[Of course, and I can also analyze things in real time. Like what she's thinking and all that.]
"..."
Murong Ci suddenly felt that his life from now on was going to be a lot of fun.
The dorm arrangements were made that afternoon.
The privileges of a core disciple were on a different level. Most of the academy's resources were directed toward core disciples, including private dorm rooms and top-tier lunches.
[Just a reminder: Huo Wu's current affection for you is mostly driven by her competitive spirit and desire to fight.]
"So... she's brooding in her room right now because she's thinking about losing earlier?"
[You guessed right.]
...Figures...
Huo Wu returned to her room and punched the wall.
"How is this possible?!"
Her chest heaved violently. She was the acknowledged genius of Red Fire Academy, yet today she'd been defeated by a new student who'd only just enrolled?
Her reputation at Blazing Fire Academy would probably take a serious hit from now on.
"I'll win tomorrow!"
Huo Wu said silently to herself. Her pride wouldn't allow her to lose.
At least, not yet.
Huo Wu stayed up all night, getting into peak condition and studying tactics.
[Be ready. Huo Wu is working out the best tactics to challenge you. You can use a little ice then to give her a small shock.]
"Brother System, you're kind of mean too."
[Spend enough time around ink, and you'll turn black.]
"..."
Early the next morning, Murong Ci had barely pushed open his door when he saw a red figure standing outside.
Huo Wu was still wearing the same cropped outfit, arms crossed over her chest, her waist taut.
She looked even more alluring than yesterday.
"Murong Ci, you have to fight me again today."
Murong Ci yawned and leaned against the doorframe.
"Senior Huo Wu, you missed me so early in the morning?"
"Cut the nonsense. Let's go to the Soul Fighting Zone." Huo Wu turned and strode off, her red hair swinging in a sharp arc.
Murong Ci watched her retreating figure, his gaze lingering on the curve of her waist and hips for two seconds.
[Detected: host's heart rate has soared to 120. Somewhere, something is slightly...]
"Shut up!"
[Come on, Xiaoci! Let's give Huo Wu an Ice and Fire Duet today!]
"..."
Sometimes, Murong Ci really felt that the system was such a chuunibyou. It was nothing like any other system!
The spectators in the stands were buzzing with discussion.
Their words made Huo Wu's face burn.
But the only way to turn things around now was to beat Murong Ci with her strength. She clenched her fists, ready to strike.
"Senior Huo Wu, how are we fighting today?"
"Same as yesterday. We fight until one of us loses!" Huo Wu gritted her teeth.
"Fine."
Murong Ci's expression changed. His eyes instantly shifted, one turning blue and the other red.
"First Soul Skill, Blazing Flame Burning Heaven!"
A mass of fire wrapped tightly around Huo Wu, its flames even stronger than yesterday's. That was the effect of the system increasing his affinity with fire!
Huo Wu didn't panic. She'd already accounted for this in her tactics the day before.
Her Body Martial Soul, Fire Shadow, appeared, and she charged straight through the flames.
"Clone Swap!"
Huo Wu cried out. Her real body and shadow switched places, allowing her to escape the flames.
Of course, Murong Ci knew exactly what she'd do. The system could predict Huo Wu's next move in real time and suggest countermeasures.
Murong Ci gave a low shout. "Fire, come!"
As his Soul Power surged, his Martial Soul produced hair-thin strands of fire that wove into a net in the air, giving him far more control than he'd have with individual strands.
The strands were as fine as hair. Under his control, they wound toward Huo Wu from every direction.
Huo Wu's heart jumped. She'd seen how dangerous those fine strands were yesterday, and immediately sprang three steps back.
"Second Soul Skill, Flame Fireball!"
Dozens of fist-sized fireballs gathered around her and hurtled toward the fiery strands.
The fireballs slammed into the strands.
Although Murong Ci's strands were of higher quality than Huo Wu's fire, their volume and total Soul Power still couldn't compare to hers.
Seven or eight strands snapped, merging into the fireballs, which shot straight toward Murong Ci.
The remaining strands passed through the fireballs and flew toward Huo Wu.
Huo Wu gritted her teeth and unleashed her third Soul Skill, "Resisting Fire Ring." Flames shielded her, enveloping her entire body.
Murong Ci raised a hand. Yongzhen blazed with light, absorbing the fireballs and boosting his Soul Power.
"Had enough, big sister Wu?" Murong Ci asked, his roguish nature showing through.
Murong Ci raised his left hand too, splitting Yongzhen in two. Firelight glowed in his left hand, and ice light in his right.
Hot and cold alternated, turning the arena into a world of ice and fire.
The spectators below swung between hot and cold as they chattered among themselves.
