Chapter 21 The ever-changing illusions in the icy arena intertwine with the gazes of the girls
The wind in Winterfell seemed exceptionally biting that day, as if even the air itself trembled in anticipation of the impending battle. As the first faint rays of dawn attempted to pierce the thick clouds...
As the rain poured down on the massive, obsidian-built open-air training ground of Winter's Academy, the entire academy's enthusiasm was ignited. Today was the day the core classes were ranked.
At Winter Academy, rankings are not just empty titles; they represent the usage time of the simulated training grounds, the quota of rare herbs, and even determine who can represent the academy in higher-level continental exchange competitions.
For these elite students in the core class, this was undoubtedly a life-or-death struggle over dignity and future prospects.
Ye Feng stood in the shadows of the preparation area, his black outfit perfectly outlining his tall and well-proportioned figure. The Thousand Manifestations Umbrella in his hand was currently in its most serene black umbrella form.
The tip of the umbrella rested on the slightly slippery, icy wooden floor. His eyes were like a bottomless ancient spring, calm and undisturbed, but upon closer inspection, one could catch a glimpse of icy blue light, born from the high concentration of soul power. The kiss with the scent of porridge that Teacher Mingyue left last night...
It was as if the warmth still lingered on his lips and teeth; it was not only an emotional attachment but also an invisible pressure, urging him to demonstrate overwhelming dominance on today's stage.
"Boss, judging from this scene, everyone's after you." Ye Shaotian muttered as he struggled to tighten his belt. In the past six months, he had lost some weight, but his frame had become much stronger. The Frost Heavy Sword on his back emanated a chilling aura, causing a thin layer of frost to form on the ground around him.
Although Ye Shaotian was usually carefree and playful, in this formal setting, his small eyes gleamed with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. He knew very well that under Ye Feng's protection, he had to prove that he was not just a useless accessory who only ate meat, but a "Night Rain Fan" who could stand shoulder to shoulder with "Lord Grim".
Just then, on the other side of the arena, several powerful figures slowly took their seats in the stands. Dean Feng Rusong maintained his refined and approachable demeanor, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, and beside him...
Teacher Mingyue changed into a dark blue, belted long dress. The slit in the dress revealed a section of her fair, snow-white calves, creating a striking visual impact.
Her gaze precisely targeted Ye Feng among the entering crowd, a faint smile playing on her lips—an encouragement only Ye Feng could understand, and also the authority of the "official wife." On that high platform, she was like the unapproachable moon, drawing the attention of countless upperclassmen, yet none dared harbor the slightest thought of disrespect.
Amidst the commotion, an extremely sharp gaze caught Ye Feng's attention. In a corner of the opponents' section, Leng Qianqian stood alone, the shadows around her seemingly shifting slightly due to her emotions.
Today she wore a specially made leather jacket, which accentuated her slender waist and upright figure. Her cat-like eyes, hidden beneath her short hair, were fixed on Ye Feng, concealing an almost insane desire to challenge him.
Last night's experience in the solitary confinement room had clearly left the Shadow Cat girl in a state of extreme contradiction—she was both deeply moved by Ye Feng's life-saving grace and intensely resentful of his overwhelming dominance. This emotion fermented within the girl's heart, ultimately transforming into the most fervent fighting spirit on the training ground at this moment.
The ranking battle follows a large loop system, where each person must fight against all other core class members, and the one with the most wins takes the top spot. Teacher Qin Cang's gaunt figure appeared in the center of the training ground. Without a word, he swung down a huge command flag, symbolizing the official start of the competition for the strongest genius in the Northern Territory.
The highlight of the first round was Ye Shaotian versus Batu, a promising player from a family of commanders in the Northern Border Defense Army. Batu's martial soul was the extremely fierce Rock-Splitting Rhinoceros, with a soul power level of seventeen. He was a recognized powerhouse among the core team members.
As soon as the battle began, Batu roared, his first spirit ring flashed, and he charged towards Ye Shaotian like a flying mountain. Ye Shaotian chuckled, and instead of wielding his Frost Heavy Sword with his usual agility, he used the power generation technique taught by his grandmother, combining his waist and stance, with the sword tip angled into the ground.
"Big guy, taste this Sword Saint's 'Abyss Slash'!" Ye Shaotian roared, his icy blue soul power surging into the sword like a tide. The heavy sword drew a heavy arc from bottom to top.
He actually managed to withstand the charge of the Rock-Splitting Rhinoceros. With a deafening roar, Ye Shaotian took three steps back, while Batu's massive body was actually cleaved back five or six meters by this sword strike.
The entire arena erupted in shock. No one had expected that this seemingly unreliable fat man would possess such terrifying explosive power. In the end, Ye Shaotian, relying on the corrosive effect of the cold air on his joints and the power-generating techniques passed down from his grandmother, managed to exhaust Batu's soul power and secure his first victory.
However, the real highlight came in the third round. When Qin Cang shouted "Ye Feng vs. Hu Yanli," the atmosphere in the arena reached its peak.
