Chapter 277: The Tournament Continues, Gathering of Geniuses
With the conversation flowing smoothly, Ning Rongrong ended up staying until four in the afternoon.
Besides Zhu Zhuqing, she also got along well with Dugu Yan. But seeing that it was getting late, she reluctantly bid farewell.
However, before leaving, she and the others made a promise they would meet up again when they had time.
Compared to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Ning Rongrong found this place much more enjoyable.
The atmosphere was pleasant, and conversations were refreshing. It was much better than spending time with her irritating teammates.
She didn't interact much with Han Li.
Mainly because she noticed that whenever she tried to steer the conversation towards him, the girls around him became highly alert.
And Han Li himself?
He didn't seem interested in her at all.
Most of the time, he simply sat there with his eyes closed, resting.
So, she decided to take a different approach "diplomacy through the wives."
She would befriend the other girls first before getting closer to Han Li.
As for the intelligence gathering that Ning Fengzhi had tasked her with?
There was no rush.
She figured that if she acted too eager, it would seem too transactional.
It was better to be patient and wait until they were closer before asking him directly.
Besides, she had already shown goodwill that was enough for now.
Ning Rongrong's visit didn't change much for Han Li and the others.
After seeing her off, the group resumed their discussion from earlier and decided to attend the next day's matches.
The preliminary rounds had entered their latter half, meaning the upcoming matches would be far more intense than before.
The next day, when Han Li arrived at the contestants' viewing area with the girls, he found that everyone else was already there.
And something interesting was happening
Although most teams still sat together by academy, the top performing individuals had started naturally grouping up.
Right now, Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, Feng Xiaotian, Hu Yanli, and the captain of the Botanical Academy were all gathered near the Tian Shui Academy section.
Hmm… except for Royal Battle Team Two.
Their reputation had taken a nosedive.
Seeing Han Li and the others arrive, the group warmly greeted them.
"Did you all come together to cheer for Thunder Academy?"
Han Li smirked, teasing them.
"Cheer? More like watch them lose."
Huo Wu scoffed, straightforward as ever, shaking her head.
The others laughed as well, agreeing with her.
"Then why are you all here?"
Dugu Yan raised an eyebrow, glancing between them and the Tian Shui Academy members.
"We're here to gather intel to see if Tian Shui Academy has any strategies against Cang Hui Academy."
Feng Xiaotian's tone was somewhat sullen.
Cang Hui Academy's surprise dominance in team battles was a huge problem for his team.
Shen Feng Academy had already lost to Blazing Academy once, and their future matches were against Tian Shui Academy, Thunder Academy, Elephant Armored Academy, and Royal Battle Team Two.
If they were unlucky and got matched against Cang Hui Academy, they might suffer the same fate as Thunder Academy a total upset loss.
Right now, their next opponent was still uncertain due to the new three day match draw system.
But if they ended up drawing Cang Hui Academy, he didn't want to surrender without a fight.
The uncertainty was driving him crazy.
Hearing their reasoning, Han Li paused for a moment, then smiled.
"No strategy. My advice? Just surrender."
None of them seemed surprised by his answer.
Their own teachers had said the same thing.
They were just here to see if Tian Shui Academy had any tricks up their sleeves.
After all, even if they did have a plan, they wouldn't share it with competitors.
"Heh, not a big deal. I'm just here for the spectacle. Watch me take care of Cang Hui Academy."
Suddenly, a voice boomed from the group.
It was Hu Yanli, the powerhouse of the Elephant Armored Academy.
As he spoke, his stomach jiggled slightly.
He had already received permission from his grandfather to use "that ability."
So, even though he had a match immediately after, he still came over to show off a little.
"You have a plan?"
The others immediately turned to him, eyes wide with surprise.
"Secret."
Hu Yanli grinned widely.
"You'll see in the match."
His deliberate vagueness left them all itching with curiosity.
"Your Highness, I'll be heading back to prepare for my match."
Hu Yanli turned to Han Li with respectful formality.
Their match was next, so it was time for him to get ready.
"Go on, then. Good luck I'm looking forward to your performance."
Han Li nodded.
"Yes, sir."
Hu Yanli bowed slightly, then left, humming happily.
The others weren't surprised.
Unlike them, the Elephant Armored Clan had long since pledged allegiance to Spirit Hall.
Strictly speaking, Hu Yanli was Han Li's subordinate.
"Hey, Han Li, do you know what Hu Yanli is planning?"
Huo Wu suddenly turned to him, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
"When he spoke earlier, you looked like you understood something."
