Blazing Academy

The first ones to reach Haotian were a pair of twins, each from one side. Their spirit rings were shining and fire surged around their feet increasing their speed, showing that they were agility types.

"Flame Shadows!" Both used their third spirit ring, throwing a rain of fire cranes towards Haotian.

Seeing the attack, Haotian simply extended his arms, facing each of the twins.

"Booom!" A loud explosion sounded as the cranes exploded over Haotian, however, no single injury could be seen from Haotian's body, his hands not even blackened by it.

"That's all?" Haotian said sheepishly, clearly looking down on his rivals.

"Eat this!" The other teammates attacked him angrily, raging fire attacks falling over Haotian who didn't try to avoid them, not even moving an inch, only grinning widely.

"Boom!" The attack exploded over Haotian, forming a smokescreen around him.

"Swing!" With a swift swing, the smoke was cut over, dispersing and revealing Haotian holding a sword surrounded by blue flames. Haotian was completely unharmed even after having received all the attacks, however, the most shocking fact wasn't that, instead, it was the 4 spirit rings revolving under him, purple, black, black and black!

"10.000 years old!" "Three of them!" "Impossible!" The audience showed in awe, fear and incredulity, everyone shocked at Haotian's theoretical impossible configuration.

"Let's stop playing around" Haotian stepped forward while lightly waving his sword, blue flames scattering around.

The Blazing team had been taken back by Haotian's spirit rings, completely stunned by them. They could have expected something like a 4th black ring like Chenxiang, but a Spirit Ancestor with three of them it should be impossible.

However, seeing Haotian approaching them, they quickly recovered from their stun, trying to readjust their formation to prepare for Haotian's attack, but they found themselves unable to do it as blue flames clung around their feet, freezing them over the ground and nailing them to the floor, completely unable to move.

"Ag!" Spirit rings shined, flames shooting over the Blazing Team's body trying to unfreeze themselves, but against their thoughts, it only made it all worse. Their own flames were absorbed by the yin flames that grew bigger and stronger, starting to climb their bodies and freezing them over.

It wasn't a difference of power, it was a difference of league. Haotian's yin flames were of another league, the simple fire of the Blazing team only being capable of lowering their head in submission and letting it be absorbed.

'As their flames are more of yang nature, I didn't think that Biyun's flames would be so overbearing. I suppose that her spirit is also in control over fire, at least the weak one.' Haotian thought as he coldly looked at the Blazing Team participant becoming ice statues.

"AGGGGG!" Huo Wushuang's shouted with strength as his 1th and 3th spirit rings shined brightly, his body growing bigger, golden scales appearing all around him, covering him with a scaled dragonic armor and claws covered in raging flames appeared over his hand.

"BOOOM!" The ice around him broke, shattering into smithereens and releasing himself, directly charging towards Haotian.

'There's a trace of yang over the flames that make him capable to fight against the yin flames' Haotian analyzed 'Anyway, he is not strong enough.'

Haotian slowly walked towards him, blue flames converged over his sword, creating a thin film of sharp ice as he swung downwards his sword towards Wushuang.

However, just as he was about to hit, Haotian sensed something approaching him from the side. It was Huo Wu's Fire Shadow!

"Fire Ring!" Huo Wu's third spirit ring shined "Boom!" Fire exploded from her spirit, directly crashing towards Haotian who tried to defend himself from it, tilting his sword.

Haotian tried to absorb the flames with his sword's flames, but he was unable as he was pushed by them. Huo Wu's attack completely lacked any offense power but was able to push Haotian away, throwing him over 5 meters and breaking his posture, becoming an easy target of Wushuang who appeared just next to him, having completely predicted Huo Wu's action.

"It's your defeat!" Wushuang's 4th spirit ring shined, flames erupting over his claws as these enlarged, becoming far more threatening "Dragonic Rage!"

'I've been trapped' Haotian sighed. With his posture broken due to Huo Wu, he was unable to avoid Wushuang and effectively use his sword to stop him.

"Be proud of having achieved that" Haotian's third spirit ring shined, the blue flames around him increasing being fueled by wind and morphing into a pair of wide wings at his back.

"Sky Blizzard!" "GRRRRRRRRRRR!" The flames around Haotian growled furiously, charging ferociously towards Wushuang.

Due to Haotian's bad posture, being unable to use his sword and without much time to prepare, his attack was far from being at 100% strength, however, it was more than what Wushuang could cope with. Wushuang was engulfed by the strong blizzard, his flames faded unable to face the frost while his body froze solid, becoming an ice statue.

Haotian recovered his posture. However, there was no time to rest as he felt a strong heat from above. Turning his gaze upwards, he was faced by a raging sun formed by a strong fire.

On the ground under the sun, Huo Wu stood with her arms extended pointed to the sky, clearly the sun being her work. Huo Wu's four spirit ring shined brightly as she squeezed all her spirit energy over them, the four spirit rings started to approach each other, finally merging into one brilliant purple with a tint of black.

It was a skill overlap! A rare and powerful fusion technique, able to fuse and combine all the spirit skills. Not only it was impossible to do for most of the spirits, but it also required a perfectly compatible spirit rings configuration, showing that Huo Wu had chosen her spirit rings perfectly.

"Die! Brilliant Sun!" Huo Wu's shouted with her last strength, the raging sun started falling over Haotian.

