DD2: Glory of the Unrivaled Angel

Word Count: 4,487 Words (3-in-1 super chapter!)

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The afternoon sun bathed the earth, its golden rays warming every corner of Shrek Academy.

After the freshman examination, the top 150 teams were allowed to continue studying at Shrek Academy. A total of 450 first-year students followed their homeroom teachers to the Spirit Dueling Arena of the Outer Courtyard.

The students basked in the warm sunlight, feeling the beauty and tranquility of life. Wang Dong squinted his eyes contentedly in the Class One line. As a light-element Spirit Master, he especially enjoyed the sun. His face was full of delight as he said:

"This feels so good~ Hey, looks like all the first-years are here. Is the academy giving us a unified lesson?"

"The Spirit Dueling Arena... could it be a practical combat lesson?" Huo Yuhao beside him guessed.

"Class Monitor! Class Monitor!"

Xiao Xiao suddenly tugged on Huo Yuhao's sleeve, gesturing subtly with her mouth in a certain direction. She whispered, "Look at them!"

Huo Yuhao looked where she indicated and saw Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, Xie Huanyue, Wu Feng, and others whom they had defeated in the freshman examination matches. They were all cracking their knuckles, clearly realizing it was a practical combat lesson and itching for revenge!

"Hmph!"

Dai Huabin's evil eyes flashed with cold light. Huo Yuhao glared back without any sign of weakness. Defeating Dai Huabin face-to-face in the finals had brought his current state of mind and combat strength to their peak!

"Silence!"

The figure of Du Weilun appeared on the high platform of the Spirit Dueling Arena. Beside him stood all the first-year homeroom teachers and subject teachers. His voice drowned out the clamor of over 400 people in the arena, gathering everyone's attention onto himself.

He swept his authoritative gaze around, fully displaying the prestige stemming from his position as the Director of the Martial Spirit Department. In a deep voice, he said:

"Students, today is your first day officially transitioning into first-year students of Shrek Academy! According to tradition, I should give you an inspirational speech. But this year, I want to do things differently. I want to give you a vivid, eye-opening lesson to help you feel the gap between ordinary geniuses and true monsters!"

"Huh?"

"What does Director Du mean?"

"Geniuses and monsters?"

"We are the monsters!"

Whispers broke out among the students below. Even Huo Yuhao, Dai Huabin, and the like couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. That's right, they were the undisputed monsters looked up to by others!

"Ling Bai!"

Du Weilun clapped his hands, and a figure clad in the red uniform of Shrek Academy's Inner Courtyard slowly stepped forward, standing proudly before the first-year students.

"Why is this guy here?"

Wu Feng's jaw dropped in shock, while Ning Tian's expression remained inscrutable. To achieve the desired effect, she hadn't revealed the agreement between Ling Bai and Du Weilun to anyone in advance.

"It's him..."

Huo Yuhao's expression turned solemn as he dispelled all extraneous emotions. Having witnessed Ling Bai in action firsthand, he was acutely aware of just how terrifyingly powerful the other party was!

"Wow! An Inner Courtyard senior, and he's super handsome too! Wang Dong, it seems you're not the most handsome guy in the academy anymore!"

The moment Ling Bai appeared, Xiao Xiao's eyes immediately turned starry as she voiced the thoughts of many students. If Wang Dong was handsome enough to dazzle the eyes, Ling Bai had reached a level of devastating attractiveness that appealed to both men and women alike. His dignified demeanor cultivated over years in the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, combined with the aura of light and holiness inherent to the Seraphim, drew the gazes of innocent girls and even some boys with unique tastes.

Usually, at a time like this, Wang Dong would angrily retort that he was the most handsome under the heavens. But now, for some reason, he fell silent. He stared intently at the dazzling Ling Bai, his beautiful pink-blue eyes emitting a fierce aura, as if Ling Bai was his mortal enemy!

"Wang Dong! Wang Dong!"

Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao noticed Wang Dong's unusual behavior and hurriedly shook him back and forth until he finally came to his senses.

"Are you alright?" they asked with concern.

"I'm fine..." Wang Dong shook his head.

