NOVEL NEXT Chapter 152: Chapter 152: Yu Tianheng's Provocation
Chapter 152: Yu Tianheng's Provocation
The format of the finals allowed for a rest day between each round. As the champion of the Heaven Dou division, Nine Stars Academy was granted a bye in the second round, giving them three full days to prepare for their third-round match after defeating Tianshui Academy.
Nine Stars Academy's opponent in the third round was none other than the Heaven Dou Empire's seed team, the Royal Battle Team.
On the day of the match, the Nine Stars team arrived early at the competition venue, only to run into the Royal Battle Team, led by Yu Tianheng, at the entrance.
Xiao Yu paid little attention to the Royal Battle Team. Yu Tianheng, their strongest member, only had a soul power level of 45. The team lacked anything remarkable, such as a spirit fusion skill that could pique Xiao Yu's interest. The Royal Battle Team wasn't even worth comparing to the Spirit Hall Academy team or the Star Luo Imperial Academy team, both of which could easily crush the Royal Battle Team.
The Star Luo team, for instance, had six Soul Ancestors compared to the Royal Battle Team's three, effectively doubling their numbers.
In terms of soul power, the Star Luo captain, Dai Weisi, boasted a soul power level of 49, just shy of reaching the Soul King level, while the vice-captain, Zhu Zhuyun, had a level of 47. Together, their spirit fusion skill, Netherworld White Tiger, could likely rival a Soul Emperor in strength.
If the seed teams of the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires ever clashed, Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun alone could overwhelm the Royal Battle Team without needing assistance from their other five teammates.
Xiao Yu had no intention of engaging with the Royal Battle Team, but trouble has a way of finding him.
"Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, you traitors to the Royal Battle Team!"
With a roar, Yu Tianheng blocked the Nine Stars team, glaring venomously at Dugu Yan.
Compared to Ye Lingling, Yu Tianheng's hatred for Dugu Yan was far greater. After all, he had once pursued her, and now he was filled with anger as he fixed his gaze on her elegant figure.
"Brother Tianheng, she's the one who betrayed the Royal Battle Team—Dugu Yan!"
A delicate voice chimed in as soon as Yu Tianheng finished speaking. The speaker was Xue Ying, a control-type soul master who had replaced Dugu Yan.
As a princess of the Heaven Dou royal family, Xue Ying's role in the Royal Battle Team was minor compared to her real objective: forming a bond with Yu Tianheng, the first heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
If she could marry Yu Tianheng and bear a child with a fraction of the clan's bloodline, it would ensure her branch of the royal family became a dedicated line of imperial offerings.
The Heaven Dou royal family's Swan martial spirit was too weak, and very few members of the direct bloodline possessed noteworthy strength. Apart from a few expensive hired experts and their alliance with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the royal family had little to rely on.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had already shown a willingness to align with the Heaven Dou royal family, especially after the Sunset Forest incident, where they suffered a significant blow from the Nine Stars Hall. Under the arrangements of their elders, Yu Tianheng and Xue Ying naturally grew close.
Xue Ying smiled coquettishly as she wrapped her arm around Yu Tianheng's, casting a provocative glance at Dugu Yan.
Yu Tianheng's obsessive pursuit of Dugu Yan was no secret at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and Xue Ying felt uneasy about Dugu Yan's sudden reappearance.
Dugu Yan, however, had no interest in competing. Without even sparing Xue Ying a glance, she coldly addressed Yu Tianheng.
"Yu Tianheng, watch your mouth. It was your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan colluding with the Heaven Dou royal family to harm my grandfather and Young Hall Master Xiao. You betrayed me first! That's why I left the Royal Battle Team!"
Just as Yu Tianheng's hatred for Dugu Yan surpassed his grudge against Ye Lingling, Dugu Yan's resentment toward Yu Tianheng was just as intense.
At Heaven Dou Royal Academy, although Dugu Yan hadn't officially accepted Yu Tianheng's pursuit, his persistence had indeed moved her. She had even considered agreeing to his advances.
But just as she was on the verge of giving in, Yu Tianheng stabbed her in the back.
If not for Nine Stars Hall's strong backing suppressing the joint assault from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Heaven Dou royal family, her grandfather would have had no path but death.
Without her grandfather's protection, Dugu Yan knew what fate awaited her. How would her grandfather's old enemies treat her? As the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's young master, did Yu Tianheng not foresee this?
And yet, Yu Tianheng had still chosen to betray her and her grandfather without hesitation. For Dugu Yan, who once viewed Yu Tianheng as a potential lifelong partner, how could she not harbor deep hatred?
The other members of the Royal Battle Team, such as the Shi brothers and Oslo, lowered their heads upon hearing Dugu Yan's accusations. Being chosen for the Royal Battle Team meant their families held significant status in the Heaven Dou Empire. Even if they didn't know all the details of the past incident, they were aware of its general outline.
To put it bluntly, had they been in Dugu Yan's shoes, they too would have left the academy and severed ties with the Heaven Dou royal family under those circumstances.
However, their families were dependent on the Heaven Dou Empire. At this moment, openly opposing the royal family wasn't an option. Their silence was the only way to express their tacit support for Dugu Yan.
Yu Tianheng, refusing to back down, argued forcefully, "Dugu Yan, you and your grandfather already had treacherous intentions. This is nothing but an excuse for your betrayal!"
"Yu Tianheng, you shameless scoundrel!"
Seeing Yu Tianheng spout blatant lies, Dugu Yan's anger surged. Her chest heaved as her soul power flared, and she instinctively prepared to attack.
"Young Hall Master."
Before Dugu Yan could act, Xiao Yu stepped forward and stopped her.
"Yu Tianheng," Xiao Yu said, his tone icy, "you can't win on the battlefield, so you resort to such despicable tactics off it. Truly impressive behavior from the so-called heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Xiao Yu's sharp gaze bypassed Yu Tianheng and landed on a referee nearby, who was trying to avoid attention.
"Yu Tianheng, you're truly disgraceful!"
Dugu Yan immediately realized what was happening. Yu Tianheng, knowing the Royal Battle Team couldn't defeat Nine Stars Academy in an official match, had tried to stir trouble off the field. His goal was to provoke her into attacking, which would give the referee lurking nearby an excuse to disqualify Nine Stars Academy for violating competition rules.
Realizing how close she'd come to falling into Yu Tianheng's trap, Dugu Yan broke into a cold sweat. Her disdain for Yu Tianheng deepened as she stared at him with contempt.
Even the uninvolved members of the Royal Battle Team, like the Shi brothers and Oslo, began to piece things together. Their expressions turned complicated as they looked at Yu Tianheng.
Strength is strength—why resort to underhanded tactics? What meaning could there be in a victory gained through such sordid methods?
(End of Chapter)
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