Setting a Trap

Dai Huabin's pupils constricted sharply, as if the words had struck a raw nerve. His face flushed red at once. "What do you mean? Trying to leave your teammates out of this? Think you're some great saint?" He clenched his fists tightly and stared Huo Yuhao down. "Fine! Just the two of us! Whoever loses doesn't get to make excuses—kneel and kowtow on the spot!"

Dai Huabin's pupils constricted sharply, as if the words had struck a raw nerve. His face flushed red at once. "What do you mean? Trying to leave your teammates out of this? Think beating me would be some great honor?" He clenched his fists tightly, and the pressure of his White Tiger Martial Soul erupted almost tangibly. His golden soul rings flashed wildly. "Fine! Just the two of us! Whoever loses doesn't get to make excuses—kneel and kowtow on the spot!"

The surrounding students erupted. This was no longer a team match; it was more like the settling of a personal grudge. Some eagerly crowded closer, while others looked at Huo Yuhao with concern. Dai Huabin's White Tiger Martial Soul was, after all, one of the strongest assault-type Martial Souls. In a true one-on-one fight, Huo Yuhao's ice element might not hold an absolute advantage.

Ning Tian quietly tugged on Huo Yuhao's sleeve and said in a low voice, "Don't let him provoke you. It's not worth it." The concern in her eyes was impossible to hide. Dai Huabin possessed the White Tiger Martial Soul, a top-tier Martial Soul, and according to Huo Yuhao, he could even use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. No one knew how this battle would turn out.

But Wu Feng could no longer hold herself back. Her anger was impossible to conceal. "Afraid of him? Yuhao, go all out! I'll keep an eye on Zhu Lu for you. I guarantee she won't dare interfere!"

Huo Yuhao gently patted Ning Tian's hand to reassure her, then turned his gaze back to Dai Huabin. The blue light in his Spirit Eye grew increasingly calm. "Since you're so eager to prove yourself, I'll indulge you. But let's be clear: the team match goes on as usual, and the final outcome belongs to the team. Our wager will be decided by the result of our personal duel."

"No problem!" Dai Huabin agreed without a moment's hesitation. In his view, as long as he could defeat Huo Yuhao with his own hands, the team's victory or defeat did not matter at all. One loss would not affect his chances of becoming a core disciple. "In a moment, I'll break your ice field first, then tear apart your team, and finally... pin you to the ground myself!"

Huo Yuhao smiled. "We'll see."

Dai Huabin snorted and turned away. After the three of them had walked to a quiet spot, Ning Tian finally spoke. "Yuhao, how was my cooperation just now?"

Huo Yuhao gave her a thumbs-up. "Everyone from the White Tiger Duke's Mansion is arrogant. I thought I'd have to provoke Dai Huabin myself, but I didn't expect him to walk right into the trap."

Ning Tian rubbed the Glazed Ring with her fingertips, its glassy patterns flowing beneath the sunlight. "He's eager to prove that he's stronger than you. Especially under the glory of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, he can't stand being provoked. I deliberately brought up the Martial Soul Fusion Skill just now so he'd think you were wary of him, that you were bluffing. That only made him more determined to take the bet."

Wu Feng's eyes lit up as she listened. "So he must be holding back a lot right now, wanting to end this quickly? Perfect! I was just thinking—when he fights you, I'll deliberately lure Zhu Lu toward you. She'll definitely try to sneak attack you. Then I'll hit her with Icefire Devour. It'll interrupt her and force Dai Huabin to lose focus to save her. Two birds with one stone!"

Huo Yuhao shook his head with a smile. "There's no need. Since Dai Huabin refuses to accept this, we'll fight them fair and square. We have two Soul Elders and one Great Soul Master, while they only have one Soul Elder. Besides, all our Martial Souls are top-tier Martial Souls. We have more than enough strength to crush them head-on."

Ning Tian was still somewhat worried. This concerned their dignity. Whoever lost would practically be unable to hold their head up in the academy. Though she had great faith in Huo Yuhao, she could not stop herself from worrying about him.

The Glazed Ring beneath Ning Tian's fingertips spun a little faster, and her faintly furrowed brow was reflected in its glassy glow. "That may be true, but Dai Huabin's White Tiger Martial Soul has almost no weaknesses among assault-type Martial Souls, and Zhu Lu's Netherworld Spirit Cat excels at exploiting openings... What if they disregard the rules and resort to dirty tricks?"

Huo Yuhao raised his hand. Ice-blue soul power condensed into a tiny ice flower in his palm. Within its stamen hid faint orange-red sparks—the glimmer of the Marrow of Extreme Transformation. "Look at this." He held the ice flower before Ning Tian. "Ultimate Ice contains the resilience of 'transformation,' just like our team. I control, you enhance, and Wu Feng launches surprise attacks. As one, we're far more stable than their combination of direct assault and sneak attacks."

With a light tap of his fingertip, the ice flower burst into fine motes of light that fell between the three of them. "Dai Huabin is arrogant, so he's easily provoked into losing his rhythm. Zhu Lu relies on sneak attacks. Once Wu Feng locks down her route, she'll be useless. As long as we hold our ground, his so-called 'crushing victory' will be nothing but self-deception."

Wu Feng's blood boiled as she listened, sparks flying from her claws as they rubbed against her palm. "Locking down her route is easy! I'll keep my eyes on Zhu Lu and trap her movement range on the right. She won't even get close enough to touch the corner of your clothes!"

Ning Tian looked at the light in Wu Feng's eyes, then at the lingering fragments of ice-flower light in Huo Yuhao's palm. At last, the tension between her brows eased. She lightly flicked the Glazed Ring, and it gave a crisp chime. When its glassy patterns touched the fragments of ice-flower light, they unexpectedly rippled with a layer of azure-gold radiance. "Can your 'Ultimate Transformation' resonate with my enhancement?"

Huo Yuhao nodded. "I tested it just now. The Marrow of Extreme Transformation contains the resilience of life energy, while your enhancement carries the purity of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda. Together, they can stabilize my Ice Soul Power and make its corrosive force sharper. When you give me a strength enhancement later, try adding a little more soul power to it. The effect should be even better."

"Alright." Ning Tian answered decisively, and the concern in her eyes completely turned to resolve. "Then I'll focus on giving both of you enhancements. Until I'm eliminated, I'll make sure you're enhanced the entire time."

The referee's voice rang out. "All participating team members, enter the arena immediately!"

The three exchanged smiles. No further words were needed.

Wu Feng charged out first, like a bolt of burning lightning. "Here we go! Let them see what a real team looks like!"

Ning Tian followed close behind. The Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda slowly rotated above her shoulder, its glassy glow spreading like a tide and enveloping Huo Yuhao ahead of her first.

Huo Yuhao took one final look at the lingering ice-blue and orange-red glimmers in his palm before turning to follow. The direction of the training platform was reflected in his Spirit Eye, and the noise there grew closer and closer. Dai Huabin stood atop the platform, yet he could no longer stir the slightest ripple in Huo Yuhao's heart.

He knew that what he was about to do to Dai Huabin was only the beginning. The future was still long.

The barrier around the training platform rose with a hum the instant the three stepped onto it, completely sealing out the noise beyond. Dai Huabin was already standing across from them, his White Tiger Martial Soul fully possessed. Golden fur stood on end all over his body, while yellow, purple, and purple soul rings spun violently around him. His overwhelming aura crashed toward them, seeking to seize the initiative.