Chapter 353: Monsters Who Learn From Each Other
Complicated expressions emerged on the faces of the referees and medical masters.
Ayrin had already managed to surpass himself.
However, it was not going to be enough for him to clear the challenge.
"What?"
But at this moment, all of them gasped in shock as powerful arcane energy fluctuations appeared around Ayrin once more.
Countless tiny drops of water began to condense around Ayrin at an alarming rate, encompassing an area around him!
"Is this a domain? He still has enough arcane particles to invoke a domain?" Leonardo exclaimed.
"World of Water!"
Within the cube of clear water, Ayrin deliberately slowed down his movements. Yet his face showed that he was more focused than ever.
He wanted to see if Black Ayrin, which was right next to him, was still able to invoke skills while within his domain.
An arcane energy fluctuation rippled from Black Ayrin's body.
In response, Ayrin's movements abruptly accelerated once more. Bubbles appeared in the water as his right fist burst through the water towards Black Ayrin and struck it.
Black Ayrin staggered as the arcane energy fluctuation around it abruptly disappeared.
"This domain is too weak! It's unable to completely isolate us from the arcane energy outside it!" Ayrin realized immediately. However, World of Water, which he had learned from the Black Witch's remnants, was the only taboo domain which he currently could invoke.
Indeed, he could clearly sense Black Ayrin still receiving arcane energy while within World of Water. However, it was much less as the arcane energy fluctuation earlier was much weaker. World of Water had successfully obstructed some of the arcane energy.
Black Ayrin was dependant on receiving this arcane energy, which was produced by the domain Ayrin had been directed to, to use skills.
"What should I do next?"
Ayrin's barrage of fists and kicks had begun to rain upon Black Ayrin once more, preventing it from invoking skills as Ayrin gradually accumulated arcane particles.
Before long, he had enough to invoke another skill, but he temporarily could not think of any skill which could cause fatal damage to Black Ayrin.
But another problem arose first. As Ayrin had no skills for breathing under water, he quickly began to asphyxiate, causing him to experience symptoms of dizziness, headaches and weakness, among others.
"Do I have to withdraw from World of Water?" Ayrin quickly realized that he would be unable to continue down this route.
Right at this moment, an image of his battle against the Allen Brothers appeared in his mind.
It was a situation like his current one. He, Stingham and Rinloran had been trapped in water and rendered unable to breathe.
At that time, there had been countless droplets of water trying to invade their bodies as well, causing them to pale and expand until they were on the verge of bursting.
"Water Rendering Boundary!"
Ayrin's body trembled inexplicably.
His battle against the Allen Brothers had been his closest call with death. If not for Lotton's appearance, he surely would have died, along with Stingham and Rinloran.
As a result, he had an incomparably deep impression of this battle.
"If I can use this skill… if I can make so many droplets of water invade its body, perhaps I will be able to defeat it!"
No one enjoyed thinking about their close calls, but at this moment, as this idea entered Ayrin's mind like a bolt of lightning, Ayrin couldn't help but try his best to recall his senses at that moment to perceive the situation - to perceive the Water Rendering Boundary!
Ayrin's face slowly turned purple. His head felt as if it was about to split and his chest burned as if it was on fire. He could feel life slowly draining out of every single one of the particles which made up his body.
But this sensation of death also caused his recollection of the Water Rendering Boundary to become increasingly clear.
"What is Ayrin trying to do?!"
"Should we step in?"
"If this continues, he will suffocate and die within the next ten or so seconds!"
Looks of horror appeared on the faces of all the referees and medical masters.
"Still not willing to give up?"
"Could it be that you still have other methods to try defeating this crystal demon?"
Clancy and Leonardo both gulped.
After what had happened earlier, they knew very clearly that these six monstrous children of Holy Dawn Academy were willing to put anything on the line for victory, including their lives.
Thus… if another ten seconds passed and nothing happened, they would stop the battle.
"Am I about to drown to death?"
"After so long… water has started seeping through my pores into my body… this feeling!"
Ayrin fiercely raised his head, revealing his bloodshot eyes.
The sensation he had previously felt while breaking down the droplets of water invading his body into arcane particles and water emerged in his mind.
"Water Rendering Boundary… so it's like this!"
"Die!" Ayrin roared within the cube of water.
"Sploosh!"
His body was like a meteor as it erupted from within the water. Simultaneously, a domain energy began to ripple within the water as arcane energy began to fluctuate intensely around his body.
"What's this? Such a strong arcane energy fluctuation! Is he using Holy Gate of Life again?!"
"How can he use Holy Gate of Life twice?!"
"This… it's another domain?"
"By relying on Holy Gate of Life, he has barely managed to invoke this domain. And it is also water related! Just what domain will it be?!"
As Ayrin burst forth from the water, the referees and medical masters broke into chaos as they let out cries of shock and began to breathe once more.
The moment Ayrin stopped his barrage of strikes, arcane energy immediately began to fluctuate around Black Ayrin. But at the same time, countless tiny droplets of water which were near invisible to the naked eye penetrated into its body at an alarming rate.
These invading droplets of water quickly began disrupting the complex structure of black crystal particles within its body.
The arcane energy around it immediately dissipated.
"Bingo!"
"This domain is its kryptonite!"
As Ayrin gasped for air, a radiant and warm look of joy appeared in his eyes.
