A day later, Crimson Rose Academy welcomed their twelfth opponent.
This time, Li Chang'an's excitement surpassed even the thrill of facing Blazing Academy. Their twelfth rival was not one of the Five Elements Academies—it was Blue Sunshine Academy.
And why was he so eager? Naturally, because this academy was connected to the teacher who had once "gifted" him both a soul bone and a skill. Moreover, this battle carried the possibility of witnessing the legendary Seven-in-One Fusion Technique. How could he not be excited?
With less than half an hour before the match, all teams had gathered in the waiting area. Crimson Rose would not fight until the third round, so they rested together in their usual corner.
Their eleven-match winning streak had long since silenced all mockery. At the start of the preliminaries, they were dismissed as a joke. Now, they stood out like a crane among chickens. Eyes watched them from all directions, but few dared to approach.
In the world of spirit masters, strength was everything—and this truth held even among academies. Crimson Rose carried an aura of mystery: they never sent out more than six fighters, yet every opponent had been crushed.
At the center of it all was Li Chang'an, the spirit master with two ten-thousand-year rings. He had become the hottest contender for the "Most Valuable Spirit Master" title, holding nearly half the total votes by himself. Behind him were Zhu Zhuqing and Tang San, the so-called child of destiny. Unless someone could defeat him, the award was already as good as his.
But who among these young competitors could possibly overcome a two-ring master of ten-thousand years?
This time, Li Chang'an convened the team meeting. Though he already knew the truth, he could not reveal too much. He simply reminded them of the peculiarities of Blue Sunshine Academy.
"Don't dismiss Blue Sunshine as useless," he said solemnly. "Look at their record. They've only lost three matches so far—against the Elephant Armored Academy, Thunder Academy, and Godwind Academy. But they've won every other battle. Right now, their ranking is even above Elephant Armored."
To everyone's surprise, Ye Lingling followed his words. "You mean Blue Sunshine Academy might be hiding their strength?"
"Not might," Li Chang'an corrected, "they are. Don't forget, when we were still at Shrek, some of us had already clashed with them. We must be cautious."
The rare severity in his voice made the girls straighten in earnest.
Just then, a cheerful voice interrupted. "Hey, you're from Crimson Rose Academy, right?"
They turned to see a young man in teal team colors, handsome and smiling warmly as he approached.
Li Chang'an frowned. "Yes, that's us. And you are?" Though he asked, he already guessed.
The youth chuckled. "I'm Feng Xiaotian. Maybe you haven't heard my name, but don't worry—you'll know it soon enough. I just came to cheer you on. Make sure you beat Blue Sunshine Academy!"
The girls exchanged curious looks. His uniform marked him as a member of Godwind Academy.
There were twenty-eight teams in the preliminaries, and everyone wanted to win. Few made friendly contact with rivals. This was the first time anyone had openly shown goodwill toward them.
Li Chang'an smiled. "Don't worry. We'll handle it."
'So it really is Feng Xiaotian. Did Huo Wu pass him the task of defeating me?.'
Feng Xiaotian laughed. "You're Li Chang'an, right? I believe in your strength. But be careful. We've fought Blue Sunshine before."
He lowered his tone. "Their overall strength looks average, but when we faced them, it felt like they weren't using their full power. As if they were hiding something. So don't lose—not until you fight us. Alright, I'll let you rest."
He left as quickly as he came, his words leaving Crimson Rose's members bewildered. Except for Li Chang'an, none could understand what he really meant—or why he would encourage them.
Back with his teammates, Feng Xiaotian grinned.
"Captain, where did you go?"
"I went to cheer for Crimson Rose," he replied without hesitation.
"Cheer for them? Captain, you represent Godwind Academy. Everyone's watching—"
Feng Xiaotian spread his arms proudly. "So what? As long as I win the beauty's heart, everything else is just clouds."
One teammate asked, "What does cheering for Crimson Rose have to do with winning a girl?"
"Of course it's related!" Feng Xiaotian said seriously. "Don't you remember? Huo Wu promised that if I defeat Li Chang'an, she'll be my girlfriend. But if someone else beats him first, what if she accepts their pursuit instead? So until we fight them ourselves, Crimson Rose must not lose. That's called precaution."
His teammates stared speechlessly at his smug expression.
Meanwhile, outside the waiting area, the cheers of the crowd surged louder. Every shout was for the favored teams most likely to advance.
To ensure excitement, the organizers rotated appearances across different rounds. Only when two top-tier teams were scheduled against each other, as Crimson Rose and Blazing had been the day before, did two giants collide in the same slot.
Li Chang'an stood quietly, eyes narrowing on Blue Sunshine Academy gathered in the far corner. He was already considering his strategy.
Soon, the first two rounds concluded. It was time for the third.
Crimson Rose and Blue Sunshine walked out side by side. Each side stared the other down.
Where Crimson Rose carried calm confidence, Blue Sunshine's seven fighters radiated cold hostility. Their eyes burned with resentment, as if they wished to tear Crimson Rose apart.
Their teacher had disappeared after vowing to "deal with Li Chang'an." He had never returned. They believed he had been killed. Naturally, their hatred ran deep.
Seven men, clad in pale-blue uniforms, strode forward with restrained killing intent. Each radiated the air of practiced fighters.