Xiao Xiao patted her flat little chest, feeling a lingering fear as she said, "Your expression just now was so scary. I was genuinely afraid you might eat Senior Ling Bai alive!"

"I don't know what came over me."

Wang Dong lowered his gaze, his long lashes casting shadows on his handsome face. He said in a daze, "The first second I saw him, I suddenly had an instinctive feeling of discomfort, as if there was a blood feud running through my veins. I had an overwhelming urge to rush over and poke a thousand holes in him."

"Ah?"

Xiao Xiao covered her little mouth, her pupils shaking as she exclaimed, "Is the rivalry between handsome guys really that terrifying?!"

Wang Dong gave her a massive eye roll. It wasn't like that at all!

Besides, he believed his own looks surpassed Ling Bai's by ten thousand miles. Those female students were just blind and couldn't recognize true beauty!

Ignoring the students' wild and outlandish thoughts, Du Weilun continued:

"Let me briefly introduce Ling Bai to you all. He is eleven years old this year, a 4-ringed Spirit Ancestor, and a first-year student of the Inner Courtyard!

Don't doubt your ears; I'll say it again—a four-ringed Inner Courtyard student at the age of eleven. Moreover, he skipped all six years of study in Shrek Academy's Outer Courtyard and passed the Inner Courtyard examination in a dominating fashion as an outsider!

Your task for today's lesson is very simple. Use any and all means at your disposal to defeat him!

Anyone still left standing in the arena after defeating him, regardless of how many, will automatically be promoted to Outer Courtyard core disciples!"

"Good heavens!!! Director Du has gone mad!"

The sudden outburst of commotion nearly brought down the entire Spirit Dueling Arena!

The innocent, naive first-year students were instantly thrown into a frenzy!

How rare were Outer Courtyard Core Disciple positions? Even Huo Yuhao, a member of the freshman examination's champion team, only enjoyed the treatment of a core disciple but was far from being a true core disciple!

Now Director Du was telling them that as long as they defeated Ling Bai, everyone remaining in the arena would become core disciples?!

Director Du... is he drunk?!

The first-year students couldn't think of any other explanation!

They were all the same age, and while they naturally admitted they couldn't compare to Ling Bai, an esteemed Inner Courtyard student, there were no less than 450 first-year students present. Surely, if each of them threw out a spirit skill, it would be enough to overwhelm Ling Bai!

"Director, are we challenging him one-on-one or as a group?"

A rather clever student raised his hand to ask. One-on-one duels and group battles were two entirely different matters!

"It's all the same."

Ling Bai smiled amiably and interjected, "All of you ganging up on me is the same as me taking on all of you one by one."

Boom—

All 450 students erupted!

"How arrogant!"

"Director, I beg you, let's start right away!"

"I'm itching to beat him up!"

"My blade thirsts for blood!"

"Brothers, remember to aim for his face when you get a chance!"

The cries to take down Ling Bai grew louder and louder, the sound waves surging like ocean tides, each wave stronger than the last!

Du Weilun nodded with satisfaction upon seeing this. The quick wit of the young was indeed proving useful. This kind of in-your-face taunting was far more effective than harsh mockery!

But the 'cunning' plan he and Ling Bai had devised was far from over. Ling Bai put on a helpless expression and said:

"Actually, Director Du originally wanted me to call you all a bunch of useless idiots to provoke your rebellious spirit, but I dislike using humiliation or oppression as teaching methods. Those are childish games.

Since you've all become Shrek Academy students, that means you're the cream of the crop, the top geniuses from your respective clans and sects. So I have a basic respect for each of you as a person!

I know some of you have already earned the honor of being Outer Courtyard core disciples, so the reward proposed by Director Du might not be attractive to you.

How about this then? Since this is our first meeting, as your senior from the Inner Courtyard, it's only right that I give you all a little gift."

Ling Bai paused, and with a flash of light, a delicate white skull appeared floating in his left hand!

"A spirit bone!"

Someone cried out in shock.

"A 10,000-year Medusa skull spirit bone, imbued with the fixed spirit skill 'Medusa's Gaze.' I'll gift it to the student who defeats me!"

With these words, the already heated atmosphere was pushed to another climax!

