Chapter 219 - End of the Second Day

"You! You're pouring spirit power into my spirit power flow! "

Upon Hide's revelation, Lian responded by waving her ribbons. The two silk ribbons began to wrap around the young Imperial Guard's body, crushing it with ever-increasing force.

“A combination of curse and trigger formation. The whole thing has been prepared to provide Hide spirit power so as to prevent him from using his specter form. " Long Tian commented as he sighed for Hide's imminent defeat.

'I have to admit it. Lian's level of knowledge in the formations is higher than I imagined. She conducted the fight from the start in the manner she had foreseen, tricking Hide and giving him a false sense of security so he wouldn't notice the real trap.'

Long Tian's analysis was correct. With her knowledge of formations, Lian had carved a curse formation on her ribbons. This curse consisted of releasing fragments of spirit power when something came in contact with the ribbons. Such fragments were difficult to notice as they would pose no danger until activated.

In addition to that, Lian had created a formation on the ground called a trigger formation or commonly known as a trigger trap. It was called that way as the formation would only activate when someone stepped on it.

“Lian must have placed the curse on Hide's weapon when she wrapped her ribbons and held back his rotation. Using Then the cover of her ribbons, she quickly created a trigger formation to prevent Hide from moving. But the decisive factor is the use with which these formations were conceived - not to harm but to empower the enemy by pouring one's spirit power into them. It is undoubtedly something few would have been able to come up with." Feng Chen analyzed in turn.

"Yes. The disadvantage of the Specter Law is that each time you cross something possessing spirit power, the specter mode's duration is reduced. And this is even more true when it comes to living beings. After all, during the specter mode, the flow of spirit power becomes extremely complicated, and even a small variation reduces its stability. This is why, when you face someone from the Specter Law, ironically, you should face them in their field, which is close combat." Hu Jie also inwardly praised Lian's battle prowess.

Hearing the praises of the three, Hei smiled. “Lian must have been inspired by Hyong Yong-Sook. Put yourself at a disadvantage in order to win. Pouring her spirit power directly to Hide reduces her uptime, but at the same time blocks Hide's specter abilities."

On the stage, Hide was struggling as best he could. The ribbons were tightening their grip every second that passed while his techniques were undone.

'Calm down. Don’t panic. Analyze the situation...' Hide tried to reason as he concentrated on resisting as best he could.' The thorns in my arm and legs aren’t meant to attack but serve as conductors of spirit power. She is pouring out her spirit power to stop me from using the specter form. However, by doing so, her expenditure of spirit power increases dramatically. Consequently, I have to think about what to do with this information in hand.

I could absorb this spirit power, but I would end up hurting myself internally as I am in the middle of the fight. So it's best to use it roughly to create an extra layer of spirit power. While that layer won't be as stable as a normal one, it can save me time. As long as this situation persists, Lian will be the first to exhaust her spirit power. At that moment, she will no longer be able to fight, and the victory will be mine. And even if she were to stop pouring out her spirit power, it wouldn't be a problem as I would be free to use the specter form again.'

Hide's confidence was restored. With a clear plan in mind, the Imperial Guard concentrated only on defense, interrupting any attempt to wriggle out of the ribbons. In any case, without using specter mode, he couldn't break free from that situation.

Seeing this, Lian moved on to her next move, "Intent of the Ribbon, Snake Vice."

Lian's ribbons changed. The spirit power within increased, as did the crushing force. In an instant, the pressure Hide felt grown a lot. Even with the extra layer of spirit power provided by Lian's spirit power, Hide didn't think he could hold out to the end.

"The winner is Lian." Song Yazhu proclaimed after deeming Hide unable to break free or resist until Lian had exhausted her spirit power.

When she was declared the winner, Lian loosened her ribbons’ hold on Hide, freeing the young man. He was quite pale from the crushing force he suffered but didn’t have any obvious injuries.

“In the end, I lost anyway. I guess only someone at the level of the boss can beat you. Thanks anyway for the fight and not taking it easy," Hide thanked with a short bow of his head.

“You are stronger than you think. If I didn't know the formations, I don't think I could have immobilized you as I did." Lian quietly replied as she stepped off the fighting stage.

