Chapter 335 - Reverse Psychology
After playing with the two of them, Erebard grew tired. Before settling down, it sent Han Wu a message through their contract. It needed to consume dragon bones to grow stronger.
This was Dragon Seal, and the three had already confirmed that plenty of dragon bones lay scattered across the region. To speed up Erebard’s growth, Han Wu commanded the queen ant to gather as many as possible.
Sensing his strength, the queen ant had already become his Believer, and she obeyed without hesitation. She dispatched her workers and soldiers to scour the ground, collect every fragment of bone, and send them back to the nest for Han Wu to retrieve later.
Han Wu nodded with satisfaction. He had to admit it felt good to leave a subordinate behind in every civilization he visited. All he needed to do was issue an order, and the rest would be carried out without effort on his part.
After arranging when he would return to collect the bones, the trio departed the nest under the escort of soldier ants. Their time in the tunnels had left all three of them considerably stronger. Leng Ning in particular had reached a breakthrough, unlocking her fifth Skill as an Intermediate Elite.
They spent roughly ten more days exploring Dragon Seal. With Erebard serving as a living deterrent, no other creatures dared approach. The trio waited until their names climbed to the top of the ranking board before leaving. With their names established, they could receive Assists from future adventurers in the area.
Only then did they return to the academy. After resting for a few days, they prepared for the upcoming interacademy competition. As Azure Sea’s representatives, they carried the academy’s hopes, though because their school lacked fame, their match had been scheduled near the end of the day.
The teacher assigned to watch over them had observed the first few matches and noticed the overwhelming strength of students from the more prestigious academies. Concern creased the teacher’s face as thoughts of the trio’s chances weighed heavily. While Han Wu and his companions had likely improved over the past month, the teacher doubted the progress would bridge the gap between them and the elite competitors.
The teacher offered a piece of cautious advice. “You three... do your best out there, alright? But don’t push yourselves too hard. Participating matters more than winning. Don’t risk injury for the sake of some meaningless prestige.”
Han Wu froze. Is this some form of reverse psychology? Other teachers would be urging their students to fight relentlessly to earn points for their academies, yet this teacher prioritizes our safety over glory?
He would have suspected the man of being a spy from another academy if he hadn’t known that he was actually the uncle of the Azure Sea principal.
Meng Qi ignored the warning and replied with unwavering confidence, “Don’t worry. We’re here because we believe we can win.”
Instead of praise, the teacher questioned him, “Meng Qi, I don’t want to crush your spirit, but... you’re only an Intermediate Disciple. The other academies’ students are Inferior Elites. Don’t put on a brave front. Inferior Elites have four Skills and are considered formidable. You have half their strength. How do you plan to compete?”
“Erm... Teacher, I think you’re mistaken. I’m already a Superior Disciple with three Skills. I’m not—”
Meng Qi tried to clarify, but the teacher cut him off. “Meng Qi, don’t lie to me. This time, the academy’s hope is for all of you to return safely. That is our true victory.”
Meng Qi opened his mouth again, but Han Wu stopped him. It was clear the teacher didn’t believe the three could achieve anything in the competition. Words were useless. They would let their actions speak for them.
The trio waited for hours, nearly dozing off as the arena filled with tension. Their opponents were from the more famous low-ranking Blazing Fire Academy. The two academies had long been rivals, yet Azure Sea had failed to claim victory against Blazing Fire for the past ten years.
The Blazing Fire students were confident of another easy win, which made them sneer at Han Wu and his team. To them, Azure Sea Academy was insignificant, and its students had to be weak as well.
“You guys, crush them and toss them out of the arena. I don’t feel like fighting,” one arrogant Blazing Fire student called out.
“Let me handle this. I’ll show those useless fools the gap between them and real geniuses,” another said, forming a Fireball in his hand. It pulsed and swelled slowly.
Han Wu glanced at the Fireball and chuckled at how feeble it was. He could summon Fireballs the size of aquariums with far greater power. Yet he had no intention of revealing his strength yet. Instead, he turned to Meng Qi and Leng Ning. “Who wants to go first?”
Leng Ning stepped forward with steady confidence. “Let me show them what Azure Sea is made of.”
“Oho? They’re sending in the beauty first. I never thought Azure Sea’s men would be such cowards that they need a girl to fight for them,” one student jeered.
Meng Qi bristled at the insult. “What the heck are you talking about?”
He readied himself to strike with his new Skills, but Han Wu put a hand on his shoulder and whispered, “Ignore their provocations. Conserve your strength. That way, the audience will cheer for you more when you actually fight.”
Meng Qi grumbled but ultimately restrained himself.
The Blazing Fire students mistook his restraint for fear and pressed their taunts even harder in the arena. “Hey, lady! Want to join our academy? Become my girlfriend, and I’ll handle the transfer paperwork for you. I’ll make sure you get into the best class in Blazing Fire Academy. How about it?”
Leng Ning stayed perfectly still. Only those who had spent time around her understood that this calm was the deadliest state she could be in. Han Wu felt the air around her grow colder by the second. It was clear the boy had struck a nerve.
“Silence,” she spat. “No, your quiet won’t save you. I’ll have to encase you in ice.”
“What’s that, pretty lady? You’re going to encase me in ice? Are you joking? I play with fire all the time. Do you think I fear your ice?” The boy laughed, and his Fireball grew to the size of an aquarium. It seemed this was the largest it could grow through charging.
“Shut up and freeze!” Leng Ning shouted.
In that instant, she used her Level 43 Frost Dragon Blizzard. A wave of icy wind swept across the arena, chilling the spectators to the bone. The temperature plummeted so rapidly that frost formed on the ground and walls.
The boy, who had spent so long charging his Fireball, froze mid-motion, his body locked in an awkward pose. Even his massive Fireball sputtered and died.
The remaining two students watched in terror. They immediately surrendered and apologized to Han Wu.
Leng Ning’s Frost Dragon Blizzard was so powerful that it could freeze a person instantly. The boy with the Fireball had become a cautionary example, demonstrating what happened to anyone who dared challenge her. Had they resisted, they would have ended up in the same frozen state.