Chapter 18: The First is Your Lie

Chapter 18: The First is Your Lie

As expected, Tian Tian's weapon of choice is the sword.

After practicing several formations and clarifying their positions, they went to spar with other teams.

Tian Tian's performance was excellent! Throughout the sparring sessions, she diligently guarded beside Jiang Meiren, using flower petals to shield her goddess from the wind and rain.

Deng Yutang, once the sole defensive stronghold of the team, would require Lu Ran's assistance if breached.

Now, with the addition of the Sword Lotus Follower, Deng Yutang's burden lessened, and Lu Ran could roam freely.

Jiang Ruyi's performance was exceptional!

With a relatively stable output environment, the Lightning Shackling Talisman in her hand flew around the Martial Arts Ground, creating a dazzling display of electricity. After several rounds of combat, the flickering electric glow from her fingertips left the watching students awe-struck.

It's safe to say that the school's decision to switch team members was well-thought-out.

By the time morning classes ended, Tian Tian was filled with gratitude and bowed to her teammates before quickly walking away.

Throughout the morning, she had received their full support and praise, even when she made mistakes.

Jiang Ruyi never scolded her, not even when she made errors.

For Tian Tian, who had experienced rejection and ostracism, this team environment was beyond her wildest dreams.

"This teammate is good, but she lacks confidence," Deng Yutang said, removing the sweat-soaked red bandana from his head and shaking his hair.

This action had become his post-battle routine.

It gave off a "Post-Battle Recap" vibe.

"Hmm," Jiang Ruyi sighed softly, gazing at Tian Tian's departing figure.

"What do you think?" Lu Ran asked, sitting on the concrete ground and looking at Jiang Meiren's tall silhouette.

"She's great and obedient," Jiang Ruyi replied softly. "She's a good fit for our team."

"Indeed," Lu Ran agreed.

When he learned about Wu Shanshan's departure from the team that morning, he thought, 'Goodbye and good riddance, the next one will be more obedient!'

Little did he know that a well-behaved girl would indeed join them.

Tian Tian was so obedient that she would unconsciously lower her head when talking to Jiang Ruyi, displaying a respectful and submissive demeanor.

Hmm, perhaps she was a little too obedient?

"We can help her build her confidence," Jiang Ruyi said thoughtfully. "Once the Sword Lotus is unsheathed, our team will improve significantly."

Before she could finish her sentence, Jiang Ruyi suddenly trembled lightly.

Divine Power surged within her, leaving Lu Ran and Deng Yutang both surprised and delighted.

Could the Class Leader be about to rank up?

Lu Ran had ranked up on the morning of the fifth day of the first month, and today was the seventh day. It was evident that Jiang Meiren's talent was exceptional.

After a moment, Lu Ran turned to look at Deng Yutang, raising his eyebrows slightly.

This subtle gesture made Deng Yutang's face turn red.

"Hmph," Deng Yutang turned away and said stubbornly, "I'm almost ready to rank up too, so what's the rush?"

Lu Ran chuckled.

Who's rushing, I wonder~

Deng Yutang decided to leave, "I'm going home for lunch."

"Remember to come back at 1:30 pm. There are other trainees waiting for their trial training," Lu Ran called out.

Deng Yutang didn't turn back; he just waved his hand casually, looking very relaxed.

"Hmm~"

Beside them, Jiang Meiren suddenly made a nasal sound, seemingly content.

Lu Ran nodded, feeling rather comfortable himself.

He was all too familiar with the feeling of ranking up and couldn't help but reminisce about it.

It was exhilarating!

"Don't tell anyone," Jiang Ruyi suddenly whispered.

"Huh?" Lu Ran was puzzled, looking at Jiang Meiren, who was surrounded by immortal mist.

What was there to hide about ranking up?

"It's nothing," Jiang Ruyi said, her face turning red as she realized she had overthought it.

It was mainly the nasal sound that made her feel a bit ashamed.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, she casually waved away the surrounding mist, pulling out strands of mist that looked like silk threads, creating a dreamlike scene.

The mist was indeed very misty.

"You want to hide your strength?" Lu Ran found it both baffling and amusing.

In front of Tian Tian, Jiang Meiren was a gentle older sister.

But when she was with him, she turned back into a girl who often blushed.

Quite interesting, huh?

"How about you? When do you think you'll reach the third stage of the Mist Realm?" Jiang Ruyi asked as she walked towards the edge of the field.

"You're so beautiful," Lu Ran said, pursing his lips and following her.

"Stop teasing me," Jiang Ruyi said, a bit irritated.

"I'm saying you're dreaming!"

Jiang Ruyi: ". . ."

"I just ranked up two days ago. Hey, don't kick, put your leg down, be a lady."

At noon, Lu Ran rushed home excitedly to report the good news of being first on both leaderboards to the Divine Sheep.

However, the Divine Sheep did not respond with a divine transmission.