Han Li shook his head. "Even if I told you his method, you wouldn't be able to replicate it. There's no point in thinking about it. Besides, the match is about to start, so I won't spoil it."
He then smiled and looked at the others. "I'll repeat my suggestion if you face Cang Hui Academy, just surrender. Save your revenge for the ranking matches."
"Surrendering is good, actually. It'll push you to fight harder in future matches, making things more intense. I want to see blood flowing like a river."
Hearing his words, everyone shot him angry glares.
Huo Wu, in particular, bared her sharp little canine teeth, clearly itching to blast him with a Fire Dance Radiance and flatten him on the spot.
After spending some time with him, they had discovered that Han Li was actually easy to get along with and didn't put on any airs as Spirit Hall's Holy Son.
However… this guy had a twisted sense of humor and loved teasing them.
"Hmph! If you ever enter the competition, I'll make sure you get a taste of my fireballs!"
Huo Wu huffed, turning away in annoyance.
Feng Xiaotian quickly moved in to console her.
Meanwhile, the host's voice echoed across the arena, hyping up the crowd as he announced the next match and invited both teams to step onto the stage.
Han Li and his group, however, activated their mental link right in front of the others, openly discussing tactics in secret.
"Hu Yanli really has a plan?"
Shui Bing'er asked, curious about how the Elephant Armored Academy planned to counter Cang Hui Academy.
"Yeah, he does. He has a skull spirit bone."
Han Li revealed.
"I originally thought it only provided physical and energy based defense, but now it seems that his skull bone offers full spectrum protection, including mental resistance."
"As long as he withstands Cang Hui Academy's initial mental assault, he'll be unstoppable even if his teammates fall."
Hearing this, the girls immediately understood.
A spirit bone!
No wonder.
With that, they had no more doubts.
"You all should continue refining your previous ideas. If you make enough progress, victory won't be an issue. Even if Tian Shui Academy loses, they're guaranteed to advance."
"If you're really worried, you could just send one person to the match."
Han Li added casually.
Among them, only Zhu Zhuqing might struggle alone against Cang Hui Academy, as her spiritual power wasn't developed enough yet.
But the others?
They had spirit cores and Purple Demon Eyes to assist them.
Breaking through Seven Asura Phantom wouldn't be a big challenge.
"We'll see. The others still need training."
Shui Bing'er replied.
She preferred having the Tian Shui Academy girls fight on their own.
"Up to you. Let's see how much progress you make."
Han Li didn't insist and simply offered encouragement.
The match began.
Yu Tianxin was in terrible shape.
As the team leader and strongest member, Cang Hui Academy had targeted him the most in their last battle.
Since spiritual damage is difficult to heal, he was only at 70% capacity at best.
Looking at the three figures standing at the front of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Second Team, his eyes locked onto Tang San's black fourth spirit ring.
Yu Tianxin cursed in his heart.
Tang San was indeed powerful, but if Yu Tianxin were at his peak, he could have used his dragon transformation and lightning abilities to resist and take him down.
But now?
He wasn't sure anymore.
His confidence wavered, and then he noticed Dai Mubai and Tai Long reveal their spirit rings.
Both of them had also become Spirit Elders.
Yu Tianxin's face turned completely stiff.
Damn it! When it rains, it pours.
The worst part? There was no turning back now.
As the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's heir, surrendering was out of the question.
So, gritting his teeth, he led his team into battle.
Five minutes later.
Yu Tianxin the last one standing from Thunder Academy was slapped into the ground by Dai Mubai.
Total defeat.
The referee declared Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Second Team as the winners.
"Hah, that was just unlucky for them."
Feng Xiaotian muttered.
While feeling sorry for Thunder Academy, he was praying that Shen Feng Academy wouldn't end up drawing a terrible matchup.
Han Li smirked and casually asked:
"What if, by the day after tomorrow, Thunder Academy hasn't recovered and they end up facing you?"
Feng Xiaotian instinctively blurted out:
"That would be amazing!"
Then, realizing what he had just said, he quickly corrected himself:
"No, no I meant, I greatly admire Yu Tianxin's perseverance. He's a truly respectable rival, and I will face him with all my strength."
But the moment he finished speaking, he found everyone giving him judgmental looks.
"Xiaotian, to prevent your wicked plan from succeeding… I think Blazing Academy might have to step in."
The usually reserved Huo Wushuang suddenly dropped a bombshell.
Silence.
Then
Laughter erupted.
It seemed Huo Wushuang had been corrupted too.
As for Thunder Academy's crushing defeat?
No one cared anymore.
They were all rivals.
They might respect each other, but when it came time to fight
No one would hold back.
(End of Chapter)
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