punch... Gu Xuan's leg muscles bulged as he followed up, and his arms also had explosive muscles bulging. Massive silver-white bone fists rained down like raindrops, smashing onto the Tortoise Shell shield in Shi Gao's hands, creating a clanging sound like blacksmithing.
Shi Gao also exerted all his strength, trying to block Gu Xuan's falling fists, but it was futile. Gu Xuan, whose hands had transformed into Bone Claws, didn't even feel a trace of pain. Each punch carried immense force, making the Tortoise Shell shield in Shi Gao's hands tremble.
Shi Gao's legs were braced straight, but he was still sliding back little by little, because Gu Xuan's strength was too terrifying.
And Gu Xuan's wild attack style made him feel so helpless even when facing Yu Tianheng, because Gu Xuan's fists landed too quickly, almost without interruption, leaving him no chance to release Spirit Abilities.
If he were to release a Spirit Ability at this moment, he would surely be hit by those terrifying fists a few times. Although it wouldn't be a serious injury, it definitely wouldn't feel good.
The other spectators might not have had too direct a feeling, only thinking that Gu Xuan was suppressing Shi Gao's output, but Shi Gao himself clearly knew that if he were hit by one of those punches, he might even have a few ribs broken.
Gu Xuan's stamina was enough to keep him suppressing Shi Gao like this. As long as Shi Gao kept not resisting, Gu Xuan planned to directly "push" Shi Gao off the Spirit Battle Arena.
Sometimes, Gu Xuan, while continuously attacking, would suddenly deliver a heavy blow, sending Shi Gao sliding back two or three meters.
The Spirit Battle Arena had a diameter of one hundred meters. Gu Xuan and Shi Gao initially stood opposite each other in the very center, twenty meters apart, meaning Shi Gao was forty meters from his side of the Spirit Battle Arena.
Now, three minutes later, Shi Gao was less than ten meters from the edge of the Spirit Battle Arena.
Although he wasn't injured thanks to the defense of his Black Tortoise Shield, his arms were a bit sore, and his internal organs were violently trembling from the immense force, but this was completely within his tolerance.
"Heh heh, are you just going to keep cowering like this?" Gu Xuan couldn't help but mock.
Hearing this, Shi Gao was not provoked in the slightest, because he was already used to it, or rather, Qin Ming's training for them was precisely this: as a Spirit Master, the most important thing is not to let your emotions be swayed by the enemy.
Shi Gao didn't reply, and Gu Xuan's attacks became even more ferocious. His second yellow spirit ring on his body shone, and his pair of massive bone fists transformed into a pair of dark golden Bone Claws, frantically attacking Shi Gao's Tortoise Shell shield.
"Screech!"
Each time the sharp Bone Claws contacted the Tortoise Shell shield, a dazzling shower of sparks would erupt. Shi Gao, holding up his shield to block, felt a tempest raging in his heart, because Gu Xuan's attack power could actually reach such a level.
Shi Gao felt that if he continued to defend like this, even without him retracting his Tortoise Shell shield, Gu Xuan would be able to directly shatter his Tortoise Shell shield with his powerful attack.
Shi Gao knew he couldn't continue like this.
Suddenly, Shi Gao thought of a counterattack method. The next time Gu Xuan's dark golden Bone Claws descended, Shi Gao used the force to retreat, and he was then less than two meters from the edge of the Spirit Battle Arena.
But it was at this moment that Gu Xuan's third purple spirit ring on his body lit up. The instant Shi Gao retreated, countless sword-like spines protruded one by one in front of Gu Xuan, instantly enveloping Shi Gao.
"Third Spirit Ability: Bone Dragon Purgatory!"
PS: Typo will be corrected after posting.Chapter 22: Gu Xuan vs. Dugu Yan (Seeking collections, recommendation tickets, and monthly passes!)
Facing Gu Xuan's sudden attack, Shi Gao felt like spitting blood internally; if he had known this would happen, he would have preferred to just tough it out and take two punches earlier.
However, Shi Gao was not slow either. The purple third spirit ring on his body instantly lit up, and he threw the Tortoise Shell Shield in his hand directly toward the Bone Swords stabbing forward.
"Third Spirit Ability: Exploding Shell Evasion!"
As the Spirit Ability was released, the Tortoise Shell Shield Shi Gao threw instantly burst open, transforming into dozens of Tortoise Shell Fragments. The instant the shell exploded, it directly destroyed a section of the protruding Bone Swords.
But the Bone Sword's offensive did not stop; even after being destroyed, endless Bone Swords continued to stab toward Shi Gao.
However, this bought him a few breaths of time. Just as he was about to dodge out of the range of Gu Xuan's third Spirit Ability, he realized Gu Xuan was already approaching him, stepping on the Bone Swords.
"Combine!"
Shi Gao was greatly alarmed, clenching his right hand and shouting loudly.
Following his manipulation, dozens of Tortoise Shell Fragments suddenly formed a Rudimentary Magnetic Field, attempting to restrain Gu Xuan, just as Shi Mo had used this move to restrict Oscar earlier.