Hu Yanli slowly stepped into the arena. The illusory image of his Diamond Mammoth martial spirit flickered faintly on his steel-like muscles. After half a year of training, his soul power had reached the bottleneck of level nineteen.
He was only one step away from becoming a Great Soul Master. Looking at Ye Feng, his eyes held none of the previous disdain, replaced by a solemn reverence for a destined duel.
"Ye Feng, this battle is not just for the ranking, but also for the pride of the Elephant Armor Sect. I will not give you any more chances to use your movement techniques to toy with me." Hu Yanli said in a low voice, his feet stomping on the ground, and several cracks appeared on the ice wooden floor.
Ye Feng held the umbrella in one hand and gave a slight bow: "Brother Huyan, please."
The battle erupted. Having learned from his previous mistakes, Hu Yanli no longer pursued large-scale, sweeping charges, but instead opted for a steady and methodical approach. He activated his first soul skill, "Mammoth Stomp."
This time, however, he compressed his soul power within three feet of his body, forming an impenetrable, earth-yellow vibrational domain. If Ye Feng entered this distance, his movements would inevitably be disrupted by the heavy gravity and vibrations.
Ye Feng narrowed his eyes slightly, the Thousand Chance Umbrella spinning rapidly in his palm. He knew how strong his opponent's defense was; conventional spear thrusts would hardly be able to penetrate that layer of diamond-like keratin.
He used the "Shadow Concealment Step," his body shifting left and right, searching for the point where the opponent's soul power flowed. In the instant the two passed each other, Hu Yanli suddenly threw a punch, the resulting wind pressure causing Ye Feng's short hair to dance wildly.
"Thousand Chance Umbrella - Umbrella Shield Mode!"
Ye Feng didn't dodge; instead, he opened his umbrella and used the thin canopy to execute a perfect "shield parry." In Glory, a shield parry is an extremely difficult maneuver.
It requires a precise, god-like understanding of the enemy's attack. The umbrella surface, using the force of the fist, leaps back lightly the instant it makes contact with the fist, while the tip of the umbrella suddenly pops out, completing a crucial change in form in mid-air.
"Ice Phoenix Spear - Headshot Shot!"
At that extremely close distance, the dark muzzle of the gun spat out flames, and two energy bullets, condensed with the ultimate ice soul power, aimed directly at Hu Yanli's eyes.
Hu Yanli was shocked. Although the Elephant Armor Sect's defense was strong, their eyes were ultimately a weakness. He had no choice but to withdraw his attack and cross his arms to protect his face. And this was exactly the opportunity Ye Feng had been waiting for.
"Subduing Dragon Soaring to the Heavens - Ultimate Transformation!"
The moment Ye Feng landed, his body shot back like an arrow. The Ice Phoenix Spear in his hand transformed back into a battle spear, but instead of stabbing Hu Yanli in the chest, he held the spear horizontally at his waist, and his soul power resonated with the sunken ice wood on the ground at that moment.
"The dragon raises its head!"
This was a variation created by Ye Feng, combining the Panlong Staff Technique with the Battle Mage's divine skill from "Glory". The spear drew a strange arc, slanting into the gap between Hu Yanli's arms, completing a terrifying spiral oscillation in that extremely narrow space.
"boom--!!!"
The earthen-yellow light shield shattered inch by inch under this attack. Hu Yanli's body, weighing over two hundred pounds, was actually lifted up by this spear, and he lost his balance and flew backward.
The entire arena fell silent, save for Feng Rusong in the stands, who leaned forward slightly, his eyes filled with shock. This extreme deconstruction of power had completely surpassed the comprehension of a Soul Master.
Just as Hu Yanli was about to land, Ye Feng did not pursue him. Instead, he retracted his Thousand Chance Umbrella and stood gracefully at his feet. In this battle, he not only won, but he won with great artistry.
Hu Yanli stood up. Although he had suffered some minor injuries, he was more convinced of Ye Feng's superiority. He gave Ye Feng a deep look, said nothing more, simply clasped his hands in a deep fist salute, and turned to leave.
He knew that the boy in front of him was no longer an opponent he could catch up with. At least before the gap in soul power level widened significantly, that kind of tactical crushing was unsolvable.
However, the ranking battle is not over.
In the final round, Ye Feng faced off against Leng Qianqian.
When Leng Qianqian stepped into the training ground, the air around her seemed to thicken. The two spirit rings beneath her feet—one yellow and one yellow—pulsated at an extremely rapid frequency. As one of only two women in the core class, her fighting style was highly entertaining, but also extremely dangerous.
"Ye Feng, you saw my disheveled state in the solitary confinement room last night." Leng Qianqian lowered her body, and with her Shadow Cat Martial Soul attached to her, her fingernails extended an inch, emitting a faint dark light.
A flicker of struggle crossed her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a resolute determination. "That was my humiliation, and my secret. If you want me, Leng Qianqian, to submit, simply saving me once in solitary confinement isn't enough. You must personally shatter my shadow in front of ten thousand people!"
