I knew this guy was up to no good.

He snapped his fingers at his team, and the Beishi students who had been retreating moments ago immediately turned around and charged at the exhausted Charles.

“Bai Huanran, you!” Charles’ eyes widened.

He had never imagined that his opponent would press the attack at a moment like this.

After all, even if they were eliminated completely, Beishi Academy still wouldn’t stand a chance against Huaqing. Huaqing had barely suffered any losses, and all of its top fighters were still present.

“Captain Charles, don’t misunderstand.” Bai Huanran’s mocking voice carried over the battlefield as he moved at high speed. “We just want to ask you to leave the arena a little early.”

Long Ao struggled to his feet and was just about to charge when An Changqing blocked his path with his sword.

“Let them.”

“Why?” Long Ao demanded, baffled.

“Let the snipe and clam fight while we reap the benefits.”

An Changqing gave his assessment with remarkable calm. He didn’t trust Bai Huanran.

The scarlet flames around Long Ao’s body slowly shifted, but in the end, he didn’t charge forward again.

“Two on the left—cripple one of his arms. Everyone else, don’t let him catch his breath. That dose of medicine is almost worn off!”

Bai Huanran’s orders rang out clearly amid the chaos of battle.

A student from No. 0 Academy had just tried to activate his ability when two Beishi students locked onto him. One seized him by the throat while the other crushed his terminal. Their coordination was flawless.

Another blue beam shot into the sky, signaling an elimination.

“Bai Huanran, you!”

Charles’ eyes burned red. He tried to rush to his teammate’s aid, but two other Beishi students tangled him up. All he could do was watch helplessly as his teammates were sent out of the arena one by one.

He was like a wounded lion surrounded by a pack of hyenas—possessing immense strength, yet restrained at every turn.

Just then, Bai Huanran struck personally. His figure slipped into the fray like a ghost, and with his twin short blades, he cleanly eliminated Charles’ last two teammates.

In the entire plaza, No. 0 Academy was left with Charles as its sole survivor.

“Captain Charles, have a pleasant journey.”

Bai Huanran appeared in front of Charles, the cold gleam of his short blade pressed against his throat.

Charles’ breathing rasped like a broken bellows. He looked at Bai Huanran’s victorious smile—and suddenly laughed.

“Good. Very good.”

He spoke in a low voice as red light flickered across his body.

“If I’m going down, you’re coming with me!”

A destructive aura, one that threatened to take them both down, rose from within Charles.

Bai Huanran’s smile froze. He tried to retreat, but Charles had already locked onto him.

The next instant, Chen Guan appeared between Bai Huanran and Charles.

The noise filling the plaza fell utterly silent with the intruder’s arrival. No one had seen how he got there.

In the blink of an eye, both Bai Huanran and Chen Guan vanished from their positions.

So did the terminal on Bai Huanran’s wrist.

Charles noticed it and looked up in shock, only to discover that his own terminal was already in the hands of the coffin freak.

“No!”

The blue beam shooting into the sky did not stop for his cry.

Charles was eliminated.

The blue beam gradually faded, returning the gray gloom of the sky to the dead, silent plaza.

Charles’ final roar of unwilling rage had not even faded before the wind swept it away without a trace.

Chen Guan casually tossed the shattered terminal that belonged to Charles onto the ground. It struck with a crisp plastic clatter.

Then he threw the other, completely intact terminal toward Bai Huanran.

Bai Huanran caught it. The cold metallic touch against his palm made his fingers tremble.

It was his terminal.

He lowered his head and stared at the token representing his eligibility to compete. Then he looked back at Chen Guan, and the habitual curve of his lips stiffened for the first time.

When had this kid taken his terminal, too?

What incredible speed!

“Ha… hahaha.”

Bai Huanran let out two dry laughs and fastened the terminal back around his wrist with a soft click.

“Impressive. Truly impressive.”

He applauded vigorously, sparing no effort in his praise.

Chen Guan ignored him. Compared to Charles, he was actually more wary of Bai Huanran.

Huaqing was the strongest team on paper. By all normal logic, shouldn’t everyone have joined forces to deal with Huaqing?

That was also why Chen Guan hadn’t done much just now. He was worried that Bai Huanran might stab them in the back.

But Bai Huanran had chosen a different approach. He had first eliminated the others, then planned to face Huaqing’s almost fully intact team.

Could it be that his goal from the very beginning had simply been to secure second place?

Chen Guan had saved him because Bai Huanran’s strength posed no real threat—and because there were still some questions he wanted to ask him.

Bai Huanran wasn’t embarrassed in the slightest. “Captain Qin Wu, congratulations to you all. Looks like this year’s championship will once again fall into Huaqing’s hands.”

Qin Wu frowned but said nothing. He knew Bai Huanran’s character all too well. There was no way someone like him would concede so easily.

“But then again…” Bai Huanran changed his tone and shifted his gaze toward the scorched patch of ground in the center of the plaza, surrounded by the ruins of the statue. “Before the competition ends, it seems we still have one shared problem to deal with.”

Everyone’s attention was drawn once more to that strange area.

“I suspect this is a hidden stage. Clearing it might earn us a huge bonus.”

Bai Huanran snapped his fingers like a top-tier salesman, patiently tempting them with his pitch.

“Think about it. Shengu and No. 0 Academy have been almost completely wiped out. That leaves only our two teams on the field.”

“If we work together to solve this mystery, the points we gain should be enough to guarantee both our teams a place in the next round. We won’t have to struggle through the later stages—we could practically coast.”

He looked utterly sincere. “What do you think, Old Qin?”

Qin Wu fell silent. The proposal was an enticing needle wrapped in honey.

Huaqing was overwhelmingly strong—but perhaps too overwhelmingly strong. In a team event like this, it was impossible for them to fight alone. Shengu and No. 0 Academy would inevitably join forces to hunt them down.

This time, Hiramaki Seihaku had been singled out and killed before he could call in reinforcements. There was no guarantee they would get such favorable conditions next time.

“I don’t think we should.”

An Changqing stepped forward half a pace. His long sword remained unsheathed, and although his voice was mild, his stance was firm.

“The risks are unknown, while the rewards are nothing more than your guesswork. Huaqing currently has an absolute advantage. There’s no need for us to gamble on this.”

Bai Huanran’s smile remained flawless. “But sometimes, competitions aren’t won through caution. They’re won through courage.”

He deliberately raised his voice, making the provocation in his words impossible to miss.

“Or has the defending champion lost its nerve?”

The moment he said that, some of the hot-tempered members of the team could no longer stand it.

Qin Wu looked at the sharp disagreement within his own team and clenched his fists, unable to make a decision for the moment.

Watching the disorder unfold, Chen Guan rubbed his forehead. He knew it—this kid had been plotting something all along.

Bai Huanran took in everyone’s reactions, the curve of his lips showing that he knew the moment was ripe.

“All right. Since everyone from Huaqing is being so cautious, I won’t force the issue.”