Volume 2: Shenzhou Academy & The Battle of Venice
Chapter 197
Clash with the Western Superpower
The earth-shattering roars of the three hundred thousand spectators in the Oceanus Colosseum crashed down upon the waters of the Venetian gulf like a violent sea tempest.
Today was the second day of the World Tournament’s Group Stage, and the epicenter capturing the entire attention of international magic media was the showdown in Group B—a bracket universally dubbed the “Group of Death.” It gathered four mighty powerhouses: the National Team of Shenzhou, the Western Superpower Team, alongside two formidable representatives, Sweden and Egypt.
Having effortlessly swept through their opening match yesterday, the clash between Shenzhou and the Western Superpower this afternoon was heralded as the pivotal battle directly deciding the top spot of the group to advance into the quarterfinals.
Yet, from the very moment they stepped out of the armored tunnel leading into the arena, the entire Shenzhou team was met with a bone-chilling, hostile atmosphere.
Over eighty percent of the seats in the colossal arc-shaped stands were blanketed by the flags of Western nations. Tens of thousands of fanatical white-skinned supporters continuously whistled and booed, creating deafening waves of sonic noise. Derogatory banners targeting the East were hoisted across every tier of the stands: ”Shenzhou vermin, crawl back home!”, “Venice has no room for Eastern magic!”, “Crush the Eastern stepping stones!”...
Whenever the mid-air magic broadcast cameras swept over the Shenzhou team’s staging area, the giant crystal screens suspended in the sky echoed with mocking snarls, thousands of thumbs simultaneously pointing downward in malicious malice.
Standing in the technical sideline area, Gu Xiaowei flushed crimson with rage, her two fists clenched tight:
“Such a bunch of shameless wretches! This is clearly a world tournament organized by the Magic League, how can the stands tolerate such filthy xenophobic behavior?!”
“Calm down, Xiaowei.” Delegation Leader Tan Leng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression as steady as a boulder. The sharp eyes of the veteran general swept over the high-level supervisory boxes and the referee panel: “The West has monopolized hosting rights and media manipulation for decades. Accustomed to treating modern magic as their exclusive privilege, they harbor the ambition to suppress Shenzhou’s rise. Barking outside cannot topple a great mountain. If you want them to shut their mouths, there is only one path: use your fists to break every single sharp fang right on the battle stage!”
Right at that moment, the magic broadcast system boomed across the arena, drowning out all the clamor:
“Match Two of Group B: Team Shenzhou versus Team Western Superpower! Competitors from both sides, please enter the arena!”
“RUMBLE... RUMBLE... RUMBLE!”
The central waters of the Ocean Maritime Arena suddenly boiled violently. Hundreds of colossal hydraulic magic pillars rose from the seabed, elevating an artificial island spanning over five thousand square meters. This was the randomized combat terrain established by the grand magic formation: Black Sand Rock Island.
The entire surface of the arena was constructed from smooth, jet-black basalt blocks, jagged with sharp, saw-toothed underwater cliffs, interspersed with strips of black sand soaked in saltwater. Fierce waves roared around the edges of the island, creating a perilous battlefield that severely limited the maneuvering space of the mages.
Under the coordination of Chief Referee Morel—a Belgian senior mage bearing the high-level badge of the Western European Magic League—the ten competitors from both teams stepped onto opposite ends of the rock island.
The Shenzhou starting lineup consisted of five members: Ye Lingtian (Space primary attacker), Han Yue (Ice controller), Xie Zhaoyuan (Light vanguard defender), Ye Qingwan (Water & Psychic support), and Lin Feng standing at the central command position.
On the opposite side, the five competitors of the Western Superpower strode out clad in deep crimson battle armor trimmed with silver.
Leading them was Captain Edward—the blonde youth with sharp, haughty facial features, the corners of his lips always curving into an arrogant smirk. He was the very scion who, the night before in the Royal Hotel lobby, along with his subordinates, had spewed insults at Shenzhou before being crushed by Lin Feng’s invisible pressure, shattering his wine glass and forcing him to retreat in humiliation.
