A fierce battle raged in the sky.
Two streams of light, one red and one purple, clashed and separated in the sky. The sound of their colossal fists and feet colliding was like the furious roar of thunder. Violent gusts of wind, laced with scorching flames, swept across the horizon, incinerating and shattering the clouds.
The sky above was a vast expanse of pure blue, unblemished by any impurity.
Fist met fist again with a thunderous boom, unleashing torrents of powerful energy and incredible force, creating winds strong enough to overturn mountains.
Both figures grunted in unison and were sent flying backward.
The purple wings behind him flapped continuously, allowing him to glide through the air for nearly a hundred meters before dissipating the terrifying force. Wang Zhong stood in mid-air, panting.
His body, once covered in perfect wooden cuticle, was now riddled with dense cracks. Pieces of it fell away from his body, like fine, dense snowflakes.
Astonishing, truly astonishing. Wang Zhong never imagined that his seemingly gaunt teacher, Eagle, was actually an ultimate powerhouse with formidable strength and physique.
"One has to say, he truly lives up to being the Blazing Fire Divine Eagle with a sliver of Golden-Winged Great Peng bloodline!"
"Even just the incidental physical enhancement allowed him to fight me to this extent!"
"His powerful physique grants him extremely high fire resistance, and his fifth soul skill, Burning Fuel, provides a continuous boost to his flame power. The combination of these two makes his growth terrifyingly dreadful."
"No wonder His Majesty the Pope told me that countless Soul Saints and Soul Douluos have died at Teacher Eagle's hands, and even Titled Douluos dare not engage him in prolonged combat!"
"Battles must be decided swiftly!"
While panting heavily, Wang Zhong recalled Bibi Dong's words, his surprise overflowing.
On the other side, Ying Yanyang wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. His neat and meticulous training attire was now severely disheveled and even disheveled, covered in fist and foot imprints.
Their previous exchange was a brutal, no-holds-barred battle, with every punch and every move delivered with fierce intensity.
A Soul Saint of the same level would be either dead or crippled by any of their blows!
Wang Zhong, thanks to the wood-like cuticle armor on his body that absorbed a large amount of damage, merely appeared to be overexerted and breathless.
But Ying Yanyang did not possess such powerful defensive armor. Although his third soul skill, Command, could generate a flame armor proportional to his flame power, it was by no means comparable to Wang Zhong's wooden armor!
"I truly wonder what kind of spirit beast this little fellow obtained his fifth spirit ring from, to have allowed his martial soul to grow to such a degree."
"And consequently, the strength and hardness of the soul skills generated by his martial soul have also increased to a level of near despair!"
"Just the wooden armor formed by his second soul skill is enough to rival the defense of Lu Xiaoshuang's fully activated Thick Armor Shield; no, it should be said to be even stronger!"
Breathing heavily, Ying Yanyang's breath began to stabilize after the intense battle. He looked at Wang Zhong, whose breathing was gradually steadying, and thought grimly in his heart.
On the plaza, because Ying Yanyang and Wang Zhong had ascended too high, countless weaker students could not see this intensely fierce and exciting battle at all. They could only see two streams of light separating and converging in the sky, and hear the thunderous collisions from above.
Distance was not an issue for some.
Shuang Yuelian, Xia Xuan, and Yue Shan looked up at Wang Zhong and Ying Yanyang suspended in the air on either side, their expressions solemn.
"That wooden armor on Wang Zhong is monstrously strong!"
"He took so many of Eagle's powerful attacks and it didn't completely shatter, only parts of it fell off!"
Xia Xuan spoke with great seriousness and trepidation. Ying Yanyang's strength was comparable to his own. If he were in Wang Zhong's place, the outcome would likely be the same.
"Eagle is injured!" Shuang Yuelian sighed softly, a hint of emotion in her voice.
Once, this little fellow who was so childishly cute when they first met, could now fight their sworn brother, and even injure him. Such rapid growth, even though they were prepared, had come sooner than expected.
"This little fellow is a monster!"
"It's just a pity that I didn't get to be this little fellow's homeroom teacher. Otherwise, thinking about it would be a source of pride!" Yue Shan chuckled and sighed, his demeanor and tone filled with ease and cheerfulness.
Although the battle between the two was fierce and intense, with neither holding back, and Ying Yanyang even sustaining injuries, they did not worry as they had in the past that they would turn against each other after this fight.
The battle was fierce and passionate, but there was no killing intent between them. What permeated them was a fervor called fiery excitement.
Wang Zhong was excited to be able to fight a strong opponent like Ying Yanyang.
Ying Yanyang was excited to see such a talented student surpass him.
The student surpassing the teacher was the greatest joy for a teacher.
"Wang Zhong, you've done wonderfully! Your growth brings me unimaginable joy and satisfaction!"
"As a student, in my decades of educational career, you are the most outstanding one I, Ying Yanyang, have ever taught!"
"Taking this battle as your graduation exam from my tutelage, you would undoubtedly receive full marks!"
"But this has already become more than just an exam! As a teacher, and as a former member of the Spirit Hall's Star Generation, I have my own pride and arrogance."
Clusters of flames, like mischievous little sprites, emerged from various parts of Ying Yanyang's body, swirling and dancing around him like a spectacular fireworks display.
"I will not lose, nor can I lose, and I will never concede!"
"I am determined to get that spirit bone! And you will face your first defeat since entering the academy, and perhaps your last!"
A considerable amount of time had passed since the start of the match.
The flame power provided by his fifth spirit skill was approaching the maximum limit that Ying Yanyang could withstand.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!"
"Are you kidding me! Has Eagle gone mad!"
"He wants to use his sixth spirit skill! We agreed they wouldn't come to this, so why is he risking his life!"
On the plaza, seeing the dancing flame sprites surrounding Ying Yanyang, Xia Xuan was completely aghast and almost shouted out in surprise.
Shuang Yuelian and Yue Shan's expressions also suddenly turned grim.
Things seemed to be getting out of control!
"That scoundrel, Eagle!"
"He thinks he's in control of everything, but he didn't account for his own temperament!"
Gritting his teeth so hard they almost shattered, Yue Shan waved his hand and roared, "All teachers, obey my command! Immediately lead your students and withdraw one kilometer from the plaza!"
The sudden, almost roaring command stunned many teachers and students.
But seeing Yue Shan's furious expression, they dared not ask any further questions.
At this moment, Bibi Dong's cold voice echoed from the high platform, "All teachers and students, obey Yue Shan's instructions and immediately withdraw from the plaza!"