"This is the Water Rendering Boundary of the Kingdom of Doa's Tranquil Water!"
"Tranquil Water died within Fallen Shadow Valley… how could Ayrin have learned it?!"
Leonardo was at a complete loss for word.
Meanwhile, Black Ayrin's body quickly swelled.
After but a couple moments, cracks began to appear on the surface of the black crystal demon as water seeped out.
The crystal demon had completely lost the ability to move as it floated motionlessly in the water, its body continuing to swell.
"Bang!"
To the shock of the observers, the crystal demon abruptly exploded, sending water everywhere.
"Is it over? Or will it reform?"
A look of excitement, as well as tension, appeared on Ayrin's face as he continued to pant heavily.
He watched as black crystal shards followed the water and gently returned to the ground where they immediately melted back into drops of black liquid.
These drops of black liquid quickly expanded until they returned to their initial crystal form, reforming the dense cover of black crystals which Ayrin had seen when he first arrived.
The disappearance of the crystal demon caused an imbalance in arcane energy, disrupting the domain. A part of the curtain of light disappeared.
Behind the gap in the curtain of light was a slightly opened bronze gate similar to the ones he had seen before.
"I passed?"
Ayrin didn't hesitate at all as he immediately shot towards the gate.
"He passed?"
"Even after taking the wrong path at the start and pushing his body beyond the limits… he was still able to make this breakthrough and use it to obtain victory!"
"He actually won!"
Even after watching the entire fight, the referees and medical masters still couldn't believe the result.
……
Rinloran's hands were on his knees as he gasped heavily for air.
The crystal demon before him abruptly vanished from his sight.
Rinloran moved as his body flickered and appeared on the other side.
"Bang!"
Blinding flames exploded at his previous position.
The emotionless crystal demon facing him slowly sheathed the slender flower longsword in its hand.
Until now, there had not been any real clash between Rinloran and his doppleganger crystal demon as they flitted around at extreme speeds like ghosts. Not a single attack had landed on either side.
However, Rinloran was slowly consuming his energy. At some point, he would not be able to keep up.
But there was nothing he could do. He was unable to land a strike. Even a skill like Moonlight Erosion… had been copied by the crystal demon and negated.
An even colder and serious look appeared atop Rinloran's face as he icily muttered, "I can only try this…"
Afterwards, he immediately held his breath.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" …
His body disappeared once more as he and the crystal demon seemingly transformed into two incorporeal ghosts.
Rinloran's face quickly turned purple.
"Hissss!"
A loud hiss escaped his mouth and nose as he inhaled.
It was as if he was trying to suck in all the air around him.
His speed abruptly increased by another level.
"Boom!"
For the first time, Rinloran and the crystal demon became entangled in an exchange.
The flower longsword in Rinloran's right hand collided with the crystal demon's longsword as Rinloran's foot smashed into the crystal demon from below, sending it staggering backwards.
"Success!"
Flames of joy and excitement appeared in Rinloran's cold eyes.
"Moonlight Erosion!"
His entire figure melded into a streak of icy blue swordlight.
"Crack!"
A sword tip carrying intense vibrations and radiant flames pierced into the crystal demon's chest.
The slender flower longsword began to break as a dazzling light entered the crystal demon's chest and began to spread throughout its body at an alarming rate.
"Crack!"
The entire crystal demon abruptly shattered.
"Rinloran also won!" A medical master shouted in shock.
It was right after Ayrin had finished his fight as he was rushing towards the exit.
"What?!"
Clancy, Leonardo and the others all turned their heads just in time to watch Rinloran's crystal demon disintegrate.
"Two already… a trial like this and already two have achieved victory."
"These geniuses of Holy Dawn Academy are true monsters. Only one more needs to pass and they will achieve victory for this match."
The referees and medical masters shuddered as they subconsciously turned their gazes towards the crystal ball showing Chris' battle.
……
"If it were Ayrin, what would he do?" Chris pondered as she looked at the crystal demon facing her. Like the others, it had completely copied her appearance and characteristics.
She didn't have the incredible endurance of Ayrin, and so she was beginning to feel tired.
However, she had the best fighting sense and combat skills amongst her peers, as well as the best coordination and usage of strength during battle. Her constant training, which was several times harder than a normal person's, had also conditioned her mind and muscles, causing many of her reactions to be reflexive and the perfect response.
It was because of all this that Liszt had pulled her aside and bluntly told her that if she continued to train as she did, she would experience extremely slow progress over the next several years and be left behind.
She simply had already trained her body and technique to the limit, making it very hard for her experience any further breakthrough.
Thus, it was actually more difficult for her to defeat her crystal demon than anyone else.
However, her determination and thirst for victory was also unmatched!
"What else is Ayrin better than me at?"
As this thought appeared in her mind for the dozenth time, her eyes abruptly lit up.
Chris grit her teeth.
"This will be very painful!"
"But only by enduring will I be able to achieve victory!"
"Come!" Chris roared in her mind.
"Boom!"
As she shot forth towards the crystal demon, the bandages which were wrapped tightly around her hand abruptly burst followed by the emergence of a horrific arcane energy fluctuation.
In the central plaza, the crystal sphere airing Chris' fight abruptly dimmed.
"Chris is using Dark Destruction Dragon!" Several of the referees exclaimed.