Chapter 22: The World Tree Organization: Are We Disbanding?

The air was not thick with the scent of gunpowder for this battle. Tang Xi couldn't even be bothered to take a second look. She felt that if Chu Zihang, whom she had cultivated for so long, still couldn't defeat the "Polar Bear Buster," then she might as well give up and let things rot. Besides, Chu Zihang had a naturally cold personality and disliked talking; no matter how fiercely Caesar’s flames of war burned, they could never ignite a block of ice.

Yet, the battle itself was highly anticipated. Caesar had not been overly high-profile, but he wasn't low-key either. Many members of the Lionheart Society caught wind of the commotion and rushed over to watch. This news was quickly uploaded to the "Night Watcher" discussion forum.

Caesar, the heir to the Gattuso family, was a quintessential noble scion. From the very first sentence he uttered upon enrollment, he had established his arrogant status, though he certainly possessed the capital to be arrogant. If not for the sudden, stellar emergence of Chu Zihang and Ivana, Caesar would undoubtedly have been the most dazzling presence among the freshmen. Everyone was quite curious about his true strength. As for Chu Zihang, even less needed to be said. Cassel College hadn't produced an S-rank in many years; these students had never seen a legendary S-rank and were eager to know just how powerful one could be.

The collision between these two was undeniably eye-catching. Instantly, the Night Watcher forum was flooded with pleas for a live stream.

"Holy crap, Caesar is challenging Chu Zihang? Is this for real? Where are they? Is there still time to rush over?!"

"Too late. They’re at the internal training grounds of the Lionheart Society. I’m at the entrance; I just asked, and they aren't letting outsiders in unless you join the society. I’m already filling out the form. You guys definitely won't make it in time."

"You’re fast, aren't you? So, is anyone actually inside? Can someone take a video or start a live stream? I’m dying of curiosity!"

"Actually, I think there might be something wrong with the ranking. Hasn't Chu Zihang’s background been dug up? While he’s excellent, he doesn't seem to reach the S-rank level, right? His mother seems to be just an ordinary person. Caesar is different—everyone knows the weight carried by the words 'Gattuso heir'."

"I also think the ranking is a mistake, but it’s fine. The truth will out. They’re fighting now, aren't they? A real bout will reveal the truth. So, can someone please start a live stream? I’ve never hated being in the Student Union more than I do right now..."

"Thanks for the invite. I’m on the scene. Don't worry, the stream is coming!"

Following this comment, a video feed was quickly pushed to the top of the feed. The number of concurrent viewers surged, breaking into the hundreds in a blink and continuing to climb rapidly.

The footage was shaky at first as the recorder searched for an angle, but it soon steadied. The viewers clearly saw the protagonists: Chu Zihang, expressionless, and Caesar, a faint smile playing on his lips. The surrounding area had been cleared.

"Honestly, I am very interested in you, so I hope you will use your full strength and hold nothing back. I need to know where the gap between us lies. I hope you can satisfy this request."

Caesar spoke with sincerity; he was a man who knew how to speak well. Chu Zihang nodded. "Very well, I will."

The smile on Caesar’s lips deepened. He gestured for Chu Zihang to begin, and at the same time, his figure shot forward like a sharp arrow.

In the moment of his strike, Caesar’s form blurred into an incredible high-speed motion. He was like an eagle ambushing from the heights! His hunting knife and the arm wielding it became indistinguishable; the sheer speed made his blade appear almost invisible. This was a strike meant to kill—hard, murderous, carrying the formidable majesty of an emperor. Such a blow could cleave through iron.

Even through the screen and the network connection, the viewers felt an unparalleled sense of pressure. They knew they could never have intercepted such an attack. This was not strength or speed a normal human could possess; even among hybrids, this was elite-level physical performance!

Faced with such an onslaught, Chu Zihang stood his ground without moving. His long blade slowly swept a circular arc and froze in mid-air.

The man’s near-lethal strike was imminent; Chu Zihang could almost feel the cold wind from the tip of the blade. But at that instant, Chu Zihang’s blade also vanished. With a slight flick of his wrist, he executed a fierce, flashing strike that instantly hit the tip of Caesar’s blade. A massive force transmitted to Caesar’s wrist, making his entire arm go numb.

The imperial pressure was extinguished in an instant. Chu Zihang swung his blade backhand; *Muramasa* cut through the air, chasing after Caesar, whose momentum had been broken and who was stumbling backward.

Caesar’s keen combat intuition was screaming warnings, but he couldn't see the movement of that strike. It was too fast—too fast for the naked eye to track. He hadn't even seen how the blade touched him; he only felt a sharp pain from his back, and the immense force sent him tumbling to the ground.

No one had seen how Chu Zihang moved. They only felt a blur before their eyes, and when they looked again, Caesar was already on the ground. Chu Zihang was sheathing his sword, and it was only then that the onlookers realized he had used the back of the blade.

One move. He had taken down Caesar in a single move. If he had used the edge, Caesar would be a dead man.

Everyone was stunned. They had never imagined the battle would end so quickly. Anyone with eyes could see they were not on the same level. A thought even crossed their minds: Is this a battle? I thought it was a speed bump...

If Caesar’s offense made people feel it was impossible to resist, Chu Zihang made people feel that resistance was pointless—that it would be more merciful to just lie down and die. They were simply not from the same world.

Is this the S-rank bloodline? This terrifying suppressive power was unheard of!

Chu Zihang, however, was indifferent to their shocked gazes. He walked up to the society president and asked softly, "I won. Can I be the vice-president now?"

The president, still reeling from the shock, nodded blankly. Chu Zihang politely expressed his thanks and turned to leave, leaving behind a scene of utter uproar.

...

In a small southern city in China.

Tang Wei was conducting a meeting with a look of profound distress. It was another day of wanting to wash his hands of this business; he didn't want to work this job at all.

However, he felt he should be liberated soon. Cassel College was known for being crawling with geniuses, where elites were a dime a dozen. Surely, once Chu Zihang went there, he would be reduced to mediocrity. Once he realized there were always people stronger than him, he wouldn't be so obsessed with running this organization.

Thinking of this, he asked his deputy sitting next to him with great anticipation, "Didn't I tell you to inquire about news from Cassel College? How is Chu Zihang doing there? Are we close to disbanding yet?"

The deputy quickly opened his phone. "Oh, right. I found their campus network. There seems to be some new news lately. Let me read it to everyone."

Facing the expectant gazes of the group, the deputy began to read: "Hmm... Latest news from Cassel College: Chu Zihang has been rated as an S-rank, the highest level of bloodline."

The group froze. How was this different from what they imagined? What happened to being reduced to mediocrity?

Before they could react, the deputy continued: "Chu Zihang just defeated the heir of a top-tier noble family with a single strike."

The group remained frozen. This script was all wrong, wasn't it?

"Chu Zihang has become the vice-president of the campus's most prestigious society. It is said that he is already the shoo-in for the next president."

The group: "..."

Tang Wei covered his face in agony. It seemed the day of disbanding was nowhere in sight.