The vast yellow sand stretched, the north wind howled.
To the audience, the second spar was far less breathtaking than the first.
The Wall of Yellow Sand – Ibben had at least unleashed a sky-covering sandstorm, showcasing the might of a Mythology. But what about Xiao Huan, the Mythology from the Pyre Academy? Her offensive lacked any trace of flame, akin to a mortal dancing with a sword.
Were it not for her ethereal movements and her overwhelming victory against the Mythology of the Crimson Sand Nation, no one would have guessed she was a Mythology.
Her combat style and outward appearance were far too deceptive.
But to those who understood Mythologies, and some awakened powerhouses with broad vision, the recent battle was quite brilliant.
Overwhelming victory?
No, in their eyes, it was an even match, or rather, a slight edge for Xiao Huan, the Mythology.
The monkey-faced vendor remarked, "Just now, two Mythologies engaged in a profound gambit. Lord Ibben repeatedly used himself as bait to lure Lord Xiao Huan into attacking, then seized the momentary opening. Had he succeeded, Lord Ibben could have decided the battle in one strike. But he was just a sliver short."
"Therefore, one cannot judge a battle solely by its appearance. While it seemed Lord Xiao Huan was unscathed throughout, in reality, she faced several crises."
Oh~~~
The surrounding onlookers suddenly understood. So that was how it was!
They had indeed thought a battle of Mythologies wouldn't be so simple, but they themselves couldn't see or understand clearly.
But then again, how could a battle between Mythologies be easily fathomed?
The burly man with the red bandana thought for a moment, "Is there a possibility that the entire combat process... was entirely under this young girl's control?"
...
"As expected, it wasn't that simple. I underestimated her," Huang Zun thought for a while.
"On the surface, Mythology Ibben used himself as bait to create an opportunity to strike Mythology Xiao Huan. But upon deeper reflection, one can discover that Mythology Xiao Huan saw through Ibben's scheme and turned it to her advantage. She pretended not to know the opening was bait; she herself became the bait!
"By doing so, Mythology Xiao Huan could more easily cripple Ibben."
After his analysis, Huang Zun commented, "This battle was brilliant, worthy of being recorded in the book 'Summit of Mythologies'."
Hearing him say this, Luoxiu Gongfeng gradually became dumbfounded.
He had initially thought: Huang Zun's analysis was fierce like a tiger, but his predictions were all unreliable. His reputation as a 'sage' seemed somewhat inflated.
Now, it appeared his own vision was far too limited; he couldn't see through the intricacies at all.
Was this the gap between himself and peak Mythologies? It wasn't just about raw power; he was also lacking in combat thinking and awareness.
In the future, he had to focus on improving in this aspect.
He looked at the young goddess with the sweet smile, unstained by any dirt, and couldn't help but sigh, "One truly cannot judge a person by their appearance. Who would have thought that a young and seemingly delicate girl would possess such meticulous combat strategy?"
...
"Eh, my tactical arrangements were so meticulous?"
Hearing the analysis from Master Ming Deng and others, Xiao Huan nodded repeatedly, marveling at her own precise maneuvers and strategic planning.
After her amazement, she began to recall carefully:
"Just now, was the big guy on the opposite side constantly exposing openings?"
She frowned slightly, concentrating hard.
After pondering for a long time, she came to a conclusion.
She...
She didn't know.
She had simply attacked and then jumped back, attacked again and continued jumping back, repeating the process.
But why were the battles described by others completely different versions from the ones she experienced?
"In any case, Xiao Huan is super amazing!"
"Yes, yes, our Xiao Huan is truly excellent."
In the dean's office, Fang You smiled, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
After all, before he even started proxy fighting, Xiao Huan had secured victory with an overwhelming advantage.
Her two-dimensional attributes and cultivation realm were lower than her opponent's, her combat experience was still not rich, and her tactical means were practically nonexistent, but... with a single spatial traversal, she could conquer all under heaven.
Mythology Ibben's tactics were not wrong, but he could never have imagined that Xiao Huan's spatial abilities... had no limitations!
Even humans with the highest-level spatial abilities, limited by their physical bodies, could not use them continuously.
Fang You was one such example.
