CHAPTER 83 — WHEN THE RULES BURN
The silence that followed the Vermillion Dean's pause was heavy.
The kind that meant everyone in the arena understood, instinctively, that what came next would not be small. Not cosmetic. Not a simple extension of Stage Three.
One which made everyone look at her and only her. All the Arena, participants and spectators only focused on what she was going to reveal.
Ling Yifan stood straight, hands relaxed at his sides, eyes fixed forward. Long Hao's posture was casual, but his attention was absolute. Around them, captains from other academies shifted subtly, some with anticipation, others with unease.
The Vermillion Phoenix Academy dean smiled.
It was a decisive one.
"As you already know," she said, her voice carrying effortlessly to every corner of the arena, "Stage Three was always designed to have a second part."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Originally," she continued, "this second part was meant to be… structured."