However, he completely underestimated Gu Xuan's strength. Even though Gu Xuan was within the magnetic field range of the Tortoise Shell Fragments, his speed did not slow down in the slightest.
This move of Shi Gao's was considered a characteristic attached to the Spirit Beast produced by his third Spirit Ability, but its control capability was limited. If the opponent's strength and explosive power were sufficient, they could remain completely unaffected.
Although Oscar was fast, his strength was insufficient, making it difficult for him to break free once he entered the range of the Tortoise Shell Fragments. But Gu Xuan was different; his sheer power far exceeded the limit of Shi Gao's Tortoise Shell Fragment magnetic field control.
Gu Xuan's figure arrived in front of Shi Gao in a few quick movements, blocking his escape route. Bone Swords rose up from the ground one by one. Seeing that he truly could not dodge, Shi Gao was forced to jump off the Spirit Battle Arena.
As Shi Gao fell off the Spirit Battle Arena, Qin Ming's voice calmly rang out: "Gu Xuan wins!"
Afterward, Qin Ming looked coldly at Shi Gao and said in a cold voice, "Shi Gao, is this your performance? What are you afraid of?"
Hearing Qin Ming's words, Shi Gao lowered his head. He wasn't injured, because his defense was as impenetrable as a tortoise shell, yet he had been forced off the Spirit Battle Arena in such a humiliating manner.
Shi Gao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Qin Ming spoke again: "Next up, Yu Tianheng versus Yu Feng."
Qin Ming stopped looking at Shi Gao, giving him time to reflect.
Gu Xuan stepped down from the Spirit Battle Arena, came beside Shi Gao, patted his shoulder, and said, "Shi Gao, don't be discouraged. Honestly, your defense is the strongest I've seen among all Spirit Masters of the same Rank. As a defense system Spirit Master, you've actually done very well."
Hearing Gu Xuan's comfort, Shi Gao smiled helplessly and replied, "Gu Xuan, don't say that. Your offense is also incredibly powerful. Even when I faced Tianheng, I wasn't this wretched."
Pausing, Shi Gao secretly glanced at Teacher Qin Ming and whispered, "Just by looking at Teacher Qin's expression, I know he definitely wasn't satisfied this time. But your opponent was you—you're a freak, alright."
Gu Xuan smiled and softly replied, "Don't worry, next time I'll teach you how to train. I already have a rough plan for your fighting style. Next time, you will definitely satisfy Teacher Qin."
Shi Gao's eyes lit up upon hearing this. He had seen from Gu Xuan's training methods this morning that Gu Xuan definitely had a system for training. If Gu Xuan could truly guide him, he might gain unexpected results.
"Really? Then thank you so much." Shi Gao gripped Gu Xuan's hand, saying excitedly.
"Of course it's true. But for now, let's watch Tianheng and Yu Feng's Spirit Battle first." Gu Xuan said, returning to the Spectator Stand with Shi Gao.
The battle between Yu Tianheng and Yu Feng didn't have many novel aspects, as Yu Tianheng's Spirit Ability heavily countered Yu Feng.
Although Yu Feng could fly, he absolutely dared not come into contact with Yu Tianheng's Lightning Power, because his defense was too low. Like Oscar, both of them were agility-attack system Spirit Masters, specializing in speed and offense, with virtually zero defense.
Therefore, Yu Feng quickly lost due to spirit power exhaustion, and the battle ended with Yu Tianheng's victory.
Dugu Yan did not participate in the Spirit Battle this time, because her only remaining opponent was Ye Lingling, who was a support system Spirit Master and lacked combat capability.
Just as Qin Ming was about to start his commentary, Gu Xuan spoke up: "Teacher Qin, I want to have a match with Sister Yan."
Hearing Gu Xuan's words, Qin Ming hadn't expressed his opinion yet, but everyone else's eyes lit up: Fight Dugu Yan?
Dugu Yan's spirit power Rank was thirty-seven. Besides Yu Tianheng, no one else was a match for Dugu Yan. This was not only due to her suppression of them as a control system Spirit Master, but Dugu Yan's Snake Venom was the true reason they lost the desire to fight.
Yu Tianheng could rely on his powerful Lightning Power to barely resist Dugu Yan's Snake Venom for a while, and use the strength of his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Spirit to take Dugu Yan out in one wave, but the others did not possess this ability.
Even the brothers Shi Mo and Shi Gao, when facing Dugu Yan's poison, their thick tortoise shells were useless. This was because the poison could not only control; even inhaling a tiny bit was enough to make them lose their fighting strength.
Now, hearing that Gu Xuan wanted to fight Dugu Yan? They became somewhat expectant. Gu Xuan's offense and combat awareness were naturally outstanding, but what if he faced poison that attacked indiscriminately?
Dugu Yan also looked at Gu Xuan with a radiant smile upon hearing this, and softly asked, "What is it, Little Xuan? Do you want to test your sister's level?"
