Chapter 270: Blazing Fire and Divine Wind
Tang Hao and Ning Fengzhi made vastly different decisions on the same night, yet Han Li remained unaware of either. In fact, he didn't even bother attending the tournament the next day.
After helping the girls relay some messages, Han Li went straight back into cultivation. The night before, while celebrating Zhu Zhuqing's victory, he had sensed an imminent breakthrough. After a night of cultivation and the entire morning, by midday, he finally stepped into level 79.
Feeling the surge in his strength, Han Li was satisfied. The timing was just as he predicted by the end of the tournament, he would break through to Spirit Douluo.
As for the tournament? Who cared? He was just a guest his presence or absence made no real difference. Strength came first.
Besides, nothing particularly interesting had happened so far. Honestly, the matches were getting boring.
"The preliminary rounds are almost over. Qian Renxue should have wrapped things up by now, right?" Han Li muttered to himself.
Of course, he was referring to Yu Xiaogang's situation. Since things had been too chaotic earlier, Qian Renxue didn't act right away.
But now, with the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team suffering another humiliating defeat, it was obvious that Sun Buyu couldn't handle Tang San and his group anymore.
With Yu Yuanzhen around, providing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's influence, and Flender taking the fall for everything, plus Tang San being a key figure of interest, there was a real chance to pull the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan onto the imperial faction's side.
Compared to that, Yu Xiaogang scheming for his student's benefit and getting kicked out was a trivial matter. Winning the redemption match was practically guaranteed.
"By the end of today, it should be settled. Their morale is low, and the real strong teams are still ahead. Xue Ye won't ignore this," Han Li mused.
And as expected, Prince Xue Qinghe had subtly nudged Emperor Xue Ye in the right direction, and Xue Ye was indeed tempted.
After all, Tang San's connection to Yu Xiaogang couldn't be severed, and rather than letting Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan interfere behind the scenes, it was better to keep things out in the open.
More importantly, Yu Xiaogang could be used to maintain good relations with both Tang San and Yu Yuanzhen. At the very least, they were less hostile toward Yu Xiaogang than toward the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Lock them within the empire first that was Xue Ye's thought process.
After all, while Han Li had promised not to actively recruit talent, the final matches would be held in Spirit City. If Tang San ran off on his own, what could they do?
Hmm… It was a good thing Xue Ye never voiced these thoughts aloud otherwise, everyone would probably die laughing.
Regardless, Yu Xiaogang won his redemption match and officially rejoined the Heaven Dou second team.
And with that, Sun Buyu was finally free. The moment he got the news, he bolted not even bothering to say goodbye.
Meanwhile, Han Li, after a full day of relaxation, suddenly decided he didn't want to be a guest anymore.
He threw all his responsibilities onto Salas and gave Emperor Xue Ye a simple excuse he wanted to personally experience the tournament's atmosphere.
Xue Ye agreed without hesitation. Han Li was still young, after all it was normal for him to act a little capricious. Besides, the royal viewing stand was incredibly boring. If he wasn't forced to attend, he wouldn't want to sit there either.
And so, Han Li became a free agent.
If Tianshui Academy had a match, he tagged along, showed his face, and greeted the audience.
If there wasn't a match, he chose cultivation over spectating, making Qian Renxue insanely jealous she wanted that kind of life too.
As the tournament progressed, stronger teams finally started clashing.
And so, early one morning, after finishing his training and preparing to immerse himself in comprehending the laws again, Han Li found himself forcibly dragged to the arena by the girls.
"Who's fighting today?"
Lately, Han Li had been slacking he couldn't even be bothered to check the match schedule.
"Blazing Fire Academy vs. Divine Wind Academy."
Shui Bing'er sighed, giving him a helpless look. She remembered Han Li had specifically mentioned Feng Xiaotian before, yet now he forgot about his match.
"Oh, the Wind Hound Kid?"
Han Li suddenly recalled, replacing certain unpleasant terms with something more neutral.
"I don't think Feng Xiaotian would appreciate that nickname."
Dugu Yan chuckled teasingly. With the tournament in full swing, all the top players had gained some fame and with fame came rumors and gossip. She loved it.
"Whether he likes it or not doesn't matter. As long as he understands it, it's fine."
Han Li replied lazily, now slightly more interested. Both academies were strong contenders it wouldn't hurt to observe.
Who knew? Maybe later on, he'd need to make a move against them though he'd prefer not to.
As luck would have it, the moment their group entered the competitors' waiting area, they ran into today's main players.
Or rather… they ran into two people leading their teams, while the rest followed behind looking utterly exasperated.
Among them, a red haired girl in a golden red uniform brightened upon seeing them. Ignoring the young man beside her, who was still chattering away, she directly shrugged him off and strode toward Han Li and his group.
