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At that moment, Ding Sanshi felt as if he were hallucinating.
He stared at Lin Jin and asked, "Are you sure?"
Lin Jin shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "I enjoy fulfilling people's wishes."
Ding Sanshi laughed, though his voice had an edge of anger.
His gaze sharpened as he fixed his eyes on Lin Jin, his tone laced with sarcasm.
"I've underestimated you."
Suddenly, Ding Sanshi's aura intensified.
His surging spirit power began to radiate out, creating an invisible gust of wind that swept through the area, kicking up clouds of yellow sand.
From the crowd, Dai Mubai's eyes lit up with excitement.
"It's starting," he murmured.
Lin Jin, unbothered by the rising tension, smirked slightly.
"Take a few steps forward. I'd rather not break the gate."
Without another word, Lin Jin turned and strode toward the training ground.
Ding Sanshi followed in silence.
The spectators remained stunned, struggling to keep up with the rapid turn of events.
After a brief pause, whispers erupted among them.
"What are they doing?"
"They wouldn't actually... fight, would they?"
"Look! Ding Sanshi is showing his spirit ring! This is real!"
The training ground at Tianxing Academy wasn't large. It was a simple area, with the grass stripped away and replaced by gravel. But for two spirit masters, it was more than enough for a duel.
Once the two men faced each other, the tension mounted.
Ding Sanshi's spirit rings slowly rose around him, four glowing circles, as his gaze locked onto Lin Jin like a predator sizing up prey.
Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple.
It was the optimal combination of spirit rings. Yet, strangely, when compared to Lin Jin's spirit rings, they seemed to pale in comparison.
"Ding Sanshi, Level 42, Assault System, Spirit Sect. Martial Spirit: Iron Sword. I humbly request your guidance!" he declared, his voice booming with authority.
Lin Jin responded calmly, "Lin Jin, Level 41, Control System, Spirit Sect. Martial Spirit: Ruler. I also ask for your guidance."
"The Ruler?"
Ding Sanshi's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced at Lin Jin's martial spirit. I
t appeared to be an ordinary bamboo stick, yet its name suggested otherwise.
A duel between spirit masters wasn't a common sight, so the crowd began to gather, intrigued by the rare spectacle.
They clustered around the fences of the college, eager to witness the clash of power.
Ding Sanshi wielded his iron sword with confidence.
As a weapon spirit, the sword's attack power was unmatched in its class. After their brief introductions, the two combatants saluted each other.
Ding Sanshi's eyes locked onto Lin Jin, but the latter remained still, holding his ruler with a serene smile.
Though Lin Jin had never fought another spirit master before, his mind had been thoroughly trained in battle tactics.
As the challenger, Ding Sanshi would be the one to strike first.
Lin Jin only needed to counter.
Sure enough, Ding Sanshi's patience wore thin when Lin Jin remained motionless.
Eager to humiliate him, Ding Sanshi lunged forward with his iron sword, a determined look flashing in his eyes.
"Ha!"
Ding Sanshi gave a powerful shout, gripping his sword with both hands and swinging it downward. At the same time, his second spirit ring lit up.
Spirit power coursed through the iron sword, transforming the ordinary blade into something magical.
Just as Ding Sanshi's spirit ring activated, Lin Jin made his move.
His spirit power surged to his feet, and with a light touch on the ground, his body moved like a butterfly.
Boom!
The iron sword, wrapped in intense spirit power, crashed into the ground with a resounding impact, leaving a one-meter-wide crater in its wake.
"Is the sword... getting heavier?"
Lin Jin squinted, momentarily ignoring the destroyed playground as he pondered Ding Sanshi's spirit skills.
The iron sword seemed to grow heavier with each passing moment, even giving Ding Sanshi some difficulty lifting it.
Noticing this, Lin Jin's eyes narrowed, and he seized the opportunity to counterattack.
But just as Lin Jin closed in on him, Ding Sanshi's first spirit ring lit up, and a subtle, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of his mouth—a detail that immediately put Lin Jin on high alert.
