Chapter 148: Strange Zhao Xing, Third-Level Promotion Battle

As soon as Li Feng landed, he noticed something was amiss. When he had taken off, there was no frost on the ground, but after he finished speaking with Zhao Xing, a layer of frost had formed. Clearly, Zhao Xing had cast a spell while they were talking. This guy was just talking to buy time!

"Despicable!" Li Feng stomped his foot, scattering the frost on the ground. He quickly cast his Earth Affinity spell, sensing that something was wrong.

"Mystic Earth Divides Metal, Rise!"

The ground beneath him began to bulge. Three meters in front of Li Feng, nine mounds of earth suddenly erupted, the soil churning like a geyser. Then, nine stone giants burst forth from the ground. The giants were about three meters tall, their bodies composed of stacked pieces of metallic rock, with sand and dirt constantly sliding off their forms.

"Zhao Xing, if you're so capable, face my Mystic Earth spell! What kind of strategy is hiding and dodging?"

After Li Feng spoke, he listened intently.

"Come."

The voice came from within the mist.

Li Feng spun his index finger in a circle. The nine stone giants then charged into the mist to search for Zhao Xing.

Within the mist, a pair of eyes watched the stone giants below and the tiger beasts that had entered.

"Why does Li Feng's cultivation path make him seem like a summoner? All the spells he learns are designed to overwhelm opponents with numbers."

"It was the same with his Cloud spell last time."

Zhao Xing had also used numerical superiority before; that was his Straw Man spell. The Straw Man spell belongs to the broad category of 'All Vegetation as Soldiers,' but according to the Five Elements, it is a Wood spell. Zhao Xing also knew Wood spells. Xue Wenzhong had taught him the Willow Weaving spell, and of the eighty-one types of straw figures, Zhao Xing had mastered seven. He had memorized the remaining seventy-four but simply hadn't practiced them. The Straw Man spell is intricate work, and the latter seventy-four types are difficult, requiring too much time. How could he find time to practice it when he was in the Ten Yang Caverns?

"As long as Li Feng doesn't break my Seasonal Spell, no matter how strong his Earth and Wood spells are, he can only take a passive beating."

"Hidden in the mist, I'm already in an invincible position." Zhao Xing watched the futilely raging giants and tiger beasts below.

Mist Concealment, this Seasonal Spell, is a specialized hiding technique. Both the Five Elements Observation and Bright Eyes spells are rendered useless; it's impossible to see through it. This spell is very helpful in combat. It can hinder enemy troop movements and disrupt a commander's orders. It can also be used to prevent enemy pursuit; during a retreat, a thick fog is the best cover. The current environment isn't complex, but if it were more so, combined with the Mist Concealment spell, an army might even experience a camp panic, with their own soldiers attacking each other in the mist.

"The difference between Mist Concealment and Cloud Swallowing is that Cloud spells are used to control the air and assist other techniques. Li Feng doesn't dare to use Cloud spells because he knows it would be useless, waste vital energy, and might even backfire."

"But without Cloud spells, half of his Seasonal spell's power is wasted."

"Mist Concealment, on the other hand, is for trapping and hindering enemies. It doesn't significantly enhance other spells, but it's powerful on its own."

Unable to find Zhao Xing after some time, Li Feng grew anxious. He cast his Mystic Earth spell again. But its power was greatly diminished compared to before. This was because the layer of frost on the ground had permeated beneath the surface. It created a blocking effect, diminishing the power of his spell which relied on the earth's ley lines. The second batch of metallic rock giants was a head shorter than the first.

"Zhao Xing, is this a real spell duel? You're just stalling for time! Your Gale spell can't defeat me, so are you aiming for a draw?!" Li Feng felt frustrated.

But Zhao Xing ignored him, merely watching the giants and tiger beasts in the mist.

"Under the mist's erosion, the power of the stone giants and tiger beasts is slowly weakening. Seasonal power, or 'Tian Shi,' means accumulating environmental momentum. In one small area, it might seem to have little effect, but as my mist expands, accumulating bit by bit, it forms a natural disaster."

"It's stronger than any single spell, no longer something a lone spell can resist."

