The Supreme Genius Reborn

“What are you guys doing?” Samuel gasped in shock. Two men and a woman encircled him, closing in fast.

He looked at the only woman among them, hurt flashing in his eyes.

“Leila… I can’t believe you’d betray me too. We’re a couples, for crying out loud!” Samuel shouted, his voice tight with anger. How could his woman turn against him—and so quickly?

Leila flinched and lowered her head in shame and guilt but soon lifted her gaze again.

“Just give up the crystal, Samuel. I promise you, nothing will happen to you if you hand it over.” the crystal is very important to her and her clan. She wouldn't give up the opportunity of getting it no matter what.

Samuel’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “And who exactly should I give it to? There are three of you.”

His words made them pause, exchanging wary glances, but the moment didn’t last. Leila gave them a firm, reassuring look, and they all nodded silently.

She had promised to use her family’s status to secure them five years of cultivation in her clan’s Holy Land in exchange for the crystal. They didn’t know its true value. They had only followed Samuel and his fiancée into the dungeon as supposed guides, but they were never real guides.

Whatever purpose the crystal served, they knew it would never belong to them. Aligning with Leila meant benefits and safety. She could claim Samuel had died to wild beasts, and no one would question it. After all, she was his fiancée. But if only the two men returned, suspicion would arise.

Samuel laughed bitterly.

He never imagined the day would come when the woman he loved would betray him.

“Fine,” he said coldly. “If you want the crystal, you’ll have to take it over my dead body.” He drew his sword from its belt, the steel catching the faint Temple light.

Leila chuckled darkly. “You’re really foolish. Did you honestly believe these two were just ordinary guides from Orchra Village? They’re powerful cultivators, specially arranged for this trip. Why do you think I insisted on bringing them along?”

“Then tell me,” Samuel shot back, “if you know so much about this temple, why didn’t you take the crystal yourself?”

“I tried,” she admitted. “But no one had ever solved the puzzle at the entrance. That doesn’t mean I didn’t prepare for the chance someone might. That’s why these two were placed here, to monitor anyone who made it inside. When you asked me to join you, I brought them along just in case. I never expected you’d actually solve it, though. You really are a genius, Samuel. No wonder they say you’re unmatched in our generation.

The truth is, we do not have any deep connection between us. Our marriage was arranged long ago. We had no choice. We have no feelings for each other. our engagement was all but politics. You do not love me; you love your swords and martial arts. I do not love you; I want to hold my destiny in my own hands and not be controlled by anybody."

Samuel sighed inwardly. What she said was true. Indeed, he didn’t have any deep feelings for her, but he had always believed that they could work it out. His father had told him that feelings could be built up in time.

Then her voice hardened, sharp as a blade.

“Enough talk. Hand over the crystal, and I’ll spare you.”

Samuel let out a harsh laugh. “Do you take me for a fool? Even if I give you the crystal, you’ll still kill me to make sure I can’t avenge myself.”

She stayed silent, proving he was right. His family’s influence far outweighed hers, sparing him would only doom her clan later.

“Fine,” she said at last, her voice cold. “You’ve forced me.” She sighed with regret and shot a glance at the two men, they surged forward.

Their speed was terrifying. One man slashed at Samuel’s neck with practiced precision. Samuel blocked, steel ringing as sparks flew. The second man came in low, thrusting for his ribs, but Samuel twisted aside just in time, his reflexes razor-sharp.

He counterattacked instantly, his blade carving a shallow cut across the second opponent’s arm. The man hissed in pain but didn’t back off. The first cultivator pressed forward again, his strikes relentless. Samuel blocked blow after blow, but when the second joined in again, their combined assault forced him back.

Why are they this strong? he thought grimly, his breaths growing heavier. These weren’t ordinary cultivators—they were highly trained experts.

Even so, Samuel wasn’t ordinary either. In his late twenties, his strength was already renowned across the continent. Few at his age could rival him, and even seasoned veterans struggled against him. But these two were clearly exceptional.

He clenched his jaw and focused, drawing on everything he’d learned from his father and his master, one of the most powerful martial experts alive.

His aura surged, pressing against his attackers like a storm wind. The two men faltered, their movements slowing under the sudden weight of his killing intent.

They exchanged uneasy glances before casting a pleading look toward Leila.

She sneered and pulled out a strange whip. Its tips bristled with razor-sharp hooks that glinted ominously. She twirled it lazily, her slender figure radiating a deadly allure.

Samuel glimpsed her through the corner of his eye, and shock rippled through him. Everything about her felt foreign. Was this really the same woman who’d clung to him for protection? The same woman who’d sworn she loved him?

“Since you’re so stubborn,” Leila said softly, “I’ll use my Whip of Soulhun to make you obedient. It’ll hurt… but I promise you’ll obey after this.”

Before he could react, the whip lashed out.

Swish!

It moved so fast Samuel barely saw it. Pain exploded across his back as the razor tips bit deep. His grip faltered, and in that instant of distraction, one of the men’s swords grazed his side, spilling blood.

He staggered back, trying to widen the distance to stabilize his stance.

Crack!

The whip struck again, curling around his arm. A searing pain lanced through him, crawling under his skin and into his very soul. Samuel gritted his teeth, but a strangled groan escaped.

Then he felt something cold press against his abdomen. Looking down, he saw the dagger buried deep in his flesh.

He laughed weakly, his voice breaking. “So… this is how I die? Killed by the woman I loved?”

His gaze found Leila, still frozen in the position she had thrown the dagger.

Blood poured freely from his wound, soaking into the pouch at his waist where the crystal rested.

Leila snatched a sword from one of her accomplices and approached, ready to deliver the final blow. She felt nothing, showed no regret.

But before she could strike, a brilliant white light burst from Samuel’s waist, engulfing his body completely.

“What?!” Leila gasped, shielding her eyes.

Before she could comprehend what had happened, Samuel vanished, swallowed by the light.