The next moment, the soul rings on the two support-type soul masters lit up—especially the striking purple soul ring, which stood out the most.
At the same time, Xiao Tianyang could almost physically feel the temperature around him rising.
"Although my sister disobeyed my orders, she also created the perfect opportunity for me!" Huo Wushuang's voice suddenly sounded from behind Xiao Tianyang.
Of course, his words weren't meant as a warning.
Because by the time the last syllable left his lips, his attack had already slammed into Xiao Tianyang's back!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A series of explosions erupted behind Xiao Tianyang, the flames nearly swallowing him whole!
But the most critical part was the sheer force of the impact—the stone slabs beneath Xiao Tianyang's feet began to crack under the pressure!
At the same time, as if perfectly timed—or perhaps the two support-type soul masters had been holding back earlier—the surrounding flames surged violently the moment Huo Wushuang struck.
Not just around the Blazing Academy members, but the entire arena was engulfed!
A three-meter-high wall of fire blocked everyone's vision, leaving the audience unable to see what was happening inside. Only the occasional sounds of combat or sharp commands could be faintly heard.
Of course, don't misunderstand—this wasn't a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
As Huo Wu had said, this was merely a combination skill.
To put it simply, it was like the concept of the five elemental phases: water nourishes wood, wood fuels fire, fire creates earth, earth bears metal.
But if you wanted to delve deeper, this scene was more like adding fuel to the fire.
Because the previous metaphor only represented mutual generation and restraint.
But this? Flame plus flame—what else could it be but intensifying the blaze?
Even if this wasn't a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the sheer momentum it created was overwhelming!
At the very least, for other teams, this was a nightmare.
Because once this combination technique was unleashed, the biggest unavoidable problem was team separation!
Remember, this was a seven-member team. No matter how strong an individual was, they still relied on teamwork in the end!
But not every team was like Xiao Tianyang's Whitebeard Squad Team, daring to challenge seven opponents alone!
Even someone as strong as Tang San and his team wouldn't dare underestimate the Blazing Academy under these conditions.
After all, the issues others could foresee, they could analyze even more deeply.
They even considered how much of an advantage the Blazing Team would gain in this fiery inferno.
As the saying goes, like a fish in water.
So in this environment, how much would the Blazing Team—all wielding fire-type Martial Souls—grow in strength?
And looking back at the sea of flames before them…
Where was Xiao Tianyang, who had held the upper hand earlier?
Was he defending? Or was he being overwhelmed?
But just as everyone thought Xiao Tianyang stood little chance of winning—
"WHOOSH!"
A figure suddenly shot out like a cannonball, slamming into one of the two support-type soul masters!
"BOOM!"
The entire arena trembled, then split apart—like a cake sliced cleanly into eight pieces!
At the center stood Xiao Tianyang, perched atop a lone stone pillar, gripping Huo Wushuang by the collar.
"Referee."
Xiao Tianyang's voice snapped the dazed off Referee back to reality.
"All members of the Blazing Team have been knocked off the stage! The Whitebeard Team wins!"*
"Whoa—!"
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause, the sheer contrast between before and after leaving them stunned.
It was like drowning in deep water, certain of death—only to suddenly find solid ground beneath your feet.
Ding! Congratulations, Host, for defeating the Blazing Team!
Reward: 276 lottery points!
Xiao Tianyang leaped off the shattered arena, tossing Huo Wushuang at Huo Wu's feet.
"You're a genius," he said coldly. "But the gap between you and us is too vast."
With that, he turned and left.
To be honest, such rewards were nothing more than a drop in the bucket for Xiao Tianyang now.
That was why, over the past month, Saber and the others had taken over most of the battles.
Sure, something was better than nothing—but if the gains were too meager, he couldn't be bothered.
But this was the norm.
After all, if someone asked, "What kind of work do you enjoy?"—a hypocrite would claim passion.
But the real answer?
If I had money, why would I work?
Wouldn't lazing around be more comfortable?
This didn't apply to everyone, but for Xiao Tianyang, lying down was the dream.
Of course, he also knew that behind him, a blade was pressing against his back, forcing him forward.
It wasn't about whether he wanted to—it was that he couldn't stop.
As for whether this would draw attention… Obviously, yes.
But that was exactly what Xiao Tianyang wanted.
After all, right now, he wasn't Xiao Tianyang—he was Edward.
…
Huo Wu stood frozen in place, her beautiful eyes fixed on Xiao Tianyang's retreating figure.
Her emotions were a mix of confusion and complexity.
She wasn't resentful. Nor was she upset by his words.
Because they were the truth—she simply wasn't his match.
And knowing that, how could she cling to false hope?
Huo Wu was a proud girl—that much was true.
She was also stubborn, the type who wouldn't turn back until she hit a wall—also true.
But what if she knew from the start that this wasn't just a wall… but an abyss she could never overcome?
Xiao Tianyang had seen through this.
So he crushed her completely, leaving no room for delusion.
'If you give Huo Wu no hope, she won't chase after illusions.'
As for why he did it… Xiao Tianyang wasn't entirely sure himself.
His actions had been almost instinctive.
But what he didn't realize was that while Huo Wu wouldn't move forward…
She might just fall into the abyss instead.
…
The tournament had to be suspended—the arena was completely destroyed, rendering it unusable.
So despite the teams' frustration, the matches were postponed until the next day.
After leaving the field, Xiao Tianyang dismissed Saber and the others, then slipped into a secluded corner to change.
They reunited at the spot where he'd first met Saber, then walked back together.
As for Fei Xue and Zhou Cheng? They naturally didn't follow Xiao Tianyang and Saber.
With Miao Zhenshan now personally in Heaven Dou City, the siblings had gone to pay their respects.
Rumors said Miao Zhenshan had other plans for them, so they'd been acting separately these past few days.
Xiao Tianyang and Saber returned to Shrek Academy, while Fei Xue and Zhou Cheng went to meet Miao Zhenshan.
But as the two stepped into Shrek's resting area, they overheard heated discussions—many of which involved Edward, Xiao Tianyang's current alias.
Saber smirked. "Seems your influence isn't limited to outsiders. Even Tang San and his team fear you like a tiger now."
"As they should," Xiao Tianyang replied, the corner of his mouth quirking up.
"Besides, they'll have to face the two of us eventually. Just wait—some people are desperate for that showdown."
…
[I've just launched a new fanfiction project titled Protagonist's Mother Is My Wife.
First 30 Chapters: Available for free to everyone.
From chapters 31: Exclusive to Patreon paid members.]
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patreon.com/DarkLord621