"What is this? Isn't Blazing Fire Academy all about Huo Wu's fire? Is he... is he dual-element? Ice and fire of the same origin?!"
A student exclaimed in shock. The others all turned to look, their hearts jolting.
Teacher Yan Yan and Huo Wushuang were both staring from below, stunned and disbelieving.
This was definitely a treasure!
As for Huo Wu on the arena, she was already completely dumbfounded.
She'd prepared thoroughly yesterday to counter Murong Ci's fire. She'd never imagined he had ice too!
"Frost, Crimson Flame—fuse!"
Murong Ci shouted as the twin spheres of ice and fire began to merge.
The system had taught him this skill. A hit would trap the opponent in alternating waves of ice and fire, leaving them in unbearable discomfort.
A mass of icy flame formed and hurtled toward her!
Huo Wu had no time to resist—or rather, she didn't dare resist.
If Murong Ci's fire had left her powerless to fight back, then his ice would definitely finish her off!
The key was that Murong Ci had now also turned his fire into Ultimate Fire.
The bloodline suppression of his fire element meant Huo Wu couldn't escape at all. She could only keep releasing Resisting Fire Ring and watch as the icy flame slowly fell toward her.
Boom—!
The icy flame crashed down, blasting Huo Wu into the air. But she kept fighting, her gaze determined as she refused to fall.
The firelight and ice light returned to his hands. Then countless icy threads and fiery strands flew out, winding around Huo Wu.
"Flames... swirl..." Huo Wu murmured, struggling to release her First Soul Skill. But it was useless. Her fire went out the instant it touched the icy threads.
The icy threads slipped precisely through the gaps, winding around Huo Wu's waist, wrists, and ankles. Thin yet resilient, they clung to her skin, and the moment they touched, a bone-piercing chill spread from each point of contact.
Worse still, Murong Ci wound fiery strands from his left hand around her waist. The warm ropes of flame slowly tightened around her abdomen.
Half cold, half warm.
With ice and fire acting on her at once, Huo Wu felt every hair on her body stand on end.
She couldn't help letting out a muffled groan. At last, she stopped forcing herself to hold on and fell to the ground.
Murong Ci eased up. The icy threads and strands merely bound her without actually hurting her.
Huo Wu knelt on one knee. Her waist was bound by crisscrossing strands and icy threads. Her thighs, pale as snow, were exposed beneath her shorts, dotted with fine beads of sweat. The icy threads dug into the soft flesh of her waist, leaving faint marks.
"You... let me go..." Huo Wu gritted her teeth, her voice trembling despite herself. She couldn't tell whether it was from the cold or from embarrassment.
Murong Ci crouched three feet away from her.
"Do you surrender?"
"No!" Huo Wu glared at him, her eyes glistening. Perhaps it was the rising steam, or perhaps she was embarrassed.
"Fine. Then we'll stay like this."
Murong Ci simply sat down on the ground and meditated.
Huo Wu was furious, but she couldn't break free.
She poured all her Soul Power into struggling. The icy threads stayed firm as a rock, while the fiery strands absorbed some of her Soul Power instead.
After three minutes, Huo Wu's hands and feet had gone numb. The chill from the icy threads grew deeper, while the fiery strands teased her waist and abdomen, slowly shifting. The two utterly different sensations were driving her mad.
"Murong Ci... let me go. I surrender."
Huo Wu spoke softly. Her voice was much quieter than before.
"I can't hear you." Murong Ci tilted his head.
"You! I... I surrender!" Huo Wu lifted her head and shouted, her face bright red.
Murong Ci snapped his fingers. The icy threads and fiery strands vanished at once.
Huo Wu slumped to the ground, gasping for breath. It took her a long while to recover.
Murong Ci stood and walked over to her, holding out a hand.
Huo Wu shakily took it and let him help her to her feet.
"Tomorrow, I'll challenge you again, and keep doing it until I win!"
"I'll be waiting. Remember to take a hot bath when you get back, or you'll catch a chill."
Huo Wu's face flushed again. "Who asked you to worry about me!" she snapped, then stomped away in a huff.
[Affection: 52/100. Attraction stage.]
[Congratulations! You've triggered the Hot Obsession mission: defeat Huo Wu for seven consecutive days and make sure she remembers you. Reward: fire affinity increased by an additional 30%, and the combination Soul Skill "Ice-Fire Polar Domain" unlocked.]
"There's a reward like that?" Murong Ci's eyes lit up.
[Take it easy. She won't let you tie her up so easily tomorrow. She's a strong-willed woman, and the more you provoke her, the more fired up she'll get.]
That night, Huo Wu finally stopped studying tactics and slowly fell asleep.
"Bastard..."
She gave a soft huff, but this time, it was clearly not just hatred.