Qian Lingyi and Meng Hongchen eventually fought, but not in the dining hall; it was in the Martial Arts Arena of the Inner Courtyard.
Meng Hongchen couldn't swallow the provocation from Qian Lingyi, so after dinner, she immediately challenged her. Qian Lingyi naturally wouldn't refuse; after obtaining her sixth spirit ring, she hadn't yet tested her combat strength, so this was a good opportunity to see how much her power had grown.
Both had their intentions, so a sparring match was inevitable.
News of the Sun Moon Academy exchange student sparring with an Inner Courtyard female disciple instantly spread throughout the Inner Courtyard. Students who were idle within the Academy immediately swarmed over; there's never a shortage of people who enjoy a good spectacle.
The Inner Courtyard Martial Arts Arena was packed with people—Inner Courtyard Disciples, Sun Moon Academy exchange students, and even many Inner Courtyard teachers had come to watch the excitement.
Zhu Ziyang stood in a corner that overlooked the entire arena, watching the sparring match, which carried a strong undertone of rivalry, with a smile.
"Zhu Ziyang, why are you so calm? I heard those two girls are fighting because of you!" Tang Ya's voice came. Zhu Ziyang turned around to see Tang Ya, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Xue Weiwei, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao walking towards him. Tang Ya's face held a teasing expression as she said, "Since Nannan isn't here, you've started flirting. When Nannan returns, I'll definitely tell her all about it!"
"You all came too," Zhu Ziyang said with a smile.
"Hehe, we were just in the dining hall! We heard Meng Hongchen's conversation with that blonde girl crystal clear!" Wang Dong chuckled and said, "Senior Brother, who is that blonde girl? She's not an Inner Courtyard Disciple, is she? Your relationship seems very close!"
"Ah, her name is Qian Lingyi. She just entered the Inner Courtyard not long ago, so it's normal that you don't know her," Zhu Ziyang explained with a smile.
"Qian Lingyi? What a strange surname!" Xiao Xiao couldn't help but bite her finger, a confused expression on her face. "I always feel like this surname is not simple!"
"Of course it's not simple. The Qian surname was unique to the Supreme Pontiff's clan of Spirit Hall ten thousand years ago!" Bei Bei said with a wry smile. "This Qian Lingyi is a descendant of the Supreme Pontiff's clan."
"Ah!" Tang Ya and Xiao Xiao both exclaimed in surprise. Then Tang Ya said unexpectedly, "Wait, Bei Bei, how do you know this Qian Lingyi is a descendant of the Supreme Pontiff's clan? From your tone, it sounds like you know her?"
"Uh-huh-huh!" Bei Bei showed an awkward smile, then said, "Her Inner Courtyard assessment was presided over by Xu Sanshi and me, so of course I know her."
"Bei Bei, just speak for yourself, why drag me into it!" Xu Sanshi said, very displeased.
"Who made you drag me down that day?" Bei Bei glanced at Xu Sanshi and said.
"Was I dragging you down?" Xu Sanshi's face showed annoyance as he said, "Who would have thought that Headmaster Xian would have us two newly advanced Spirit Kings assess a peak Spirit King? And besides, I also didn't expect that girl's attacking power to be so strong!"
"I see, so Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi were defeated by that girl!" Xue Weiwei clapped her hands, saying in surprise.
"Uh! Weiwei, save me some face, don't say it out loud!" Xu Sanshi immediately pulled a long face and said.
"Hehehe!"
Everyone burst into laughter, and then Zhu Ziyang said, "Alright, the battle is about to begin. Let's focus on the match!"
In the Martial Arts Arena, Qian Lingyi and Meng Hongchen stood opposite each other. Qian Lingyi wore a light smile, while Meng Hongchen's expression was not so pleasant. Han Ruoruo temporarily acted as the referee, entering the Martial Arts Arena and standing between the two girls, separating them. She glanced at Qian Lingyi, then at Meng Hongchen. Well, she wasn't familiar with either of them. She said, "Are you ready?"
"Ready!" Qian Lingyi and Meng Hongchen shouted in unison.
"Alright, both of you retreat ten meters and await my command!" Han Ruoruo said, "This sparring match is to stop at the appropriate point. Remember not to harm the harmony, and absolutely not to take a life!"
Neither girl replied, and Han Ruoruo was merely going through the motions. Once both had reached their respective positions, she gave a command, shouting, "Begin!"
Han Ruoruo left the Martial Arts Arena in a flash, while Qian Lingyi and Meng Hongchen, poised for action, each released their Spirit and spirit tool.
Qian Lingyi's Angel Martial Soul appeared, immediately causing an uproar among the Inner Courtyard Disciples present. Everyone then realized that this unfamiliar-looking junior sister actually possessed an Angel Martial Soul. For Shrek Inner Courtyard Disciples, the story of this Spirit was far too familiar! In comparison, the six spirit rings behind her—two yellow, two purple, and two black—were not as surprising.
