On a secluded road, several buses carrying students from Ancheng No.1 High School screeched to a halt in the middle of the road, some crashing sideways into the woods after failing to brake in time. One bus nearly tipped over, but at the critical moment, the spirit summoner Luo Jinghong summoned a Mountain-Moving Ape. The three-meter-tall ape reached out, propped up the tilting bus, and pushed it back upright.
By then, Ancheng’s convoy had already separated from the other schools’ vehicles. The students on board were stunned by the sudden attack, and only a few accompanying spirit summoners reacted in time. Those who had spirits on hand deployed them immediately, while others summoned theirs without delay.
At the front of the convoy, Instructor Xiong roared, "Attacking students—you’re asking for death!!" He unleashed a spirit-summoning ability. Ahead of the vehicles, the Tyrant Bear, matching the Stone Giant in height and strength, glowed red and let out a thunderous roar. "ROAR!!!" The bear shoved the Stone Giant back, while rings of earthy yellow light formed around its mouth, condensing into a deep yellow beam that shot out. BOOM!!! The beam struck the Stone Giant’s raised arms, pushing the massive figure backward, shattering the spikes jutting from the ground.
Finally, Instructor Xiong turned back. "Is everyone okay?"
Behind him, several spirit summoners rushed out of the buses. Old Chen, her face icy, hurried toward the rear with her Puppet on Strings. She had seen the last bus take the brunt of the attack. "Good, they’re fine..." She spotted it. On one side, a Flame Bat tried repeatedly to set the bus ablaze but was blocked by a Six-Winged Silkworm. The bat quickly veered toward another bus ahead, only to be intercepted by another summoner’s spirit. On the left side of the last bus, near the woods, a golden lion clashed with a goose-yellow figure. The figure was sent flying backward, slamming into the bus with a crack that shook the entire vehicle. But the injury was minor; it shook its head and stood up immediately.
The figure by the woods wore a stunned expression. "How could a high schooler’s spirit..." His face twisted into a fanatical glare, eyes brimming with murderous intent. Kill him, kill this student! That would bring supreme glory! The fervent, bloodthirsty stare made Su Hao’s heart race. If not for the three days of wilderness combat he’d just endured, he doubted he’d stay this calm. Even so, his heart pounded wildly. But behind him was a bus full of classmates, and fleeing would only be more dangerous—though he felt the urge to run. When he saw Old Chen approaching, Su Hao finally breathed a sigh of relief. The most dangerous moment was the initial ambush; once they steadied themselves, Ancheng’s convoy still held the advantage in spirits.
The Silkworm, however, was unconvinced. It felt it could fight, brimming with untapped strength. It was just unfamiliar with that power, caught off guard. Su Hao quickly stopped it. "There’ll be plenty of chances to fight, but you only get one life. Leave it to the teachers’ spirits." Safety first. He sensed the Golden Roaring Lion might break free from the Puppet’s entanglement at any moment and charge at him. But standing idly and playing defense wasn’t Su Hao’s style either. His eyes lit up as he spotted the figure by the woods. Gritting his teeth, he gave the order. "Silkworm, hit him with an Energy Ball!" "Gu-noh!" The Energy Ball shot out, blasting up rubble and dust. Su Hao forced himself not to look away, staring intently. The attacker shielded his head with his arms, a faint barrier forming around him—a Guardian, a spirit skill only official summoners could use. With that barrier up, Su Hao’s commands grew more decisive. "Hit him again!" "Gu-noh~!" Energy balls flew out in rapid succession. The Golden Roaring Lion, charging toward Su Hao, leaped back to shield the attacker. BOOM! The shockwave sent both the lion and the attacker tumbling across the ground. The attacker’s barrier held; he stood up unharmed, but the lion was battered. The Puppet turned its telekinesis into a hammer and struck, and in moments, the lion lay dying. The Silkworm let out a satisfied "Gu." Yet the attacker didn’t spare his spirit a glance, his eyes fixed on Su Hao. He suddenly shouted, "Captain, there’s a high-value target here!"
Su Hao tensed. The Silkworm immediately grew alert, scanning its surroundings. Above, the Little Fire Crow spread its wings, ready to use Wing Guard—a skill it had turned into a defensive move, mastering it more and more. Then, "Stop it!" Vice President Luo’s roar echoed from afar as a gray figure shot into the sky. It was a bizarre spirit with wings on its back, its body seemingly made of gray rock—a Gargoyle! Evolved from a Stone Spot Demon, its final form was the Gargoyle Dragon! This one, though not fully evolved and slightly weaker, had been blocked by the Mountain-Moving Ape earlier. But it broke free, injured. At the front, the Tyrant Bear had wounded the Stone Giant but dared not leave its post, standing firm. Three other attacking spirits were held off by other summoners’ spirits. The Mountain-Moving Ape leaped between buses in pursuit, but couldn’t match the Gargoyle’s flight speed. The Puppet conjured an invisible wall of telekinesis, but the Gargoyle smashed through with only a slight pause, continuing its charge. Class 1’s homeroom teacher, Old Gu, had his Moritano toss out a dozen seed grenades; the Gargoyle took them head-on without dodging, still hurtling toward Su Hao.
The gray shadow grew larger in his vision. In the critical moment, Su Hao’s mind went completely calm. His eyes locked onto the gray figure. He had two choices. One was to duck into the nearby woods, using the trees for cover to buy time. But it might not be fast enough. The sparse, slender trees wouldn’t stop an elite-level spirit like a Gargoyle. So... "Energy Ball, aim for the joint between its left wing and body!" There was no time to say it aloud. In that moment of intense focus, he transmitted the thought to the Silkworm instantly. The Gargoyle’s left wing root was already injured. Breaking free from the telekinesis and tanking the seed grenades had worsened the damage. Now, cracks covered the joint. Su Hao had seen it all in the Gargoyle’s detailed info. The creature was barely holding on, just to kill him. What grudge was this?!
Instructor Xiong roared. The Mountain-Moving Ape gave chase. The Puppet lunged to grab the Gargoyle but was too slow. In that second, one, two, three, four, five Energy Balls formed before the Silkworm. As the Gargoyle closed in, at the most dangerous yet easiest moment to hit, the five Energy Balls shot out one after another!