Chapter 601

Lin Yuan knew very well that he was no genius—at least not yet. He had a clear understanding of himself.

Compared to Mo Fan, whose cultivation speed was astonishing, or Zhao Manyan and Zhang Xiaohou, who possessed innate gifts, or even Ai Jiangtu and Mu Ningxue, who were considered true elites, Lin Yuan was just an ordinary student from a general magic institute.

His starting point was low, his talent was ordinary, and he hadn't received special cultivation from any major clan or organization.

He relied solely on the "Strengthening System" to gradually elevate himself. His current strength was the result of diligently improving every aspect of his magic.

After obtaining the strengthening system, he began to actively pursue every opportunity to gain resources. He worked tirelessly to complete missions and earn money, all to strengthen his own magic.

His magic was the product of immense effort, a foundation built brick by brick. His control over it had reached an extremely high level of precision.

For example, when casting a spell, others might only be able to control their magic output with a certain degree of accuracy, say to within 10%. Lin Yuan, however, could achieve an accuracy of 1%.

This was the terrifying aspect of his strength.

When an Intermediate Mage cast a Fire Burst spell, they might cause a small explosion with a diameter of about three meters. However, Lin Yuan could condense that power into an explosion just one meter in diameter, focusing all its might into a single point.

The destructive power concentrated in that one-meter area would be far greater than the dispersed three-meter explosion.

In essence, Lin Yuan was not a genius, but rather someone who could maximize the effectiveness of every bit of magic power he possessed, achieving output levels far beyond what an average mage could.

Moreover, his abilities were incredibly comprehensive.

He cultivated all seven elements: Fire, Ice, Lightning, Earth, Wind, Light, and Water. Each of these elements had reached the Intermediate level.

With the Strengthening System, he had refined each element's control and power to their utmost.

This was also why he wasn't worried about his mana reserves. His magic power was constantly being regenerated through the system, and his control over it was so precise that he could cast spells continuously without much drain.

A single fireball from Lin Yuan contained destructive power equivalent to three ordinary fireballs. This was the terrifying reality he presented.

Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, fixing on Liu Xuan.

In his perception, Liu Xuan’s Wind Elemental magic was constantly circulating, preparing for something.

"Ice Lock!"

Lin Yuan didn't hesitate. His finger pointed forward, and the ground immediately froze, creating sharp ice spikes that lunged toward Liu Xuan.

"Wind Track!"

Liu Xuan was agile. With a gust of wind, his body shifted rapidly, deftly dodging the incoming ice spikes.

"Hmph, typical ice mages, always so slow," Liu Xuan sneered, a hint of disdain in his voice.

He had engaged in countless duels and was highly skilled in evasion. While Ice magic was potent, its slow speed made it easy to evade.

"Flame Burst!"

As Liu Xuan dodged, Lin Yuan raised his hand, and a fiery meteorite shot towards him.

A slight grin touched Liu Xuan's lips. "Trying to predict my movements? Not so fast!"

His body twisted again, preparing to dodge. However, just as he was about to move, he felt an unexpected resistance.

"What?" Liu Xuan's expression changed instantly.

His feet, which were about to shift, were firmly stuck to the ground, as if glued in place!

A faint layer of ice had imperceptibly spread across the ground, and though it looked thin, it clung to his feet like a magnet.

This was a new technique Lin Yuan had devised. By utilizing his incredibly precise control over Ice magic, he could create an ultra-thin layer of ice just beneath the surface, trapping his opponent without them even realizing it until it was too late.

Liu Xuan struggled, but his feet remained fixed. He could only watch as the fiery meteorite hurtled towards him.

"Wind Protection!"

With no time to dodge, Liu Xuan quickly erected a barrier of wind around himself.

Boom!

The fiery meteorite slammed into the wind barrier, erupting in a violent explosion.

Liu Xuan was engulfed in flames, his body sent flying backward, rolling several times before crashing into a tree.

"Cough! Cough!"

He struggled to get up, coughing uncontrollably. His face was blackened, and his hair was singed. His uniform was torn in several places, revealing the faint glow of a magic shield underneath, which had protected him.

However, the force of the explosion had clearly injured him.

"You... you cheated!" Liu Xuan accused, his voice hoarse.

"Cheated? I used Ice magic. What's cheating about that?" Lin Yuan scoffed.

Liu Xuan was stunned. He knew Lin Yuan had used Ice magic, but he hadn't sensed it at all. It was as if Lin Yuan had manipulated the ice to be completely imperceptible.

Such precise control was simply unbelievable!

"You're not simple at all," Liu Xuan said, his previous disdain replaced by caution.

"Ice Chain!"

Before Liu Xuan could recover, Lin Yuan unleashed another Ice spell. Several chains made of solid ice shot out, wrapping around Liu Xuan's body and binding him tightly to the tree.

Liu Xuan struggled fiercely, but the ice chains tightened around him, making it impossible to move.

"How is this possible?!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

Normally, ice chains were easily broken with a burst of wind magic, but these chains felt as strong as steel, completely immune to his attempts to break free.

"Don't waste your energy. My Ice magic isn't something your Wind magic can easily break," Lin Yuan said calmly.

Indeed, his Ice magic had been significantly strengthened, giving it an unparalleled level of hardness and tenacity.

"Now, the match is over." Lin Yuan raised his hand again, aiming a fireball at Liu Xuan.

A look of despair flashed across Liu Xuan's face. He knew he was trapped and couldn't escape.

Just as the fireball was about to strike, a powerful gust of wind suddenly erupted from the referee's side.

"Stop!"

A figure appeared between Lin Yuan and Liu Xuan, raising a hand and instantly dispelling Lin Yuan's fireball.

It was the referee.

