Chapter 77 Leader Meng Hanhai
When the second level ended, Achen discovered that only he and Leng Qiuchan remained in their talisman-making system.
Similarly, only Nie Xiaoxiao and Ni Yongzhi, another senior student who had contracted the powerful combat spirit plant, the Snake-Head Vine, remained in the planting department.
Snakehead vine is a composite of plant and animal similar to cordyceps. Its main body actually contains only three snake heads, but each branch has a snake head phantom.
During combat, the enemy has no way of distinguishing which snake head is fake, and if they are not careful, they will be bitten, and the venom is extremely potent.
The vines beneath the snake's head are extremely flexible, and once entangled, they are difficult to escape.
Despite his unremarkable appearance and weak combat abilities, Ni Zhiyong persevered to the very end thanks to his contracted spirit plant, the Snake-Head Vine.
Besides the four of them, there were two puppet-type puppeteers who managed to survive until the end by creating a group of puppets capable of forming combination formations.
The remaining five were from the weapon crafting department, nine from the combat department, and none from the other departments were selected.
It must be admitted that combat-type characters do indeed possess formidable overall combat strength.
However, their total number is also large. The combat department's beginner class has 78 students, which is roughly twice that of other departments.
Back in the square, the 20 people finally faced the third challenge amidst the envious and expectant gazes of the crowd.
I thought the third stage would be another chaotic battle, but instead I heard a system notification: "Congratulations to all students who have entered the third stage! This year, the academy will give you a rare and generous benefit!"
Now, please line up to enter the Spirit Realm for the challenge. After the challenge is completed, the Spirit Realm leaderboard will display everyone's progress, and the final winner will be clearly visible!
"What is the Spirit Realm?" Nie Xiaoxiao asked, puzzled.
"Oh dear! You new students naturally wouldn't know this."
The Spirit Realm is where our Ten Directions Academy rewards outstanding students with trials; the concentration of spiritual energy there is ten times that of the outside world!
The Spirit Realm has eighteen levels, each teeming with countless terrifying monsters and man-eating spiritual plants; in short, it is fraught with danger.
The difficulty doubles with each level you pass, and it is said that no one has ever passed all eighteen levels in the past hundred years.
"The highest record so far is only fifteen floors," Ni Yongzhi quickly explained.
"So, once we're inside, we're completely powerless to fight amongst ourselves, and we have to try our best to unite in order to get through the checkpoints?" Achen said.
“Isn’t that right? It’s said that the monsters in the Spirit Realm are incredibly ferocious. Sometimes, just one can wipe out an entire group. Under such circumstances, who would have the mind to fight amongst themselves?” Ni Zhiyong said.
"Since the academy has decided to let everyone go in for training, why not let everyone go in from the beginning?" Nie Xiaoxiao asked.
“People with weak combat power can’t even get past the first floor. Going there would be a waste of resources!” Ni Zhiyong said.
“Then we can wait until the top three are decided, and then let those three people enter the Spirit Realm to challenge the trials. No, I always feel that there is some deeper meaning behind letting all 20 of us go in together,” Nie Xiaoxiao said.
"Perhaps it's to remind everyone not to forget teamwork amidst competition," Achen said.
"Yes, you're right!" Nie Xiaoxiao nodded.
As they spoke, the 20 people had already lined up and walked into the circle drawn by the red line in the center of the square.
In a flash of light, they were transported to a glass mirror.
Looking down, I discovered that beneath the mirror was a hemispherical, spiral-shaped building.
The first floor has the largest area, but it only looks to be a dozen square meters in size.
The spiral passage descends, connecting layer upon layer, each layer smaller than the last, until the eighteenth layer is only the size of a bowl.
Everyone: Are you kidding me? How can we train in such a small space?
Just as everyone was wondering what was going on, the glass mirror beneath their feet suddenly shattered in two, and everyone fell in like dumplings being dropped into a pot.
From the moment Achen stood on the glass mirror, he was completely focused on being wary of his footing.
Since this spiritual realm was clearly right beneath their feet, the entrance was naturally also right beneath their feet.
But even after carefully examining the area with his mental net, he couldn't find a single gap.
To prevent an accidental fall, he secretly activated the anklet that Aunt Mina had given him.
And you know what? This thing is really practical. It was used as a toy and a means of transportation when he was a baby, and now that he's eight years old, it's still usable!
The 20 people who made it to this stage all had their own trump cards. Only two of them fell to the ground, while the others stood perfectly fine on solid ground without showing any signs of distress.
Meng Hanhai, a combat specialist, is recognized as the strongest fighter in the beginner class.
He also ranked first in the first test and second overall in the entrance examination for this batch of new students, second only to Achen, who ranked first overall.
Nie Xiaoxiao ranked third overall.
At this moment, he held a spirit sword with its light subdued, scanned everyone, and then spoke:
"I am Meng Hanhai from the combat department. I'm sure you all know the general situation of the Spirit Realm challenge."
Although we were all competitors in the first two stages, once we enter the Spirit Realm, we must cooperate closely, otherwise we may not even be able to get past the first level.
Since we're going to cooperate, we need to choose a leader. I've volunteered to be that leader. Now, everyone, please raise your hands to vote; the minority will obey the majority!
Meng Hanhai is fifteen years old this year. He is tall and handsome, with an upright appearance. Although he is not old, he has the air of someone in a superior position.
As soon as he finished speaking, all eight members of the combat department raised their right hands in unison, demonstrating his significant influence within the department.
Seeing this, Nie Xiaoxiao was about to retort when Achen quietly tugged at her sleeve and whispered to her, "He is the most suitable candidate. No one else could have gotten the nine combat-oriented people to obey your commands."
