Chapter 151: Training

From Instructor Xi Chan's spiritually charged laughter, Li Luo understood that his hope of putting it on credit was completely gone.

But he didn't have any damn academy points.

His Imperial Dew, worth a whopping five thousand academy points, was still hanging there waiting for him, and now here came another three-thousand-point "Twelve-Section Brocade," plus energy fluid at three hundred points a vial?

"Teacher, you might as well not have said anything at all," Li Luo said weakly.

"At the very least, it gave you a goal."

Instructor Xi Chan smiled and said, "Besides, regarding academy points, isn't there a ranking battle at the end of the month? If you can achieve good results, you'll naturally get your first batch of points."

Li Luo's heart stirred at this, and he asked eagerly, "How many points can the ranking battle give?"

Instructor Xi Chan also looked toward Student Xin Fu and Bai Bai Mengmeng on the other side and said, "The academy's monthly examination is different from the matches you've experienced before, because it's team-based. In other words, the three of you need to work on your coordination, get familiar with each other's strength and style. Only then can you maximize the team's power."

"And in the ranking battle, points are awarded based on the teams you defeat. Generally speaking, defeating a Purple-Glow team earns each member five hundred points, defeating a Gold-Glow team earns one hundred points, and defeating a Silver-Glow team earns twenty points."

Li Luo swallowed hard. How did he suddenly feel an urge to go on a killing spree and wash through the new students?

No, he still had to show some restraint. At the very least, Zhao Kuo and the others needed to be let off.

Qing'er definitely had to be let off too, but her team had that monster Qin Qin Zhulu, so who was letting who off was really not certain.

The villain team couldn't be let off... That's right, Li Luo called the team under Shen Shen Jinxiao the villain team, because their actions deserved the title.

But then again, why was this ranking battle team-based? From the start of his cultivation until now, Li Luo had never experienced the kind of tacit cooperation that comes with having teammates. During the Tian Shu Prefecture Grand Examination, Li Luo did cooperate with Yu Lang and Zhao Kuo, but that was far from the seamless understanding shared between true teammates.

This team-based format would undoubtedly add many variables.

"Future academy tournaments will all be team-based, so to get you used to teammates early, this process is necessary. Of course, the most important thing is..."

Xi Chan seemed to know the doubts in Li Luo and the others' hearts. Her voice paused, then she said calmly, "If in the future you have to deal with 'Others,' a team's combined strength will provide more life-saving assurance than a single person."

Li Luo and the others' hearts chilled. Others... Although they hadn't encountered them, since arriving at the Sacred Mystic Star Academy, they already understood how dangerous such beings were. Their future would inevitably involve encounters with them, so preparing early was indeed necessary.

"Regarding the monthly ranking battle, I don't have too high a demand, because if you have an obsession with academy points, you'll naturally fight for them. And academy points can be exchanged for more cultivation resources, keeping your cultivation always one step ahead of other students. So whether the ranking battle is important, you can evaluate for yourselves," Instructor Xi Chan said lightly.

Li Luo licked his lips, his eyes burning. Among the three, if anyone had an obsession with academy points, he was undoubtedly the strongest.

Because if his cultivation lagged even one step, Student Xin Fu and Bai Bai Mengmeng might still be able to accept it—after all, they didn't have too much pressure. But he was different. He had less than five years of life left—a blade hanging over his head. So although Li Luo usually appeared relaxed and at ease, no one could know how urgent he felt deep inside.

"Whether academy points are important is another matter, but we are your students, Teacher. If our results are too poor when the time comes, it won't reflect well on you either. You mentioned before that you have some grievances with Instructor Shen Shen Jinxiao, so as your students, I feel we have the necessity and obligation to help you vent a bit!" Li Luo said righteously.

"And anyone who doesn't strive for this goal is looking down on you, Instructor!"

Bai Bai Mengmeng and Student Xin Fu were a bit dazed, looking at Li Luo with blank eyes. Why did it feel like suddenly a giant wok had been slammed down on their heads?

Had they been spoken for without their consent?

But Li Luo's words were well-reasoned and well-grounded. If they objected at this point, wouldn't that be slapping Instructor Xi Chan in the face?

So the two fell silent for a few breaths, then both nodded hesitantly to show their stance.

Seeing this, Li Luo sighed, "Truly the instructor's good students. Not in vain has the instructor poured out her heart and blood."

At the same time, he breathed a huge sigh of relief internally, because he knew exactly how listless his two teammates were. Previously, they had simply forfeited the team captain position, so Li Luo was truly worried that at the ranking battle, they would continue in this state, and then he'd be facing the villain team alone, basically just feeding points to the opponent.

Bai Bai Mengmeng and Student Xin Fu were speechless. You made it sound so serious, as if not agreeing would be like betraying one's master and ancestors. How could they dare not nod?

Instructor Xi Chan glanced at Li Luo with some exasperation. How could she not know what he was thinking? But she didn't expose him, since being able to motivate Bai Bai Mengmeng and Student Xin Fu wasn't bad either.

"During the next period of time, to improve the tacit understanding and familiarity between your team, I will begin specialized training for you."

