After his cultivation was abolished, Pan Xi instantly lost all his vitality and spirit, collapsing to the ground with no strength left to even shout.
If only his hands and feet had been crippled, at the very least he would still remain a mage.
But now, with all of his cultivation erased, he had become a completely useless cripple.
Pan Xi knew the Mu Clan's situation very well. Even if the Mu Clan truly sought revenge for him, they would never again value or reuse a cripple.
Mu Tingying's eyes widened in shock—she never thought Zhou Haoyu would be this ruthless.
Would he move against her next?
The thought alone sent her stumbling backward, falling heavily to the ground in fright.
Zhou Haoyu, however, had no intention of abolishing Mu Tingying's cultivation. Destroying Pan Xi's cultivation was a small matter at best—even if it meant going head-to-head with the Mu Clan.
But if he abolished Mu Tingying's cultivation, he would almost certainly be expelled from the National Institute Team.
The difference was fundamental.
For the sake of Feng Li's treasure chest, Zhou Haoyu could not afford to take that risk.
"Mu Tingying, you don't want to become a cripple too, do you?"
Zhou Haoyu stepped up to her, his tone carrying a faint threat.
"Captain, I know I was wrong, this matter really has nothing to do with me, it was all Pan Xi's decision."
Mu Tingying dropped all pretense of dignity and knelt to the ground. Though she was jealous of Mu Ningxue, she was far more terrified of becoming a worthless cripple without cultivation.
"You only need to cast a spell on him now, and I'll let you off this once."
Zhou Haoyu pointed at the already despair-ridden Pan Xi, speaking with mockery.
"What?!"
Mu Tingying's face was filled with disbelief. He wanted her to strike at one of her own clansmen.
Yet before long, she made her choice.
Pan Xi was already a cripple—ruining him a little further made no difference.
In the next instant, Bramble Ice directly pierced through Pansi's manhood.
"Hiss~~"
Zhou Haoyu drew in a cold breath—he truly hadn't expected Mu Tingying to strike with such cruelty!
Already in despair, Pan Xi fainted immediately after suffering this blow.
"Alright, you can leave now."
Upon hearing this, Mu Tingying felt as though she had received a royal pardon. She quickly called for several Disciplinary Mages to carry Pan Xi away.
"Will this really be alright? With the family…"
Mu Ningxue turned to Zhou Haoyu with concern.
After Zhou Haoyu's repeated aid, Mu Ningxue had already begun to feel a sense of belonging to the Zhou Family.
"It's fine. I've got this under control."
Zhou Haoyu handed over all the shards taken from Pan Xi into Mu Ningxue's hands, then added, "Once you finish absorbing these shards, your cultivation will surge again."
Mu Ningxue softly responded with a quiet "Mm."
—Two days later.
At the training grounds, Feng Li approached with a grim expression. Without any excess words, he directly said to the three of them:
"Zhou Haoyu, Mu Ningxue, Mu Tingying—come with me."
Zhou Haoyu's gaze remained calm as still water. He had long expected this day to come, though it had arrived later than he first predicted.
Feng Li led the three into the resting area, then turned toward Zhou Haoyu.
"Was it you who crippled Pan Xi's cultivation?"
"Yes."
"The reason."
"I was simply collecting a little interest on Xue'er's behalf."
"Heh… With that reason, you cripple someone's cultivation? Do you realize the Mu Clan has already come to me demanding you be handed over!!"
The fury in Feng Li's eyes nearly took physical form. Zhou Haoyu's willful behavior in the past had still been within tolerable limits, but this time it was utterly reckless.
Mo Fan had no great faction backing him, so offending the Lu Family was one thing…
But you—the dignified young master of the Zhou Family—actually dared to provoke the colossal Mu Clan. Has your brain gone rotten?
"When others come to my door to bully me, if I were to cower like a turtle, what right would I have to serve as captain?"
Zhou Haoyu did not back down in the slightest, speaking with justified righteousness.
Feng Li nearly exploded with rage, pointing at Zhou Haoyu.
"You still think you have reason? Do you really believe I wouldn't dare hand you over to the Mu Clan?"
In truth, Feng Li also understood Mu Ningxue's situation.
No matter what, it was still during the National Institute period. The Mu Clan's interference this time was indeed overstepping its bounds.
"Hmph, if you don't lead this team to win the championship, I swear I'll hand you over to the Mu Clan."
Still unable to quell his anger, Feng Li spat out the words furiously.
"Guaranteed championship."
Zhou Haoyu knew Feng Li's temperament well. Though he wore a facade of not helping, in truth he was already bearing the pressure for them.
Feng Li's anger subsided slightly, and his tiger-like eyes shifted toward Mu Tingying.
"Yesterday, a video somehow spread online, causing quite a stir within the country. You'd best start thinking how you're going to explain this."
Feng Li didn't even need to guess. That video must have been uploaded by Zhou Haoyu.
But this sort of thing was best treated as if one knew nothing.
"Video?"
Mu Tingying showed a puzzled expression and quickly pulled out her phone to check.
Not long after, she found the footage from two days ago—where Pan Xi and she had struck at Mu Ningxue.
The video had been specially edited, with Zhou Haoyu cast in a heroic light. Overnight, the tide of public opinion turned sharply against the Mu Clan.
"This…"
Mu Tingying's pupils shrank. She staggered backward several steps before collapsing to the ground.
The influence of public opinion was enormous. Zhu Jiming had been the most recent example.
Had his act of framing a teammate not been made public, Zhu Jiming wouldn't still be rotting away in prison with that old man, Dean Songhe, as his only company.
Pan Xi was already a cripple. It wasn't hard to imagine where public opinion would focus next.
Mu Tingying was now beyond defense. Even if she truly hadn't intended to act against Mu Ningxue, she had indeed been complicit in knowing.
Not long after leaving the resting area, Zhou Haoyu ran into Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan.
"Brother Yu, you're incredible! Not only did you cripple one of the Mu Clan's High-level mages, you even threw the Mu Clan into the pitfall of public backlash."
Zhao Manyan's face was filled with admiration.
Mo Fan likewise looked at Zhou Haoyu with respect. Strength aside, just this level of strategy was worth learning for a lifetime.
"Not enough yet," Zhou Haoyu suddenly remarked.
Hearing this, Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan both froze. Not enough? Even after all that?
Next, it would all depend on how the Mu Clan chose to respond. Mu Tingying, being a direct-line member of the clan, was unlikely to be outright expelled.
Two days later, as the World College Tournament drew near, countless tourists began arriving in Venice.
The World College Tournament was the most elite event on the globe, its popularity surpassing even the world's most beloved sport—football.
Those young mages who stood out in the tournament often became world-renowned powerhouses in the future.
The World College Tournament not only represented the strength of the younger generation, but also symbolized the might of the nations behind them.
Every team qualified to compete in Venice hailed from a magically powerful nation with immense national strength.
Thirty-two banners fluttered above Venice, and at sunrise, magical salutes resounded across the beautiful bay city.
As for the dull and tedious opening ceremony, Zhou Haoyu could not summon the slightest interest—so instead, his hand crept toward Mu Ningxue's thigh.
Mu Ningxue flushed with both shame and anger, yet did not voice any protest.
.....
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