When people are speechless, they really want to laugh.
Mo Fan didn't even want to speak; Zhao Kun San was practically a persistent ghost.
The practical training was about to begin, and he wasn't in the mood to argue with Zhao Kun San.
The seed class had a total of one hundred students, divided into five teams.
Mo Fan, Jiang Yuan, Zhang Xiao Hou, Zhou Min, Xu Zhaoting, and fifteen other students were assigned to one group. They had to trek 30 kilometers through the jungle to reach the mission location.
Actually, the practical training wasn't too difficult; students only needed to perform well, and the instructors would score them secretly.
Just like that, all the students departed one after another.
...
...
Ten-odd days later.
Under Jiang Yuan's intentional interference, the group crossed river valleys and climbed over cliffs, becoming the first team to arrive at the mission's location in Baicao Valley.
On the only path into the valley, grass vines and tree vines crisscrossed, like pythons coiled around the rocks.
"Let's go, we'll go in and complete the mission," said Xu Zhaoting, the only Thunder System student in the school besides Mo Fan.
After speaking, he led his classmates into the tangle of vines.
Jiang Yuan, from behind, pulled Mo Fan and Zhang Xiao Hou back.
"Slow down, these vines don't feel right."
"Is it your intuition again?" Mo Fan thought of the Star Sense Stone from the annual assessment, and now he still trusted Jiang Yuan's intuition more.
As soon as his voice fell, a girl's panicked scream came from ahead.
Unbeknownst to them, the vines on the ground began to writhe, coiling around the students' legs like real pythons, trying to trip them to the ground.
Jiang Yuan didn't want to waste time here.
He quickly completed his Star Path connection, and a stream of Water Magic protected the attacked classmates.
He loudly reminded them, "These demonic vines are afraid of Fire System magic!"
Hearing this, Zhou Min no longer looked at the Water Magic in front of her. The Fire System Star Path rapidly connected around her, and chaotic fire elements were poised to be unleashed.
"Fire Burst—Scorching!"
However, a voice was faster than hers.
A ball of flame shot from Mo Fan's palm, landing on the demonic vines.
Tongues of fire danced, and in an instant, a large area of demonic vines was engulfed by the flames. The remaining demonic vines, terrified, all retreated, clearing an open path.
The Fire System's crushing dominance over the Plant System was fully displayed.
"Mo Fan is mighty!"
"Mo Fan is so handsome!" a girl blurted out.
"Handsome what handsome," Zhou Min muttered, not at all bothered that she was upstaged, her eyes involuntarily looking at the silent Jiang Yuan.
A quiet boy like Jiang Yuan, who was so protective, was truly handsome, alright.
Thinking of Jiang Yuan protecting her just now, Zhou Min's heart pounded fiercely.
After dealing with the demonic vines, the group continued deeper into the valley.
A man wearing a straw hat cautiously poked his head out and made a note for Jiang Yuan and Mo Fan on the scoreboard.
...
"This Jiang Yuan and Mo Fan cast spells very quickly. Especially Jiang Yuan, he's no worse than our instructors," Zhan Kong said in surprise after receiving the information.
At the Snow Mountain Outpost, many soldiers were only Basic Mages.
"Chief Instructor, they are the two most outstanding students in our school," Xue Musheng said.
Zhan Kong nodded and said to the other instructors, "Write down their names; they can be given high scores."
"Boss, only their team has reached the nest entrance now. What if they get wiped out after going in?" an instructor asked.
Originally, the plan was for several teams to arrive around the same time, but they hadn't anticipated Jiang Yuan's team being so much faster.
Zhan Kong said calmly, "It's fine, they won't dare to go deep."
...
Meanwhile, Jiang Yuan and the others were progressing smoothly, walking all the way to a raised cave entrance within the valley.
Looking at the spring water at the cave entrance, Mo Fan whispered to Jiang Yuan, "The water level has dropped a lot. Could there be more than one demon beast inside?"
