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As dusk settled over Soutuo City, the Grand Arena buzzed with an electric tension, like the distant growl of a storm on the horizon.
For Dai Mubai, it wasn't the bruises that stung, it was the fury boiling in his chest. He was the one sprawled on the ground, battered and beaten, yet somehow everyone had rallied behind Ning Tian. Even Zhu Zhuqing, his own fiancee, hadn't lifted a finger to defend him. Instead, she'd sided with that outsider, Ning Tian.
'Unbelievable. Absolutely outrageous.' Dai Mubai's mind roared with indignation, his pride shredded.
Beside the stage, Xiao Wu cast a worried glance at Ning Tian. "Little Sixth, you okay?"
Ning Tian shook his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Me? I'm fine." He flicked a casual wave at the host below, who'd been gaping at the scene.
Snapping out of his daze, the host scrambled onto the platform. "Victory goes to Han Li!" he declared, voice echoing through the arena.
The match had been a blur over almost as soon as it started. Soon after, it was Zhu Zhuqing's turn. Thanks to Ning Tian's subtle meddling (a butterfly effect he'd orchestrated), she didn't face Tang San. Her opponent was a Gray Wolf martial soul user, he was higher in soul power but his soul rings were a mess, not even the optimal configuration, and his martial soul was mediocre at best. Zhu Zhuqing made short work of him, her movements sharp and precise.
When she got off the stage, Ning Tian was waiting for her in the soul master tunnel. They registered their points quickly, bypassing the one-on-one spectator stands to head straight for the two-on-two zone.
Ning Tian checked the schedule. "Three matches before ours," he said. Neither felt like watching, so they settled into the preparation area instead.
Zhu Zhuqing peeled off her cat mask, her dark eyes softening with regret. "I'm sorry about earlier. I dragged you into this mess."
Ning Tian slid off his firefox mask, revealing a sly grin. "Don't worry about it. It's not your fault. I've only known Dai Mubai a few days, but I've already considered him a leech through and through. Any girl he fancies becomes his 'property' until he gets tired and ditches her. This morning, after you left the cafeteria, he straight-up told me to hand you over. I wasn't about to let a classmate get hurt, so I said no. Him turning on me? Predictable."
Her heart warmed at that, a quiet gratitude flickering inside her. "Thank you," she murmured.
"No need to thank me. I'm not exactly a saint here." Ning Tian pointed at himself, his grin widening mischievously.
Zhu Zhuqing blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"
He looked her up and down, his tone teasing but light. "Come on, you are a beautiful girl with a great personality. Most guys would trip over themselves for you."
It was the first time anyone had called her personality 'great.' A laugh slipped out before she could stop it, surprising even herself. Almost without thinking, she asked, "Would you?"
"Absolutely," Ning Tian replied, nodding as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Her laughter faded, silence settling over her like a heavy cloak. She lowered her gaze, her face unreadable.
Truth be told, she didn't mind this. Being around Ning Tian felt… easy. No suffocating weight, no constant pressure, just a rare kind of comfort she wasn't used to.
If she had a real choice between Dai Mubai, Ning Tian, or anyone else, she'd pick Ning Tian in a heartbeat.
But choices were a luxury she didn't have. As a daughter of the Zhu family in the Star Luo Empire, her fate had been etched in stone from the moment her martial soul awakened, maybe even from the day she was born. She couldn't defy her family, the imperial court, or the entire empire. Saying yes to Ning Tian would only pull him into her mess.
Ning Tian saw the storm brewing in her eyes and didn't press. 'Patience wins the game,' he thought. She hadn't shot him down outright that was already half a victory.
Neither spoke again. Zhu Zhuqing sat cross-legged, focusing on restoring her soul power, while Ning Tian cultivated beside her, calm and unbothered.
Two-on-two matches dragged on longer than the solo fights. By the time their turn rolled around, Zhu Zhuqing was back at full strength.
The announcer's voice boomed across the stage. "Match seven: Blade-Axe Team versus Emerald Team!"
The Blade-Axe Team was exactly what it sounded like one wielded a sleek narrow blade, the other a hulking axe. Both sported two yellow and one purple soul rings, the ideal setup, and their soul power outstripped Ning Tian and Zhu Zhuqing's, topping level 35. The blade user was at least level 38 higher than Dai Mubai.
Too bad they were up against Ning Tian.
"I'll lead. You back me up," he said as they stepped onto the stage.
The Blade-Axe Team stared, dumbfounded. A Spirit Elder and a Spirit Great Master? The host faltered too. "Looks like the Emerald Team is in for a rough ride. Let the soul fight begin!"
The words barely left his mouth before Ning Tian moved. He launched into the air, flipping mid-flight, and brought his sword down in a thunderous overhead slash aimed at the axe-wielding Spirit Elder.
Clang!
The axe user's weapon flew from his grip, his eyes wide with shock. Eighty jin of solid steel, knocked aside by one strike? He couldn't process it.
"You won't get away that easily!" the blade user snapped, refusing to let his partner go down. His first and second soul rings flared to life. A half-meter yellow blade aura streaked toward Ning Tian, forcing him back, followed by a barrage of slashes.
Clang, clang, clang!
Ning Tian sidestepped the initial attack, then gripped his sword one-handed, meeting the blade user's second soul skill with a clean horizontal slash.
That was Zhu Zhuqing's cue.
"First Soul Skill: Nether Thrust!"
"Second Soul Skill: Hundred Nether Claws!"
The disarmed axe user didn't stand a chance, within moments, her claws sent him crashing off the stage.
Meanwhile, Ning Tian was closing his end. After parrying the blade user's second skill, he swung downward, unleashing three crisscrossing sword energies that shattered the opponent's third soul skill. A final upward slash sent the narrow blade spinning into the air.
The host's voice rang out as they stepped down together. "The Emerald Team wins!"
Zhu Zhuqing tilted her head, curiosity sparking in her eyes. "Why didn't you use your soul skills back there? With your strength, you could've ended it in seconds."
Winning had lifted her spirits, her usually cool demeanor softened with a bright, unguarded smile.
Ning Tian returned a faint grin, rubbing the back of his head. "Got a bit caught up in the thrill of it."
It was a quirk of his. Whenever he faced a soul master with a blade or sword martial soul, he liked to let them show off their full arsenal before taking them down.
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