Chapter 231: Huo Wu

Huo Wu was blown by the strong energy aftershock onto her back at the edge of the arena; her body was extremely weak, but a fierce will forced her to laboriously roll over and then crawl forward recklessly.

Her heart was now full of remorse, constantly berating herself—why did she have to be overbearing? Why so willful? Why couldn't she simply concede?

Could Yu Tianyun, who had already consumed most of his soul power on the massive energy fluctuation before her, really hold it back? Huo Wu felt a surge of fear and was very annoyed at her previous willful act.

If she had yielded earlier, none of this would have happened, and Yu Tianyun would not have faced such danger.

Now, as she gradually calmed down, she fully understood that Yu Tianyun had actually been giving way to her all along.

Yu Tianyun clearly had the ability to eliminate her at the start, yet he didn't.

Although Yu Tianyun spoke arrogantly, his actual actions were subtly letting her off. Even at the final moment, he could have used Huo Wushuang to blackmail her and win easily, but he chose to give up.

Huo Wu knew Yu Tianyun must have acted this way out of concern for her and the reputation of the entire Blazing Fire Academy.

She clenched her teeth, dragging her exhausted body forward with difficulty. Her heart was filled with anxiety and worry; she could no longer care about her own weakness and disarray.

If Yu Tianyun truly met with an accident, she would never forgive herself.

Huo Wu silently vowed that if Yu Tianyun remained safe, she would never be so willful and overbearing again.

At that moment, she vaguely sensed the blinding white light before her suddenly dim, and immediately a pair of warm, solid palms grasped her slender arm and gently lifted her up.

Huo Wu's body instantly began to tremble uncontrollably; she choked, trying to speak, but her throat felt blocked by something from the overwhelming emotion, and she couldn't utter a single word.

As time passed, the energy fluctuation gradually subsided, and the intense white light covering the entire Great Battle Soul Field slowly faded.

Huo Wu couldn't wait to open her eyes, but the lingering white light was still dazzling; she could only squint and strain to look toward the shadow ahead.

Finally, the white light completely vanished, and she at last saw everything before her.

Standing before her was Yu Tianyun, but now he no longer looked immaculate; he appeared rather disheveled.

His jacket was completely torn, with only some ragged fringe hanging at the waist, exposing a plump, well‑defined muscle; his hair, no longer as before, had reverted to its original black and was slightly messy, and even his pants weren't spared—a large hole gaped at his left knee.

Yet his gaze still shone with that familiar determination and confidence, as if none of these hardships could topple him.

Seeing Yu Tianyun standing whole before her, Huo Wu's emotions surged; suddenly, like a fledgling swallow diving into a nest, she lunged into his arms, clutching him tightly with both hands.

Tears on Huo Wu's face overflowed like a breached dam, instantly soaking Yu Tianyun's chest.

"I'm sorry, Yu Tianyun, it's all my fault, I was too willful and almost harmed you," Huo Wu sobbed, each word heavy with guilt and self‑reproach. Her voice trembled violently, nearly breaking, evoking pity.

Yu Tianyun was slightly stunned, feeling the two soft, delicate sensations in his embrace; his body tensed briefly, and his hands seemed momentarily unsure where to go.

"What's going on? Weren't you being proud just now? Why are you throwing yourself into my arms like this? What should I do?" Yu Tianyun asked, his face blank, completely baffled by the situation.

The fragrant scent of the girl drifted into his nose, a unique aura that seemed to carry an invisible charm. Coupled with the startling sensation of a ball‑impact, even a seasoned driver like Yu Tianyun couldn't help but feel his heart race, and he stiffened slightly in respect.

"Calm down! Calm down! Grandfather and the others are watching, and there are so many spectators. Besides, I'm a gentleman! I must not act indecently."

Yu Tianyun silently warned himself, then snapped his tongue hard, and his mind instantly regained control of his body.

Then he quickly retracted his somewhat unruly claws, lightly patted Huo Wu's back, and awkwardly said, "Um… classmate Huo Wu, see, I'm fine. Besides, this is a competition; even accidents are normal, you don't need to blame yourself."

