Boom!!
Liu Qiang's pupils shrank in panic. The weapon in his hand froze mid-air.
He couldn't move!
No matter how much he struggled, his body remained completely paralyzed.
"You lose," Smith said calmly as he slowly raised his blade and placed it against Liu Qiang's neck.
Only at that moment did Liu Qiang's body begin to respond again—but it was too late.
The cold steel was already resting at his throat.
"I lost," Liu Qiang said weakly, letting his arms fall limp at his sides.
He didn't even understand how he lost. One moment he was fighting, and the next—he was blank. Everything had vanished in a haze.
"Huaihai College wins!"
With Liu Qiang's admission of defeat, the referee officially ended the match.
In general, a duel could only conclude under two conditions: one participant was knocked off the stage, or they voluntarily admitted defeat.
And in this match, the latter was the case.
The fight had ended far quicker than anyone expected.
Many spectators had hoped to see Smith show off some impressive wood-type abilities, perhaps something even flashier than Wei Lin's techniques.
But what they saw was something else entirely.
Smith had only used his agility to dodge several of Liu Qiang's attacks before closing the distance and pressing a knife to Liu Qiang's neck—without much resistance at all.
Liu Qiang lost so abruptly that even the spectators were confused.
How did it happen?
At the Jinghai College viewing area, Lin Yun, Qing Lan, and the rest of the elite team were paying close attention to the match.
Yet even they couldn't understand what Smith had done.
"This guy… how did he defeat Liu Qiang without even using any visible superpower?" Qing Lan frowned, clearly puzzled.
"It must be the Spirit Eye ability," Lin Yun muttered, narrowing his eyes in thought. "Some kind of illusion."
He'd experienced Smith's illusions before.
Back then, he had only guessed that Smith knew some illusion techniques, but he hadn't realized they might be tied to his eyes.
Now, after several encounters and watching Smith's battle closely, Lin Yun could feel it—the strange powers Smith used had to be connected to those eyes of his.
"The Spirit Eye system… It used to be one of the most useless abilities," Qing Lan murmured, astonished. "Pair that with the Wood element, and you'd think it's a dead end. But Huaihai College has taken these two so-called 'useless' elements and made something incredible out of them."
No one could deny it now.
Smith and Wei Lin had completely redefined what the Wood and Spirit Eye systems could do.
---
Back at the waiting area, Smith returned to his team with a smug grin.
"So, how was that? I'm not any worse than you, right?" he teased Xi Congqing.
She rolled her eyes. "It was okay, I guess. Nothing too special."
"Tch, acting all modest again," Smith muttered, grinning as the two exchanged eye-rolls and playful glances.
Meanwhile, the next round of competitions was preparing to begin.
On the first day alone, over a hundred matches had been completed, but with so many colleges participating, another hundred still remained in the first-round bracket—from thirty-four teams down to seventeen.
The matches would continue the following day until all seventeen winning teams were determined.
Smith didn't spend his time idly.
He carefully observed every match he could, especially those involving elite students from the top academies.
After all, "know yourself and know your enemy"—only then can you win every battle.
By nightfall, the first round had finally concluded.
Seventeen teams were confirmed.
Then came the next major event—the lottery draw for the second round.
This draw had an extra layer of excitement—exemptions.
Starting from this round, one randomly selected team would be exempt from battle and would advance automatically.
Every college was hoping to be that lucky one.
After all, skipping one round not only saved energy but significantly boosted one's final placement.
---
"No fight! No fight!"
Students from several colleges began cheering loudly, urging their leaders to draw the exemption spot.
But as always, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
After a few tense moments, it was revealed that the exemption went to Shenshui Academy, a mid-ranked school.
A collective sigh echoed throughout the venue.
So close—yet so far.
Smith and the others from Huaihai College also sighed in disappointment.
They had hoped for an easier path, but luck wasn't on their side.
With the exemption decided, the remaining sixteen colleges were divided into eight matchups through another draw.
This was the real heart-pounding moment.
There was no more room for fantasizing—whoever you drew now, you had to fight.
This second round was a completely different level of competition.
Every college that had made it through the first round had proven their strength.
Each of them had their own elites and trump cards.
---
And then, the first college to be drawn for the first match…
Huaihai College!
All eyes immediately turned toward them as Smith and his teammates leaned in, eager to see who their next opponent would be.
The suspense only lasted a moment.
The opponent was announced: Jinghai College.
A brief silence fell across the entire venue.
Huaihai College vs. Jinghai College.
First and second place from the previous round—now facing off in the Round of Sixteen?
And it was the very first matchup?
What were the odds?
After the shock passed, the silence exploded into loud chatter and debate.
Huaihai College had recently risen to prominence and become a fan favorite.
Jinghai College, meanwhile, had long been recognized as a dominant force from the southern region. Many of their students had already reached third-level mutant status, giving them strength equal to elite teams from any academy.
The two academies also had a prior grudge—during the first-round monster hunting competition, they'd clashed fiercely.
Now, they were about to meet again. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation.
---
"It's over. We ran into Jinghai College so early?" Smith muttered, shaking his head.
He remembered very clearly: Xi Yan and Sun Shuyu had strictly instructed them to "give way" if they ran into Jinghai College.
They weren't supposed to steal the spotlight.
But what were they supposed to do now?
If they deliberately lost here, they wouldn't even make it into the top ten.
And if that happened, Smith's system mission wouldn't be completed.
He didn't need to take first place—but he had to break into the top ten.
Thinking of this, Smith felt a headache coming on.
This was turning into a nightmare scenario.
---
At the Jinghai College camp, Qing Lan and her team members saw Huaihai College drawn as their opponent, and a cold smirk appeared on their faces.
"Well, well. Looks like the heavens are helping us. We get the chance to wipe away our earlier humiliation right away."
Several others agreed, fired up.
"Exactly. This time, we're going to crush them and reclaim everything we lost!"
Their pride had taken a blow when Huaihai College outperformed them in the first round.
Now, they wanted revenge—and badly.
But Lin Yun remained calm, watching his teammates coolly.
"Don't get emotional. Our goal is first place, not revenge," he said. "Huaihai College is just a stepping stone. Step on it like you would any other obstacle. Understood?"
"Understood!"
---
Meanwhile, back on Huaihai College's side…
"We're done for," Xi Congqing sighed, rubbing her forehead as she processed the draw results.
But Wei Lin and Zhao Mei seemed surprisingly energized.
"Jinghai College again?" Wei Lin cracked his knuckles. "Perfect. A worthy opponent is always welcome."
"A fierce clash is unavoidable now," Zhao Mei agreed, her fighting spirit blazing.
Among the Huaihai team, only Smith and Xi Congqing knew about the order to yield to Jinghai College.
None of the others had been told.
And now, with the fight looming, Smith had a major decision to make.
He had to figure out how to win without winning—or find a way to fulfill his mission without disobeying direct orders.
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