Instructor Xi Chan raised her hand, and majestic phase power flowed out, gradually gathering beside her, finally transforming into a blue light tiger about a zhang in size.

The light tiger let out a low roar, vivid and lifelike, as if alive, while emitting powerful phase power fluctuations and fierce might.

"Train three hours every day."

"Defeat it, then eat."

The black veil on Xi Chan's face shifted slightly, a hint of teasing in her eyes.

"If you can't beat it, go hungry."

Roar!

A startling tiger's roar exploded through the training ground.

In the training ground, phase power surged wildly. The blue light tiger's fierce might ran rampant, claw winds swept past, bringing sharp whistling sounds of breaking air.

Bang bang bang!

The tiger's shadow flashed past, threading nimbly and viciously through the joint attack of Li Luo and the others. Its claw winds struck down, and the three's offensive instantly shattered. Immediately after, three figures shot out in a sorry state, crashing at the edge of the training ground.

The blue light tiger stopped its pursuit, pacing in the field, its tiger eyes seemingly looking at the three little mice outside the field with disdain.

Li Luo and the others sat up from outside the field in a sorry state, looking sheepish.

"This tiger is so strong," Bai Bai Mengmeng said with a bitter little face. This wasn't the first time they'd been thrashed by it. From the start of training until today, it had already been three days.

But after three days, even with the three of them joining forces, they hadn't once been able to defeat this light tiger condensed from Instructor Xi Chan's phase power.

Li Luo rubbed his face and said somewhat helplessly, "This tiger's strength should be around the second stage of the Phase Master Realm, a notch stronger than all of us. And although it looks like it's just condensed from phase power, it's extremely spiritual, and its attacks in combat are cunning. If I'm not mistaken, this thing has also inherited some combat experience from Instructor Xi Chan."

"Instructor Xi Chan is so amazing," Bai Bai Mengmeng sighed. This was clearly just a casually condensed phase-power light tiger, yet it had them all covered in dust. If the other party had killing intent, they would have actually died many times over these three days.

From this, one could see how powerful a Marquis Realm strong practitioner truly was.

On the other side of the training ground, Instructor Xi Chan sat cross-legged at a low table sipping tea. Seeing the three end in another sorry state, she casually tossed, and three flatbreads landed in their hands.

"Didn't win, keep eating cold flatbread," she said lightly.

The three took the cold flatbreads helplessly, then bit down hard.

"We've been eating this flatbread for three days," Li Luo lamented between bites.

"Captain, after Instructor Xi Chan leaves, let me make some food for you all," Bai Bai Mengmeng said kindly.

At these words, Li Luo's chewing froze instantly. He exchanged a glance with Student Xin Fu beside him, and both saw the same emotion in each other's eyes.

Li Luo said solemnly and earnestly, "Bai Mengmeng, although the instructor can't see, we can't go against our hearts. The path of the strong is walked step by step relying on oneself. Since we promised the instructor, as long as we haven't defeated this stupid tiger, we can only eat this cold, hard flatbread."

"This is a test of our will."

Student Xin Fu nodded heavily in agreement.

Bai Bai Mengmeng, on the other hand, felt a bit ashamed and admitted her mistake, "Captain, you're right."

"To know one's faults and correct them is the greatest of virtues." Li Luo nodded approvingly, while secretly heaving a huge sigh of relief. Compared to Bai Bai Mengmeng's cooking, he would much rather eat this cold, hard flatbread.

But he couldn't say that out loud, or it would not only hurt Bai Bai Mengmeng's feelings, but if that brother-obsessed demon Bai Bai Doudou found out, he probably wouldn't let them off easily either.

Although he could push the blame onto Student Xin Fu, as captain, he still needed to maintain some bottom line.

"But eating this flatbread every day isn't a solution either, so the urgent matter is to deal with the trouble right in front of us." Li Luo swallowed the flatbread in two or three bites, then fixed his gaze on the blue light tiger strutting across the field with an arrogant swagger.

"After three days of constant contact, I've found that as soon as you get within half a zhang of this blue light tiger, your own speed slows down. If I'm not mistaken, this might be the water-type phase art 'Heavy Water Halo'—its effect is to slow the opponent's movement and attack speed, which is why our attacks always get dodged easily once they enter its half-zhang range." Li Luo analyzed.

Student Xin Fu was silent for a moment, then said: "Once I actually hit its body, but it didn't penetrate at all, so there's also a powerful phase art defense covering its body."

Li Luo frowned—this thing was way too tricky to deal with.

Bai Bai Mengmeng said softly: "Captain, I noticed that every time we attack, it deliberately or unintentionally shields a scale on its left chest. Could that be its weak spot?"

Li Luo nodded: "I noticed that too. Whether it is or not, we can give it a try."

He rubbed his brow, then leaned in and whispered with Student Xin Fu and Bai Bai Mengmeng for a while. In the end, the three of them stood up at the same time.

"Let's give it one more try. If we succeed, I'll treat you to the cafeteria tonight." Li Luo said in a low voice.

"I can also cook for everyone." Bai Bai Mengmeng offered enthusiastically.

Li Luo's mouth twitched. Now was not the time to crush morale, classmate Bai Mengmeng.