Compared to Qian Lingyi, whose only change was the addition of a pair of Angel wings, Meng Hongchen's transformation was more significant. Her hair turned snow-white, her blue eyes instantly became blood-red, and all the exposed skin on her body became as white as jade. A pure white, jade-like toad phantom with eyes like a red sun appeared behind her, and five spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, and one black—shone brightly.
This was Meng Hongchen's Spirit, the Jade Ice Toad, a top-tier ice-attribute Spirit possessing potent venom.
The battle began. Although Meng Hongchen was a Spirit King, facing Qian Lingyi, who had the cultivation of a Spirit Emperor, she still chose to attack proactively. Her first spirit ring flickered, and her crystal-clear, jade-like palms immediately gathered a hazy stream of air. Then, the girl lightly tapped her toes, hunched over, and charged towards Qian Lingyi.
Qian Lingyi wore a light smile, gently tapped the ground with her jade feet, and her Angel wings instantly carried her into the air. A Sword of Light appeared in her hand, her first spirit ring flickering. She held the sword with both hands before her chest, then pointed the sword tip skyward. A large expanse of light immediately showered down from her wings and her sword, falling towards Meng Hongchen.
Seeing Qian Lingyi fly into the air, Meng Hongchen instantly threw the stream of air from her palm, launching it directly at Qian Lingyi. The widespread light cast by Qian Lingyi met Meng Hongchen's stream of air, generating a thick white smoke accompanied by sizzling sounds. Their initial clash seemed to be a draw.
However, Meng Hongchen didn't see it that way. She retreated several steps, and during her retreat, thirteen icy-blue lights instantly surged from her delicate body. Then, a set of exquisite icy-blue armor enveloped her delicate form. A pair of icy-blue longswords extended from her hands, and three pairs of folded wings, only about a foot long, popped out from her back. The chilling aura grew even more intense.
"Hmph! Don't think you're the only one who can fly!" Meng Hongchen snorted coldly, then lightly flapped her folded wings, which actually carried her into the air as well.
Meng Hongchen's set of spirit tool armor not only surprised Qian Lingyi but also stunned many of the Inner Courtyard Disciples watching the match, making them understand for the first time Mu En's dying wish.
"Is this the spirit tool technology of the Sun Moon Empire?" Zhu Ziyang murmured. "It truly has unique aspects!"
"It seems our Shrek Academy and Tang Sect still have a long way to go!" Tang Ya looked at the armor on Meng Hongchen, her expression varied, but she couldn't help but admit it.
"Hmph! Relying on external objects and being born with the ability to fly are two different realms!" Qian Lingyi heard Meng Hongchen's words, chuckled lightly, then immediately controlled her body to perform a graceful flip in the air. At the same time, her second spirit ring flickered, and the Sword of Light in her hand released terrifying light flames. She directly charged towards Meng Hongchen, who was also in the air.
After Meng Hongchen donned her armor, her aura greatly increased. Facing the Spirit Emperor's proactive attack, she chose to directly confront it. Her second, third, and fourth spirit rings were released simultaneously. Many ice discs appeared in the Martial Arts Arena, and a circle of icy-blue light diffused from beneath Meng Hongchen's feet. Most importantly, her body began to glow with blue flames, and her overall aura increased by another large margin. Two icy-blue longswords directly intercepted Qian Lingyi's Sword of Light.
"Hmph!" Meng Hongchen snorted coldly, then exerted force, actually parrying Qian Lingyi's Sword of Light directly. Qian Lingyi retreated dozens of steps before steadying herself.
Turning back, she looked at Meng Hongchen with wide-eyed shock, exclaiming, "I didn't expect you to be so strong after putting on this armor!"
"Heh heh, of course!" Meng Hongchen said proudly. "This is my grandfather's proud creation, a six-level spirit tool set, the Ice Blue Divine Armor!"
"So it's something you got from an elder, no wonder!" Qian Lingyi heard this, and a mischievous smile immediately appeared on her face as she sneered.
"Heh! What's wrong with relying on an elder? My grandfather dotes on me, that's why he gave it to me. If you have a treasure given by an elder, you can take it out too!" Meng Hongchen was unmoved, even taking pride in it, and said.
"Ah, this!" Qian Lingyi's attempt at sarcasm backfired, leaving her a bit awkward. She could only cover up her embarrassment through battle. Her fifth spirit ring shone brightly, and a Holy Sword emerged, slashing with full force towards Meng Hongchen.
Meng Hongchen's face showed solemnity. A Spirit Emperor's fifth spirit ring, even with her wearing a six-level spirit tool armor, required her full attention. Thus, she also released her fifth spirit ring, her strongest offensive ability. Two longswords immediately coiled with two purple dragons, and the twin swords combined, spinning at high speed, charging towards Qian Lingyi's Holy Sword.