Chapter 143: Easy Victory

Standing in the arena, feeling the loud cheers from the crowd below, Rod took a deep breath. The competition had finally begun. After preparing for so long and putting in so much effort, it was finally time to put it all to the test.
Considering previous research and looking at the members of the Qingliu Academy team standing across from him, Rod exhaled in relief. He hadn’t made a mistake—these were indeed the people he had anticipated: a combat team of four Silver Warriors and one Fire-type Archmage. His own team’s composition also remained largely unchanged from the main combat team they had decided on earlier.
There was the Water-type Archmage Kenny, himself, and West as the combatants, while the other two warriors were elites selected from the reserve team. In short, this combat lineup was entirely chosen to counter the opponent’s fighting style.
Although the Qingliu Academy team of the Etaman Empire was considered the weakest among the five teams in this competition, no one took it lightly. In such a competition, even the slightest carelessness could lead to a huge change in the outcome.
Taking another deep breath, the first matches were single-duel contests. In addition to team battles, each team was required to send three members to compete in single duels before the main matches began. Winning one of these three duels earned one point, while a team victory granted two points. A total of five points would be awarded, and the team with the most points at the end would be declared the winner.
Since these were the opening matches, Rod sent his strongest lineup to ensure success—Visky as the leader, with him and Archmage Kenny as his allies.
In the first duel, Visky faced the opponent’s team leader, Yeheson. Although he was the leader of the opposing team, he was merely a Silver Peak-level warrior, making this match the most predictable of all.
As expected, the match went smoothly. In no time, Visky used his most powerful moves to swiftly win the match, securing a point for his team first.
The next match was a duel between archmages, as required by the rules—opposing sides’ Fire-type Archmage against his own Water-type Archmage Kenny.

The duel between these two magicians with utterly opposite attributes was just like the nature of their magic—completely incompatible. Perhaps to conserve more energy for the team competitions, they both started by using their strongest spells. Complex incantations and intricate hand gestures quickly filled the arena, creating a gloomy atmosphere. This was typical of battles between magicians, a competition of spells. At this moment, their magical beasts were also summoned to engage in combat first. The roars of the battling beasts, along with the soft murmurs of incantations, made the situation increasingly tense. It was the usual magician tactic: first casting defensive spells, followed by offensive spells. The clash of spells illuminated the entire arena with dazzling light, making the scene incredibly spectacular. Compared to Viski’s straightforward fighting style earlier, this match truly ignited the audience’s enthusiasm. The natural differences in the two schools’ magic styles meant this would be a tough fight, and after countless battles between magicians, the match seemed endless! It was obvious to everyone watching that the magicians from Qingliu Academy had the upper hand, consistently keeping Kenny under pressure. Although Kenny was not as strong, he utilized his flexible combat tactics to fully showcase his training, preventing the other side from gaining any real advantage. After a long battle, he managed to draw the match, with neither side scoring. After two matches, Holy Light Academy led 1-0 thanks to Viski’s point. “I’m sorry!” Kenny said in a low voice, walking off the stage, sweating profusely and looking pale, as he joined his teammates. Seeing their concerned expressions, he added, “We’re comrades! You did your best!” His teammates comforted him, saying, “You held them to a draw—that’s already an amazing achievement. After all, their magicians are slightly stronger, and Qingliu Academy’s magicians are generally more skilled than our warriors. We didn’t expect much from this match, but you’ve already exceeded our expectations.”

“Kenny, you’ve already done very well. Don’t worry too much. If we have to win every match with that kind of mindset, then what’s the point of this one? Otherwise, just cancel it and give us the championship. Otherwise, if we lose once, you’ll be devastated—so what’s the point of continuing the matches? First, we need to adjust our mindset, and only then can we strive for victory. Remember, mindset determines everything. Think about it carefully. Alright, my match is about to start. Everyone, watch me!”

Looking at Kenny, Rod comforted him. Indeed, mindset was extremely important for them—having the right mindset was key.

“Rod, go for it!” As he stepped toward the ring, he suddenly heard a gentle voice beside him.

Turning around, he saw Lucia. Seeing the sweat on his nose and his panting breath, it was clear that squeezing over here had taken a lot of effort from her.

“Sure!” With a slight smile, Rod nodded firmly. He had to win this match no matter what. His opponent was slightly weaker than him, so if he couldn’t even defeat such an opponent, it would be better to jump into the river. Moreover, he knew he carried everyone’s hopes and dreams on his shoulders. His victory or defeat would have a crucial impact on the entire team, directly determining the outcome of the upcoming matches.

Standing on the ring, he channeled his fighting spirit, dismissing all distractions. Looking at the warrior across from him, his silver fighting spirit, and the silver wolf beast soul surrounding him, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

A mid-level silver warrior—while the silver wolf beast soul was merely at an advanced stage. For him, such a match posed no problem at all.

In contrast, the warrior standing across from Rod appeared slightly nervous. The previous two matches had put immense pressure on him—one loss and one draw—leaving his team one point behind. If he lost now, even a victory in the subsequent team battles would be of no use, leaving their total score at two to two and forcing the match into a decisive round where each team would send one member for the final battle. Viski from the Holy Light Academy, known as a genius, was famous even among the students of the Pure Stream Academy. At least they knew no one in their own team could match him. Under these circumstances, it was certain that the Holy Light Academy would win, and their team would be eliminated, forced to compete for third place against the other two teams besides those in the final.

Looking at the young man across from him, Rod frowned slightly, puzzled. Knight Rod—when did the Holy Light Academy produce someone like this? They had no information about him at all.

Suddenly, Knight Rod unleashed his full strength—his Silver Warrior form, clearly stronger than Rod. His imposing aura was so fierce that even the Silver Wolf Soul beside him felt fear and concern.

“Fight!” Rod shouted at the man across from him, drawing his Dark Dragon sword and channeling his combat energy. His Invisible Sword appeared instantly, charging straight at his opponent without any hesitation.

Seeing this move, the crowd gasped in shock. Twelve figures—such a technique was beyond the capabilities of these students. Almost everyone concluded that the outcome of this match was already decided after that move. Especially Viski and the others, as Rod’s comrades, knew better than anyone the power of this move. Not to mention that man, even Viski himself would face extreme danger trying to defend against it—a truth he understood all too well.

“When did the Holy Light Academy produce someone like this?” The same thought crossed the minds of the representatives and coaches from the other teams watching from afar. His terrifying techniques, fierce aura, and strange movements all revealed his extensive experience and formidable combat skills. Yet they had only learned of this most dangerous opponent in these past two days, with no prior information at all—nothing known about him at all.

“Too strong; impossible to stop!” exclaimed one of the students from the Wind God Academy’s representative team, expressing what most people were thinking—there was no trace, no way to identify the opponent.
“The result is in!” A sigh came from an old man beside the student who spoke—he was one of the vice deans of their Wind God Academy.
Hearing this, everyone wore complex expressions on their faces. They had thought the only threat from the Holy Light Academy was the genius warrior Viski, but now there appeared someone just as formidable. It seemed the battle plan would need to change drastically again.
Amidst sighs, confusion, awe, and disbelief, the outcome of the match became clear.
In less than a minute, Rod had defeated his opponent with a single move, taking both the person and their beast soul, leaving no chance for a counterattack. Rod’s Dark Dragon was already coiled around the opponent’s neck as he stood there coldly, watching his stunned rival with a faint smile on his lips.
Silence reigned. Though they had anticipated such an outcome, no one could have imagined it would happen so quickly, so directly, so decisively. Everyone stared in shock at Knight Rod, who stood on the stage with a smile, holding a black sword pointed at his opponent—it felt like they were dreaming.