“Hahahaha!”
“This first-year brat could barely withstand a single punch from Boss, yet he still dares to challenge him?”
“He’s practically begging for death!
Boss, teach him a lesson!”
To Xiao Haijie’s companions, Qi Dao’s words were nothing more than a joke.
Even Xiao Haijie couldn’t help sneering.
“Overestimating yourself!”
“Fine.
Since you still refuse to give up, I’ll beat you until you beg for mercy!”
Liu Long and Ling Feng’s expressions changed.
The boss has lost his mind!
Revenge can wait.
There’s no need to rush it.
Fighting Xiao Haijie right now would be nothing but taking a beating!
They were just about to persuade him when Xiao Chenyu stopped them.
He looked at Qi Dao’s stance.
There was an intangible quality about him now that inexplicably inspired confidence.
His instincts told him that Qi Dao was definitely about to give him a surprise!
What if…
He really defeated Xiao Haijie?
At the same time, on the other side of the square, Dean Hans was preparing to leave with Director Su after the ceremony when he suddenly stopped.
He looked toward the distance.
“What are those children gathered around?”
Director Su replied, “Perhaps they’ve gotten into some sort of conflict.”
Dean Hans took a few more looks, and his tone immediately became sterner.
“A group of upper-year students surrounding several lower-year students?
Isn’t that bullying?”
When students of the same year got into conflicts and fought each other, Dean Hans usually didn’t interfere.
It was perfectly normal for young soul masters to clash.
They could settle things with a fight, and whoever lost would simply accept it.
After all, everyone had gone through that stage.
But the academy certainly didn’t encourage the strong to bully the weak.
“Come.
Let’s go take a look!”
“I want to see who has the nerve to do something like this!”
“Have they completely forgotten the academy’s rules?”
Director Su’s expression also became serious.
The academy wasn’t merely responsible for teaching students about soul masters.
It was also responsible for teaching them how to conduct themselves as human beings.
Just as the two were approaching, Xiao Haijie moved again.
He didn’t regard the so-called half-rank innate soul power good-for-nothing in front of him as a threat at all.
Without even activating his martial soul, his body shot toward Qi Dao like an arrow released from a bow.
But the instant he moved, Qi Dao’s heart was as calm as still water.
The Wushuang Sword in his hand let out a faint hum.
Xiao Haijie was fast.
But he wasn’t faster than Qi Dao’s eyes, his heart, or the sword in his hand!
This wasn’t boasting.
It was simply Qi Dao’s clear understanding of himself.
And the three people beside him, Xiao Chenyu, Liu Long, and Ling Feng, could sense the change in him most clearly.
He was still standing in the same place.
His appearance hadn’t changed.
His movements hadn’t changed.
But his aura had undergone a complete transformation.
Suddenly!
When only a few feet remained between Qi Dao and Xiao Haijie, the latter clenched his right fist and ruthlessly swung it toward Qi Dao.
Qi Dao moved!
The surrounding air seemed to stop flowing at that very moment.
A flash of sword light!
Although he possessed only half a rank of soul power, the speed Qi Dao erupted with in that instant actually surpassed Xiao Haijie’s.
The force of his movement kicked up a fierce gust of wind.
By the time everyone else reacted, Qi Dao had already passed Xiao Haijie.
The two stood with their backs to each other.
Everyone was confused.
Then—
Drip.
Drip.
Bright-red blood suddenly trickled from Xiao Haijie’s abdomen.
A look of disbelief appeared on his face.
He lowered his head and looked at his lower abdomen.
Blood had already soaked through his academy uniform, staining it a horrifying red.
“This…”
“This is impossible!”
Excruciating pain surged through his entire body.
Xiao Haijie collapsed to the ground with a thud, letting out a pained cry.
“Boss!”
The group behind him cried out in shock, their faces turning pale.
Xiao Chenyu, Liu Long, and Ling Feng were equally dumbfounded.
“Boss actually… won!”
“He really won!”
“How did he do that?”
Xiao Chenyu, who knew Xiao Haijie’s strength better than anyone, was the most incredulous.
Xiao Haijie’s talent was slightly better than his.
