Chapter 206 King and Bronze
The teams that advanced through the preliminaries from various different zones were all grouped together.
As soon as the Shrek Team entered the arena, the leaders of the other four Elemental Academy teams that had qualified from the Tian Dou Competition Zone preliminaries all focused their gaze on Ye Chen, who was the captain.
After all, up until now, Ye Chen's strength had not yet been revealed!
They couldn't believe that Ye Chen, as the captain of the Shrek Team, had a spirit power level of only a 39th-rank Spirit Elder.
However, they also knew that even excluding Ye Chen, whose spirit power level was unknown, among the fifteen teams participating in the promotion rounds from the Tian Dou Competition Zone, the Shrek Team's strength could still rank first.
Because the promotion rounds adopted a single-player combat system, and no other teams in the Tian Dou Competition Zone had participants at the Five-Ring Soul King level.
Against Xiao Wu, in a one-on-one fight, other teams would absolutely have no chance of winning, not even in a team relay battle, as the strength gap was simply too large.
The drawing of lots was completed last night, and Shrek Academy's first-round opponent was Plant Academy, and it was also the first of today's seven matches.
Unlike in the original novel, the Plant Academy team seemed to be like the anime version, similar to the Tianshui Team, consisting entirely of girls.
However, while the Tianshui Team's uniform was sky blue, Plant Academy's was green. Yes, a very healthy color.
The girls from Plant Academy were not only good-looking but also quite strong.
Among the seven members of their main team, there were three Four-Ring Spirit Ancestors and four Three-Ring Spirit Elders. Just looking at their apparent strength, Plant Academy could rival the Elemental Academy.
Moreover, their captain, Yao Zi, who had the highest spirit power level, was a 44th-rank Spirit Ancestor, on the same level as Feng Xiaotian from Shenfeng Academy.
If it weren't for the Shrek Team, Yao Zi and Feng Xiaotian would be the participants with the highest spirit power levels in the Tian Dou Competition Zone's promotion rounds.
At this moment, as the first round of matches was about to begin, Ye Chen started to arrange the lineup.
"Brother Chen, Brother Chen, I want to play!"
But before Ye Chen could speak, Ning Rongrong hugged his arm and started to act spoiled.
"The promotion rounds are individual battles, one-on-one. What are you, a support, doing on stage?"
Ye Chen looked at her speechlessly. With the External Soul Bone: Dark Gold Fear Claw, did this girl think she could just float?
Uh, she really did have the capital to float.
"Who says support can't fight? I don't care, I want to be the first one to go up!"
Every support has the heart of a damage dealer. Ning Rongrong, brimming with confidence, was very eager to prove her strength on the stage of the promotion rounds.
"Then go tell Fatty! If he doesn't object, I have no problem."
Last night, when Flender returned from drawing lots, Ye Chen learned that their first-round opponent was Plant Academy and had already planned to have Ma Hongjun go up.
And in Ye Chen's plan, Ma Hongjun would also be the only person to play in this round.
After all, Ma Hongjun's Fire Phoenix Spirit just happened to counter the seven members of Plant Academy, making for a perfect opening victory, directly sweeping Plant Academy.
In Ye Chen's vision, there would be no holding back in the promotion rounds. He wanted to sweep every opponent they encountered, proving the strength of the Shrek Team.
Anyway, the three substitutes, Jiang Zhu, Jing Ling, and Huang Yuan, had already been given a chance to play in the preliminaries, so not playing in the promotion rounds wouldn't affect their future prospects.
However, if Ning Rongrong were to play, this plan might be affected.
Although Ning Rongrong's two Soul Bone Skills: Illusion Space and Dark Gold Terrorclaw were very powerful, Ye Chen wasn't sure if she could take on all seven of Plant Academy.
If it were him fighting, it would definitely be no problem.
After all, in terms of spirit power level, Ning Rongrong was at least one major rank above her opponents.
Although she lacked offensive Spirit Abilities, after cultivating the Creation Body Tempering Art and Creation Soul Forging Art, her physical fitness and mental force far surpassed her opponents. Coupled with her ability to boost her own five attributes by 90%, she could even defeat them with bare-handed basic attacks, let alone with the powerful External Soul Bone: Dark Gold Terrorclaw.
Even without using the Spirit Ability attack mode of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw, relying solely on its normal attack mode, it would be unstoppable without high-grade defensive Spirit Abilities, as the most powerful ability of the Dark Gold Terrorclaw external Spirit Bone was its armor penetration.