Lian's words left Hide amazed and pleased at the same time. Even though he had lost, his strength was still recognized by someone on the level of his leader, the Imperial Prince Long Tian.

“And this concludes the second day of the tournament. I thank the audience for coming, and we will be back tomorrow with the tournament's quarter-finals. Like yesterday, I remind the spectators, who don’t have accommodation inside the Academy, that they aren’t allowed to stay in the Academy territories except during the tournament. Any violator will be severely punished."

And so Song Yazhu ended the second day of the tournament. Regular spectators went back to where they came from while VIPs returned to their quarters in the Academy Castle, as did the students.

*

Hei and Lian's room.

At the moment, Hei and his companions were gathered to take stock of the situation. After all, they had reached the third day, and the opponents to face this time were on a different level from those met before.

“Tomorrow, it will be me, He Fen, and Leon who will take the field. Our opponents are Hu Jie, Feng Chen, and Long Tian, respectively. On the other hand, Lian will have no opponents to face as the fight between Lang and Huli Xieren ended in a draw." Hei took stock of the situation for the following day.

"I wanted to challenge you, Lian, but it looks like I still have a lot to learn," Lang said bitterly in a dejected tone.

“Huli Xieren is a formidable opponent. You shouldn't be feeling too down about the draw. Besides, when the tournament ends, we can fight whenever you want." Lian answered.

Lang nodded and didn't reply. 'Even though I'm bitter, Lian is right. Huli Xieren is strong enough to make me use my full strength. But in any case, I still have a lot to learn and improve.'

'I will be there with you. And remember that your true strength is not what you possess alone but what we have when we are united. I am your spirit beast, your partner. My strength is your strength, to be used at your discretion.' Fenrir hastened to cheer up his mistress.

Lang smiled and gently stroked Fenrir. Her fingers moved through the wolf's soft fur, and he felt a pleasant sensation where Lang's fingers passed.

Seeing that Lang's mood improved, Hei then turned to his two teammates, who would take the field tomorrow with him.

“He Fen. I guess you are well aware of your possibilities, right? "

“Yes,” He Fen replied, “If we analyze the various aspects of a martial artist, Feng Chen is superior to me in every respect. His knowledge of the Elemental Laws and how he uses them, his ability in close combat and in range combat, his ability to read the flow of battle and generate appropriate plans according to the situation. I know that my chances of winning are almost zero. But even so, I want to try. I want to give my best and try to win.”

He Fen's gaze wasn’t discouraged or frightened at the idea of ​​having to face Feng Chen, the representative of one of the Eight Big Families. Instead, his determination had peaked.

“Feng Chen represents the peak of the young generation of the Eight Big Families. If I want to succeed in saving my sister from her fate, I cannot back down. I have to reach that level at all costs."

“If you are already aware of your possibilities, then that's fine. But having a low chance of winning doesn't mean it's absolutely impossible to win. Feng Chen's most terrifying ability is his analysis of the opponent and his ability to respond based on the latter's characteristics. Therefore, you don't have to challenge it in terms of planning. Instead, aim for a straightforward and simple approach. You both possess the Fire Law and Fire-type Bloodlines. If you are aiming for a fight between flames, you should have a better chance of winning than using other types of tactics."

Hearing Hei's advice, He Fen nodded in understanding. Even though he was full of determination, he knew deep down that it was improbable he would win. Yet Hei truly believed he had a real chance so much that he had suggested the most effective battle approach against Feng Chen.

“Leon, you will have to face Long Tian instead. Do you already have in mind how you want to deal with him? " Hei asked Leon.

Feeling questioned, Leon scratched his head in embarrassment, "About this point. I actually intended to give up. Dae-Won gave up without a fight for some reason that I don't understand. So, I don't feel I deserve to stay on the same stage as you others who have achieved your victories with effort."

At Leon's response, Hei sighed inwardly, 'I figured he would say something like that.' Fortunately, however, Lian immediately intervened.

"It's not a good idea what you have in mind."

"What do you mean?" Leon asked with a confused look.

"The Academy has organized this tournament for the young talents of our year. Yet, the final test of the first year has always been of another type and not a tournament. Why was our year that had such an exception?"