With that, Leng Qianqian vanished instantly.
It wasn't that she was fast; she truly "disappeared." At the height of the midday sun, when the sunlight was most intense, she used Shadow Cat's special soul skill to forcibly erase her presence from everyone's sight.
Ye Feng stood in the center of the arena, his eyes still open. He knew very well that in a battle of this level, the so-called "sound localization" was highly unreliable under the opponent's conscious soul power. He slowly held the Thousand Manifestations Umbrella horizontally in front of his chest, waiting for the fleeting disturbance in the air.
Suddenly, less than a foot behind him, a section of the air mysteriously collapsed.
Like a venomous snake leaping from the void, Leng Qianqian's claws whistled through the air as she aimed straight for Ye Feng's nape. She held nothing back in this attack, for she knew that if the man before her couldn't even withstand this one move, he didn't deserve to win her heart.
"Thousand Chance Umbrella - Whirlwind Shield!"
Ye Feng didn't turn around, but the Thousand Manifestations Umbrella in his hand suddenly opened behind him and began to spin rapidly. The rapidly spinning umbrella surface was like a giant blender, forcibly tearing apart Leng Qianqian's soul power attack. Leng Qianqian snorted coldly, and her body flexibly flipped back in mid-air, actually using the rotational force of the umbrella surface to complete a second acceleration in mid-air.
"Second Soul Skill - Shadow Blade Dance!"
Countless black energy blades swept in from all directions. Ye Feng's eyes narrowed; he knew he could no longer conceal his strength.
"Thousand-Creation Umbrella - Transform!"
"Machine Gun Form!" (This is a new breakthrough achieved by combining the Thousand Manifestations Umbrella with the Ice Phoenix Spear and utilizing high-frequency output of soul power.)
In an instant, the martial spirit in Ye Feng's hand transformed into a heavy, small cannon. He knelt on one knee, the muzzle spitting out dazzling blue flames. The black shadow blades melted away before the energy bullets of ultimate ice.
Taking advantage of the suppressed firepower, Ye Feng suddenly leaped into the air. Amidst the swirling icy mist, his movements were like a phantom, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Leng Qianqian. Leng Qianqian clearly hadn't expected her opponent to choose such a mutually destructive confrontation.
"Got you."
Ye Feng's voice was like a heavy hammer blow. His left hand shot out and gripped Leng Qianqian's slender wrist. Leng Qianqian was about to activate "Shadow Escape" when she felt a strange shockwave coming from Ye Feng's palm, instantly paralyzing her soul power flow. It was the "Pulse-Severing Force" her grandmother had taught her!
The two collided while moving at high speed. Ye Feng's masculine embrace and Leng Qianqian's wild and delicate body pressed tightly together in an instant.
Leng Qianqian's cat-like pupils contracted sharply. She felt an unprecedented sense of oppression, an irresistible dominance belonging to the strong, which was trying to seep into her will through every pore of her body.
Ye Feng spun around, using judo techniques with his circular sticks to pin Leng Qianqian to the ground. However, at the last moment, he pulled back, placing his arm under the back of Leng Qianqian's head.
Their eyes met.
The clamor in the training ground seemed to fade away at this moment.
Looking at Ye Feng, who was so close to her, and into those deep, earnest eyes that held a hint of helplessness, Leng Qianqian's surging fighting spirit instantly crumbled.
Instead, she experienced a thrilling sensation called "trembling." Her lifelong pride was utterly crushed into a sticky emotion at that moment.
"You win..." Leng Qianqian's voice trembled slightly. She didn't struggle, but instead let Ye Feng hold her down. In front of everyone, this extremely ambiguous posture was tantamount to announcing to the whole school that Shadow Cat Leng Qianqian was now taken.
On the stands, Teacher Mingyue crushed the black wood of the armrest with a "crack," her once stunning face now covered in black lines. She gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath, "You little pervert, playing these tricks in public... Looks like tonight's 'private lessons' will have to be doubled!"
The ranking battle has come to an end.
Ye Feng, with a perfect record, unsurprisingly topped the core class.
However, this was not the end. In the shadows after the crowd had dispersed, a man dressed in black, wearing the attire of the Snow Demon Sect, coldly observed everything.
"The first spirit ring has such abnormal combat power, that umbrella... must not be kept. The protection period of Winter Academy is also about to expire, the situation in the North is about to become chaotic."
The man in black vanished in a wisp of cold smoke.
Meanwhile, Ye Feng was being surrounded by Ye Shaotian and several scions of powerful families, heading towards the victory banquet. Unbeknownst to him, the "Tear of the Ice God" in his arms was now slightly warm, foreshadowing an even greater storm that was hurtling through the snow towards this ancient city.
"Boss, let's drink until we drop tonight!" Ye Shaotian shouted.
Ye Feng smiled and shook his head, but his gaze passed over the crowd and met that of Teacher Mingyue in the distance. At that moment, he saw the murderous intent in Mingyue's eyes, and also the deep love hidden behind that murderous intent, a love strong enough to melt the ice and snow of the North.