Soul Land: Heartbreak Makes Me Stronger

In the labyrinthine passageways, Qin Jian and Shui Bing'er remained unaware of the shifting dynamics outside. After eliminating a student from Elephant Armored Academy, they proceeded toward the second level.

Soon, another door emerged before them.

"Click!"

Hand in hand, the pair stepped through the door, only to find themselves facing students from Thunderclap Academy and Godwind Academy stationed at the opposite entrance.

"You both arrived on this level together…"

Qin Jian instantly sensed something amiss. "You didn't fight each other. Could it be... an alliance?!"

Shui Bing'er was taken aback. "They've formed an alliance? Or perhaps Thunderclap Academy and Godwind Academy have joined forces?"

The opposing students exchanged knowing smiles. "You're sharp to figure it out so quickly."

"They've indeed allied!" Shui Bing'er exclaimed.

At this moment, a familiar voice echoed from another corridor.

Turning toward the sound, Qin Jian saw Huo Wu walking out, slightly disheveled, her outfit torn in several places.

Seeing Qin Jian's scrutinizing gaze, she glared at him in annoyance. "What are you staring at? If it weren't for those sneak attacks from Godwind Academy and Thunderclap Academy, there's no way I'd have ended up like this. Hmph!"

"We've got trouble…" Qin Jian ignored her irritation, his expression turning serious. "While we're doing fine, it's highly likely that in the other passages, Thunderclap Academy and Godwind Academy have emerged victorious. If that's the case, the final contenders in the arena… might all be from those two academies."

His words left Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er visibly startled.

"Let's hope for some luck—maybe one of the other paths won't result in their victory," Qin Jian said solemnly.

"Hey, I think…" one of the Thunderclap Academy students suddenly spoke up. "Shouldn't we deal with the immediate conflict first?"

"Don't say reckless things!" a Godwind Academy student said nervously.

"What's there to fear? Even if the three of them team up, the two of us, both above rank 30, can still put up a fight," the Thunderclap student replied confidently.

The Godwind student smiled bitterly. "I think Qin Jian alone could knock us both out…"

He had clearly witnessed Qin Jian's explosive power before.

The fusion of his Soul Rings and mastery of the "Sword-Unity" technique made it more than possible for Qin Jian to handle them single-handedly.

"Enough talk! Qin Jian, let's team up and eliminate them first!" Huo Wu, still simmering with anger from her earlier battle, charged forward without waiting for a response.

Even without much help from Qin Jian and Shui Bing'er, the two opposing students were swiftly eliminated.

"Click, click, click..."

The passage to the Soul Battle Arena opened.

"We need to hurry and see how the other four paths are doing!" Huo Wu wasted no time, rushing into the corridor with her fiery temperament.

Qin Jian and Shui Bing'er followed close behind, still hand in hand.

As they emerged onto the grand arena floor, the announcer's voice rang out across the venue.

"And now, the fourth passage has brought forth its challengers. From Blazingfire Academy, we have Huo Wu! Following her are Qin Jian and Shui Bing'er, the leaders of the Skywater Academy team!"

Qin Jian's eyes scanned the arena, but before he could fully take in the scene, the lack of cheers from the Blazingfire and Skywater Academy areas told him something was wrong.

Sure enough, when he finally focused on the stage, his heart sank.

"Three paths… and every victor is from Thunderclap Academy or Godwind Academy," he muttered.

Shui Bing'er frowned. "Except for the third path, which has three people, the other two paths each have four. That makes eleven opponents for us."

The announcer's voice confirmed their fears. "The results are in! Thunderclap Academy has six remaining participants, Godwind Academy has five, Blazingfire Academy retains one, and Skywater Academy has two."

"The fifth passage remains undecided. Currently, a three-versus-four battle rages on, pitting two Skywater students and one Blazingfire student against a team with members from both Thunderclap and Godwind Academies. Who will emerge victorious? Stay tuned!"

The audience's attention shifted to the central screen displaying the ongoing battle.

"It's Hairou and Xue Wu!" Shui Bing'er exclaimed in surprise.

"And my brother, Huo Wushuang," Huo Wu added, her gaze fixed upward.

Qin Jian furrowed his brows. "Their opponents aren't weak. All are above rank 30, and with a four-against-three advantage, the outcome is uncertain."

The match stretched on far longer than anyone expected. With Xue Wu's rank 30 Soul Elder-level support, Yu Hairou and Huo Wushuang managed to hold off the opposing four for nearly half an hour.

Finally, the announcer declared, "The fifth passage results are in! All seven competitors have exhausted their Soul Power, leaving none able to proceed to the next stage. Therefore, the fifth passage produces no victors."

The announcement plunged the arena into silence.

For Blazingfire and Skywater Academies, all hope seemed lost. The eliminated Elephant Armored Academy students looked ready to leave entirely.

"Three against eleven… It's impossible," Yan Zhining sighed.

"Forget it. No one expected Thunderclap and Godwind Academies to ally. A loss is a loss," Xiao Jing said, attempting to console her.

The announcer's voice reignited the crowd's energy. "And now, the final battle begins! A chaotic melee between fourteen competitors—something you won't want to miss! What incredible moments await us? Let's find out!"

"Ugh!" The audience's collective groan of disinterest echoed across the stands. Everyone knew the alliance between Thunderclap and Godwind Academies rendered the outcome predictable.

On the stage, the eleven opponents aligned opposite Qin Jian's team of three, prompting louder boos from the crowd.

"Huo Wu…" Feng Xiaotian of Godwind Academy stepped forward. "If you temporarily join our team, we can guarantee Blazingfire Academy a third-place finish. If we defeat Thunderclap Academy, you might even secure second place."

"Is that so?" Qin Jian interjected with a laugh before Huo Wu could respond. "In that case, we three could join Thunderclap Academy. Together, we could eliminate Godwind Academy first, guaranteeing them the championship."

His words carried an overt strategy, meant to lure Thunderclap Academy into targeting Godwind Academy first.

And it almost worked—Thunderclap's six members exchanged hesitant glances, subtly distancing themselves from Godwind's group.

However, Qin Jian had underestimated Huo Wu's fiery temperament…

-----

Join my patreon for advance chapters: patreon.com / igotneonlight