Half an hour passed. All the students had assembled, with Lucy standing behind Yue Wu, cradling Xiao Qing, and Lori positioned on his other side.
“Have you mastered everything I taught you yesterday?”
“Yes, we have.”
“Very well. As you all know by now, you must endure a month of training here. Soon, I will provide you with scrolls containing today’s learning material.”
With a raise of Yue Wu’s hand, thirty scrolls materialized above each student’s head, then drifted down into their outstretched hands.
“These scrolls contain the most fundamental priestly magic,” he explained. “They cover low-level spells for attack, defense, healing, buffs, and blessings.”
“The first among you to master these techniques will leave the camp and train independently elsewhere in the forest. You may also form teams; I do not object to it. However, you can only team up with members from your own original group.”
“Rest assured, your examiners will be the local wolves of this territory. Their kin will serve as your assessment targets.”
As he finished speaking, Cang Lang emerged. Yue Wu had discussed this with the wolf king the previous night, securing its agreement.
After all, Yue Wu’s power dwarfed Cang Lang’s by not just a little, but by several dimensions, leaving the creature with no choice but to obey.
“Your task is to defeat ten silver wolves in the forest,” Yue Wu declared. “Upon completion, return here. Your reward will be advanced magic learning scrolls.”
“Is that clear? If you understand, then begin. I will prepare a week’s worth of water and food for you.”
As Yue Wu concluded his instructions, the students eagerly unrolled their scrolls, absorbing the knowledge within. Meanwhile, Yue Wu, accompanied by Lori and the others, turned and departed to make preparations.
“What else do you need to prepare?”
Lucy was genuinely curious. Hadn’t she already prepared a month’s worth of food and water for thirty people yesterday? What further preparations could possibly be required now?
“A picnic,” Yue Wu replied.
Yue Wu had merely offered a casual excuse. The thirty students, however, likely had a rough idea of his true intentions.
“A picnic?”
Lucy was completely taken aback.
“Yes, we’ll eat, relax, and casually oversee their progress.”
With a rather ‘heartless’ air, Yue Wu abandoned the thirty students to their training and went off for a picnic.
“Yue Wu, what exactly is a picnic?”
Lori, hearing the word ‘picnic’ for the first time, found it quite novel.
“You’ll see soon enough,” Yue Wu promised.
He produced a complete set of barbecue equipment and began to busy himself with the setup.
“Who are you?”
Noticing Yue Wu’s preoccupation, a curious Lucy turned her gaze to Lori. Confronted by a woman whose beauty far surpassed her own, a flicker of dissatisfaction towards Yue Wu immediately ignited within her.
“I’m Lori~”
Lori grinned playfully at Lucy.
“What is your relationship with Yue Wu?”
Lucy sensed there was undoubtedly a connection between them.
Lori: “What relationship? I don’t know, but I like Yue Wu, and I love him very, very much.”
Lucy: “Does he know?”
Lori: “Of course he knows. I told him yesterday. The moment I first saw him, I fell completely in love.”
Lucy: “What’s so great about him? He’s narcissistic, irresponsible, and riddled with flaws.”
Lori: “I don’t care. All that matters is that I love him.”
Lucy: “You’ll regret it.”
Lori: “I’ll never regret it. Even if one day all of humanity—no, even if the entire world turns against him, I will remain by his side, supporting him, accompanying him, until the world itself crumbles.”
Lucy: “That won’t happen. How could such a thing possibly occur?”
Lori: “But what if it truly does happen?”
Lucy: “If, if it really did happen… No! Such a thing will never happen.”
Lori: “What’s your name?”
Lucy: “Lucy Fiore.”
Lori: “So, do you like Yue Wu?”
Lucy had initially intended to persuade Lori to give up on Yue Wu. Instead, she found herself caught in a trap, making it difficult to speak.
She furtively glanced at Yue Wu several times.
“I know,” Lori stated, “you like him too.”
Lori had seen through Lucy’s thoughts at a glance.
“N-no, I don’t!”
Lucy immediately stood up, looking at Lori in a panic. She felt as though the other woman’s eyes could pierce through all her thoughts.
“Don’t deny it,” Lori said, shaking her head. “Even if you truly like Yue Wu, it’s likely a very difficult, if not impossible, endeavor.”
She knew perfectly well that the mark on Yue Wu’s back would eventually be discovered. It was only a matter of time.
Therefore, Lucy could never truly be with him, for a simple reason: she was too weak.
“Why would it be impossible!”
Lucy instantly bristled. How dare anyone say she and Yue Wu were an impossibility?
“You can try,” Lori offered.
Lori had no intention of stopping Lucy. Her meaning was quite clear: Lucy should confess her feelings directly to Yue Wu.
“I—”
Yet, Lucy couldn’t muster the courage. In the end, she gave up.
“Just kidding! It’s fun to tease you.”
Lori burst into laughter, clutching her stomach.
“You!”
Lucy was so exasperated she couldn’t utter another word.
“I won’t give Yue Wu up to any of you,” Lori declared.
She turned her gaze from Lucy, fixing it instead on Yue Wu, who was busy tending to the grill.
“Hmph!”
Lucy let out a soft hmph and sat down.
“Yue Wu, let me help you~”
Lori didn’t want Yue Wu to toil alone, so she immediately rushed over to his side.
“I’ll help too.”
Lucy certainly wasn’t going to allow Lori to monopolize Yue Wu’s time.
Days flowed into weeks as Yue Wu and his companions continued to observe the students’ progress within the Fenghuoli Forest. Initially, the six assigned teams fractured into nine.
In Lyon’s original group, apart from two brothers, everyone else chose to act independently. Many of the newly formed teams performed quite well, demonstrating commendable cooperation and a decent semblance of teamwork.
Hera’s group, however, displayed the highest level of synergy, followed closely by Gloria’s. The other groups were less than ideal.
Lyon’s individualistic approach, despite his skill, lacked any semblance of team spirit, making victory difficult in the mid-November competition unless their opponents proved exceptionally weak.
By the eleventh day, all the students had gradually returned to the camp for rest, submitting their tasks to Cang Lang.
Everyone received their desired cultivation methods. The moment Lyon’s group of five collected their scrolls, Yue Wu called them aside to offer guidance.
On the fifteenth day, Lyon’s group finally reached a consensus and began to implement teamwork. Though their initial attempts were far from perfect, their overall performance was acceptable. They simply needed more practice and refinement.
By the twentieth day, all six teams had simultaneously completed their second assessment. Yue Wu then lectured them on the crucial aspects of team combat.
He announced that starting tomorrow, they would embark on their third and final assessment: a grand team free-for-all, spanning the entire Fenghuoli Forest, to last for ten days.