The Divine Sheep was not only domineering but also aloof.

Lu Ran didn't insist and immediately entered cultivation mode in front of the divine shrine.

He naturally yearned to advance to the third stage of the Mist Realm quickly, for then he could cultivate the new Divine Technique: Divine Hoof.

This Divine Technique greatly enhanced one's speed, making it even more advantageous for him to roam and slay enemies.

Although the Divine Sheep had originally created the Divine Hoof to allow his followers to avoid conflict and stay away from the battlefield...

...but that didn't matter.

Once the Divine Technique: Divine Hoof was in Lu Ran's hands, how it would be used was another matter.

After all, Lu Ran was the type of person who could beg for mercy while simultaneously swinging a chair at his opponent.

On the seventh and eighth days, Lu Ran's team tried out all four trainees.

The subsequent three trainees each had their own unique qualities, but the group felt like something was missing.

It wasn't until the evening of the eighth day that the trio reached a consensus and reported the name "Tian Tian" to the class teacher.

With that, the 98th team was rebuilt!

Not daring to slack off, they trained diligently day after day, eagerly awaiting the end-of-term examination on the fifteenth day of the lunar month.

Time passed, and soon it was the thirteenth day of the lunar month.

As the four of them were preparing intensely on the martial arts ground, they encountered an old acquaintance—Wu Shanshan!

"Isn't that Wu Shanshan?" Deng Yutang was drenched in sweat, holding a wooden spear, and looking towards the outside of the barbed wire fence.

Everyone turned to look, and Lu Ran couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly, "Looks like they're coming for us."

Jiang Ruyi frowned slightly, looking at Wu Shanshan and her new teammates.

Tian Tian seemed a bit nervous, and her petite figure took a step to the side, hiding behind Jiang Meiren.

Because Wu Shanshan's new teammates were Tian Tian's former teammates!

After the Evil Dog Village assessment, many teams had made adjustments, and most of them had confirmed their new teams before the eighth day.

In the past few days, everyone had learned which team Wu Shanshan had joined.

It was the second-ranked team in the entire school, led by Ma Tianchuan!

"Captain Jiang, how have you been?" Ma Tianchuan led his team into the training ground.

"Hi~" Wu Shanshan followed Ma Tianchuan, smiling and waving at her former teammates.

Behind her were two more teammates, a male and a female, both students from Class Seven.

Deng Yutang hummed, "Captain Wu, have you found your own team now?"

Previously, after hearing Jiang Ruyi's account of Wu Shanshan's reason for leaving, he had even held Wu Shanshan in higher regard.

It was normal for a soldier to aspire to become a general.

But when he heard that Wu Shanshan had joined Ma Tianchuan's team, Deng Yutang felt like he could hear the sound of being slapped in the face.

You couldn't be a leader in Jiang Ruyi's team, so you went to Ma Tianchuan's team instead?

Wasn't this just a joke?

"Yeah, how's your new team?" Wu Shanshan's smile didn't falter, seemingly unbothered by Deng Yutang's words.

"Not bad," Deng Yutang replied without hesitation, giving great recognition to the new teammates.

"Tian Tian, you're so lucky!"

The other female teammate smiled and spoke, looking at the silent Tian Tian, "You left our team, but now you're in the top team!"

Tian Tian didn't respond to her former teammate Wang Xinyao's words. She remained standing behind Jiang Ruyi.

In fact, she quietly grabbed the hem of Jiang Ruyi's clothes with her small hand.

Wang Xinyao noticed this and couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth.

Her condescending attitude irritated Deng Yutang, "From what you're saying, Tian Tian should be grateful that you kicked her out?"

Wang Xinyao's expression changed, "Why are you so rude?"

Lu Ran suddenly spoke up, grinning, "Our Deng Shao loves to speak his mind~"

After being praised by Lu Ran, Deng Yutang stood tall and proud, "I do speak my mind!"

Wang Xinyao immediately became angry, "You—"

The male teammate, Zheng Cheng, also expressed his dissatisfaction, "Team adjustments are a normal thing!

Everyone is just trying to develop and improve, there's no right or wrong in that."

"Alright, alright," Ma Tianchuan said, "Let's not get so heated."

When the captain spoke, both Wang Xinyao and Zheng Cheng fell silent.

Ma Tianchuan clarified his intention, "These past few days, I've been watching Captain Jiang's team spar with other teams, and I can't help but feel itchy for a match.

Before the big exam, how about our two teams have a friendly spar?"

"Are you scared?" Deng Yutang asked bluntly.

The others looked at Jiang Ruyi, knowing who the leader of the 98th team was.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Ruyi turned slightly and looked down at the silent Tian Tian, "Do you want to spar?"

Tian Tian widened her eyes, feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to do.

She had always been the obedient one.

At home, she listened to her parents. At school, she listened to her teachers.

In this team, she listened to Captain Jiang Ruyi.