Zhao Xing observed the effects of Li Feng's spells and their changes within the mist, beginning to gain faint insights. The mist also gradually took on a dark red hue, having absorbed pollen from the flower sea and integrated it within. Accumulating the momentum of heaven and earth—this was the direction for understanding the Seasonal Talisman.

"The erosion is intensifying." Zhao Xing returned his attention to the spell itself, watching the gradually weakening tiger beasts and metallic rock giants. Both Sky Frost and Mist Concealment were insights gained from the Seasonal Tablet, each containing characteristics of a specific solar term. Once understood, they were at the Seventh Rank. Now, Zhao Xing was precisely using these spells to inversely understand the Seasonal Diagram.

Li Feng's Mystic Earth spell could interfere with both of Zhao Xing's spells, while conversely, the Mist Concealment and Sky Frost were also eroding Li Feng's spells. Through this mutual validation, Zhao Xing felt the two ethereal images of Seasonal Talismans in his dantian solidify by a third. It was just that Li Feng kept yelling below; anyone who didn't know would think he had suffered a great injustice.

"A draw? You're overthinking it."

Zhao Xing's figure emerged, staring at Li Feng.

"Do you have any more tricks? If not, we can end this."

"Go!" Seeing Zhao Xing appear, Li Feng immediately cast his spell, controlling the giants and tiger beasts to pounce on Zhao Xing. This time, he wouldn't fall for any more of Zhao Xing's distractions. First the ground froze, then the mist suddenly turned pink; how could Li Feng dare to say anything more to Zhao Xing?

"It seems you truly have nothing left. Indeed, comprehending the Fusion of Three Spells must have taken you a lot of time, and you also possess two Ninth Rank spells."

"Roar!"

Zhao Xing unhesitatingly unleashed the Kui Niu Thunder Roar. Faint ripples distorted the air, spreading rapidly. Seeing this, Li Feng quickly cast a spell to circulate the air around him outwards, diminishing the power of the thunder roar. But Zhao Xing wasn't aiming for him at all.

"Boom!"

Shatter!

The tiger beasts and spear shadows formed by the Gale transforming into earth were all shattered. The metallic rock giants were unaffected, but that was already enough.

"Boom!"

Originally, Zhao Xing's Gale spell had been entangled with Li Feng's Fusion of Three Spells. Now, losing its suppression, eight streams of gale transformed into eight roaming dragons, charging towards Li Feng.

"Gale Transforms to Earth, Rise!"

The Kui Niu Thunder Roar made his head spin. Li Feng suppressed his discomfort and once again unleashed his Fusion of Three Spells. But this time, his spell's power was less than half of what it was initially.

"Boom boom boom boom!!"

The Gale-infused azure dragons crashed into the newly formed earthen figures, knocking them apart and turning them back into soil. Li Feng's face paled. Although he had blocked this attack, he couldn't withstand a third wave. He was too greatly affected. With each small accumulation of advantage, the initiative had completely shifted to Zhao Xing in just over a quarter of an hour.

"Whoosh!" The gale reformed and continued to collide. Li Feng was sent flying. A golden light flashed around him, and he vanished from the air.

The battle concluded.

Promotion Battle, First Match: Victory!

On the preparation platform, Li Feng, whose injuries and vital energy were rapidly recovering, stood somewhat dazed.

"Why? He clearly didn't use a Cloud spell, so why did it have such a huge impact on my spells?"

"The entire process was just over a quarter of an hour, and the situation at the beginning and the end felt completely different."

"Was it the Seasonal Talisman? No, he didn't even use the Seasonal Talisman."

The effects of the Seasonal Talisman in a spell duel are relatively slow to manifest. Li Feng knew his Cloud spell couldn't contend with Zhao Xing's, so he never intended to influence the 'Seasonal Power.' Zhao Xing could easily summon clouds to cover the entire terrain, and Li Feng would lose before his own Seasonal Talisman could gain momentum.

"He didn't use the Seasonal Talisman, but it felt as if he had." Li Feng was somewhat unwilling to accept it. "Is the gap really that big?"

"I will definitely win it back!"

