"What?!"

  "The arrow of light can turn!"

  'Emperor' Valerius was shocked. He thought he could easily defeat Gareth and avenge Jett.

  But he never expected Gareth to have held this card back. He had never displayed this cloning ability or the homing light arrow before. Clearly, this was his secret weapon!

  Faced with the tracking arrow, 'Emperor' Valerius didn't have time to think. He quickly switched to his Cerberus totem, preparing to meet the attack head-on.

  "Fine, let's clash then! Skill—Aegis of Chains!"

  As his voice fell, multiple phantom red chains rose into the air in front of 'Emperor' Valerius, rapidly weaving into a dense, iron-like crimson net.

  At the same time, the purple arrow of light arrived like a meteor chasing the moon.

  Two loud noises resonated throughout the arena.

  The first was the crisp, violent sound of metal colliding. The second was the sonic boom caused by the intense compression and agitation of the surrounding air as the two powerful Skills clashed!

  This Soul-Chasing Arrow was formed by concentrating the power of the Doppelg?nger totem; its momentum was like a rainbow piercing the sun.

  'Emperor' Valerius felt a sudden, massive pressure assault him, sending debris flying. Under the immense force, his entire body was pushed back rapidly.

  The marble tiles of the stage beneath his feet shattered piece by piece. His feet sank deep into the ground, ploughing two deep trenches across the surface of the arena.

  Even so, how could the power of the Tarantino family's heirloom Cerberus totem be ordinary?

  As the saying goes: Even an arrow shot with the force to pierce stone will eventually struggle to penetrate silk. Under the strenuous resistance of the Aegis of Chains, the light of the purple arrow finally began to dim.

  'Emperor' Valerius erupted with an aura of peerless intensity, finally shattering the arrow of light.

  "That move was indeed powerful, but you are still far from defeating me!"

  As he spoke, red steam began to emanate from 'Emperor' Valerius's body, making him look like a demon from hell!

  This was the mark of the Tarantino family talent—Primal Frenzy.

  "Now, I can show you my true power," 'Emperor' Valerius said viciously.

  But just then, the voice of the referee, Carlos, suddenly rang out.

  "Contestant Valerius is out of bounds!"

  "What?"

  'Emperor' Valerius froze. He looked down, only to realize that under the pressure of the light arrow, he had been pushed off the stage.

  "Hehehe, didn't expect that, did you, 'Emperor' Valerius?"

  Gareth spread his hands, feigning a look of "pity."

  "You thought I lured you to the edge of the ring to do what exactly?"

  "In terms of raw power, I might not match you. But behind me stands Gideon King."

  "Lord Gideon studied your performance in the Power Assessment Test specifically alongside Fly's. He designed this trap tailored exactly to your weaknesses."

  "Lord Valerius, you really walked right into it with such determination!"

  "Hahahaha..."

  Gareth laughed triumphantly.

  "You!"

  'Emperor' Valerius clenched his fists. The reality of the moment was hard to accept, yet it was presented so undeniably before his eyes.

  He, the proud 'Emperor' Valerius, had lost again because of his pride. And he had lost in such a way—without even displaying his full strength.

  His body couldn't help but tremble, his eyes flashing with unwillingness, resentment, and pain.

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  "Go back, loser!" Gareth said smugly.

  Star City High has two people left...

  The most troublesome one is still that freshman named Fly.

  Gareth thought to himself.

  Everything Gareth had now was thanks to Gideon King. As Gideon's lackey, he knew his place.

  "Mr. Referee, I think it's time to announce the result?" Gareth said to Carlos.

  Although Carlos couldn't stand Gareth's behavior, as a referee, he had to announce the result.

  "Star City High vs. Ironpeak Academy, Round 3. Gareth wins!"

  Although 'Emperor' Valerius was unwilling, he said nothing more. He silently withdrew his Beast Totem, turned around, and walked back to the contestant rest area without looking back.

  "Valerius..."Fly was already waiting for him at the entrance of the rest area.

  But 'Emperor' Valerius walked past Fly, past everyone, and went alone to a corner of the rest area.

  "Vic, Valerius is..." Fly said to Dean Sterling with a worried look.

  Dean Sterling looked at Valerius, who was silently walking to the corner, and sighed softly. He patted Fly on the shoulder.

  "I think he's finding it hard to accept the result of this defeat. Let him have some quiet time alone. 'Emperor' Valerius is not someone who is easily defeated. Perhaps this loss will help him grow."

  Fly also sighed helplessly.

  He hadn't expected Ironpeak Academy to study 'Emperor' Valerius's past performance so thoroughly and make arrangements based on his personality flaws.

  It could only be said that Ironpeak Academy had truly gone all out to win this Freshman Invitational.

  "Vic, let me fight next," Fly thought for a moment and volunteered to Dean Sterling.