At this moment, Edward’s gray-blue eyes locked onto Lin Feng, the depths of his gaze burning with extreme hostility. He gritted his teeth, raised his index finger to his neck in a savage slitting motion, and then spoke each cold word through the magic microphone in the international language:
“Eastern rats, you just got lucky in the hotel lobby yesterday. Today on this legitimate battle stage, I will make every single one of you crawl under the feet of the Western Superpower Team! Better get those stretchers ready!”
The crude provocation had barely left his lips when the three hundred thousand Western spectators in the stands instantly erupted in excited cheers, the echoing whistles of encouragement sounding like rolling thunder.
In response to this arrogance, Lin Feng didn’t even bother to blink. He merely stood there, his hands hanging naturally loose, the hem of his black overcoat with golden trim fluttering fiercely in the salty sea breeze. His deep black eyes were as calm as a bottomless abyss, looking at Edward as if gazing upon an insentient object.
Chief Referee Morel glanced at the magic hourglass, then retreated to the floating platform suspended in mid-air. He didn’t bother to thoroughly inspect the magic equipment on the Western competitors according to standard procedure, merely casting a perfunctory glance before waving his flag fiercely:
“Match begin!”
“WHOOSH!!!”
The whistle had barely faded when the air over Black Sand Rock Island instantly grew thick with the smell of gunpowder!
“Attack! Crush their defensive line!” Edward roared commands.
Behind Edward, two core mages of the Western Superpower immediately deployed highly coordinated magic. The Earth-element mage Moritz slammed his brown jade-inlaid magic staff heavily against the stone floor:
“Earth Wave—Abyssal Sinking!”
The basalt ground beneath the Shenzhou team’s feet instantly turned into undulating, muddy waves, shaking violently to shatter their footing and disrupt their opponent’s star orbit connections. At the same time, the Shadow-element mage Klaus, hidden within his gray cloak, waved his hand, releasing dozens of gloomy dark wisps:
“Shadow Spike—Fourfold Shadow Lockdown!”
The dark shadows slithered across the ground like pythons weaving through stone crevices, aiming straight for the shadows of Ye Lingtian and Han Yue in an attempt to nail down the movements of Shenzhou’s two offensive spearheads!
“Displaying petty tricks before an expert!”
Han Yue gave a cold huff, her arrogant and icy demeanor erupting. She didn’t even bother to move her body, merely stepping lightly with her heel against the muddy ground.
“Clang!!!”
A sound as clear as broken jade echoed mid-air. Piercingly bone-chilling frost erupted from beneath her feet, turning into a sapphire-blue shockwave ring that swept across the ground!
The boiling mud was instantly frozen into a solid layer of permafrost half a foot thick, and even the shadow snakes of the Shadow Spike were petrified midway upon touching this frost, shattering into countless fragments of charred debris!
Simultaneously, Ye Lingtian had completed the Space-element star orbit in a flash. His eyes flashed with a sharp silver light, his sleeve waving like a slashing blade tearing through the void:
“Spatial Law—Compressed Air Pressure Shock!”
“BOOM!!!”
A ten-square-meter patch of space directly in front of the Western team was abruptly compressed into a thick vacuum, then detonated with the might of heavy artillery! The terrifying invisible pressure blasted the two Western supporting mages backward over twenty meters, immediately exposing a fatal gap in their defensive line!
“Well fought!” Gu Xiaowei cheered, leaping up outside the arena.
Clearly, in terms of pure magic cultivation and star orbit connection speed, the Shenzhou geniuses were in an entirely superior class compared to their opponents!
Yet, the exact moment Ye Lingtian was about to unleash another Space Wind Blade to sweep away the opponent’s formation, a piercing whistle abruptly tore through the atmosphere!
“BEEP... BEEP... BEEP!!!”
Chief Referee Morel maneuvered his floating platform downward, blocking right in the trajectory of Ye Lingtian’s attack. He raised a magic yellow card high, pointing straight at Ye Lingtian’s face with an arrogant expression:
“Warning to competitor Ye Lingtian of Shenzhou! The spatial vibration frequency just now exceeded the permitted safety threshold of the arena barrier, risking shockwaves toward the stands! Immediately recall your magic, or face disqualification upon repetition!”
“What?!” Ye Lingtian was stunned, fury surging violently within his chest: “What nonsense are you spewing? My compression frequency is completely within international competition standards! The match is at a critical juncture, on what grounds do you dare blatantly interfere and intercept my attack?”