Even borrowing Xiao Huan's core skills, he couldn't perform super long-distance spatial shifts, or after using 'Phasing' or 'Blink' a dozen times consecutively, he would have to rest, as his physical body couldn't endure it.
Even if he became completely incorporeal or retreated into spatial rifts, he would have to emerge and rest after a few minutes.
It was like a person swimming needing to surface for air, but a fish doesn't.
As a spirit of illusion, Xiao Huan was like a fish in water in the realm of space. Her advantage surpassed humans by more than ten streets. As long as she didn't panic during combat and increased her reaction speed, she could dodge for a hundred or a thousand rounds and remain unharmed.
After all, as a spirit of illusion, and having constructed the vast data network of the Pyre, Xiao Huan had another advantage: ... Stability.
...
"Three rounds of spar, the score is now one to one. The next round will be crucial."
"Crimson Sand Nation's contender will undoubtedly be the Lion of Crimson Sand, Adola. As for Pyre Academy's contender, if there are no surprises, it should be Instructor Black Blade or Professor An Jianyou." Huang Zun stated.
Although his judgment had been surprised just now.
"Black Blade's 'Head Instructor' rank is equivalent to a professor, and it is rumored that Pyre Academy has several vice-deans and over ten professors... Are these people real, or is Pyre Academy fabricating its reputation?" Luoxiu Gongfeng chuckled sheepishly. How could he know?
"I had never heard of this faction before, and I know next to nothing about Pyre Academy."
"Indeed..."
Huang Zun sighed. "It's not just you. Even after consulting countless secret records accumulated by our Cloud Atlas Nation, I haven't found any force that matches Pyre Academy."
"Therefore, I judged it to be a newly emerged force. However, the strength displayed by Pyre Academy is somewhat beyond my expectations."
This had led him to briefly consider that Pyre Academy might be an ancient, deeply hidden force that had only recently emerged.
However, would an ancient and vast force emerge just to recruit insignificant underlings?
That thought was absurd.
As for the speculation that Pyre had only recently been founded but had already cultivated peerless prodigies, that was even more far-fetched.
Neither possibility seemed right.
Eliminating all impossibilities, what remained... was nothing at all.
"Regardless of Pyre Academy's origins, according to their rank division, professors would undoubtedly be far stronger than the previous two, who were already quite extraordinary mentor-level Mythologies."
"So, do you believe Pyre Academy has a higher win rate in this match?" Luoxiu Gongfeng asked.
Huang Zun shook his head. "Not necessarily. After all, the strength possessed by the Lion of Crimson Sand also far surpasses that of the Hand of Flowing Sand and the Wall of Yellow Sand. He is on a different level from the former two. Moreover..."
Just then, the third spar contender from Pyre Academy appeared. He was a youth wearing a black combat suit and a mask that covered his entire face.
Very young.
Huang Zun could confirm this with his incredibly keen eyesight; he wouldn't be mistaken. From his demeanor, spirit, posture, and other aspects, he judged that even if Mythology Black Blade was older than Mythology Xiao Huan, he was still a young boy.
"The intelligence is still insufficient at this point to deduce everything, but I dare to bet that this match... will be won by the Lion of Crimson Sand."
He was utterly confident.
This was triple confidence derived from experience, intuition, and keen observation.
This time, he wouldn't guess wrong again!
...
"This Lion of Crimson Sand is quite remarkable."
From afar, amidst the crowd, some knowledgeable individuals began to analyze and comment.
The monkey-faced vendor was one of them. He wasn't bragging; it seemed he had secret channels and possessed much information that ordinary people didn't know.
"The Lion of Crimson Sand, Adola, being able to use his country's name as his honorific title is a testament to his strength and status. And..." He smiled mysteriously, "this Lion of Crimson Sand has already condensed his fourth strand of divinity, surpassing peak Mythology."
The passersby were taken aback.
Among them were also those with Six Senses, titled Six Senses, and even noble Six Senses from great nations or aristocratic families, but they were still utterly bewildered.
"Condensing three strands of divinity means one is at the peak of Mythology, fully perfected, and qualified to break through to demigod status, doesn't it? How can there be a fourth strand... Hey, hey, you're not just making things up, are you?!"
But the many secrets revealed by the monkey-faced vendor before could not be false. This was a vendor with great capabilities.