Huo Wu kept shaking her head in his arms, her hair swaying gently with her movements, "No, that's not it. If you hadn't kept giving me leeway, things wouldn't have turned out like this. Why are you so good to me?"

Huo Wu felt puzzled; logically Yu Tianyun had no need to act that way. Yet, being clever since childhood, she quickly fabricated two plausible reasons.

Either Yu Tianyun craved her body, or he was an outwardly cold but inwardly warm good guy, and Huo Wu naturally hoped it was the former.

She looked at Yu Tianyun with hopeful eyes, hoping to hear the answer she wanted.

Yu Tianyun was stunned again, his face blank, wondering why he was so kind to her.

He thought Huo Wu had misunderstood him; in fact, he simply wanted to conceal his strength. If he didn't hide it, a single pressure wave could pin everyone from the Blazing Fire Academy to the ground, immobilizing them.

Of course, while hiding his power, he truly didn't want to hurt the academy's members; after all, they bore no grudges, so why force a life‑or‑death clash?

Yet Yu Tianyun wouldn't state his true thoughts so bluntly. The experienced him immediately understood the subtle state Huo Wu was in.

He nodded slightly, a warm smile appearing, and with a magnetic voice whispered into Huo Wu's ear, "If I were to hurt classmate Huo Wu, wouldn't the audience drown me with their spittle?"

Though Yu Tianyun said it in a joking tone, the obvious subtext was exactly what Huo Wu hoped for.

Then Yu Tianyun earnestly added, "We're both Soul Masters; in a competition we must pursue victory while respecting the opponent. I can feel your thirst for triumph, so I don't want you to have any regrets!"

Huo Wu found his words reasonable, lifted her head, and her watery eyes were full of gratitude and admiration.

She said earnestly, "Yu Tianyun, I'll double my cultivation from now on and won't be so willful. I also want to be like you—a Soul Master with both strength and a broad heart."

Yu Tianyun nodded, "Alright, I believe in you. Let's work hard together." But what he truly meant was that her strength wasn't lacking and her heart was already very broad—any broader would be excessive.

As soon as he finished speaking, Huo Wu buried her head in his embrace again, her pale‑white hand wandering over his broad, solid chest as if checking his injuries.

Though Yu Tianyun claimed he wasn't hurt, Huo Wu clearly didn't believe him; she was confident in her ultimate technique's terrifying power and feared he was merely feigning composure, not wanting her to worry.

She was half‑right; Yu Tianyun was indeed enduring, but not pain—rather his younger brother's reckless impulse, fearing it might lose control and rebel.

Fortunately, Yu Tianyun's reason stayed dominant; he resolved to use the powerful control of his blood‑Qi soul core to siphon most of his younger brother's blood‑Qi, leaving him only able to howl weakly twice before dejectedly lowering his head.

Seeing Huo Wu still clutching him tightly with no sign of letting go, Yu Tianyun felt it would be inappropriate not to respond.

So he slowly extended his arms and embraced Huo Wu tightly…

"I only gave a quick hug; it should be fine. My father‑in‑law's heart is so broad, he'll surely understand, especially since the girl initiated it; I was just kindly comforting the down‑hearted Huo Wu." Yu Tianyun muttered to himself while tightly holding Huo Wu's soft body.

In the VIP seats, Ning Fengzhi's face turned green with anger, nearly flipping the table.

Privately Yu Tianyun could be indulgent, but doing the hugging in front of a huge crowd with a girl he'd known less than five minutes left his old face nowhere to hide.

Especially now that Yu Tianyun's engagement to Ning Rongrong is widely known; his reckless behavior is almost tantamount to marital infidelity.

Ning Fengzhi huffed a few heavy breaths; he considered having Jian Douluo discipline Yu Tianyun after the competition, but decided against it, since who would actually reprimand whom was uncertain.

