Chapter 27: A Sparring Match That Shattered My Dream of Becoming a Spirit Master!

The martial arts arena, designated for internal courtyard students to practice combat, was situated atop a hundred-meter-high hill on the eastern side of Sea God Island.

The summit of this hill appeared as if it had been leveled by some sharp implement, forming an irregular flat area with a diameter of roughly one hundred meters. It was paved with a thick layer of granite, fused solidly with the mountain itself, ensuring its remarkable stability.

This arena was constructed to accommodate the combat intensity of the inner courtyard students. If Ye Xixuan, Bei Bei, and Xu Sanshi were to spar, they could unleash their full power without reservation.

With the malevolent energy in his spirit power completely purged from her body, Ma Xiaotao’s mood had been quite excellent lately. After all, as long as Ye Xixuan was by her side, she no longer had to worry about being plagued by evil fire during her future cultivation.

Furthermore, it wasn't just the malevolent energy; even the trace of impure dark attribute essence deep within the origin of her martial soul was being gradually separated out.

In the long run, it was only a matter of time before her martial soul evolved into a pure Fire Phoenix.

Ye Xixuan had long been eager to spar with Bei Bei. Recalling the words Bei Bei had said before they set off, he couldn't help but tease, "Brother Bei, to use your words from last time, we could call this a 'meeting at the pinnacle'."

"Let's not call it that; if Elder Xuan hears you, he’ll have me 'descending to settle' again," Bei Bei replied, his face darkening at the memory of his recent painful experiences.

The day they parted, Elder Xuan had flown him directly above the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest and dropped him in. He had grandly called it "letting him gain some experience," which, in truth, had been a literal "descent to settle."

"Do you have any idea what kind of miserable life I’ve been living these past few days?"

"But the harvest must have been significant, right?" People’s joys and sorrows are rarely shared. Ye Xixuan couldn't possibly empathize with Bei Bei, so he offered a casual word of comfort.

He, on the other hand, had found his recent experience going out with the Senior Sister quite interesting. There had been almost no mishaps, and witnessing the breathtaking elegance of the Senior Sister in battle had been a feast for the eyes.

Thinking of the delightful expression he might soon see on Xu Sanshi’s face, Bei Bei’s expression softened slightly as they walked to opposite sides of the arena.

Xu Sanshi stood at the edge of the field with Ma Xiaotao, though out of awe for her, he dared not stand too close.

"Sister Xiaotao, this Xixuan you keep mentioning looks to be a few years younger than Bei Bei, doesn't he?" The guy had noticed the close relationship between Ma Xiaotao and Ye Xixuan, and now he was intentionally trying to stir up trouble for Bei Bei.

"Isn't he just bullying the younger one?"

Ma Xiaotao glanced nonchalantly at Xu Sanshi, who was feigning righteous indignation, and dropped a bombshell: "Is he considered 'big'?"

"Uh..." Stunned by Ma Xiaotao’s bold remark, Xu Sanshi froze, unsure of how to respond. However, he quite liked this evaluation of Bei Bei.

From now on, he could openly use Sister Xiaotao’s words to comment on Bei Bei. He couldn't even imagine how satisfying it would be to see Bei Bei holding back his frustration without daring to vent it.

"Hahaha! Serves you right, you stinking Bei Bei, look at you now!"

Seeing Ye Xixuan and Bei Bei standing on opposite sides of the arena, Ma Xiaotao said with interest, "You two can start whenever you're ready."

"Yes, Sister Xiaotao," Ye Xixuan and Bei Bei replied in unison.

As their eyes met, the surrounding air seemed to freeze instantly.

Bei Bei took the first step, a low growl emanating from his throat. In that instant, his aura underwent a cataclysmic transformation—it was a pride and tyranny that stood above all else, possessing an indescribable strength and kingly air.

Brilliant golden light erupted from his body, flooding the area for twenty meters in diameter. A fine layer of golden lightning flickered across his skin.

His right arm transformed completely into a thick, formidable dragon limb, covered in scales that resembled golden crystal. Amidst the flashing golden light, two yellow and one purple spirit rings circled his golden dragon arm.

"A pure-blooded Bright Saint Dragon?! A three-ringed Spirit Elder?!" Xu Sanshi’s eyes widened in shock. Overcome by disbelief and internal imbalance, he collapsed onto the ground, wishing he could roll around in despair.

"Bei Bei, you’re the worst! How am I supposed to go on like this?!"

Fearing his brother wouldn't do well, yet fearing his brother would do too well—this sentiment perfectly captured Xu Sanshi’s current state of mind.

Bei Bei grinned, seemingly satisfied with Xu Sanshi’s reaction, before shifting his focus entirely to Ye Xixuan. But his smile quickly faded.

Ye Xixuan didn't seem affected by the oppressive aura of Bei Bei’s Bright Saint Dragon martial soul at all, stepping forward with a calm expression. As two luxurious, deep purple spirit rings rose from beneath his feet, a cluster of irregular dark shadows expanded outward.

The auras of light and darkness stood in a delicate, confrontational balance.

Despite being mentally prepared, Bei Bei hadn't expected Ye Xixuan’s martial soul attribute to exert such strong suppression over his own Bright Saint Dragon, especially given the significant gap in their spirit power cultivation.

Daring not to hesitate, Bei Bei activated his second spirit ring. Countless golden snakes of electricity burst forth, forming a dense web of thunder that blanketed Ye Xixuan from all directions.

Second Spirit Skill: Saint Thunder’s Might!

With his martial soul fully evolved into the Bright Saint Dragon, Bei Bei’s spirit skills had undergone a qualitative change. While Yan Shaozhe’s Bright Phoenix martial soul possessed both light and fire abilities, Bei Bei and Elder Mu’s lineage of the Bright Saint Dragon mastered both light and thunder.

The light-lightning attribute of Saint Thunder’s Might was vast and imposing, as if attempting to forcibly suppress the dark aura surrounding Ye Xixuan.

As his own second spirit ring flashed, Ye Xixuan slowly raised his right hand. The black shadow beneath him instantly swallowed the entire arena, thick dark energy swirling in a deathly, eerie silence.

Ye Xixuan’s body seemed to liquefy, merging into the shadow beneath his feet.

The golden thunder arrows landed on the shadow and were swallowed up without a sound, their golden luster gradually dimming within the darkness.

Ye Xixuan’s figure re-formed in an instant behind Bei Bei. With his right hand clutching the air, a massive magic scythe engraved with complex black patterns materialized, while his left hand rose to extend pitch-black, frigid chains from the darkness, locking Bei Bei’s movements.

Xu Sanshi’s eyes were vacant; he sat slumped on the ground, staring silently at the sky.

"A single sparring match has destroyed my dreams of being a spirit master."