Chapter 134: The First Round of Competition

"The opponent is... an Ice-element mage?" Ling Meng said, staring at the screen.

When Bai Shengye saw the name of the opponent, a sharp, hidden pain pricked at his heart, though he did not let it show.

"Qianxue, from the Ice and Snow clan of the Snow Region..."

"You are both from the Snow Region, so this match will surely be interesting!" Ling Xiaolei said with anticipation.

Heiyu, meanwhile, noticed Yixin's opponents: "The other side comes from the Thunder family, but... they are both at the late stage of the Mage rank. It seems they are a team from another school; I can confirm they aren't the group we ran into in the lobby."

Yixin also stared at the names on the screen: "I only regret that I didn't meet them in the first round; otherwise, I would have beaten that arrogant brat into the ground." He turned to Shen Zaiguo and said, "You have wings and a wider range of movement, so you handle distracting the opponents while I focus on the main assault."

"Understood," Shen Zaiguo nodded.

The broadcast speakers in the room chimed: "Will the first group of contestants please proceed to the arena, and will the second group please prepare..."

Yixin and Shen Zaiguo left together, and Heiyu said to Ling Xiaolei, "Let's go to the arena to prepare."

To everyone's surprise, the others followed as well.

"It’s not that we don't trust you; we are a team, after all, and we want to cheer you on," Ling Meng said.

"Teacher Yunlan, your health isn't the best, so you should stay in the lounge and wait for us," Yixin suggested.

"Since it’s the first match, we should all go down and watch from the spectator stands."

"As our class monitor, you must set a good example for our Holy City Magic Academy," Bai Shengye said, patting Yixin on the shoulder.

"Count on it."

Yixin, brimming with confidence, strode toward the arena.

As the two teams for the first match entered, the spectator stands erupted with thunderous shouts and cheers once more.

The arena floor trembled under heavy footsteps as a giant contestant walked onto the stage. Standing three times the height of an ordinary human, with arms as broad as city walls, he immediately drew every eye in the house. Sitting upon his shoulder was an Ice-element female mage.

Heiyu and the others arrived at their spectator seats and sat down to watch.

The host exclaimed excitedly: "The first duel features the Snow Giants and an Ice-element mage from the Snow Region, versus—two Wood-element mages from the Southern Forest!"

"What kind of monsters are these?" Ling Xiaolei sighed upon seeing the towering stature of the giant.

The arena floor was made of a special material designed to absorb stray mana, preventing easy destruction. Furthermore, a special transparent magic array circled the spectator stands, protecting the audience from the fallout of the battle.

The Snow Giant pounded his fists against the ground as a display of power; the arena shook, yet it remained intact, proving its resilience. The two Wood-element contestants had barely stepped onto the stage before they were turned pale by the sight of the giant, their legs trembling beneath them.

"No need to watch, the Snow Giants have already won," Yixin said. "They’ve been intimidated by the sheer pressure before the fight even began; what’s left to contest?"

As he predicted, once the battle commenced, the Snow Giant’s offensive swept through like a gale, relying on the overwhelming advantage of his massive frame to unleash astonishing power.

Every swing of his arms, every sweeping blow, and every heavy hammer-fist caused fatal damage to his opponents.

Whether the two Wood-element mages unleashed restraining vines or offensive treants, everything was shattered instantly, leaving them no way to parry.

Combined with the freezing and slowing effects cast by the Ice-element mage on the giant’s shoulder, the Wood-element mages retreated step by step, finally conceding just before they were encased in a sheet of ice.

The battle was pulse-pounding, leaving the audience drenched in cold sweat, fearing the Snow Giant’s attacks might maim the Wood-element mages. Fortunately, the two conceded in time and walked off the stage, crestfallen.

Yixin didn't pay much attention to the fight, instead discussing tactics with Shen Zaiguo. Bai Shengye opened his medical kit, laid out his bottles and jars, and selected two refined elixirs to hand to Yixin and Shen Zaiguo.

"These are mana-amplifying potions. Drink them now; they will take effect just in time for your match."

"Thanks," the two nodded gratefully and downed them.

According to the tournament rules, if one of the six participating members is an apothecary, the other team members are permitted to supplement their strength with potions prepared by that apothecary.

Generally, it is believed that apothecaries cannot use magic and thus cannot serve as combatants. Therefore, having an apothecary on the team is not necessarily an advantage, as if the overall strength is lacking, even superior recovery capabilities will only result in defeat.

Moreover, among intermediate mages, even those who pursue the path of an apothecary usually lack high-level skills, and the potions they produce offer little in terms of augmentation.

Yet, Bai Shengye was an exception. Possessing high attack power while being able to concoct elixirs with effects far exceeding those of his peers, he was the team's most solid pillar of support.

Furthermore, most magic academies typically choose Light Elves for support, as their skills are instantaneous, unlike an apothecary’s potions, which require time to take effect after consumption and are cumbersome to carry.

But in Yunlan’s mind, the core support of this team was not Ling Meng, but Bai Shengye. He looked at his students with quiet confidence, thinking:

"Bai Shengye’s true value will only be revealed in the later stages of the competition. When the contestants in the finals are physically exhausted, the presence of an apothecary will show just how astonishing a team's endurance can be..."

Bai Shengye’s potions included not only mana, strength, and speed boosters but also rapid-healing and stamina-recovery draughts. This was why Yunlan had once called him the trump card of the Holy City team.

"Yixin of the assault class, Heiyu who has mastered space-time arts, Ling Xiaolei of the control class, the all-rounder Shen Zaiguo, the instant-healer Ling Meng, and Bai Shengye, who serves as both a primary force and a lifeline for his teammates."

His gaze swept over the six of them, and he couldn't help but marvel:

"These children are rare, once-in-a-generation prodigies. As long as they maintain the tacit cooperation they displayed during training, winning the championship should be a certainty..."

The first match, due to the vast disparity in strength, ended in a rush. It was time for Yixin and Shen Zaiguo to take the stage.

"Let us welcome the second pair of contestants—to the arena!" the host announced with great passion.

"On the right side of the arena—from the Holy City Magic Academy, the Fire-element mage Yixin! And the Dragon-clan warrior, Shen Zaiguo!"

Yixin and Shen Zaiguo walked onto the stage one after the other. Shen Zaiguo appeared a bit shy, waving at the audience on either side. All eyes were focused on her, drawn in by her adorable smile:

"Huh? Such a cute girl? Are they kidding? How old is she? Can she even fight?"