Defense Without Attack, Huo Lei's Unexpected Gain

The final day of the Promotion Round began. The first six matches passed quickly and were not particularly exciting. Thunderclap Academy and Godwind Academy quickly defeated their opponents. As for the Shrek Academy, their opponent chose to forfeit the match, so Shrek Academy won without a fight. In the end, only Blazing Fire Academy and Skywater Academy remained due to their greater reputation and higher ranking.

Huo Lei and Shui Bing'er slowly entered the competition venue. At this moment, cheers and jubilation erupted from the surrounding stands, with applause and chatter mingling together.

The two looked into each other's eyes and smiled at one another.

Shui Bing'er spoke first, "Don't forget the proposal you made to me."

Huo Lei smiled and nodded, saying, "I hope you won't forget your promise."

"Both sides may now unleash their Martial Soul," the referee announced.

"Shui Bing'er, captain of the Skywater Academy Team, level 43 Control System Battle Soul Ancestor, Martial Soul: Ice Phoenix." Shui Bing'er's gentle self-introduction rang out.

A loud phoenix cry rang out, and a huge blue Ice Phoenix phantom appeared above Shui Bing'er's head. Four Soul Ring, two yellow and two purple, spiraled out from her body and pulsated around her.

"Huo Lei, a member of the Blazing Fire Academy Team, is a level 56 Power Attack System Battle Soul King with Martial Soul Flame Soul." Seeing the other party introduce themselves, Huo Lei also shared his own information.

Huo Lei raised his right hand, a ball of red Flame dancing merrily in his palm, and five Soul Ring— two yellow, two purple, and one black—rose from beneath his feet.

The two released their Martial Soul almost simultaneously.

The referee announced loudly, "The match begins."

As Huo Lei his Soul Skill, Shui Bing'er's First Soul Ring lit up, and with a wave of her hands, a burst of icy Soul Power was released.

"First Soul Skill, Ice Seal!"

Huo Lei dared not be negligent and immediately activated his fourth Soul Skill Lava Armor, for defense.

Like red-hot stones, chunks of armor rapidly condensed on Huo Lei's body, forming a thick layer that radiated intense heat as Flame swirled around it.

Huo Lei finished preparing his defenses, he felt a cool breeze blowing towards him.

As soon as Shui Bing'er's First Soul Skill landed on Huo Lei, it began to melt. The ice turned into water, and the water was vaporized by the high temperature released from the armor. Huo Lei's body emitted a large amount of white water vapor and made a hissing sound.

Shui Bing'er instantly increased her Soul Power output, causing a surge of icy energy across the arena. Huo Lei was directly enveloped in white mist.

The teachers and students from various colleges who were watching were surprised, but also felt a little resentful, because the white mist around Huo Lei was too thick, and they couldn't see the situation inside at all.

In fact, not only the onlookers were in the same boat, but Shui Bing'er was too, as the thick white mist obscured her vision. However, she did not stop attacking and continued to release cold air directly in front of her.

A moment later, an astonishing scene unfolded: a small iceberg appeared on the arena. As Shui Bing'er continued to release her chilling aura, the outermost white mist froze first. As time passed, the ice accumulated, eventually forming a small iceberg that completely enveloped Huo Lei. For a moment, everyone watching the match could no longer see what was happening inside.

Shui Bing'er stopped attacking, standing there somewhat bewildered, staring at the iceberg in front of her.

The referee stood not far away, his expression one of shock and utter bewilderment.

Huo Wu looked serious and asked Xie Chong anxiously, "Teacher Xie Chong, is Huo Lei frozen?"

Xie Chong said firmly, "No, with the strength of the Huo Lei Soul King, it's impossible for him to be trapped by a Soul Ancestor. This iceberg is just an outer shell; the inside has definitely melted away."

While everyone was discussing and speculating, the inside of the iceberg directly opposite Shui Bing'er lit up red.

