In the Campus Hospital.

Chen Xiang woke up to a dimming sky.

"Doctor Liu, he's awake."

"It seems Assistant Chen has recovered well. Assistant Wu, please watch over him until this IV is finished, and then sprinkle some dispelling silver powder. Assistant Chen is lucky; his spirit wasn't tainted..."

"I know, Doctor Liu. You can go back to your work."

Chen Xiang coughed violently, feeling a burning pain in his chest, and turned to the two conversing. One was Wu, whom he had seen in class, looking refined in his formal attire. The other was clearly the doctor, who left after giving a few brief instructions.

Taking a deep breath of hot air, Chen Xiang managed to prop himself up:

"Thank you, Assistant Wu..."

Wu did not respond, only looking down at him coldly.

Chen Xiang frowned, sensing something off. Suddenly, Wu leaned in closer, eyes fixed intently on his:

"Chen Xiang, male, eighteen years old, lives in Building 47, Apt 208. Sister Chen Shaoyan, a key member of the Fire Door; brother Chen Xin, a senior officer at the Eight-Ring Police..."

Chen Xiang's pupils constricted as he forced a smile:

"Assistant Wu, I don't understand what you mean..."

"What's unclear?!"

He leaned in closer, nearly nose-to-nose:

"Your sister, Chen Shaoyan, seems impressive. Did she get you in here? You're a big piece in the Fire Door's game, aren't you?"

Chen Xiang frowned:

"No, that's not it."

"Whether you are or not..."

Wu straightened, adjusting his glasses:

"Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Wu Shangpin, son of Wu Jinlu, a prominent figure in the Crocodile Door."

Chen Xiang's expression changed; being a "holder of the staff" meant he was a leader, a decision-maker. The chaos of the Eighth Ring had many factions, with the Fire Door and Crocodile Door as the largest, almost a north-south rivalry...

So, Wu Shangpin, son of a powerful gang leader, was here as an assistant? Chen Xiang realized the Giant Academy was even more formidable than he imagined.

Wu continued:

"The Fire Door is quite something, forcing me out of my official assistant position and letting you take over..."

He clenched his fist; only one official assistant could exist per lecturer. With Chen Xiang here, Wu had to leave.

Understanding the misunderstanding, Chen Xiang hurried to explain:

"I was just a student, and Instructor Lin made me an assistant; it has nothing to do with the Fire Door or my sister..."

"I don't care!"

Wu emphasized each word, his gaze icy:

"You're now an assistant, and I won't touch you, but the Crocodile Door will go to war with the Fire Door. The gang wars are starting today..."

He paused, smiling:

"Remember, this isn't just a clash; it's war. It's normal for people to die, especially those from the Fire Door or some police officers..."

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Just as he finished, Chen Xiang suddenly sprang up, aiming his powerful handgun at Wu's chin:

"I said it's a misunderstanding!"

"I also said I don't care about the reason." Wu remained unfazed, even under the gun:

"You took my position; that's the root of the issue. Besides..."

A mocking smile spread across his face:

"I'm beginning to believe you're not from the Fire Door. Pointing a gun at me... how amusing."

Before Chen Xiang could react, Wu snatched the handgun, turning it on himself and pulling the trigger in a shocking moment.

*Bang!!

With a deafening roar, Wu's head jerked back and then slowly righted itself. The flattened bullet lodged in his forehead, blood trickling down his nose.

"I've broken through the first level of the Mystic Arts. I've trained my flesh and bones. I'm a ‘Master of the Mystic Arts'... does the gun matter?"

The door burst open, and Doctor Liu rushed in:

"What happened? Gunfire in the hospital? What kind of madness is this?!"

Wu patted Chen Xiang's stiff shoulder, glancing at Doctor Liu with a bright smile:

"Doctor Liu, I was just demonstrating my invulnerability to Assistant Chen. I've just stepped into the first level of the Mystic Arts and got a bit excited, please excuse me."

Doctor Liu's face turned pale but he held back his words; an assistant in ancient mysticism was different...

