No one had expected this outcome.
Not a single person present had imagined that Zhao Mu could still unleash a full-strength attack at that exact moment.
Even more unbelievable—
It had been less than ten days since his Awakening.
And yet, in such a short time, he had already trained the Focus of his Spiritual Power to such a terrifying degree.
This level of control… this precision… it defied all logic.
The instructors watching from the sidelines hadn't anticipated it.
The members of the Discipline Inspection Department hadn't anticipated it.
Even the 160 freshmen of the New Recruit Regiment hadn't anticipated it.
And least of all—
Tian Hu himself.
The Decisive Blow
Tian Hu had been careless.
Perhaps not entirely careless—but certainly unprepared.
From the very beginning, he had believed this match would be nothing more than a formality. A demonstration. A chance to put a new recruit in his place.
So when Zhao Mu approached, his stance was loose, almost dismissive.
He raised his guard… but only half-heartedly.
Then—
It happened.
By the time Tian Hu realized something was wrong, it was already too late.
A sharp crack echoed through the air.
His knuckles snapped under the force of Zhao Mu's strike.
Before the pain could even fully register, a second wave of power crashed into his abdomen.
His entire body lifted off the ground.
Thud!
He was sent flying backward, crossing the boundary of the dodgeball field before crashing heavily onto the ground outside.
The sound was dull.
Yet in everyone's ears—
It thundered like an explosion.
Silence… Then Shock
For a moment, the entire field fell into complete silence.
Everyone had been prepared for something else entirely.
They had expected Zhao Mu to struggle desperately.
To fight bravely, perhaps—but ultimately be crushed.
That was the natural order of things.
That was what should have happened.
But instead—
The result had been reversed in an instant.
Zhao Mu stood upright.
All traces of emotion vanished from his face.
The tension…
The anger…
The humiliation…
The fear…
Everything seemed to be wiped clean, as if someone had smoothed away every crease in a wrinkled cloth.
Only calm remained.
"Good match."
His voice was steady.
Unshaken.
Only then did the crowd begin to stir, as if waking from a dream.
This was real.
Zhao Mu had defeated Tian Hu.
A Combat Level 25 veteran—
Defeated by a newly awakened recruit.
The Crowd Erupts
"I… I'm not dreaming, right?!"
Meng Qiuqiu's eyes sparkled like stars.
"Brother Xiao Mu actually won!"
She clenched her fists in excitement.
"As expected of the man I picked! He's amazing!"
Around her, voices began to rise.
"No way… I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself!"
"He actually defeated an assistant instructor?!"
"This is insane!"
"Isn't he supposed to have E-rank Spiritual Talent?!"
Shock.
Disbelief.
Admiration.
All of it erupted at once.
Among them, Mo Guanguan stood quietly.
Her eyes shimmered with tears.
"Hmph… I'll let you have this moment."
She wiped the corners of her eyes and smiled softly.
The Instructors' Insight
Not everyone was confused.
Among the spectators stood three instructors.
Zhang Biao slapped his thigh, laughing loudly.
"This kid is crafty! Hahaha—I like him!"
Others might not have understood what happened.
But they did.
Xu Zhixiong nodded thoughtfully.
"He deliberately showed weakness."
"Lowered his opponent's guard."
"Then gathered all his strength… and struck at the perfect moment."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"That kind of timing… that level of calculation…"
He exhaled slowly.
"He fights like a seasoned veteran."
Xie Yingxue adjusted her glasses.
"Don't forget," she said calmly, "he was personally trained by that person."
At the mention of Bu Yanhuan, the atmosphere shifted.
The three instructors grew serious.
Respectful.
But Xie Yingxue continued:
"Even so, his own talent cannot be ignored."
Zhang Biao frowned slightly.
"It's a pity his Spiritual Talent is only E-rank."
"If it were even C-rank, his future would be limitless."
Xie Yingxue glanced at him.
"Even with E-rank, his future is still limitless."
She paused.
"Because he has already been accepted as a student by Liang Gongchi."
The other two froze.
"Liang… Gongchi?"
That name carried weight.
An eccentric genius.
Arrogant.
Unapproachable.
In all her years at Qingfeng Camp, she had only accepted one student.
And now—
Zhao Mu was the second.
Zhang Biao and Xu Zhixiong exchanged glances.
Then burst into laughter.
"This is going to be interesting."
"Qingfeng Camp just gained another monster."
Tian Hu's Fury
Meanwhile—
Tian Hu lay on the ground.
His mind was blank.
What just happened?
How did it end so quickly?
He… lost?
Voices surrounded him.
Cheers.
Praise.
Admiration.
But to him—
They sounded like mockery.
His hands trembled as he pushed himself up.
His eyes were bloodshot.
"You…"
He glared at Zhao Mu with raw hatred.
"You dared to play me?!"
Zhao Mu remained calm.
"Play you?"
"I was simply following the rules."
His tone was indifferent.
"Or is it that a member of the Discipline Inspection Department… can't accept defeat?"
The words struck like a blade.
Tian Hu's body shook with rage.
He could feel the stares from his comrades.
Mocking.
Disdainful.
Humiliating.
To lose to a Battle Rank 3 recruit—
It was worse than a joke.
It was a disgrace.
The Breaking Point
A violent aura erupted from Tian Hu's body.
His Spiritual Power surged outward.
Combat Level 25.
The pressure alone was enough to silence the entire field.
The freshmen stopped cheering instantly.
Fear replaced excitement.
Zhao Mu's eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, he summoned his weapon.
The Ember Remains Silver Sword appeared in his hand.
He knew the truth.
In a real fight—
He was no match for Tian Hu.
Not yet.
But even so—
He would not back down.
Tian Hu stepped forward, killing intent blazing.
He wanted to tear Zhao Mu apart.
To erase his shame.
Absolute Authority
Then—
A sharp sound cut through the air.
Slap!
Before anyone could react, a figure appeared.
Tian Hu was sent flying.
Over ten meters.
Like a ragdoll.
He crashed to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth.
Then—
Silence.
He lost consciousness.
Zhao Mu looked up.
Standing before him—
Was a woman.
Cold.
Elegant.
Terrifying.
Bai Meimei.
Vice Minister of the Discipline Inspection Department.
Her voice rang out, clear and sharp.
"Rules are rules."
"No one is allowed to break them."
She glanced at Tian Hu's unconscious body.
"As a member of the Discipline Department, violating the rules is an even greater crime."
Her tone turned icy.
"From today onward, Tian Hu is expelled."
The announcement stunned everyone.
No one dared to speak.
A New Threat
Zhao Mu felt a chill.
Not from fear—
But from realization.
He hadn't even seen her move.
If she could defeat Tian Hu so effortlessly—
Then how strong was she?
Bai Meimei's gaze shifted toward him.
Sharp.
Piercing.
For a moment, it felt like a blade pressed against his throat.
Then—
She turned and left.
"Training continues."
Just like that.
As if nothing had happened.
The Calm Before the Storm
Zhao Mu slowly put away his sword.
He exhaled quietly.
This victory…
Was only the beginning.
He had defeated Tian Hu.
But in doing so—
He had challenged the authority of the assistant instructors.
They would not let this go.
Within the rules—
They would make his life difficult.
Very difficult.
Zhao Mu's eyes hardened.
"…Good."
If he wanted to grow stronger—
Then this was exactly what he needed.
Because to defeat the strong—
One must first survive them.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)