The eyes of the core disciples, led by the two Spirit Elders Dai Huabin and Xie Huanyue, instantly went from calm to fervent!

The Queen of Snakes Medusa was an extremely rare top-level snake-type spirit beast. The skull spirit bone was also the strongest among Medusa's six conventional spirit bones. And let's not forget, this was a 10,000-year spirit bone!

10,000-year Medusa skull spirit bones had always been highly sought after by Spirit Masters across the continent. If placed in a major auction house, it could fetch at least 10 million spirit gold coins!

"Holy shit, Ling Bai actually had such an exceptional spirit bone hidden away!"

Wu Feng surveyed the surroundings and found that heavy breathing could be heard everywhere. She swallowed and whispered in Ning Tian's ear, "450 people—can Ling Bai really handle it? It would be such a pity to lose this spirit bone. Why don't we secretly switch sides!"

Ning Tian's delicate brows furrowed slightly. At noon, Ling Bai had mentioned he had a way to stimulate everyone's excitement and fighting spirit, but he hadn't said anything about using a 10,000-year Medusa spirit bone!

With such temptation, this group would undoubtedly erupt with 120% combat power!

"No need. We'll follow the main group. Don't stand out."

After pondering for a while, Ning Tian ultimately chose to trust Ling Bai.

"Let's beat Ling Bai and snatch that spirit bone! Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, you guys help me. I must win!"

Wang Dong's fists were clenched so tightly they creaked. It seemed as if a voice in his heart was constantly roaring, urging him to cause trouble for Ling Bai at any cost!

"Alright!"

This was the first time Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao had seen Wang Dong so serious. They unconditionally stood by his side.

In fact, Huo Yuhao also harbored resentment toward Ling Bai. He never believed that helping Bei Bei cheat against Xu Sanshi was wrong. Shouldn't helping close friends win be the right thing to do?

Huo Yuhao secretly made up his mind. The 10,000-year Medusa spirit bone would serve as compensation for that incident!

On the high platform, Zhou Yi saw the first-year students' sky-high morale. Her face twisted under her human skin mask as she coldly said, "Director Du, is this your method of suppressing their arrogance?"

"Indeed. Any thoughts, Teacher Zhou?"

"Thoughts?"

Zhou Yi's voice immediately rose several octaves as she sharply retorted, "One against four hundred? Even I couldn't manage that! What's the point of bringing in a 4-ringed Inner Courtyard student? First, you let them get complacent after passing the freshman examination. Now, defeating an Inner Courtyard student to obtain a spirit bone and Core Disciple status? Won't that make them even more arrogant?!"

She had originally hoped that Du Weilun would invite the current Shrek Seven Monsters to humble the first-year students. After all, being from the Spirit Guidance Department along with Fan Yu, it was impossible for her to request the Shrek Seven Monsters herself. But things didn't go as planned. Du Weilun had found some 4-ringed 'little trash' from who knows where!

Du Weilun, seeing his plan about to succeed, had a flash of excitement in his eyes. He said, "Zhou Yi, how about we make a bet? Let's wager on whether the 450 first-year students combined can defeat Ling Bai!"

"Fine, there's absolutely no way he can win! What's the stake?" Zhou Yi was confident she had this in the bag. It was a guaranteed win, so she could be bold!

"If Ling Bai loses, you can deal with the students as you wish in the future, and I won't interfere at all. I'll even compensate you with a 10,000-year spirit bone. If Ling Bai wins, you'll voluntarily leave the Martial Spirit Department and transfer to the Spirit Guidance Department to work in logistics, and likewise compensate me with a 10,000-year spirit bone!"

Du Weilun revealed his hidden dagger. Due to Fan Yu's presence, he couldn't do anything to Zhou Yi, so he would thoroughly restrain her this way!

"A word spoken can never be taken back!"

Zhou Yi was brimming with confidence, ready to pop the champagne halfway through!

Watching Zhou Yi, who was already fantasizing about dominating the students in the future, Du Weilun said nothing more. He had long heard Yan Shaozhe lament Ling Bai's 'glorious achievements' over the past three months!

Ling Bai had defeated all 4-ringed and 5-ringed students in Shrek's Inner Courtyard!

