That evening, Oliver returned home.
The news was broadcasting updates on the Southwest Inter-School Tournament. All sixteen teams advancing to the group stage had been finalized.
As expected, what happened inside the secret realm had spread through word of mouth among the contestants. The general public now knew that Rongcheng No. 1 High was the first team to qualify, instantly making them the top favorite to win the championship.
However, no one knew the true identity of the mysterious masked figure who had dominated the elimination round.
Oliver considered visiting Mu Xue to check on her condition. The battle the previous night had been extremely intense—she had nearly been pushed to defeat.
But when he went to her place, no one was home.
After a brief thought, Oliver already knew where she must be.
The Hidden Stronghold
The southwest of Xia Kingdom was a land of mountains—vast, remote, and sparsely populated beyond the cities.
Deep within this mountain range lay a secret base, its architectural style strikingly similar to that of the Genesis Society's headquarters.
This was precisely the remaining Genesis Society stronghold within Xia Kingdom.
At this very moment, a fierce battle was unfolding.
Alliance investigators had completely surrounded the mountain where the base was located. Every passage leading outside was tightly sealed. Upon closer inspection, one could even spot Mu Xue among the frontline fighters confronting the Genesis Society head-on.
However, the one commanding the operation was not her.
Instead, it was a tall, powerfully built man—
The Fighting-type Heavenly King, Shi Heng, the same man who had once openly clashed verbally with the Dragon-type Heavenly King.
Why was he here?
Three Days Earlier
After Mu Xue discovered the corpses of the two Genesis Society cadres, she found a note on them.
The note detailed:
The exact location of the Genesis Society's remaining base in Xia Kingdom
The internal layout of the base
The strength rankings of the Genesis Society members stationed inside
This information, of course, came from Oliver's interrogation.
Oliver had learned far more than what was written on that note—but he deliberately handed only this portion to the Alliance, quietly keeping the rest for himself.
Upon receiving the note, Mu Xue immediately realized that it was likely left behind by the mysterious senior who had saved her.
She reported it to the Alliance at once.
Considering that Mu Xue had just finished a life-and-death battle and had no time to recover, the Alliance made a decisive move.
They dispatched one of the two most senior Heavenly Kings among the Four—
Shi Heng, the Fighting-type Heavenly King.
Shi Heng had been a Heavenly King for many years. He had personally participated in the great internal purge over a decade ago, during which he had captured and killed numerous Genesis Society members—including high-ranking cadres.
As one of the Alliance's most experienced veterans, he was more than qualified to command this annihilation operation.
Thus, a terrifying encirclement force was assembled:
One veteran Heavenly King leading the operation
One active Heavenly King
Multiple Heavenly King–level trainers
A large number of elite investigators
They moved almost immediately after receiving the intelligence.
This showed just how determined the Xia Kingdom Alliance was to completely eradicate the Genesis Society's foothold within its borders.
Total Suppression
Thanks to the advance knowledge of the base's defenses, the Genesis Society was caught completely off guard.
Although many Genesis Society members soon rushed out to resist, they were utterly powerless before the Alliance's overwhelming force.
Every exit route had already been sealed.
Escape was impossible.
The only option left was to fight head-on against the advancing investigators.
Occasionally, powerful trainers would appear—but the moment they did, they were intercepted by Alliance elites.
The Alliance advanced relentlessly. Every defensive line crumbled at first contact.
Under the joint leadership of Shi Heng and Mu Xue, the investigators reached the deepest part of the base.
Here, countless Pokémon were imprisoned.
They were thin, listless, and clearly showed signs of prolonged experimentation and torture.
Beyond this area lay the final chamber of the base.
From the resistance encountered so far, it was clear that the Genesis Society had concentrated all remaining manpower there, preparing for a last stand.
Notably—
Up to this point, not a single Heavenly King–level opponent had appeared.
The Final Resistance
The moment Shi Heng reached the chamber entrance, they were blasted back by a barrage of Pokémon attacks from within.
Relying on the narrow terrain, the Genesis Society managed to temporarily hold off the investigators.
"Nothing but the struggle of cornered beasts," Shi Heng sneered.
He released his Pokémon—
Mienshao, the very one that had once suffered defeat at the hands of a Dragon-type Heavenly King's Dragonite.
Mienshao condensed a Focus Blast in front of itself and hurled it straight into the chamber.
Boom!
A violent explosion echoed through the base.
Alliance investigators immediately charged into the smoke, suppressing the enemies before they could react.
Moments later, the pressure of Heavenly King–level Pokémon erupted from within.
Mienshao's eyes flashed coldly as its body turned into a blur, dashing straight inside.
As the smoke slowly cleared, Shi Heng entered with the remaining investigators.
The ground was littered with fallen Pokémon.
Genesis Society members were restrained by investigators.
And beneath Mienshao's feet—
Several Heavenly King–level Pokémon, all unconscious.
Aftermath
With this base destroyed, the Genesis Society's remaining forces within Xia Kingdom were completely eradicated.
At most, a few insignificant stragglers remained scattered across cities—no longer a threat.
Following interrogations, the Alliance would clean them up one by one.
No one would escape.
With this, the Genesis Society lost all operational eyes and hands within Xia Kingdom.
As long as Oliver remained within the country, they would no longer be capable of launching kidnappings like before.
After all, Heavenly King–level trainers were rare and precious anywhere—and Genesis Society cadres were no exception.
This single operation:
Destroyed their Xia Kingdom network
Cost them three Heavenly King–level trainers
Such losses were enough to make even the Genesis Society suffer for a long time.
And this was exactly the outcome Oliver wanted.
After all, no one could guard against thieves forever.
The only true solution—
Was to cut off the enemy's eyes and arms completely.
Exhausted after being awake for over a day, Oliver finally slept.
Perhaps because the shadow of the Genesis Society had finally been lifted from his mind, this sleep was exceptionally deep and peaceful.
There was still one full day before the group stage began.
True to his reputation as a seasoned coach, Old Liu had already gathered detailed Pokémon data on all sixteen qualified teams and shared it in the team group chat.
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