Seeing Xun Yu's confident demeanor, Nan Feihuang knew he was serious about his feelings.
Well, if he could truly win Ye Lingling over, it wouldn't be a bad thing.
After all, his martial spirit had an oddly perfect synergy with hers. Xun Yu summoned soldiers that could die and be re-summoned, although the process drained a significant amount of soul power. But with the Nine Heart Begonia's group healing, his troops would become like an undying army.
The enemy could fight desperately, and after finally taking down one soldier under the healing power of the Nine Heart Begonia, Xun Yu would just use his soul power to revive it. This would not only reduce Xun Yu's soul power expenditure but also maximize Ye Lingling's support abilities.
If that was the case, when Nan Feihuang obtained the celestial herbs in the future, he wouldn't mind giving Ye Lingling a share.
He was confident he could secure Dugu Bo's celestial herbs, but even if he temporarily joined the Huangdou Battle Team and formed bonds with them, he would never distribute such treasures lightly.
Just like Tang San in the original storyline, the celestial herbs were only for one's true allies. Only two members of the Huangdou Battle Team would be eligible for the herbs—Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, assuming Ye Lingling became an ally through Xun Yu. After all, Xun Yu was one of his people, and those affiliated with his people were extensions of his own.
As for Dugu Yan, she was an exception. Since the celestial herbs were initially discovered by Dugu Bo, Nan Feihuang, while not a saint, was not one to forget kindness. Out of both gratitude and pragmatism, he would leave a portion for the grandfather-granddaughter duo as thanks for allowing him access to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The lunch break passed quickly, and soon it was time for the afternoon's practical combat class.
Today was a rare occasion—crowds packed the coliseum, and not a single student skipped class.
Everyone wanted to witness the battle between Nan Feihuang and Yu Tianheng.
Even the three academy deans were drawn out of their offices. They had long regarded Yu Tianheng as a promising candidate to represent the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy in the upcoming Spirit Master Elite Competition and had been keeping a close eye on his development.
Additionally, they were curious to see just how long Nan Feihuang could last under the onslaught of Yu Tianheng's powerful dragon claws.
"Come on, place your bets! Don't miss out, or it'll be too late!" Osler called out loudly, taking advantage of the gathering crowd.
The noble students weren't short on money, and many bet casually just for the thrill of it. Even the smallest bet was a few hundred gold soul coins—enough for an ordinary family to live comfortably for years.
"Osler, I'm betting 100,000 on Feihuang winning!" came a gentle voice from the crowd—it was none other than the empire's princess, Xue Ke.
She casually placed a bet of 100,000 gold soul coins. This was money she had saved up from her New Year's gifts.
"Princess, are you sure you want to bet that much?" Osler asked, a little shocked.
"Of course! Feihuang is my fiancé. Why wouldn't I support him in a situation like this?" Xue Ke didn't care about the money—this was her way of publicly expressing her confidence in Nan Feihuang.
"Haha! Count me in as well, Osler. Fifty thousand gold soul coins on my little brother Feihuang." A gold soul coin card flew onto the betting table, landing with a firm thud.
"Brother!" Xue Ke turned, beaming as she saw her elder sibling, Xue Qinghe, approaching. She ran over, wrapping her arms around his.
"Brother, why are you here? Aren't you busy with state affairs today?"
"Today's duties weren't too heavy. I helped Father finish them this morning. When I heard about the academy's event, I took the opportunity to come by and watch," Xue Qinghe replied, gently patting Xue Ke's head with a smile.
In truth, she had been keeping a close eye on the academy. With such a significant duel between Yu Tianheng and Nan Feihuang, how could she not be aware?
She was also curious to see just how capable her little admirer was in real combat.
After all, battles weren't determined solely by one's soul power or quality of soul rings.
"Another fifty thousand?" Osler gulped. He was starting to feel anxious. What once felt like an easy win was now starting to look dicey.
The bets placed on Nan Feihuang by Xun Yu, Xue Ke, and Xue Qinghe alone totaled 800,000 gold soul coins.
If Nan Feihuang lost, that would be great—Osler would make a fortune.
But if Nan Feihuang won... at 2.80 odds, he would be forced to pay out 1.44 million gold soul coins. That would bankrupt him. The total amount bet on Yu Tianheng and a draw wouldn't even come close to covering his losses.
And after all, he came from a small noble family—he didn't have the resources to absorb a hit like that.
"Tianheng, you've really got to pull through here. My entire future's riding on this," Osler muttered. With the bets locked in and even the crown prince involved, there was no backing out now. All he could do was pray.
At that moment, Yu Tianheng and Nan Feihuang stepped into the arena.
Though the two were nearly seven years apart in age, their heights were comparable, making them appear more like equals than students of vastly different ages.
"Yu Tianheng, martial soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, thirty-first rank Assault System Battle Spirit Elder. Please advise!" Yu Tianheng took his stance, his body surging with power as he activated his martial soul. Surrounding his dragon-enhanced form, two yellow and one purple soul rings appeared, exuding an impressive aura.
"Nan Feihuang, martial soul: Wushuang Fangtian Halberd, twenty-eighth rank Assault System Battle Spirit Master. Please advise." Nan Feihuang gripped his halberd, and when his soul rings manifested, the crowd gasped collectively.
One yellow, one purple.
"A thousand-year second ring? How is that possible?!"
"No way, I must be seeing things. How could someone absorb a thousand-year ring for their second soul ring?"
Aside from those who already knew, like Xue Ke, Xue Qinghe, and the three academy deans, everyone else was in disbelief, unable to trust their own eyes.
Osler looked like he had just lost his soul. "It's over. I'm doomed. My money!"
The disparity between a hundred-year and thousand-year soul ring was vast. More importantly, the fact that Nan Feihuang could absorb a thousand-year second ring indicated that his physical body might rival that of a Spirit Elder.
And as for his actual combat ability—come on, someone capable of absorbing such a powerful soul ring was hardly going to be weak in a fight.
"A thousand-year second ring!" Yu Tianheng's gaze became serious as he took in Nan Feihuang's soul rings. He knew that today, he couldn't afford to underestimate his opponent, or he might end up humiliated.
Yu Tianheng had initially planned to let Nan Feihuang make the first move, but seeing the thousand-year soul ring, he no longer hesitated. His first soul ring lit up. "Kid, let's go! First soul skill: Thunderclap Dragon Claw!"
Dugu Yan blinked in surprise. "Tianheng is using the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's soul skill this early? It seems that thousand-year ring has really put some pressure on him."
Yu Tianheng leaped into the air, his first soul ring flaring. The Thunderclap Dragon Claw shot forth, a massive claw crackling with lightning, slicing through the air toward Nan Feihuang. As it moved, the very air seemed to distort, sparking with explosive electric charges.
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