Su Lie felt as if struck by a bolt of lightning, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Having never dealt with Matt before, he could never have imagined Matt being so unforgiving.
Being forced to kneel and apologize was already at the absolute limit of what he could accept.
A true gentleman would rather die than be disgraced. Did this old fool truly believe he was incapable?
Unable to bear the humiliation, Su Lie roared and leaped up, summoning his sword again to charge at Matt.
It had to be said, as a tenth-tier Awakened, and with one of the strongest offensive talents, Su Lie's aura was indeed formidable.
The radiance emanating from his enraged attack almost blinded Lin Ran.
Alas…
The very second Su Lie decided to strike, all light in the world vanished.
A minuscule, black hole-like orb of dark energy absorbed all the radiance in the area.
Lin Ran didn't even see how Matt operated; the small black hole was simply placed on Su Lie's chest.
Strangely, the moment the small black hole touched Su Lie, it dissolved, and Su Lie collapsed, defeated. Yet, there wasn't the slightest external wound…
It seemed Matt's attack method bore a striking resemblance to certain skills from the Surgery-Surgery Fruit, which targeted internal injuries.
"You're amazing, boss!"
Lin Ran, seizing the moment, created an atmosphere.
Luo Qingyan also clapped her hands excitedly:
"Hooray! Beat up the old lunatic! Boss, you're so cool!"
Matt laughed heartily, proudly stroking his beard:
"Hmph, a mere Su Lie is not worth mentioning…"
"Even if the entire Su family attacked, I'm confident I could defeat them with one hand!"
Su Lie, already on the verge of collapse, could no longer withstand Matt's even more outrageous words.
His internal organs churned, his spleen and lungs injured; his chest filled with rage, surging directly to his head.
The combination of these two caused Su Lie to finally spew a mouthful of blood and fall unconscious.
"Tsk, pretending to be dead now!"
Matt scornfully walked up to Su Lie, kicked his lifeless body, and sighed.
"What a pity, I still can't let you off so easily…"
"Let's go, Xiao Ran, Qing Yan, we're heading back to the fortress first!"
"I will hold a grand trial there, one that everyone will attend!"
"We will properly judge this old scoundrel for all his crimes!"
As he spoke, Matt raised his hand and summoned a radiant star sphere, enveloping Su Lie's body, then flew into the air.
"Right away!"
Lin Ran, carrying Luo Qingyan, unfurled his Amaterasu Wings and followed closely.
Since Matt had directly breached the sealed barrier of the Ruined City upon his arrival, it had also unlocked the teleportation devices for the students still trapped inside.
The Xiangchu competition organizers wasted no time in activating their teleportation systems to gather all the students.
Although these students didn't quite understand what had happened initially, through their teachers' teachings and the accounts of those who had witnessed the entire event from the fortress, they had a general understanding of the situation.
This realization put them in a rather awkward position.
Tang Jiu, in particular.
Their initial formation of the so-called "Non-Elite Alliance" was primarily aimed at the formidable Lin Ran.
Who knew their efforts would be utterly meaningless…
Lin Ran, capable of slaughtering the entire army of fallen beings, wouldn't need much effort to sweep through them.
Not to mention the precedent of instantly killing nearly five thousand people.
Most importantly, Lin Ran had directly saved all their lives, making him their savior…
All these embarrassing factors combined made Tang Jiu wish he could disappear into a crack in the ground.
It was only when he realized no one was paying him any attention that he raised his head, his neck flushed red, and looked at the large screen.
Lin Ran… how could he be so excessively powerful…
By this time, Matt had already led the two away from the Ruined City, so their figures were no longer visible on the live broadcast.
All Tang Jiu could see was an empty screen.
Taking a deep breath, Tang Jiu solemnly admonished himself that he would never oppose Lin Ran again, no matter what.
As someone whose cultivation talent was not outstanding, his path was clearly different from Lin Ran's.
Commanding troops, holding the battlefield, strategizing, and achieving victory from afar was his lifelong pursuit.
He had initially intended to showcase his leadership skills during this freshman competition, paving the way for a future military career…
But now, his dream seemed to have been shattered.
Tang Jiu shook his head.
If he couldn't soar to the heavens, he would advance step by step!
Could his talent as a steed go unrecognized?
…
Since Matt's arrival had been anticipated, all the important figures within the fortress had been busy.
Therefore, by the time Matt, along with Lin Ran, arrived at the fortress and broke the silent meteorite impact, a warm welcoming party had already been arranged.
"Principal Ma's presence here is an honor. Han greets you!"
Due to the colossal blunder made by the competition organizers, no one dared to step forward initially.
Only Han Zixi, relying on his acquaintance with Matt and others, took on this responsibility.
Of course, this was also a great opportunity for him.
If he could smoothly conclude this matter, his influence within Xiangchu would likely increase exponentially.
Matt had initially come with the intention of holding them accountable. However, upon seeing Han Zixi, his gaze softened.
He knew this young man well; Han Zixi was a close friend and comrade of Lu Qiufeng and others.
Furthermore, Han Zixi was forthright, principled, courageous, and had good cultivation talent. He was considered a pillar of the thirty-year-old generation in Dragon Country.
For both personal and professional reasons, it was difficult for Matt to be overly harsh.
However, it was unlikely he would overlook the matter entirely.
But Han Zixi was also astute. Seeing Matt's momentary hesitation, he immediately said:
"For the shock and losses caused by this error, Xiangchu University will offer full compensation, doubled."
"And although the survival competition did not yield a final result, the performances of Lin Ran and Yan Yun University were evident for all to see. Our organizing committee has directly approved Lin Ran and Luo Qingyan as first and second place respectively in this competition, with Yan University being the champion of the survival competition!"
"In addition, for the outstanding contributions made by Lin Ran and Luo Qingyan, we will provide additional commendations!"
"Within the Xiangchu Academic Credit Depository, they may each choose any one item that is available."