From a young age, her own wishes were never important, and she had long grown accustomed to being quiet and compliant.

Tian Tian truly never expected that Jiang Ruyi would seek her opinion.

"I, I..." Tian Tian stuttered softly, "I'll listen to you."

Wu Shanshan across from her urged, "What's there to hesitate about?"

Wang Xinyao, on the other hand, turned to look at Lu Ran, her gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny. "I heard you have a unique understanding of Divine Techniques. We're all curious! Show us a little later, let me experience it, okay?"

Lu Ran smiled and said, "You might not be able to handle it. My Divine Technique is specifically for killing demons."

"Once I unleash it, blood will be shed."

Wang Xinyao's anger hadn't subsided, and her expression turned stern. "Are you threatening me?"

To everyone's astonishment, Lu Ran actually nodded!

Not only that, but he also spoke words that left everyone speechless: "Do you want to die?"

In an instant, the atmosphere inside the room dropped to freezing point! Even Wang Xinyao was a little flustered.

This lamb was indeed different from the other weak and timid Divine Sheep followers. He was genuinely fierce!

"I'm just kidding. I'm not like Young Master Deng." Lu Ran suddenly smiled and waved his hand. "I like to tell little white lies~"

Everyone: ???

Wang Xinyao: '.'

Although she was still angry, Wang Xinyao didn't say anything more.

After all, Lu Ran's achievements were there for all to see. He was undoubtedly the top student of the entire school and had nearly achieved a perfect score! The demons and evil dogs slain by his blade numbered in the dozens, at the very least.

Jiang Ruyi looked at the submissive Tian Tian and spoke softly, "What do you think?"

"I..."

"It's okay, tell me." Jiang Ruyi placed her slender hand on Tian Tian's ear, tucking the girl's hair behind it.

Tian Tian finally mustered up her courage and said softly, "Still... still, let's not fight. We're participating in the city defense operation the day after tomorrow, so don't get injured at this time."

"Hmm." Jiang Ruyi turned to look at Ma Tianchuan. "Forget it, the end-of-term examination is the day after tomorrow. Let's not create unnecessary complications."

Ma Tianchuan hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. "Alright, we'll seek your guidance after the city defense task."

He had also realized that everyone's tempers were running high.

It would be unwise to force a battle in such an atmosphere, especially since the task on the night of the fifteenth was of utmost importance.

What a pity. They had been hoping for a thrilling fight.

"Let's go." Ma Tianchuan turned and left, smiling as he said, "Lu Ran, don't let me surpass you in this examination!"

"Last time was just luck." Lu Ran humbly replied, "This time, you're guaranteed to be first."

Ma Tianchuan chuckled. "Sweet talk?"

Lu Ran shrugged. "I like to tell little white lies~"

Ma Tianchuan: '.'

Everyone: '.'

"Hmph." Deng Yutang watched as the group left, "What's the point of sparring? They're just looking for trouble."

"From now on, it'll be like this every day." Jiang Ruyi rubbed Tian Tian's head and said, "If you have any thoughts, just tell us. Don't always be so hard on yourself.

We're a team, and in the future, we'll face many challenges together."

"Yes, yes." Tian Tian softly agreed, her hands twisting together, and her head lowering even further.

She looked like a well-behaved little wife. On this track, Lu Ran could somewhat relate to Tian Tian.

After all, when facing the domineering Sheep Leader, Lu Ran had to obey his commands, whether it was to keep quiet or go to sleep.

Jiang Ruyi turned to look at Deng Yutang and joked, "Since we didn't fight, it seems you're the one who's been wronged."

"The city defense is more important." Deng Yutang knew how to prioritize, "For this examination, just keep pressing Ma Tianchuan."

Although Wu Shanshan had left, she had made a very valid point.

Every time Deng Yutang mentioned the name "Ma Tianchuan," it sounded like he was cursing.

"What do you say, Lu Ran?" Deng Yutang turned to look at him. "Should we teach them another lesson?"

"Survival first, then scores." Jiang Ruyi corrected the team's philosophy, fearing that Lu Ran might get carried away and cause trouble with Deng Yutang.

"Yes, yes, Jiang Meiren is right!" Lu Ran nodded decisively.

Hearing Lu Ran's response, Jiang Ruyi's heart relaxed, and she said softly, "That's all for today. Go home and practice well. By the way..."

She turned to look at Lu Ran again, "You said yesterday that you're about to advance to the third stage of the Mist Realm."

Lu Ran carefully sensed his cultivation and confirmed, "It'll happen in the next couple of days."

Tian Tian secretly lifted her head, looking at Lu Ran with admiration.

Was he about to break through again? How impressive.

Jiang Ruyi noticed the girl's sneaky behavior and couldn't help but pat her head, joking, "The day after tomorrow, you'll have to protect us well."

"Yes, yes." Tian Tian hurriedly lowered her head, not daring to sneak a peek again.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end