Unlike the original timeline, Mo Fan was supposed to join the City Hunter Squad after the practical training. Now that he was a few months early, the Hunter Squad's missions made him very wary of demon beasts.
Or rather, Mo Fan naturally had a high level of insight when it came to being a hunter.
Jiang Yuan knew the reason and nodded, "Stay alert."
The One-Eyed Magic Wolf for the practical training was not a wild demon beast; it was the Summoning System Mage Bai Yang's summoned beast, the Wolf Beast.
Bai Yang's other identity was actually a Gray-robed Priests of the Black Vatican.
The Black Vatican would equip each Gray-robed Priests with a Black Beast Demon, and the reason for the water level drop was that the Black Beast Demon and the Wolf Beast drank too much.
The group fumbled their way into the cave.
The Light System students finally played their role, illuminating the inside of the cave clearly with their Basic Magic Radiance, which acted like a "Light bulb." The Light extended deep into the cave.
The few of them discussed letting the Wind System student go in to investigate, while Jiang Yuan gazed into the cave, and a faint stench drifted out.
"Mo Fan, something's coming," Jiang Yuan warned.
Mo Fan followed Jiang Yuan's gaze, and a wriggling black shadow suddenly appeared in the previously dark depths of the cave.
"Everyone, be careful!"
"Awooo~!"
A wolf howl echoed through the cave, accompanied by a powerful demonic wind, like a typhoon that almost made everyone lose their footing.
It felt like being hit by huge waves; not only were their clothes and hairstyles messed up, but the misty, non-misty vapor in the cave also smeared across their faces.
Jiang Yuan was the fastest, not letting the saliva sprayed by the demon beast's roar hit his face.
"Awooo!!!!!!!"
"Demon beast, it's a demon beast!"
Another wolf howl, and the students' bodies stiffened, frozen in place.
A massive figure expanded in their pupils, and terror instantly filled their hearts.
It was then that they understood how truly terrifying the demon beasts described in books were.
"Water Magic - Water Barrier—Guard!"
Jiang Yuan immediately used a second-level Basic Magic. A shield formed by converging water blocked the Wolf Beast, and at the same time, he shouted, "What are you standing around for?!"
With a roar, they awakened. Except for Mo Fan, the others scattered like startled wild birds, frantically fleeing out of the cave.
"Brother Yuan, Brother Fan, run! Don't just stand there!" Even while fleeing for his life, Zhang Xiao Hou didn't forget to turn back and pull his two big brothers.
"Wind... Wind Track... Damn it, I can't connect my Star Path," Zhang Xiao Hou cursed. His violently pounding heart made it impossible for him to cast magic as usual.
The others were even worse; they didn't even have the courage to face a demon beast.
Zhang Xiao Hou was scared to death, but Mo Fan, with a playful smile, came to Jiang Yuan's side. His Fire System Star Path emerged, ready to be released at any moment.
"What do you say? Do you hold off the One-Eyed Magic Wolf while I go inside to find the bracelet, or do we work together to take down the One-Eyed Magic Wolf first?"
"Triple Ice Spears!"
Jiang Yuan's actions had already indicated his choice.
Mo Fan had partnered with him for so long, and their coordination was excellent. The moment the Ice Spears appeared, he released Fire Burst like a fire snake, attracting the Wolf Beast's attention.
When they did missions together, although Mo Fan's body was full of destructive magic, Jiang Yuan usually played a supporting role or they were both damage dealers.
There was no other way; Jiang Yuan's combat talent was too strong, and he could remain calm in any situation.
On a high ground outside the cave, Zhan Kong and a group of teachers watched the students flee frantically like scattered birds and shook their heads repeatedly.
These students' willpower was too weak.
Bai Yang even covered his stomach and laughed loudly.
Suddenly, his expression contorted, and he clutched his head, squatting on the ground with a scream.
"What's wrong?" Zhan Kong quickly asked, subconsciously thinking something unexpected had happened in the cave.
Bai Yang looked up, his eyes bloodshot, and his voice hoarse: "My Wolf Beast is dead!"