Chapter 42 A Tale of Two Extremes! The "Beast Taming" Moment Under the Thousand-Machine Umbrella (
The sunlight today was exceptionally bright, as if to complement the upcoming match. A sweltering heat permeated the air, and the temperature around the arena seemed several degrees higher than usual.
"That Ye Feng is too arrogant!" In the Blazing Fire Academy's rest area, Huo Wu, dressed in a fiery red team uniform, was glaring at the All-Round Team with gritted teeth. She had long, wavy, dark red hair and a tall, curvaceous figure. The tight-fitting team uniform accentuated her breathtaking curves, making her look like a raging fire ready to explode at any moment.
"Little sister, calm down."
Although Captain Huo Wushuang's name sounded imposing, his expression was somewhat solemn at the moment. "They were able to instantly kill the Elephant Armor Sect yesterday and turn everyone at Canghui Academy into idiots. They are definitely not simple. Especially that Ye Feng, he is unfathomable."
"So what?" Huo Wu scoffed, her eyes burning with an indomitable spirit.
"The Elephant Armor Sect is cumbersome, and the Azure Radiance Academy plays dirty tricks. Our Blazing Fire Academy has the strongest explosive power team! I refuse to believe that my flames can't melt that broken umbrella!"
On the other side, in the rest area of the full-time esports team.
"It's so hot..." Ye Shaotian frantically fanned himself with a fan.
"Are those guys on the other side reincarnated furnaces? I feel like I'm going to get dehydrated before they even get on the field."
"A calm mind brings coolness." Ye Feng closed his eyes to rest, toying with the Ruyi Baibao Pouch he had just seized from Shi Nian.
"Bing'er, how are you feeling?"
Shui Bing'er slowly opened her eyes.
In that instant, her pupils seemed to transform into two deep blue gems, and an extreme chill emanated from her, instantly dispelling the surrounding heat.
After absorbing the Illusionary Wisdom Skull from that era, her mental power underwent a qualitative leap. Although the attributes weren't perfectly matched (Ice vs. Spirit), this soul bone greatly enhanced her control precision.
"I feel... better than ever before." Shui Bing'er smiled confidently, her cool and noble temperament even more captivating. "Captain, I want to focus on attacking in this match."
Ye Feng smiled: "Approved. Since they want to play with fire, let's cool them down."
"The fourth round of the Continental Elite Tournament for Advanced Soul Master Academies!" "All-Round Team VS Blazing Academy!"
With the emcee's loud shouts, the two teams stepped onto the stage.
The Blazing Academy's formation was cone-shaped, with Huo Wushuang at the very front, two Fire Crane Soul Masters on either side, and Huo Wu at the very back, making her the absolute core and control position.
Meanwhile, the full-time team maintained the same old arrangement. Hu Yanli was in the center, with Shui Bing'er and Ye Feng on the left and right respectively, and the others were scattered around.
"Ye Feng!" Huo Wu shouted loudly as soon as she stepped onto the stage, her eyes fixed on Ye Feng.
"Don't think you're invincible just because you've won a few games! Today, I'll let you taste what it's like to be burned alive!"
Ye Feng put one hand in his pocket and sighed helplessly: "Girls shouldn't be fighting all the time. It's easy to have hormonal imbalances and get pimples."
"You! You're asking for it!" Huo Wu's pretty face flushed red with anger; this provocation had worked wonders. "The match begins!"
"Brothers, charge! Let's teach them a lesson!" Huo Wushuang roared, his muscles bulging, dragon scales covering his arms, as he charged toward Hu Yanli with a scorching wave of energy.
"Whoosh—!" The entire Blazing Fire Academy team unleashed their firepower, their multicolored flame soul skills instantly turning half the arena into a sea of fire.
"Bing'er," Ye Feng called out softly.
"Here." Shui Bing'er took a step forward. She didn't use any fancy movements, but simply raised her right hand. Under her feet, four spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, and purple—pulsated rhythmically.
"First Soul Skill: Ice Seal".
What was originally a single-target, instantaneous control of ice had undergone a qualitative change under the spiritual power enhancement of the head soul bone. "Crack crack crack—!!!" Countless deep blue icicles burst forth from the ground, accurately predicting the movements of every member of the Blazing Fire Academy.
"What?!" Huo Wushuang, charging forward, suddenly felt his feet tighten. A layer of hard blue ice instantly covered his legs, and the chill even penetrated his flame shield, penetrating straight to his bone marrow. "This ice... how could it possibly freeze my Explosive Fire?!"
Attribute advantage? No, it's the ultimate attribute suppression! Shui Bing'er's Ice Phoenix Martial Soul was already a top-tier beast Martial Soul, and now with her greatly increased mental power, her control over the elements has reached an extremely subtle level.
"Damn it! Resist Fire Ring!" Huo Wu reacted extremely quickly, and her third soul ring lit up.
A dazzling, fiery red halo erupted from her center, attempting to shatter the ice covering her teammates.
