Huo Wu had finally gotten her wish: she and Yan had formed a two-person team. Her heart was full of excitement and anticipation.
This meant she would finally have the chance to participate in the Soul Sect–level tournaments.
And, perhaps more importantly, she might get to face the girls from Tianshui Academy — which was, after all, her main reason for coming to the Tokes Great Spirit Arena.
The two of them walked side by side to the registration counter to sign up their new team.
Huo Wu turned to Yan and said softly,
"Brother Yan, why don't you give our duo a name?"
Yan hadn't really thought about that. He replied calmly,
"I don't mind. Why don't you decide?"
Huo Wu smiled faintly, thought for a moment, and said,
"How about Blazing Flame (烈炎)?"
"Fine."
Yan didn't care much about such things.
He knew this team was probably only temporary — a few matches at most before they went their separate ways — so the name didn't matter.
After successfully registering at the counter, Yan and Huo Wu made their way together to the Spirit Master Rest Area.
The areas for solo battles and two-on-two matches were separate, and this one was much larger.
This was where the contestants relaxed and socialized before their matches — a wide, comfortable space filled with neatly arranged chairs and tables. Some spirit masters chatted quietly, while others sat with eyes closed, conserving their strength.
The moment Huo Wu stepped into the rest area, she drew countless gazes.
Her long, fiery-red hair shimmered brilliantly under the lights, and with her striking figure, she stood out immediately in the crowd.
Several spirit masters turned their heads, whispering among themselves, their curious eyes fixed on the stunning newcomer.
Yan and Huo Wu found a relatively quiet corner to sit in, avoiding the more eager onlookers.
Yan closed his eyes to rest, while Huo Wu curiously surveyed the room.
Suddenly, her sharp eyes caught sight of two girls not far away.
One looked to be around sixteen or seventeen, full of youthful vitality, while the other seemed more mature — perhaps in her early twenties.
"Brother Yan, look over there,"
Huo Wu said softly, gesturing subtly in their direction.
Yan opened his eyes and followed her gaze.
"That younger girl," Huo Wu explained,
"is the captain of Tianshui Academy's team — Shui Bing'er. The other one is Bing Lan."
Thanks to the Autumn Water Dew he had taken, Yan's vision far surpassed that of ordinary people, and he could see the two girls clearly.
The rumors about Tianshui Academy admitting only beautiful female students were evidently true — both of them were remarkably attractive.
Shui Bing'er was about one meter sixty-five, with a graceful, well-proportioned figure.
Her long, waterfall-like hair of pale blue cascaded down her back, highlighting her fair complexion and delicate features.
At first glance, she wasn't the type to stun with sheer beauty, but she radiated a gentle, soothing charm that drew the eye.
Bing Lan, sitting beside her, looked a bit older and more mature, yet possessed a unique allure of her own. Though petite, her figure was shapely and well-defined, exuding a quiet confidence.
Yan guessed that Bing Lan had probably already graduated from Tianshui Academy and was accompanying Shui Bing'er to help her gain experience.
"How is she? Pretty, right?" Huo Wu teased softly in Yan's ear.
"She seems like a gentle girl,"Yan replied objectively, his gaze still fixed on Shui Bing'er.
"Gentle? Don't be fooled by appearances! She's anything but gentle once the battle starts!"
"Oh? You've seen her fight before?"
"Of course."
"The pair of water-attribute spirit masters you mentioned earlier — that's them, right?"
Huo Wu nodded and continued,
"They've already won two matches in the two-on-two division. Shui Bing'er is a control-type spirit master with a top-tier ice-element beast spirit — the Ice Phoenix. Her spirit power is level thirty-six, and her combat technique is superb, with tremendous offensive power.
Bing Lan is also a control-type, her spirit is the Ice Sparrow, and her spirit power is even higher — level forty-nine."
"This pair definitely has some skill,"Yan remarked.
He knew that since both possessed avian beast spirits, they would naturally be capable of flight — which made them formidable opponents.
Just then, Shui Bing'er, perhaps sensing something, looked up unintentionally — and her eyes met Yan's across the room.
"It's them," she murmured.
"Who?" asked Bing Lan.
"Those two fire-attribute spirit masters."
Bing Lan followed her gaze and spotted Yan and Huo Wu.
"You know them?"
Shui Bing'er shook her head lightly.
"No. But I've seen one of his matches. The boy's name is Yama/Xiao Yan. Last time, he defeated a level forty-seven Snowbear spirit master in just one minute."
"So strong? Then his power must already be near the Soul Sect level?"
"Mm. He's at level forty-four."
"Level forty-four?!"
Bing Lan was astonished.
"He looks about your age, and already has spirit power at level forty-four… quite the talent."
"Indeed," Shui Bing'er said softly. "I wonder if they're from Blaze Academy."
"Alright, enough guessing," Bing Lan smiled. "If we happen to face them, we'll just give it our all."
"Right."
When Shui Bing'er looked over again, her eyes met Yan's once more. Startled, she quickly looked down, feeling a little flustered.
The two-on-two arena was larger than the individual one — its diameter reaching fifty meters.
From the rest area, they had a perfect view of the entire platform.
While waiting for their turn, Yan and Huo Wu watched several matches.
Some featured Soul Elders; others were between Soul Sects.
Suddenly, the host's voice echoed through the rest area's speakers:
"Next up — the match between Team Blazing Flame and the Iron Hammer Brothers! Both teams, please prepare to take the stage. The match begins in one minute!"
Hearing this, Huo Wu's excitement surged.
"Finally, it's our turn!"
Then, glancing at Shui Bing'er and Bing Lan, she added regretfully,
"Too bad they're not our opponents."
Yan smiled.
"Patience. There'll be a chance to face them later."
After all, the Great Spirit Arena was ultimately a place of entertainment.
Located near Tianshui City, the audience here especially loved seeing clashes between fire- and water-attribute spirit masters.
To draw more spectators, the arena often arranged such matchups.
Yan and Huo Wu left the rest area and made their way toward the stage.
At the same time, Shui Bing'er and Bing Lan also stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows — they wanted to see just how powerful this new fire-attribute duo could be.
Under the audience's watchful eyes, the Iron Hammer Brothers were the first to enter the arena.
Just as their name suggested, they were two burly men with bodies as solid as iron.
Their heavy, deliberate steps echoed like drumbeats, reverberating through the arena and stirring the hearts of everyone present — a living display of raw strength and power.