He possessed innate rank 4 soul power.
Although he was only eleven years old, he had already reached rank 13.
Yet he had just been seriously injured by a single sword strike from Qi Dao, who possessed only half a rank of soul power.
At that moment, Qi Dao could no longer hold himself up.
His body staggered, and he plunged Wushuang into the ground to steady himself.
He now felt as though his entire body had just undergone prolonged, extreme physical exertion.
Every muscle ached.
His limbs were weak.
Even his mind felt somewhat hazy.
“Boss, are you okay?!”
Xiao Chenyu and the other two rushed over to support him, their expressions shifting to concern.
At the same time—
Not far away, Dean Hans and Director Su stood rooted to the spot.
“This…”
“Am I seeing things?”
“Qi Dao actually defeated Xiao Haijie!”
Dean Hans muttered in disbelief.
He had a fairly deep impression of Qi Dao, but until now, that impression had mainly been of his politeness, composure, and intelligence.
Oh, and his talent.
A malignant mutation of his martial soul, leaving him with only half a rank of innate soul power.
At this moment, Director Su said, “Forget about that for now.
Xiao Haijie’s injuries don’t look light.
He needs treatment immediately.”
With that, he pushed off the ground and hurried over.
As the grade director, he might not have been young anymore, but he was still a Soul Elder.
“You’re right.
Let’s deal with the important matter first!”
Dean Hans hurried after him.
“Everyone, move aside!”
Director Su and Dean Hans pushed through the crowd and arrived in front of Xiao Haijie.
“Hello, Director.
Hello, Dean!”
Seeing the two of them, Xiao Haijie’s group immediately greeted them like rabbits encountering an eagle before lowering their heads and refusing to meet their eyes.
The main reason was simple.
A group of upper-year students had come looking for trouble with several lower-year students, only to have their boss single-handedly defeated by a good-for-nothing with half a rank of soul power.
If word got out, they would probably become the laughingstock of the entire academy.
Director Su snorted coldly.
“All of you, go wait in my office.
I’ll deal with you later.”
He then turned to Xiao Chenyu and the other two, his expression softening.
“You three go with them as well.
Once you’re there, explain everything that happened from beginning to end.
As long as you weren’t the ones who started this, I’ll make sure you get justice.”
Xiao Chenyu asked, “Director, what about our boss?”
Dean Hans glanced at Qi Dao, whose face was pale as he leaned against his sword with both hands.
His eyes were filled with appreciation.
“Don’t worry.
Qi Dao has merely exhausted his soul power and physical strength.
He’ll be fine after a trip to the infirmary with us.”
Only then did Xiao Chenyu and the others relax.
They followed the dejected upper-year students toward the director’s office.
Director Su, meanwhile, lifted Xiao Haijie with one hand.
After examining the injury on his abdomen, he injected a surge of soul power into the wound.
Only then did Xiao Haijie’s screams subside.
His face remained pale, clearly due to excessive blood loss.
That sword strike from Qi Dao had cut far too deeply.
For a moment, Xiao Haijie had even felt as though he were standing on the brink of death.
Director Su snorted coldly, showing him no sympathy whatsoever.
“You’re a sixth-year student.
You bullied someone younger and relied on your strength to throw your weight around, and in the end, you actually lost?”
“You’ve disgraced your father!”
Xiao Haijie immediately wanted to explain.
He wanted to say that the reason he had lost to Qi Dao was because he hadn’t activated his martial soul and had been careless.
Otherwise, even if he had stood there and let Qi Dao hack at him, Qi Dao wouldn’t have been able to injure him!
But the moment he opened his mouth, a sharp pain shot through his wound, making cold sweat bead across his forehead.
Xiao Haijie could only glare viciously at Qi Dao.
He secretly swore that once he recovered, he would make Qi Dao pay back today’s humiliation with interest.
He could already predict that after today, he would probably become the laughingstock of the entire academy.
Even if the others continued to fear him on the surface, they would laugh at him behind his back.
A dignified rank 13 Soul Master had actually lost to a good-for-nothing with half a rank of soul power.
This was nothing short of humiliation!
End of Chapter