Chapter 85: Growing Through Defeat
Dugu Yan stretched out her finger and touched Zhu Zhuqing's skin.
The cyan-colored toxin slowly faded from Zhu Zhuqing's body, and the poison inside her gathered into a small, emerald green particle, appearing at Dugu Yan's fingertip.
Using her nails, she cut through her skin to extract the small green bead.
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's complexion improve and her slowly regaining consciousness, Dai Yao was overjoyed and quickly rushed to her side to help her up.
"Yao Ge?!" Zhu Zhuqing's head was still a little foggy. After a moment, she asked, "How did the match end?"
"Of course, we won," Dai Yao replied with a smile.
Dugu Yan looked at Zhu Zhuqing with curiosity, a strange gleam in her eyes.
"This man was so cold during the match, but who would have thought he had such a gentle side?"
"Seeing how nervous he was earlier, this girl must be really important to him."
Dai Yao, seeing Dugu Yan still sitting there, couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. So many people were still suffering from the Blue Scales Purple Poison because of you, yet you sit there as if nothing happened?
"What are you still doing here? My teammates are still poisoned by your toxins. Go and cure them quickly!" Dai Yao scolded.
Dugu Yan froze, and when she felt Dai Yao's gaze on her, a sense of fear welled up inside her. She meekly responded, "Okay... okay."
She quickly sat up and hurried out of Dai Yao's line of sight to treat the other members of the Auckland team.
Zhu Zhuqing gradually recovered from the depletion of her soul power. Under the gaze of so many eyes, she felt awkward lying in Dai Yao's arms, so she moved to the side to rest on her own.
Just as Dai Yao was about to check on his teammates, the Royal Fight Team members approached him.
"Congratulations, you've won this match," Yu Tianheng said bitterly.
Dai Yao disliked Dugu Yan's recklessness but harbored no deep ill will toward the Royal Fight Team, with the exception of Yufeng.
He smiled and said, "You just don't know me well. Once you understand my abilities, we can have another match, and the outcome won't be certain."
Yu Tianheng waved his hand, shaking his head. "A loss is a loss. There's no need to sugarcoat it."
"Your second soul ring is a thousand-year one. I'm no match for you."
"If there's another opportunity, I will definitely challenge you again."
Dai Yao appreciated Yu Tianheng's fighting spirit and smiled. "If you want to challenge me, I'll gladly accept."
Even though his soul was suppressed and he was decisively defeated in battle, Yu Tianheng had not lost his desire to fight. He was truly a prodigy from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan.
Dai Yao was certain that even if his martial soul wasn't the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Yu Tianheng would still be someone extraordinary.
Yu Tianheng cupped his hands and sincerely said, "Actually, we have another matter to discuss."
"What is it?"
"We didn't lose to the Auckland team; we lost to you. That's why we'd like to invite you to join the Tiandou Royal Academy."
Yu Tianheng said, and the remaining six members of the Royal Fight Team all looked at Dai Yao eagerly.
Dai Yao shook his head without hesitation and refused, "Sorry, I'm not interested in joining the Tiandou Royal Academy."
"Do you know?!" Qin Ming anxiously said, "Staying at Auckland Academy will only waste your talents! Only Tiandou Royal Academy can fully tap into your potential."
Hearing Qin Ming's words, Dai Yao couldn't help but smile inwardly, thinking:
"So, Qin Ming, staying at Shrek Academy wasn't a waste of your talent? Back then, you didn't even have Yu Xiaogang, just relying on Flander and a few other teachers. You probably wouldn't have been able to compare with Auckland Academy."
Seeing Dai Yao surrounded by the Royal Fight Team, Feng Qianli, who had just finished curing the poison, and the rest of the Auckland team immediately pushed their way through the Royal Fight Team members and stood in front of Dai Yao.
Feng Qianli spoke sternly to the Royal Fight Team, "Dai Yao is one of ours at Auckland! If you want to poach him, you'll have to get our consent first."
Yu Tianheng sneered at Feng Qianli and the others, then coldly said to Dai Yao, "Look at these people, what a bunch of country bumpkins. With teammates like these, it's not going to be easy for you to win the Continental Soul Master Competition."
Dai Yao had already made plans regarding his teammates.
The members of the Auckland team were indeed lacking in strength, but they weren't as hopeless as Yu Tianheng made them out to be. As long as they made up for their shortcomings, they could even challenge the Five Elements Academy.
With him and Zhu Zhuqing, they were essentially a final-round team.
He also had a plan for who to recruit for the team's improvement.
Feng Qianli and the others were extremely nervous. Upon seeing the commotion, Auckland's students gradually gathered around. After learning what had happened, they openly showed their disdain and hostility toward the Royal Fight Team.
Dai Yao said, "I've made up my mind. I'll stay at Auckland. You don't need to say more. Please leave."
Upon hearing Dai Yao's decision, Qin Ming couldn't help but sigh. Except for Yufeng, the rest of the Royal Fight Team felt it was a pity.
Their team was powerful enough, and if Dai Yao and Zhu Zhuqing joined, they would be perfect.
It was a shame that Dai Yao wouldn't join them.
Moreover, Dai Yao and Zhu Zhuqing were young enough to participate in the next Continental Soul Master Competition.
Since Dai Yao had rejected the offer, the Royal Fight Team, as the losers, had no face to stay any longer. Under Qin Ming's lead, they swiftly left.
At the back, Dugu Yan suddenly thought of something. She turned around and asked Dai Yao, "Why doesn't my poison affect you?"
Although Dai Yao felt a bit repulsed by Dugu Yan, since no one from Auckland had suffered further harm, he didn't mind explaining to her.
"Because I'm immune to your poison!" Dai Yao replied.
Dugu Yan was stunned. She pursed her lips and, after a moment, slowly turned around and followed the Royal Fight Team as they left.
"What's wrong, Yan Zi? You look so troubled," Qin Ming asked with concern.
"It's... it's nothing," Dugu Yan came to her senses from Dai Yao's words.
Qin Ming looked at the dejected faces of the others, clapped his hands, and waited until all eyes were on him before speaking:
"For you, this defeat is actually a good thing."
Everyone was taken aback, and Yu Tianheng looked at Qin Ming as if understanding something.
Qin Ming calmly continued, "You are all prodigies. Throughout your lives, things have gone too smoothly for you."
"Although you may face setbacks, they don't really matter to you."
"So today's defeat is actually a good thing. Failure is not something to fear; what's frightening is not learning from it."
"I believe that after this match, you'll understand some things."
"When you encounter such an opponent next time, you'll become even stronger. Auckland's victory over you has awakened you."
He paused, then scanned the eyes of everyone in the Royal Fight Team: "I leave you with these words: Grow through defeat."
"Grow through defeat."
The Royal Fight Team members repeated the words, and their eyes gradually brightened, as if they had understood something.
(End of Chapter)