Chapter 10 — From Ruins to the Dharma Lord's Throne

The Starlight Magic Academy's Annual Tournament is the biggest event of the year, attracting not only the academy's students and professors but also representatives of great houses from across the continent, who come to observe and scout for future talent. The giant circular arena is located in the middle of the Tinh Quang plateau, surrounded by dozens of floors of exquisitely carved stands, packed with people right from the early morning of the opening day.

Dịch Phàm stood in the waiting area for candidates, feeling the tension spreading throughout the space. Around him were familiar and unfamiliar faces—geniuses from different famous families, each with confidence and pride honed through years of expectation and formal training.

"Look, isn't that the one who awakened the Chaos Origin Spiritual Root?" A voice rang out nearby, not hiding its contempt. Dịch Phàm turned around and saw a tall young man, wearing a cloak embroidered with a delicate badge, looking at him with challenging eyes. "I am Miên Khánh Vũ, from the famous Mien family. I heard that you have been receiving a lot of attention recently, but I wonder if that reputation is commensurate with your strength."

"We'll know when we face off in the ring," Dịch Phàm replied, undeterred by his opponent's arrogant attitude.

Miên Khánh Vũ frowned at his unexpected calmness, then smiled faintly and turned away without saying anything more.

The tournament was held in a knockout format, with dozens of rounds taking place over the course of three days. In the first round, Dịch Phàm faced off against a relatively weaker contestant, and thanks to the techniques that Tuyết Nhi had honed over the past several weeks, he won convincingly, making many spectators in the stands marvel at the flexible coordination between the elements he demonstrated.

But in the third round, he had to face a much more formidable opponent - Nhan Tịch Dao, a young woman with a strong Fire spirit, from a small but ambitious family, famous for her hot-tempered personality and uncompromising fighting style.

"I heard you're an orphan from the Poor Institute," Nhan Tịch Dao said as the two stepped out into the middle of the ring, her eyes as fiery as her own spiritual roots. "I don't care what spiritual roots you have. On this stage, there are only the strong and the weak."

"I agree with you," Dịch Phàm replied, stood in the playing position, took a deep breath to stabilize his spirit.

The whistle blew, signaling the start of the match. Nhan Tịch Dao didn't waste time, immediately summoning a small rain of fireballs, shooting continuously at Dịch Phàm at breakneck speed. He quickly summoned an earth shield to block it, but the heat of the fireballs still made the shield shake violently, and some cracks began to appear on the surface.

"Is that all?" Nhan Tịch Dao shouted, continuing to press, her fireballs getting bigger and faster.

Dịch Phàm gritted his teeth, remembering what Tuyết Nhi taught - don't just passively defend, find a way to convert your opponent's energy into your own advantage. He concentrated, letting the flow of Water energy in his body blend with the earth shield, creating a thick layer of mud capable of absorbing and cooling the heat of the incoming fireballs.

This unexpected tactic caused Nhan Tịch Dao to pause for a moment, unable to react when Dịch Phàm counterattacked, summoning a strong wind that swept away fine dust particles, creating a small tornado aimed straight at her. Nhan Tịch Dao hastily erected a wall of fire to defend herself, but the dust tornado successfully reduced her vision for a few precious seconds.

Taking advantage of that opportunity, Dịch Phàm rushed forward, combining all five streams of energy in one final blow — not to cause great damage, but to create an energy wave strong enough to knock the opponent out of the ring, following the rules of the academy tournament that victory did not necessarily require serious injury to the opponent.

Nhan Tịch Dao was pushed back out of the limited circle of the ring, the whistle sounded signaling victory for Dịch Phàm. Cheers from the stands echoed throughout the arena, many people could not hide their surprise at the impressive performance of a new student who joined the Main District for less than two months.

On the stand reserved for academy officials, Director Hầu Đạt Sơn nodded with satisfaction, while next to him, a guest from another famous family whispered to his colleague. "That orphan's progress is frighteningly fast. In just a few months, he can use it so flexibly. This is not a simple matter."

Nhan Tịch Dao stood up, brushed the dust off her cloak, her eyes looked at Dịch Phàm with an indescribable complexity - no longer the initial contempt, but a reluctant respect mixed with a bit of curiosity.

"You are stronger than I thought," she said, her voice was still a bit tough but not as harsh as before. "We'll meet again next time."

Before entering the semi-finals, Dịch Phàm had a short rest in the waiting area for contestants. He sat down, closed his eyes, and reviewed what Tuyết Nhi had taught him about Miên Khánh Vũ's fighting style - attacking aggressively, not giving the opponent a chance to breathe, but tending to be so confident in his superiority that he sometimes overlooked small details in defense.

"Remember," Tuyết Nhi's voice rang in his ears in his memory, from the last practice session before the tournament, "arrogant people often have only one blind spot — they don't believe they can lose. Let him believe that until the last moment."

In the semi-finals, Dịch Phàm had to face Miên Khánh Vũ himself - the arrogant teenager who had provoked him before. This battle was much more fierce than the previous ones, as Miên Khánh Vũ possessed a powerful Kim spiritual root, summoning sharp blades flying throughout the air with incredible speed and accuracy.

"Do you think just having the rare Primordial Spirit Root is enough to defeat me?" Miên Khánh Vũ shouted in the middle of the match, his blades continuously forcing Dịch Phàm into a defensive position. "I have been training my Metal spiritual roots since I was five years old. Your techniques, no matter how potential they are, cannot compare to my many years of actual combat experience!"

Dịch Phàm had to admit, those words were not completely wrong. He still lacks actual combat experience compared to geniuses who have been well-trained since childhood. The match lasted for a long time and was tense, the two continuously exchanged intense attacks and defenses, sweat drenched both of them under the harsh sunlight of the arena.

Finally, after a long battle, Dịch Phàm realized the weakness in Miên Khánh Vũ's fighting style - he was so confident in his attack power that his defense was somewhat vulnerable. He decided to gamble, pouring all his remaining energy into a cleansing attack combined with physical strength, penetrating his opponent's sword energy barrier in a short moment.

The attack caused Miên Khánh Vũ to lose balance and fall out of the ring during the whistle signaling the end of the match. He lay on the arena floor for a while, panting, his eyes looking up at the sky with disbelief, as if he couldn't accept that he had just lost to a guy from the Institute of Destitution. The auditorium erupted in passionate cheers, and in the stands reserved for the academy officials, Principal Hầu Đạt Sơn smiled with satisfaction, while Nhạc Vĩnh Tuyên's eyes darkened, containing a worry whose reason only he understood.

Dịch Phàm stood in the middle of the arena, panting but filled with pride. He had advanced to the final round, an achievement that no one, including himself, had dared to dream of just a few months ago.

Tuyết Nhi ran from the contestants' stands, her eyes bright. "You did it! I knew you could do it!"

"It's all thanks to you forging me," Dịch Phàm replied, a tired but genuine smile on his lips. "Without those tough training sessions, I don't think I would have been able to survive until the semi-finals, let alone the finals."

"Your opponent in the final round will be a teenager from the second most famous family on the continent," Tuyết Nhi announced, her voice becoming serious. "It is said that he possesses extremely sophisticated Water spiritual roots, and has participated in many actual battles outside the academy. You need to prepare carefully for this final match." Dịch Phàm nodded, clearly feeling the pressure on his shoulders, but also feeling a new confidence that he had never had before. He had come a long way since the days when he was a baseless and despised person at the Ho Chi Minh Institute, and he had no intention of stopping here.