"You mean the tournament decision has something to do with Long Tian?"

"Not only Long Tian. The presence of Feng Chen and Hu Jie also influenced this decision. If you think about it, the choice of appointing Song Yazhu as our teacher is also unusual." Hei intervened in favor of Lian's hypothesis.

"If you think up to this point, then you will understand that it isn’t a good idea to give up the match. The Academy has even called every important family in the Southern Region. All to put on display the talents produced by the Academy. But what if this weren’t true? What if, in reality, the purpose of the Academy is to show off the talents of Long Tian?"

Hearing the hypothesis conceived by Lian, Leon was speechless. The others were somewhat perplexed, but what Hei and Lian said had a logic of its own. And if they thought about it, it smelled quite fishy.

"It is likely to have to do with the choice of the future emperor."

It was Lang who broke the silence.

Seeing the gazes of the others staring at her, Lang hastened to explain, “My father explained to me that over the years, there has been an increase in skill level in the younger generation. Geniuses at the level of Hu Jie, Feng Chen, and Long Tian have always been present but never in such a large number."

"Right, the Best Generation." He Fen commented, recalling something he had heard in the past.

"Best Generation?" Hei asked.

"It's a term little used in the Bloodline Families. That term means eight youths from the Eight Big Families and the Five Imperial Princes. Each family in the Eight Big Families respectively produced a talented youth like never before. Likewise, the Imperial Family produced five youths with similar talent." He Fen explained.

"Wait, are you saying that there are six other people strong like Hu Jie and Feng Chen and that there are four other Imperial Princes powerful like Long Tian?" asked Lilian, who had remained silent until now. Mia, Haruno, and Mareo were also amazed at the news.

"Yes. But to make matters worse, the term Best Generation doesn’t only refer to these thirteen individuals. Demons have also generated such talents, even though I'm not familiar with the specifics. But I know for certain that the upper echelons of the Sun Empire are planning something.

My father hasn't told me about it, but normally I should have been trained by the Beast Family experts. Yet, I was forced to come here. From the few snippets of conversation I have perceived, it must be because of the selection of the future emperor." It was Lang who answered once again.

Lang and He Fen both belonged to families with ties to the upper echelons of the Empire. He Fen, however, had a marginal role in his family and was treated with little importance. Lang instead had a more relevant role; she was the future head family after all.

"I see. I don't know what the Imperial Family or the Eight Big Families have in mind. At the moment, it has nothing to do with us. We need to focus on what's ahead - the tournament. Leon, if you want, you can give up fighting, but I don't recommend it. Not so much for the implications on Long Tian but yourself. If you want to move forward, you have to face stronger and stronger people. This was also Dae-Won's request. If you feel you don’t deserve the victory, then prove your worth by facing Long Tian and giving your all." Hei said firmly.

At Hei's words, Leon thought carefully. He honestly wanted to face Long Tian and prove himself. However, the guilt haunted him, and he thought he wasn’t worthy enough to take the field the next day. In the end, though, Hei made him change his mind, "Okay. Then I'll face Long Tian. Do you have any advice?"

"Face him head-on. Just that. With your armor, you don't have to fear close combat."

Leon fixed Hei's advice firmly in mind and recalled what he had seen in Long Tian's previous fights. He had to prepare well not to waste this opportunity and show that he had earned his place in the tournament.

"And you Hei? Are you ready?" Haruno asked as he handed out food so that the fighters could recover some of the energy they spent in the morning.

"Hu Jie specializes in close combat. With the strength of his diamond body, I doubt I can keep him at a distance with the techniques at my disposal. Instead, I would end up wasting my spirit power in vain. All things considered, facing him in hand-to-hand combat is good for me too. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to destroy his diamond body. "

Facing Hu Jie in hand-to-hand combat?!

Hearing the response from Hei, Haruno, and everyone else except Lian, Ye, and Xing were astonished. Hu Jie was arguably the strongest of all the first year when it came about pure martial arts. No, he could be the strongest in the whole academy. Only a fool would face him in that field. But Hei wasn’t a fool. He knew well what he could do and what couldn’t. So they decided to believe him. If he said he could do it, then it was true.