The atmosphere within the training grounds became unusually tense.
Yu Xiaogang and Bibi Dong stood facing each other from opposite sides of the arena, both fully prepared for battle.
Neither of them doubted their own strength.
Although Yu Xiaogang's spirit power rank was lower than Bibi Dong's, he showed no hesitation whatsoever. Instead, he chose to launch the first attack.
This battle was not merely a sparring session.
It was also an opportunity for the two of them to understand each other's combat styles and abilities before officially cooperating in the future.
Naturally, neither side intended to hold back too much.
The moment the battle began, Yu Xiaogang raised his hand calmly.
Three dazzling Light Swords instantly condensed around him.
Under his precise control, the swords shot toward Bibi Dong like streaks of light.
The strategy was identical to the one he often used.
One sword would engage directly in close combat while the remaining two searched for opportunities to attack from unexpected angles.
Facing the incoming Light Swords, Bibi Dong's expression immediately turned serious.
At the same time, she glanced toward the little golden dragon hovering high above the battlefield.
The dragon was already gathering energy.
This instantly made Bibi Dong realize something important—
She could not allow this fight to drag on for too long.
The thought felt strangely ironic.
Normally, during battles against members of the Elite Class, she was always the one under pressure to end the fight quickly.
After all, her Death Spider Emperor possessed both Death and Poison attributes.
The Death attribute weakened an opponent's body and spirit power over time, while the Poison attribute gradually eroded their combat ability.
The longer the fight lasted, the more advantageous the battle became for her.
Yet today, she had encountered an opponent whose fighting style also became more dangerous over time.
"Come to think of it…"
Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes slightly.
"His total spirit power reserves seem absurdly high."
That thought flashed through her mind as she moved.
Under Martial Soul Possession, eight enormous spider legs extended from her back.
The sharp spider limbs struck the ground violently as she burst forward with astonishing speed.
Clang! Clang!
The incoming Light Swords were knocked aside one after another by her spider legs.
Without slowing down, Bibi Dong rushed directly toward Yu Xiaogang himself.
Her speed was terrifyingly fast.
Even the Light Swords struggled to catch up with her movements.
Yu Xiaogang was visibly surprised.
He had expected Bibi Dong to be quick, but her speed after Martial Soul Possession still exceeded his predictions.
However, despite his surprise, Yu Xiaogang remained perfectly calm.
The Light Swords that failed to hit Bibi Dong immediately dispersed into particles of spirit power.
At the same time, Yu Xiaogang rapidly condensed spirit power around his body.
A suit of brilliant golden armor soon appeared over him.
Moments later, a long spear materialized in his hand.
Yu Xiaogang instantly understood one thing.
Against Bibi Dong's speed, maintaining distance was impossible.
That meant this battle would inevitably become close combat.
And in close combat, the Death Spider Emperor's Poison and Death attributes were extremely dangerous.
Once those powers entered his body, his condition would gradually weaken until defeat became unavoidable.
Therefore, defense was absolutely crucial.
Clad in radiant armor and wielding a shining spear, Yu Xiaogang now resembled a golden god of war standing proudly upon the battlefield.
Though his current height slightly diminished the image, the oppressive aura he radiated was still more than enough to intimidate others.
At the very least, the moment Bibi Dong saw him in this form, her heart tightened involuntarily.
Clang!
Bibi Dong arrived before him in an instant.
One of her spider legs slashed downward like a gigantic blade aimed directly at Yu Xiaogang's chest.
But Yu Xiaogang reacted immediately.
His spear swung upward and collided fiercely with the spider leg, deflecting the attack.
The impact created sparks that scattered through the air.
Seeing her attack blocked, Bibi Dong immediately changed tactics.
Four spider legs stabbed into the ground to stabilize her body while the remaining four launched a relentless assault toward Yu Xiaogang.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The battlefield echoed continuously with metallic collisions.
Yu Xiaogang swung his spear repeatedly, blocking the majority of Bibi Dong's attacks.
However, her offensive pressure was simply too intense.
Occasionally, a spider leg slipped past his defenses.
Fortunately, Yu Xiaogang's armor absorbed the attacks before they could injure him directly.
Even so, the force behind each strike still caused his arms to ache slightly.
Bibi Dong frowned.
Despite attacking continuously, she still could not gain the upper hand.
Meanwhile, the little dragon in the sky continued gathering power.
Time was running out.
Without hesitation, Bibi Dong finally activated her spirit ability.
"First Spirit Ability: Death Venom Strike!"
Her yellow spirit ring instantly lit up.
In the next moment, a dark purple glow spread across her spider legs.
The aura surrounding them suddenly became far more dangerous.
One of the glowing spider legs slashed violently toward Yu Xiaogang's chest.
Screeech!
An ear-piercing sound rang out.
Yu Xiaogang's pupils shrank instantly.
His body reacted almost instinctively as he hurriedly retreated several meters backward.
Only after distancing himself did he realize what happened.
A massive crack had been carved directly into his spirit armor.
Yu Xiaogang's expression turned serious.
"This ability…"
"It disrupts the structure of spirit power itself?"