Outside the cabin, Advisor Tan Leng slammed his hand down on the command desk, roaring into the appeal system: “Blatant referee bias! That was a legitimate attack! We demand the supervisory panel intervene and review the magic footage!”
Yet, responding to the Shenzhou delegation’s outrage, the supervisory panel—composed entirely of Western elders—merely shook their heads indifferently, and the chief referee’s ruling on the field remained fully in effect.
The unjust whistle and the brazen interference of referee Morel completely shattered Shenzhou’s casting rhythm while buying precious time for the Western Superpower Team to regroup their ranks.
In the stands, the Western audience cheered fanatically as if they had just won a battle, and the curses hurled at Ye Lingtian grew even more vulgar.
On the field, Edward wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, grinning sinisterly. He glanced at his Earth and Shadow teammates, subtly giving a cruel hand-signal with his fingertips.
They knew very well: if they fought fair and square in pure magic, they were no match for Ye Lingtian and Han Yue, let alone Lin Feng guarding the rear. Thus, the dirty plot prepared beforehand was immediately activated!
“Form up! Deploy the Dark Triad!” Edward let out a monstrous roar.
Instantly, the Shadow mage Klaus bit open his fingertip, smearing black blood onto a deformed magic stone hidden in his palm. A pitch-black cloud of smoke, thick as tar, erupted and spread across the arena at terrifying speed:
“Dark Night Firmament—Polluted Domain!”
This black fog not only blocked the vision of those on the field, but also interfered with the magic energy waves of the aerial surveillance cameras. Spectators and external lenses could only see a pitch-black shadow sphere enveloping the center of the rock island.
“Ling Tian, watch your flanks!” Han Yue instantly erected protective ice walls, her hands weaving Ice Binding star orbits to prepare for clearing the mist.
Yet they weren’t targeting Ye Lingtian or Han Yue at all!
The true target of these Western hyenas... was Ye Qingwan!
As the core supporting mage holding Water and Psychic elements, Ye Qingwan was the one maintaining psychological stability and consciousness connection for the entire Shenzhou team. Moreover, a supporting mage’s physique was naturally more fragile than direct combat elements. They wanted to eliminate her first to deal a fatal psychological blow to the Shenzhou team!
“Swish!”
From within the dense black fog, the Earth mage Moritz abruptly emerged from the ground right behind Ye Qingwan, merely five paces away! In his hand, he no longer wore standard competition gloves, but rather a pitch-black beast-leather glove studded densely with grayish sharp thorns—this was the “Rotting Bone Magic Thorn,” a highly toxic prohibited magic artifact strictly banned worldwide, crafted from abyssal venomous bones!
“Die, Eastern bitch!” Moritz roared savagely, his five fingers lashing out with dozens of toxic needles carrying earth-element vibrations, tearing through the air straight toward the back of Ye Qingwan’s neck!
Simultaneously, Edward sprinted from an oblique angle like a ghost. At the tip of his magic staff burned an eerie greenish flame—a fire poison specialized in incinerating meridians and souls!
Both blows were annihilating in nature, pouncing from two perilous directions at a terrifying speed! This was no sporting points contest, but a premeditated assassination meant to ruin a young woman’s cultivation lifetime!
“Qingwan! Dodge!”
Ye Lingtian whipped his head around, catching sight of the scene just in time. His eyes widened to the bursting point, bulging veins throbbing furiously on his forehead. Desperate to tear open space and rush to his sister’s rescue, the thirty-meter distance coupled with the obstructive black fog caused him to be a crucial half-beat too late!
Ye Qingwan felt the foul wind and freezing murderous intent breathing down the back of her neck. She wanted to activate her Water Shield, but the distance was too close, leaving only a fraction of a second to condense her star orbit!
Danger was inches away!
At that life-or-death moment, a tall figure in a black uniform with golden trim suddenly rushed forward like a streak of brilliant gold lightning!
It wasn’t Lin Feng!
It was Xie Zhaoyuan!
The usually taciturn Light-element youth, who always quietly stood at the outermost edge of the formation to absorb the initial shockwaves for his teammates, had at this moment erupted with a speed far surpassing his usual limits!
He cared not what he would face. In the mind of this steadfast guardian, the sole command deeply engraved in his bones was: Never let anyone harm the teammates behind my back!