But if it were Ning Rongrong, whose practical combat experience was average, then it would be hard to say.
With the same equipment, some people can reach Challenger rank, but others can only be Bronze for life!
"Hmm? Fatty, what do you think?"
Ning Rongrong gave Ma Hongjun a 'death glare,' looking as if to say, 'you decide.'
Ma Hongjun: "..."
"Cough, cough, well, Rongrong, you go first!"
After three seconds of staring, Ma Hongjun gave in.
"Hmm, Fatty, later we'll see how your Sister Rongrong performs!"
Ning Rongrong nodded in satisfaction and patted Ma Hongjun's shoulder.
"Hehe~..."
Ma Hongjun was a bit speechless. In his opinion, Ning Rongrong, as a weak support, could only slightly deplete the opponent's spirit power?
One could say that having a support on the field in the promotion rounds was equivalent to a 6 vs 7, extremely willful!
However, the Shrek Team's strength was immense, so they did have the capital to be willful. Even if they lost six matches in a row, as long as Ye Chen or Xiao Wu stepped in, they could turn the tide and bring the situation back.
"Rongrong, since you want to play, I'll tell you the general tactics."
After a moment of thought, Ye Chen decided to give Ning Rongrong some pointers, lest a good hand be played terribly by her.
"Mhm mhm!"
Ning Rongrong nodded excitedly.
...
Not long after, Emperor Xue Ye stood up from the VIP section.
"The promotion rounds of this Soul Master Competition officially begin now!
Over the next fourteen days, I hope that all academy teams will fully display their strength and demonstrate the proper demeanor of a Spirit Master."
As soon as Emperor Xue Ye finished speaking, the Royal Knights, who were encircling the arena, raised their lances. Amidst the clang of their armor, their resonant shouts, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami roaring, rang out: "Long live, long live, long live!"
Soon, it was time for the Shrek Team and Plant Academy Team's starting members to enter.
Although there were fewer spectators for the promotion rounds compared to the preliminaries, Ning Rongrong still walked onto the stage with her head held high, full of vigor and Spirit.
At this moment—no, at the moment she won the match—Ning Rongrong felt that she was the brightest star in the entire arena!
"School Master Ning, is Rongrong also playing?"
In the VIP section, seeing Ning Rongrong as a starting player for the Shrek Team, Emperor Xue Ye, who had always paid close attention to the Shrek Team, asked Ning Fengzhi, who was sitting next to him, with a bewildered expression.
Wasn't Ning Fengzhi's daughter a support? It's normal for her to play in team battles, but this was an individual battle. Was she really that brave?
Chapter 207 Ning Rongrong's debut
"This~, Your Majesty, I'm not sure either."
School Master Ning was also a bit bewildered; where did his little cotton jacket, a mere support, get the confidence to compete?
"School Master Ning, could it be that your Shrek Academy is trying to throw the match again?!"
At this moment, Salas, who was beside him, said unexpectedly.
Although Salas couldn't see any trickery in Shrek Academy's arrangement, just accusing them of throwing the match was enough! After all, Shrek Academy had a precedent for throwing matches.
"Your Excellency Salas, you say Shrek Academy is throwing the match? Please provide evidence, otherwise, it's slander!"
Glancing at Salas, Ning Fengzhi said calmly.
"Hmph~"
Salas was left speechless by Ning Fengzhi's retort. While any clear-sighted person knew Shrek Academy was throwing the match, as for evidence~, sorry, he really couldn't produce any!
After all, as long as Ye Chen didn't openly admit it, whatever he said was what it was.
On the field.
"Little sister, are you from the Shrek Team? Why don't you just surrender~"
Mu Yunteng, the starting player for the Plant Academy, looked at Ning Rongrong, who had stepped onto the field, and said with a slight hesitation.
After all, Ning Rongrong looked much younger than her, and she had never heard of Shrek before, so her strength couldn't be that great. There wouldn't be much sense of accomplishment after winning.
'Little sister? What part of me is little?'
Ning Rongrong's eyes widened, a little angry. It was fine to say other things were not good about her, but she just couldn't be called little! Didn't they know she had a 'big chest' at home that made her a little self-conscious?
"Little sister, listen to your big sister's advice, just surrender!"
Saying that, Mu Yunteng released her Mu Yunteng Spirit, and four spirit rings, yellow, yellow, purple, and purple, glowed around her body.
Left a 'Little sister', right a 'Little sister', this really annoyed Ning Rongrong.