  Gareth was indeed powerful and full of tricks. Although Genevieve wasn't weak, sending her out rashly might lead to an accident.

  It would be safer for him to handle it personally.

  Before Dean Sterling could answer, Genevieve had already stepped forward. She gently patted Fly on the shoulder.

  "Stick to the original plan. Don't worry, Fly."

  With that, Genevieve walked straight out of the contestant rest area.

  Dean Sterling didn't say anything to stop her.

  Although he also felt that sending Fly might be safer, but...

  Star City High was not just Fly's Star City High.

  Genevieve, Jett, and 'Emperor' Valerius were all students of Star City High.

  They all needed to go through trials to grow.

  The hardships that must be experienced will always come eventually.

  On the other side...

  Genevieve arrived on the stage with a serious expression.

  "Yo, little beauty." Gareth had heard of the reputation of this genius girl, Genevieve, and had long wanted to meet her. "You're even more beautiful than on TV!"

  "How about it?"

  "Want to transfer to our Ironpeak Academy?"

  "The title of Star City's Number One Martial Academy is about to change hands. Once you come to Ironpeak, I'll take good care of you."

  Gareth said with a lecherous expression.

  "Get lost!"

  Genevieve replied with only two words, then immediately manifested her Beast Totem.

  With a flash of light, the phantom of a slightly ugly grey bird appeared behind her. It was barely larger than a hen.

  Seeing that Genevieve's Beast Totem looked like this, Gareth couldn't help but freeze for a moment.

  "Huh? That's it?"

  "Hahahaha..."

  Gareth immediately clutched his stomach, unable to hold back his laughter.

  "This is the Beast Totem of the genius girl Genevieve?"

  "Doesn't it look a bit too weak?"

  "Hahaha, a chicken? Or is it some kind of bird?"

  Although Gareth had heard of Genevieve's performance in the Power Assessment Test, he hadn't personally studied the footage. So, seeing her Beast Totem looking like this, he couldn't help but underestimate his enemy.

  It was well known that Genevieve had been famous in Star City since junior high.

  Not only did she get full marks in almost every general knowledge course for three years, but she also achieved great success in extracurricular activities.

  She was once known as the Ultimate Brain.

  Gareth had assumed Genevieve's Beast Totem would be a Mythical Species, or at the very least, a Primal Species.

  But he never expected...

  This Grey Sparrow looked so frail!

  "I can't take it, I'm dying of laughter."

  "The 'Genius Girl' is really just an empty title."

  "Hahahaha..."

  "Star City High really has no talent left. Watch me take three cities in a row!"

  "Doppelg?nger Number Three, teach her a lesson!"

  As he spoke, the saber-wielding "Gareth" that had been kicked down by 'Emperor' Valerius earlier climbed up from the ground.

  Its jaw had been kicked broken, and its mouth hung open disproportionately wide, adding a touch of horror to its already eerie appearance.

  In Gareth's view, dealing with Genevieve didn't require his main body at all. A mere split Doppelg?nger clone would be enough to win.

  In the broadcast booth, commentator Leah's face turned pale when she saw this scene.

  "Am I seeing this right? Is this Genevieve's Beast Totem?"

  "Logically speaking, if not for 'Emperor' Valerius's sudden transfer and Fly's sudden rise, Genevieve should be the number one freshman at Star City High, right? But isn't her Beast Totem a bit too weak?"

  Leah frowned. No matter how she looked at it, Genevieve's Beast Totem didn't seem powerful.

  It even gave off a feeling of extreme frailty.

  "Patience," said the other commentator, Jude. "I watched the entire live broadcast of the Star City High Power Assessment Test. Genevieve's Beast Totem is not as weak as it appears on the surface."

  "I hope so," Leah said.

  She also couldn't stand Gareth's behavior and hoped Genevieve could win. But looking at that tiny Beast Totem, she didn't have much confidence.

  If Genevieve was also defeated by Gareth, Fly, the last to appear for Star City High, would fall into a one-versus-three situation. The pressure would increase exponentially.

  Moreover, besides Gareth, the other contestant from Ironpeak Academy was not weak, not to mention Gideon King who was anchoring the team.

  Even if Fly's abilities were heaven-defying, pulling off a clean sweep wouldn't be a simple task.

  If the situation developed like that, the title of Star City's Strongest Martial Academy might really change hands.

  Under Vice-Principal King's drastic reforms, Ironpeak Academy's investment in freshman resources this year was no less than Star City High's. In the path of martial cultivation, resource investment meant almost everything.

  Leah thought to herself.

  "Look, the match has started!" Jude exclaimed.

  Doppelg?nger Number Three raised its black saber and charged violently toward Genevieve.

  The hearts of the entire audience tightened at this moment.