Chapter 13: Four Elite Academies Compete

【Susano'o Trial Card Countdown: 10 seconds】

【9 seconds…】

【1 second】

As the system countdown ended, Jiang Xia’s Susano’o dissolved.

The side effects of using Eight Gates Release surged over him like a tide, causing him to collapse onto the floor.

Wang Teng, seeing this, rushed forward to support Jiang Xia: “Old Xia, Itachi okay? I just saw that blue giant Itachi transformed into—so cool! Let me tell Itachi—”

Wang Teng’s voice brimmed with unmistakable excitement, but halfway through, Jiang Xia weakly raised a hand to silence him.

He looked down and saw Jiang Xia’s face as pale as paper from excessive spiritual energy depletion, his eyes filled with exhaustion.

“Damn, I forgot Itachi haven’t recovered yet!” Wang Teng suddenly realized.

He gently pressed Jiang Xia’s hand back to his side and carefully adjusted his posture to make him more comfortable: “Don’t talk. I won’t bother Itachi. I’ll just stay here with Itachi.”

Seeing this, Jiang Xia, overwhelmed by exhaustion, sank into Wang Teng’s arms and fell into a deep sleep.

Five minutes later, the secret realm opened; the night watchers and medics rushed in to transport the injured to the hospital, then swiftly evacuated the examinees and sealed and destroyed the altar while capturing the remaining Cult of the Dark God.

In the hospital, Lu Wujiu finished bandaging his wounds and, guided by a nurse, found Jiang Xia’s room: “Knock knock knock.”

“Come in!”

Jiang Xia’s voice came from inside; the door opened and Lu Wujiu entered with the nurse, his back bandages still faintly smelling of medicine, his movements deliberately light—he was still injured.

His gaze immediately fell on Jiang Xia in bed; seeing the boy’s face had regained a touch of color compared to in the secret realm, his furrowed brows eased slightly.

“General Lu!” Wang Teng and Ye Lingxi, who had been tending to Jiang Xia, quickly stood up, their movements still tinged with restraint.

Lu Wujiu smiled and nodded: “Thanks to the two of Itachi stepping forward to draw fire during the secret realm—it was excellent!”

Wang Teng scratched his head, pride creeping into his tone: “Heh, it’s mostly Old Xia who’s amazing! Me and Lingxi just held off the minor guys—we couldn’t even scratch those two beasts together.”

Ye Lingxi nodded gently, her gaze fixed on Jiang Xia with concern: “Yes, Jiang Xia was the key—if he hadn’t summoned that blue giant at the end, we wouldn’t have made it until the realm opened.”

Lu Wujiu followed her gaze to Jiang Xia, his tone softening: “The doctor said your meridians aren’t severely damaged—just severely drained. Rest well these next few days. Don’t rush to use spiritual energy.”

Jiang Xia leaned against the pillow, softly murmured “Mm,” then asked with solemn gravity: “General Lu, were the night watchers using tens of thousands of examinees’ lives as bait this time?”

Looking into Jiang Xia’s serious eyes, Lu Wujiu rubbed his temples, his voice weary: “The night watcher headquarters received a message the night before the exam: the Cult of the Dark God planned to assassinate the SSS-rank adept Jiang Xia inside the secret realm.”

Lu Wujiu’s voice grew heavier; his fingers unconsciously brushed his sleeve: “We intended to protect Itachi covertly from the shadows, but the message turned out to be a decoy—the real goal was to use the lives of tens of thousands of examinees to activate the altar and connect to the other side of Shanhai Pass.”

“So we were forced to change plans: the examinees became bait, Itachi drew out Shen Wenru, and then—Itachi experienced what happened.”

Jiang Xia fell silent for a long moment, then asked again: “Who was the person who took Shen Wenru away through the rift?”

Lu Wujiu’s expression darkened instantly, his voice tinged with hatred: “He’s the Cult of the Dark God’s leader who escaped from the Sword Saint twenty years ago. From his aura, I sense he’s stronger than he was back then—but…”

Lu Wujiu paused, then continued: “He didn’t strike directly—he’s probably wary of the blue giant Itachi summoned.”

Jiang Xia’s fingers idly traced the edge of the bedsheet, his brow still furrowed: “He didn’t strike this time—what about next time? I’m sure I’ve become their top target now.”

As they spoke, a growing argument erupted outside the room, voices shouting: “Jiang Xia must join our Metropolis University!” “Tianwu is the best fit for him!”—even the doorframe trembled slightly under the commotion.

Wang Teng perked up first, leaning close to the door and whispering: “That voice… isn’t that the same group of principals who argued downstairs earlier?”

Before he finished speaking, the door creaked open a crack; Wu Zongshan from Tianwu peeked in, saw Lu Wujiu inside, paused in surprise, then greeted: “General Lu is here too! We just came to check on Jiang Xia—no other intent.”

Before Lu Wujiu could respond, the other principals crowded in behind him, all expressing concern for Jiang Xia’s condition.

Seeing this, Lu Wujiu bid Jiang Xia farewell and prepared to leave. He pressed his hand against his back bandages, reached the door, then halted—without turning back, his voice grew heavier, firm and unyielding: “Rest well. Don’t overthink. As long as I’m alive, I won’t let anything happen to Itachi.”

With those words, he stepped out. Jiang Xia stared at the doorway, his fingers unconsciously gripping the bedsheet; the tension in his brow, moments ago so tight, had subtly eased.

Wang Teng, no longer boisterous, whispered: “General Lu’s words… are really reassuring.” Ye Lingxi nodded gently, her worry dimming slightly.

The surrounding principals, while showing concern for Jiang Xia, kept promoting their own schools:

“Little Xia, come to Metropolis University—tuition free, twenty spirit stones monthly, and one daily slot in the cultivation chamber.”

“Ignore him—those are scraps for beggars. Starfire offers triple that, plus a professional female instructor for one-on-one tutoring!”

Wang Teng’s eyes widened; he leaned close to Jiang Xia’s ear, whispering excitedly: “Old Xia! One-on-one tutoring? Aren’t Itachi tempted?”

Jiang Xia rolled his eyes, exasperated: “What are Itachi imagining?”

Wu Zongshan, sensing the situation turning, shoved the bickering principals aside and promised Jiang Xia: “Tianwu adds a B-class standard combat set on top of their offers!”

“That’s nothing—”

“Enough! Jiang Xia, we from the Dao Literature Academy take Itachi.” A figure stepped through the doorway.

An elderly man in a plain long robe, holding a scroll, walked in slowly; faint embroidery of “Dao Literature Academy” adorned his sleeves, radiating a gentle yet undeniable aura.

The moment he entered, the noisy room fell silent; even the three quarreling principals instinctively hushed.

The elder approached the bedside, his gaze settling on Jiang Xia, his tone calm but weighty: “I am Liu Qingxuan, one of the Four Deans of the Dao Literature Academy. I know choosing a school is difficult for Itachi now. They offer spirit stones, gear, and chamber access—we can match all that. But we offer something no one else can.”

Jiang Xia sat up slightly, curiosity brightening his eyes: “Dean Liu, what is it?”

“The Dao Scripture Legacy!”