"Hmph~"
Ning Rongrong snorted coldly and didn't argue. After all, in public, she was a demure little fairy and had to maintain her image.
"Shrek Team's contestant, you can release your Spirit now. The match officially begins in one minute!"
The referee on the side reminded Ning Rongrong, seeing that she hadn't released her Spirit yet.
"Hmph hmph~, to deal with her, I don't even need to use my Spirit!"
Ning Rongrong lifted her small head, saying with a look of disdain, a true Phoenix Overlord.
"You~, you little brat, you'll see what's coming to you later!"
Hearing Ning Rongrong's arrogant words, Mu Yunteng was furious. She was a four-ring Spirit Ancestor, yet she was looked down upon like this?
The referee was a little surprised to hear Ning Rongrong say she didn't need to release her Spirit, but he didn't say anything.
Regardless of whether Ning Rongrong was full of confidence or overly arrogant, it had nothing to do with him. As a referee, he only needed to maintain the fairness of the match.
One minute passed quickly, and with the referee's command, the match officially began.
At the start, Ning Rongrong, with her higher spirit power level, stronger mental force, and more agile thinking, took the initiative.
"Soul Bone Skill: Illusion Space."
Instantly, a hazy glow emanated from her head, and Ning Rongrong activated the Illusion Wisdom Skull Soul Bone Skill against Mu Yunteng.
The Soul Bone Skill: Illusion Space, when used on an opponent, can create a hallucinatory effect, not only causing errors in direction but also continuously weakening the opponent's mental force through the constant illusionary effects.
Mu Yunteng, a mere four-ring Spirit Ancestor, naturally couldn't withstand the Illusion Space, a hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone Skill, and immediately fell into the illusion.
Seeing Mu Yunteng fall for it, Ning Rongrong was secretly overjoyed. Support instantly killing control, full of accomplishment.
"Alright, referee, you can let the next opponent come up!"
Then, Ning Rongrong turned to the referee outside the field and said, her demeanor very calm, as if it was only natural.
Just as the referee and the audience were bewildered, not understanding what Ning Rongrong meant, they saw Mu Yunteng of the Plant Academy voluntarily leave the competition area and walk towards her teammates from the Plant Academy.
Although the promotion match's arena was not a Spirit Duel stage, the rules were the same: as soon as one left the competition area, it meant they had lost.
"What's going on? Why did that girl from Plant Academy just surrender like that?"
"Could it be a fixed match?"
"You really have no foresight! She was controlled by an illusion-type Soul Bone Skill, so she didn't lose unfairly!"
"Exactly, exactly. It looks like it was a head Soul Bone Skill too, tsk tsk~..."
The contestants from various Spirit Master academies who hadn't yet entered the arena began to discuss animatedly.
"School Master Ning, I didn't expect Miss Ning to also possess a rare head Spirit Bone. You'll have to be careful in the future~"
In the VIP seating area, Salas said to Ning Fengzhi in a hushed tone.
The meaning was clear: Ning Rongrong's head Spirit Bone had been exposed, and she would inevitably be coveted by others in the future.
"Hmph~!"
Before Ning Fengzhi could speak, Gu Rong immediately released the spirit power pressure belonging to a Titled Douluo powerhouse towards Salas.
As the terrifying spirit power pressure was released, Salas immediately felt the aura of death. His forehead instantly became covered in cold sweat, and he almost wet himself.
Fortunately, Gu Rong's spirit power pressure was only fleeting and did not truly make Salas look foolish.
"Salas, if anything happens to Rongrong, I will hold you accountable! Heaven Dou Spirit Hall? Heh~, it can't stop this old man."
Gu Rong gave no face to Salas, the Platinum Bishop, and directly threatened him.
If anything happened to Ning Rongrong in the future, regardless of whether it was truly related to Salas, Gu Rong would attribute half the blame to Salas.
The world is vast, but his precious granddaughter is the most important. Since Salas dared to speak such sarcastic words and curse his precious granddaughter, he, Bone Douluo, couldn't be blamed for not giving face.
Ning Fengzhi looked at Salas expressionlessly, as if looking at a dead man.
The meaning was clear: if Spirit Hall dared to harbor any ill intentions towards his little cotton jacket, then the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School would use Salas as a sacrifice.
Spirit Hall's power was immense, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School couldn't defeat it, but a mere Salas? Killing him was just killing him. As long as no evidence could be produced, Spirit Hall wouldn't possibly go to war with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School over it.
