Jinghai College
"What?!"
Crash!
Lin Hai's palm slammed onto the desk, shattering it into countless pieces—yet another table broken in his uncontrollable fury. It wasn't the first. In fact, it was the nth time this week alone.
"The White Envoy is dead?!"
Before him knelt a man in black armor—Black Dragon, one of the Four Executors of Jinghai College's Enforcement Department. He held out a cracked identity plate, the words "White Envoy" clearly engraved on it.
This plate wasn't ordinary—it was a life nameplate, something carried by every operative in the executive department. Each plate held a trace of the owner's life force. When the plate broke, it could mean only one thing:
Death.
When the four executors had led half the enforcement team to the Dark City to eliminate Smith, several nameplates had already cracked. Lin Hai had flown into a rage at that time—but not because people had died.
No, his fury stemmed from the fact that Smith had escaped.
But this time… things were different. His rage burned not just from failure, but from loss.
The White Envoy, also known as Bai Shi, was the Deputy Director of the Enforcement Department—one of the seven fifth-level psychics in Jinghai College. In terms of rank, influence, and strength, he was a pillar of the institution.
Lin Hai had full faith in Bai Shi when he sent him to the Dark City. His mission? Handle those who dared support Smith.
And now… he was dead.
"Isn't Li Tuo the only fifth-level psychic in the Dark City?" Lin Hai bellowed, veins bulging in his neck. "And he's a wind-element user! There's no way Bai Shi could've lost to him! How could he have died?!"
Black Dragon remained still, speaking cautiously, "According to the last report from the Image Talisman before Minister Bai died… it was Smith who killed him."
"Smith?!" Lin Hai's eyes widened. "He went back to the Dark City?"
"Yes," Black Dragon replied without daring to raise his head. "That's what the talisman indicated…"
There was a long silence. Then—
"Hahaha... hahahaha!!"
Lin Hai suddenly burst into maniacal laughter. His laughter grew louder, more unhinged with every breath. Black Dragon broke into a cold sweat, frozen to the floor.
"What a great Smith… what a brilliant man!" Lin Hai sneered, eyes flashing with hatred. "Let's see how long you can keep running."
He turned to Black Dragon. "Pass down my order. I want a full surveillance grid between the Dark City and Huaihai City. If anyone spots Smith—report immediately. I want him captured at all costs!"
"Yes, sir!"
---
Meanwhile...
Smith had no idea that Jinghai College had already initiated a new manhunt against him.
He was traveling at top speed, riding a wooden cart pulled by spirit beasts as he made his way toward Huaihai City. His eyes were calm, but his thoughts raced.
The path from Dark City to Huaihai was long and winding, the terrain riddled with cliffs, rivers, and dense forests. Even with haste, the journey would take over ten days.
One of the greatest dangers along the way was the Monster Forests, and the largest of them all lay ahead—
The Corruption Forest.
Located in the Eastern District, the Corruption Forest was vast and ancient, shrouded in mist and mystery. Within it lurked at least five demon kings—all at the fifth level. It was considered the most dangerous forest in the Eastern Region.
So far, it remained quiet.
But Smith knew that this calm was temporary. If the beast tide ever began again, the entire Corruption Forest would unleash its wrath, sending monsters to rampage through nearby cities.
As he crossed into the East District, Smith became increasingly cautious.
He was certain that if Jinghai College discovered he was en route back, they'd never let him travel in peace.
So he deliberately avoided main roads, choosing narrow forest paths, abandoned mining routes, and even cliffside trails.
Despite his efforts, they found him.
Whoosh!
Three figures suddenly leapt out from the trees ahead, their black cloaks fluttering in the wind. Emblazoned on their chests was the insignia of Jinghai's Executive Department.
"Smith!" one of them shouted, smirking. "We've been waiting. Surrender now!"
One of them pulled out a Sound Transmission Talisman and sent a message back to headquarters in an instant.
Smith's eyes narrowed. He assessed the threat calmly: two third-level intermediates and one third-level advanced.
"Did Lin Hai send you?" he asked, stepping down from the cart.
"Shut up and die!"
The three men responded with deadly precision, pulling out standard short blades and launching an attack from three different angles—a classic triangle formation designed to trap high-speed targets.
They were experienced. Coordinated. Efficient.
But Smith had grown strong.
"Mist Concealment Technique!"
He formed a seal with his hands, then released a dense white mist from his mouth. It spread instantly, shrouding the battlefield in fog and breaking their visual contact.
"Be careful!" one of them shouted. "Stay alert!"
The trio quickly adjusted their stance, standing back-to-back and scanning their surroundings.
One of them formed a hand seal, wind swirling around his palm.
"Kamikaze Hurricane!"
A powerful gust blew outward, dispelling the mist in seconds.
But the moment the fog cleared—a massive fireball came hurtling toward them.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Dodge!"
The three scattered, narrowly avoiding the inferno that crashed into the earth, sending up flames and debris.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A volley of kunai shot out from the smoke—dozens of them, covering the area like a steel rain.
Teleport. Flash.
In a blink, Smith reappeared in the midst of the chaos. He had activated the Flying Thunder God Slash technique.
Before they could react—two were dead, blades piercing their hearts.
Only one remained. Smith didn't kill him immediately. Instead, he grabbed the man's throat and snarled, "What's Jinghai College's plan? Where are your ambush teams stationed?"
"Y-you'll never get that information from me—!"
"You don't need to tell me," Smith said coldly, his Sharingan spinning into view. "I'll just take it."
The scarlet eyes bore into the man's soul.
The executive's body went limp, his eyes turning blank. His mouth hung slightly open.
Through the Sharingan, Smith scanned his mind and extracted every piece of information.
There were fifty ambush points spread between Dark City and Huaihai City. Each one was manned by three operatives—a total of one hundred and fifty enforcers.
Nearly half of Jinghai College's executive department was now hunting him.
"They really want me dead," Smith muttered, letting go of the limp body.
Without knowledge of their locations, returning to Huaihai would've been impossible. But now, with the intel secured, Smith could maneuver around them.
From that moment forward, he abandoned the wooden cart—it was too large, too noticeable—and slipped into the shadows alone.
He moved stealthily, weaving through forests, ravines, and rocky valleys. Every time he came near one of the patrol squads, he circled around them, aided by the awareness of his Sage Mode and chakra perception.
One checkpoint after another, he bypassed them all.
Bit by bit, he closed the distance to Huaihai City.
And finally, after three grueling days, the city skyline appeared in the distance.
"There it is…"
He stopped at the top of a grassy ridge and looked down at the city glowing beneath the horizon. He took a deep breath.
"Almost there."
But the moment he took a step forward—danger surged toward him.
A powerful aura exploded from both sides of the forest. Branches snapped. Trees shook.
"Going somewhere, kid?!"
The thunderous voice echoed from every direction.
Several shadows emerged from the woods.
And in the sky—a dozen flying monsters circled low, their eyes glowing red. On their backs sat armed enforcers, each one with crossbows aimed directly at Smith.
From every direction—ground, sky, and forest—the encirclement was complete.
Smith froze, his eyes narrowing.
Then he saw him.
Walking out from the shadows, clad in black robes lined with gold…
Lin Hai.
The President of Jinghai College had come personally.
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