“AAAAAARGH!!!”
Xie Zhaoyuan let out a scream that tore his vocal cords!
He didn’t hesitate to burn away every remaining drop of magic energy in his Light Star Nebula, draining every last bit of spiritual power in his mental sea! His entire body burst forth with a brilliant radiance like a miniature sun descending upon the mortal realm!
He spun around, using his own massive body to shield Ye Qingwan, crossing his arms before his chest and roaring the ultimate defensive incantation:
“Light Fall Shield—Myriad Saint Armor!!!”
“CLANG... BOOM!!!”
A thick cruciform light shield, carved with resplendent golden divine runes, materialized mid-air, intercepting the entirety of the opponent’s sneak attack!
Yet, the despicable Western scum’s assault was no ordinary magic!
“HISSSSS... HISSSSS... CRACK!”
The dozens of “Rotting Bone Magic Thorns” emitted a sickening hiss upon colliding with the Light Shield, sounding like acid melting flesh. The corrosive venom combined with Edward’s eerie green flame instantly burned huge holes across the surface of the luminous shield!
“CRACK... SNAP... SHATTER!!!”
The light shield Xie Zhaoyuan had conjured with all his might and life force held firm for barely two short seconds before shattering into countless sparkling optical debris!
The terrifying earth-venom shockwave and residual toxic flames didn’t dissipate, slamming like a thousand-pound sledgehammer straight into Xie Zhaoyuan’s unprotected chest!
“PUFF!!!”
A crisp, horrifying sound of breaking ribs echoed eerie through the black fog!
Dark, pitch-black blood carrying a pungent toxic stench spewed from Xie Zhaoyuan’s mouth and nose, splashing across Ye Qingwan’s snow-white lapel. The Eastern youth’s tall frame flew backward like a broken kite in a storm over fifteen meters, crashing heavily into the jagged basalt cliffs behind before dropping into the muddy swamp!
“Zhaoyuan!!!”
Ye Qingwan screamed in heart-rending agony. Disregarding the surrounding danger, she rushed over and collapsed beside Xie Zhaoyuan, her trembling hands cradling her teammate’s head.
Before her eyes, Xie Zhaoyuan had completely lost consciousness. The young man’s face was turning cyan, hideous black veins spreading rapidly from his swollen chest up to his neck and face, signaling that the Rotting Bone venom was frantically devouring his meridians and internal organs. His breathing was so faint it was nearly cut off, and dark blood continued to gush in large gulps from the corners of his mouth.
“No... no... Water Crystal Resurrection!” Ye Qingwan panicked as she chanted spells, pouring all her Water-element healing power to halt the venom, but this taboo magic venom was far too vicious, smoking pitch-black the moment it touched the healing currents and backfiring against her own spiritual power!
The black fog gradually dissipated.
Only then did the full three hundred thousand spectators in the stands clearly witness the scene on the field: a Shenzhou competitor lay unconscious in a pool of dark blood, his chest caved in massively, his life hanging by a thread!
Yet, not a single sigh of pity escaped the stands.
Instead, hundreds of thousands of Westerners simultaneously stood up, cheering and applauding uproariously as if celebrating a great victory! Whistles and triumphant, mocking laughter rang out ceaselessly: ”Well fought, Edward!”, “Take down a few more!”, “Those weak Eastern scum only belong on the ground!”...
Chief Referee Morel leisurely strolled down on his floating platform. He merely glanced briefly at the dying Xie Zhaoyuan, completely ignoring the pitch-black venom traces on the victim’s chest and the prohibited toxic glove that Moritz quickly hid behind his back.
Morel raised one hand, casually blew a short whistle, and declared in a cold, emotionless tone:
“Legitimate technical collision within the competition boundary! Competitor Xie Zhaoyuan of Shenzhou is incapacitated! Shenzhou has one minute to remove the injured person from the field, the match will resume immediately after!”
No penalty card.
No disqualification.
A brutal assassination attempt using a toxic prohibited artifact aimed straight at a fatal kill, in the mouth of this Western referee, turned into a “legitimate technical collision”!
Shamelessness, injustice, and degradation had reached their absolute peak!
