As Crimson Rose Academy entered the arena, Blazing Academy's team was just returning from their match. Unsurprisingly, all of them cast their gazes in Crimson Rose's direction. Among them, Huo Wu's sharp eyes instantly locked onto Li Chang'an.
What unsettled her was that Li Chang'an was also looking back at her — with an expression that almost seemed like admiration.
'Scoundrel!'
The word sprang to Huo Wu's mind. Surrounded by so many pretty girls, and yet he had the nerve to look at her? She clenched her teeth. 'I'll teach him a lesson!'
As they passed, she deliberately shouldered into Li Chang'an.
But how could he be unprepared? He shifted his shoulder forward just enough to meet hers head-on. The timing was perfect. Huo Wu lost her balance and stumbled forward, her body falling directly toward him.
At the last possible instant, Li Chang'an reached out like a gentleman, catching her when she was only an inch from his chest. His tone even carried a touch of irritation.
"What do you think you're doing?"
To bystanders, it was obvious what had happened. Huo Wu had intentionally picked a fight, then nearly fell — only for Li Chang'an to catch her. Yet she could say nothing to refute it, and the humiliation burned in her chest.
His voice immediately raised the tension. Crimson Rose's girls were already poised to strike, while Blazing Academy's members glared furiously back.
The Blue Sunshine Academy team, watching nearby, stopped in their tracks to enjoy the spectacle. Their expressions showed pure schadenfreude, as if ready to step in just to stir more chaos.
Li Chang'an said evenly, "If you're looking for trouble, we'll gladly oblige."
Huo Wushuang's eyes blazed. He knew this wasn't wise, but as Blazing Academy's captain, if he backed down now, how could he command respect later? Just as he was about to lash out, Huo Wu grabbed his arm.
She threw Li Chang'an a fierce look. Her mind replayed the moment just now, when her body had been only an inch from his. Biting her lip, she snapped, "We're leaving."
Without waiting for reply, she dragged her brother toward the resting area.
Crimson Rose's team remained calm, but the Blue Sunshine members looked visibly disappointed. A fight between Blazing and Crimson Rose would have been against the rules, but even a skirmish would have drained their energy — giving Blue Sunshine a major advantage.
Li Chang'an resumed leading his team forward. As they walked, he said casually to Blue Sunshine's captain, "You must be disappointed we didn't start fighting."
The Blue Sunshine captain looked older than most contestants — almost thirty. If not for the strict age rules of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament, Li Chang'an might have suspected he was overage. Compared to him, Li Chang'an himself truly was a fresh-faced youth.
The captain only gave a cold snort, refusing to look at him, and strode past with his head held high.
Li Chang'an merely smiled and kept moving. As both teams entered the arena, cheers erupted across the stands.
And, of course, none of those cheers were for Blue Sunshine Academy. As one of the round's featured matches, Crimson Rose had once again been placed on the central main stage. They had already become regulars there.
"Crush them! Wipe them out! Crimson Rose forever!"
"Twelve in a row! Twelve straight victories!"
The audience roared, their chants echoing across the arena.
High above, the professional commentator focused on the two teams.
"In the third round of Day Twelve, Crimson Rose Academy will face Blue Sunshine Academy. Blue Sunshine currently has eight wins and three losses. With that record, they still have a chance to advance. However, compared to Crimson Rose, their strength is clearly lacking. After all, in previous battles against stronger academies, they consistently fell short."
"Today, against Crimson Rose, the question isn't who will win — the outcome is already clear. The real question is: how long can Blue Sunshine endure under Crimson Rose's assault?"
His words were merciless. As a commentator, he held no personal bias — he merely reflected the expectations of the crowd. And at this moment, all of the audience's support belonged to Crimson Rose. His sharp phrasing only pushed the atmosphere to new heights.
The effect was immediate: the crowd grew even more frenzied. Tickets for the preliminaries had already doubled in price since the opening day, and hype like this only fueled the excitement further.
But his commentary also stoked fury — both from Blue Sunshine, written off as hopeless, and from Blazing Academy, who had just returned to the rest area still seething with resentment.
In the rest area, Huo Wu lashed out, kicking a chair across the room.
"They're too arrogant!"
Her shoulder still ached faintly. Worse, Li Chang'an's collision hadn't just struck her shoulder — it had grazed the side of her chest as well. The dull pain mixed with an indescribable tingling, leaving her more frustrated than ever.
For the first time in her life, she had been that close to a man other than her brother. Since childhood, no one had ever hit her. Even in training duels, as a control-type master, she had never suffered such a clash. Her hatred for Li Chang'an now burned to the extreme — and yet, beneath it, a strange and unwelcome thought lingered.
Reading the room was important. But some people simply lacked the skill — such as a certain member of Godwind Academy.
Seeing Blazing Academy return, Feng Xiaotian's heart surged with hope after Huo Wu's words the day before. He hurried over with a broad grin, eager to ingratiate himself.
"Huo Wu, what's wrong? Who upset you? Tell me, and I'll teach them a lesson!"
Huo Wu shot him a withering glare. "You did."
"Me? Huo Wu, you're joking, right?"
"How is it a joke?" she snapped. "If your academy had already faced Crimson Rose and beaten them, would we be suffering this humiliation now? Didn't you hear what that commentator just said?"
Feng Xiaotian raised his hands. "Alright, alright — blame me, then. But that commentator was just playing to the crowd. Don't take him seriously."
Huo Wushuang interjected coldly, "Crowd-pleasing or not, he wasn't wrong. And just now, that brat Li Changsheng deliberately rammed into my sister."
"What?" Feng Xiaotian nearly leapt to his feet. "Huo Wu, where did he hit you? Show me!"
"Get lost!"
Meanwhile, on the central stage, the combatants were in position. At the referee's signal, matches across all five platforms began simultaneously.
The opening spectacle — when spirit masters release their martial souls together — was always the most dazzling moment. Soul rings shimmered into existence, martial spirits erupted in unique forms, and the dazzling display sent the audience into a frenzy.
Crimson Rose drew the loudest gasps. Not only did Li Chang'an bear two ten-thousand-year rings, but Zhu Zhuqing also possessed one. To the audience, such soul rings were the very symbol of strength. No one regarded Li Chang'an as a mere two-ring master anymore.
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T/N:
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