Besides, even if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School found it difficult to act, Ning Fengzhi was a rich man, and paying for assassinations was not beyond him.
Facing Gu Rong's threat, Salas dared not make a fuss. He also knew that the Heaven Dou Spirit Hall's strength was no match for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
After winning, Ning Rongrong on the field lifted the illusionary control over Mu Yunteng. Mu Yunteng quickly regained consciousness and saw her teammates looking at her with worried expressions.
"What's wrong with you all?"
Mu Yunteng was bewildered at this moment. Hadn't she already won and was sharing her joy with her teammates? Why had her teammates' expressions suddenly changed?
Chapter 208 This Support is Too Powerful (Part 1)
"Alright, you guys explain it to Mu Yunteng, I'm going on stage now."
Yao Zi, as the captain, gave Mu Yunteng a helpless look and said to the others.
Soon, Ning Rongrong, who was maintaining a graceful demeanor on the arena with a calm expression, welcomed her second opponent.
Even before the fight began, Yao Zi's expression was very solemn. Although Mu Yunteng's strength was a bit weaker than hers, the gap between them wasn't too large. Ning Rongrong being able to instantly kill Mu Yunteng meant she could also instantly kill herself.
If it were anyone else, if Plant Academy lost, they lost. They weren't sore losers, and Plant Academy never expected to win the championship anyway; they would lose sooner or later.
But the key was that Ning Rongrong was a support system Spirit Master. If Ning Rongrong achieved seven consecutive victories today, and it spread that Plant Academy was swept seven times in the Soul Master Competition by a support system Spirit Master, the academy's reputation would be completely ruined.
However, Yao Zi, whose mind wasn't too sharp, couldn't come up with any good counter-strategies.
Seeing that both sides were in position, the referee ordered: "Both sides release their Spirits! The match begins in one minute!"
"Yao Zi, captain of the Plant Academy Battle Team, Spirit: Blazing Thorn, 44th Level control system Battle Spirit Ancestor."
Crimson thorn vines appeared in her hands, and four spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple—shone on her body. Yao Zi reported her name and Spirit to Ning Rongrong.
"Ning Rongrong, vice-captain of the Shrek Team, Spirit: Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, 51st Level support system Spirit King!"
Seeing her opponent being so polite, Ning Rongrong also responded with courtesy.
On the Douluo Continent, there was a rule for Spirit Master battles: generally, as long as they weren't enemies, both sides would report their Spirit and spirit power level before sparring.
If one side actively reported their name and the other didn't, it signified disdain.
This disdain could then evolve into hostility, so if they didn't intend to make enemies, they would all report their names.
Ning Rongrong's hand revealed a nine-story, nine-colored pagoda, emitting the radiance of the sun, moon, and stars, with five disguised spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black—shining forth from her body.
Ning Rongrong didn't intend to hide the number of her spirit rings, but Ye Chen had told her to hide her specific spirit power level.
After all, as soon as she advanced to Five-Ring Soul King, her spirit power level reached 54, and any Spirit Master would know this was abnormal.
"Spirit… Spirit King?!"
Yao Zi's eyes widened, looking disbelievingly at the black ten-thousand-year spirit ring shining from Ning Rongrong's body.
Among the Shen Feng Academy Battle Team, one of Feng Xiaotian's subordinates couldn't help but exclaim: "Heavens! Following 'Hanyue Fairy,' another Five-Ring Soul King has appeared in the Shrek Team!"
"Damn it~, Shrek has two Spirit Kings. Could it be that the champion of this Soul Master Competition is already decided?"
"It's over, it's over! This support is heaven-defying! Not only can she instantly kill a control system Spirit Ancestor, but her cultivation speed is also so fast. Is she even letting people live?"
Ning Rongrong's fifth spirit ring ignited the emotions of the contestants, who all began to discuss it.
...
In the VIP section.
Seeing the five spirit rings shining from his precious daughter, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong both showed surprise.
But after the surprise, came ecstasy.
"Fengzhi, Rongrong's strength has advanced by leaps and bounds these past two years!"
Gu Rong transmitted his voice to Ning Fengzhi.
"Yes, indeed. I remember two years ago, when Rongrong ran away from home, she was still a 26th Level Spirit Grandmaster, right? Now, only two years have passed, and she's become a Spirit King. It's simply incredible!"
Ning Fengzhi said with a sigh of wonder.