Gu Xuan chuckled and replied, "Sister Yan, it's just a spar after all. You wouldn't go too hard on me, right?"
Dugu Yan nodded upon hearing this and replied, "That's true. To be honest, I really want to test your strength too."
Qin Ming nodded at this moment and said, "Alright. Gu Xuan has the intention. Yanzi, your next match will be against Gu Xuan."
Saying this, Qin Ming stepped off the Spirit Battle Arena, because he also wanted to see how Gu Xuan would deal with Dugu Yan's poison.
Judging from the past two days, Gu Xuan's strength was beyond doubt. It was enough for him to graduate immediately. Aside from his spirit power Rank being only thirty-three, he was more than qualified to be a teacher.
It was just that Qin Ming had not yet witnessed a battle between Gu Xuan and Dugu Yan. Now that Gu Xuan had suggested it, he was naturally happy to see it.
Suddenly, Qin Ming asked again, "Gu Xuan, do you need to recover spirit power?"
Gu Xuan smiled upon hearing this, glanced at Shi Gao again, and replied, "Although saying this might be a bit bad for Shi Gao, my spirit power consumption wasn't large. Supporting another battle will be no problem."
Hearing this, Shi Gao's expression changed. You said it was bad to say, yet you still said it?
Although Shi Gao's own spirit power consumption was also minimal, having Gu Xuan state it like this still felt like having his corpse whipped.
He eliminated you without barely using any spirit power—what can you say?
However, this statement surprised them internally, because Gu Xuan had consecutively used all three of his Spirit Abilities.
One must know that a Spirit Master's total spirit power is actually limited. Generally speaking, a Spirit Elder's total spirit power can support, at most, six uses of the first Spirit Ability, four uses of the second Spirit Ability, and two uses of the third Spirit Ability.
These are separate possibilities: meaning six uses of the first Spirit Ability would basically exhaust the spirit power, or four uses of the second Spirit Ability, or two uses of the third Spirit Ability, because a Spirit Elder's total spirit power is only that much.
If all three Spirit Abilities are used, then at most two uses of the first Spirit Ability, two uses of the second Spirit Ability, and one use of the third Spirit Ability would basically exhaust the spirit power.
Gu Xuan had used his first, second, and third Spirit Abilities once each. Logically, his spirit power should have been consumed by at least half, yet Gu Xuan now claimed that his spirit power consumption was not large?
Doesn't this prove that Gu Xuan's foundation is deeper than that of an average Spirit Master?
However, they all felt this was reasonable. After all, all three of Gu Xuan's spirit rings were absorbed by overcoming Rank limitations, and even his second spirit ring, which wasn't absorbed by overcoming a Rank limitation, came from a peak Spirit Beast like the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear. It was inevitable that his foundation would be profound.
PS: Typos will be corrected after posting.Chapter 23: Dark Golden Dreadclaw Breaks Green Scales (Seeking collection, recommendation tickets, monthly tickets!)
Gu Xuan and Dugu Yan stood opposite each other on the Spirit Battle Arena, twenty meters apart, gazing at each other from a distance.
"Sister Yan, please go easy on me later," Gu Xuan said with a slight smile to Dugu Yan.
Dugu Yan had watched Gu Xuan's Spirit Battle against Yu Tianheng yesterday and against Shi Gao today, and she already knew that this kid only spoke softly but fought the fiercest battles.
This kid was extremely cunning; if you truly underestimated him because of his words, the outcome would definitely be completely different from what you expected.
However, Dugu Yan also smiled faintly and replied, "Alright, if you stand there and let me beat you up, I'll let you off."
Dugu Yan had no friends when she was little, and Dugu Bo, that old man, doted on her, so a little devil also resided in her heart. Her mischievous ideas were no less than Gu Xuan's, it's just that she might not have been as without limits as Gu Xuan.
Gu Xuan stopped talking nonsense. Two yellow and one purple spirit rings slowly rose and pulsed around his body, and his hands transformed into a pair of silver-white Bone Claws, gleaming with sharp, cold light.
"Gu Xuan, Spirit: Bone Dragon, level 33 attack system Battle Spirit Elder, please."
Gu Xuan's gaze intently fixed on Dugu Yan, who did not retreat in the slightest. Green light flickered around her body, a green rhomboid crystal appeared between her eyebrows, and her legs swayed, transforming into a snake tail nearly two meters long. Every scale on the snake tail was rhomboid, like gems embedded on it.
Similarly, two yellow and one purple spirit rings rose around Dugu Yan's body, circling and pulsing.
"Dugu Yan, Spirit: Green Scaled Snake, level 37 control system Battle Spirit Elder, please."
Dugu Yan's small mouth slightly parted as she spoke softly, and as she did, her first and second yellow spirit rings on her body lit up.
Having watched Gu Xuan's previous battles, she knew his melee combat strength was unparalleled, so she wouldn't give Gu Xuan any chance at all.
"First Spirit Ability: Green Scaled Red Poison!"
