Chapter 45

Chapter 45

The sudden turn of events left the spectators in shock, and the teachers rushing to the scene were filled with anxiety.

On the field, the students of Almont couldn't help but be drawn to Li Qingzhi as he was relentlessly attacked. Even Carl and Horace unintentionally slowed their pace, while Mei Li and Ludwig hurried towards Li Qingzhi's direction.

Caught off guard by the fierce ambush, Li Qingzhi, feeling the terrifying heat of the high-level fire magic that could engulf him, rolled to the side to evade, narrowly avoiding the next fireball.

In that split second, Li Qingzhi, who had expended much of his magic in his haste, despite being on the verge of depletion, summoned all his willpower to cast a barely sufficient defensive spell, converting his true energy into usable magical power:

"Vine Shield!"

The moment Li Qingzhi shouted the incantation, countless green vines shot up from the ground, desperately interweaving to form a protective barrier in front of him. However, fire magic inherently suppressed wood, and the sturdy vines soon began to melt under the scorching flames.

As Li Qingzhi sensed the searing heat closing in, the short-haired girl, Mei Li, swiftly employed her water magic: "Water Wall!"

Her high-level water spell promptly intercepted the frenzied fire assault, giving Li Qingzhi respite. Meanwhile, Ludwig, who had been so anxious that he had momentarily forgotten to conceal his emotions, had involuntarily rushed towards Li Qingzhi. But upon realizing his behavior, he managed to pull back his hand without drawing attention, though his gaze remained fixed on Li Qingzhi.

Mei Li, without any pretense, directed her gaze towards Li Qingzhi, her eyes filled with concern as she asked, "Are you alright?"

Li Qingzhi shook his head, about to express his sincere gratitude to Mei Li when he suddenly recalled that in the midst of the crisis, Ludwig had urgently whispered something to him.

With this thought, the black-haired youth couldn't help but lift his eyes in mild astonishment toward Ludwig's direction, only to find the other already regarding him. Their gazes met unexpectedly, and both felt their hearts tighten abruptly.

As Li Qingzhi felt an unexplained tension rise within him, his heart began to beat faster. Gazing into Ludwig's azure eyes, he found himself, for a moment, at a loss for words. Soon, though, Ludwig averted his gaze, as if the concern that had seemingly seeped through was merely a fleeting illusion in Qingzhi's distracted mind.

The attacker was using magic and mana with an unprecedented recklessness, as if his life depended on it. Normally, mages would conserve their mana, for exhausting it completely could lead to the waning of one's vitality or even death. However, this assailant seemed utterly heedless of such consequences.

Who could it be...

Everyone on the scene, while startled, was eager to learn the true identity of the attacker. As the security teachers swarmed and apprehended the vague figure, all eyes turned toward the direction in the air.

Strangely, despite the relentless assault on Li Qingzhi, the perpetrator was swiftly subdued by the teachers without much struggle. It seemed as if they didn't put up much resistance at all.

Feeling increasingly perplexed, Li Qingzhi and the others looked in the direction of the attacker. As the teachers placed magical suppression cuffs made of inhibiting stones on the individual and prepared to take them away, the crowd finally got a clear glimpse of their face.

Ludwig, whose mood had darkened due to Li Qingzhi's near-miss, frowned at the person. In the next moment, a hint of astonishment flickered in his eyes.

Li Qingzhi was utterly stunned, for he was no stranger to this person.

The other students from Elmont on the field, as well as those watching the match, were equally astonished by the figure's appearance and couldn't help but engage in whispers.

The familiar sight of the orange-haired figure sparked various speculations:

"I thought it was another one of those dark creatures escaping, but it's actually Anthony?!"

"He always boasts about being noble, so why would he suddenly lose his mind during such an important exchange competition? He'll definitely be punished for this, especially since Principal Augusta values the event with Danatec so much."

