In the first match, Huo Wushuang defeated three opponents in a row and was only taken down after his soul power was greatly weakened. Then, Huo Wu stepped forward, single-handedly challenging four opponents. This pair of siblings, formerly from Blazing Fire Academy, proved with their strength that even though their academy had failed to qualify for the promotion match, their power was undeniable.
The next few matches were between lesser-known academies. The dull battles failed to capture anyone's attention, and even spotting a Spirit Ancestor was rare.
But then, the atmosphere changed. Everyone's expressions turned serious—the Emperor Team had entered the fray. Aside from a few teams from the Heaven Dou region, most of the other ten teams knew little about them. In particular, they had only heard rumors of the Sword Lord, a figure so legendary that even the Spirit Hall Academy team regarded him with caution. Now, they had the chance to witness his true strength.
Under the watchful eyes of the audience, Jun Tianlin stepped onto the stage.
"Oh, the Sword Lord is the first to go up. Brother, he wants to make a strong opening for his academy, just like us" Huo Wu said, glancing at Huo Wushuang.
Huo Wushuang nodded, not denying it "Perhaps. But this is also a great chance to observe his strength. In a one-on-one duel, his abilities will be exposed to a large extent."
Just as Huo Wushuang pointed out, the other academies had the same thought. They were all eager to gather intelligence on Jun Tianlin.
Barak Academy, understanding the gravity of the situation, sent out its strongest contender from the start—their captain, Luo Fuqi, a level 41 Spirit Ancestor.
Ordinarily, such strength would be considered formidable among most academies. The problem was that he was facing Jun Tianlin, a Spirit King, leaving him with little hope of resistance.
Luo Fuqi had never expected to win, but he also hadn't thought he'd have to face the Sword Lord in the very first match. Wasn't he supposed to be a trump card saved for later?
Jun Tianlin, on the other hand, was pleased with his decision to go first. Otherwise, Luo Fuqi wouldn't have even been a match for the other members of the Emperor Team, and he wouldn't have had the opportunity to face him personally.
"Jun Tianlin, martial soul—Demon Suppression Sword. Attack-type Spirit King. Please guide me."
"Luo Fuqi, martial soul—Scale Insect. Attack-type Spirit Ancestor. Please guide me."
After their introductions, Jun Tianlin hesitated slightly upon seeing Luo Fuqi's spirit manifestation. A scale insect—no wonder his Luo family and the Ao family were at odds. One had a sunflower martial soul, while the other wielded an insect spirit that thrived on sunflowers. Conflict between them was inevitable.
There were various types of scale insects, but judging from Luo Fuqi's martial soul, his belonged to a species that could fly. Its well-developed wings and long antennae were likely its strongest weapons.
Jun Tianlin shifted into a combat stance but did not release his martial soul. He had already mastered the ability to condense his energy into a sword, allowing him to execute sword techniques without fully summoning his martial soul. The teachings of Chen Xin had paid off, thanks to the solid foundation laid in his youth.
"You're not releasing your martial soul? Are you looking down on me? Damn it, even if you're the Sword Lord, I'll make you regret it! First soul skill—Head-on Attack!"
Luo Fuqi roared as he charged forward. The power behind his first soul skill rivaled that of an ordinary third soul skill
Ye Lingling flipped through the player information "This Luo Fuqi's first soul skill is quite unique. It seems to be at its strongest only at the beginning of a battle when his soul power is at its peak. In other words, he can only use it once."
"Oh, that's an interesting ability" Yu Tianheng remarked with a grin "But it's only effective against average opponents. Even we could handle it easily, let alone Xiaotian."
Just as he predicted, Jun Tianlin didn't take a single step back as Luo Fuqi charged at him. Instead, he reached out and grabbed the insect spirit master's antennae with both hands, halting his advance completely.
"You blocked my first soul skill with just your physical strength?"
Luo Fuqi was stunned, but before he could react, Jun Tianlin suddenly yanked his antennae, slamming him into the ground. His voice rang out clearly across the arena "Luo Fuqi, I've heard of the atrocities you committed in the Barak Kingdom—bullying the weak and engaging in all sorts of vile acts. Today, I'll make sure you pay for it."
His voice was loud enough for the entire audience to hear. The crowd, already aware of Luo Fuqi's reputation, buzzed with curiosity. Was Jun Tianlin using this fight to uphold justice?
"What does that have to do with our battle?" Luo Fuqi shouted, enraged "Stick to the fight!"
"I'll make you understand!" Jun Tianlin punched Luo Fuqi squarely in the face, drawing blood from his nose "You used to treat innocent people like this. How does it feel now that it's your turn?"
"How can those lowly people compare to me? Their lives have nothing to do with mine! Fourth soul skill—Insect Poison!"
Luo Fuqi retaliated, summoning a swarm of flying insects that spread across the battlefield in a nauseating wave.
"Blood Over the Mountains and Rivers!" Jun Tianlin flicked his fingers, unleashing a wave of blood-red sword energy that sliced through the air. In an instant, the entire swarm was obliterated.
"Whoa, Xiaotian's not holding back. He even used the Seven Kill Sword Technique," one of his teammates exclaimed "He didn't use it against the Elephant Armored Academy. Why now? Does he really hate this guy that much?"
Jun Tianlin rushed at Luo Fuqi, but this time, he didn't use his sword. Instead, he pummeled him with his fists "This is for all the innocent people you've wronged!"
Luo Fuqi had no strength left to resist. He wanted to admit defeat, but before he could, Jun Tianlin shattered his jaw, rendering him speechless.
No one noticed the faint flicker on Jun Tianlin's forehead with each punch.
A million-year soul skill—Mind Control.
Jun Tianlin's true goal lay here. Originally designed as a temporary control ability, he had modified it into a technique for mental suggestion.
With each strike, he implanted a message into Luo Fuqi's weakened consciousness: **Never oppress the weak again.** He repeated this until the idea was permanently engraved into his opponent's mind.
He followed this with Soul Reading, altering Luo Fuqi's memories.
In his revised recollection, Luo Fuqi was once an idealistic young man who had been led astray by Ao Bai of the Ao family, turning him into the despised playboy he had become. But after facing Jun Tianlin, he realized his past mistakes. From this moment on, he vowed to change—and to be eternally grateful to Jun Tianlin for enlightening him.
Satisfied that Luo Fuqi's transformation was complete, Jun Tianlin restored his jaw
As soon as he could speak again, Luo Fuqi shouted "I concede!"