That was his immediate conclusion.
Ordinary attacks should not have been capable of breaking through his armor so easily.
The only explanation was that Bibi Dong's spirit ability possessed a corrosive or destructive effect specifically targeting spirit power constructs.
Without wasting time, Yu Xiaogang quickly repaired the damaged armor using fresh spirit power.
At that same moment, Bibi Dong charged toward him again.
Clearly, she intended to press her advantage.
However, Yu Xiaogang suddenly opened his mouth.
"Ha!"
A powerful mental shock erupted from him instantly.
Invisible mental force surged directly toward Bibi Dong's consciousness.
It was Yu Xiaogang's Second Spirit Skill—
Soul-Confusing Vibration.
The moment the attack struck her, Bibi Dong's expression changed drastically.
She hurriedly mobilized her spirit power in an attempt to stabilize her mind.
Unfortunately, her mental strength was still significantly weaker than Yu Xiaogang's.
Compared to ordinary spirit masters, Bibi Dong's mental force was already exceptional.
But compared to Yu Xiaogang…
The gap was simply too large.
Her body froze momentarily.
Only for a brief instant.
But on a battlefield, a single moment was enough to decide victory or defeat.
By the time Bibi Dong regained control over her senses, she discovered something terrifying.
The tip of Yu Xiaogang's spear was already inches away from her eyes.
At the same time, the little golden dragon in the sky had also completed its attack preparation.
The dragon's destructive energy was fully locked onto her.
In other words—
The battle was already over.
Bibi Dong froze completely.
"I… lost?"
Her mind struggled to process the result.
Only moments earlier, the two of them had been evenly matched.
She had not even used her Second and Third Spirit Abilities yet.
And yet, in the blink of an eye, defeat had already arrived.
Before today, Bibi Dong had always known that Yu Xiaogang's Second Spirit Skill was powerful.
However, she believed she would at least be capable of resisting it somewhat.
But reality proved otherwise.
When faced with Soul-Confusing Vibration directly, she was no different from the other students in the Elite Class.
Yu Xiaogang lowered his spear slightly and spoke calmly.
"Your close combat ability and spirit skills are both extremely powerful."
"However, the gap between our mental strengths is still too great."
"Perhaps in the future, when obtaining spirit rings, you should pay more attention to abilities that strengthen mental resistance."
After saying that, Yu Xiaogang paused briefly.
"Of course, I'm only making a suggestion."
"When it comes to your spirit ring choices, you should still follow the guidance of your teacher, His Holiness the Pope."
Hearing his words, Bibi Dong's expression became even more complicated.
Deep down, she wanted to say this battle did not count.
She wanted a rematch.
But after thinking carefully, she realized the outcome would likely remain the same.
As long as she could not resist Yu Xiaogang's Second Spirit Skill, she would always fall into the same situation.
What could she even say?
Forbid him from using his Second Spirit Skill?
That was ridiculous.
Spirit Skills were a core part of a spirit master's combat strength.
Restricting an opponent from using their own abilities simply because they were difficult to deal with—
Even if she somehow won under those conditions, Bibi Dong would feel no satisfaction whatsoever.
Thinking this, she could only puff out her cheeks slightly and speak unwillingly.
"I concede."
Those three simple words felt unusually heavy.
Bibi Dong had spoken them before, but only when facing opponents whose spirit power ranks greatly surpassed her own.
This was the first time she had admitted defeat to someone whose rank was lower than hers.
She had always been the genius capable of fighting above her level.
Never once had she imagined that one day she would become the one defeated by someone weaker in rank.
However, just as Bibi Dong prepared to end the sparring match, Yu Xiaogang suddenly stopped her.
"Don't concede so quickly."
Bibi Dong blinked in confusion.
Yu Xiaogang continued calmly.
"The purpose of this sparring session was to understand each other's abilities and prepare for future cooperation."
"So far, I still haven't seen your remaining two Spirit Abilities."
Hearing this, Bibi Dong immediately puffed her cheeks again in dissatisfaction.
Although unhappy, she still gathered her spirit power obediently.
Since Yu Xiaogang wanted to see her remaining abilities, she would show them.
However—
Something unexpected suddenly happened.
Bibi Dong intended to activate her Second Spirit Ability.
But instead, her Martial Soul Possession suddenly dispersed uncontrollably.
The spider legs vanished instantly.
Her spirit power became chaotic.
And because she was still suspended in midair—
Bibi Dong immediately began falling toward the ground.
Her eyes widened in panic.
She tried desperately to regain control of her body and stabilize herself in the air.
But the lingering effects of Yu Xiaogang's mental attack still disrupted her concentration.
At this moment, her body simply refused to obey her commands.
For the first time in a long while, the usually proud and composed Bibi Dong looked like a helpless young girl.
Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang reacted instinctively.
Without hesitation, he rushed forward and caught her.
And so—
Bibi Dong fell directly into Yu Xiaogang's arms.
The battlefield suddenly became silent.
Their eyes met at close distance.
Neither of them spoke.
For a brief moment, even time itself seemed to freeze.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)
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