The gaze of the burly man with the red bandana also carried a hint of astonishment—not astonishment at 'there being four strands of divinity,' but at 'someone actually knowing about the fourth strand of divinity.'
The monkey-faced vendor remained impassive. "Mythological beings can naturally condense a fourth strand of divinity, but... this is paid information. If you require it, you can contact me afterward. The information is guaranteed, and the price is fair."
...
"The third spar between Crimson Sand Nation and Pyre Academy is about to begin." The referee from the Blazing Thunder Nation announced.
On the left, the Lion of Crimson Sand had bulging muscles, and a lion-like divine light flickered in his eyes. This stemmed from an opportunity where he learned an epic body-refining inheritance – the Thunder Lion Body Refinement. His ability to stand out among the Mythologies of the Crimson Sand Nation was also due to this.
Adola was confident.
But facing the third person from Pyre Academy, he dared not be careless. He bent his body and lightly stepped on the ground, and the entire person shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, stirring up the surrounding sand.
A distance of a thousand meters was covered in an instant.
Adola unleashed the fist techniques accompanying the Thunder Lion Body Refinement, his form flickering with afterimages in the air.
Bang—
His eyes shone with brilliance.
As his fist met the palm, an invisible wave of energy spread out, kicking up clouds of sand.
Adola continued to punch, his body constantly shifting.
Bang bang bang bang bang bang—!
The sounds of impact were like thunder drums, each louder than the last. The invisible shockwaves stirred up waves of sand, rising one after another, ferocious and unstoppable.
Yet, the two figures within the tidal sandstorm stood like reefs in their small space, attacking, changing moves, receiving blows... In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged over a hundred rounds.
People could only see fleeting afterimages.
Bang—
After a clash of fists, the Lion of Crimson Sand retreated, his eyes shining brighter, brimming with intense fighting spirit.
"You are very powerful."
"In Crimson Sand Nation, there is no Mythology that can withstand my close-quarters combat."
In fact, in the brief exchange just now, he had been at a slight disadvantage. He was the attacker, constantly maneuvering, but Black Blade had remained stationary the entire time.
However,
Adola slammed the ground heavily, and the solid, cracked earth turned into soft mud. From these mud masses, two figures rose again.
Gradually, they transformed into figures identical to the Lion of Crimson Sand!
Three figures simultaneously attacked.
"These two clones are powerful secret techniques created by the Lion of Crimson Sand by combining his abilities with a certain epic inheritance! For a short period, the clones possess combat power not inferior to the main body," Huang Zun added. "This is the true strength of the Lion of Crimson Sand. Under a three-way pincer attack with minds connected, any opponent of the same level cannot withstand it, let alone when close-quarters combat is the Lion of Crimson Sand's most familiar domain."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Lion of Crimson Sand, Adola, was sent flying backward.
All three figures were.
One bore a fist wound, another a spear wound, and the third a sword wound.
Huang Zun's eyes widened.
"Blade, fist, spear... His weapon can transform into any form." Such tricky artifacts were actually quite ineffective. After all, a master swordsman didn't necessarily mean he was equally skilled in spear techniques. Perhaps, with a higher perspective, a master swordsman's spear skills wouldn't be bad, but they would ultimately be inferior to his main discipline. And in contests between powerhouses, even a slight margin could lead to defeat.
But Instructor Black Blade of Pyre Academy...
"Blade techniques, fist techniques, spear techniques... all perfected! This is a weapon master skilled in multiple martial arts!"
Unable to gain the upper hand for an extended period, the Lion of Crimson Sand also began to change his strategy. His body erupted in fierce flames, transforming into a colossal roaring lion tens of meters tall, striking down with boundless might.
At this moment,
Black Blade moved his feet for the first time.
Not to dodge.
He simply took a light step forward, and there was no forty-meter-long blade energy.
"More energy isn't always better."
Black Blade swung down an ordinary blade energy, just over a meter long, cutting open a gap beneath the fiery lion's claw. But it was this small gap that caused the energy emanating from the fiery lion to flow past his sides.
Black Blade stood amidst the sea of flames, yet not a single drop of fire touched him.
"Blade techniques emphasize decisiveness and ferocity."
"Sword techniques require precision and versatility."
"Spear techniques..."
"Fist techniques..."
"Spell techniques..."
