From Wizard Apprentice to Conqueror of Myriad Worlds

"Ah!"

"It hurts!"

Wails of pain echoed from all corners of the crowd.

Mo Ning surveyed the battlefield, taking in the entire scene.

Sitt was also attacked, caught in a pincer assault by two strands of Blood Vine Silk, one from the left and one from the right.

Worthy of his reputation as the "Strongest," he raised both hands at once, his fingers rapidly tracing patterns in the air.

The air before him condensed, compressed, and solidified, forming two translucent shields that protected him securely between them.

Air Shield—a Sub-zero Level Trick more difficult than Air Whip. Sitt executed it with flawless grace.

The two strands of Blood Vine Silk slammed into the shields with two muffled thuds, then disintegrated into a bloody mist.

Besides Sitt, two other "Top Students" also successfully intercepted the Blood Vine Silk.

But the crowd still suffered casualties.

Three unlucky souls were struck by the Blood Vine Silk. In the blink of an eye, a small, blood-colored tree sprouted from the surface of their bodies.

Large patches of skin around the Blood Trees looked as though they had weathered decades of hardship, covered in wrinkles and turning a dark, blackish color, indistinguishable from the skin of a dying old man.

This was a sign of their Life Energy being rapidly drained.

Fortunately, the Combat Puppets moved with incredible speed. Without waiting for Aya’s command, they shot out like springs, swinging their Shadow Blades to sever the small trees.

The remnants of the bloody tree trunks inside their bodies withered instantly, as if they had suffered a fatal blow.

Although they were saved, the pale faces of the three unlucky students showed they had been severely weakened.

Given the academy’s "inhumane" style, they would probably just be handed a medical bill.

The sole fatality was someone Mo Ning had not expected—Remi.

Like Sitt, Remi had also been attacked by two strands of Blood Vine Silk.

Remi cast a Sub-zero Level Trick, Air Hand—a Trick that controlled the air to form an invisible hand capable of grabbing and pushing objects.

He used the Air Hand to accurately push one strand of Blood Vine Silk aside. The red thread was deflected, shooting into the bamboo forest behind him.

But Remi failed to notice the other strand of Blood Vine Silk flying in from his right.

The first half of the blood-red shadow’s trajectory was in his blind spot; only the latter half entered his field of vision.

Utter horror flashed through Remi’s pupils.

His body twitched as he tried to dodge the Blood Vine Silk, but it was too fast.

The Blood Vine Silk shot forward and burrowed into Remi’s abdomen.

This strand of Blood Vine Silk was exceptionally thick, a whole size larger than the others, and it contained a great deal more Magic Power.

The instant it entered Remi’s body, it was like an activated seed, beginning to grow, split, and expand with frantic speed.

In the blink of an eye, a Blood Tree as thick as an adult’s wrist erupted from Remi’s abdominal cavity.

A Combat Puppet rushed over, swinging its Shadow Blade to cut down the Blood Tree.

But it was too late. The Blood Tree had already drained all the Life Energy from the organs in his abdomen.

It was a fatal wound.

Remi lay on the ground, his limbs twitching a few times. A visible grayness crept over his face—a sign that the flame of his life was about to be extinguished.

His eyes were filled with unwillingness to die, and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something—perhaps a plea for help, or perhaps his last words.

Remi couldn’t even get a single word out before the light in his eyes completely froze.

He was dead!

Mo Ning glanced at Remi’s body from a distance and sighed inwardly.

He had a theory about Remi’s tragedy. ’The reason Remi, like Sitt, became a primary target for the Blood Vine...

’First, the guy was a standout in Meditation Class, widely recognized as the most knowledgeable among us.

’Second, he’s been running around making a scene lately, personally orchestrating that whole farce where the Top Ten Squad extorted protection fees from the newcomers.

’The Top Ten Squad is a big group with too many eyes and ears. It was inevitable that Remi’s role would leak, and he ended up being targeted by Semy, that believer from the Forbidden Sect.’

Mo Ning immediately came to a conclusion. ’Sure enough, it’s better to keep a low profile.’

Remi died because he was too high-profile, ultimately attracting too much malicious attention.

The entire battle unfolded with extreme speed.

From the Blood Vine’s self-detonation to Remi’s death, only two seconds had passed.

Many of the panicked newcomers hadn’t even had time to react before the fight was already over.

Mo Ning stood behind Anya, observing the entire fight. He hadn’t broken a sweat, nor had a single hair on his head been touched.

He gazed at the Noble Lady’s slender back, giving her a perfect score in his mind for the first time.

As for the Dazed Girl, Mo Ning gave her a score of six out of ten.

He would need to observe her more before deciding whether to accept her into the squad.

Anya turned her head and gave Mo Ning a look of admiration.

The Noble Lady, of course, understood just how crucial a role the quiet boy standing behind her had played.

He had discovered Kanda’s abnormality and commanded her to throw that punch—every decision was made with a decisiveness that seemed to predict the future.

If it weren’t for Mo Ning’s instructions, many more people would have certainly died today.

Reina, standing nearby, took in Anya’s subtle gesture.

The Dazed Girl’s gaze flickered between Mo Ning and Anya. With her intellect, she figured out the truth in an instant:

’I see. Mr. Mo Ning must have sensed the Blood Tree hidden inside Kanda. He was the one directing everything.’

Her eyes lingered on Mo Ning’s face for a moment, her heart filled with emotion.

Everyone thought Sitt was the strongest newcomer, especially after he blocked two strands of Blood Vine Silk with such an outstanding performance.