As expected, ever since Marco defeated his opponent with thunderous force on the first day of the promotion tournament and unleashed that overwhelmingly domineering, awe-inspiring Imposing Aura that made the entire arena bow their heads, the entire promotion tournament process underwent an Overturning Heaven and Earth transformation.
In the subsequent matches, whenever a team drew the lot to face the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy's first team, whether they were elite academies from the four great kingdoms or the duchies, without exception, they all chose to... forfeit and concede defeat!
There was no probing, no struggle, not even symbolic resistance.
When the referee announced the opposing sides, the leaders or captains of those academies would stand up with grave expressions, even carrying a trace of reverence and fear, bow respectfully towards the referee stand and the direction of the Heavenly Dou first team, and decisively declare: "We concede."
Initially, some were puzzled and whispered among themselves.
"They're conceding just like that? Without even fighting?"Those are promotion match points!" Giving up without even a single match?"
"What do you know? Didn't you see Marco's Domain Momentum that day? Even a Soul Emperor couldn't withstand it! Going up there would only be asking for humiliation, and they might even get injured, affecting their subsequent matches!"
"Exactly! Knowing certain defeat, why waste Soul Power, or even risk developing psychological trauma? Preserving strength to strive for victories in other matches and achieve a better ranking is the wise choice!"
Gradually, everyone came to understand this choice. Facing a monster they simply couldn't defeat—one they might not even be able to make take them seriously—preserving dignity and strength was undoubtedly the most rational approach. Marco's presence was like an insurmountable mountain looming before all the participating teams, making it impossible to muster any thought of resistance.
Thus, the promotion match became exceptionally "easy" for the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy's first team, and for Marco. He hardly needed to take the field; merely having his name on the roster was enough to secure victory after victory. On the points leaderboard, the Heavenly Dou first team raced ahead, leaving all others far behind.
However, this "peaceful" period didn't last long. An unexpected "trouble" came knocking.
This "trouble" was none other than the vice-captain of Blazing Academy—Huo Wu.
After exhausting all her strength only to suffer a crushing defeat that day, and experiencing initial collapse and despair, Huo Wu—this fiery, stubborn, and unyielding young woman—didn't seem completely broken. Instead, she... "recovered" in a peculiar way.
She no longer glared at Marco with eyes full of anger and resentment as before, but rather... began to frequently appear around him.
When Marco sat quietly in the courtyard, she would suddenly jump out, hands on her hips, and shout spiritedly: "Marco!" Fight me again! This time, I'll definitely break through your Elementalization!When Marco strolled along the track, she would dart out from the side, her beautiful eyes blazing: "Hey!" Don't walk away! Spar with me on fire control techniques!"
Even when Marco was dining in the cafeteria, she would approach with her tray, sit opposite him, and chatter incessantly about various changes and applications of the fire attribute, then abruptly bring up another sparring request.
She seemed to have completely forgotten her previous crushing defeat, or rather, transformed that failure into an even more stubborn driving force. Her pestering of Marco was no longer just about challenging him—it felt more like a persistent "harassment" and "attempt to learn his techniques"? She wanted to understand the source of Marco's strength, to learn from him, even if it was just a few words of guidance.
Marco found this rather frustrating. He couldn't really fight her, scolding her didn't make her leave, and hiding from her wasn't a good option. Most of the time, he could only ignore her or brush her off with simple replies like "I'm busy" or "No." But Huo Wu was like sticky rice cake—incredibly tenacious.
This "lively" scene soon attracted another spectator who "enjoyed watching the drama"—Heaven Water Academy's Shui Yue'er.
With her lively and playful nature, Shui Yue'er found it extremely amusing to see Huo Wu constantly pestering Marco. She dragged her older sister, Shui Bing'er, along to "join the fun."
"Wow! Sister Huo Wu, are you challenging Brother Marco again? How many moves did you last this time?"
"Brother Marco, look how sincere Sister Huo Wu is! Why don't you give her some pointers?"
"Sister, why is Brother Marco's flame bluish-red? It's so beautiful!"
Like a cheerful little butterfly, Shui Yue'er fluttered around the three of them, chattering nonstop and occasionally teasing Huo Wu, making her blush with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, yet unable to do anything about it.
Shui Bing'er, on the other hand, was much more composed. She usually followed quietly nearby, her cool gaze occasionally resting on Marco with a hint of curiosity and complexity. Unlike her mischievous younger sister, she didn't engage in the commotion, but she didn't seem opposed to this kind of interaction either. Perhaps she also wanted to observe Marco up close and uncover the secrets of his strength. Occasionally, she would speak up, asking more profound questions about Spirit Ability control and energy utilization, which actually piqued Marco's interest in conversation a little.
Thus, a peculiar scene often unfolded in the rest area during the advancement matches: Marco walking ahead with a helpless expression, Huo Wu persistently "challenging" or questioning him by his side, Shui Yue'er bouncing around and stirring up trouble with her teasing, and Shui Bing'er quietly following along. It formed a unique "spectacle."
And this "spectacle" soon attracted a fourth person—Divine Wind Academy's Feng Xiaotian.
Seeing the girl he admired constantly hovering around Marco, Feng Xiaotian felt a sour and uncomfortable bitterness in his heart. Although he respected Marco's strength, watching Huo Wu's determined attitude toward Marco compared to her indifference toward himself stirred up feelings of resentment and jealousy.
Finally, during one of Huo Wu's attempts to "spar" with Marco, Feng Xiaotian couldn't hold back anymore. He rushed forward, stepping in front of Huo Wu, and shouted at Marco, "Marco! I challenge you! Let's have a fair and square fight! Stop bullying Sister Huo Wu all the time!"
He had hoped to showcase his masculinity and protective instincts, thinking it might win him some favor with Huo Wu.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Huo Wu behind him furrowed her willow-like eyebrows and snapped angrily, "Feng Xiaotian! What are you causing trouble for? Who asked you to meddle? I'm discussing Spirit Abilities with Marco! Go stand aside!"
Feng Xiaotian instantly froze in place, his face full of fervor instantly turning into awkwardness and grievance. Staring into Huo Wu's blazing beautiful eyes, he sheepishly rubbed his nose, his Domain Momentum completely gone as he retreated to the side in disarray, resembling a large dog scolded by its owner.
Watching this scene, Marco could only helplessly rub his temples. What kind of mess was this...
And so, in this bizarre yet lively atmosphere, time quietly passed. Match after match proceeded and concluded, with the rankings on the scoreboard gradually becoming clear. The Heaven Dou First Team, relying on Marco's deterrent power, secured victories without fighting and steadily maintained first place. Strong teams like Shrek Academy, Divine Wind Academy, and Heaven Water Academy also exerted their strength, ranking near the top.
Finally, the advancement matches approached their conclusion. After the last few rounds of competition, the final rankings of the fifteen teams from the Heaven Dou Division advancing to Spirit City for the finals were about to be settled.
And everyone understood in their hearts that the true storm was about to unfold in Spirit City. There, all the top talents from the two great empires of Heaven Dou and Star Luo would converge.
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