Zhou Yi sighed in her heart. She had truly witnessed what it meant to "borrow a tiger's power," and that "tiger's power" was something she had personally handed over. She could, of course, expose Furina's status as a "temporary teacher" on the spot, but what would the consequences be?
That would be equivalent to slapping her own face in public, admitting she had gone back on her word. With Furina's sharp tongue and quick-witted personality, she would definitely bite back. How would Zhou Yi maintain her standing in front of the students then? Moreover, Teacher Wang was present; if word of this got out, where would Zhou Yi hide her face?
She could only let Furina continue her "performance." Zhou Yi secretly decided that once today's classes were over, she would definitely have a good talk with the Dean about the arrangement of this "temporary teacher."
---
Inside Hall Three of the Soul Fighting Area, the spacious martial arts stage shimmered with a cold, hard luster under the illumination of spirit tools. The spectator stands rose in tiers around the perimeter, their dark red seats appearing solemn and grave under the lights.
Students sat in the front rows according to their groups, the air thick with a mixture of excitement and tension. Some were discussing tactics in low voices, while others were stretching their limbs, making pre-match preparations.
Furina walked to the center of the arena and clapped her hands. The crisp sound echoed through the empty venue, drawing everyone's attention.
"Alright students, since the teams are formed, let's get straight to the point." Her voice was clear and forceful. "Next, we will determine the match order by drawing lots. Each match is limited to fifteen minutes. Victory is achieved by knocking down the opponent, forcing a surrender, or knocking them out of bounds."
She glanced around, seeing many students already itching for a fight, and continued, "While others are competing, don't just chat and play around. Carefully observe your opponents' Martial Souls, Spirit Abilitys, and tactical styles. Analyze their strengths and weaknesses. This information could play a crucial role in future teamwork or confrontations."
"Teacher Zhou Yi and I will grade you based on your performance," she emphasized specifically. "This doesn't just concern today's results; it will also affect future grouping arrangements. So, please take this seriously."
Having said that, Furina took a batch of items from her storage ring and arranged them neatly on a temporary long table at the edge of the arena.
"These," she raised her voice, successfully capturing everyone's gaze, "are Hidden Weaponss from the Tang Sect, an affiliate of the Axis Cult, as well as new weapons independently developed by our Axis Cult."
The long table was a dazzling sight: various Hidden Weaponss—darts made of refined steel, Sleeve Arrows that could be hidden in clothing, and simplified versions of the Godly Zhuge Crossbow; there were also three "pistols" of strange design, their entire bodies shimmering with a metallic cold light; and four fist-sized smoke bombs with smooth surfaces.
"These three items are neither Hidden Weaponss nor spirit tools; they are firearms, which we call 'pistols'."
Furina picked one up and skillfully demonstrated the process of loading, chambering, and aiming. "They are not traditional Hidden Weaponss, nor are they spirit tools, but special weapons propelled by gunpowder. Most importantly—"
She intentionally drew out her words until everyone's curiosity was piqued to the maximum:
"Even people without Soul Power can use them."
"Whoa—"
A commotion broke out among the crowd. In this world where Soul Power was supreme, a weapon that could be used without it undoubtedly held revolutionary significance. Many students widened their eyes, staring intently at the three pistols as if they were rare treasures.
However, upon hearing the phrase "the Tang Sect has become an affiliate of the Axis Cult," there were different reactions among the students.
Some students who knew more about the history of the continent's Sects showed confused expressions, exchanging puzzled glances. The one with the strongest reaction was none other than Wang Dong.
"What?!" Wang Dong blurted out, his voice carrying an unbelievable shock.
He didn't know why his reaction was so strong, but when he heard the words "Tang Sect" and "affiliate" linked together, a strange surge of anger and humiliation suddenly welled up in his heart.
That feeling came so suddenly and intensely, as if some instinct deeply rooted in his Bloodline had been triggered. He felt a tightness in his chest, and his breathing grew hurried.
Huo Yuhao keenly noticed the abnormality in the person beside him. He turned his head and asked in a low voice, "Wang Dong? What's wrong?"
"...No, it's nothing." Wang Dong finally snapped out of it and shook his head quickly, trying to hide his loss of composure.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, but his heart was still full of confusion: What exactly was wrong with him? Why did he have such a strong reaction to the Tang Sect becoming an affiliate of another Sect?
Furina didn't notice this small episode. She continued explaining the rules, her tone turning serious:
"However, I will only provide one bullet for each gun. You only have one chance. If you hit your opponent, they are directly eliminated."
Her gaze became sharp, sweeping across the face of every student present. "Note: it is strictly forbidden to aim for the head or the heart. Even though I possess strong healing abilities, some fatal wounds are hard to reverse. Safety first, do you understand?"
"Understood!" the students answered in unison, their voices echoing in the empty hall.
"The instruction manuals are here, read them yourselves. I'll give you ten minutes to choose your weapons and familiarize yourselves with the operations, then we draw lots to begin."
Before her voice had even faded, the students swarmed forward, surrounding the long table in heated discussion. Some picked up darts to weigh them in their hands, some gathered to study the construction of the pistols, and others were already consulting with teammates on which weapon to choose.
"What's the principle behind this? It can fire without Soul Power?"
"I've heard of the Tang Sect's Hidden Weaponss, they're said to be very powerful! Though not as good as spirit tools, of course. I didn't expect them to become an affiliate of the Axis Cult now..."
"I want to try this 'pistol,' it looks so cool!"
Huo Yuhao didn't rush forward. His gaze fell on the three pistols as he sank into thought. In truth, it didn't matter to him whether he had one or not, especially since he had other weapons he could use.
Wang Dong's emotions had calmed down quite a bit. He squeezed over to Huo Yuhao's side and pointed at the pistols on the table, his voice returning to its usual excitement. "Yuhao, should we take one? That pistol looks very interesting!"
Although a thought in his mind urged him to use Hidden Weaponss, he personally leaned more toward the more novel pistol.
Xiao Xiao was more cautious. she spun a dart in her hand and voiced her opinion: "I think it's safer to choose Hidden Weaponss. While new weapons are novel, being unfamiliar with them might hold us back. Besides, there's only one bullet; if we miss, it's wasted."
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