Huo Wu Already Knew Scorched Bamboo Abandoned Path

The day after the Elephant Armor Battle, neither Shi Mo nor Shi Mo were included in the starting lineup.

Neither of them was seriously injured. Ye Lingling had already received treatment, but her shoulder, back, and arm still needed to recover. Qin Ming didn't push them any further just to maintain their winning streak.

The Imperial Fighting Team was replaced with another seven-person team this round: Yu Tianheng, Dong Jian, Li Man, Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, Yu Feng, and Osler.

Without the dual-turtle formation, they were faster, but their defensive capabilities were significantly reduced. And their opponent was none other than Blazing Fire.

When the two emerged from the passage, Huo Wu was already standing on the other side of the arena.

She glanced first at Dong Jian's waist.

Dong Jian only suffered a strain yesterday; he can move without problems. The Shi Brothers were the ones who really took the brunt of the blows, so he will play as usual today.

Huo Wu quickly turned her gaze to Li Man.

"Can we lay nine more spots?"

Li Man looked at her calmly.

You can count them.

Huo Wu smiled.

"I can."

She paused for a moment, then added.

"Are you still planning to let yourself burn down the array's core?"

Yu Feng frowned upon hearing this.

What did she mean by that?

Dong Jian understood.

In the last exchange battle, Huo Wu allowed the continuous fire attribute to spread along the backup route of Ten Thousand Bamboos Return to the Veins. Li Man later established Scorched Bamboo Abandoned Path, and actively cut off any nodes that were confirmed to be contaminated to avoid the entire network suffering attribute backlash.

That was the answer back then. Huo Wu is bringing it up now specifically, clearly indicating she's not planning to use the old approach again.

"She knew to abandon the path."

Dong Jian spoke in a low voice. Li Man only replied with one word.

"Um."

The referee signaled for both sides to prepare. Martial Soul Release. The Green Jade Dragon Bamboo unfolded behind Li Man, and nine basic nodes fell in sequence.

This time, she did not hide the number of nodes.

Since Huo Wu already knows that Scorched Bamboo Abandoned Path, there's no point in continuing to pretend that she only has six or seven usable nodes.

Blazing Fire spread out over the blazing fire. Huo Wushuang stood in front, with several fire-attribute Soul Master keeping their distance behind him.

The match began. As usual, Yu Tianheng was the first to press forward. As soon as lightning flashed, Huo Wushuang was already there to meet him.

The two Power Attack System clashed head-on. Flames and Thunderclap exploded. Dong Jian didn't rush to the front line with Yu Tianheng; instead, he moved to the middle to check on Huo Wu first.

Huo Wu didn't even look at him. Her Third Soul Ring lit up, and a ball of flame swept past Yu Tianheng's side.

The direction was very off. It didn't look like it was attacking anyone at all. The fireball grazed the ground and passed right next to one of the array points on the outer edge of Li Man.

Phew. The Green Jade Bamboo wasn't broken, but a layer of red heat remained on its surface.

Li Man's fingertips tightened. Within the Ten Thousand Bamboos Return to the Veins, the Soul Power circuit of that node showed a slight disturbance. It wasn't serious.

At least for now, it hasn't spread to the next one. Huo Wu's second flame has arrived, but it still doesn't burn anyone.

This time, a different array point was cleaned. The fire only lasted for a very short time before it was quickly extinguished.

"She's lighting the fire."

Yu Feng could see it most clearly from the air. Dugu Yan looked up.

Should we pressure her?

Yu Tianheng was fighting Huo Wushuang and didn't even turn his head.

"As originally planned."

Dugu Yan did not rashly change the toxic zone. Li Man, on the other hand, made the first judgment.

"Number seven abandoned."

The light from the azure jade broke. The first node, which had been scratched by fire, detached from the main path of the Ten Thousand Bamboos Return to the Veins. There was still residual heat inside it.

If the transmission continues, the fire attribute has a chance to travel back along the Soul Power path.

This one must be cut. Scorched Bamboo Abandoned Path. No problem.

What about the second node?

Li Man was still sensing the high internal temperature, but there was no obvious abnormality in the Soul Power feedback.

The flames lingered for a shorter time. She didn't move immediately. Huo Wu didn't seem to be in a hurry either.

She turned to dodge one of Osler's attacks, her hand flashing out from her side. A third line of fire suddenly swept past.

The target was still the bamboo array. This time, two were struck at the same time. The sparks from one of them dissipated as soon as they touched it.

Another one was half-circled by flames. Li Man frowned slightly. The feedback from the Ten Thousand Bamboos Return to the Veins was increasing.

Number 7 has been discarded. Number 2 is slightly hot. Number 4 is hot on the outside but stable on the inside.

Number Nine, however, retained some of its attributes and burrowed deeper into the bamboo joint.

"Number Nine abandoned."

The second line of defense broke. Dong Jian, standing on the center line, could see the changes in the position of the defenses. He knew that number seven had been breached.

He also knew that Number Nine had broken down. But he couldn't see the internal attribute feedback that Li Man received through her Martial Soul. The Yin-Yang Mountain Domain could sense the ground's bearing capacity.

Force Observation allows one to discern the movements and the path of power.