Losing to Zhao Xing again severely impacted the confidence he had built from his twenty-one consecutive victories. To regain some confidence, Li Feng quickly started his next match.

Tiger蛟 Army's Li Feng, you have been matched with training opponent 'Hua Zhilin' of the Black Armored Army. As a result, his mindset was affected. A quarter of an hour later, Li Feng lost again. His promotion failed, and his seven stars dropped to six.

Meanwhile, after matching with Li Feng, Zhao Xing's second promotion match was against only an ordinary Class B genius. This opponent didn't even qualify to push Zhao Xing's intensity, getting defeated in less than thirty breaths.

Divine Might Army's Zhao Xing, you have completed the Seven-Star Promotion Battle!Current Score: 23.Net Wins: 23.Rating: First Tier.Dojo Score Ranking: 912,452 (Ten Yang Caverns).Nine-Section Dojo Score Ranking: 75,214 (Ten Yang Caverns).After obtaining this rating, you have more privileges, allowing you to freely choose specific training terrains, filter training opponents, and observe others' battles.

"910,000? There are so many people in the Ten Yang Caverns." The dojo's score ranking includes everyone, regardless of their profession. A First Tier rating likely puts him among the bottom group. Zhao Xing estimated that the total population of the Ten Yang Caverns exceeded two million! With nine armies, various logistical personnel, and occasional visits from members of secondary legions, two million is quite normal.

"In local armies, only one military diviner-farmer is assigned per hundred soldiers. But here, I'd estimate one diviner-farmer per ten people," Zhao Xing thought to himself. Zhao Xing ranked over seventy thousand, so the total number of diviner-farmers must be over a hundred thousand. Among the reserves, he ranked over three thousand. Before he entered, over two thousand people had already completed Class C training, which only required achieving a First Tier rating.

"Continue matching." Zhao Xing knew that most of the opponents he was currently matched with were weak. To find strong opponents to validate his learning, he needed to keep climbing.

From that day on, Zhao Xing embarked on a frenzy of challenges in the Nine-Section Dojo. In most cases, his opponents could barely withstand a single move from him. Although some also had a First Tier rating, their cultivation realm was only Ninth Grade. While they might have many spells, their proficiency levels were relatively low. Few possessed two Ninth Rank spells; most would practice one to the Seventh Rank, then learn another, using mutual validation to achieve breakthroughs. With low grades and inferior spells, they were naturally easily crushed by Zhao Xing. Occasionally, Zhao Xing encountered opponents he found interesting, who could force him to use other spells; however, 90% of those matches were still won in a single move. Under this efficient matching system, Zhao Xing's net wins rapidly increased.

First Tier One Star, First Tier Two Stars, First Tier Three Stars... On the fourth day of his training in the Nine-Section Dojo, Zhao Xing had already reached First Tier Seven Stars. For the Second Tier promotion battle, one needed to win two out of three matches. Zhao Xing still easily secured two consecutive victories.

However, starting from the fifth day, the strength of his matched opponents increased significantly. Zhao Xing's progress also slowed somewhat. This was mainly because Second Tier opponents could now provide him with 'nourishment' through actual combat. If opponents below First Tier were like chewed-up sugarcane pulp, offering no nourishment in battle, opponents above First Tier were like sugarcane that hadn't been fully chewed, occasionally offering a bit of sweetness. Opponents above Second Tier were juicy and full; with each battle, Zhao Xing gained new insights.

As Zhao Xing accumulated more victories, and due to his unique fighting style, his name was soon mentioned once again among the Diviner-Farmer Supervision reserve.

"Have you heard? Zhao Xing of the Earth Affinity Institute has achieved sixty-one consecutive victories in the Nine-Section Dojo! He has sixty-one matches played, sixty-one net wins, and hasn't suffered a single defeat!"

"Defeated? He hasn't even drawn! He's now Second Tier Five Stars, and no one has been able to force a draw."

"Tsk, tsk, it's truly exaggerated. He hasn't lost a single match so far. I've played over a hundred matches and am still First Tier Five Stars."

"Zhuang Ziqing and Shi Yong, who came before, also reached Third Tier without a single defeat. This Zhao Xing will probably also go undefeated all the way to Third Tier."

