Chapter 139: My Teammates

The next morning, at dawn.

Li Luo got up, washed briefly, and stood on the balcony on the third floor of the small building, his gaze resting on the youthful, pretty figures moving among the nearby green shade. From time to time, squads in formation would march off into the distance, drenched in sweat, carrying specially-made heavy gear to a rhythmic beat.

This kind of heavy gear has the effect of suppressing Xiang Li, so the bearer must constantly circulate Xiang Li to resist the weight of the gear, otherwise they will be Directly Overwhelmed by it. In this Holy Mystic Star Academy, this heavy gear is also nicknamed "devil gear."

This is life at Holy Mystic Star Academy.

Fulfilling, and full of hope.

Li Luo stretched lazily, rubbed his growling stomach, then walked downstairs.

When he reached the second floor, he saw an easel set up, and a figure wrapped entirely in a black robe, brush in hand, focused on sketching, every stroke guided as if by the gods.

Li Luo walked over and greeted him: "Student Xin Fu, good morning."

Xin Fu, hidden beneath his hood, glanced at him and gave a slight nod.

After a day of contact, Li Luo already knew this teammate was a man of few words. This person was truly like a shadow—if you didn't pay him special attention, you'd simply overlook him entirely.

Still, Li Luo felt that as captain, he ought to look after his teammates a bit more.

So he stood beside Xin Fu, looked at his easel, stroked his chin as he studied it, and praised: "That little chicken you've drawn has real spirit."

Xin Fu's brush trembled slightly. He seemed to fall silent for a few seconds before a calm voice came: "I painted a phoenix."

Li Luo was stunned, his expression complicated as he stared at the little chicken—no, phoenix—on the paper... it was only a few grains of rice short of being a perfect painting of a chick pecking at grain.

You're telling me this is a phoenix? Does your phoenix grow up looking this malnourished?

"Are you just starting to learn painting? That's quite a nice hobby, helps cultivate the mind and train the heart," Li Luo thought a great deal, but in the end said.

Xin Fu's brush trembled again. This time he was silent even longer: "I've been painting for ten years."

Li Luo let out a breath. Damn it, my heart is so tired—ten years of painting, and this is your level? Even if I used my feet, I'd draw better than you!

Forget it, this weirdo teammate, let him do whatever he wants.

So he silently turned and went downstairs.

When he reached the first floor, Li Luo was considering how to solve the breakfast problem when he saw Bai Bai Mengmeng in the living room, wearing a small apron, a stretch of slender, fair-as-lotus-root calves exposed, carefully carrying a delicate breakfast and setting it on the table.

Her bright, dewy big eyes lifted, looked at Li Luo coming downstairs, and a smile appeared on her pure, sweet little face. She said softly: "Captain, are you up? I've already made breakfast, no need to go to the academy cafeteria."

Looking at the cute, sweet girl before him, Li Luo's slightly gloomy mood was instantly brightened. Good thing, although that teammate is too strange, at least there's one who's normal.

Li Luo quickly thanked her, sat down at the table, and stuffed a mouthful of food into his mouth. Yet the next instant, his expression froze.

He stared in some shock at the food before him—delicate to look at, but tasting like pig slop once eaten—incredible how this was even made.

He had let his guard down.

He thought he'd at least have one normal teammate.

He's tired. Let it all be destroyed.

"Captain, what's wrong? Is it... not good?" Bai Bai Mengmeng saw Li Luo's expression, her little face went pale, and she asked nervously.

Li Luo looked at Bai Bai Mengmeng's eyes full of worry and tension, then at her pure, lovely little face, sighed inwardly, swallowed the food in one gulp, and smiled: "It's very good."

Bai Bai Mengmeng heard this and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, Xin Fu also came downstairs. Seeing this, Li Luo immediately called out enthusiastically: "Brother Happiness, come quick! Bai Bai Mengmeng made breakfast!"

