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for Advance Chapter
The next afternoon, the third round of the qualifiers concluded.
The Heaven Dou Royal Academy Team One won easily again; their opponents didn't even last two minutes. The audience had shifted from initial shock to numbness; they no longer discussed whether Heaven Dou Royal Academy could win, but how long their opponents could hold out.
Huo Wu stood in the Blazing Academy rest area, watching from a distance as Xiao Wu and the others left the field. The girls were chatting and laughing, their expressions as relaxed as if they had just returned from an outing. There were hardly any traces of battle on them—the gap in strength was so vast they weren't even qualified to make the girls serious.
"Huo Wu." A voice came from behind.
Huo Wu turned around and saw Ning Rongrong standing not far away, a polite smile on her face.
"Is there something?" Huo Wu's tone was somewhat stiff. She didn't quite like Ning Rongrong, or rather, she didn't like Ning Rongrong's current state—clearly a young lady of a high sect, yet so submissive to that Mo Bai, it was simply...
"Master asked me to pass on a message." Ning Rongrong took a few steps closer, her voice kept very low. "He said, if you want to know the true usage of flames, tonight at eight o'clock, the back gate of the Mo Manor. He won't wait."
Huo Wu's heart skipped a beat.
She opened her mouth to say something, but Ning Rongrong had already turned and left. Her back was straight, her hips swaying slightly as she walked, possessing an indescribable charm—that was not the posture of a young girl; it was the allure of a woman who had been thoroughly developed.
Huo Wu's face felt a bit hot.
She shook her head vigorously, casting those messy thoughts aside.
To go, or not to go?
Reason told her this was very likely a trap. That Mo Bai was definitely not a good person—just look at Ning Rongrong and the others.
But... power. That kind of power that crushed everything.
Huo Wu closed her eyes, and yesterday's casual display of flame manipulation by Mo Bai surfaced in her mind. So exquisite, so effortless. She had practiced the Fire Shadow martial soul for over ten years, yet she never knew flames could be played with like that.
Maybe... just go and see? Leave after asking?
Yes, just ask. If he makes any excessive demands, she would just refuse immediately. After all, she was the daughter of the Blazing Academy's principal; he surely wouldn't dare to act recklessly... right?
Huo Wu bit her lip.
She would go.
Seven-fifty in the evening.
Huo Wu stood in the small alley at the back gate of the Mo Manor, her heart pounding like a drum. She had changed into casual clothes—a deep red long dress with a cloak over it, covering most of her face.
The alley was very quiet; almost no one passed by. The back gate of the Mo Manor was very ordinary, just two wooden doors that looked no different from the back gate of any wealthy household.
But Huo Wu could feel a very... special aura behind the door.
It wasn't a soul power fluctuation, but something more subtle, an aura that seemed capable of stirring the deepest desires within a person.
She took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock.
The door opened on its own.
The person opening the door was none other than Xiao Wu. She was wearing a pink and white nightgown, her hair loose, a faint smile on her face.
"Come in, Master is waiting for you." Xiao Wu's voice was very soft, yet possessed an unspeakable charm.
Huo Wu steadied herself and followed Xiao Wu inside.
The door closed noiselessly behind her.
The interior of the Mo Manor was simpler than Huo Wu had imagined. There weren't many flashy decorations, but every piece of furniture was perfectly placed, exuding a low-key luxury. Soul-tool lamps lined the hallways, their soft light reflecting off the dark wood floors.
Xiao Wu led Huo Wu deep into the manor, finally stopping before a heavy metal door.
"Master is inside," Xiao Wu said, then pushed the door open.
Behind the door was a massive cultivation chamber. The floor was paved with black stone, and the walls were etched with complex soul-tool runes. Most prominent was a circular platform in the center of the room, surrounded by six stone pillars, each topped with a glowing soul-tool crystal.
Mo Bai stood in the center of the platform.
Today he wore a black robe with a silver belt, his long hair tied back casually. Seeing Huo Wu enter, he gave a slight smile.
"You've come."
His voice was calm, but Huo Wu felt as if something had scratched at her heart.
"I... I just came to ask." Huo Wu tried to make her voice sound steady. "What did you mean yesterday when you said my flames have the potential to become 'top-grade'?"
Mo Bai did not answer directly. Instead, he stepped off the platform and slowly walked toward her.
His pace was unhurried, but each step felt like it was treading on her heartbeat. Huo Wu instinctively backed away until her back was against the door.
"Don't be nervous." Mo Bai stopped in front of her and reached out to tilt her chin up. "I just want you to see what true flames should look like."
His hand was very hot—hotter than even Huo Wu, a fire-attribute spirit master. That heat transmitted through her skin, making Huo Wu's body tremble slightly.
"Let... let go of me." Huo Wu tried to break free, but Mo Bai's fingers were like iron pincers.
"Your fire is too restless." Mo Bai leaned in close, his breath brushing her face. "It's like an untamed beast that only knows how to charge headlong. That's why your 'Resisting Fire Ring' can only push enemies away, and your 'Huo Wu Dazzling Sun' can only explode. A waste."
Huo Wu glared at him. "Then tell me, how should it be used?"
Mo Bai smiled, let go of her, and took a step back.
Then he raised his right hand, palm up.
A ball of flame appeared out of thin air.
It wasn't an ordinary flame. The color was a deep dark red, like solidified lava. The flame rotated slowly in his palm, sometimes turning into a lotus, sometimes a bird, sometimes a tassel—every change was exquisite.
What shocked Huo Wu even more was that the temperature radiated by the flame... was layered. The core was scorching hot, while the edges were as mild as spring. Furthermore, the flame possessed a sort of spirituality, as if it were a living thing.