Wood Style And Sharingan

A flash of golden light burst across the lottery interface, and a line of large glowing characters appeared in front of Smith:

> Uchiha Flame Formation!

> [Uchiha Flame Formation: A barrier technique. Consumes 1000 spiritual energy to deploy. Can resist attacks from fourth-level monsters and withstand a single strike from a fifth-level monster.]

"A barrier?"

Smith couldn't help but frown slightly. He wasn't exactly disappointed—but he wasn't satisfied either.

It wasn't that the Flame Formation was bad. It was certainly useful in emergencies. But considering the power of the other rewards on the wheel, this wasn't the outcome he'd been hoping for.

"Tch, two rare chances to draw from the lottery, and neither gave me what I really wanted." Smith scratched his head, feeling a dull sense of frustration. "This kind of disappointment gives me a toothache."

At the beginning, he had been brimming with confidence and excitement, like someone walking into a casino with a lucky charm. But now? His enthusiasm had withered into silent sulking.

Lesson learned: don't let the lottery get to your head.

Just as he was about to close the lottery system and move on, his eyes drifted to the bottom of the screen where his energy balance was displayed:

6530 energy points.

Then he glanced back at the lottery interface. The cost of one additional draw?

5000 energy points.

Smith stared at both numbers. One said 6530, the other 5000.

A battle of logic and emotion began inside his mind.

On one side, a little figure on his left shoulder shouted, "Do it! It's only 5000 points! You'll earn it back in no time!"

On the right shoulder, another little figure argued, "No! Don't waste your hard-earned points! If you save a little more, you can directly exchange for whatever you want!"

Left: "Come on! What if you get the Nine-Tails or Susanoo this time?"

Right: "You've already missed twice. What makes you think the third time will be any different?"

Smith's head throbbed from the mental tug-of-war.

"Enough!"

He made his decision.

"I'm spinning one more time! You have to take risks if you want rewards!"

Clenching his teeth, he hit the button and spent 5000 energy points for one final draw.

This time, he didn't shut his eyes like before. He stared at the spinning wheel with unblinking determination, as if sheer willpower could influence its final position.

"Click-click-click…"

The pointer whirred, the sound gradually slowing down.

Smith leaned closer, eyes wide.

He watched the pointer pass by Susanoo, panic rising.

But just as it seemed to stop, it spun again.

Then…

"Ding!"

A brilliant flash of golden light lit up the screen.

> [Congratulations! You have obtained: Mangekyō Sharingan – Susanoo (Uchiha Itachi Style)!]

"YES!!"

Smith leapt to his feet, punching the air with joy. The excitement burst out of him like a geyser, startling everyone else in the cart.

Several people turned their heads in alarm.

"What happened?" Hong Feng asked, her eyes narrowing in concern.

"Ahem… Nothing. Just… got a bit excited," Smith replied, trying to suppress his grin.

"Still giddy after defeating the leader of the Burning Fire Clan, huh?" Ming Yun teased from the driver's seat.

"Yeah, something like that!" Smith laughed awkwardly.

Everyone else chuckled and returned to what they were doing.

Meanwhile, Smith was practically glowing with happiness. He couldn't wait to dive into the details.

He opened the reward interface:

> [Susanoo – S-Rank Ability]

• First Form: 300 spiritual energy for activation; 100 energy per minute for maintenance

• Second Form: 500 spiritual energy to activate; 150 per minute to maintain

• Third Form: 1000 spiritual energy to activate; 300 per minute for maintenance

> Note: Without the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, each Mangekyō ability can only be used five times. On the sixth use, the user will fall into eternal blindness.

> Note: Susanoo is the third hidden power of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Requires a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan to function.

If either eye is blinded, Susanoo cannot be used.

If both eyes go blind due to overuse, the corresponding eye's abilities will be lost permanently.

Smith stared at the description, eyes gleaming.

Susanoo.

The ultimate defense and offense of a true Uchiha. In legend, a towering warrior of chakra, capable of withstanding powerful attacks and unleashing devastation with every swing.

"Now this," he whispered, "this is the real deal."

The Susanoo was worth 30,000 energy points in the system store.

He had just gotten it for 5000.

A 25,000-point profit.

Huge win!

If only he had more energy points, he'd be drawing again right now.

---

Huaihai City – Return from Mission

The group finally rolled into the city. After parking the vehicle, Ming Yun turned to the others.

"Today's mission is over. Take the day off. Rest well."

"Alright, Captain is the best!" someone shouted joyfully.

Laughter broke out, and the team quickly handed over their completed tasks and scattered to their homes.

Smith hurried back too. He had something important to share with Jiang Lei—the news that the leader of the Burning Fire Clan was dead.

But when he reached his street, he stopped in surprise.

Several quaint wooden carriages were parked outside the Jiang residence. They clearly didn't belong to the family.

As he approached, Uncle Chen, the butler, stepped forward to greet him.

"You're back, Young Master."

"Yeah. Do we have guests?"

"Yes. It's the Xi Family," Uncle Chen replied.

"Xi Family?" Smith raised an eyebrow.

In Huaihai City, there were two dominant families: the Jiang Family and the Xi Family.

While the Jiang Family had a stronger presence, the Xi Family still held considerable influence.

The difference was in their responsibilities.

The Jiang family, led by Jiang Lei, managed local defense and city security through the Executive Department. Their duties involved dealing with threats like monsters and rebels near Huaihai City.

The Xi Family, on the other hand, served a different function.

Their Executive Department handled diplomatic coordination between Huaihai City and the major colleges spread throughout the region.

They were responsible for maintaining strong communication and strategic unity among cities in the Eastern Region—a crucial task given the increasing frequency of monster attacks.

Unity, after all, was the only path to survival in these times.

As Smith entered the hall, he spotted several unfamiliar figures sitting in the living room with Jiang Lei.

Only one person among them was immediately recognizable.

A middle-aged man sat next to Jiang Lei—his aura sharp, his face stern, and his presence intimidating.

Xi Yan.

The head of the Xi Family. One of the three fifth-level psychics in Huaihai City. He was an A-Rank illusionist and B-Rank fire psychic—a dual-type powerhouse.

Smith knew him by reputation.

Three other members of the Xi family sat nearby. Each gave off the cold, bloody aura of battle-hardened fighters.

As Smith stepped in, Jiang Lei smiled and waved him over.

"Smith, just in time. Come meet Uncle Xi Yan."

Smith stepped forward and greeted respectfully, "Hello, Uncle Xi Yan."

Xi Yan looked him up and down, then smiled. "So this is Smith, huh? It's only been a few years, and you've grown quite a bit."

"I heard you've awakened dual S-rank abilities, and even altered the original nature of Wood Release. As expected of Jiang Lei's son."

"I was just lucky," Smith replied humbly, keeping his tone respectful.

"Luck? Don't sell yourself short," Xi Yan said. "Talent like that doesn't come from luck alone."

Then he added, "Since you're back, this is perfect timing. You'll be representing Huaihai City in the Southeast Region College Competition."

Øóffer going on for diamond tier

pàtreøn (Gk31)