"But I don't want to be commanded by some random person. What if he's an idiot? We could easily be wiped out," Nie Xiaoxiao said dejectedly.
"He's not stupid. In the current situation, the best option is to take over leadership in the fastest and most direct way so that these 20 people can come together from being a disorganized bunch."
"Let's wait and see. If he really is using his position for personal gain, then it won't be too late for us to leave them," Ah Chen said.
"Hmph! Fine then, for your sake, Junior Brother, I'll reluctantly agree," Nie Xiaoxiao said unwillingly.
Seeing that Achen and the others didn't object, Lele also raised her hand to indicate her agreement.
The other members of the weapon crafting department had no interest in becoming the leader, so Meng Hanhai became the captain of the 20-person team.
"Fellow disciples, I have a general understanding of everyone's combat strength, so I'm here to make some arrangements. If there's anything inappropriate, please point it out in time."
However, once the decision is made, everyone should stay in their respective positions and cooperate with each other, as this is the key to success or failure.
First of all, the two who scouted ahead and paved the way were me and Ni Zhiyong.
With the snake-head vine by his side, Senior Brother Ni is best suited for scouting. If we encounter danger, my combat strength should be able to hold him off for a while, so we don't lose any men right away.
Secondly, the last two responsible for covering the rear are Nie Xiaoxiao, who has the Immortal Thorn for protection and strong defensive capabilities, and Jin Liu, who is the strongest combatant in our combat department besides me.
With the two of them covering the rear, even if they encounter a sneak attack from an unknown enemy, they should be able to turn the danger into safety.
The defense on the left was handled by Senior Sister Pan Duole and Senior Sister Leng Qiuchan. Senior Sister Pan Duole's magical weapon had extremely strong attack power and a large killing area.
Senior Sister Leng Qiuchan is skilled in talismans, so she should be able to produce a defensive talisman array.
The defense on the right side was handled by Junior Brother Zuo Chen and Junior Sister Lin Zixia. Junior Brother Zuo Chen used talismans, while Junior Sister Lin Zixia had a group of puppets by her side. The two worked together, making them effective in both offense and defense.
As for the formation in the middle, everyone can arrange it as they see fit.
I've made the arrangements. Does anyone have any further comments?
As soon as Meng Hanhai said this, Achen saw through his ulterior motives.
On the surface, he was indeed selfless, leading the charge himself and sending a combat-oriented Jin Liu to cover the rear.
However, he chose Ni Zhiyong as his partner to lead the charge. Although Ni Zhiyong was weak in combat, his contracted snake-head vine was a combination of a spiritual plant and a spiritual beast. It could easily deal with both demonic beasts and man-eating plants.
With Ni Zhiyong by his side, he, as the trailblazer, was the safest.
As for Jin Liu and Nie Xiaoxiao, who were responsible for covering the rear, Nie Xiaoxiao, needless to say, earned the title of "Little Witch" for a reason. Her overall combat strength was no less than that of any combat-type individual.
Furthermore, Jin Liu, who ranks second in combat power, has always been someone he is wary of, because Jin Liu's performance makes him feel that he has not actually gone all out.
In other words, if Jin Liu goes all out, he might lose his title as the number one fighter in the combat system.
He now sends Jin Liu out last, while he himself leads the way. In this way, after successfully passing the test, everyone will remember his contribution as the pioneer.
While Jin Liu, who was covering the rear, was in just as much danger and exerted just as much effort, he went unnoticed.
At the same time, with Jin Liu, a powerful fighter, covering the rear, he can be of great use in case of extreme danger.
Nine people were selected from the combat department, so he sent his two strongest fighters to lead the charge and cover the rear, while the others were protected in the middle to prevent any accidents.
No matter how you look at it, he's not at a loss, since everyone in the combat category is his loyal follower (except for Jin Liu).
As for the left side, if they really encounter danger, it will be Lele and Leng Qiuchan who will be lost. One of them is a weapon crafting expert and the other is a talisman crafting expert, so their lives or deaths are of no concern to him.
On the right, A-Chen and Lin Zixia are the same; one is a talisman-making type, and the other is a puppet type. In short, neither of them will be affected by their combat abilities.
Ah Chen saw through Meng Hanhai's scheme, and Jin Liu naturally saw it even more clearly.
"Captain, I have a suggestion. Senior Sister Pandora's magic weapon has a wide attack range, so she is more suitable to be in the center so that she can take care of everyone."
"I think it would be more appropriate to replace her with Zhuo Mingyu, who is third in combat strength among the combat system." Jin Liu's expression was sincere. Although the combat system members felt that he shouldn't deny Meng Hanhai's arrangement, they also felt that he was thinking of everyone's interests, so they all agreed.
“Alright, then we’ll follow Junior Brother Jin’s suggestion and change the person on the left,” Meng Hanhai said, trying his best to maintain a cheerful and magnanimous image.
"Since the candidates on the left have all been replaced with stronger fighters, I suggest that the candidates on the right be changed as well. Junior Brother Zuo Chen is only eight years old, and unlike me, he doesn't have the Immortal Thorn to protect him. It's not appropriate for him to be in charge of protecting everyone."
"How about we replace him with your fourth-ranked combatant, Senior Brother Ge Hui? Everyone sees that he's strong and powerful, and his swordsmanship is superb. Wouldn't he be more suitable to protect everyone than Junior Brother Zuo Chen, who's unarmed?" Nie Xiaoxiao said with a forced smile.
The combat-oriented students felt embarrassed after hearing her say that and nodded in agreement.
Ge Hui himself stepped forward without hesitation and said, "I am willing to take responsibility for the safety of the right side!"
As a result, Meng Hanhai had no choice but to grit his teeth and swallow his rebuttal.
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