In the blink of an eye, Ding Sanshi, who had struggled to lift the sword moments earlier, swung it with ease as though it weighed nothing at all, targeting Lin Jin with swift precision.
Lin Jin halted, his instincts kicking in.
"Lighter?" he muttered under his breath.
It clicked. He had figured out Ding Sanshi's first two spirit skills: one that made the sword unbearably heavy and another that lightened it.
If used effectively, they could turn the tide of battle.
Ding Sanshi's speed increased, faster than when the duel first began.
He closed the distance between them, thrusting his sword directly at Lin Jin—a simple, direct strike with no unnecessary flair.
Lin Jin remained calm, his expression unchanging. His second spirit ring flickered to life as he raised his ruler high, preparing for a vertical strike.
Ding Sanshi's eyes narrowed, and his movements briefly stalled.
He was cautious but still underestimated the spirit skill, dismissing it as a mere ten-year ring ability. However, as soon as that thought crossed his mind, a wave of dread hit him.
He felt the immense power surging from Lin Jin's ruler.
Sensing danger, Ding Sanshi frowned and swiftly leaped backward, activating his third spirit ring.
The iron sword swung horizontally in front of him, and an ethereal sword shadow materialized, wrapping around his body like a protective cocoon.
A dazzling white light shot out from Lin Jin's ruler, resembling delicate petals or gossamer strands.
It looked serene and beautiful, but Ding Sanshi knew better than to let down his guard.
Boom!
The power from Lin Jin's attack collided with Ding Sanshi's sword, producing a thunderous crash.
Ding Sanshi's face twisted in shock. The force was overwhelming!
The sword, created by his third spirit skill, trembled violently as if it could shatter at any moment.
The sheer power of the strike pushed Ding Sanshi back, his feet carving deep furrows into the ground.
When the energy from Lin Jin's second spirit skill finally dissipated, Ding Sanshi collapsed to one knee, breathing heavily.
Sweat dripped down his forehead as his chest heaved with exhaustion.
"Huff… huff…"
Lin Jin, standing at a distance with a calm smile, watched the onlookers murmur in amazement. He felt satisfied; Ding Sanshi had unintentionally become his advertisement.
Ding Sanshi, however, was stunned, his thoughts in turmoil.
"How… is that the power of a ten-year spirit ring? How is this possible?"
Among the crowd, Dai Mubai shared his disbelief. From behind the fence, he stared at Lin Jin in astonishment.
"Is this the kind of power a second spirit skill can wield? And it's only a ten-year ring!"
Lin Jin's voice cut through the stunned silence.
"Dean Ding, are you still with us?" he asked, his tone teasing but lighthearted.
Ding Sanshi took a deep breath, knowing full well he had lost. But more than defeat, it was confusion that clouded his mind.
Lin Jin had only used his second spirit skill—what if his third and fourth were even more terrifying?
Yet, Ding Sanshi couldn't risk finding out.
Lin Jin wasn't as simple as he seemed, and from what Ding Sanshi had witnessed, the young man was full of surprises.
As Ding Sanshi caught sight of Lin Jin's composed face and the gleam in his eyes, a chill ran down his spine.
After what seemed like an eternity of inner conflict, Ding Sanshi made his decision.
He rose to his feet, retracted his spirit power, and walked toward the gate without a word, his expression unreadable.
"Let's go," he said quietly to his followers, who had been watching him anxiously.
The crowd quickly parted to let them through, none daring to block their way.
At the same time, the sound of task completion echoed in Lin Jin's mind.
Lin Jin watched Ding Sanshi's retreating figure and sighed in mock disappointment.
"Not too foolish, after all," he muttered.
Ding Sanshi had known when to back down—a trait not everyone possessed.
Looking around, Lin Jin saw that the crowd's attention had shifted to him, their eyes alight with admiration and awe.
He smiled, then returned to his seat and called out in a loud voice,
"Registration continues! Please keep things orderly!"