Early the next morning, at the Ninja Academy's training ground.
The morning mist had yet to clear, but students already crowded the sidelines.
What had happened at the Scripture Repository yesterday had spread throughout the entire year overnight.
The rumor that Lin Chen had subdued the veteran Chunin Kato Iwa in a single move grew more outlandish with every retelling.
Everyone looked at Lin Chen with even greater awe.
Only Sasuke, in the corner by the window, radiated a terrifyingly oppressive aura.
He hung his head, his black hair covering his eyes and brows. His fists were clenched until his knuckles turned white, their joints tinged blue.
The humiliation of yesterday's crushing defeat and the panic of his Sharingan's inexplicable disappearance gnawed at his pride day and night.
Overnight, he seemed to have become a different person.
An impenetrable gloom and obsession surrounded him, and his eyes were bloodshot.
The teacher leading them had barely finished announcing free sparring.
Sasuke abruptly stood, his gaze fixed squarely on Lin Chen.
"Lin Chen, come out. Fight me again."
Those words plunged the entire training ground into dead silence.
Everyone froze.
Sasuke had suffered a crushing defeat yesterday and had not even managed to keep his Sharingan. Yet today, he was actually offering himself up for another challenge?
The teacher frowned and tried to dissuade him. "Sasuke, you're not in good shape. Rest today."
"I'm fine."
Sasuke raised his head. An obsessive fire roiled in his pitch-black eyes, and his hoarse voice carried a strange confidence.
"Today, I'm going to win it back."
Lin Chen lifted his eyes and gave him an indifferent glance.
He saw what was happening at once.
A faint but pure strand of Heavenly Dao power lay dormant within Sasuke, quietly nourishing his Uchiha bloodline and attempting to forcibly reactivate his Sharingan.
Sure enough, this was the Heavenly Dao's means of correction.
It was temporarily giving its Heaven’s Chosen Protagonist a cheat, using him to suppress an anomaly like Lin Chen.
Lin Chen sneered inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged as he slowly rose.
"Sure."
The simple reply was calm and level, betraying not a trace of emotion.
The two walked into the center of the training ground and stood facing each other.
The watching students automatically backed away in a circle, holding their breath and focusing.
"Do you think Sasuke can win today?"
"Hard to say... His aura feels off today. He seems a lot stronger than yesterday."
"An Uchiha genius wouldn't admit defeat that easily. Maybe he's got a trump card!"
The hushed discussion was full of anticipation.
Sasuke stared fixedly at Lin Chen, hatred almost spilling from his eyes.
"Lin Chen, I'll pay you back double for yesterday's humiliation!"
Before he had finished speaking, the chakra around him surged violently!
Boom-
Blood-red chakra shot skyward, and a fierce Uchiha aura erupted instantly.
His pitch-black pupils rapidly turned red, and a single tomoe slowly revolved within his eyes.
His One-Tomoe Sharingan had activated again!
Not only that, his speed, strength, and chakra reserves were all greater than when he had forcibly awakened his eyes yesterday!
"The Sharingan! Sasuke's Sharingan is back!"
"My god! He actually awakened it again!"
The entire training ground erupted, everyone swept up in excitement.
An Uchiha genius truly would not be defeated so easily!
The teacher's face also filled with shock, followed by a look of gratification.
Only Kakashi, who had appeared leaning against a tree trunk at some point, kept his brows tightly furrowed.
His Sharingan could clearly see an unfamiliar external power sustaining Sasuke from within.
That power did not belong to Sasuke himself.
In the training ground, a savage smile curled Sasuke's lips.
"See that? This is the power of the Uchiha!"
"I'll take back what you stole with my own hands!"
His figure flashed forward, moving so fast he left afterimages as he charged straight at Lin Chen.
His punch cut fiercely through the air, his chakra densely concentrated. He was a full twice as strong as yesterday!
This strike was enough to overwhelm an ordinary Chunin head-on!
Everyone held their breath.
Lin Chen stood where he was without moving, his eyes frighteningly calm.
Just as the force of the punch was about to strike his face.
[Ding! Temporary Heavenly Dao blessing buff detected on target!] [Available to plunder: temporary one-tomoe essence, Heavenly Dao nourishing power, secondary Uchiha bloodline potential!] [Critical multiplier: twelvefold!]
Plunder.
Lin Chen silently spoke the word, curling his fingertips slightly.
An invisible devouring force erupted, instantly enveloping Sasuke's entire body.
The next second, Sasuke's surging aura abruptly faltered!
"What?!"
His pupils contracted sharply. He felt the chakra rushing through his body, his newly revived Sharingan power, and that inexplicable supporting force pouring out uncontrollably like floodwater through a breached dam.
In the blink of an eye, they were drained completely dry!
The scarlet rapidly faded from his eyes, and the tomoe vanished again.
All strength was instantly drained from his body. He could not even raise his hand.
His attack collapsed outright, and he froze in place, his face filled with horror.
"Impossible... My power!"
Sasuke let out a hoarse, disbelieving growl.
He had clearly received the blessing of that inexplicable power. He had clearly awakened his eyes again.
How could it... be gone again?!
Lin Chen raised his hand and lightly pressed a palm against his shoulder.
Thump.
A soft sound rang out.
As though struck by a heavy blow, Sasuke staggered several steps backward and collapsed onto his backside.
His face was deathly pale, his body utterly drained. He could not even stand.
One move.
One move again.
Even with the Heavenly Dao's temporary buff, Sasuke had still failed to last a single exchange.
The entire training ground fell silent.
A falling pin could have been heard.
Everyone stood rooted to the spot with their mouths hanging open, their minds completely blank.
Sasuke had awakened his eyes again and grown stronger, yet... he had still been defeated instantly?
This was far too absurd!
Lin Chen lowered his eyes to Sasuke on the ground and said flatly:
"That's your only trump card, and you still dared to come out here running your mouth?"
His words were not loud, yet they struck everyone across the face like a vicious slap.
Sasuke trembled all over as humiliation, anger, and despair flooded his heart at once.
"Aah-!"
He let out a low roar. Overcome by a rush of rage, his vision went black, and he passed out.
[Ding! Battle won! Twelvefold critical plunder activated!] [Obtained: temporary Heavenly Dao power, remaining Uchiha bloodline potential, secondary Sharingan essence!] [Host's ocular power has improved significantly. Only one step remains before formally awakening the Sharingan!] [Heavenly Dao correction failed again. Fluctuations in the Will of the World intensifying. Warning: increased punishment severity!] [Notice: the Graduation Exam will begin three days early. Assessment difficulty increased. Plot correction intensity increased!]
System notifications sounded one after another.
A faint glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes.
The Graduation Exam is being moved forward? The difficulty is going up?
It seemed the Heavenly Dao was getting anxious and wanted to use the assessment to suppress him thoroughly.
Fine.
The Graduation Exam was the perfect opportunity for him to openly plunder more opportunities.
He raised his eyes toward the sky.
Deep within the clouds, the cold sensation of being watched grew increasingly intense.
Lin Chen's lips lifted slightly, without a trace of fear in his heart.
Want to play?
I'll see this through to the end.
Let's see how much you, the Heavenly Dao, still have left for me to plunder clean, time after time.
Before you continue