Chapter 13

The students below the stage were stunned.

Their teacher's physical strength had actually reached such a level.

"I'll serve as referee for the entire match and be responsible for keeping you alive. The first team to lose the ability to fight or fall out of the arena loses."

"If an attack exceeds what a student can withstand, I'll step in to protect them. But the moment I intervene, the team I save also loses the match."

After explaining the basic rules, Huang Binhan took a step back to the edge of the arena. "Begin!"

The instant he finished speaking, the three members of Xue Haoqiong's team swiftly lined up abreast.

The corners of Xue Haoqiong's mouth lifted slightly. He formed an intricate hand gesture, and a faint glow radiated from his body.

Then a thin gray mist quietly enveloped the arena.

The mist spread rapidly, covering Xue Haoqiong and his teammates in the blink of an eye.

The dense gray mist completely obscured the opposing side, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.

"What do we do?" Song Duoduo frowned at Xu Jintang.

Judging by Xue Haoqiong's demeanor, he had clearly come prepared and was probably hiding in the gray mist, charging up a big move.

Song Tianqi snorted. "Let me!"

He spread his hands, strode forward, and shouted in a thunderous voice, "Crimson Flames of the Nine Heavens!"

Nine balls of Scarlet Flame containing terrifying power swiftly took shape. Under Song Tianqi's control, they descended from the sky and hurtled toward the gray mist.

The nine balls of Scarlet Flame covered a vast area. As they landed, the entire arena shook violently.

Feeling the terrifying power of the attack, Huang Binhan looked up at Song Tianqi.

If all nine balls of Scarlet Flame hit, Xue Haoqiong's team definitely wouldn't be able to withstand them.

Unfortunately, with the gray mist obscuring everything, all nine balls of Scarlet Flame missed.

There was no movement within the gray mist. The area it covered kept expanding, even beginning to spread toward Xu Jintang and her teammates.

Song Tianqi's expression turned rather ugly.

Concern crept into Song Duoduo's expression. "How about I go into the mist and scout ahead?"

"No need." Xu Jintang stopped her. "Wait for my voice before you attack."

The next second, Xu Jintang activated her ability.

Her domain's power rapidly spread across the entire arena, and a clear map of the terrain soon appeared in her mind.

The mist obscuring their vision instantly became useless.

Hidden in the mist, Xue Haoqiong and his teammates were gathered together. His two teammates had adopted defensive stances, protecting Xue Haoqiong between them.

Judging by their formation, was Xue Haoqiong charging up a big move?

There was no time to delay.

Xu Jintang's expression shifted slightly, and she swiftly charged into the opposing side's mist.

Her figure vanished from everyone's sight.

"Wait, why did she rush in? Isn't she afraid of getting ambushed by all three of them?"

"That seems a little reckless. You can't see anything in the mist. Xue Haoqiong's team could easily focus fire on her."

A wave of surprised voices rose from below the stage.

Jiang Zhongtian folded his arms across his chest, a hint of a smile crossing his face. "Your class's Xu Jintang is as impulsive as ever."

Jiang Lu replied mildly, "Who said she was being impulsive? Have you forgotten, Mr. Jiang? She has a domain-type ability."

Reminded of this, Jiang Zhongtian's expression changed slightly, and he fixed his gaze on the arena.

Onstage, Song Tianqi and Song Duoduo exchanged a glance, confidence flickering in their eyes.

Others might not understand the effects of Xu Jintang's ability that well, but they did.

Within the range of her ability's domain, anything obstructing her vision became useless.

After charging into the mist, Xu Jintang headed straight for Xue Haoqiong's team.

Within seconds, the three figures appeared ahead.

Xu Jintang slowed her steps while activating her slowing effect. "Song Tianqi, hit my position!"

As she spoke, she gathered mental power at her fingertips and fired a signal marker into the air.

Hearing the commotion, Xue Haoqiong inwardly cried out in alarm.

"Retreat!" he immediately shouted to his teammates.

His two teammates, who were also caught within the slowing domain, reacted and swiftly turned to flee to either side.

But the slowing effect still left their movements half a beat too slow.

By then, Song Tianqi's nine balls of Scarlet Flame were already upon them.

All nine balls of flame, gleaming red, plummeted at high speed.

Sensing their terrifying power, Xue Haoqiong frowned slightly and turned to dodge, only for Xu Jintang to rush up and lock an arm around his neck the next instant.

A cold look flashed across Xue Haoqiong's face. He bent forcefully at the waist, attempting to break free of Xu Jintang's hold.

But no matter how he struggled, he couldn't budge the arm locked around his neck.

"How is this..." Panic crossed Xue Haoqiong's face.

With his strength, it should have been impossible for him to fail to break free of Xu Jintang's hold.

Xu Jintang's lips curved slightly. She raised her knee and slammed it into the hollow of his lower back. Her hands moved just as swiftly, and with a turn, she threw Xue Haoqiong over her shoulder onto the ground.