"They really had it planned" Haotian sighed, clearly analyzing what had happened. Huo Wu's Fire Ring hadn't only pushed him and broke his posture, it had also pushed Huo Wu away, breaking her free from the ice. She also had used her brother to gain time for her next attack, clearly not expecting Haotian being finished by him. With her strongest attack, she wasn't only targeting Haotian, she was also attacking the full Heaven Dou Team who even now they didn't release their spirit.

"Let see the strength of it" Haotian lifted his sword, flames converging in it as he prepared to destroy the sun.

"Buagg!" However, before the sun was over Haotian, Huo Wu vomited blood and fell over the ground without any strength. Her final attack was too strong and required her full strength and control, not having been able to completely control yet and losing control of it.

The Brilliant Sun quivered after losing control, becoming redder and expanding with erratic flames. It was about to explode.

"Leave the ground!" Haotian shouted to his teammates who quickly acted jumping outside the field, being disqualified doing that. The girls would have been able to protect the attack using their spirits, but rather than showing them now unplanned trying to defend from an attack, it would be better to show them in a real battle.

"BOOOOOOOOM!" The Brilliant Sun exploded, a sea of fire falling all over the field, trying to engulf everything.

Haotian quickly acted, he flapped his wings and with a swift movement, he appeared just next to Huo Wu before the fire fell over her.

The other Blazing Team members were encased in ice and they still had spirit energy so even if they were to receive the uncontrolled attack, they would be able to survive with some different degree of injuries, but if Huo Wu who was completely exhausted received the attack, only death would wait for her.

Seeing the attack closing to her, Huo Wu closed her eyes in fright.

"Wha!" Huo Wu found herself shocked feeling her body being lifted and surrounded by warmth as someone hugged her, wrapping her with his a strong body while his back faced the sea of flames, protecting her.

"Boom!" The flames fell over the field, completely destroying it all and covering everything with smoke.

The audience was still, not even daring to say one word as they had their gaze nailed in the field, wanting to know the result of such a combat.

The attack finally stopped, revealing the result. All the Blazing Team members were out of combat, they lied on the ground with grievous burns over their bodies, but luckily none was dead.

On the middle of the field, Haotian stood tall with Huo Wu between his arms.

Huo Wu opened her eyes only to face directly with Haotian's piercing purple eyes, being enchanted by them and Haotian's handsome face. She quickly realized her situation and blushed highly, Haotian's upper clothes were burned away, revealing Haotian's defined muscles and perfect body, wrapping her into a strong and warm embrace, a spicy but sweet and wonderful aroma wrapping her from Haotian. Haotian had received the full brunt of her attack, covering her with his body and protecting her.

"You should be more careful. Never put your life in such a danger" Haotian whispered over Huo Wu's ear as he carefully lowered her to the ground.

"Victory, Heaven Dou!" The referee finally stated seeing that every member of the Blazing Academy was out of combat with Huo Wu unable to stand up, the medic team quickly entering the field and starting treating the members.

Standing on the ground with her slender legs too weak to even stand up, Huo Wu looked with longing eyes at Haotian's leaving figure that returned to his team. His wide shoulder and strong unscarred back that had protected her life, the lingering aroma left by him and the memory of their embrace, making her blush.

'I really might have underestimated them' Haotian thought as he returned with her girls.

The Blazing Team wasn't weak, being deserved to be one of the strongest academies of the empire. If it wasn't for his immunity to fire thanks to having absorbed the Fire Dragon King's remains, he could have finished the battle baldy. Of course, if that was the case, Haotian would have opted for another tactic. While he was far stronger than any of them individually, he couldn't be so sure in a 1vs7 against a coordinated team.

'It didn't go so bad in the end' Haotian could have shown all his strength since the start and finished them extremely quickly, but his plan wasn't winning or showing off, instead, it was increasing Huo Wu's favorability. For this, he used his knowledge of the novel. He knew that the best way to make her fall was to make her angry, forcing her to show her full strength and finally breaking her pride with overwhelming advantage and strength, changing the anger to awe.

He didn't expect Huo Wu to need to be saved due to losing control of her attack similar to the novel where Tang San pushed her over her own attack, finally protecting her with his own body. But, it went better like that, with this the awe changed to thanks that would be closer to love and even if her anger is still there, it would only make her want to approach him more, gaining more opportunities.

In summary, the match was a perfect victory.

...

At the afternoon, having finished all of today's matches, Haotian walked over the crowded streets of Heaven Dou City, feeling the bursting air of celebrating all over the city due to the tournament, having attracted countless people.

After walking over a more calmed street away from the furor of festivities, Haotian stopped over a teahouse.

Not long after having finished the match against the Blazing Academy, he had received a communication from Fengzhi, requesting his presence here.

Haotian quickly accepted the offer curious of what Fengzhi wanted. He was considered a host of the tournament as the emperor and that make him extremely busy and eyecatching, so it should be something important.

Haotian entered the teahouse and was quickly guided respectfully by a waitress to a private room, the waitress bowing to him before leaving him alone.

Knocking the door, Haotian waited until two voices came from the room letting him pass. He opened the door and found two people, one was Ning Fengzhi and the other one was a young man that he couldn't recognize.

Fengzhi stood up "I'll introduce you. Haotian, this is the Heaven Dou Empire's present crown prince, his highness Xue Qinghe."