The Green Scaled Red Poison has the effect of exciting and stimulating the Meridians, making the opponent more prone to rage and causing their spirit power circulation to stagnate, thereby affecting their normal thinking. If used on an allied Spirit Master, it can increase their attack and speed by thirty percent.
"Second Spirit Ability: Green Scaled Blue Poison!"
It has the effect of stimulating nerves, causing the opponent to lose control of their thoughts, thus leading to slow actions; when used on an allied Spirit Master, it can eliminate pain and simultaneously increase defense by fifty percent.
Dugu Yan's two Spirit Abilities were more inclined towards support types and did not fully unleash the terror of her Green Scaled Snake poison because, possessing the Green Scaled Snake Spirit, she was born with a poisonous body. If her body absorbed too many toxins in childhood, it would backfire, making life worse than death.
Therefore, when Dugu Bo chose the first two spirit rings for Dugu Yan, he selected Spirit Beasts with weaker toxicity and abilities more inclined towards support and restriction types. Thus, the poison attribute of Dugu Yan's two Spirit Abilities was not strong.
With the release of her Spirit Abilities, Dugu Yan's slightly parted small mouth exhaled two mists of red and blue, instantly enveloping a twenty-meter radius in front of her.
Gu Xuan's eyes narrowed. To be honest, he currently indeed had no ability to counter poison-attribute power, but that didn't mean he had no way to deal with Dugu Yan.
Of course, it wasn't the Realgar Wine breaking snake venom from the original work.
After coming to this World, thinking about encountering Dugu Yan, Gu Xuan had experimented. Realgar Wine could indeed counteract snake venom, but that was ordinary snake venom.
However, the toxins released by a Spirit Master's Spirit not only contained snake venom but also the toxins of the Spirit Beast that granted the Spirit Ability.
Gu Xuan speculated that Tang San's ability to counteract Dugu Yan's snake venom with Realgar Wine in the original work was primarily due to Ma Hongjun's Phoenix flames; otherwise, how could his ordinary Realgar Wine have counteracted Dugu Yan's snake venom, a Spirit Master approaching level forty spirit power?
Or perhaps the Realgar Wine Tang San used at the time contained special ingredients that could counteract the snake venom of snake Spirit Spirit Masters.
Gu Xuan had not actually seen Tang San use these, so they were just speculations. His method for dealing with Dugu Yan was simple and crude.
"First Spirit Ability: Bone Dragon Battle Body!"
All attributes increased by twenty percent.
"Second Spirit Ability: Dark Golden Dreadclaw!"
Attack and strength increased by one hundred percent.
Gu Xuan's pair of silver-white Bone Claws turned dark golden, becoming even sharper and more unstoppable.
Gu Xuan held his breath and directly charged into Dugu Yan's first and second Spirit Abilities. Having read the original work, he naturally knew the effects of Dugu Yan's two Spirit Abilities.
Moreover, yesterday Dugu Yan and the others had already explained their Spirit Ability effects. Gu Xuan knew that he only needed to hold his breath to defend against Dugu Yan's first and second Spirit Abilities.
Gu Xuan's speed was very fast; the twenty-meter distance was almost covered in an instant. However, by the time he reached Dugu Yan, her third purple spirit ring had already lit up.
"Third Spirit Ability: Jade Scale Purple Poison!"
Extremely poisonous, this Spirit Ability combined Dugu Yan's inherent Green Scaled Snake venom with the poison of the Purple Poison Lizard, forming an even more terrifying potent poison. Even a Spirit Master of the same level, if enveloped by this Jade Scale Purple Poison, would be reduced to a puddle of pus within a short time.
This time, Dugu Yan did not open her cherry-like mouth to spray poison. Instead, she raised her right hand, and purple poisonous mist condensed in her palm under the effect of the Spirit Ability, then directly sprayed out towards Gu Xuan.
Gu Xuan was no longer surprised by this. Dugu Yan had already explained yesterday that her third Spirit Ability could be sprayed from her mouth, launched from her palm, or directly condensed in her palm to strike people.
This was quite user-friendly and also made Dugu Yan's attack methods versatile, making her harder to defend against.
Gu Xuan, now close, was almost about to collide with Dugu Yan's third Spirit Ability. At this moment, even Dugu Yan was a little worried if Gu Xuan would be directly poisoned to death by her third Spirit Ability.
But the next moment, Gu Xuan's right hand's dark golden Bone Claw transformed into five dark golden sharp claws, like Wolverine's claws, no longer just Bone Claws.
"Sky Rending Claw!"
Gu Xuan lightly shouted, swinging his right hand. Five dark golden Qi blades flew out, and the Jade Scale Purple Poison that Dugu Yan had just sprayed from her right palm was actually cut into six pieces, scattering in all directions.
"What?!"
Dugu Yan was surprised inwardly. The next moment, her snake tail swayed, intending to move away from Gu Xuan.
Yesterday, Gu Xuan hadn't mentioned he had such an ability, which was why Dugu Yan dared to stand still and output damage.
"This kid is holding back?" This was Dugu Yan's second thought.