She crouched slightly, pressing her elbow against Xue Haoqiong's neck, her voice cool. "You're out."

After Brother Long modified her body, her physical strength was at least four or five times greater than that of her peers.

In close combat, no one could possibly be stronger than her.

At that moment, his other two teammates were also locked onto by Song Tianqi's Scarlet Flame.

The Scarlet Flame was about to slam into them.

Their legs instantly went weak with fear, panic filling their eyes. "Sir, we surrender! Save us!"

Huang Binhan's expression sharpened. He swiftly leaped up and charged into the mist.

Just as the Scarlet Flame was about to fall, a dazzling golden light flashed over Huang Binhan's body, and his muscles grew even more powerful.

Shielding the two students in front of him, he took the attacks of all nine balls of Scarlet Flame with nothing but his physical strength.

The flames struck his back, burning for two seconds before slowly going out.

The dense gray mist gradually receded, revealing the arena as it had been.

Xue Haoqiong was pinned to the arena floor by Xu Jintang, utterly powerless to resist.

His two teammates hid behind Huang Binhan, their faces filled with terror, still visibly shaken.

Below the stage, Jiang Lu smiled faintly. "Mr. Jiang, your students' strategy of making a mystery out of things really is exactly like yours. Still, against absolute strength, these tricks are useless. Wouldn't you agree?"

Jiang Zhongtian's face darkened thunderously, his voice icy. "You've only won one match. What are you so pleased about?"

The students watching below the stage came back to their senses.

"Holy shit! Xu Jintang's team won?"

"Song Tianqi's ability is terrifying. I could feel the heat from those flames even down here."

"How did they win? I didn't get it."

"Looks like Xu Jintang went into the mist and found Xue Haoqiong's team, then had Song Tianqi attack, and they won."

The match had ended less than five minutes after it began, before the watching teachers and students could even process it.

Still, Song Tianqi's nine balls of Scarlet Flame had left a deep impression.

The students who had yet to fight their arena matches now looked at Song Tianqi with a measure of wariness.

"Xu Jintang's team wins this elimination match," Huang Binhan announced.

Song Duoduo froze for half a second before shouting excitedly:

"We won!"

With the mist blocking her vision, her single-target illusion skill couldn't accurately lock onto a target, leaving her standing outside, fretting helplessly.

She had completely ridden her teammates' coattails to victory in this arena match.

Thank goodness she was on the same team as the class monitor and Song Tianqi.

Song Tianqi straightened a little, planted his hands on his hips, and said breezily, "Huh, we won just like that."

Xu Jintang released Xue Haoqiong and stood up, straightening her school uniform, which had become slightly rumpled during the fight.

"Congratulations." Xue Haoqiong scrambled awkwardly up from the arena floor and forced a bitter smile.

When he learned that their opponent was Song Tianqi, he had already suspected they might lose.

But he hadn't expected to lose so quickly.

Xu Jintang smiled slightly and shook his hand politely. "Thanks for the match."

Song Duoduo and Song Tianqi also shook hands with the other two in a show of respect.

After leaving the stage, Xue Haoqiong approached Jiang Zhongtian with his head lowered and apologized. "Sorry, sir. I... I didn't expect them to be so strong."

Xue Haoqiong's ability was actually the manipulation of mist and poisonous miasma.

The mist that had suddenly appeared in the arena was precisely what he had summoned with all his strength.

He had originally intended to use the mist to disrupt Xu Jintang and her teammates.

Then, once he fully unleashed his ability and spread the poisonous miasma throughout the arena, he could slowly wear them down like frogs in warming water before defeating the three of them one by one.

But he hadn't expected Xu Jintang to deny him that chance entirely.

Jiang Zhongtian patted Xue Haoqiong's shoulder. "It's fine. Song Tianqi is strong to begin with. There's no shame in losing to them."

Xue Haoqiong gave a bitter smile. As he turned his head, he caught sight of Xu Jintang out of the corner of his eye.

In his close-quarters fight with Xu Jintang just now, he hadn't been able to fight back at all.

It seemed everyone had underestimated Xu Jintang.

Seeing the result, Xu Bohan's expression grew grave as he watched from below the stage.

Yao Wenna also frowned deeply, no longer looking as relaxed as before.

Chapter 13

After the match ended, Xu Jintang and her teammates walked down from the arena one after another.

Song Duoduo looked around curiously. "Didn't Sister Shiyi come to watch us compete today?"

Song Tianqi explained, "She said she'd come once we make the top eight. The first few rounds aren't very interesting."

Just then, Jiang Lu approached them, beaming. "Well done. You showed off Class One's caliber in your very first match."

That arena match had been a completely crushing victory.

Watching it had certainly lifted his spirits.

Xu Jintang nodded. "Sir, we'll head back to rest and prepare for the next round, then."

Jiang Lu waved an accommodating hand. "Go ahead."