When Tang San was mentioned, a peculiar gleam shone in Huo Wu's eyes. Her obsession with pursuing strength was no less than that of any talented male Soul Master. Tang San's power had undoubtedly exerted a great pull on her. Of course, it wasn't the kind of attraction between a man and a woman. All Huo Wu ever thought about was how to surpass Tang San, how to defeat Tang San. Even though Tang San had saved her life that day, such thoughts could never fully fade from her mind.
Feng Xiaotian asked tentatively, "Sister Huo Wu, so about the matter between us..."
Huo Wu's brows furrowed slightly. "What matter between us?"
"Uh... well. I'm talking about... us seeing each other."
Suddenly, Huo Wu's eyes lit up, and her gaze toward Feng Xiaotian shifted. "Get in the carriage."
"Huh?" Feng Xiaotian had already braced himself for rejection, but Huo Wu's sudden change in demeanor left him overjoyed. He scrambled into the carriage without delay.
When he saw Huo Wu sitting gracefully at the far end of the carriage interior, his heartbeat surged uncontrollably.
Huo Wu turned to Huo Wushuang. "Brother, you and everyone else step out first. I need to have a word with Feng Xiaotian."
Huo Wushuang looked at his sister, a questioning light in his eyes.
Huo Wu gave him a meaningful glance.
When Feng Xiaotian heard that Huo Wu wanted to speak with him alone, his heart rate kept climbing. Normally a jocular and easygoing fellow, now that he was truly alone with Huo Wu in this enclosed space, he became unexpectedly fidgety. He rubbed his hands together, not knowing what to say.
"Brother Feng, I know you've always liked me, and you've been very good to me." Huo Wu was the one who spoke first.
Feng Xiaotian stared at her blankly, mumbling, "Your next sentence better not be 'Brother Feng, you're a nice person, but we're not right for each other.' If you're about to hand me a friend card, you might as well not bother. I don't think I can handle that blow."
Watching Feng Xiaotian's dopey expression, Huo Wu couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Alright, settle down. I give you an inch and you want to take a mile. That's not what I meant."
Feng Xiaotian said with delight, "So you're saying you're willing to go out with me?"
"Ugh, keep dreaming. I asked you in here to discuss something with you." Huo Wu replied, exasperated.
Feng Xiaotian grinned, his usual playful manner returning. "Sure thing! Anything at all. Go ahead."
Huo Wu pondered for a moment. "Brother Feng, do you think the Grand Finals still hold any meaning for us?"
Feng Xiaotian froze. "What do you mean?"
Huo Wu said, "Do you think we can beat Shrek Academy? Or the other two academies that were fast-tracked by the two great empires, or the freaks from Spirit Hall's academy?"
Feng Xiaotian gave a wry smile. "You want me to be honest? I'm afraid it'd be very difficult."
Huo Wu snorted. "Not difficult — impossible. Shrek Academy has been hiding a lot. I'm sure you've noticed. In the earlier preliminary rounds, they weren't even fielding their full lineup. By the advancement tournament, they already had four Soul Masters above level forty. And that fat guy who joined them was incredibly powerful. A Fire Phoenix Martial Soul — that's one of the most top-tier Martial Souls there is."
Feng Xiaotian sighed. "After losing to Tang San, I stopped worrying about those things. Even in team battles, we'd have virtually no chance against Shrek Academy. Their overall strength is too overwhelming. And the control abilities Tang San displayed during the preliminaries, plus the team's seamless coordination — they'd never give us an opening. The Grand Finals, for me, are probably just a learning experience at this point."
Huo Wu shook her head vigorously. "No, that's not necessarily true. We still have a chance. That's exactly why I asked you to talk. I'm thinking of having Chihuo Academy forfeit our spot in the Grand Finals."
"What? Why?" Feng Xiaotian was stunned. "You guys earned your way into the Grand Finals — you put in so much effort, and now you'd just give it up?"