"That's interesting. But it's not enough."
Ye Feng stood at the back, the Thousand Chance Umbrella not even opened yet.
"Old man, see the guest out."
"Hehe, all set!"
Hu Yanli had been holding back for a long time, and taking advantage of the moment when Huo Wushuang was frozen, the brute force of the golden mammoth erupted.
"Get down here!" Bang! A simple and brutal charge sent Huo Wushuang, who had been unfrozen but hadn't yet regained his footing, flying like a bowling ball.
In just one brief encounter, Blazing Fire Academy's main attacker was eliminated!
"Brother!" Huo Wu exclaimed.
She turned her head, staring intently at the nonchalant Ye Feng, her eyes blazing with fury. "Since you're courting death, don't blame me!"
Huo Wu raised her hands high, and her fourth spirit ring—the purple millennium spirit ring—suddenly shone brightly.
But strangely, she didn't attack directly; instead, she started spinning in place.
As she danced, the free-floating fire elements in the air converged wildly towards her.
Above her head, a small white sphere of light was rapidly forming, radiating a chillingly high temperature.
"That's... Fire Dance of the Sun?" Ning Fengzhi frowned slightly in the VIP section. "This move is powerful, but the charging time is too long. The full-time team can easily interrupt her."
However, the full-time team did not interrupt. Ye Feng waved his hand, signaling his teammates to step back. "Let her charge up." Ye Feng's voice carried throughout the arena through the loudspeaker, "I also want to see if the so-called strongest strike of Blazing Fire can light my cigarette."
Arrogance! Utter arrogance!
The audience erupted in uproar. "Has Ye Feng gone mad? Fire Dance Shines Sun can lock onto an opponent!" "This is incredibly arrogant!"
On the stage, Huo Wu was so angry upon hearing these words that she almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Look down on me? Fine! I'll make you regret ever being born!"
She poured all her soul power into the sphere of light above her head. The sphere grew larger and larger, its color changing from white to a dazzling crimson gold, like a miniature sun.
"Melt! Fire Dance Shines Brightly!" Fire Dance pushed her hands forward forcefully.
The crimson-gold fireball tore through the air, carrying an aura of annihilation, locked onto Ye Feng, and hurtled away. Wherever it passed, the stone slabs of the arena instantly charred and cracked.
Faced with this terrifying attack, Shui Bing'er instinctively wanted to step forward to block it, but Ye Feng stopped her. "I'll do it."
Ye Feng stepped forward. The Myriad Manifestations Umbrella in his hand was opened for the first time in this competition.
But this umbrella didn't transform into a shield or a weapon as usual. The ribs creaked, the canopy began to spin rapidly, and—a dense layer of icy aura covered the canopy.
"Thousand Chance Umbrella - Rotary Form - Absolute Zero Storm!"
Buzz—!!!
The Thousand Chance Umbrella spun wildly like a giant turbine fan, bringing not only wind but also the extreme chill that Shui Bing'er had left on the field.
The cold wind and the fireball collided violently in mid-air.
There was no massive explosion as expected. Instead, there was a sickening hissing sound.
The once invincible "Fire Dance Sun" was weakened, blown away, and extinguished layer by layer in the face of the low-temperature storm created by the Thousand Chance Umbrella.
Huo Wu stared wide-eyed at the scene in disbelief. "What...what the hell is this?!" Her all-out attack was actually extinguished by an umbrella...?
Three seconds later, the fireball vanished completely, leaving only a wisp of smoke that slowly drifted towards Ye Feng.
Ye Feng closed his umbrella, reverting to his usual languid demeanor, and even seriously sniffed the wisp of smoke. "Hmm, a bit burnt. Overcooked, I'll be more careful next time."
"Pfft—!" This time, Huo Wu really coughed up blood. It was the result of overdrawing her soul power and being overwhelmed by anger.
Her body went limp, her vision went black, and she fell backward.
"Fire Dance!" the Blazing Fire Academy team members exclaimed.
But a dark figure was faster than them. Ye Feng moved like lightning, instantly covering dozens of meters and appearing behind Huo Wu.
He stretched out his long arms and caught the fire goddess who was about to fall.
In her dazed state, Huo Wu felt herself fall into a broad and warm embrace.
She struggled to open her eyes and saw a face that made her grit her teeth in hatred, yet was also excessively handsome.
"You..." Huo Wu weakly tried to struggle.
"Don't move."
Ye Feng looked down at her, his eyes filled with a hint of mockery, as well as a subtle, almost imperceptible seriousness.
"Your flames are beautiful, but if you can't even control them, you're just playing with fire and getting burned." As he spoke, he placed one hand on Huo Wu's back, and a gentle, mellow soul power slowly flowed into her body, helping her calm her restless fire-attribute soul power.
At this moment, the entire arena fell silent. This scene... didn't look like a competition at all; it looked more like a scene from an idol drama?
