Wood Style And Sharingan

"???"

Smith stared at Hong Feng in complete confusion, eyebrows raised.

"You just said... what's your name again?" he asked, unsure if he'd heard her correctly.

"Xi family. Xi Congqing," she repeated slowly, enunciating each syllable with pride.

"You're... from the Xi family?"

Smith's expression turned complicated. A mix of confusion, disbelief, and mild surprise flickered across his face as he sized her up, eyes darting from head to toe.

"What are you staring at?" Xi Congqing snapped, noticing his unfiltered gaze. Without hesitation, she gave him a swift kick.

"You know it's extremely rude to look at a girl like that, right?"

Smith quickly dodged the kick, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "It's just... I really didn't expect Sister Hong—uh, I mean, Sister Congqing—to be from the Xi family."

"If you can be from the Jiang family, why can't I be from the Xi family?" she retorted, her bright eyes narrowing dangerously.

The look in her eyes made it abundantly clear—one wrong word and he'd get another kick.

"It's not that you can't," Smith said quickly, raising his hands in surrender. "It's just... unexpected. I thought Sister Hong Feng was an experienced older sister in her thirties or something. Turns out, you're not much older than me and... way prettier than I imagined."

Xi Congqing snorted. "Flattery will get you nowhere. But I know what you were thinking. 'Shouldn't Hong Feng be a middle-aged auntie? Why does she look like this?' Right?"

Smith's face turned red. "Ahem... I mean, I really didn't expect you to be this young."

With a satisfied smirk, Xi Congqing continued, "To be honest, I only joined the executive department about half a year before you did. So technically, we're from the same class. But if we're talking about combat experience, you still need to call me 'Senior Sister.'"

She lifted her chin slightly, clearly enjoying her upper hand.

Smith made a face. "...Fine, Senior Sister. So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

At his shift to a more serious tone, Xi Congqing's expression softened as well. "I heard from my uncle that you've decided to join the Southeast Region College Competition, right?"

Smith nodded. "Yeah. Wait—your uncle?"

"Xi Yan."

"Oh! Uncle Xi Yan," Smith said, realization dawning. He had momentarily assumed Xi Yan was her father.

"When Uncle Xi Yan returned yesterday, he told my dad all about it," Xi Congqing continued. "Next thing I know, I'm getting roped into joining the competition too."

Smith laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, same. I thought I was finally free of missions, but now it's basically just another team assignment—only this time, in the name of school competition."

Xi Congqing's eyes narrowed. "So what? You don't want to team up with me?"

"No, no!" Smith backpedaled immediately. "I'm thrilled! Really!"

After all, she was his senior in the execution department. They'd partnered up on several missions already. He just hadn't expected to see her again under such formal circumstances.

Before either of them could say more, two familiar figures pushed through the crowd near the bulletin board—Wei Lin and Zhao Mei.

"Brother Smith!" Wei Lin called out.

When they reached him, Wei Lin noticed the girl beside Smith and hesitated. He quickly adjusted his words. "Uh... who's this?"

Smith smiled. "Oh right, let me introduce you. This is Xi Congqing—our senior sister."

Turning to her, he said, "These are my friends—Wei Lin and Zhao Mei."

"Hello," Xi Congqing greeted with a faint smile.

"Nice to meet you, Senior Sister!" Wei Lin and Zhao Mei greeted politely in unison, clearly a bit nervous.

"Alright then, I won't disturb you all. See you around!" Xi Congqing waved, gave Smith a parting glance, and walked off gracefully.

Smith waved back, then turned to his friends. "You two were in a hurry. What's up?"

"We wanted to ask—are you participating in the college competition?" Wei Lin asked.

"Yeah, I've already confirmed my spot. You two signing up too?"

"We did," Zhao Mei replied with a smile. "We just submitted our names."

Smith blinked in surprise. "Wait, don't you need to be at least Level Two to participate?"

As he was about to point out that their levels were too low, he paused.

A moment of realization hit him.

His eyes widened. "Wait... you both broke through to Level Two?!"

Wei Lin scratched his head shyly. "Yeah. After that big battle in the ruins of Shattered Stone City, we pushed through and advanced."

Smith gave him a light slap on the head. "And you didn't even tell me? You punk!"

All three of them laughed together. Smith had watched Wei Lin grow since the beginning. In a way, it really did feel like he was watching over a little brother.

If it weren't for him, Wei Lin probably wouldn't have used his Wood-type powers for anything beyond growing flowers and vegetables.

"Oh, right—what about Yan Yue?" Smith asked, suddenly noticing the absence of their usual fourth teammate.

"She won't be participating this time," Zhao Mei answered, her tone slightly downcast. "Their team was assigned a high-level mission and couldn't leave."

"I see," Smith nodded. "Well, that's a shame. It won't feel quite the same without her."

"Yeah..." Zhao Mei murmured.

Smith clapped both of them on the shoulder. "Alright then, let's wait for the quota confirmation. Once it's settled, we'll head out together."

They both nodded. Although they had signed up, final selection would depend on the executive department—particularly the Xi family's decisions.

---

In just a couple of days, the final ten participants for Huaihai College were announced.

Smith and Xi Congqing had secured guaranteed spots—being from the Jiang and Xi families respectively made them natural choices. Besides, they were the most powerful among the freshmen.

Wei Lin and Zhao Mei had also been selected. Though other students had achieved Level Two as well, these two had proven themselves in real combat, and Smith's recommendation probably didn't hurt either.

The remaining six spots were awarded to other exceptional freshmen. Every one of them had proven their worth in some form—combat, missions, or training results.

After all, this wasn't just a symbolic event. Sending weaklings into the competition would only embarrass the academy.

Once the roster was confirmed, the executive department set the departure date.

They would leave in three days.

The announcement sent waves of excitement and nervous anticipation through the student body. Some who didn't make the cut were disappointed, while others congratulated the selected participants.

Smith felt a deep sense of purpose settle in his chest. This wasn't just another mission. It was a chance to represent his school, face down powerful enemies, and claim rewards that could push him one step closer to his goals.

But more importantly, it was an opportunity to shine.

And with Susanoo under his command, he had no intention of holding back.

Øóffer going on for diamond tier

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