In about two years, Ning Rongrong's spirit power level soared from a Two-Ring Spirit Grandmaster to a Five-Ring Soul King. No one would believe it if it were told!
While Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong were overjoyed, Emperor Xue Ye was also very happy. After all, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was an ally of the Heaven Dou Empire. Before the great mountain of Spirit Hall fell, the stronger Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was, the better.
Becoming too big to control was not something the current Heaven Dou Empire needed to consider.
Salas, on the other hand, was not in such a good mood.
As the Platinum Bishop of the Heaven Dou Spirit Hall, Salas was very clear that Ning Rongrong, unrestricted by Spirit, would absolutely become a Titled Douluo in the future. And judging by Ning Rongrong's cultivation talent, her future spirit power level would definitely be above 95th Level Titled Douluo.
'Fortunately, this Ning Rongrong is only a support system Spirit Master, otherwise, she would sooner or later become a major hidden danger to my Spirit Hall!'
Looking at Ning Rongrong in the arena, Salas thought to himself.
Salas was also aware of the support effects of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. It seemed that a 79th Level Ning Rongrong and a 99th Level Ning Rongrong only differed by an 80% attribute increase versus a 100% attribute increase?
Excluding the eighth and ninth support Spirit Ability, the difference was only 20%, which is why Salas didn't take it seriously.
If it were a combat system Spirit Master, a 79th Level Spirit Saint and a 99th Level super Douluo simply couldn't compare.
It was only because Ning Rongrong was a support system Spirit Master; otherwise, if it were another combat system, a 14-year-old Five-Ring Soul King would be enough for Spirit Hall to send out Titled Douluo-level assassins.
On the stage, after the initial shock, Yao Zi quickly recovered.
Although Ning Rongrong was indeed a Five-Ring Soul King, a support was ultimately a support. Without Soul Bone Skills, support system Spirit Masters lacked offensive means.
So, whether Ning Rongrong was a Four-Ring Spirit Ancestor or a Five-Ring Soul King, it didn't make much difference to her.
At this moment, Yao Zi could only pin her hopes of victory on Ning Rongrong not being able to activate her head Spirit Bone Skill again.
Mu Yunteng had been utterly defenseless earlier. If Ning Rongrong could still activate her head Spirit Bone Skill, Yao Zi, knowing her own limits, didn't hold much hope of escaping the control.
But if the Soul Bone Skill was in cooldown, then her chance would come!
A Four-Ring control system Spirit Ancestor beating a Five-Ring weak support—wasn't that easy?
Yao Zi was right. Ning Rongrong's Illusion Wisdom Skull's Soul Bone Skill: Illusion Space, although its amplification effect on her mental force was still present, it was indeed in cooldown and could not be activated again.
However, Ning Rongrong didn't only have one Illusion Wisdom Spirit Bone; she also had an external Spirit Bone: Dark Gold Terrorclaw.
And don't let the external Spirit Bone: Dark Gold Terrorclaw's age—only ten thousand years—fool you; it was far inferior to the hundred-thousand-year Illusion Wisdom Skull. But in Ye Chen's view, for Ning Rongrong, in terms of combat, the effect of the external Spirit Bone: Dark Gold Terrorclaw was more significant than that of the Illusion Wisdom Skull.
After all, the Soul Bone Skill: Illusion Space, was ultimately just a support system Spirit Ability. Possessing both attribute amplification and mental control inevitably led to both aspects of its ability not being too strong.
Chapter 209 This Support is Too Powerful (Part 2)
Mu Yunteng of the Plant Academy couldn't resist at all. That was because her spirit power level was much lower than Ning Rongrong's, with a difference of more than one major rank.
Furthermore, the Illusion Wisdom Skull was very old, reaching 100,000 years, and after Ning Rongrong cultivated the Creation Soul Forging Art, her mental force was far superior to Spirit Masters of the same rank. With all these factors combined, Mu Yunteng had no power to resist against the Soul Bone Skill: Illusion Space.
Soon, one minute passed, and the referee spoke again: "The match officially..."
"Wait!"
Suddenly, Ning Rongrong interrupted the referee.
"Uh, is there a problem?"
The referee looked at Ning Rongrong with some confusion.
"I would like to ask, does the organizing committee have any protective measures for contestants? What if my Spirit Ability is too powerful, and my opponent can't resist, getting instantly killed?"
The Soul Master Competition has rules; whether intentional or not, anyone who kills an opponent on the field will be disqualified and held responsible for the death.