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"Damn it! Let go of my Huo Wu sister!" In a corner of the audience, Feng Xiaotian (captain of Shenfeng Academy), who had been watching the battle, had bloodshot eyes and his fists were clenched so tightly that they cracked. He wished he could rush up and fight Ye Feng to the death.
On the arena.
Feeling the warm current flowing through her body, Huo Wu's previously pale face regained a rosy hue. Looking at Ye Feng so close to her, her emotions were incredibly complex. Shame, resentment, gratitude, and a strange... flutter of excitement. No man her age had ever so directly defeated her, and no one had ever held her like this after defeating her.
"Let me go..." she said, biting her lip, her voice barely audible.
"As you wish." Ye Feng released her hand and handed her over to the Blazing Fire Academy team members who had rushed over. "Referee, is there no need to count anymore? I think the outcome is already decided."
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The referee was stunned for a moment before he realized what he meant: "All... All-round Team wins!"
...
Post-match tunnel.
As soon as Ye Feng stepped off the stage, he was blocked by someone. The person was wearing a mask and the blue team uniform of Shenfeng Academy, with fierce eyes; it was Feng Xiaotian.
"Ye Feng!" Feng Xiaotian lowered his voice, his tone full of hostility.
"You are... who was it again?" Ye Feng pretended to think. "Oh, that simp... no, the captain of the Divine Wind Academy?"
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"You!" Feng Xiaotian almost lost his composure, but he took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his anger. "Ye Feng, you are strong. But let me tell you, Huo Wu is not someone you can lay a finger on!"
"Touched her?" Ye Feng laughed, a laugh that was incredibly irritating. "Captain Feng, are you mistaken? You saw it yourself just now, she fell into my arms on her own. I had no choice, being too charming is a sin."
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"Stop pretending!" Feng Xiaotian stared intently at Ye Feng. "I challenge you! Not for the academy, but for Huo Wu! In the next round against Shenfeng Academy, I'll show you what a true genius is!" "If we win, you'd better stay away from Huo Wu from now on!"
Ye Feng raised an eyebrow: "What if you lose?"
"If we lose..." Feng Xiaotian gritted his teeth, "I, Feng Xiaotian, am at your mercy! I don't care if I become your lackey!"
"Oh? This bet is interesting." Ye Feng sized up Feng Xiaotian. Innate full soul power, mutated martial soul Gale Twin-Headed Wolf, self-created soul skill Gale Demon Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes. This is indeed a top-tier talent; if he didn't act as a sycophant, he would be an excellent henchman.
"Alright, I accept." Ye Feng reached out and patted Feng Xiaotian on the shoulder. "Get your knees ready, little brother Feng. I'll make you admit defeat wholeheartedly."
After saying that, Ye Feng led the women away.
Back at the hotel.
"Captain, you really went too far just now." As soon as she entered, Shui Bing'er couldn't help but say, her tone tinged with sourness. "Not only did you humiliate her, but you also took advantage of her in the end. Huo Wu's eyes were all wrong with you."
"Exactly!" Dugu Yan also came over and sniffed Ye Feng like a puppy. "You smell like a vixen... oh no, like turkey essence. Go take a shower! Otherwise, you're not allowed in bed tonight... uh, you're not allowed in the living room!"
Ye Feng raised his hands in surrender: "I'm innocent! I was just being humanitarian. I couldn't just watch a beautiful woman fall flat on her face, could I?"
"Hmph, I think you're just lusting after her body," Leng Qianqian added from the side.
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Mingyue sat on the sofa, a glass of red wine in her hand, watching the group of young people playing around, a smile playing on her lips. But then, her eyes deepened. "Ye Feng, come here for a moment."
Ye Feng walked over: "What's wrong, teacher?"
Mingyue put down her wine cup, her expression becoming more serious.
"I just received a message. Because of Shi Nian's disappearance, it seems the Spirit Hall has taken action. Bishop Salas is pressuring the organizing committee to thoroughly investigate the matter. Moreover…" "They seem very interested in your Thousand Manifestations Umbrella. Someone is secretly investigating your background."
Ye Feng's eyes turned cold. "Investigate my background?" He was a transmigrator with a perfectly clean past—just an ordinary commoner orphan. But it was precisely because of this clean past that he aroused even more suspicion. How could a commoner possess such a heaven-defying martial spirit and strength?
"Let them investigate." Ye Feng sneered, a sharp glint in his eyes. "As long as I live, what they find will only ever be what I want them to see." "Moreover, after this competition ends, I will give the Spirit Hall a great gift."
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Mingyue looked at the confident and ambitious young man before her, and a thought struck her. She reached out and took Ye Feng's hand, saying softly:
"No matter what happens, remember, we are here for you."
Ye Feng grasped her hand in return, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room.
Shui Bing'er, Dugu Yan, Hu Yanli, Ye Shaotian... "I know." "So, we have to win the next match. And we have to win beautifully, win in a way that will shut everyone up."
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"Next battle: Shenfeng Academy. That brat Feng Xiaotian wants to come knocking on our door to become our underlings, how can we refuse him?"