A surge of excitement erupted around the arena as the crowd cheered. Many of them had been eagerly awaiting the sight of Mo Fan being beaten down, especially after he had angered most of them. They were itching for someone to finally teach him a lesson.
With a bright smile on his face, Zhang Youhe started mocking Mo Fan while drawing a star path to summon his magic. He intended to humiliate Mo Fan with his words, calling him ignorant and stupid, but Mo Fan responded with action instead of words. He threw a flaming punch at Zhang Youhe, not just a simple fire spell but one empowered by his azure flames, a deadly combination.
Zhang Youhe quickly activated his defensive magic equipment, but it wasn't enough to withstand Mo Fan's fiery assault. The impact sent Zhang flying, wrapped in flames, crashing against the barrier at the edge of the arena.
"Boom!"
Zhang Youhe landed hard, his body covered in burns. He was severely injured with just a single hit from Mo Fan. From the looks of it, he wouldn't be able to walk properly for at least a couple of months.
In the stunned silence that followed, Mo Fan calmly said, "Next."
The crowd was speechless. It was as if Mo Fan didn't even care about the person he had just severely injured. As everyone looked on in shock, the teacher overseeing the match, Wei Rong, hurried over to check on Zhang Youhe. He looked at Mo Fan in disbelief.
"Mo Fan, why did you hit him so hard?" Wei Rong demanded.
"I left him alive, didn't I?" Mo Fan replied, seemingly unbothered.
"You..."
Mo Fan cut him off, "If it were a fair and honest duel, I would have shown restraint. But these people are only here trying to take advantage of me. Why should I hold back?"
His voice wasn't loud, but the entire arena was silent, so everyone heard him clearly. Mo Fan had no intention of being ganged up on or apologizing for anything.
Resources were meant to be fought for, and if people wanted to try their luck against him, he had no problem crushing them.
"So, who's next?" Mo Fan asked again.
Wei Rong, though frustrated, couldn't argue back. He understood that this challenge setup was indeed unfair to Mo Fan.
"The next challenger..." Wei Rong announced, but a female student immediately surrendered before even stepping into the arena.
After witnessing Mo Fan's brutal strength, few were willing to face him. Even Wei Rong, the teacher, realized that Mo Fan's ruthless approach was the most effective way to deal with these constant challengers.
Finally, Wei Rong smiled slightly as he called out, "Jia Zhenlong. Good, finally someone with some real skill!"
Jia Zhenlong was ranked 280th in the Fire Department. While he wasn't one of the top-ranked students, he wasn't weak either. Wei Rong knew him well. Jia Zhenlong was a battle-hardened mage, often joining hunting teams to fight magical beasts outside of the school. His real-world experience made him a formidable opponent despite his lower rank.
Last month, Jia Zhenlong had offended a higher-ranked student, Liu Qian, who had used his influence to suppress Jia's ranking. Otherwise, Jia might have been ranked much higher.
Seeing everyone cheer for him as he stepped up surprised Jia Zhenlong. He wasn't used to being so popular, but in this moment, people seemed to believe in him.
Jia Zhenlong smiled at Mo Fan and said, "Looks like people see you as a threat."
"You're an idiot." Mo Fan replied flatly.
Jia Zhenlong's smile faded, and he glared at Mo Fan, clearly annoyed.
"The people you've angered won't leave you lying in bed for months. I will make you regret stepping into this arena." Mo Fan said confidently.
As the duel began, Jia Zhenlong immediately activated his defensive equipment—a full suit of armor. He was clearly being cautious, having witnessed Mo Fan's speed in casting spells.
However, despite his preparations, Mo Fan had already begun drawing his star diagram. This one, though, felt different from before. Mo Fan's fists ignited with a fierce azure flame, the heat intense and concentrated within a meter around him, exuding a powerful, unstoppable aura.
As the star diagram completed, a blazing flame array appeared beneath Mo Fan, amplifying his already overwhelming presence. Fiery waves surged upwards, framing him like a beast poised for destruction.
With a single punch, Mo Fan unleashed his fourth-tier fire spell, Fiery Fist: Nine Dragons, at full power. Nine flaming dragons spiraled from his fist, intertwining and roaring across the battlefield. The fiery beasts seemed to tear apart the air, their destructive power sending shockwaves through the arena.
Jia Zhenlong stood frozen in shock. The sheer power of Mo Fan's spell was beyond anything he had expected. It was as if Mo Fan's fire magic surpassed even that of the Fire Institute's top students!
"Boom!"
"Crash!"
Jia Zhenlong's armor shattered instantly under the force of Mo Fan's spell, and he was hurled into the arena's protective barrier. Though Mo Fan had restrained himself slightly, the damage was still devastating. Without his armor, Jia Zhenlong would have been obliterated.
The entire arena fell into a stunned silence once again.
After a moment, Mo Fan stretched his neck, looked toward Wei Rong, and asked, "Who's next?"
Wei Rong was speechless. The students, even those at the top, like Dongfang Lie, stood in shock. No one had expected Mo Fan's fire magic to be so overwhelmingly powerful, more so than any of their own techniques.
Wei Rong ordered Jia Zhenlong to be taken away for medical attention, but when he tried to call out the next name, no one dared step forward.
Mo Fan hadn't even summoned his creature yet, and everyone knew that he had a powerful summoning beast as well. On top of that, his lightning magic was just as fearsome.
Realizing the futility of continuing, Wei Rong finally conceded. "Let's end this here, Mo Fan. That's enough."
It was clear to everyone that they had severely underestimated Mo Fan.
"I have no objections. But I wonder if anyone else here still wants to challenge me?" Mo Fan asked, scanning the crowd.
Naturally, no one was foolish enough to volunteer.
With no one left to challenge him, Mo Fan asked, "Well then, if there are no other matches today, may I issue a challenge, Teacher Wei?"
At this, many turned their eyes to Dongfang Lie, the top-ranked student in the Fire Institute. Mo Fan's challenge could only be aimed at him. After all, with power like his, a showdown with Dongfang Lie was inevitable.
(End of Chapter)