So this is the Primordial Demon Forest? Ye Lanshan looked at the forest, which exuded a rotting smell, and asked, "How does it compare to the Xuan Yu Forest?"
Nangong Mian replied, "How should I put it? In terms of danger, the Primordial Demon Forest might be a bit more perilous, but the Xuan Yu Forest is more mysterious, so it's hard to say."
"What are you two chattering about over there? Hurry up and come get your team badges?" the teacher called out to them from a distance.
"We're coming." Nangong Mian grabbed Ye Lanshan and ran over.
"Team badge? What's it for?" Ye Lanshan examined the triangular badge over and over but still couldn't figure out its purpose.
"This indicates which team you're on. Badges with the same color and number mean you're on the same team, while different colors and numbers mean they're enemies, because they'll snatch the Xuan Dan we worked hard to get," Nangong Mian explained. "It also has another function: if you're in danger, crush it, and it'll teleport you back to the academy. But you'd better not crush it, because there's a teacher who keeps track of eliminations. Once you're eliminated, you won't get any of the academy's benefits this time."
"I see. So if I crush someone else's badge, I can eliminate them." Ye Lanshan found this interesting—it not only boosted students' teamwork skills but also sharpened their alertness.
"Exactly." Nangong Mian put on her badge and urged, "Hurry up and put yours on too. Let's go find our teammates before someone else gets the jump on us."
Ye Lanshan looked up and spotted a familiar figure. She murmured, "Mo Ran? Why is he here? Is he also looking for Sikong Kuang?"
Just then, Mo Ran noticed them and walked over slowly, while Ye Yutian also approached.
Nangong Mian hadn't expected these two troublemakers to be on their team. She immediately hid behind Ye Lanshan and whispered, "Great, why does it have to be them?"
"What's wrong with them? Are they that scary?" Ye Lanshan found it amusing to see her cowering like an ostrich.
Seeing Ye Lanshan's nonchalant attitude, Nangong Mian quickly warned, "Let me tell you, you'd better not provoke them, or not even the gods could save you."
"Why am I so unlucky to be on the same team as you?" A complaint came from behind, startling Nangong Mian into clinging tightly to Ye Lanshan.
She turned around and saw it was Su Liushang, immediately exclaiming, "Hey, are you trying to scare me to death?"
"What kind of talk is that? You didn't notice me, and now you're blaming me?" Su Liushang shot back.
"Never thought I'd run into you here." A lazy yet slightly dangerous voice reached Ye Lanshan's ears. She was startled—could he have recognized me? No way, I was disguised back then.
"What, did you think you were the only one who knew that information?" Ye Yutian retorted.
Oh, he was talking about that. Ye Lanshan instantly relaxed.
"Damn, why are those two troublemakers on our team?" Su Liushang was shocked.
"Didn't expect we'd be so fated to meet here." Ye Lanshan stepped forward to greet Ye Yutian, since she needed his help with something and figured he'd be more than willing to assist.
"Is she crazy? Daring to chat up Ye Yutian?" Nangong Mian's eyes widened.
"I think so too." For once, Su Liushang didn't argue with her.
Ye Yutian frowned at Ye Lanshan. "Why are you here?"
Ye Lanshan said calmly, "Because I have the same goal as you. But I think I know a bit more than you do."
Mo Ran immediately grabbed her wrist. "Tell me what you know."
Before Ye Lanshan could say anything, Ye Yutian forced Mo Ran away. "She's my person—how dare you touch her?"
In the distance, Nangong Mian and Su Liushang stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
Ye Lanshan didn't want to argue here, so she said, "After this test is over, I'll tell you."
A low pressure hung over the team in the Primordial Demon Forest. Nangong Mian and Su Liushang barely dared to breathe, afraid of provoking Mo Ran and Ye Yutian's anger.
Other teams gave them a wide berth upon seeing Mo Ran and Ye Yutian.
"Awooo~" A series of howls shattered the team's calm. Pairs of gleaming green eyes stared greedily at the hapless group.
"Swiftwind Wolves." Nangong Mian grimaced. "Why are we so unlucky? Our first prey is this tough, and we can't even escape."
"If we can't escape, then we fight." A smirk curled at the corner of Ye Lanshan's mouth as she charged into the wolf pack. Fireballs exploded, carving a bloody path through the wolves, but also drawing all their attention to her.
"Are you insane?" Without a second thought, Ye Yutian rushed in after her. But once inside, he froze—why am I worried about her? The wolves, however, gave him no time to think.
Despite her fear, Nangong Mian gritted her teeth and dragged Su Liushang into the fray. Mo Ran, meanwhile, stood outside, watching their狼狈 state with schadenfreude, as if it had nothing to do with him.
How could Ye Lanshan let him off so easily? Seizing a moment when the wolves retreated, she tossed a talisman at him. Mo Ran reflexively threw it back, only for it to explode the moment it left his hand.
The now-bloodthirsty wolves immediately turned and attacked Mo Ran. He shot Ye Lanshan a cold glare, as if to say, "Once I'm done with the wolves, you're next."
But Ye Lanshan—who was the top genius of the cultivation world—naturally ignored his look.
Ye Yutian frowned at her back. Why did I feel an uncontrollable urge to protect Ye Lanshan just now? What's wrong with me?
Right, it's because we're on the same team, so I wanted to protect her. Ye Yutian gave himself a flimsy excuse to mask his slightly racing heart.
He didn't know that this feeling was called "love," which would later cost him dearly on his path to winning her over.
"Awooo!" The wolf king let out a roar as it watched its companions fall one by one.
"He's summoning more reinforcements. We need to leave now, or we won't be able to later." Ye Lanshan quickened her pace in cutting down the wolves.
"Hmph, just a pack of wolves—do you think they can trap me?" Mo Ran sneered, though his movements sped up considerably.
Ye Lanshan couldn't be bothered to argue and didn't call him out on it.
"Phew, we finally found water." Spotting a stream, Nangong Mian conveniently ignored the dangers lurking in it and dashed excitedly toward it.