These five dark golden Qi blades not only cut through her Jade Scale Purple Poison but also flew towards her with undiminished momentum.
Dugu Yan could clearly perceive the extraordinary nature of this attack. With her defense, if she were hit, it would definitely result in a severe injury.
Gu Xuan, having cut through the Jade Scale Purple Poison, also exerted force with his feet, quickly chasing after Dugu Yan through the gaps.
He was still holding his breath. Although less than ten seconds had passed from start to finish, when fighting an opponent like Dugu Yan, the most important thing was to quickly resolve the opponent.
Otherwise, if Gu Xuan inhaled the Jade Scale Purple Poison mist, even he, in his current state, would be unable to dispel it.
Dugu Yan's snake tail swayed with greater speed and agility than human legs, and her reactions were quick, managing to dodge Gu Xuan's Sky Rending Claw at the first moment.
But Gu Xuan's speed was even faster. Transcending the Jade Scale Purple Poison, he arrived within three meters of Dugu Yan. His purple third spirit ring lit up, and endless Bone Swords sealed off Dugu Yan's escape space.
Dugu Yan had no choice but to jump off the Spirit Battle Arena to avoid Gu Xuan's third Spirit Ability attack.
PS: Typo will be corrected later.Chapter 24: Battling Qin Ming (Seeking collection, recommendation tickets, monthly tickets!)
Dugu Yan fell off the Spirit Battle Arena, and this Spirit Battle naturally concluded with Gu Xuan's victory.
Less than a minute passed from the start of the battle to its end—this was Gu Xuan's suppressive power over Dugu Yan.
Dugu Yan was indeed powerful, but as long as Gu Xuan could defeat her in a very short time and prevent himself from being affected by her toxins, dealing with Dugu Yan became much simpler.
A control system Spirit Master like Dugu Yan, who uses poison for control, lacks burst power early on and doesn't possess a Killing Move capable of delivering a fatal blow to the enemy. As long as one can defend against a wave of attacks, like Gu Xuan did, dealing with her is much easier.
Of course, the prerequisite is that you must have the ability to defend against her poison; otherwise, it would be useless.
Gu Xuan happened to possess the ability to instantly restrict Dugu Yan's Snake Venom, and coupled with his burst power, Dugu Yan couldn't withstand it, leading to the scene just now.
Dugu Yan, standing below the Spirit Battle Arena, couldn't help but pout and frown as she looked at the spirited Gu Xuan, saying, "Little Xuan, you really didn't hold back at all."
Gu Xuan retracted his Spirit, chuckled, and replied, "Sister Yan, I can't withstand your poison. If I didn't use my full strength, I would be the one losing."
Before Dugu Yan could reply after Gu Xuan finished speaking, Qin Ming's voice rang out: "The battles of Spirit Masters are just like this. Sometimes, the difference of a single instant is enough to decide the victory. Gu Xuan accurately seized your opening."
Saying this, Qin Ming nodded at Gu Xuan in satisfaction and continued, "Gu Xuan's performance was excellent. Being able to suppress Yanzi and defeat her during your first Spirit Battle with her means I no longer need to teach you about battle awareness."
Hearing this, Gu Xuan's smile didn't fade as he replied, "Teacher Qin, you speak too highly. I still have much to learn."
Hearing this, Qin Ming nodded with even greater satisfaction: "Good, neither arrogant nor impatient. Your battle awareness is fine, but I haven't seen your team cooperation yet, and that is where you need to focus your studies."
"Understood." Gu Xuan nodded in response.
Qin Ming then looked back at Dugu Yan and said, "Yanzi, your problem is also very obvious: when facing an opponent like Gu Xuan, you were eliminated before your poison could even take effect."
"Your poison is indeed potent, but to unleash one hundred percent of its power, you must first ensure your self-preservation, and only then focus on control."
Dugu Yan also nodded in response: "I understand, Teacher Qin."
Qin Ming then looked at the others and said, "Everyone had issues in today's practical combat, but I know these problems cannot be solved in just a day or two. I hope you continue to work hard and don't waste a single day."
At this moment, everyone replied in unison, "Yes."
Qin Ming glanced at the time; it was only ten o'clock. He then said, "You should all meditate and Cultivate to recover your spirit power. Afterward, all of you will battle me together."
Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but take an extra look at Qin Ming. Among the eight of them, although Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan were already Rank 37, and Gu Xuan was comparable to a high-Rank Spirit Elder, Qin Ming was a Spirit Emperor!
Moreover, he was a Spirit Emperor who was extremely familiar with each of their Spirit Abilities and capabilities. Although they were all Geniuses and had the advantage in numbers, it was probably impossible for them to win against Qin Ming.
That's right, every one of them wanted to win, as they also had the pride of being Geniuses.
Eight against one, and since they were all Spirit Elders, it wasn't necessarily true that they had no chance.
Thinking this, everyone immediately sat cross-legged in place and began meditating and Cultivating to recover their spirit power.