Even many 6-ringed students had suffered at his hands, including Yan Shaozhe's direct disciple, the Evil Fire Phoenix Spirit Emperor Ma Xiaotao!

The first-year students might seem numerous and powerful, but in reality, they were just a disorganized mob. Du Weilun believed that dealing with them would be as simple as eating and drinking for Ling Bai!

"Let the battle begin!"

With Du Weilun's command, the prologue to Ling Bai's one-against-450 battle commenced!

The instant Du Weilun uttered the word 'battle,' Wang Dong's resplendent Bright Goddess Butterfly wings burst forth from his back. One yellow and one purple spirit ring rose up as his entire being shot toward Ling Bai like a beam of light!

His valiant charge even stunned Dai Huabin, who had always been at odds with them. He thought, 'Is this guy really that eager?!'

"Zhu Lu, Cui Yajie! Stick close to Wang Dong!"

Dai Huabin let out a fierce roar. After activating the White Tiger Vajra Transformation, his muscles rapidly swelled, and a black mark forming the character '王' (king) appeared in the center of his forehead. The wild aura of the King of Beasts forced the surrounding beast-type Spirit Masters to retreat.

Ling Bai was, after all, an Inner Courtyard student. His spirit power and strength far surpassed the first-year students. The mere 2-ringed Wang Dong was certainly no match for him. There was only one Medusa Spirit Bone, so Dai Huabin planned to follow behind Wang Dong, observe the situation, and seize the opportunity to take down Ling Bai and snatch the spirit bone!

The first-year students with some strength and intelligence made the same choice as the Dai Huabin trio. Ning Tian, Wu Feng, Nanmen Yun Er, Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, Xie Huanyue, Huang Chutian, the Lan sisters, Cao Jinxuan, and Zhou Sichen formed small groups, surrounding Ling Bai in a encirclement!

'Does he really despise me that much?'

Reflected in Ling Bai's pupils was Wang Dong's figure, leaving everyone else far behind, with disgust and hatred etched on his face. Ling Bai smiled helplessly. He had consciously avoided contact with the God King Tang's 'beloved' daughter, so why was he still putting on such a nasty face as if he had committed some unforgivable sin!

"Guillotine Wings!"

The first spirit ring of the Bright Goddess Butterfly lit up. Wang Dong used his hind wings to maintain a gliding posture while his front wings rippled with a layer of golden light. The thin edges of the butterfly wings instantly became as sharp as metal, like two guillotine blades ruthlessly descending!

Buzz——

A dazzling light that overwhelmed the Bright Goddess Butterfly suddenly descended. A holy and brilliant golden domain carrying immense oppressive force pushed Wang Dong back to the ground!

And not just Wang Dong!

All the freshmen with flying abilities were forced back to the ground when this golden domain appeared!

"Ha!"

Wang Dong refused to give up. His fair face turned the color of pig's liver as he desperately flapped the Bright Goddess Butterfly wings. But even at his limit, he could only hover at a low altitude of two and a half meters for three seconds!

If this was the case for Wang Dong, the others were even worse off. They tried to flap their wings and soar again several times to no avail. It was as if the sky goddess, who had always been so welcoming, had suddenly done a complete 180, coldly rejecting their invitation without even giving them a chance to explain. The students were instantly bewildered. What on earth had happened to the sky?!

The truth was simple and cruel. The sky had found its ruler and no longer needed these loser lapdogs!

Golden afternoon sunlight cascaded down the angelic wings like a waterfall, highlighting the boy's unparalleled elegance. His face seemed as if it had been meticulously carved by the gods, dazzling and eye-catching like the first ray of dawn as light and shadow played across it.

Golden hair fluttered; brows and eyes like a painting. Even though they were enemies at the moment, the students had to admit that Ling Bai and the Seraphim's beauty and majesty were deeply moving!

Looking up at that figure standing proudly in the sky, some female students with weaker willpower had already lost their desire to fight, their eyes filled with infatuation that almost overflowed!

"Seraphim..."

Setting aside those lovesick brains, most students' goal was to beat up Ling Bai, snatch the spirit bone, and ascend to become core disciples in one step. However, the appearance of the Seraphim greatly increased the difficulty of their task!

