Chapter 66: Team
The next morning, Xingluo stood near the university entrance with Su Lan and Ruan Mei, waiting for Professor Liang.
All three had already equipped the armor Xingluo had prepared, while their remaining supplies were stored inside separate storage items.
Professor Liang arrived shortly afterward and his expression changed when he saw the three of them standing together.
"I expected something like this."
He looked from Su Lan to Ruan Mei before returning his gaze to Xingluo. "You truly believed this was the best team you could form?"
Xingluo lowered her gaze toward the ground, Su Lan and Ruan Mei quietly followed her example.
Professor Liang sighed. "Just listen to me this once, will you?"
Xingluo immediately nodded. "Of course, Professor."
"I prepared two more teammates for you, they should arrive soon, and I expect all of you to cooperate once you enter the realm."
"As you say, Professor." Xingluo paused before asking, "Do I know them?"
Professor Liang smiled slightly. "You know both of them quite well."
They waited near the entrance for several minutes before a large vehicle turned onto the university road and approached them.
It was not one of the military transport trucks Xingluo had seen inside the base. The vehicle was broader, cleaner, and fitted with a polished armored frame that looked far more expensive than anything normally used to carry students.
Professor Liang looked toward it. "There they are."
The vehicle stopped in front of them, and the side door opened, Xingluo’s expression changed when she saw the two people sitting inside.
The first was Lin Xiaotian, the massive combat mage she had defeated during the first round of the competition. Even while seated, his large frame occupied most of his side of the vehicle.
Beside him sat the pink-haired ice mage who had fought with them during the Church’s attack.
Lin Xiaotian looked toward Xingluo, while the pink-haired girl gave her a small wave. Xingluo slowly turned toward Professor Liang.
He raised one hand before she could speak. "Do not look at me like that, you received a good bargain."
His gaze moved toward the two Awakened inside the vehicle. "You are fortunate that they both agreed to join your team."
Professor Liang looked toward Lin Xiaotian and the pink-haired girl. "Lin Xiaotian is Level 144, while Qiao Xueyi is Level 148. Both are among the strongest talents of their year."
Xingluo looked at them with genuine surprise, their levels were already close to the upper limit allowed inside the legacy realm.
She could not help thinking about the Green Priest’s attack, if more contestants of this level had not been eliminated and even remained conscious instead of being overwhelmed during the surprise test, dealing with him might have been much easier.
Lin Xiaotian stepped down from the vehicle first, followed by Qiao Xueyi. Once everyone had gathered, Xingluo introduced Su Lan and Ruan Mei, while the two newcomers properly introduced themselves in return.
Qiao Xueyi gave them a friendly smile, while Lin Xiaotian only nodded before looking toward Xingluo. "I did not expect us to become teammates so soon."
Xingluo shrugged. "Try not to lose this time."
Lin Xiaotian grinned instead of becoming angry. "That depends on whether we meet anything worth fighting."
Professor Liang interrupted them before the exchange continued. "You can compete after returning alive, get inside."
The group entered the vehicle with Professor Liang, and they soon left the university grounds. Several roads leading toward the forest had already been closed, forcing them to pass through multiple military checkpoints.
At the final barricade, Professor Liang stepped out and spoke briefly with the soldiers stationed there. After confirming their identities and entry permits, the soldiers moved aside and allowed the vehicle through.
The mana density began increasing as they approached the forest. Even Su Lan and Ruan Mei noticed the difference, while the stronger members could feel dense waves of energy spreading from the gate.
Lin Xiaotian’s body trembled slightly with excitement as he looked through the window.
"I hope this place is entertaining, the military competition ended before I could properly enjoy it."
Xingluo glanced at him but said nothing, compared to the battle against the Green Priest, the competition truly had been little more than a controlled exercise.
The gate became clearer as the vehicle moved deeper into the restricted area. Its rotating edges covered a large section of the sky, while distorted light continued flowing through the opening.
The military had established a temporary base beneath it. Defensive barriers, communication towers, medical stations, and rows of vehicles now covered the cleared ground around the forest.
Many teams had already gathered there.
Xingluo saw military squads standing near their transports, along with groups carrying the crests of noble families and major guilds.
Several wealthy heirs remained surrounded by heavily equipped teammates who looked far older and more experienced than them.
Among the crowd, she quickly noticed Qin Haoran, four people stood around him in matching equipment. Although they were officially his teammates, their positions and submissive behaviour made them look more like personal guards.
Qin Haoran also noticed Xingluo’s arrival. His gaze passed over her group before stopping briefly on Lin Xiaotian and Qiao Xueyi, though he made no move to approach.
Not far from him, Miao Tianhe stood with another team, he was laughing with several guild members while checking their supplies, appearing far more relaxed than most of the people gathered around the gate.
Wuxia became quiet when he saw them, after watching the familiar guild insignia for several seconds, he muttered, "It seems the guild did not fall apart after my death."
As they waited, the flow of arriving vehicles gradually stopped, the teams gathered near the temporary base while soldiers moved through the area, checking names and entry permits one final time.
A middle-aged man in military uniform soon stepped onto the raised platform near the gate. His presence spread across the area, and the conversations among the gathered teams slowly faded.
"Everyone, gather closer."
His voice boomed through the temporary base without the help of any visible device. The remaining teams moved forward until they stood before the platform.
The man looked across the crowd before continuing. "Most of you already know why you are here. The gate behind me has been confirmed as an unexplored legacy realm, and only Awakened between Level 70 and Level 150 can pass through its restriction."
Several people still reacted despite already knowing the information, while others turned toward the massive gate with growing excitement.
"We possess very little information about what lies inside, the terrain, beasts, trials, and conditions for obtaining the legacy remain unknown, so do not treat this as an ordinary dungeon."
His gaze hardened as he looked over the gathered teams.
"Your first priority is survival, remain with your team, do not separate without reason, and do not approach anything you cannot understand merely because it appears valuable."
A few people in the crowd exchanged looks, but no one interrupted him.
"Fighting between teams is forbidden unless it is necessary for self-defence. Anyone deliberately attacking other participants will be punished once they leave the realm, regardless of their family, guild, or military position."
His voice grew colder on the final words, causing several noble heirs and their guards to straighten slightly.
"The Alliance will not interfere with fair competition for opportunities inside, but murder, ambushes, and deliberate betrayal will not be tolerated."
Xingluo glanced around the crowd. Most people remained calm, though it was impossible to know how many would still follow those rules once they entered the realm.
Wuxia folded his arms beside her. "A warning only matters while people believe someone is watching."
Xingluo did not respond, but she understood what he meant.
The man continued, "If the situation becomes impossible to handle, abandon the legacy and search for a way out, no reward is worth throwing away your life."
He paused before looking toward the gate behind him. "Prepare yourselves as the entry will begin shortly, and teams will pass through according to the order already assigned."
The soldiers surrounding the platform immediately began moving, several barriers near the gate opened revealing the path leading directly toward the massive rotating entrance.
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