Su Hao's achievements as a Spirit Master were actually not bad at all. If he put them on display, they would be enough to shame many descendants of spirit families and heirs of various schools. But... Compared to his accomplishments in spirit nurturing, they seemed rather ordinary.
A senior spirit nurturer, several highly influential papers, a personal laboratory... Ordinary students might not know, but the top students at Whale Island University were well aware—Su Hao's status in the neighboring Spirit Nurturing Academy was dominant! His standing was comparable to the No. 1 in the training camp, the captain of the league's school team! No, it was even higher. At Whale Island, the school team captain didn't have an overwhelming advantage in combat power over the second and third ranked in the training camp. But Su Hao... So why did he keep hanging around our Spirit Master Academy!
...
In the university league, the rules were team battles. Each main player could only send out one spirit, so... Strength was judged solely by their ace.
At that moment, The two spirits on the field began testing each other. On the left, the Purple Lightning Wing soared through the air, surrounded by dense arcs of lightning that in an instant turned into a sea of blue-purple thunder. On the right, the Ice Emperor Fang, with its sharp fangs and icy-white body, released countless waves of cold air. Visible snowflakes fluttered down, and a snowy domain took shape in an instant.
The thunder sea and snowy domain each occupied half the field. Both were gathering power! Neither was losing to the other!
"Luo Lewen, ranked eighth, has a team battle system stronger than Bing Qiu, who's twelfth. But just comparing their aces, the two spirits are evenly matched, and there's no elemental disadvantage... "I can't say for sure who will win." Jiang Xiuqi added, "But since Bing Qiu is the one who initiated the challenge, if I had to guess, I'd put five cents on Ice Emperor Fang." "Then... I'll put six cents." Su Hao analyzed as a panel displayed the two spirits' information.
He had seen plenty of flashy attribute data, but this was his first time witnessing an actual battle between Transcendent-level spirits with his own eyes. "Truly... powerful! "Using elemental manipulation to create the most favorable combat environment! "Compared to them, the Holy Radiance Spirit King is a weakling."
Both spirits had Elemental Manipulation at LV2. At LV1, they could initially control surrounding elements to enhance the power of their moves—basically an instinct for Transcendent-level spirits. At LV2, they gained the ability to use elements to directly influence their moves. Like Big Fatty Bear dragging a thunderball.
The two spirits before him were also at LV2, but their foundation was higher, allowing them to control a wider range with a grander display... Unfortunately, Big Fatty Bear was used to the majesty of Monarch-level spirits and felt nothing, continuing to munch on snacks. Su Hao casually grabbed a handful of fruits. The Lightning Bear turned to look, stunned for a moment, then had another handful snatched away by Su Hao's demonic claws. So Die Xiaodie grabbed a handful too. During the day, in its light-form state, the Twilight Spirit hesitated for several seconds before reaching out and taking a little. The Dull-Headed Crow was staring intently at the field, gesturing with its blade, too busy to bother with food for now. Only the Erha Lin wanted to eat but had no hands. So it shoved its whole mouth over. "Owww~!" "Xilu?"
...
On the field, the two spirits began to clash. The Purple Lightning Wing was incredibly fast, leaving countless lightning afterimages in the air. The Ice Emperor Fang, less agile than its opponent, erected dozens of towering ice walls over ten meters high around itself. It even reflected the thick thunderbolt cannon back.
"That's their Ice family's secret technique, 'Eternal Frozen Ice,' with极强的防御力... "But Luo Lewen also has his signature move, 'Purple Flame Thunder,' said to have been acquired during an adventure in a new world, fusing destructive power stronger than ordinary lightning into 'Purple Flame Thunder.'"
"Purple Flame Thunder" was pure lightning but with a hint of fire properties. It clung to the Eternal Frozen Ice, steadily breaking it down. Massive thunderballs. Roaring thunder dragons. Blue-white frost giant hands. A frozen earth that turned hundreds of meters around into ice... The two spirits kept exchanging blows. Terrifying shockwaves spread out, slamming into the outer barrier. Rumbling sounds filled the air.
Su Hao's eyes couldn't keep up, so he used "Spirit: Visual Sharing" to link with Die Xiaodie's vision, barely catching the fleeting moves. "So strong!" The clash of powerful techniques left him in awe.
Su Hao had once dreamed of pushing for a spot on the school team before the end of the semester. But now, seeing this... No wonder they were the ace spirits of the senior students—incredibly powerful! Even if Die Xiaodie evolved and broke through to Transcendent-level with that opportunity, it would take a while to catch up. "As expected of the strongest group of students at Whale Island University. "So strong!" Su Hao admitted that Die Xiaodie and the others had a lot of pressure.
...
The battle between the Purple Lightning Wing and Ice Emperor Fang lasted over ten minutes, ending with the Purple Lightning Wing winning by a narrow margin. After that, several more Transcendent-level battles took place. Su Hao enjoyed them thoroughly.
Some people weren't competing for a spot on the school team but still issued challenges. Because only today were so many top-tier students gathered here. On ordinary days, having four or five of the twenty-plus Master-level students in the training camp at school was already a lot. Flashy battles, real special effects without spending money... Not just Su Hao, but others and their spirits were equally amazed. Die Xiaodie even gained a little insight from watching.
...
Shortly after the school team selection ended, Su Hao received a message. The training camp's assessment task for him had been finalized. The task wasn't issued uniformly; instead, the training camp mentors designed it based on each student's spirits, strength, and other factors. It would provide training benefits while also yielding gains during the mission.
On the morning of March 29, Su Hao arrived at an office in the training camp area. After knocking, he pushed the door open. What he saw was... Senior Brother Wu!
"Your assessment task is a bit special," said Heavenly King Wu. "Normally, the task would involve exploring the area around Dragon Court Lake or targeting a specific spirit group. "But considering your strength and the uniqueness of your spirits, the school has decided to open a special area for you."
Heavenly King Wu paused. That special area was actually something Su Hao wasn't qualified to access yet. But during the training camp, Su Hao had made significant contributions. Combined with his performance and his status as the principal's disciple, the school council had approved it, leading to this task. It was more like a benefit.
"That place has a high level of confidentiality. Remember not to spread what you hear today." Su Hao nodded. His curiosity was fully piqued, and he worried that Senior Brother Wu would say, "You'll find out when you get there." Fortunately, Senior Brother Wu didn't keep him in suspense. "Outside our school's entrance, beneath the boundless Dragon Court Lake, there is a... ruin."