"Is this your final struggle?"
Watching the students of Jinghai College rush at him all at once, Smith smirked.
So these self-proclaimed geniuses could get anxious too? They weren't as composed as they liked to pretend.
"Hand over the demon core!"
Qinglan and Lin Yun, both advanced third-level psychics—one wielding wind, the other lightning—closed in fast, their powerful auras crashing toward Smith.
"I know you're in a hurry, but don't worry. If you can catch me, I'll gladly hand it over," Smith said with a confident grin.
He quickly formed a one-handed seal.
"Flying Thunder God!"
Whoosh!
Just as Lin Yun and Qinglan were about to reach him, Smith vanished on the spot, leaving no trace within hundreds of meters.
"Gone?!" Qinglan shouted.
"Spread out and search! We must get that core back—we need to be first!" Lin Yun ordered.
The group scattered in all directions, unaware that Smith was already far away.
Elsewhere, in the Monster Forest
Wei Lin and the others had stopped moving after the last broadcast. With only minutes remaining in the trial, they decided to wait quietly.
Originally, they wanted to keep hunting monsters, but without Smith around, they felt uneasy. Neither Xi Congqing nor Wei Lin could shake their concern for him, so they chose not to take any more risks.
"There are only a few minutes left," Xi Congqing muttered, sitting on a large rock. Her white chin rested in one hand while the other idly spun the Flying Thunder God kunai Smith had given her. "Judging from the broadcast, he must've gotten the demon core of that fourth-level Violent Black Bear. But can he really get away from Jinghai College in one piece?"
She frowned slightly.
"He said as long as I have this kunai, he can find us anytime… but where is he?"
Just as she sighed, a figure appeared in front of her out of nowhere—and crashed into her.
"Ahh—!"
Startled, Xi Congqing lost her balance and fell from the rock.
Smith barely managed to support himself with his hands, preventing direct contact. Still, his body nearly landed on top of hers.
The two stared at each other, eyes wide.
Smith caught the faint scent of her perfume—light, refreshing, and inexplicably familiar. Just like her: lively, spirited, and full of youthful charm.
"Senior sister," he blurted out, "you smell really nice."
The words slipped from his mouth before he could stop himself.
Xi Congqing's cheeks instantly flushed.
"W-What are you doing?!" she shouted, quickly pushing him off with a combination of punches and kicks.
She stood up hurriedly, brushing off the grass from her clothes, her face glowing red with embarrassment. "Where did you even come from?! And what was that line just now?! You rogue!"
"Ahem, I told you," Smith coughed awkwardly, trying to regain composure. "As long as you're holding the kunai I gave you, I can appear by your side no matter where you are."
He didn't expect such an awkward landing.
Maybe the Flying Thunder God Technique's coordinates were slightly off…
"Brother Smith, you're back!" Wei Lin called out, clearly relieved. The rest of the team smiled with joy.
Smith clapped his hands. "Yup. It's done. First place is secured."
Only a minute or two remained in the trial. The rankings were as good as final.
Just then, the students of Jinghai College arrived.
Leading the charge were Lin Yun and Qinglan, their faces full of hostility.
Seeing their aggressive posture, Wei Lin and the others quickly drew their weapons and moved to defend.
"What do you think you're doing, Lin Yun?!" Xi Congqing shouted, stepping in front of Smith.
"Hand over the Violent Black Bear's demon core, or don't blame us for what happens next!" Lin Yun said coldly.
"Don't waste time talking!"
Qinglan acted first, her wind-attribute power gathering into countless sharp blades that whirled through the air.
Wei Lin and the others didn't know what had happened, but they braced themselves for battle anyway. The situation was clearly turning dangerous.
Just then, the space stones on everyone's belts lit up with a silver glow.
Before anyone could strike, the teleportation activated—
Flash!
In the blink of an eye, all participants were teleported out of the Monster Forest and back to the central square.
The square was bustling with people—students, teachers, and the heads of various colleges. The countdown had just ended. Most colleges had gathered peacefully to await the final announcement.
But Huaihai College and Jinghai College? Their tension hadn't subsided.
Smith and Xi Congqing were still standing face-to-face with Lin Yun and Qinglan when the teleportation triggered, drawing surprised looks from everyone present.
Xi Yan and Sun Shuyu had been smiling moments before, but their expressions darkened upon seeing the aggressive postures of their students.
Xi Yan quickly stepped forward and scolded, "Smith! Xi Congqing! What are you two doing? Are you trying to pick a fight with another academy's students?!"
Jinghai's principal, Lin Hai, also stepped forward. "Lin Yun, Qinglan, care to explain yourselves?"
The accused students had no choice but to swallow their frustration and remain silent.
Smith and the others also lowered their weapons. After all, the first round of the trial had ended. Everything was already decided. No matter how angry Lin Hai and his students were, they couldn't act out in front of all the academy leaders.
Lin Hai sighed, then stepped onto the platform.
"Congratulations to all students for completing the first round of the trial," he said formally. "I believe this trial has provided valuable experience to everyone."
"Now, I will announce the final rankings for this round."
"34th place: Kamikaze Academy – 520 points.
33rd place: Shenshui Academy – 530 points.
...
2nd place: Jinghai College – 799 points."
Lin Hai's voice faltered for a moment.
He paused, staring at the ranking displayed on the floating screen.
Then he read out the final result:
"1st place: Huaihai College – 800 points."
The entire square fell silent.
For a few seconds, no one could react.
Even the teachers and heads of other colleges were stunned. Everyone had assumed Jinghai College would claim first place.
After all, it was the most powerful academy in the southeastern region.
Their instructors were elite, and their students far outclassed most competitors. Just the fact that all ten of Jinghai's trial participants were third-level psychics spoke volumes.
In contrast, Huaihai College had only one third-level psychic.
And yet… they won?
Even Lin Hai's expression turned stiff.
Now he understood why Lin Yun and his group had confronted Huaihai's team in the final moments. That one-point difference must've been a blow to their pride.
Meanwhile, Xi Yan—principal of Huaihai—frowned as well.
He leaned over and whispered, "Didn't we specifically tell them not to steal the spotlight from Jinghai College…?".
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