Qin Ming rarely actively trained them, or rather, rarely actively requested the entire team to have a Spirit Battle with him.
In the past, before Gu Xuan joined the Royal Fighting Team, the seven of them had Spirit Battled with Qin Ming dozens of times, but they had only won once. That single victory was because Qin Ming had not fully recovered after a Spirit Battle with another Spirit Emperor-Rank teacher the day before.
And at that time, Qin Ming had not yet achieved the Breakthrough to Spirit Emperor, which was enough to prove Qin Ming's strength.
Now they had an extra Gu Xuan, but Qin Ming had also achieved the Breakthrough to Spirit Emperor. Even if every one of them wanted to win, they were actually apprehensive inside.
For a Genius like Qin Ming, achieving the Breakthrough to Spirit Emperor was not just as simple as gaining an extra spirit ring; his strength would certainly be even greater than before.
Half an hour later, everyone's spirit power had recovered to the Peak. Qin Ming spoke again: "I'll give you the Time for an Incense Stick to Burn to discuss tactics. The Spirit Battle will begin after the incense stick finishes."
As Qin Ming finished speaking, he closed his eyes and remained silent.
Gu Xuan and the eight of them formed a circle and began discussing.
The current Captain of the Royal Fighting Team was Yu Tianheng because his strength was the highest, and the Vice-Captain was Dugu Yan; not only was she a control system Spirit Master, but her strength also ranked second.
Of course, if Gu Xuan was included, things would be different.
Because Gu Xuan had not only defeated Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan but also Shi Gao, he could be called the undisputed number one of the current Royal Fighting Team.
Therefore, when discussing tactics, Yu Tianheng first introduced the characteristics of Qin Ming's Spirit Abilities and then handed the command authority over to Gu Xuan.
He did this not only because Gu Xuan was stronger than him, but more importantly, he wanted to see if Gu Xuan possessed the temperament and ability to be a leader. If this team Spirit Battle resulted from Gu Xuan's poor command, then even if Gu Xuan's strength surpassed his own in the future, he would not relinquish the position of Captain.
Thus, this could be considered Yu Tianheng's test for Gu Xuan.
Gu Xuan naturally didn't care about being tested or not, as he had dabbled in various types of training since he was young, with the role of a Commander being a very important aspect.
"We have eight people. Although our spirit power Ranks are only at the Spirit Elder level, Teacher Qin is only one person. If we cooperate well, victory is not impossible," Gu Xuan said immediately after taking command.
"Teacher Qin is very familiar with each of us, so he will most likely target Lingling and Sister Yan first, because Lingling's ability is our biggest trump card, and Sister Yan's first and second Spirit Abilities can also play a good supporting role."
"Therefore, we shouldn't think about delaying time to consume Teacher Qin's spirit power at the beginning. When facing an opponent much stronger than us, I only have one plan: attack with full force right from the start without holding back."
"If we attack with full force, even Teacher Qin, with his Spirit Emperor-Rank strength, will need to respond wholeheartedly, which means he won't have the mental capacity to target Sister Yan and Lingling first."
As everyone listened to Gu Xuan, they all nodded in satisfaction. Yes, it was satisfaction.
This was the best method they had summarized after dozens of Spirit Battles with Qin Ming, yet Gu Xuan had only been with them for two days and already grasped the essence.
At this moment, everyone realized that Gu Xuan was not just a Genius who knew how to Cultivate; he also possessed immense wisdom in team command and enemy analysis.
Seeing everyone nod, Gu Xuan continued, "We will first do this later... and then this..."
Everyone was slightly surprised as they listened to Gu Xuan, because they had never imagined that their Spirit Ability combinations could be used in such a way.
In an instant, their impression of Gu Xuan grew once more. Was this the true definition of a Prodigy?
Even the team combat command for Spirit Battles was so unique?
PS: Typos will be updated and corrected laterChapter 25: Qin Ming Dominates the Royal Fighting Team (Seeking Collection, Recommendation Tickets, Monthly Tickets!)
On the Spirit Battle Arena, Qin Ming stood alone on one side, with two yellow, three purple, and one black spirit rings floating and pulsating around his body. Red flames ignited on his skin, and fiery red wolf fur grew, giving off a strong sense of oppression.
Across from Qin Ming, Yu Tianheng and Gu Xuan stood at the very front, with Shi Mo and Shi Gao about three meters behind them, one on each side. Oscar was on the far side, and Yu Feng had also ascended into the air, looking down at Qin Ming.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were at the very back of the team, with Dugu Yan shielding Ye Lingling behind her.
All eight of them had two yellow and one purple spirit rings pulsating around their bodies. With their Spirits attached, their postures varied, but each of them was brimming with Battle Intent.
"Teacher Qin, let's begin," Gu Xuan said slowly.
Qin Ming nodded, and said indifferently, "Let me see your strength. If you can defeat me, I'll give you a week's holiday."
Indeed, Qin Ming had actually prepared himself for the possibility of losing to Gu Xuan and the others. Although he was a Spirit Emperor, he couldn't guarantee that these youngsters didn't have any special trump cards.
