Out of instinct, Huo Wu pushed against Li Chang'an's chest to steady herself.
At the same time, Li Chang'an caught her by the shoulders to keep them both from toppling over.
Their faces were suddenly inches apart—so close they could feel each other's breath.
"Be careful," Li Chang'an murmured softly.
Huo Wu bit her lip. Then, without warning, she did something that startled him—though not entirely unexpectedly.
Her arms slipped around his neck, pulling herself closer, and her warm, crimson lips pressed toward his.
Li Chang'an pretended to flinch in surprise, but with her arms wrapped firmly around his neck, there was nowhere to go.
He turned his head hastily, and instead of his mouth, her burning lips brushed against his cheek—soft and warm.
The two of them jolted apart like they'd been struck by lightning.
"What do you think you're doing?" Li Chang'an demanded, feigning both shock and anger.
Huo Wu's breathing quickened, her chest rising and falling rapidly. In a voice barely above a whisper—meant only for him—she said,
"No matter what, that day you saved my life. You didn't have to do that. I never let myself owe anyone anything. That was my first kiss. From now on, we owe each other nothing."
With that, she turned to leave.
But before she could take a step, Li Chang'an's hand shot out and pulled her back into his arms.
"Oh, no you don't," he said lightly. "A life for a kiss? That's a pretty uneven deal. I think I should return it—just to be fair."
Before she could react, his lips brushed hers like a dragonfly skimming water—quick, light, and teasing.
Then, without a word, he turned and walked away.
Huo Wu froze in place, her eyes wide, her heart pounding so hard it nearly leapt from her chest.
Watching his retreating back and replaying his mischievous words in her head, she bit down hard on her lower lip.
What kind of reasoning was that?
She'd lost her first kiss, then been kissed again, and somehow still hadn't repaid her debt!
This was outrageous!
And yet…
To her own surprise, she didn't feel angry. Not even a little.
---
Moments later, from a shadowed corner of the resting area, a figure stepped out.
His face was so dark it looked like storm clouds might pour from it at any moment.
It was Feng Xiaotian.
He stared in the direction where Li Chang'an had disappeared, his fists clenched so tightly the joints cracked audibly.
He had admired Huo Wu for years. Naturally, his attention was always drawn to her.
When he saw her walk off with Li Chang'an alone, curiosity—and jealousy—had gotten the better of him.
He'd followed quietly, careful not to be noticed.
Huo Wu's strength was on par with his own, and Li Chang'an's was far greater.
He hadn't dared get close—just close enough to see.
And what he saw shattered him.
He couldn't hear their words, but he saw the embrace—and the kiss.
He, Feng Xiaotian, who had chased after Huo Wu for so long, had never even touched her hand.
Now the woman he worshipped as a goddess had been kissed by someone else—right before his eyes.
Jealousy surged through him like a tidal wave, crashing again and again inside his chest.
His heart went cold. In his mind, a tiny version of himself knelt in despair, sobbing miserably.
"No—!!"
---
In the following days, Crimson Rose Academy blazed through the tournament, sweeping aside four more teams in succession, including one that had once given them minor trouble during the preliminaries.
With Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, and Meng Yiran spearheading the matches—and Hu Liena occasionally joining in, though only releasing her martial soul without revealing her soul rings—the team became an unstoppable force.
Zhu Zhuqing even achieved a one-versus-seven victory herself.
Her Cat martial soul was of the highest quality, and her fourth soul ring was a ten-thousand-year ring—an overwhelming advantage.
By this point, Crimson Rose Academy had won fourteen consecutive victories, leading the entire Heaven Dou Empire bracket.
Their performance had silenced any doubts: the academy's strength was not carried by Li Chang'an alone.
Among those fourteen wins was a resounding victory over Skywater Academy.
In that match, Li Chang'an personally faced Shui Bing'er, but without their martial soul fusion technique, Skywater's team was far weaker. Zhu Zhuqing easily secured the win after the first round.
With that, Crimson Rose stood undefeated—first place in the Heaven Dou Empire's advancement round.
But this didn't mean their path to glory would be smooth.
The final stretch would be the hardest yet: in three consecutive days, they would face the powerful Godwind Academy, Thunder Academy, and the legendary Shrek Academy.
These were the strongest teams in the tournament.
And this challenge assumed Li Chang'an wouldn't fight seriously—and Hu Liena wouldn't reveal her true strength.
---
"Captain, if you're not going to fight, then let me," Hu Liena said anxiously as they prepared for their next match.
Their opponent that day was Thunder Academy, who had lost only once—against Godwind Academy.
Their overall power surpassed even Blazing Academy's.
Their thunder attribute was devastatingly destructive, far more lethal than fire.
Skywater Academy's water-based martial souls were easily overpowered by their lightning, and Plant Academy had also fallen without suspense.
Only Godwind had managed to defeat them.
"No, Senior Sister," Li Chang'an said firmly. "You'll save your strength for Godwind Academy. I'll handle Thunder."
"Why?" Hu Liena frowned, clearly unconvinced. "There aren't even any pretty girls on that team. What's motivating you this time?"
Li Chang'an chuckled, lifting his hand. "You'll see."
A soft crackle filled the air.
From his palm, a sphere of pure azure lightning gathered—refined, brilliant, and alive.
"This," he said simply, "is ultimate Lightning."
Hu Liena's eyes widened. "You… you've mastered lightning too?"
No wonder the Four Element Academies had been suffering.
Li Chang'an already wielded fire, ice, and now lightning—three of the rarest, most destructive elemental ultimate.
He didn't just counter them—he overwhelmed them.
"Well," he said with an easy shrug, "I've already revealed enough of my cards. What's one more attribute?"
With Ning Fengzhi shielding him politically and the Heaven Dou royal family staying hands-off, he wasn't worried.
Even the Spirit Hall—technically his own faction—posed no threat.
So what if he drew a little more attention?
Still, revealing his lightning attribute might attract the notice of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, especially those who'd witnessed his bidding at the auction.
They'd probably connect the dots soon enough.
But aside from that?
He smiled faintly.
There was really nothing to fear.