The mentors immediately reported this situation to the higher-ups, who then announced their order.
The tournament was to continue.
Now, the mentors couldn’t do anything else. They could only wish these contenders all the best and if they actually lost a limb or two, they had no one to blame but themselves.
Lin Jin evaded the Wind Blade and flicked his fingers. The coiled wire needle shot at Yang Jie.
But the latter was enwrapped in a gust of wind so the coiled wire needle couldn’t even get close to its intended target.
Yang Jie had clearly learned a lesson from his first clash with Lin Jin. It was perhaps Ye Yuzhou’s idea as well. Since Lin Jin had a mysterious skill, they would build up defense from the start so no matter how discreet his opponent’s skill was, it would be futile.
Another wave of Wind Blades came crashing down.
Lin Jin could only evade his attacks. If this kept up, things would turn bad for him.
“Since you’re casting an enhancement on yourself, I’ll just break it!” Lin Jin certainly didn’t know any superior spells like the one Yang Jie was using right now.
Lin Jin had only ever researched two spells.
One was Fire Spirit Possession.
The other was Spell Negation.
Lin Jin had put in extra effort when learning Spell Negation. Not only did he learn a ton from Xue Bao’er after discussing the spell with her, but he had also researched an enhanced version.
He narrowly escaped Yang Jie’s second wave of attack before taking aim at Yang Jie.
“Spell Negation!”
Immediately after the spell was cast, an invisible force crashed into Yang Jie.
As if he had suffered a dull punch, his enhancement spell shattered in the blink of an eye. The gust of wind around Yang Jie dispersed; the wings on his back were stripped away. And so, Yang Jie fell from midair, crashing heavily onto the ground.
All that talk about elegance, grace, striking handsomeness, and whatnot was gone without a trace with this fall.
His forehead started bleeding when he impacted the ground.
However, Yang Jie had a strong physique so he simply leaped up with a hostile gaze.
That was too embarrassing.
As if he had been stripped naked in public.
Also, Yang Jie was just as shocked. He knew about Spell Negation as well but it was such a difficult spell that it was rarely successful. Moreover, he was confident that he was immune against Spell Negation so how could Lin Jin succeed in one go?
But facts were facts. Yang Jie didn’t think too much about it nor did he dare to. After jumping back on his feet, he pointed ahead and invoked the Index Energy Blade, Third Style.
“Rainbow Blade!”
Lin Jin didn’t hesitate either. He flicked out another needle.
The next instant, Lin Jin was pushed back three steps by the Index Energy Blade before falling to the ground. Yang Jie was also stung by the coiled wire needle and he instantly felt his chest ache before his entire body went numb.
He couldn’t move.
Yang Jie was frightened but he forced out a laugh. Although he couldn’t move, he was still on his feet. He also had absolute faith in his last attack. Even if Lin Jin didn’t die, he must have suffered extensive injuries.
“Lin Jin, you got what you deserved!” Yang Jie said through gritted teeth.
He wanted to forcefully regulate the spirit energy in his body to dispel the numbness but to no avail. Not only did this strange paralyzing effect remain, but his countenance even shifted before vomiting a mouthful of blood.
He was hurt.
And badly hurt at that.
Just then, Lin Jin who had fallen to the ground stood up.
Yang Jie’s eyes were wide as saucers as if he had just watched a dead man being resurrected from his grave.
Grimacing in pain, Lin Jin removed a protective plate from underneath his robes.
This was something he paid a hefty sum for a blacksmith to make yesterday. It was made with the toughest metal there was on the market. Lin Jin knew his shortcomings well. His pet beast was strong and his pulse-seeking technique was amazing.
That was all.
He only excelled in these two aspects so Lin Jin thought since Yang Jie could gravely injure him with just a single finger the last time, it would be prudent to get some sort of protection this time.
Just like how Yang Jie had used the gale around him to block off Lin Jin’s coiled wire needle. Lin Jin didn’t know any superior spells like that so he had a sturdy protective plate made for this sole purpose and wore it around his torso. And sure enough, this thing came in handy at the most crucial moment.
The protective plate had a huge dent in it. It was so deep that it was almost pierced through. If was fortunate that Yang Jie had cast his Index Energy Blade, Third Style from a distance and he was still a ways away from mastering the skill. Had it been Ye Yuzhou who performed it, forget one protective plate, even three wouldn’t have saved the target’s life.
Meanwhile, Lin Jin was barely injured so he was definitely much better off compared to Yang Jie.
The disciples around were gaping while the mentors exchanged glances. The rules did not prohibit the use of protective armor.
Hence, Lin Jin did not do anything that could be considered foul play.
“Lin Jin, you’re despicable.” Yang Jie was practically going mad with fury. He was still stunned by the coiled wire needle and couldn’t move. As if falling out of the sky was not bad enough, whatever spell Lin Jin had used against him made his condition even worse.
Lin Jin patted his clothes and glanced at Yang Jie. “Are you not willing to surrender?”
Yang Jie yelled, “Lin Jin! If you have the guts, come at me like a real man. You’re just being a coward by relying on these underhanded tactics.”
Lin Jin couldn’t be bothered.
Yang Jie’s attack earlier had been too powerful. If Lin Jin wasn’t wearing the protective plate, he would have been seriously injured if not dead. He wasn’t planning to waste time on pointless chit-chat, so he threw a punch at his opponent
It was a square punch on Yang Jie’s nose.
Yang Jie immediately felt a mix of feelings take over as his chiseled nose began to bleed.
Rather than stopping, Lin Jin just pressed him to the ground and began raining down punches until Yang Jie’s face was black and blue all over. But Yang Jie was a tough guy. Despite being beaten up this way, he refused to surrender.
Lin Jin was getting tired of hitting him.
He retrieved the coiled wire needle. Otherwise, just by moving it through Yang Jie’s veins and into his heart, with a twist, he could easily turn Yang Jie into a corpse.
But this wasn’t Lin Jin’s goal and it wasn’t necessary. Also, he had to show Old Ye some respect too. Back when he was up against Snake Country, Old Ye had stood firmly on his side so Lin Jin had to encourage him somehow. It would be inappropriate to kill his disciple in public this way.
“Still not surrendering?” Lin Jin’s knuckles were starting to ache. Yang Jie’s eyes were swollen until they were the size of coin slits but he remained silent.
Lin Jin understood his intention.
Yang Jie was trying to rely on his pet beast to make a comeback. The guy must be thinking if his white peacock could defeat the fire wolf, he still had a chance at victory.
In theory, this was correct, but in reality, the white peacock didn’t stand a chance.
Lin Jin’s beast appraisal skills were now profound enough. Even without relying on the Museum of Deadly Beasts, he could appraise most beasts himself. When he judged the white peacock, despite the creature’s intimidating aura and its Rank 4 status, its foundation wasn’t stable. From the peacock’s eyes, he could see that it was barely able to regulate its own blood and internal energy. This meant that it was relying heavily on some type of medicine. The clues couldn’t have been any more obvious. There was a faint, yet distinct odor of medicine lingering on its body.
Using Xiao Huo’s evolution as an example, after consuming the Five Elemental Fire Pill, the medicine should have been integrated into the pet beast’s body and no longer be traceable. But it was different for Yang Jie’s pet beast.
Lin Jin deduced that it must have consumed a pill that had a grade that far exceeded the peacocks. In other words, the pill’s effects were too strong. Pills weren’t judged based on how powerful they were. Suitability was the more important factor.
It had to be compatible with whoever consumed it.
Otherwise, reckless consumption of medicine would bring more harm than cure.