Xin Fu gave a strange look at the seemingly excited Li Luo, but still walked over. Seeing this, Bai Bai Mengmeng quickly served him a portion of breakfast as well. He paused, said thank you, and only then took it.

A mouthful of food stuffed into his mouth, Xin Fu's expression instantly stiffened. Then he looked with a complicated expression at Li Luo, who was smiling at him, silently swallowed the food, and continued burying his head to eat heartily. At the same time, he said to Li Luo in a muffled voice: "Captain, this is Bai Bai Mengmeng's heartfelt effort, we must finish it all."

"Holy crap, he's a ruthless one."

Li Luo saw this and was startled, but under Bai Bai Mengmeng's hopeful gaze, he could only grit his teeth and start wolfing it down.

Bai Bai Mengmeng's eyes curved into crescents, then she served herself a portion too, eating slowly and methodically, looking as if she was enjoying every bite.

Li Luo, seeing her like this, couldn't help but exchange a glance with Xin Fu. Both saw the doubt in each other's eyes—does she really think it tastes good? The Bai family is, after all, an old established clan of Gusu Prefecture, and even in the Great Xia they count as deeply rooted; their food couldn't possibly be this bad, right?

Li Luo shook his head and cast a sympathetic look at Bai Bai Mengmeng.

At that moment, the door was suddenly pushed open, and Instructor Xi Chan walked in. She waved her hand, signaling the three not to get up.

"Today we'll begin our first lesson. Later, all of you will come with me to the underground training room," Instructor Xi Chan said.

Li Luo asked: "Instructor, when can we go cultivate at the Xiang Li Tree?"

Bai Bai Mengmeng and Xin Fu also looked over curiously. If one were to ask what these new students entering Holy Mystic Star Academy looked forward to most, it would surely be that sky-covering, magnificent Xiang Li Tree—the academy's symbol.

"The Xiang Li Tree at Holy Mystic Star Academy gathers heaven and earth energy that's far too dense. You new students can only go up once every three days, otherwise you won't be able to bear it."

Instructor Xi Chan explained: "So you'll have to wait until tomorrow before you can go up."

The three nodded in sudden understanding, then couldn't help sighing. In their previous academies, the Xiang Li Tree was a daily required course, but here at Holy Mystic Star Academy, they could only go once every three days. The reason was that the heaven and earth energy up there was too dense, and their bodies couldn't handle it...

Truly a luxurious reason.

After breakfast, Li Luo and the other two, filled with anticipation, followed Instructor Xi Chan to the underground training room.

After all, this was face-to-face guidance from a titled Marquis-level powerhouse!

The first to step up was Li Luo. Bai Bai Mengmeng and Xin Fu sat cross-legged at the edge of the training field, watching.

"Give me your hand."

Instructor Xi Chan extended her hand and said to Li Luo.

Seeing this, Li Luo hesitated inwardly, but in the end still extended his hand.

He knew she wanted to understand the state of his dual resonances within his body, so as to give him precise guidance.

And the reason he hesitated was naturally because of the third resonance palace within his body.

At this stage, he wasn't very willing to expose his third resonance palace. Because right now, the dual resonances might only cause some potential enemies to start taking him seriously as the young master of House Luolan Mansion, but everything was still manageable. However, if the third resonance palace were exposed at this time, it would give people the impression of being too monstrous.

In such a situation, those enemies of House Luolan Mansion might not let him continue to grow unchecked. One might say that even a Purple Glory instructor might not be able to fully protect him. And although Holy Mystic Star Academy had deterrent power, a gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall—why put oneself in such a dangerous position?

Still, there was no reason to refuse right now, and Li Luo's third resonance palace hadn't been developed yet, hidden in the deepest part of his body. Presumably, unless she deliberately intended to probe deeply, it would still be hard to discover.

Thinking this, Li Luo relaxed a little and let Instructor Xi Chan extend her palm and grip his wrist.

(One update today.)