Chapter 358

Chapter 358: Flaming Blade

Fortress Academy, Black Church.

Osuna sat on a deep purple throne, looking down at several elite members below, feeling a surge of pride within her heart.

Since that day when Lolan Hill and Bumansa breached the church, she had been deeply pained and started selecting some of the most elite members of the club. With the resources at hand and the guidance and strengthening of the power seeds, the strength of these students had recently made significant breakthroughs. Some who were initially at Sequence 6 early stage quickly advanced to Sequence 6 late stage, and they were continuously approaching a perfect, stable state. Their combat power had more than doubled.

This level of proficiency was usually only achieved by the top few students nearing graduation; most would remain at the early or mid stages of Sequence 6.

A perfect stable state meant that before reaching this level, one must constantly improve their Extraordinary Core, patching up all previous weaknesses and gaps. Only then could one have a solid foundation to advance to Extraordinary Sequence 7.

Five geniuses in various attire stood before Osuna, each at the late stage of Sequence 6. However, their exceptional talents allowed them to approach the power of Sequence 7.

The emergence of these geniuses finally brought Osuna a renewed sense of pride and peace of mind.

Lolan, Bumansa, no matter how powerful you both are, there are only two of you. Now, I have gathered five geniuses of equal strength under my command. Hahaha.

She suppressed her pride internally, maintaining her haughty demeanor as she asked her vice president beside her, “How is the recruitment of new members in the club going?”

“This…” The vice president hesitated, slightly ashamed. “I apologize, Lady Osuna.”

“The Southern Bridge Academy follows a militarized management style, so our people find it difficult to move freely. Although the progress in the Northern High Tower has been good, some members say there are similar clubs on the other side.”

“That’s not important. Let them do what they want; we’ll focus on ours. As long as there is no direct conflict.”

“Central School Building has attracted quite a few new members, but since their school doesn’t have many people, the number we can recruit is limited.”

“As for Temple Academy, their progress has been slow.”

Although Osuna was somewhat dissatisfied with this news, she didn’t reprimand anyone at the moment because the students of Temple Academy had a deeper understanding of the soul domain. Moreover, many of them were themselves clerics, making them more aware and cautious of preaching methods.

“For now, let’s leave Temple Academy alone. How is the expansion of the natural sequence in Fortress Academy coming along?” She decided to prioritize internal consolidation before participating in the inter-academy competition. This was the most critical task at hand.

“This…”

“Why, can’t even this be handled?” Osuna asked, somewhat displeased.

“We’ve worked very hard, but they’ve started to resist collectively,” said the vice president, his back sweating and his voice trembling.

But Osuna wasn’t interested in hearing excuses. She wanted tangible results—Fortress Academy unified under her command, all belonging and obeying a single voice.

“Lady Osuna, I will take care of this matter,” a young man with fiery red hair like a lion’s mane stepped forward. He was robust and wore a red tasseled saber at his waist. Despite his fiery red hair, his attire and style were distinctly Eastern.

Seeing him step forward, Osuna felt a surge of relief. She had a capable person who understood her intentions.

“Good!”

—

Two days later, at Fortress Academy, a wooden house in the forest near the lakeside.

A dark brown wooden house appeared among the trees, revealing its dark green roof and the hanging legs and supports underneath. Dense elm branches surrounded the house, giving it a secluded and tranquil atmosphere.

But this tranquility was soon shattered.

A young man dressed in a white robe with red patterns appeared before the wooden houses, followed by a group of black-clad members.

His fiery red hair cascaded over his shoulders, and he looked playfully at the cluster of wooden houses, sensing hidden gazes. Facing such a situation, he remained unperturbed, placing his right hand on the hilt of his saber and standing still.

An oppressive aura slowly rose from him, causing anxiety among those inside the house.

“What should we do? The other side isn’t here to make friends,” someone said.

“He has nearly twenty Sequence 6 members behind him. We definitely can’t fight them,” another added.

“What should we do? The president isn’t here either,” someone else worried.

“Let’s call for help,” someone finally decided.

“Who would dare provoke the ‘Black Veil’?” a student muttered dejectedly.

“No, there are still people who dare face them. In a room in Black Swan Castle,” another student whispered.

“Come on, let’s go. I’ll cover you,” a student shouted anxiously as he saw a glint of cold light from the opponent’s scabbard.

It was too late. The red-haired youth had already drawn his blade.

A blazing, dazzling flame emerged from the scabbard. Before anyone could react, the arc of flame split the forest for nearly a kilometer, felling rows of trees. The wooden houses where the students hid were cut in half, roofs scattered, exposing the students hiding within to the sunlight and the crowd’s gaze.

They were all members of the ‘Jungle Bow’ club, but there were only six Sequence 6 students among them.

Arrows entwined with red and green rose patterns shot out from the forest, precise archery skills combined with specially crafted arrows that could pierce magic and armor, quickly knocking down some of the black-clad members, who fell to their knees in pain.

“Childish tricks,” the red-haired youth effortlessly turned his blade into a heat barrier, easily deflecting the incoming arrows.

“I’ll give you one minute to think. If you don’t surrender, don’t blame me for being harsh.” After saying this, he slowly returned his blade to the scabbard.

“Yan Liuyan, as a student of the House of Plantagenet, why are you involved in this kind of conflict?” A student of Eastern origin questioned him amidst the ruins of the forest.

“Why? Because Lady Osuna gave me a chance. That’s all.”

“I was considered an outsider among Eastern students due to my naturally fiery hair. It wasn’t easy to get resources, but Lady Osuna provided them for me. So, I repay her with loyalty. It’s that simple.”

“Now, do you want to become strong like me, or continue hiding in the forest, waiting for others to give you aid?”

His sharp gaze swept across the crowd.

Happy New Year everyone! ~ (≧▽≦)~

Wishing you good health and success in the new year!