Perhaps the shock they had just experienced was simply too overwhelming.
The massive venue below the arena, capable of holding tens of thousands of people, once again fell into a suffocating silence—just like before the match had begun.
Every gaze was fixed blankly on the same figure.
That second-year student—Liu Yuan—who had defeated the sixth-year head with a single punch, now stood calmly in the center of the arena, slowly retracting his fist.
And… Ma Rulong, who had been blasted away by that same strike, lay in the ruins outside the arena, completely defeated.
No one spoke.
For a long time, the entire audience remained frozen in place.
Their minds had gone blank from witnessing something that completely defied common sense.
Time itself seemed to have been paused.
---
A long while later—
The referee on the high platform finally managed to recover from the immense shock.
He looked at Liu Yuan on the stage, then at Ma Rulong below, who had no strength left to continue.
Taking a deep breath, he raised his trembling arm and shouted with all his might:
"The champion of the Sun Moon Royal Academy Internal Selection for the All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament is—"
"Second-year student… Liu Yuan!"
---
Boom—!!!
That single announcement shattered the suffocating silence like thunder.
All the suppressed emotions, confusion, and disbelief erupted at once like a volcanic explosion!
A deafening wave of discussion surged through the entire venue, louder than anything before—so intense it felt like it might tear the roof off the plaza!
"He won?! He actually won?! That Liu Yuan… he defeated Senior Ma Rulong!"
"No—this is insane!" A senior student's face flushed red as he shouted, "Didn't Ma Rulong's 'Eagle Eye' lock onto him the entire time? Why did it suddenly fail?!"
"And that shield! It blocked everything before—so how did Liu Yuan's final punch shatter a Rank 5 Barrier Shield?! This makes no sense!"
"Could it be that dance? After that strange movement… his strength completely changed!"
---
Confusion spread like wildfire.
One moment, Ma Rulong had been suppressing Liu Yuan with overwhelming firepower and advanced spirit tools.
The next moment, Liu Yuan performed an incomprehensible "dance"… and instantly reversed the entire battle with a single punch.
What exactly happened in between?
No one could understand.
---
In the spectator stands—
Ju Zi and Ke Ke both stared blankly at the screen, their mouths slightly open, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
After a while, Ke Ke nudged Meng Hongchen beside her and stammered:
"M-Meng… did you understand anything? What… what just happened?"
Ju Zi also turned to her for answers.
But even Meng Hongchen, who prided herself on her talent, could only shake her head with a bitter smile.
"I… don't understand either."
Beside them, Xiao Hongchen stared intently at Liu Yuan's figure on the screen, his brows tightly furrowed.
"…Could the key be that dance?"
"Otherwise… there's no reason he would do something that meaningless in the middle of a fight."
---
Meanwhile—
Mingde Hall, top-floor office.
A heavy silence lingered in front of the spirit tool screen.
Even Xu Yunhan and Kong Deming—figures standing at the very peak of the continent—were deeply shaken by Liu Yuan's unbelievable performance.
After a long time, Xu Yunhan slowly exhaled.
He turned to Kong Deming and asked in a low voice:
"Elder Kong… did you see through it?"
Kong Deming kept his gaze fixed on the replay of the battle, especially the moment Liu Yuan performed that strange dance.
He watched it three times in silence before finally shaking his head.
"I cannot see through it."
"But one thing is certain—the key lies in that movement."
"It must be some kind of unknown Spirit Ability… one that can drastically enhance one's strength in an instant."
---
Hearing this, Xu Yunhan leaned back into his chair.
His gaze rested on Liu Yuan's calm figure on the screen.
The curiosity in his eyes had completely transformed into something else—
Conquest.
Yes… conquest.
This young man's performance had completely conquered him.
---
The next moment, Xu Yunhan stood up and walked toward Jing Hongchen.
His voice carried unprecedented authority and approval:
"Dean Jing… this time, you have done exceptionally well."
"I dare say—investing in Liu Yuan is the most correct decision you have made since becoming dean."
---
Such high praise left even Jing Hongchen momentarily stunned.
But Xu Yunhan was not finished.
Standing before him, he spoke in a low, commanding tone:
"From today onward, the academy will spare no expense to support Liu Yuan's cultivation."
"Resources, teachers, intelligence—whatever he needs, we will provide the best."
"We must nurture him properly."
"This child's future… is limitless."
---
With that, Xu Yunhan and Kong Deming turned and left the office.
The shock in their hearts had yet to settle—
And they needed to reassess their entire strategy for the upcoming tournament.
---
With the conclusion of the finals, the grand internal selection tournament of Sun Moon Royal Academy officially came to an end.
The results spread throughout the academy at an unimaginable speed.
And Liu Yuan—
The very center of the storm—
Was immediately surrounded by a crowd the moment he stepped off the stage.
---
The first to rush forward were Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.
Xiao Hongchen grabbed Liu Yuan by the shoulders, his usual carefree expression replaced with uncontrollable excitement and curiosity.
He asked without hesitation:
"Brother Liu Yuan! Tell me honestly—what exactly happened just now?"
"Why did your strength and speed suddenly increase so drastically?"
-------------Author---------------
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