Huo Wu was already debating whether she should tone down the power of her soul ability. If Li Chang'an were to perish within those searing flames, would Blazing Academy be judged the loser?
At that moment, something no one expected happened. A clear, composed voice issued forth from the white, blistering fire.
"You asked whether my flames were more authentic than yours. I've asked that once already, yet you remain so naive—so dismissive of my words."
The voice was so familiar, so magnetic, and so arrogant.
Huo Wu's pupils constricted instantly. Huo Wushuang's eyes widened; incredulity shone across his face.
The white, incandescent blaze gradually subsided. The arena floor had melted into a large pit, yet, within the weakening flames, a silhouette stood proudly—hair slightly disordered but otherwise untouched, without even the faintest scent of scorching.
Li Chang'an offered a faint, indifferent smile. He smoothed his hair, folded his arms, and looked at them as if he were an emperor peering down on the world.
Or rather—in matters of flame, he was an emperor.
Boom
The spectator stands erupted as if a kettle had boiled over. Voices rose and fell in a frenzy: supporters of Crimson Rose Team cheered; Blazing Academy's supporters shouted in outrage. But none of it could alter the outcome of the match.
To unleash a grand flame technique before him—did they think they were belittling the power of Ice-Fire Dual attributes, and other immortal herbs.
This was absolute suppression. Their so-called ultimate flame techniques were mere fantasies before Li Chang'an.
When Huo Wu condensed her fourth soul skill, Li Chang'an had already perceived its nature: it relied on oppressive temperature rather than on kinetic impact. Thus, even if three people's worth of fire soul power were concentrated into it—no matter if there were thirty—the result would be the same. Even the flame ability of a Title Duoluo could not incinerate Li Chang'an.
It was over. Everything was over. Li Chang'an had hardly exerted himself; only Xiao Wu and a few others had taken action. From start to finish he had swung one sword, then stood ready to receive a counterstrike.
Yet the victory still belonged to Crimson Rose Team—and the decisive factor was once again Li Chang'an.
"We—con—cede—."
The words of surrender were squeezed from Huo Wu's teeth. Her silver incisors clenched; she fixed her gaze on Li Chang'an. He was only a two-ring spirit master, yet the young man before her—who looked even younger than she—exuded a fathomless presence. He was like a treasure that could never be exhausted: continuously revealing his abilities, piece by piece.
And each time, his opponents fell before that revelation.
Had this been a straightforward confrontation, Crimson Rose Team might have had to exert much more effort. The overall gap in ability—aside from Li Chang'an—was not enormous. Yet through Li Chang'an's orchestration, with minimal expenditure of his own and his teammates' s power, they secured a decisive victory. They had just defeated the second of the Five Elements academies.
If the battle against the Elephant Armored Sect had made Crimson Rose Team known, then this victory had elevated the team's reputation to the peak of the preliminaries. No one any longer doubted that they were the frontrunner for the preliminaries' top spot.
With the referee returning to the platform, both teams reformed their lines. The match result was final—and astonishingly, no one had been seriously injured. Still, the expressions on the contestants' faces had undergone a dramatic transformation.
The seven members of Blazing Academy had lost the confident looks they had worn before; what remained was bitter resentment—especially in Huo Wu. Her large, beautiful eyes fixed on Li Chang'an so intently it seemed she might devour him. She was unwilling—truly unwilling—to accept this outcome.
She had always been the academy's favored prodigy. Among the Five Elements academies, she ranked in the top five—perhaps even the top three. To lose to an unknown opponent, and to be outwitted and outfought, was unbearable.
This defeat struck her hard. Facing Li Chang'an and feeling nearly powerless was an especially agonizing sensation.
"We will meet again. Next time, you won't be so lucky." Huo Wu glared at him with blazing eyes.
Li Chang'an responded with a calm smile. "You are welcome anytime."
Crimson Rose Team: eleven wins, eleven victories. Blazing Academy: eleven matches, ten wins and one loss. Though it was a single defeat, it cost them a place among the true top tier.
"Chang'an, you were absolutely awesome—especially that silhouette walking into the flames. So cool!" Xiao Wu hooked her arm through Li Chang'an's; the effect was immediate, a teasing pressure that made him chuckle.
The other girls watched in admiration. Winning by raw strength would have been impressive enough, but Li Chang'an had won through his command of attribute interactions—this made them truly respect him.
"If only every match could be this easy," Ning Rongrong joked, having known Li Chang'an for the shortest time and thus still discovering new facets of him.
"Rongrong, don't say that. I haven't properly stretched my muscles yet," Hu Liena protested playfully, placing her hand on Ning Rongrong's shoulder. She admitted she was itching for action—but there were worse itches to scratch, and Li Chang'an would help with some of those. In any case, Rongrong's complexion was excellent.
Back in the resting area, Blazing Academy's members also returned. Their resentment lingered, but with the match concluded they gradually calmed.
Neither Huo Wushuang nor Huo Wu could deny the reality: even if they had not been outthought, they still would have struggled to defeat Crimson Rose Team. Li Chang'an's mastery of a higher-level flame created too great a constraint on them.
"Wushuang—we will have our revenge in a few days." As Blazing Academy's members brooded, a low voice sounded nearby. They turned to see a group of contestants in teal uniforms approaching. Silver thread embroidery on the teal contrasted with Blazing Academy's colors; they were the Godwind Academy team, another of the Five Elements schools.
The speaker was Godwind Academy's captain—their team's soul—an adept control-type spirit master named Feng Xiaotian. Though he spoke to Huo Wushuang, his gaze lingered on Huo Wu; the heat in his eyes betrayed him.
Huo Wushuang snorted coldly. "If you can't beat them, does that mean you can?"
Feng Xiaotian chuckled. "Wushuang, you know what I mean. You didn't lose because of strength, but because of attribute suppression. That Li Chang'an simply wields flames at a higher level—otherwise Huo Wu's fourth ability would have already destroyed him.
"However, he has fire—that doesn't mean he has wind. Though Thunderstorm Academy can counter us, they may not be suited to face you. Many matches between spirit masters are decided by attribute matchups. Don't be too dejected."
Hearing Feng Xiaotian's remarks, the faces of Blazing Academy's members brightened a little. At that moment, Huo Wu suddenly spoke: "Feng Xiaotian, do you very much wish to court me?"