"I wonder who's stronger in actual combat: him, Zhuang Ziqing, or Shi Yong."

In the public square outside Cloud Gate, many people occasionally came out to get some air and listen to Cen Sanji's lectures. At this moment, Yu Chunwu, Peng Ran, Yang Yang, and He Yu gathered to chat. Ever since they joined forces with Li Feng in the Myriad Thunder Pool, these four had become good friends.

"I haven't encountered Shi Yong, so it's hard to say. But I've had one match against Zhuang Ziqing," Yu Chunwu said. "Zhuang Ziqing defeated me using only one spell, the Thunder spell. I feel Zhuang Ziqing's strength is formidable, at least comparable to Shi Yong's."

"Not so fast. I've encountered Shi Yong, but not Zhuang Ziqing, and it was twice," Peng Ran said. "The first time Shi Yong fought me, I had no idea what was happening; the Protective Barrier simply declared me the loser."

"The second time, as soon as I entered, I asked Shi Yong for a chance to make the first move. Guess what happened?"

"I won't guess," He Yu said deliberately.

"Stop playing games, just tell us," Yang Yang urged.

"He just stood there and let me cast spells. I used every spell I knew, but I couldn't harm him in the slightest!" Peng Ran said.

"Hiss, that exaggerated?" Yu Chunwu said.

"Could it be that you..."

"It's not that I'm weak, brother," Peng Ran sighed. "It's that he's too strong. Do you know how I finally lost?"

"In that match, I humbly asked him to use his most powerful move against me. As a result, Shi Yong just waved his hand, and suddenly scales grew on both of my hands, completely encasing them, making it impossible to cast spells!"

"Then scales also grew on my chest. The Protective Barrier determined I had sustained a fatal injury and immediately teleported me out."

"Scales? Has Shi Yong's Seasonal Talisman already mastered the Phenomenon spell?" Yu Chunwu exclaimed in surprise. "This isn't just an ordinary seasonal phenomenon; it involves the physical structure of humans. How strong must a Phenomenon spell be to achieve that?"

"That's why I say Zhuang Ziqing would be hard-pressed to contend with Shi Yong. As for Zhao Xing, I haven't encountered him, so I don't know his situation. From what I've seen, I think Shi Yong is stronger than Zhao Xing," Peng Ran said. "Have any of you encountered Zhao Xing?"

"Yes," Yang Yang and He Yu said simultaneously. "I had a match."

"How was it?"

"It felt very strange," Yang Yang said.

He Yu looked at Yang Yang in surprise. "You too?"

Yu Chunwu and Peng Ran immediately became interested. "Tell us, what was strange about it? Did he also defeat you in just one move?"

Yang Yang shook his head. "Not at all; quite the opposite. I dueled with him for almost half an hour. At first, I thought I had a chance to win, that my strength was on par with his, but as we fought, something felt off."

He Yu also nodded. "Yes, I had the same feeling. To this day, I can't quite tell if I lost by a fluke or if he was genuinely toying with me."

Peng Ran chuckled upon hearing this. "Don't doubt it, both of you; you were definitely played with. One person might be a fluke, but not both of you losing by chance."

He Yu said, "I also asked him if he was messing with me, and he actually said I was strong."

Yang Yang said, "Me too. What do you think he's after?"

Yu Chunwu thought for a moment and said, "Is it possible that Zhao Xing is using the Nine-Section Dojo to practice? Perhaps he's comprehending a powerful spell technique."

Peng Ran said, "Whatever it is, he's almost at the Third Tier. I'd estimate that once he reaches Third Tier, he'll soon encounter Shi Yong and Zhuang Ziqing. When that happens, I'm sure many people will go to watch the battle."

Yu Chunwu nodded. "Right, the Earth Mirror's spectating function lets us watch their battles. Many people will surely be watching. When they fight, news will probably spread... Who among you has followed Zhao Xing?"

"I have," He Yu said.

Yang Yang pulled out his Earth Mirror. "Zhao Xing has a battle right now. It's his Third Tier promotion battle."

"Oh?" The others immediately looked over. "Who did he get matched with?"