The murmur continued around Mo Fan's unconscious form. Teacher Gu, realizing he couldn't slack off anymore, urgently called for healing element mages, who arrived quickly. Competitions between mages do involve injuries, after all, and they were nearby. After a quick cast, several Middle-Level "Healing Butterflies" descended on the guy, gradually improving his complexion and steadying his ragged breathing.
Once his condition stabilized, Teacher Gu took the guy under his watch, placing him nearby. No matter how much of a slacker he was, he did his job when needed. He wouldn't hand such a talented student over to a rival university. Who knows, they might poach him? Especially recalling the bet's terms before the fight.
Mu Ning Xue, confirming Mo Fan hadn't killed himself, promptly forgot about him, turned toward us, and locked eyes with me like she was issuing a challenge. But I'm a log of a guy; I don't get hints. If she wants something from me, let her say it straight.
So in response to her gaze, I just smiled and nudged Jiao Jiao forward with my hand so she could step up. TuTu had already shone in this tournament; time for my little bird to stretch her wings. Considering her current power and control both surpassed TuTu's, nothing could stop her from repeating her friend's feat.
Seeing Mu Nu Jiao step forward, and glancing back at her teammates—who snapped out of admiring her awesomeness and paled—my cousin took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Only after that ritual did she finally deign to address me properly.
"Mu Bai, I want to fight you," she said in a monotone voice.
"And I don't want to; my stomach hurts," I replied just as monotonically.
"..."
"..."
We stood there in silence. The pause was getting awkward for everyone around, but I didn't care. I was trying to loosen up my cousin here, turn her into a normal person instead of an ice statue. If she couldn't ask properly, she'd get blasted off the arena by my girl's attack, and I'd calmly head to the restaurant for lunch. I wasn't going to babysit her.
"Mu Bai, fight me, please. I want to test my power's limits against a stronger peer. My classmates... disappoint me." Slightly bowing her head, she finally made her request. And even added a pleading tone to her voice! That's it—snow tomorrow! Or if not, I'll make it myself!
"Are you sure? I won't hold back. You just spent nearly half your reserves on a guy noticeably weaker than you—isn't that the test you wanted? I'll even help you analyze it: severe lack of combat experience. You're used to overwhelming with power and don't know how to counter someone who can put up a fight. Go to the Hunter League, take a mission, and complete it. You can even bring escorts for protection, just don't let them interfere unless necessary." I gave my cousin sincere advice.
She really could've beaten Mo Fan much faster but just didn't know how. She lacked combat thinking, which only comes with experience. Well... or mother's milk, if you're a Chinese xianxia MC like Mo Fan. No wonder he could run from a superior opponent so long with Beginner magic. You have to time those shadow steps perfectly so the ice chains don't catch you in the next corner before you shift again. Mother of mercy. I even envied him a bit. I'd built my combat experience over years. He'd only done a couple Hunter missions so far.
"I'm sure. I want to see the gap between our powers. The chasm I need to bridge to catch up, and then surpass you." Ignoring my advice, staring firmly at me, my cousin nodded seriously.
Oh, these power-obsessed women, they won't listen until you beat some sense into them. Though, I can't blame her, considering the story with her mother. Here, you either break, or you grind like hell so that it never happens to you or your loved ones again.
"As you wish, I'm not against showing you what to strive for. Jiao Jiao, dear, be a sweetheart," I nodded toward Mu Ning Xue's three teammates. Still, I didn't want to bother with them too, and a piece of glory should go to my little birdie as well. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair.
My girl understood me perfectly, and a Flameberry flower instantly bloomed on her hand, from which strong, non-burning threads stretched out, wrapping around the poor pale students and tossing them off the arena amid the crowd's admiring gasps.
Lu Zhengge even sent her previously summoned trembling Star wolf of Chieftain level into battle with a command, but it was all in vain. No flashy moves or anything spectacular. She tossed them out like trash into a bin and moved on. Even her facial expression didn't change.
As you can see, Jiao Jiao's control is a notch higher than TuTu's, who still has minor issues with temperature control and might accidentally shred her prey. But considering they've both been handling these new plants for just a day... this is an astonishing result. In a week, she'll reach confident usage level. That's what talent in control does.
Mu Ning Xue, meanwhile, stared blankly, judging by her emotions, reevaluating her life. Right before her eyes, a peer had swept her teammates off the arena—teammates she'd need to go all out against, with only a twenty percent win chance one-on-three. She knew this well, having sparred with them often. And here... one second, and they're gone. "What have I even been doing all my life?" That's the thought spinning in her head right now.
"Well, shall we begin?" I grinned cheerfully at my cousin, somewhat amused by her reaction. No big deal, she'll get through it and it will only strengthen her drive for power. I know this girl; "give up" isn't in her vocabulary.
My cousin nodded seriously, snapping back to focus in an instant. Life reevaluation aside, she really wanted this requested duel. It even flattered me a bit that fighting me specifically mattered so much to her. Guess I hold a certain place in her heart... right after mom, dad, training, and gaining more power.
Instead of calling the judge to start our impromptu duel, I just nodded relaxedly to the girl, signaling her to begin. My disregard pissed her off hard, but she didn't complain—instead, she started casting her strongest spell from her arsenal: the second tier of Mid-level ice element "Bone Grinding".
Snowflakes danced around my cousin, and her Imperial University uniform swayed from the mana pressure of the casting spell. Mu Ning Xue was going all out. She even activated her pseudo-domain for any edge over me. Her eyes burned with icy light, showing focus, and her face was set in determination. She poured all her hopes of beating me into this spell.
Eh, as much as I hated to ruin such a magical, captivating moment, I had to. After all, I offered to show my cousin the gulf in our strengths and promised not to hold back... which will be tough, but I'll really show her the true chasm between us. For her own sake and her future ambitions.
The second the spell was about to launch from my cousin's hands, I activated my own domain, the one I gained by absorbing the Soul Seed. The surrounding space hummed as other elements' particles were urgently expelled from the arena, leaving only ice. And for Mu Ning Xue, that would've been fine... if her strongest element, the one she always relied on in battle, hadn't failed her this time.
The spell... just evaporated. Pfft. When she lost control of her element, the stars instantly flew out of the constellation, destabilizing it into total collapse. Mu Ning Xue disbelievingly turned her hand palm-up and stared at it in shock, as if seeking an answer.
Why had even her most faithful companion and friend, with her since her mother's death and to this day... betrayed her? Could she not trust even her own power?