The exact amount of fire attribute remaining inside a single piece of Green Jade Bamboo is beyond the scope of what these two things can determine.

Huo Wu clearly knew this too. She didn't give Dong Jian any worthwhile direct confrontation.

The front row of Blazing Fire was always supported by Huo Wushuang and Jade Yu Tianheng, while another Power Attack System restrained Osler, and the rest of them kept creating angles for Huo Wu to release.

Huo Wu's goal today is very clear: Li Man. Or rather...

Her formation. The fourth fire streak landed. This time it was node number five.

The flames exploded on the surface, then immediately went out. Li Man didn't cut it.

"Keep."

Huo Wu didn't react. The fifth attack followed immediately. Node number two was grazed by fire again.

The heat, which had previously only been on the surface, finally began to penetrate deeper. Li Man felt an unstable vibration within the connection.

"Number Two abandoned."

The third one. Of the nine nodes, only six main connections remained. Yu Feng was anxious in the air.

"She keeps setting you up, should I go and suppress her?"

Li Man glanced at Huo Wu's position.

"Don't change it."

Yu Feng didn't ask any further questions and continued to use his original high-position strategy to restrain the Blazing Fire backline. Dong Jian, however, noticed a detail.

Huo Wu didn't utilize these cut-off openings. After Number Seven was abandoned, no one rushed towards Ye Lingling Blazing Fire. Number Nine was broken off, and no one cut along that side either.

Even after Li Man cut off number two, Huo Wu simply moved two steps to the side and continued searching for the next node.

"Li Man."

Dong Jian called her.

"Explain."

She won't go through the breach.

Li Man paused for a moment. Huo Wu's sixth line of fire had arrived at node four.

This time the flame was very shallow. So shallow that the outer Green Jade Bamboo didn't even change color noticeably. But number four had already been heated once in the previous round.

The internal residue is in a rather awkward position. Continuing to use it may not necessarily cause problems, but it could also suddenly introduce thermal properties into the main circuit under high load transmission.

If it were right after the Battle of Jiaozhu, when the Scorched Bamboo Abandoned Path was established, Li Man wouldn't have gambled.

She definitely didn't gamble.

Number four.

She withdrew her finger.

"Abandoned."

The fourth jade ray of light went out. Of the nine basic nodes, only five remain on the mainnet.

Just then, the flame in Huo Wu's hand disappeared. It disappeared completely.

She even turned her body, which was originally facing Li Man, towards Yu Tianheng, and joined Huo Wushuang at the front line.

All of Blazing Fire's attacks on the array points ceased simultaneously after Li Man discarded the fourth node.

Dong Jian stared at her. Li Man also raised her head.

If Huo Wu truly wants to burn through the defenses, now is the best time to attack.

Five nodes. The route is reduced by nearly half. There is an opening to the left of Ye Lingling.

There was also a missing fast-track line of attack between Yu Feng and Osler. Yet, no one from Blazing Fire rushed to those positions.

Huo Wu put the fire back, as if she had already obtained what she wanted. Li Man looked down at the spot where number four had broken.

The bamboo joint was still there, its surface slightly reddish. The fire element had not deepened further.

Looking at number nine, that one definitely shows obvious contamination. Number seven is the same.

Number two is in the middle. Number four is the lightest. The four discarded nodes have completely different levels of contamination.

Once the five master nodes continue operating, the differences immediately become apparent.

When Yu Feng landed from the upper left, he could have directly entered the middle section using No. 7, but now he had to go around once more. Osler cut back from the other side, missing No. 2 node, and the connection between him and Dugu Yan was also a beat slower.

None of these things would cause the Imperial Fighting Team to collapse immediately. But every extra step taken, every extra moment of waiting, would give the Blazing Fire a new half-breath.

Li Man knows her own formation best.

She knew very well that the real danger was yet to come. Right now, only five nodes were barely holding up the main road. If Huo Wu pressed forward again, the remaining route would go from "somewhat tight" to "having to sacrifice people to protect the road."

This makes the problem even more complicated.

If they continue using the original Scorched Bamboo Abandoned Path, Huo Wu only needs to constantly create this residual heat that lies between safety and danger for her. Every time Li Man is cautious, she personally removes a part of her own choices.

She couldn't treat all the bamboo sections that had been burned as the same. Dong Jian didn't urge her. The pressure on Yu Tianheng was already increasing.

After Huo Wu turned to face the enemy, Huo Wushuang received support, and the Thunder Dragon Body was forced to stop for the first time.

Dugu Yan had no choice but to push the toxic zone forward.

The five array points of the Imperial Fighting Team can barely maintain the main connection, but there is not much room left.

Li Man looked up again. Huo Wu was looking at her. The two stared at each other across the fire.

Li Man finally understood the true purpose of today's round of fire.

Dong Jian.

"Um."

"She didn't burn the array."

Dong Jian glanced at the broken nodes.

She's telling you to take it apart yourself.

Li Man's finger stopped at the position corresponding to node number four.

"Right."

Huo Wu chuckled from afar, as if she had heard him. Li Man did not respond.

She only reviewed the remaining five master nodes and the four bamboo nodes that she had already cut off from the mainnet.

After a few breaths, she said in a low voice.

"She's been lying to me about abandoning the battle."