Chapter 700: Harvest and Reflection from the First Day of the Joint Exam

The joint exam hunt was still ongoing.

The hidden rule of the Wanted order for hunting teaching assistants had indeed broken the original plans and rhythm of the teaching assistants.

Having their location tracked, they were forced to frantically dodge the examinees' pursuit, and their energy was not infinite.

Some teaching assistants, after killing the first examinee and noticing the Wanted order, endured the humiliation and stuck it out for an hour, then refrained from further action.

Others, having started, decided to go all the way, taking advantage of the early-stage benefit to farm kills and embark on a path of evasion.

Some even directly banded together.

After witnessing the examinees teaming up to hunt them, they, in turn, formed groups to counter the examinees.

This chase continued for an entire day.

"I can't take it anymore. It's almost dark. Another Wanted order countdown has ended… Damn it, we should have sent more people to die earlier. Those teaching assistants are timing it perfectly; there's no location tracking at night."

At this moment.

Examinees who had built a bonfire in the wilderness were gathered around it.

This group was the large crowd that had been chasing the teaching assistants all day.

But the result was a poor harvest.

"They are teaching assistants. They wouldn't impulsively disregard the big picture. Instead, we are the ones who look like monkeys being played with…"

"I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat?"

At this time, someone asked a crucial question.

"No, we don't even have enough scoring to buy a tent. Where would we get scoring to buy food?"

At this moment… the crowd finally realized a problem, and that was the issue of returns they had to face after being busy for an entire day!

They had to re-examine themselves and this joint exam hunt competition.

They quickly discovered that they had put the cart before the horse.

The purpose of this joint exam was hunting!

Hunting could yield scoring, and the prey could also become extra income.

If they hunted Mutated Beasts and those special creatures released by the academy… wouldn't that be better than gaining nothing today?

At this point, many people realized the problem.

It was only when they had nothing to eat that people would reflect on where the mistake was made.

However, the day had passed, and many things could not be rectified.

They could only spend the night by the bonfire with their exhausted bodies and hungry stomachs.

Some people also voluntarily stood guard against potential dangers lurking in the night.

"We can't do this tomorrow."

"Right, those teaching assistants are too cunning, and their strength far exceeds ours. We can only suppress them with numbers, but it's simply not worth it."

"We should prioritize scoring now. We can no longer proceed in such large groups. We need to disperse into multiple small teams to hunt Mutated Beasts flexibly, and… we can't always stay here."

"I agree. I checked the general map of the Ninglan area in Ninglan New City. Ninglan New City, where we are, is in the interior of the Ninglan area. It's almost impossible to find Mutated Beasts here, let alone farm scores. I need to head outside!"

"But the surrounding areas of the Ninglan boundary are mostly shelters or sanctuaries, so that's not the territory of our Witch Academy…"

"What is there to be afraid of? We are not forbidden from going there. They can't possibly not let us hunt Mutated Beasts, right? Mutated Beasts are the main source of scoring, followed by the special hunting targets released by the academy, which are supplementary. Hunting teaching assistants will have to depend on fate."

Similar sobering discussions were constantly unfolding in front of bonfires late at night.

It was foreseeable that tomorrow morning, the various super-large groups formed for hunting teaching assistants would quickly fall apart.

Because people who were starved into sobriety, seeing the cold reality, simply couldn't fall asleep.

Since they couldn't sleep, they definitely needed to think about change.

***

On the teaching assistant's side.

Although the overall number of teaching assistants was very small compared to the examinees, the total number was still considerable.

In order to get through this joint exam, which needed to last for a week, they also needed to join forces.

However, the conversations among them gathered around the bonfire were much more restrained, because they were clearly aware that their every word and action was being live-broadcasted.

They represented the peak of power within the Witch Academy's non-Transcendent mentor group and had already consciously cut themselves off from the student group, even though they knew clearly that one word from their mentor would send them crashing back down to their original status.

"I was blindsided. I didn't expect there to be a hidden rule like the Teaching Assistant Wanted order. I was chased for over half an hour this morning."

"Hidden rules, a traditional technique of the Witch Academy. It reminds us of what our current identity is, what we should do, and what we shouldn't do…"

Another girl chimed in at this moment.

Many teaching assistants seemed to have understood the meaning behind this hidden rule.