The Soul Bone Skill of the External Soul Bone: Dark Gold Fear Claw was too powerful. Yao Zi, a Spirit Ancestor (4 Rings), definitely couldn't resist it. With no grudges or enmity, causing a death would not be good.
"Please rest assured on that point. As a referee for the advancement rounds, I am a Spirit Emperor (6 Rings) of the defense system. My sixth Spirit Ability, Guardian Shield, can cast a powerful defensive shield on contestants.
When I believe a contestant is in danger, I will intervene, but once I intervene, it means the match has ended."
The referee said with a serious expression.
Unlike the preliminary rounds, the advancement rounds have only one competition venue, meaning only one referee is needed for the advancement rounds.
Therefore, the Heaven Dou Empire official and Spirit Hall specifically found a special Spirit Emperor (6 Rings) of the defense system to serve as a referee, providing a safety net for the contestants.
After all, those who qualify for the advancement rounds are all talented Spirit Masters within the Heaven Dou Empire. Any loss would be a loss for the Heaven Dou Empire, so the organizing committee did an excellent job with protective measures.
The 20,000-year defensive Spirit Ability released by a Spirit Emperor (6 Rings) of the defense system cannot be breached by an ordinary Spirit Emperor (6 Rings) of the attack system in a short time. Surely, no contestant could break it, right?
"Hmm, that's good!"
Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong nodded in satisfaction, and was also a little surprised. She didn't expect the referee for these advancement rounds to be a Spirit Emperor (6 Rings)?
Compared to the Spirit Ancestor (5 Rings) level referees in the preliminary rounds, the referees in the advancement rounds are much stronger.
Meanwhile, Yao Zi, Ning Rongrong's opponent, was gnashing her teeth in anger. It seemed she was being looked down upon?
No, it wasn't'seemed,' but 'certainly' being looked down upon. Judging by Ning Rongrong's words, if the referee hadn't intervened, she would have been in mortal danger?
Confidence comes from strength, which means Ning Rongrong could still activate Soul Bone Skills?
'No, that's not right! Ning Rongrong's previous Soul Bone Skill was only mental control and didn't pose a fatal danger. Could it be that she has other Spirit Bones?!'
Thinking of this, Yao Zi's pupils couldn't help but contract.
Every Spirit Master longs to possess a Spirit Bone, but the drop rate for Spirit Bones is too low. Let alone possessing one, even Spirit Masters who have seen a Spirit Bone with their own eyes are only a minority.
But looking at Ning Rongrong, she should have more than one Spirit Bone. Is she that extravagant?
"Alright, the match officially begins!"
There were seven matches in one day, and since it was a solo battle, time was still a bit tight, so the referee didn't plan to delay any further.
At the start, Yao Zi, having anticipated this, immediately took action.
"Third Spirit Ability, Thorn Guardian!"
Her third spirit ring instantly lit up, and the ability activated. A crimson light spread out from her body, and large patches of two-meter-tall crimson thorns shot up from the ground, forming a crimson thorn wall that protected her behind it.
At the same time, large patches of crimson flaming thorns rapidly approached Ning Rongrong, attempting to surround her.
Yao Zi felt that as long as her crimson flaming thorns could 'dumpling' Ning Rongrong, then Ning Rongrong, as a support system Spirit Master, even if her spirit power level was much higher than hers, would only be at her mercy.
"Heh ~"
Looking at the crimson flaming thorns approaching from a distance, Ning Rongrong's lips curved into a slight smile. She raised her right hand, and a dark gold light flashed. The External Soul Bone: Dark Gold Fear Claw materialized, and five dark gold sharp blades, over three inches long, popped out, exuding a terrifying sharpness that sent shivers down one's spine.
"Soul Skill: Dark Gold Fear Claw!"
With the surge of spirit power, a dark gold light flashed on the External Soul Bone: Dark Gold Fear Claw. Instantly, a sharp claw shadow filled with a terrifying aura shot towards Yao Zi.
"Not good!"
Because Ning Rongrong had specifically asked before the match, the referee had been fully focused on the match, preventing any mishaps.
Feeling the terrifying fluctuations of the Soul Skill: Dark Gold Fear Claw, the referee knew that this was definitely not something Yao Zi, a Spirit Ancestor (4 Rings), could withstand, and immediately took action.
"Sixth Spirit Ability, Guardian Shield."
In an instant, Yao Zi, who was protected behind countless crimson flaming thorns, suddenly had a layer of shield emitting a cyan glow appear on her body.