For example, Gu Xuan's external Spirit Bone, the Dark Golden Dreadclaw. He was astonished when he first learned about Gu Xuan's external Spirit Bone, and even he felt a little fear towards the power of Gu Xuan's Dark Golden Dreadclaw.
However, Qin Ming wouldn't go easy. Although he had prepared for the worst, defeating him wouldn't be as simple as they imagined.
"Alright," Gu Xuan responded calmly.
Immediately after, Gu Xuan's first two yellow spirit rings lit up consecutively, and his original silver-white Bone Claw turned dark golden, gleaming with a sharp, cold light.
"First Spirit Ability: Bone Dragon Battle Body!"
Upon release, all attributes are increased by 20%.
"Second Spirit Ability: Dark Golden Dreadclaw!"
Upon release, attack and strength are increased by 100%.
It wasn't just Gu Xuan and Yu Tianheng; the brothers Shi Mo and Shi Gao, Dugu Yan, Yu Feng, and Oscar all directly used their Spirit Abilities.
When Dugu Yan's small mouth exhaled red and blue mists, the attack and speed of everyone in Gu Xuan's team increased by 30%, their defense increased by 50%, and their sense of pain was eliminated.
These were the effects of Dugu Yan's first and second Spirit Abilities when applied to her teammates.
Before the Spirit Battle began, Gu Xuan and his team had consumed pills made from Dugu Yan's blood mixed with herbs. Only then could the inhaled mist become an aid.
"Fight!"
Gu Xuan roared, and Yu Tianheng beside him also used his first and third Spirit Abilities, charging directly at Qin Ming with Gu Xuan.
Accompanying their attack were two dark green Black Tortoise Flying Shields, which were Shi Mo and Shi Gao's first and second Spirit Abilities.
The two Black Tortoise Flying Shields flew past Gu Xuan and Yu Tianheng, attacking Qin Ming from both sides. The rapidly spinning Black Tortoise Flying Shields generated whistling sounds, arriving in an instant.
Qin Ming's first yellow spirit ring lit up, and his arms transformed into fiery wolf arms. With a left and right swing, he directly knocked away Shi Mo and Shi Gao's attack.
However, at this moment, Gu Xuan and Yu Tianheng had also arrived in front of Qin Ming. With the effects of their amplification Spirit Abilities combined with Dugu Yan's first and second Spirit Abilities, the two attacked Qin Ming's chest, waist, and face from left and right.
Qin Ming's mouth curved upwards. From the moment Gu Xuan and his team began to move, Qin Ming had already seen through their plan: to launch an all-out assault and try to take him down in one go.
But he was a Spirit Emperor, not a Spirit Elder.
Facing the full-power siege of Gu Xuan and Yu Tianheng, even a Spirit Ancestor might not be able to withstand it, but Qin Ming was not a Spirit Ancestor.
"Second Spirit Ability: Hundred Blazing Claws!"
Qin Ming's second yellow spirit ring lit up, and a pair of blazing wolf arms clawed towards Gu Xuan and Yu Tianheng. Countless fiery claw strikes repelled Gu Xuan's Bone Claw and Yu Tianheng's Dragon Arm.
At the same time, Gu Xuan and Yu Tianheng only felt a tingling sensation in their Bone Claws and Dragon Arms.
This was a full-power strike from a Spirit Emperor. Although it was only a second Spirit Ability, the fact that Gu Xuan and Yu Tianheng could withstand it proved their extraordinary talent.
Of course, the most important thing was that Dugu Yan's second Spirit Ability had eliminated their pain, turning what should have been agonizing pain into mere tingling, allowing them to maximize their output.
Meanwhile, Oscar, transformed into a black shadow, had already arrived behind Qin Ming. His second Spirit Ability lit up, and a one-meter-long slash cut towards Qin Ming's back.
"Second Spirit Ability: Ghost Leopard Slash!"
Yu Feng, who was in the sky, had also arrived directly above Qin Ming. His second Spirit Ability lit up, and countless feathers transformed into sharp, blade-like projectiles, raining down.
"Second Spirit Ability: Feathered Wing Blades!"
Facing the full-power attacks of the two, even though Qin Ming was a Spirit Emperor, if he were to take them head-on, he would certainly be injured, so he naturally couldn't do so.
"Third Spirit Ability: Wrath of the Azure Wolf!"
"Second Spirit Ability: Hundred Blazing Claws!"
Qin Ming's first and third Spirit Abilities were amplification skills. Under the boost of these two amplification skills, his second Spirit Ability's attacks became even more frequent and fierce, directly nullifying all the full-power attacks from Oscar and Yu Feng.
But the next moment, two Black Tortoise Flying Shields struck again, giving Qin Ming no time to breathe.
As the Black Tortoise Flying Shields attacked, sharp, sword-like spinal bones erupted from behind Qin Ming, and endless thunder power roared towards him.
It was also at this time that purple poisonous mist enveloped the entire arena. Fortunately, Qin Ming was prepared and held his breath the moment the poisonous mist entered the area.