Black Blade's combat, much like Xiao Huan's in the previous round, did not display the might of a Mythology. But it possessed a unique 'beauty' – the beauty of peak skill!
He didn't look like he was fighting, but rather like he was practicing various skills.
Outsiders watching this battle could only exclaim in admiration, finding it profound and mysterious.
The Lion of Crimson Sand faced a formidable opponent, and the figure of Black Blade in his eyes continued to grow, like a god, like a demon.
Meanwhile, the students of Pyre Academy gradually became immersed, the image of Instructor Black Blade's not-so-swift movements reflected in their eyes. Suddenly, someone showed a look of realization.
"So that's what blade momentum is!"
"Once one comprehends the domain of the sword, the entire area can be brought under their control."
"...These are all things Instructor Black Blade lectured on in class. I was confused before, but now I finally understand!"
It was now Instructor Black Blade's lecture time. The students watched with rapt attention... Of course, there were those who couldn't understand or comprehend; they remained silent, afraid of appearing out of place.
The most immersed were Master Ming Deng, Gou Ping'an, Luo Rui, and other Mythologies. They could be considered powerhouses nurtured by the Head Instructor, deeply understanding his 'Dao.' At this moment, with the Head Instructor demonstrating his art against a peak Mythology, they also gained considerable insight.
But what was even more astonishing was,
"The Head Instructor's profound skill is as unreachable as the stars in the sky!"
"Is there anything the Head Instructor doesn't know?"
"Since the Head Instructor is already so invincible, what about the Dean? It is said that all the Head Instructor's abilities were taught by the Dean."
"Perhaps when we reach a level comparable to the Head Instructor, we will be qualified to receive the Dean's tutelage."
The Lion of Crimson Sand, Adola, though unaware that Black Blade had turned a spar into a public lecture, felt the pressure that Ibben had mentioned in the previous round. No matter how he attacked, he couldn't find the slightest opening!
He had no chance of winning!
There was a vast gap between him and Black Blade. It wasn't in their two-dimensional attributes, cultivation realms, or abilities, but in their combat skills!
"Today, I finally understand that fundamental combat skills are not merely mortal martial arts. They have no limits. You taught me this." The three figures stared intently at the young man in black amidst the yellow sand. Licking the blood from his lips, Adola's fighting spirit remained high. He was not an equal, but he would never concede. He wanted to see just how great the difference between himself and Black Blade was.
"You are a commendable powerhouse, and I hope you will bring out your full strength, so I... have no regrets!" Adola said. This person was indeed a pure warrior, with a heart that was neither arrogant nor cowardly.
Black Blade spoke, "Since that is the case..."
Adola showed a look of excitement, his expression tightening simultaneously.
"I will give it my all."
"You are very strong, but defeating me, the Lion of Crimson Sand, will not be easy."
As he finished speaking,
He saw that behind Black Blade's slender figure, one after another figure appeared.
Ten;
A hundred;
A thousand;
The figures at the forefront, wearing ornate armor or robes of varied styles, vaguely recognizable as Candrakandan in design. Adola even perceived waves of threat from these remarkably realistic figures. He looked at his own side, the solitary 'trio.' Then he glanced at the army of a thousand on the opposite side. He fell silent.
...
The Lion of Crimson Sand, Adola, lost peacefully. He was not facing a martial arts master, but... a legion commander who dabbled in multiple martial arts. His defeat was entirely justifiable. Only,
"You possess flawless mastery of all martial arts styles, and you have these extraordinary soldier and general spirits. You... who exactly are you?" He swallowed.
Black Blade's voice remained very calm, carrying a sense of inevitability. "I, Black Blade, am merely an ordinary Mythology of the Pyre."
An ordinary Mythology with two strands of divinity from the Pyre. He might be one of the few who started faster in the organization, but he believed that more and more people from the Pyre would catch up. Darkness pressed down like a city; the light brought by one person was limited. Only when ten, a hundred, ten thousand, a hundred million... infinite people raised their torches could they forge a path towards the land of hope. The more ordinary he was, the stronger the Pyre represented. He hoped that one day, the human flame of inheritance would be as brilliant and vast as the starry river in the night sky. He, Black Blade, was just an ordinary star in that vast starry river. An ordinary... person of the Pyre.