Fortunately, the referee's position and the distance between him and the contestants were closer than the distance between the two contestants themselves. Otherwise, with Ning Rongrong's Soul Skill: Dark Gold Fear Claw being activated first, he wouldn't have had time to implement protective measures.
The moment the shield formed, a dark gold claw shadow flashed across Yao Zi's vision.
The crimson flaming thorn wall guarding the periphery was pierced through by this unstoppable dark gold claw shadow, as if it were made of paper.
"Bang—"
When Yao Zi reacted, she found that the cyan shield originally protecting her body was trembling violently, with faint cracks appearing, as if it would shatter in the next second.
Fortunately, this layer of cyan shield was, after all, a 20,000-year sixth Spirit Ability activated by a Spirit Saint (7 Rings), and Ning Rongrong was in a human body. Even with the Dark Gold Terrorclaw, the power she exerted was far from comparable to a true Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.
So, when the cyan shield on Yao Zi's body was covered in cracks and on the verge of shattering, the power of the Soul Skill: Dark Gold Fear Claw was finally completely depleted.
Looking at the shield on the verge of shattering, cold sweat immediately broke out on Yao Zi's forehead.
She knew that if it weren't for the shield released by the referee, her own life would have been over.
A 20,000-year defensive Spirit Ability was almost shattered, and her flesh and blood body would absolutely not have been able to withstand it.
Similarly, it was also fortunate that Ning Rongrong had warned them beforehand, otherwise the referee might not have been able to react in time.
"Holy cow, it's another Spirit Bone!"
Chapter 210 Ma Hongjun's Expectations
"Shrek Academy wins this match. Plant Academy's contestant, please leave the stage and send out your third contestant."
The referee didn't pay much attention to the still-shaken Yao Zi, directly announcing the match results and calling for Plant Academy's third participant to come on stage.
In fact, at this moment, the referee subtly wiped away a cold sweat, secretly sighing in relief.
Originally, he thought his sixth Spirit Ability, Shield of Protection, could not be broken by any contestant.
After all, those who could participate in the Soul Master Competition were all under 25 years old, and their strength, at most, was that of a Five-Ring Soul King. It was absolutely impossible for them to break his 20,000-year sixth Spirit Ability, released by a Six-Ring Spirit Emperor.
But he never expected that in the very first match of the first round, an unexpected situation would occur; he was almost broken, and by a support system Spirit Master at that. This was a bit outrageous!
'Is my strength too weak, or are the contestants this year too strong?'
Watching Ning Rongrong, who remained calm and composed on the stage, silently showing off, the referee couldn't help but wonder.
Actually, Yao Zi was quite lucky this time. Ning Rongrong hadn't applied a series of buffs to herself, otherwise, the Shield of Protection released by the referee definitely wouldn't have held up.
Without any attribute enhancements, the Soul Bone Skill: Dark Gold Fear Claw almost broke the Shield of Protection. If Ning Rongrong's attack power had been boosted by 100% under the fifth Spirit Ability, Attack Amplification, Yao Zi would certainly have GG'd by now.
"Tsk tsk~, I never expected that Ning Rongrong of the Shrek Team actually has two Spirit Bones?"
"Why are the Shrek girls all so impressive? A support system Soul King, and even a Six-Ring Spirit Emperor's 20,000-year defensive Spirit Ability couldn't stop her?"
"Didn't you notice that Ning Rongrong's Spirit Bone is a bit unusual? What kind of Spirit Bone is this? Why is it a claw?"
...
In the VIP seats.
Looking at Ning Rongrong, who had won two consecutive matches, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong exchanged glances, both seeing the astonishment in each other's eyes.
"Fengzhi, that's two Spirit Bones~!"
Gu Rong said to Ning Fengzhi with a teasing look.
He knew that the two Spirit Bones on his precious granddaughter definitely weren't given by Ning Fengzhi, her father, otherwise, he would have no reason not to know.
And where would a little girl like Ning Rongrong get Spirit Bones? Does it even need to be said? It must have been given by Ye Chen!
"Haha, that kid really cares for Rongrong."
Ning Fengzhi was very pleased at this moment. Although Ye Chen was a bit of a playboy, he was very good to his little princess.
Moreover, after he consumed the Immortal Herb, Qiluo Tulip, that Ye Chen gave him yesterday, his Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit had successfully evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit. Ning Fengzhi, as a father-in-law, looked at his son-in-law with increasing satisfaction.