A student with the Wind Chime Bird Martial Spirit said with a grim expression, "Since ancient times, the sky has been the domain of the Seraphim. Ten thousand years ago, the Seraphim was known as the number one aerial Martial Spirit! Ling Bai's spirit power is far higher than ours. Coupled with the suppression from his innate Angelic Domain, it has created a no-fly zone effect on flying-type Martial Spirits!"

"Then doesn't that mean he'll always have an air-to-ground advantage? We can't threaten him at all?"

"Not one bit. I give up, I give up!"

"I knew Director Du was up to no good!"

Pessimists and defeatists could be found everywhere. Some immediately lost their nerve and spoke despairing words, swaying the hearts of some students who were psychologically fragile.

"What are you afraid of? The Seraphim is nothing but a loser trampled under the feet of Ancestor Dai Mubai and the other Shrek Seven Monsters—!"

Even weak cannon fodder could exhaust Ling Bai's spirit power. Dai Huabin immediately shouted angrily but suddenly stopped, as a nearly transparent line slashed across his cheek.

Bright red blood trickled from the wound, staining Dai Huabin's handsome, resolute face.

A stinging pain began to spread across his entire cheek. A cold breeze blew past, and a red line slowly crept along his jaw, inch by inch, stopping when it reached his cheekbone.

He halted, swallowing back the unspoken words, and abruptly raised his head to look at Ling Bai in the sky.

"Descendant of the White Tiger, you've got guts."

Ling Bai's expression was as impassive as a stone carving. So you like to trash-talk, huh? No wonder Huo Yuhao hates this guy.

Four spirit rings beyond the limit—yellow, purple, deep purple, and black—rose one by one. Just as the first-year students were doubting their lives and rubbing their eyes in disbelief, the 10,000-year spirit ring and the deep purple spirit ring simultaneously shone brilliantly!

Third Spirit Skill: Holy Heart!

Fourth Spirit Skill: Ten Thousand Blades Radiant Glory!

Holy energy condensed into swords. A powerful energy field formed in the sky. In the face of this power, all obstacles seemed utterly insignificant.

Ten thousand holy sword energies broke through the sky and were launched together, shaking the heavens! Thunderous booms resounded as the world changed color. The flashing sword lights surged like a raging storm, sweeping across the earth. The magnificent sight of ten thousand swords unleashed at once made people feel as if they were immersed in a dreamlike visual feast!

How terrifying was the Ten Thousand Blades Radiant Glory under the triple amplification of Holy Heart, Angelic Domain, and the scorching sun!

Even the Spirit Emperor Zhou Yi would have to kneel after taking a hit, let alone the first-year students with an average spirit power of rank 20!

"This is overkill! Way overkill!"

"Help, I don't want to fight anymore!"

"Mom!!!!"

The self-proclaimed heaven's chosen ones instantly lost their composure. Under the devastating momentum of the Ten Thousand Blades Radiant Glory, they unleashed their spirit skills in a frenzy, throwing tactics and reason to the wind. Forget about the spirit bone or becoming core disciples. At this moment, there was only one thought in their minds, and it was to survive!

In an instant, spirit skills of various colors and effects poured forth, fearlessly confronting the Ten Thousand Blades Radiant Glory. They lasted less than a second before shattering spectacularly, like moths flying into a flame. No matter how brave, their ultimate fate was to turn to ashes!

Of course, since Ling Bai wasn't specifically targeting anyone, the Ten Thousand Blades Radiant Glory's area-of-effect attack could only be considered a clearing skill. The strength of the 450 students varied greatly. Outstanding individuals could still display their powerful abilities!

"White Tiger Shield Body Barrier!"

"Hell Rush Stab!"

"Cauldron's Quake!"

Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu handled it with ease, one forcefully confronting it head-on while the other nimbly dodged. Their movements were smooth and unstrained.

Xiao Xiao's Three Lives Soul Sealing Cauldron was a top-level Tool Martial Spirit with strong offensive and defensive capabilities. At this moment, combined with Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection Sharing, she split it into three to barely protect the trio.

"Hey, why is he attacking us?"

Wu Feng angrily looked at Ling Bai in the sky who kept releasing holy sword energies. Her middle fingers were itching to rise.

