Susanoo? Hah!
A towering giant of fiery red energy stood proudly in the center of the arena, its presence radiating a terrifying aura.
Smith, a high-level second-stage warrior, was unleashing pressure that felt as if it came from a fourth-stage powerhouse, stunning the spectators.
But Lin Hai wasn't fazed in the slightest.
Fueled by rage, he launched another devastating punch, his fist glowing with energy as it smashed into the incomplete Susanoo.
Boom!
Crack!
Massive fractures spread across the Susanoo's armor-like exterior.
Despite its formidable appearance, Lin Hai was a fifth-stage advanced psychic. No matter how powerful Smith's Susanoo was, it simply couldn't withstand the overwhelming gap in strength.
"Principal Lin, please calm down. We can talk this through," Xi Yan interjected from the sidelines, trying to defuse the growing tension.
After all, Smith was a student of Huaihai College. With matters escalating so quickly, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
"If you're going to interfere, then Huaihai College will officially sever ties with Jinghai College. Consider your next words carefully." Lin Hai's voice was frigid and forceful, putting Xi Yan in a difficult position.
As much as he cared about Smith, the future of Huaihai College was more important.
But Smith didn't want to cause trouble for his college.
"Minister Xi Yan, please stay out of this. I'll handle it."
His gaze was firm as he stared at Lin Hai. "I also want to see what makes the principal of Jinghai College so fearsome!"
"Hahaha! Very well!" Lin Hai laughed, a mixture of amusement and anger flashing in his eyes. "You're the first one in years to speak to me like that."
"Let's see how many of my punches you can handle!"
Spiritual energy surged in Lin Hai's body as he unleashed another full-powered strike.
Boom!
Susanoo, already riddled with cracks, finally shattered under the impact.
The force from the explosion sent Smith flying backward. His chest churned with pain, and he spat out a mouthful of blood in mid-air.
A fifth-level advanced psychic was beyond what he could handle.
Lin Hai prepared to pursue, but Smith wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and quickly formed hand seals.
"Art of Spiritual Communication!"
Bang!
With a burst of white smoke, a massive creature appeared beneath him—the Blood-soaked Bat King, cloaked in red and towering in the sky.
"A level four beast?! Is he a beast tamer?!" someone shouted in disbelief.
"Later!" Smith called out before taking to the skies atop his summoned beast, soaring out of Jinghai City at breakneck speed.
"Stop him!" Lin Hai roared.
The wind-element executors from Jinghai College leapt into action, pursuing swiftly. But the Blood-soaked Bat King was too fast—they couldn't catch up.
All they could do was watch as Smith vanished into the distance.
Silence blanketed the arena.
Several water healers quickly rushed to Lin Hai's side and examined the unconscious Lin Yun.
His spiritual core had been destroyed.
They looked at each other with grim expressions. "Principal… Lin Yun's spiritual core has shattered. We… we fear the worst."
The implication was clear: without a spiritual core, Lin Yun was finished.
Lin Hai's face twisted with fury. He turned to the audience and bellowed:
"Listen up! All personnel of Jinghai College are hereby ordered to hunt down Smith with full force. Issue a bounty to all colleges in the Southern Region: Fifty mid-grade spirit stones for Smith, dead or alive!"
"Yes, sir!" The execution department immediately moved to act on his command.
Xi Yan's expression darkened upon hearing this. Xi Congqing tugged at his sleeve, urging him to intervene.
If Smith was wanted across the region, his life would be in constant danger.
But Lin Hai spoke before Xi Yan could respond.
"Xi Yan, Smith is from your Huaihai College. I expect a proper explanation. And if you insist on protecting him, then this will be the final line—Huaihai and Jinghai Colleges will become enemies. You don't have the authority to decide that alone. Go discuss it with Wang Daochuan."
With that, Lin Hai turned and left, carrying Lin Yun on his back.
News of the bounty spread like wildfire across the Southern District.
Fifty mid-grade spirit stones! A fortune that could change lives. Ordinary people couldn't earn that in a lifetime of work.
Smith's name suddenly became the most talked about across the region.
Even Smith himself received the news not long after narrowly escaping the pursuit of the Jinghai College enforcers. His Blood-soaked Bat King had died in battle during the escape.
Without it, his chances of survival would've been slim.
Holding the bounty notice in his hand, Smith gave a bitter smile.
"Fifty mid-grade spirit stones… You're really putting a price on my head, huh?"
Spirit stones were the universal currency outside of school. They came in four tiers: low, medium, high, and top-grade.
A single low-grade spirit stone could buy you daily necessities. Fifty of them could buy a house in the city center.
One mid-grade stone was equivalent to a hundred low-grade stones, and a high-grade one equaled a hundred mid-grade stones. Top-grade spirit stones were so rare they were seldom used for trade.
Right now, Smith was speeding away on a stolen wooden cart. Every college in the Southern District was hunting him—he couldn't afford to linger.
Suddenly, a group of masked men in black blocked the road ahead. Another group approached from behind.
The dense forest on both sides made escape via cart impossible.
Smith sighed and got out.
"You people are fast. Which college are you from?"
The attackers remained silent, clearly hiding their affiliations. That alone revealed they weren't from Jinghai College.
"No matter who we are, you're not leaving the South District alive. You'll pay for what you've done!" the leader growled.
They all drew long blades.
"A bunch of level threes, and two level fours," Smith noted with narrowed eyes. This would be tricky.
"Go!" the masked leader ordered.
A flurry of attacks surged toward Smith.
Quickly, he pressed his hands together. "Wood Release: Tree Wall!"
Thick vines erupted from the earth, forming a giant wooden shield.
"Wood Clone Technique!"
A clone charged in one direction to create a distraction while Smith slipped in the other.
"Mangekyō Sharingan!"
He activated his illusion, casting the entire rear group into a genjutsu.
They were caught completely off guard. One by one, they fell unconscious.
Meanwhile, the attackers at the front had already destroyed the wood clone.
"He's using illusions! Stay alert!"
But the effort had taken its toll. Smith winced in pain—his left eye ached, and his vision blurred.
Pulling that many people into a genjutsu had severely drained his pupil power.
Panting, he crouched on the ground. "Still… a bit too much."
But he didn't stop. Rising, he bolted forward again.
"He's weakening. He can't use illusions on all of us anymore. Get him!"
The masked leader barked orders from behind while staying well away from the frontlines.
"Thunder Style: Thunderstorm!"
"Fire Style: Fireball!"
"Water Style: Water Bullet!"
A coordinated barrage rained down on Smith.
"Sage Mode!" he roared, entering a heightened state.
"Wood Release: Grafting Technique!"
Vines sprouted behind him, bursting into sharp thorns that lashed toward his attackers.
"Dodge it!"
"Fire Style: Hellfire!"
Three members of the execution team stepped up, unleashing a massive joint technique.
Flames engulfed the forest.
The fire element—their counter to his wood abilities.
"Hahaha! You're cornered now! Wood can't survive fire!" one of them taunted.
"Really?" Smith smirked.
His Sharingan spun again.
"Fire Style: Hellfire!"
Red flames erupted from his hands and clashed with the attackers' blaze.
"What?!"
"He has fire abilities too?!"
"We checked his files! He's only supposed to be wood-type!"
The flames collided, creating a fiery path through the forest. Smith rushed through it, though the effort drained him heavily.
He gasped for air, using Sage Mode to stay upright.
"We've worn him out. Time to finish this."
The two level four psychics exchanged glances and stepped forward.
"Smith! Surrender!"
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