In this hunting game, the roles they had to play were very free; they could do anything they wanted—that was the superficial meaning.

As long as they followed the competition's intention, the rules would not target them.

However, once they wanted to gain more and actively sought it out, then the hidden rule was specifically there to punish them.

Of course, there were also stubborn teaching assistants who had already accumulated dozens of hours of Wanted time and had unlocked most of their skill trees.

However, that particular person regrettably did not appear by the bonfire where the teaching assistants were gathered.

"But I guess that after today, tomorrow and the following days, those examinees shouldn't be as crazy about us as they were on the first day."

"Why?"

"Idiot, they also need scoring. They need scoring to buy supplies, unlock skill trees, buy tents, and buy food. The examinees who chased us earlier today gained nothing. They are probably starving somewhere, starting their late-night reflection."

"That makes sense."

The teaching assistants picked up the food roasted over the bonfire and put it into their mouths, chewing the mediocre-tasting meat chunks, and suddenly felt that it wasn't so unappetizing after all.

"Ptooey! It's awful. This is the most awful thing I've eaten in my life…"

"Ahem! That! Hmm… let's change the topic."

"Change the topic? You suggest one."

"Let's talk about Yang Yuehan. She was also under Wanted status for an entire day, about a dozen hours. Roughly speaking, she must have unlocked at least the fourth skill tree…"

The moment the name "Yang Yuehan" was mentioned, the crowd of teaching assistants around the bonfire immediately fell silent.

They were all very familiar with this person.

It was simply too difficult to admit that someone much younger than themselves was superior and more talented!

They would rather believe that it was simply due to luck.

But speaking of luck, who could compare to the Child of Destiny?

The Child of Destiny, sheltered and blessed by the world, was an existence that received extra care within the world.

The premise was… that there was no existence beyond the world.

The world could give the Child of Destiny everything that the world could give, but it could not give what it could not control.

For example, a Transcendent who descends upon this world.

The world could harness destiny to make everyone in this world love the Child of Destiny, but it couldn't use destiny to influence an external Transcendent to treat the Child of Destiny favorably.

And the Main World was just such a world that was invaded and dominated by external Transcendent beings.

Why were the Children of Destiny so sought after by many academies at the very beginning?

Because the Child of Destiny had smooth sailing in the Main World and was very lucky.

Good luck truly would subconsciously shape an individual with a perfect image and character.

The World Consciousness strictly controlled everything, so there was no need to worry too much.

And who doesn't like lucky friends?

More importantly, the Child of Destiny was not bothered by the Earth Vein Chains that troubled ordinary people.

After arriving at the corresponding stage in a step-by-step manner, the world would naturally open the restrictions on the Child of Destiny, allowing them to achieve Transcendent status.

Mentors really liked this kind of child who was destined to achieve Transcendent status.

Unlike ordinary people whose psychological shackles formed by the Earth Vein Chains would firmly keep a person in the Main World when they sought to advance to Transcendent.

"In my opinion, only three shouldn't have been left behind; at least five could have formed continuous firepower suppression."

"Are you sure it's not just you being too incompetent?"

"Who are you calling incompetent?"

"Three against one, and one got counter-killed. I won't name names. Hmph~"

"The opponent is clearly very knowledgeable about the power network! Don't forget that the Myriad Connection Main Network Tree was created by her from the start, and then…"

"Ahem! Let's end this topic first."

At this point, someone forcibly interrupted the argument, "Do we have to keep fixating on the problem of Yang Yuehan?"

"This is a matter of principle! She's a student who just came of age not long ago, yet she leaped over a platform that took us years of effort to reach. Why should she? Why can she be like this? And haven't you noticed that she doesn't show any respect for our group? We are her seniors, and I just can't stand her attitude!"

"Is this a matter of principle? I think it's just a matter of your own pride, isn't it?"

At this moment, someone suddenly dismantled the argument.

But the source of the voice was the dark woods not far away.

The crowd stood up on guard, looking at the dark figure hidden in the lightless night.

"Who! Who is there!"

"That voice… oh Isn't that Liffia? Since it's Liffia, then come and sit with us."

At this time, someone recognized the figure who had arrived, or rather, recognized her voice.

"Liffia? Why are you here?"

"Why can't I be here?"

