To show respect to Salas and the tournament committee—and to soften public backlash over the injuries inflicted on Blue Sunshine—Crimson Rose Academy announced on the following day that they would forfeit their next two matches to give their team ample time to "recover."
Since the furor over turning seven opponents into invalids had not yet died down, stepping back was wiser than standing in the eye of the storm.
Thus, Crimson Rose's unbeaten streak came to an end on paper. Ironically, the two opponents drawn for those days were Godwind Academy and Thunder Academy, both powerhouses.
If Thunder felt fortunate, Feng Xiaotian of Godwind certainly did not. A win by forfeit did nothing to cool Huo Wu's anger, and he had still not personally defeated Li Chang'an—meaning his "win the beauty" plan remained on hold.
The preliminaries blazed on. When Crimson Rose returned, their strength had not dipped as some spectators had predicted; they resumed their march and soon reached the end of the twenty-seven-round preliminaries. Only one round remained.
Current standings near the top:
Thunder Academy: 26 matches, 25 wins (their sole loss was to Godwind Academy).
Godwind Academy: 26 matches, 25 wins (their sole loss was to Blazing Academy—an outcome made… easier by a certain someone's strategic leniency).
Shrek Academy: 26 matches, 23 wins.
Blazing Academy: 26 matches, 23 wins.
Skywater Academy: 26 matches, 23 wins.
Elephant Armored Academy: 26 matches, 21 wins.
Crimson Rose Academy: 26 matches, 24 wins.
Although one round remained, the qualifiers were essentially set: Thunder, Godwind, Shrek, Blazing, Skywater, and Crimson Rose.
The Elephant Armored Academy, one of the Five Elements schools, had lost to all six of the top teams and was out of contention.
In the final round, the top teams—Thunder, Godwind, Blazing, and Shrek—faced weaker opponents and were expected to win.
Crimson Rose, however, drew Skywater Academy—a match Li Chang'an had been looking forward to. The result would decide their preliminary ranking. If Crimson Rose won, they would secure third place. If Skywater won—especially with their earlier victory over Blazing—they could leapfrog Crimson Rose.
To maximize excitement, the organizers scheduled the top six teams plus Elephant Armored in the same block for this last-day showcase, with Crimson Rose vs. Skywater designated as the center-stage main event.
There were fourteen matches each day, split across three rounds. With elimination already settled and this being the last day, the first two rounds finished quickly as eliminated teams had little left to fight for.
In the resting area, the Five Elements academies, Shrek, and Crimson Rose waited quietly, along with four "supporting-cast" schools.
Li Chang'an stood at the front with Hu Liena, awaiting the opening signal. He anticipated the match—no, not for Skywater's famed beauty ranks (certainly not!)—but for the test of strength. Hu Liena, unable to compete today, remained calm.
Looking back over the preliminaries, genuine trouble had only come from Elephant Armored, Blazing, and Blue Sunshine—with the latter resolved by Li Chang'an alone. They had skipped Godwind and Thunder due to the forfeits; the rest of the schedule had been manageable.
The result of today's match would not affect qualification, but no one intended to hold back. Only by clashing with other spirit masters could they truly grow.
As the final round drew near, a figure slipped over, eyes first sweeping the Crimson Rose girls before landing on Li Chang'an with thinly veiled envy.
"Brother Li, last round today—give it your all!"
It was Feng Xiaotian, captain of Godwind Academy.
Xiao Wu frowned. "You again? Got anything new to say?"
Indeed, ever since Crimson Rose defeated Blazing, Feng Xiaotian had come over before almost every round to "cheer them on." Aside from Li Chang'an, the others still couldn't fathom his persistence.
After the usual greetings—and Xiao Wu's customary barbs—Feng Xiaotian turned away, leaving a chorus of eye-rolls behind him.
Not far from Crimson Rose, a group of young women watched them closely.
"Big Sis, that Li Changsheng is really handsome…"
The speaker was a petite, fresh-faced girl with an oval face and short, ink-green hair—one of Skywater Academy's seven main fighters. All seven wore blue uniforms and, as everyone knew, Skywater's standards were strict.
Among the Five Elements schools, requirements varied. Elephant Armored began with body weight—over three hundred kg—only then considering martial souls. Others focused on elemental attributes: Blazing required fire, Skywater required water.
But Skywater's admissions were the strictest:
1. Girls only.
2. Only beauties.
To their credit, they were the only Five Elements academy open to commoners—just like Shrek—so their roster mixed backgrounds, though all were girls…and all were striking.
The green-haired junior seemed to be the youngest among the seven, still a bit baby-faced.
"Seventh-Sis, when did you turn into such a fangirl? Planning to go easy on him later?" teased a red-haired, oval-faced teammate.
"Tch, as if. He screams playboy. Look at all those beauties around him."
"Enough," another girl said, voice calm and steady. "The match is about to begin. Crimson Rose is difficult to handle. Since the start of the prelims, they've effectively never lost—Elephant Armored and Blazing both fell to them. Beating them won't be easy."
"We're already through to the finals, yes. But if we lose today, we'll be on the back foot in momentum when we meet again. So we go all out."
Compared to the previous two, this speaker's tone was composed. She didn't seem to be the oldest—perhaps even the youngest—but the moment she spoke, the other six straightened, eyes respectful.
She stood around 1.65 meters, with a balanced figure—neither exaggeratedly voluptuous nor small. Long, water-blue hair fell down her back; fair skin and delicate features did not stun at first glance, but the more one looked, the more her beauty unfolded—soft, misty, and refined.
She was Shui Bing'er, captain and unquestioned "Big Sister" of Skywater's team. Rankings at Skywater were based on strength, not age. Though young, she commanded sincere respect.
Soon, both teams were called to the arena for the final showcase.
As Skywater and Crimson Rose entered together, the entire Heaven Dou Great Arena erupted. Final day, final round—and a stage filled with renowned beauties on both sides. Ticket prices had soared to several times the usual rate, yet it was still impossible to get a seat.
_____
T/N:
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