Reversing Black and White

Principal Fuqi's roar echoed across the training grounds.

The surrounding teachers finally snapped out of their daze. One could hardly expect much from this group of junior academy instructors, as the life-and-death struggle between Tang San and Naruto had already exceeded their comprehension.

Most of them were still confused as to how these two could use soul skills without activating their soul rings.

However, spurred by the principal's roar, everyone jolted awake. They fixed their eyes on the crossbow bolt embedded in the wooden stake and finally realized what had happened. Those who had long been unaccustomed to bloodshed were left shaken and terrified.

Was this an attempt to kill?

A sparring match meant to demonstrate soul skills had somehow devolved into an attempted murder?

Principal Fuqi exerted force with his fingers, crushing the wooden stake in his palm into splinters, leaving only the five-to-six-inch-long refined iron crossbow bolt. He struggled to suppress the fury in his heart as he turned his head to glare at Tang San.

"Tang San, what are you hiding in your wrist?"

A student sparring match turning into a murder attempt was something he, as the academy principal, could not tolerate under any circumstances.

As the surrounding gazes swept toward him, Tang San's expression turned ghastly. He raised a hand to wipe the blood and grime from his face, revealing a visage covered in bruises and swelling. Just as he was pondering how to stall for time, he felt someone stand behind him and pat his shoulder.

Startled, Tang San turned his head to see Grandmaster standing behind him.

Teacher?

Yu Xiaogang first nodded slightly, his face full of heartache, before giving Tang San a reassuring look. He stepped past Tang San, his not-so-broad back shielding the boy from view.

"Old Jin! Why are you losing your temper at Little San?"

Principal Fuqi's expression froze. He looked at the Grandmaster in front of him in astonishment—at the man who was currently pointing a finger at his nose and berating him.

"He is..."

Principal Fuqi was incensed. He raised the crossbow bolt in his hand, but before he could finish his sentence, he was sharply interrupted by Grandmaster! Yu Xiaogang stood with righteous indignation, flicking his sleeve to point at Naruto!

"You wretched brat! The outcome was clearly decided just moments ago! Why did you still launch a sneak attack to injure Little San!"

"Huh?"

Being berated by a good-for-nothing, Naruto's eye twitched. He didn't possess Principal Fuqi's cowardly temperament and immediately retorted with a sneer, "Why don't you have your precious disciple repeat what he said just a moment ago?"

"What was that about not letting someone off easily? Is this what you call not letting someone off? By going straight for the kill? Your precious disciple is truly impressive!"

Naruto shouted loudly.

The gazes of the surrounding crowd toward the master-disciple duo turned strange.

The ordinary students didn't know the history, but these academy teachers were either involved parties or had heard rumors behind the scenes, often mocking Grandmaster for having a reputation that didn't match his reality and for being overly ambitious.

That his disciple would resort to murder for his sake was enough to make one's skin crawl.

"Slander! You are twisting the truth! This is all just your one-sided story!" Yu Xiaogang's volume rose, his finger pointing at Naruto trembling with rage.

Regardless of the facts, even if it were true, what crime was there in a disciple defending his master's reputation?

As for murder?

That was an even bigger joke! Among all the soul masters in the world, who didn't have blood on their hands? Could the conflicts between soul masters really be resolved by such superficial sparring? Wasn't it always a matter of life and death!?

But these thoughts were not suitable for the present.

Yu Xiaogang only thought them to himself, while he retorted unyieldingly, "Furthermore, regarding this crossbow bolt, if not for your shameless sneak attack, would Little San have been driven to such fury as to strike back? It is clearly your fault! Did your parents never teach you any manners? How can you be so thick-skinned and shameless?"

With these words, he had completely absolved Tang San of all responsibility, even painting him as an innocent, pristine victim, while placing the entire burden of the incident on Naruto.

Principal Fuqi was left dumbfounded, and Naruto was so angry he laughed.

"Fine, fine, fine!"

"Grandmaster Yu may be useless at sparring, but his tongue is certainly sharp!"

Hearing Naruto's mockery, Yu Xiaogang trembled with rage. Just as he was about to curse again, Naruto shifted his gaze, filled with murderous intent, toward Tang San, who was only half-visible behind him.

"Then how about a life-and-death duel right now! Let's fight again, and let fate decide who lives and who dies!"

"Little San has already been injured by your shameless sneak attack! You still have the nerve to suggest this!?" Yu Xiaogang's fury grew even more intense as he sternly refused. Tang San's current state was too poor, and it was unknown how many more times he could use his hidden weapons; Yu Xiaogang dared not take the risk.

Naruto curled his lips into a smile, raised his hand, and pointed at Yu Xiaogang under the astonished gazes of those present.

"Tang San can't do it, but you can."

"A level 29 fighting a mere level 6 like me—you aren't at a disadvantage. Do you dare?" Naruto's face was filled with contempt as he tilted his chin in provocation.

"You!"

Yu Xiaogang's words caught in his throat.

How could he possibly accept? Not to mention whether he could beat this little monster, the mere act of displaying his martial soul in front of this crowd!

Displaying the laughably pathetic attack method of his martial soul!

That alone would be enough to ruin Yu Xiaogang's reputation once and for all!

Just as Yu Xiaogang found himself in a dilemma, Tang San, having finished a brief recovery, let out a heavy breath and stepped forward. "Teacher, let me handle this."

"Little San?"

Tang San shook his head to signal there was no need to worry. He had only lost his composure earlier because of the sneak attack; the six-level gap in soul power and the decades of experience gap still stood between them.

He would absolutely not lose!

Naruto did not believe he would lose either; he lifted his foot to step past the principal, and purple-black soul power emerged from his previously parched meridians.

Two gazes filled with murderous intent intertwined in the air.

"Have you two had enough?!"

Principal Fuqi's eyelid twitched wildly, his roar, brimming with fury, echoing through the training grounds once more. Both of them frowned in unison and looked up; there was no longer a trace of the so-called benevolent fortune on Principal Fuqi's face, only anger.

He held nothing back, unleashing his full Soul Ancestor aura and pressing his immense soul power down upon the two of them.

Already at the limits of their physical endurance, their bones cracked and popped under the pressure, and they immediately collapsed to the ground, unable to hold on any longer.

After subduing the pair with a wave of his hand, the infuriated Principal Fuqi clasped his hands behind his back, retracted his soul power, and roared angrily at everyone nearby.

"Get out! All of you, get out!"

The observing students were the first to scatter like birds and beasts, followed by the teachers standing nearby; seeing that the principal's words seemed to include everyone, they quickly turned and left as well.

Seeing his old friend in such a rage, Yu Xiaogang dared not speak again; he helped the fallen Tang San to his feet, preparing to take him to the school infirmary.

But just as he helped Tang San up, Tang San waved him off, completely unwilling to leave, his eyes locked firmly onto Naruto, who had also just stood up.

Naruto sat cross-legged on the ground, glaring back without showing any weakness. Since both sides had already torn off the facade, was there any point in pretending to be affectionate classmates?

"Fine, fine, fine!" Seeing the state of the two, Principal Jin's voice rang in their ears. He repeated the word 'fine' several times, his self-deprecating tone sounding all the more chilling. "I am truly a pathetic principal if I can't even control two brats who just enrolled!"

"Principal..."

Naruto still felt a bit embarrassed toward this principal and was about to explain, but he saw Principal Jin bend down, a strange, insincere smile plastered on his face as he looked between the two of them, his tone gentle.

"How about I find an opportunity later for you two little monsters to settle this once and for all?"

Then, in the blink of an eye, his expression shifted drastically.

He enunciated each word clearly, "Now, get out of here!!"