"Shouldn't you be with Yang Yuehan?"

"She's a lone wolf; she didn't want me. What can I do?"

Liffia walked into the area enveloped by the orange glow of the bonfire and sat down on a section of fallen wood.

Her arrival made many people uneasy.

After all, many people had also heard Liffia's name.

In the Witch Academy, a person who had a title, an epithet, or a nickname was generally someone you couldn't afford to provoke.

Even an existence like Liffia, whose name many remembered, made people extremely wary.

This one was a troublemaker.

She was like the most unpredictable cat; no one knew if she would suddenly bare her teeth and swipe a claw at someone at any moment.

"What are you doing here, Liffia?"

"You shouldn't be asking me that question, should you?"

Liffia said leisurely, looking at the person who spoke.

***

The night passed quickly.

Sunlight scattered across the earth, driving away the darkness.

No one knew how many people hadn't slept last night.

The crowd, hungry after a night, had no choice but to find food in another way in the morning, such as… looking for berries to stave off hunger, or some non-poisonous wild vegetables.

Surely, the living wouldn't be starved to death, right?

After eating wild herbs miserably, many people secretly resolved to earn scoring properly today, and then return to the city for a good meal!

What was the scoring ranking?

How could that be more important than being full?

And at this moment.

Inside Ninglan New City.

I had already woken up in the hotel room and enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast.

My daily routine of Meditation and the Meditation Method of Enlightenment practice was not neglected either.

The life of a teaching assistant was so simple and unpretentious.

Because teaching assistants were not restricted by scoring, they essentially had free travel during this period.

Last night, after the Wanted order time ended and was revoked, it was already night, so I directly returned to Ninglan New City and checked into a hotel.

Perhaps it was because the night was too dark or a form of reverse psychology, but no one expected anyone to return to the city.

Anyway, I swaggered back just like that.

I even noticed that few people noticed my return.

After a careful review, I roughly guessed the situation.

A large group of people were tricked into hunting teaching assistants yesterday, which resulted in little scoring gain.

Most people couldn't even afford a tent.

If they returned to the city, they might have to sleep on the street, and they might be laughed at if seen by acquaintances.

But sleeping on the grass in the wild and lighting a bonfire allowed them to boast that they were camping.

Of course, the main reason was that after the Wanted order's location tracking expired, it was simply too difficult to find someone among the vast crowd.

"Hey, wait, is that person over there… the one with white hair, Yang Yuehan?"

"It should be a member of the support group who dyed their hair white. Yang Yuehan is a teaching assistant. Would she dare to appear in Ninglan New City?"

"But she really looks like her…"

"Then… should we go check?"

As my figure appeared in the Ninglan New City plaza, many people directed curious glances at me.

At this moment, I truly understood that the first reaction against common sense would preemptively override a person's desire to seek the truth.

Only greater stimulation and external interference could prompt a person to try and find the possibility of the truth.

"She does look a bit similar…"

"But why isn't she running? She seemed to have looked back and seen us just now. If she were the real Yang Yuehan, wouldn't she run away immediately?"

The two girls followed me with their doubts.

They were almost at the city gate.

"Excuse me… student?"

"Student?"

"Is there something you need?"

I turned my head to look at them, my tone very calm.

After all, I couldn't use force inside the city, so I wasn't in any hurry.

"Well… someone said your appearance makes it very easy for people to mistake you… are you impersonating Big Sis Xiao Han?"

"I only agree with the first half of what you said. I do look like someone who is easily mistaken."

I spoke.

After all, my original appearance made it easy for people to think I was impersonating a member of my own support group…

"Huh? The first half? You're not impersonating Big Sis Xiao Han?"

The two hurriedly followed me.

We were almost at the city gate.

"I am certainly not impersonating Xiao Han."

I said as a matter of course.

"Not? Then who are you impersonating?"

"Hmm… alright, you misunderstood my meaning. I'm not impersonating Xiao Han. If there isn't a second Xiao Han in the Witch Academy, then I am the Xiao Han you spoke of."

Having said that, I immediately cast the Wind Pressure Spell on myself, and then left Ninglan New City through the main gate at an extremely fast speed, leaving the two gossiping girls stunned at the city gate.

"What?"

"Ahhhhh! What did we miss, ahhh!"