Ten paces away, Edward and his four Western teammates stood with arms crossed, arrogantly throwing their heads back in loud laughter. Edward even stepped forward, grinding his mud-soaked heel into the rock right in front of Ye Qingwan, spitting on the ground, and shaking his middle finger in blatant provocation:
“Hahaha! Look at this piece of trash! Daring to stand out as a hero saving the beauty? Pity that the bones of you Eastern vermin are too brittle! This is just the beginning; in another minute, I’ll snap the bones of every single one left standing!”
“YOU BASTARDS!!!”
An utter roar of extreme fury tore open the sky!
Ye Lingtian had completely lost his mind!
His eyes were bloodshot, the innate pride of 魔都’s (Modu’s) number one genius never having been trampled and humiliated to this extent! All space within a thirty-meter radius around him violently warped and deformed, thousands of invisible vacuum blades howling to shred the basalt rock into fine dust!
Beside him, Han Yue likewise erupted with towering killing intent. Her long hair fluttered in a blizzard, a massive, razor-sharp ice lotus of dark iron rising beneath her feet as the temperature across the entire rock island plummeted toward absolute zero!
They no longer cared what the regulations were! They were ready to pay the price of permanent disqualification, of being charged with violating international magic laws, just to tear these five Western beasts into pieces right on the spot!
“Stop.”
Just as the destructive fury of Ye Lingtian and Han Yue was about to erupt, a low, flat voice echoed.
The sound wasn’t loud, but it struck like a thousand-year glacier right into the boiling minds of the two.
Lin Feng had stepped forward.
The eighteen-year-old youth’s face showed not the slightest ripple of emotion at this moment. No angry roaring, no blatant aggression.
Yet if anyone peered deep into his eyes right then, they would tremble with dread: those pitch-black eyes had turned into a bottomless, dark abyss burying the destruction of all things. It was the terrifying stillness of a Demon God moments before a great purge!
Lin Feng crouched down beside Xie Zhaoyuan. He gently placed his index finger on his teammate’s glabella, transferring a pure stream of golden light from the Primordial Dragon Pendant. The formidable ancient life-force energy instantly sealed off the Rotting Bone venom ravaging Xie Zhaoyuan’s heart and lungs, preserving a precious thread of life force for him.
Lin Feng raised his head, looking at the Shenzhou medical team and Gu Xiaowei running onto the field with tear-filled eyes.
“Take Zhaoyuan out. Take good care of him,” Lin Feng spoke, his voice gentle yet as steady as mountains and vast oceans.
“Lin Feng... you must make them pay with their lives!” Gu Xiaowei sobbed, her hands shaking as she lifted the stretcher to carry Xie Zhaoyuan off the battle stage.
Ye Qingwan stood up, her entire body still trembling with grievance and heartache, her gaze staring at the Westerners filled with burning hatred.
The iron cage doors of the arena barrier closed once more.
On Black Sand Rock Island at this moment, only the three remaining Shenzhou members, the five Western opponents, and referee Morel standing with a disdainful smile remained.
Ye Lingtian gritted his teeth audibly, stepping forward parallel to Lin Feng with lightning howling fiercely around his hands: “Lin Feng, don’t stop me! Even if I die in this match, I’ll break Edward’s neck with my own hands!”
Han Yue stepped forward as well, her voice piercingly cold: “I’ll seal their retreat paths, you guys attack.”
Yet, Lin Feng slowly raised his right arm, blocking horizontally in front of Ye Lingtian, Ye Qingwan, and Han Yue.
He slowly took three steps forward, standing alone and imposing on the boundary line between the two teams.
The sea breeze whipped the hem of the Shenzhou youth’s black overcoat with golden trim. Beneath his feet, individual grains of black sand began to tremble slightly, floating upward into the air. Deep within his body, the two peak Star Nebulas of Lightning and Fire along with the Primordial Dragon Pendant simultaneously awakened, emitting deep, muffled roars like ten thousand chariots rolling deep beneath the earth.
Lin Feng didn’t turn back, but his voice rang out, as freezing as the million-year snows of Kunlun peak, clearly pinning itself to the soul of every teammate behind him:
“Han Yue, Qingwan, Ling Tian... step back.”
He paused for a beat, the corners of his lips curling upward into a chilling arc as monstrous killing intent erupted, shaking the entire space:
“This match... I will handle these sewer rats all by myself!”