The red light grew brighter and brighter, and in just a few breaths, the iceberg melted open, and Huo Lei emerged from it. He was still wearing his Flame armor, completely unharmed.

Huo Lei continued forward without stopping after leaving the iceberg, only stopping when he was about ten meters away from Shui Bing'er. He smiled and said, "It's very cool and comfortable inside the iceberg. I almost forgot to come out. The match continues. You continue your attack."

Shui Bing'er was embarrassed and annoyed by Huo Lei's words, and her expression became very serious. At the same time, her First Soul Ring lit up again, and she continued to launch Ice Seal attack.

The same thing happened; the ice that landed on Huo Lei continued to melt rapidly. But unlike before, Huo Lei was no longer motionless; he began to dodge quickly, transforming from a stationary target into a moving one. This action increased Shui Bing'er's Soul Power consumption while also reducing her own Soul Power output.

"When I first came on stage, I was so stupid, just standing there and letting people attack me. Luckily, I realized in time that while I could defend and not attack, it didn't mean I couldn't dodge, and that's not considered an attack either. Hahaha! I do have a little bit of wisdom after all." Huo Lei was quite pleased with himself for his sudden realization as he dodged left and right.

The moment Huo Lei emerged from the iceberg, the expressions of the students from the Blazing Fire Academy changed from worry to joy.

Huo Wu looked at Huo Wushuang, "Brother, what Huo Lei said was quite infuriating. 'It's cool inside the iceberg, I almost forgot to come out.' Look at how Shui Bing'er's face changed! Hehehe!"

Huo Wushuang smiled and nodded, "It is indeed a bit infuriating. But he has obviously become smarter, no longer standing there like an idiot and letting Shui Bing'er attack him at will. Hehehe!"

On the field, Shui Bing'er continued to relentlessly attack Huo Lei, while Huo Lei constantly changed positions to dodge her attacks.

Shui Bing'er used her First Soul Skill throughout, for a simple reason: it can be First Soul Skill instantly and consumes the least amount of Soul Power. The other reason is somewhat awkward; her other three Soul Skills are either defensive or control-oriented, leaning towards support, so she didn't use them.

As time went on, Shui Bing'er's Soul Power was almost exhausted. Although she released her First Soul Skill, the prolonged consumption of energy made her face pale and her breathing rapid and heavy. The Ice Seal effect she released also became weaker and weaker.

Huo Lei, taking advantage of his higher level, maintained his fourth Soul Skill for defense. At the beginning of the match, he spent some Soul Power to melt the ice, but as he gained enlightenment, the consumption of Soul Power decreased significantly. Even so, he began to feel somewhat strained after a while.

At this moment, Shui Bing'er was exhausted, and the speed at which she released her First Soul Skill was getting slower and slower. Huo Lei walked directly towards Shui Bing'er.

After releasing her final Ice Seal, Shui Bing'er's face was as pale as paper, her breathing became very rapid, and her body began to sway noticeably, clearly indicating physical exhaustion and depletion of her Soul Power.

Just as Huo Lei was three meters away from Shui Bing'er, she fell straight to the ground. Huo Lei reacted quickly, instantly retracting his Lava Armor and rushing over to catch Shui Bing'er around the waist. If Huo Lei had been even a fraction slower, she would have fallen to the ground.

The two players' performance on the field caused an uproar among the crowd in the surrounding stands.

The students of the Blazing Fire Academy were incredibly excited to see this scene, especially Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and Xie Chong.

Xie Chong smiled and exclaimed, "This Huo Lei is impressive; we've certainly gained an unexpected bonus."

Xie Chong's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for those around him to hear, and everyone involuntarily glanced at him.

Huo Wu looked like she suddenly understood, "Teacher Xie Chong, so this is the unexpected gain you were talking about!"

Xie Chong smiled and nodded, "Yes! Isn't this an unexpected bonus?"

Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and the others nodded silently.