The rapidly spinning Black Tortoise Flying Shields exploded with a bang about a meter from Qin Ming, and dozens of Black Tortoise Flying Shield fragments, carrying a strong explosion, surged towards Qin Ming.
For a moment, Qin Ming was directly engulfed by endless attacks. Even if he was a Spirit Emperor, so many powerful attacks hitting him would be enough to give him a hard time.
However, he was Qin Ming, a man also known as a Genius.
The moment all the attacks were about to hit him, the fifth purple spirit ring on his body lit up.
A terrifying aura surged forth, and an earth-shattering wolf howl echoed throughout the entire training hall.
"Awoo!"
Then, intense flames condensed and erupted, unleashing endless heat waves outwards. All of the opponents' attacks were directly repelled by the terrifying flames and spirit power.
Gu Xuan's third Spirit Ability's bone swords were annihilated one by one, Yu Tianheng's Thunderous Fury was swallowed by the flames, the turtle shell fragments of the brothers Shi Mo and Shi Gao were directly shaken away by the powerful spirit power, and Dugu Yan's poisonous mist was instantly incinerated by the fierce flames.
When the firelight dispersed, a three-meter-long, two-meter-tall Blazing Azure Wolf stood in place, its eyes burning like torches as it stared at Gu Xuan and all the others.
"Fifth Spirit Ability: Descent of the Azure Wolf!"
This was Qin Ming's fifth Spirit Ability, a powerful Spirit Ability similar to a Spirit Avatar. Although this spirit ring came from a 9,500-year-old Spirit Beast, the power of this Spirit Ability was no weaker than a 10,000-year Spirit Ability.
With his fifth Spirit Ability unleashed, Qin Ming's attack, strength, and defense directly increased by 150%. His massive size and the flames burning all over his body maximized all his attacks. This was his Peak state.
It could be said that his fifth Spirit Ability was a pseudo-Spirit Avatar.
Dugu Yan's poisonous mist was incinerated, and a sweet, metallic scent permeated the air. In this state, Qin Ming could inhale the burning poisonous mist without being affected. It could be said that they were completely suppressed.
However, even facing Qin Ming in such a state, none of Gu Xuan's team retreated.
Yu Feng's third spirit ring in the sky lit up, and his feathered wings flapped. A tornado rose from beneath Qin Ming's feet, blowing him up. Although it only lifted him about a meter high, it was enough to restrict his movement for an instant.
"Third Spirit Ability: Rising Wind and Surging Clouds!"
The next to release a Spirit Ability was Oscar. His purple third spirit ring lit up, and he split into three, advancing towards Qin Ming from three different directions.
Yu Tianheng's right arm transformed into a true Dragon Arm, with ferocious Dragon Claws and lightning surging from his palm. His second Spirit Ability lit up again, unleashing endless thunder power towards the Blazing Azure Wolf.
Shi Mo and Shi Gao also controlled their dozens of turtle shell fragments to envelop Qin Ming. Their spirit power was released without reservation, and he was momentarily immobilized just after landing and stabilizing himself.
It was at this instant that Oscar's and Yu Tianheng's attacks landed on the Blazing Azure Wolf.
At the same time, bone swords once again erupted from the ground, directly thrusting towards Qin Ming.
Gu Xuan stepped on the bone swords, his right-hand Bone Claw transforming into a dark golden, sharp Dreadclaw. With a wave of his hand, five dark golden Qi blades flew out, locking onto the Blazing Azure Wolf's head.
It was another full-power burst. Several people's spirit power was largely depleted, and endless attacks enveloped the Blazing Azure Wolf that Qin Ming had transformed into.
"One burst after another, such perfect Spirit Ability Connection. Are they truly Geniuses?" Qin Ming's rather satisfied voice echoed from within the Blazing Azure Wolf.
The next moment, a black spirit ring rose from the Blazing Azure Wolf's body. The black spirit ring shone, and dark spirit power illuminated everyone. Endless flames erupted from the Blazing Azure Wolf's body.
The Blazing Azure Wolf opened its massive mouth, spewing terrifying flames, imbued with endless ferocity, towards everyone's attacks.
"Sixth Spirit Ability: Sky-Burning Blazing Flames!"
"Boom!"
The Spirit Battle Arena instantly became a fiery domain. Oscar, Yu Tianheng, and Gu Xuan were all sent flying backward, their clothes and hair largely burned away, their skin fiery red like perfectly cooked small lobsters.
"Lingling, heal!"
This voice belonged to Qin Ming.
PS: Typo fixes will be made after initial posting.
This chapter aims to show that high-level Spirit Masters dealing with low-level ones is basically a dimensionality reduction strike. Unless the high-level Spirit Master goes easy, sometimes quantity is truly not the key to victory.
In the original work, Tang San and the four Spirit Grandmasters injured Zhao Wuji because he wasn't serious.
Otherwise, with his seventy-sixth level spirit power, a single Vajra Palm would have killed them all.