Moreover, he wouldn't sacrifice the big picture for a small matter; as a leader of a major power, he was rational, and romantic entanglements meant nothing to him.

As long as Yu Tianyun remained his son‑in‑law, no matter what indecent acts he committed, he would tolerate them.

Of course, all this hinged on Yu Tianyun's extraordinary talent, formidable strength, and powerful background. Without those advantages, Ning Fengzhi would never have been so tolerant, nor would he have agreed to the marriage alliance.

Beside him, Chen Xin was also fuming, wishing he could rush back to confront Gu Rong and vent his fury.

His most beloved granddaughter had become someone else's concubine—enough already—but that brat was also flirting with other women right in front of him; he was utterly incensed.

Yet he had no recourse; having witnessed Yu Tianyun utterly crush Tang Hao, he knew he couldn't defeat him and wouldn't make Yu Tianyun truly fear him.

As for Sun Zhaie Shang, he had considered it, but Yu Yuanzhen is level 98, and he couldn't beat him either.

Chenxin felt helpless, and for the first time experienced the feeling of being willing but unable.

He secretly swore in his heart that he would work hard to cultivate, to be a solid backing for his little princess, and would absolutely not let her be bullied by Yu Tianyun.

However, his idea is doomed to fail; not to mention other factors, Yu Tianyun is younger than him and has far greater room for improvement. Moreover, more importantly, Ning Rongrong seems to quite enjoy being bullied by Yu Tianyun, and with her petite build, she wouldn't mind having a few more sisters to share the pressure.

If Chenxin knew this, he would probably hate himself for not being able to become steel.

Besides Chenxin, Dugubo also shared this idea, but it only flashed in his mind for a moment before immediately dissipating.

Because he clearly understood his own capabilities, the gap between him and Yu Tianyun was truly huge, and he also realized that his granddaughter didn't care about these things; as long as she could be by Yu Tianyun's side, she would be content.

Thinking this through, Dugubo let out a relieved sigh, silently thinking: "As long as Yanyan is happy, that's enough."

However, these words carried a hint of bitterness and helplessness.

Among these old men, only Yu Yuanzhen was overjoyed in his heart; he had just been wondering what tricks Yu Tianyun would use to get close to the Fire Dance, but in the blink of an eye, it directly happened.

It happened so fast that he couldn't believe it; he stared with his old eyes, dumbfounded for a full minute.

If it weren't for the in-laws present, Yu Yuanzhen would have burst out laughing to vent his joy. At this moment, he could only silently praise in his heart: "Knowing one's grandson, nothing surpasses the grandfather; he truly is worthy of being his father's offspring, and indeed looks just like his father when he was young."

At this moment, the spectators in the stands also opened their eyes one after another, discovered this scene, were first stunned, and then immediately a lively discussion broke out.

Due to the previous light being too intense, these ordinary people or the few low-ranked Soul Masters couldn't see the final result with their own eyes, only hearing a loud boom; but the moment they opened their eyes, they saw the two who should have been opponents tightly embracing each other, like lovers in a passionate romance, leaving them no wonder feeling surprised and curious.

"Oh my, what's going on with this Fire Dance and Yu Tianyun? Does anyone know? This relationship doesn't look simple at all!" a spectator couldn't help muttering quietly.

"Hehe, maybe these two developed feelings for each other during the match." another spectator teased.

However, among them some were gossiping and teasing, while others felt sour inside, which wasn't pleasant.

"My goddess, how did she get snatched away by this pretty boy? The Soul Emperor is amazing! Being good-looking is amazing!" a middle-aged man said angrily, as if he had been given a green hat.

"Hey, wake up, the Soul Emperor is amazing, being good-looking is amazing; if you lack ability, don't be sour." Upon hearing this, a little fairy, although also feeling sour inside, couldn't help retorting.

"……" the face of that angry middle-aged man looked as ugly as if he had eaten feces, but he was speechless, not knowing how to reply.

Moreover, there are not a few people like him; the most severe among them is the captain of the Divine Wind Academy, Feng Xiaotian.

(End of chapter)