"She coming for you?" Dugu Yan glanced at Han Li, surprised.
"Don't slander me, alright? I've never even seen her before. She's probably here for Zhu Zhuqing or Bing'er. Hmm, you might have a chance too. Sister Xiu'er and I are probably just collateral damage." Han Li shot her an exasperated look.
If Dugu Yan weren't wearing Tianshui Academy's uniform, the two of them might have looked quite similar both in gold red attire, both red haired. They could almost pass as sisters, and even their temperaments weren't too far apart.
As they conversed, Huo Wu had already arrived in front of them.
"Let's introduce ourselves Blazing Fire Academy, Huo Wu."
Huo Wu showed no hesitation, confidently introducing herself while her eyes carefully scanned the group before her.
"Do we need to introduce ourselves too?" Dugu Yan, appreciating her boldness, responded with amusement.
"No need. I already memorized all of you when you took the stage," Huo Wu decisively shook her head, making it clear she came prepared.
Behind her, the young man who had been talking to her earlier, along with another young man in a similar golden red uniform, had also caught up.
"Blazing Fire Academy, Huo Wushuang."
"Divine Wind Academy, Feng Xiaotian."
"Greetings, Your Highness, Holy Son."
Both men, unlike Huo Wu, introduced themselves first before offering Han Li a respectful nod.
"No need for such formalities, Brother Wushuang and Brother Xiaotian. Since I'm not on the royal stand today, we're all peers here. Just call me Han Li," Han Li replied with a polite smile. They were being respectful, so he naturally returned the courtesy.
Huo Wushuang and Feng Xiaotian exchanged glances and nodded in acknowledgment.
"My sister may have acted presumptuously. I hope you can overlook it," Huo Wushuang quickly followed up, bowing slightly toward the girls.
Hearing this, Huo Wu took a deep breath she had the urge to punch her brother. She had barely said a word, how was that being presumptuous?!
But considering there were outsiders present, she decided to let him off for now. After the match, she'd settle things with him.
"You're being too serious, Brother Wushuang. Miss Huo Wu merely came over to say hello," Han Li responded with a smile before turning to Huo Wu. "If you're looking for Tianshui Academy, they should already be in the resting area."
To his surprise, Huo Wu quickly shook her head. "I'm not looking for them. I've known them for a long time. I'm here for you."
Han Li's eyebrow twitched as he gave Shui Bing'er a look this wasn't his problem anymore. She should handle it.
Since Shui Bing'er had been taken to Spirit City by Han Li at a young age and had spent years there, she hadn't interacted much with Huo Wu. Furthermore, Tianshui Academy had been subtly isolated over the years, so even though she had met Huo Wu before, they were merely acquaintances.
However, among the group, she was still the most familiar with Huo Wu so naturally, she had to step up.
"And what exactly do you need from us, Huo Wu?" Shui Bing'er asked neutrally.
Huo Wu didn't seem bothered by her tone. Instead, her eyes burned with determination as she looked at the girls. "When Tianshui Academy and Blazing Fire Academy face each other, I want you all to be on the battlefield."
Upon hearing this, Han Li's group exchanged glances but weren't entirely surprised. Given what they knew about Huo Wu's personality, this kind of request was completely in character.
"Divine Wind Academy as well though, uh, maybe not the team battle, but at least for the individual matches," another voice suddenly chimed in.
Han Li and the others turned to see that it was Feng Xiaotian.
Feeling their eyes on him, Feng Xiaotian looked slightly embarrassed. Still, he didn't back down, adjusting his request to only the individual matches.
At first, he had followed Huo Wu's lead and wanted them to participate in team battles, but after speaking up, he quickly realized something Divine Wind Academy's team fight wasn't exactly its strongest suit.
Given Zhu Zhuqing's current power, she could probably wipe out his entire team, leaving only him. So, he quickly amended his request to individual battles instead.
Yes, individual matches he still had a chance! He believed in himself.
Shui Bing'er glanced at Han Li but saw that he offered no guidance, simply watching her with a smile.
She thought for a moment before turning to Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian. "You should both know by now that we're not exactly part of Tianshui Academy. You could even say we're just substitutes. So, I can't give you an immediate answer."
"But," she continued, "we can discuss it with our team. Or, if it doesn't affect the tournament results, we could arrange a match afterward. How about that?"
Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and Feng Xiaotian exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with a hint of excitement before nodding decisively.
"That works. We'll wait for your answer."
"Agreed." Shui Bing'er nodded as well.
"Captain! The match is about to start. We need to go back!"
In the distance, the members of both teams called out to them.
"Alright, time to head to the match," Huo Wu said, turning away. But before leaving, she waved at them enthusiastically. "For now, just sit tight and watch what we can do!"
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