He took a deep breath:

"Wu, that's quite a display, but you should restrain yourself. This is a school, and it's still a hospital..."

With that, the doctor left, carefully shutting the door behind him.

Wu turned back, looking down at Chen Xiang and sprinkling the dispelling silver powder:

"Go back, see your family one last time."

Chen Xiang's expression darkened as he fought against the burning sensation in his chest, propping himself up. He took a tissue to wipe away Wu's blood and reclaimed his handgun.

"Is being an assistant that important? Even... that high of a status? It seems you're really hesitant to touch me..."

Chen Xiang grinned, aiming the handgun at Wu's face.

*Bang bang bang bang bang!!

Smoke filled the room as five bullets struck in the same spot, the first embedding itself in Wu's forehead while the subsequent four drove it deeper into his skull.

He cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground.

"This is a hospital! A hospital!" Doctor Liu's furious voice echoed from outside.

Chen Xiang ignored him, coldly staring down at Wu, who writhed on the floor:

"So you're not entirely invulnerable after all..."

He grabbed his bag and strode out.

……………

As he walked towards the school gate, Chen Xiang dialed his sister's number.

After several rings, it went to "unreachable."

His heart raced, and he called his brother next.

This time, it connected.

"Hello? Little brother, what's up?"

Hearing his brother's familiar voice, Chen Xiang let out a heavy sigh:

"Brother, where's sister?"

"Your sister? She's been detained..."

On the other end, Chen Xin briefly explained:

"The Crocodile Door suddenly raided several skyscrapers controlled by the Fire Door, and now both sides are in full-scale war, the police are in chaos..."

Chen Xiang's brow furrowed.

His brother continued:

"This conflict is larger than expected. I was worried about your sister, so I detained her for ‘littering' to keep her out of this gang conflict."

He sighed heavily:

"Who knows what these big shots are thinking? The entire Eighth Ring is in disarray..."

Chen Xiang fell silent for a moment, then recounted everything that had just happened.

"What?!"

Chen Xin's voice rose an octave:

"You shot Wu Jinlu's son six times?!"

"It was five times," Chen Xiang muttered. "He shot himself once."

Chen Xin's breathing grew hurried on the other end.

After a pause, he spoke in a hoarse voice:

"I understand. I'll discuss it with your sister. You should head home, lock the doors... and take that thing back with you!"

After giving several instructions, his brother hurriedly hung up. Chen Xiang coughed violently, his expression shifting between anxiety and determination.

A sense of crisis surged over him.

He sighed heavily and hurried out of the Giant Academy, not caring about the delay, trying to catch a taxi to get home quickly,

But the streets were eerily empty; not a single car was in sight.

Even pedestrians hurried by, as if something bad was happening...

"Warrior?"

A cheerful voice rang out, and Chen Xiang turned to see a familiar silver-haired girl with a bright smile.

"Is that you...?"

Chen Xiang hesitated:

"Little Wei?"

It was the silver-haired girl from the Mystic Arts class.

Little Wei laughed brightly:

"It's me, Warrior... uh, I mean, Assistant Chen. Are you trying to catch a ride? You won't get one at this hour. I have a car; let me give you a ride?"

Chen Xiang hesitated but then nodded:

"Thank you."

"No problem! Assistant Chen, wait here; I'll go get the car."

As Chen Xiang watched her skip away, he coughed violently again.

The burning sensation intensified, spreading from his chest to his throat and nasal passages...

"What's wrong with me..."

Feeling dazed from the heat, he suddenly noticed a few flickering sparks.

Black sparks.

???

He quickly took out his phone and activated the front camera, seeing his own flushed face, exhausted and somewhat anxious.

The burning sensation in his throat suddenly surged,

Chen Xiang coughed violently at his phone.

In the screen's reflection, he clearly saw dark flames whispering, wailing, and weeping, emitting scorching breath that vaporized his phone...

His hand remained unharmed.

Chen Xiang was stunned.

"Abyss... Black Flame?"

He recalled the auditory hallucinations from earlier.

"Abyssal Black Flame authority…"

"Has been partially completed."