Chapter 53: So Handsome—Must Be a Girl, Right?
The moment Shui Bing'er used "Unfixed Storm," Wang Li was able to confirm one thing.
Shui Bing'er truly had inherited the memories from the simulation!
Before openly revealing the truth, anything was possible—nothing could be confirmed. But now, there was no longer any doubt.
As for why Shui Bing'er hadn't laid everything out yet, Wang Li didn't know.
He wasn't her—how could he possibly know what she was thinking?
He could only speculate, perhaps arriving at the right answer… or perhaps not.
Time flowed on, and in the blink of an eye, the eve of the preliminary matches arrived.
At this moment, Heaven Dou City was packed with people. Nobles and wealthy figures from nearby cities had almost all gathered in Heaven Dou City, preparing to watch the preliminaries.
At the same time, most of these nobles harbored ulterior motives.
They were looking to sponsor talented soul masters—or even form marriage alliances with them.
Their cultivation levels might not be high, but the wealth they controlled was something ordinary people, and even ordinary soul masters, could scarcely imagine.
Everyone encountered difficulties at some point in life—nobles included.
Investing in talented soul masters early, forging good relationships—who knew when it might come in handy in the future?
This was an unspoken rule, a tacit understanding between commoner genius soul masters and the nobility.
To nobles, whether their investment paid off or not didn't really matter. After all, any problem that could be solved with money wasn't much of a problem at all.
The Sky Water Academy group had booked a hotel a week in advance.
Fortunately, they had done so early—otherwise, they'd probably be sleeping in tents.
The Heaven Dou imperial family did not provide accommodations for participants in the preliminaries. Food, clothing, housing, and transportation all had to be arranged by the competitors themselves.
However, the Heaven Dou imperial family wasn't stingy either. As long as a participant completed a match—win or lose—they would receive a sum of Gold Soul Coins, more than enough to cover their expenses.
Early the next morning, Wang Li led Shui Bing'er, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others toward the Heaven Dou Grand Soul Fighting Arena.
Along the way, they didn't encounter a single person.
The hotel they were staying at was rather remote, located on the outskirts of Heaven Dou City…
Sky Water Academy might look glamorous on the surface, but in reality, it was quite poor!
The dean refused to accept funding from nobles. She understood their true intentions all too well.
Sky Water Academy only recruited beautiful women—what "good" intentions could nobles possibly have?
At this moment, the Grand Soul Fighting Arena was packed to the brim—layers upon layers of people.
Whenever a participating team arrived, cheers would erupt from the crowd, with spectators shouting encouragement and support.
At the same time, they would proactively make way, forming a clear path for the competitors to enter the arena.
"It's Sky Water Academy!"
The moment Wang Li and his group arrived, they immediately drew the crowd's attention. As people made way for them, many couldn't help but frown.
Who was that?
There was actually a young man among the Sky Water girls?!
Was that… allowed?
Since its founding, Sky Water Academy had never admitted male students—only beautiful women with water or ice attributes.
"This young man is extremely handsome. Maybe he's actually a girl?"
Someone guessed.
Wang Li's appearance was indeed exceptionally striking—remarkably close to the legendary readers.
Being mistaken for a girl was, admittedly, understandable.
After all, Sky Water Academy had never changed its rules.
"So handsome—must be a girl, right?"
Hearing these comments, Ning Rongrong raised a hand to her face, eyes narrowing slightly.
Wang Li, however, felt his eyelid twitch as he clenched his fists.
What the hell do you mean, a girl?!
What on earth were these people thinking?!
"I—Wang Li—am a man!"
Wang Li reached out, stopping Zhu Zhuqing, and shouted toward the crowd.
Ning Rongrong puffed out her cheeks, clearly unhappy, and proactively stepped forward to wrap her arm around Wang Li's.
"A… a man?!"
In that instant, the crowd froze.
At that moment, they felt as though they were sitting on pins and needles—utterly stunned!
This guy was actually a man!!
And not only that—he was eating from one bowl while eyeing the whole pot!
"Wang Li, you're courting death!!"
"Damn it! How could Sky Water Academy accept a male student?!"
"My youth… is over!!"
After a brief silence, wails erupted everywhere. Even spectators inside the arena could hear the cries from outside.
The only male student of Sky Water Academy—damn, that was enviable!!
The corner of Wang Li's mouth lifted into a wicked smile.
Courting death, huh?
What—does everyone think they're Tang San now?
"Muah~"
Right in front of the crowd, Wang Li pecked Zhu Zhuqing on the lips, flashing a smug grin!
Zhu Zhuqing's face instantly turned red. She lowered her head and made no further move.
Her mind felt a little dizzy, with no room for other thoughts.
With so many people watching, she was simply too embarrassed.
"Beast! Absolute beast!!"
"That girl is seriously stunning…"
"What a shame—she's already taken!"
"Wang Li, the hatred of stealing my wife is irreconcilable!"
"You'd better treat them well!"
"Damn it!"
The crowd wailed endlessly. Wang Li merely smiled—these people were incredibly dramatic.
Ignoring the lamenting spectators, Wang Li released Zhu Zhuqing, brushed Ning Rongrong's hand away, and swaggered toward the Grand Soul Fighting Arena.
When the Sky Water group passed through the entrance corridor and entered the arena interior, the inner spectators seemed to understand everything and immediately began complaining.
Sky Water Academy actually took in a male student—this was simply outrageous!
---
Contestant Rest Area
The competing teams from God Wind Academy, Thunder Academy, and Blazing Academy all turned their attention toward Sky Water Academy.
The Four Element Academies were closely connected and frequently interacted.
They were rivals, yet also shared mutual respect.
"Well, well—Shui Bing'er. Did you bring in external reinforcement?"
Feng Xiaotian approached first, smiling as he spoke.
Others might not be familiar with Sky Water Academy, but they certainly were.
Sky Water Academy might have hidden strength—but there was absolutely no one like Wang Li on their roster before!
"Yes."
Shui Bing'er nodded, answering frankly.
Feng Xiaotian and the others: "..."
Wait—you just admitted it outright?
How were they supposed to respond now?
Accuse Sky Water Academy of lacking sportsmanship for hiring outside help?
There were no rules forbidding external reinforcements!
"This brother's strength must be extraordinary."
"My name is Feng Xiaotian, captain of the God Wind team. I look forward to battling you!"
Feng Xiaotian said cheerfully.
He wasn't here to mock the Sky Water girls.
He was here to gather intelligence.
For soul masters, intelligence was paramount. The more information you had about your opponents, the easier it was to deal with them.
That was precisely why soul skills and soul bone abilities were considered secrets.
If someone deliberately tried to inquire about them, you could kill that person on the spot—without bearing any responsibility.
"Wang Li, captain of the Sky Water team."
"Fight me?"
"Then you'd better work hard."
Wang Li smiled as he looked at this so-called "battle wolf."
Most simps met tragic ends—but Feng Xiaotian was different.
From beginning to end, he loved only Huo Wu. For her sake, he had even deliberately lost matches.
And he succeeded—he truly ended up with the goddess he loved.
Thus, the title 'Battle Wolf Feng Xiaotian' was born.
End of Chapter