"It can't be that bad... Why would he suddenly attack Li Qingzhi? I know he's always disliked that Eastern exchange student, but this is irrational and could easily make him look foolish... It doesn't seem like his usual behavior."

"Maybe his hatred has reached an unbearable level, so he acted out in such an exaggerated manner. He's truly crazy to pull a stunt like this during such a serious and tense competition. What did Li Qingzhi do to him?"

With everyone's attention previously focused on avoiding the swamp, Li Qingzhi had expended most of his magical energy. That sudden, unprepared assault had nearly caused him to plunge into the mud, which would have undoubtedly halted their team's progress.

"Tsk." A student shook their head disapprovingly. "No matter how much he dislikes him, causing chaos in this setting is unacceptable. It's shameful..."

The students from the School of Botany were particularly enraged. Bruce, filled with indignation, shouted, "He's a criminal disrupting the competition! You almost got Li Qingzhi hurt!"

With a clenched jaw, Bruce glared at the approaching student council army not far away and addressed the leader, Catherine, " Punish this guy harshly! Let your Chief roast him alive!"

Catherine coughed, but she couldn't help frowning either, "The Chief is indeed furious."

After all, no one had expected that the students from Elmont would cause trouble during the competition, especially as the hosts. This unexpected incident had thoroughly embarrassed their entire school.

Meanwhile, as Anthony saw himself about to be taken away by the teachers, he gritted his teeth and fiercely cursed at Li Qingzhi,

"Useless! A parasite! You can only rely on hiding behind others for protection your whole life!"

The orange-haired youth's demeanor verged on madness, and the teachers, sensing something amiss, promptly escorted him away with grave seriousness.

The disturbance among the onlookers was palpable, and Li Qingzhi felt a jolt in his heart. He couldn't comprehend why the orange-haired youth harbored such intense animosity towards him; in his recollection, they had barely interacted at all.

Li Qingzhi was unable to comprehend the animosity Anthony held toward him. He still couldn't fathom the source of such unwarranted malice.

Yet, the moment Anthony was temporarily taken away by the teachers, a thin and obscure black shade of Soul Wraith abruptly emerged from his wrist. It swiftly burrowed into the ground, vanishing without drawing any attention. The previously enraged Anthony suddenly felt an overwhelming exhaustion. Though he still despised Li Qingzhi with all his heart, an inexplicable sense of regret washed over him for his recent actions.

How dare I do such a thing?

Amidst a tumult of anger and confusion, the exhausted Anthony succumbed to sleep.

After the unforeseen incident, the Elmont group continued their strenuous journey, with Li Qingzhi pushing Little Left and Little Right to their limits. He summoned all his true energy, ignoring his own weariness.

However, the delay caused by fending off Anthony's ambush allowed the Danatec students, who had been trailing them, to catch up.

Now, the two groups were practically side by side, making it challenging to create any significant distance between them.

The Danatec students positioned themselves on the left flank of the Elmont students, showing signs of overtaking. In response, the Elmont group rallied, maintaining a tenacious pace, neither side willing to yield.

Just then, however, one of the Danatec students, who had been sprinting swiftly forward amidst the intense competition, didn't rush to maintain his full speed. Instead, he abruptly turned his head at an exaggerated angle, looking over his right shoulder towards a shadowy area where Elmont and the others couldn't see. His gaze locked firmly onto the direction where Li Qingzhi was situated. Upon noticing that Ludwig wasn't looking in this direction, he gradually and deliberately slowed his pace.

Draw nearer, ever so closer...

Beside him, the sullen, emaciated youth suddenly flashed a ghastly pale smile. As he smiled, fine cracks appeared on the side of his face, resembling the fractured earth, making him appear less like a living being in the true sense of the word.

Feeling a chill down his spine, Li Qingzhi couldn't help glancing aside. He discovered that Ludwig, who had been walking ahead of him, had somehow moved to his side, positioning himself between Qingzhi and the Danatec group.