The emerald blue water rippled in the enormous pool, with sunlight streaming through the school’s specially designed transparent dome, casting dappled shadows on the water’s surface.
The protective barriers surrounding the arena shimmered with light, preventing participants from escaping and ensuring the spectators’ safety.
The arena was packed, with apprentices of every level filling the circular stands, engaging in lively discussions.
For apprentices who long immersed themselves in harsh cultivation and dangerous experiments, the Bloody Gladiatorial Games were among the rare entertainment venues where one could relax.
The annual gladiatorial feast always managed to attract a large audience.
Some advanced apprentices even spared no expense, spending precious magic stone fragments to enjoy this cruel yet magnificent performance from the front row.
In the center of the pool, a beautifully formed silver-haired sea siren swam leisurely.
Her long fish tail moved elegantly, with each stroke creating perfect ripples, showcasing extraordinary control power.
Her silvery long hair spread out in the water like a splendid silk fabric, her slightly purple-red eyes intently observing her adversary.
Confronting her was a massive blue-skinned merman, standing over three meters tall.
His upper body was covered with hard scale armor, while his lower body was a powerful, sturdy fish tail with fin edges sharp as knives.
At first glance, the size disparity between them seemed as vast as heaven and earth.
The merman wielded a rust-covered trident, his face ferocious and tusks prominent, eyes gleaming with a cruel light.
This was a meticulously modified combat creature, muscles knotted, exuding an uncontrollable desire to kill.
Each tail whip sent up tremendous sprays, demonstrating colossal strength.
"That merman is a rare catch from the ’Salvagers,’ reportedly tearing apart adult demon sharks effortlessly in deep-sea environments."
An intermediate apprentice introduced to his companion on the stands, speaking in a tone filled with expectation:
"I saw it myself in the previous match, where it devoured a sea python in three bites. They say its owner spent several hundred magic stone fragments to buy it."
"And whose combat slave is that sea siren? Seems just an ordinary-blooded sea siren, even quite immature."
The companion questioned, eyes flashing with puzzlement:
"Isn’t this contrast too stark? It’s practically a death sentence."
"The slave of Ron from the candidate wizard sequence."
The intermediate apprentice lowered his voice, a look of awe crossing his face:
"That genius alchemist who started from the sixth-class star, becoming an intermediate apprentice in less than a year. Amazingly, he rescued this little sea siren from a critical state, raising her for less than half a year..."
He paused, adding mysteriously:
"This showdown seems uneven, but I hear insiders are betting on her. In the previous elimination rounds, she’s already taken down three opponents twice her size."
With the referee’s command, the battle officially began.
The blue-skinned merman let out an ear-splitting roar, sending ripples across the water surface as he charged at Dale like an arrow released.
The trident carved a cold gleam through the water, unstoppable.
The size difference was especially evident at this moment, with the merman’s enormous body almost enveloping Dale in shadow.
An ordinary sea siren facing such an onslaught would likely have no chance to flee, being impaled on the spot.
However, there was not a trace of fear in Dale’s eyes, instead revealing a chilling, sinister smile.
Just as the trident was about to strike, her body suddenly twisted bizarrely in the water, as if boneless, easily dodging the fatal blow.
Simultaneously, a strange syllable escaped her lips, with sound waves traveling through the water, forming visible ripples.
"Hula~"
This syllable sounded like some ancient language, carrying peculiar charm.
"Hmm?" The merman was momentarily stunned, his movements visibly slowing, a trace of confusion flickering in his murky eyes.
Dale seized this chance, swimming to the pool’s center, beginning to circle the merman slowly, drawing a perfect circle.
Her silver hair floated in the water, forming a beautiful arc like a graceful ribbon, wrapping around her prey tightly.
The merman snorted coldly, shook his head to disperse the brief bewilderment, and once again raised the trident to launch a ferocious attack.
However, this time, Dale no longer dodged, but met the attack head-on.
Amid the spectators’ surprised gazes, she spread her arms, as if welcoming a hug.
"Is it crazy?" Someone exclaimed from the stands, "Isn’t this courting death?"
At the moment when the trident was about to pierce Dale’s chest.
The water surface suddenly surged, with dozens of water spheres emerging from all directions, precisely striking the merman’s joints and eyes.
The water spheres appeared soft yet were as tough as steel, containing high-concentration acid inside, causing intense pain upon hitting the eyes.
This move was evidently meticulously designed to maximally disrupt the opponent’s actions and vision.
The merman let out a cry of agony, his offensive interrupted.
He blinked forcefully, attempting to dispel the intense stinging sensation.
Dale seized this moment, approaching the merman, but without direct attack, she began to sing.
The sound was like a heavenly melody, spreading through the water, forming an eerie resonance.
Each note seemed to carry magic, causing the entire pool to tremble.
The audience found themselves unwittingly drawn by the song, their thoughts becoming hazy.