"Lin Yuan wins!" the referee announced, a hint of awe in his voice as he looked at Lin Yuan.

His speed and the decisive way he had handled Liu Xuan had impressed the referee greatly.

Lin Yuan retrieved his magic, and the ice chains on Liu Xuan immediately melted away.

"You... how did you do that?" Liu Xuan stumbled forward, his face still etched with shock.

He couldn't fathom how he had been so completely dominated by Lin Yuan. He had used all his strength, but it had been utterly useless.

"You're too weak," Lin Yuan simply stated.

Liu Xuan gritted his teeth, his face a mix of shame and anger. He wanted to retort, but the crushing defeat had left him speechless.

Lin Yuan turned and walked off the stage.

The students in the audience were still reeling from the shock.

"He won! Lin Yuan won! And he won so easily!"

"That's terrifying! Liu Xuan didn't even have a chance to retaliate! He was completely suppressed!"

"Lin Yuan is a true powerhouse! I never knew he was this strong!"

The entire audience erupted in excited chatter. Lin Yuan's overwhelming victory had thoroughly ignited their passion.

Liu Xuan, after recovering from his shock, stood on the stage, his face pale and his body trembling slightly.

He had thought he was strong, one of the elite. But in front of Lin Yuan, he was nothing more than a child.

Lin Yuan's strength was beyond his comprehension.

Not only had Lin Yuan trapped him with imperceptible ice, but his subsequent attacks had been incredibly powerful. Liu Xuan had been completely unable to break free from the ice chains.

He now understood that the gap between him and Lin Yuan was immense.

Lin Yuan's name, which was previously unknown to him, was now deeply etched into his mind.

Lin Yuan, who had just defeated Liu Xuan, didn't feel a hint of excitement. For him, this was just an ordinary victory.

He walked calmly back to his team.

"Lin Yuan, you were amazing! You were so cool!" Mo Fan exclaimed, running over and excitedly patting Lin Yuan on the shoulder.

Lin Yuan just smiled faintly. "It was nothing."

"You call that nothing? You completely crushed him! I thought Liu Xuan would put up a good fight, but he didn't even last five minutes against you!" Mo Fan said, still animated.

"Indeed, Lin Yuan's strength is quite remarkable," Ai Jiangtu chimed in, a rare look of admiration in his eyes as he assessed Lin Yuan.

Ai Jiangtu was renowned for his strength, and his words carried weight. For him to praise someone meant that person truly possessed exceptional ability.

Lin Yuan's performance had indeed caught his attention. Lin Yuan was clearly far stronger than he had initially estimated.

At this point, Ai Jiangtu was certain that Lin Yuan's strength rivaled his own. Perhaps Lin Yuan was even stronger than him.

This realization startled Ai Jiangtu. He was the captain of the national team, the strongest among them. Yet, Lin Yuan had managed to surprise him with his hidden strength.

Everyone else was also praising Lin Yuan.

"Lin Yuan, you're too modest. That was a truly impressive victory," Mu Ningxue said, a rare smile gracing her lips.

Lin Yuan nodded. "Thank you."

"Hey, Lin Yuan, what kind of Ice magic was that? Why couldn't Liu Xuan break free?" Zhao Manyan asked, his curiosity piqued.

Lin Yuan explained, "It's a combination of precise control and enhanced magic. My ice is much harder and more resilient than ordinary ice."

"Amazing!" Zhao Manyan exclaimed, his eyes wide.

Zhang Xiaohou, sitting nearby, was equally amazed. "That was truly incredible, Lin Yuan. I still can't believe how easily you won."

Lin Yuan simply smiled without further explanation.

His strength was the result of the Strengthening System. It was a secret he couldn't reveal.

With the first match concluded and Lin Yuan's easy victory, the next match was about to begin.

The second match featured Jiang Yu of the Chinese team against a student from the American team.

Jiang Yu was a talented Earth Mage who specialized in defense.

"Earth Shield!"

"Rock Barrier!"

Jiang Yu quickly erected multiple layers of earth defenses around himself.

His opponent, a student from the American team, was a powerful Fire Mage.

"Flame Whip!"

"Fiery Meteorite!"

The American student unleashed a barrage of fire spells, but Jiang Yu's earth defenses held firm, blocking every attack.

The match became a stalemate, with the American student attacking furiously and Jiang Yu defending flawlessly.

After nearly ten minutes, the American student's mana began to deplete, and his attacks weakened significantly.

Jiang Yu seized the opportunity. "Earth Wave!"

He slammed his hand onto the ground, causing a massive wave of earth to erupt and surge toward the American student.

The American student tried to dodge, but the Earth Wave was too fast and wide. He was engulfed by the wave and sent flying out of bounds.

"Jiang Yu wins!" the referee announced.

The Chinese team had won both of their initial matches! This brought great morale to the team.

Following Jiang Yu's victory, the third match was between another member of the American team and a student from the British team.

The competition continued, with each country's representatives showcasing their unique abilities.

After three hours, the preliminary rounds concluded, and the results were announced.

The Chinese team had won all four of its preliminary matches, securing their place in the next stage.

Lin Yuan, Mo Fan, Jiang Yu, and Ai Jiangtu had each won their respective matches.

Their dominant performance surprised many of the other teams. They hadn't expected the Chinese team, which had previously been considered an underdog, to perform so well.

The Chinese team's strength became the subject of much discussion.

"Our team has really improved a lot this year!" Mo Fan exclaimed, his face beaming with joy.

Lin Yuan nodded. "Indeed. Everyone's hard work is paying off."

"We'll need to stay focused. The next rounds will be even more challenging," Ai Jiangtu reminded them, ever cautious.

The team rested that night, preparing for the more intense battles to come.