"Ning Tian, Wu Feng, I'll help you!"

A silly-sounding voice rang out. A round, fat ball of a person stood in front of the two girls. It was the number one defense-type Spirit Master of the first-years, the Rubber Elephant Xie Huanyue!

The advantages of being well-versed in human relations finally showed. In return for the favor of Ning Tian giving him a Mysterious Water Pill before, he chose to lend a helping hand in this moment of crisis!

"The Seven Treasures revolve to produce a Glazed Pagoda!

The Seven Treasures have names. The first is: Strength! The second is: Speed! The third is: Attack!"

With the amplification of the three great auxiliary spirit skills of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, Wu Feng and Xie Huanyue's strength skyrocketed!

"Dragonfire, Dragonfury!"

"First Spirit Skill, Elephant Transformation!"

Xie Huanyue inflated into a huge balloon, standing at the front. Wu Feng was responsible for weakening the power of the holy sword energies in advance. The three of them emerged unscathed!

Other students weren't so lucky. They scattered in all directions with cries for their mothers echoing everywhere. Two beautiful girls with identical appearances showed determination in their eyes. They opened their arms and embraced each other. A deep blue glow enveloped their bodies. Their long hair floated up and turned into crystal-clear blue, spreading out to form an impenetrable giant net, providing a canopy for the students.

Spirit Fusion Skill: Inescapable Net!

Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo, the kind-hearted twins, managed to protect over thirty people with their Inescapable Net, buying the first-year students a chance to catch their breath.

"Zhu Lu, let's fuse!"

Ling Bai's strength far exceeded that of a Spirit Ancestor. Dai Huabin knew ordinary spirit skills were useless against him. Only Spirit Fusion Skills could pose a threat!

Dai Huabin's entire body swelled again, accompanied by an earth-shaking tiger roar. White fur mixed with black tiger stripes burst out frantically. Zhu Lu's feet tapped the ground as she opened her arms and pounced toward him.

The auras of the White Tiger and Hell Spirit Cat completely merged at this moment. An intense wave of spirit power erupted from within their fused bodies like a gushing well.

Both Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu's bodies disappeared after the fusion. What remained in the Spirit Dueling Arena was a giant tiger over eight meters long and more than two meters tall!

Spirit Fusion Skill: Hell White Tiger!

The Hell White Tiger's massive body slightly crouched down. In the next moment, it transformed into a beam of light and plunged into the remnants of the holy sword energies. It left behind a transparent ripple as it leaped toward the Seraphim in the sky!

Advancing while bathed in the ocean of light, it raised its head arrogantly, displaying the Hell White Tiger's domineering, king-of-beasts demeanor!

"Radiant Spirit Array: Guard!"

A magnificent seven-pointed star array blocked the inevitable path of this renowned Spirit Fusion Skill. The Hell White Tiger raised its right paw high and then fiercely slammed it down.

With a 'puff' sound, the seven-pointed star array shattered into countless specks of light. The Hell White Tiger couldn't help but sway, its body becoming somewhat illusory.

A blazing sword tip pressed against the "王" (king) character in the center of the Hell White Tiger's forehead. The Hell White Tiger mustered all its strength but couldn't advance even half an inch. It looked at the owner of the golden sword blade with terror and bewilderment.

"After enduring the Ten Thousand Blades Radiant Glory and breaking through the Radiant Spirit Array, even the strongest Spirit Fusion Skill must be at its limit, right?"

A clear voice rang out. The Angel Sword forcefully tore apart the Hell White Tiger with Ling Bai's second spirit skill, Evil-Banishing Slash, revealing the bodies of Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu. The former had already fainted as the main controller of the Martial Spirit Fusion Skill. Blood flowed from his seven orifices like little snakes!

Hell White Tiger, broken!

At this moment, the Bright Goddess Butterfly and the Spirit Eyes quietly merged into one. An illusory ray of light that was a mixture of blue, purple, and gold colors streaked forth. The places touched by this light experienced a fleeting moment of radiance that seemed to last for eternity, leaving behind a kind of dreamy distortion and shimmering colors!

The Golden Road Amidst Withering Resplendence!

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