"Fengzhi, what kind of Spirit Bone is this on Rongrong?"
Although Gu Rong was a Titled Douluo and quite knowledgeable, he wasn't specialized in this area, and because external Spirit Bones were extremely rare, he didn't immediately make the connection.
"I can't tell what kind of Spirit Beast this Spirit Bone came from, but I can confirm that this Spirit Bone is very important to Rongrong, because it's an external Spirit Bone."
The talented and resourceful Ning Fengzhi naturally recognized at a glance that Ning Rongrong's Dark Gold Terrorclaw was an extremely rare external Spirit Bone.
"Oh? An external Spirit Bone? So that's it, no wonder this Spirit Bone was so strange! Rongrong's luck is truly good!"
Hearing that his precious granddaughter's Spirit Bone was an external Spirit Bone, Gu Rong became even happier. Although he had never seen an external Spirit Bone, he had heard rumors about them.
Regardless of the original age of an external Spirit Bone, as long as a Spirit Master cultivated to Titled Douluo, the external Spirit Bone would automatically advance to a 100,000-year Spirit Bone.
With his precious granddaughter's talent, and without the limitations of her Spirit, becoming a Titled Douluo in the future would be as easy as pie, wouldn't it?
This was a 100,000-year Spirit Bone, something countless Spirit Masters on the continent dreamed of. If Ning Rongrong weren't his precious granddaughter, Gu Rong would definitely be jealous.
...
"Brother Chen, when did Rongrong become so powerful?"
Ma Hongjun outside the arena asked Ye Chen, looking bewildered. Didn't they say she was a support? How did she seem even more powerful than an assault type?
After thinking for a moment, Ye Chen replied, "Hasn't Rongrong always been this powerful?"
Ma Hongjun: "..."
"I really want a Spirit Bone too~!"
Oscar looked enviously at Ning Rongrong in the arena. He knew that the reason Ning Rongrong could continuously defeat opponents was because she 'Krypton Gold', no, she 'Krypton Soul Bone' (had Spirit Bones).
"Mm-hmm, Little Ao, who knows when we two brothers will finally get to use Spirit Bones~"
Ma Hongjun said sourly, and as he spoke, he glanced at Ye Chen.
"Putting on an act~"
Ye Chen scoffed, looking at Ma Hongjun speechlessly. How could he not know Ma Hongjun's little thoughts?
It's just that the landlord's family currently had no surplus grain and couldn't feed the farmers under their care.
"Hehe, Brother Chen, I'm your loyal little brother! Don't you think...?"
Ma Hongjun said, shamelessly.
"Do you think Spirit Bones are cabbages? I don't have any in my pocket.
However, Fatty, your luck is quite good. I heard that Spirit Hall will be offering three Spirit Bones as a reward for the champion team in the finals of this Soul Master Competition."
Ye Chen remembered that among the three Spirit Bones offered by Spirit Hall, besides the Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull, the other two Spirit Bones were of lesser value and age.
After all, Hu Liena was Bibi Dong's direct disciple, being groomed to be the next Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall, so naturally, she would be given good things.
Ye Chen didn't remember the specific details of those two Spirit Bones too clearly, but he knew they were prepared by Bibi Dong for Xie Yue and the big sycophant Yan. Although they couldn't compare to Hu Liena's, they certainly wouldn't be too bad.
Yan's Spirit was Flame Lord, and like Ma Hongjun's Fire Phoenix, both were fire-attribute Spirits. So, the Spirit Bone Bibi Dong prepared for him should also be very suitable for Ma Hongjun.
The three Spirit Bones awarded for winning the championship were team spoils. Since Ye Chen wanted the most valuable one, the Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull, he wouldn't take the remaining two Spirit Bones.
It just so happened that one of those Spirit Bones' attributes suited Ma Hongjun, so it naturally benefited him, as Ma Hongjun was the only one with a fire-attribute Spirit in the Shrek Team.
"Really or fake?"
Upon hearing this, Ma Hongjun's eyes immediately lit up.
His attention was completely drawn by the Spirit Bones Ye Chen mentioned. As for whether his Shrek Team could win the championship, Ma Hongjun was 120% confident.
If the Shrek Team couldn't win the Soul Master Competition this year, he would live-stream eating feces while standing on his hands!
"What good would it do me to lie to you?"
Ye Chen rolled his eyes.
"Haha, that's great!"
With the hope of obtaining precious Spirit Bones, Ma Hongjun was extremely excited and overjoyed, his belly fat jiggling.