Chapter 0523: Mixed-level Competition Format

The hall was packed with students from all four levels.

Li Luo squeezed his way through to where the One Star Hall students were gathered.

"Brother Luo."

Yu Lang popped out as if triggered by an automatic sensor. He seized Li Luo by the hand and pumped it up and down heartily. "Oh, Brother Luo, I thought you were just an ordinary and average person in every way, just like me, except for your good looks. But this time, you've really impressed me."

The hearty hand pumping was matched in vigor by the pumping of his eyebrows in a knowing man-to-man manner.

Li Luo took it in stride, idly wondering what trouble his friend had cooked up this time.

Yu Lang was about to explain his predicament when Bai Doudou appeared just as magically, her hand pincering the back of Yu Lang's neck. "You watch your mouth from now on. If you talk about Senior Jiang like that again, I'll cut your tongue out!"

Yu Lang cringed like a caught rabbit.

“Why is my leader so fierce!?”

"Leader, have you had breakfast yet? I still have some here," Bai Mengmeng said with a sunny smile, offering him a bag.

"Thanks, but Qing'er already gave me some," he said with a smile.

Yu Lang was aghast. Why did some people just wake up with a win in the pocket already? Senior Jiang in bed the whole night, then Lu Qing'er feeding him in the morning? If that wasn't heaven, he didn't know what was.

Bai Mengmeng smiled and nodded, putting away the bag.

When she leaned forward to offer the bag, her sharp nose had not detected any other scent on Li Luo's body. It seemed like nothing had happened between Li Luo and Senior Jiang last night; otherwise, there would definitely have been some mingling of scents.

“Is Leader's restraint that strong?

“He was faced with a goddess like Senior Jiang and didn’t waver throughout the night at all?”

Even Bai Mengmeng had to give him some respect for that.

Truly befitting of her leader. While the covert speculation continued, the great hall fell silent as Vice Principal Su Xin walked in, stepping up on the stage.

She smiled at them and clapped twice to draw their attention. "Everyone, information on the Holy Grail Meet's mixed-level competition has been released," she announced to the eagerly listening students.

"As you may have heard, each school can only send two squads." This was disappointing news for the rest of the students who had trained hard but knew they would not be chosen. After all, this was a good chance for them to gain once-in-a-lifetime experience and expand their horizons.

The two-squad limit shut down that opportunity for most of them.

"Vice Principal, why is it so few? There were at least four or five squads in past iterations..." someone asked.

Vice Principal Su Xin nodded sympathetically. "That is because this iteration of the mixed-level competition is far more dangerous."

The students broke out into confused murmurs.

"The mixed-level competition will not be held in a direct competition style, nor is the competition even held within the Holy Grail space."

They looked around at each other. Not within the Holy Grail space?

"This time, it will involve Others," she stated calmly.

The word cooled the atmosphere down fast. Many students were looking fearful. They remembered their time in the Umbra Cave all too well.

How was the mixed-level competition going to involve them?

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Vice Principal Su Xin summoned a bit of light, then expanded it into a map.

Li Luo looked at the terrain closely, but he could not find any familiar topographies. This was not in the Xia Kingdom at all.

"This is the Blackwind Empire, located in the north of the East Divine Continent. It is a vast nation, comparable to the Xia Kingdom, and a powerful one as well. Despite its reputation, it was met with a terrible catastrophe in the last three years, and the entire nation crumbled.

"The reason for this is the Blackwind Sage College, or rather the Umbra Cave that the Blackwind Sage College was supposed to guard. For some reason, there was a breach that was not discovered in time. As a result, the Others entered the Blackwind Sage College and decimated it.

"The Blackwind Empire no longer exists. The entire region is rife with Others roaming the land. We call such phenomena Other Disasters. There is no life at all within the land," she said quietly. The students fell into a hushed silence.

The Blackwind Empire's sage college had failed...

They were all elite students who had faced the Others in battle before, and they were all currently imagining a land completely overtaken by those monstrosities.

A grand nation reduced to rubble.

They could only imagine the devastation in that land.

"After the Blackwind Empire's Other Disaster, the neighboring countries all lent aid to suppress it, drawing on the strength of many sage colleges. But clearing out that many Others is no easy task, and progress has been slow."

"Vice Principal, are you saying we're supposed to go to the Blackwind Empire and help with this mission?" Gong Shenjun asked.

Everyone else swallowed nervously. No wonder only two teams were allowed. This was crazy dangerous!

Vice Principal Su Xin nodded gravely.

"Exactly. To cleanse Others in the Blackwind Empire. That is the mission of the mixed-level competition."

The students paled.

A land completely taken over by Others, transformed into a horrific dystopia. Even Dukes would not dare to wander freely there. What use would students be? Wasn't it suicidal?!

"Vice Principal, there's definitely been some cordoning off regarding the area of operation, right?" Li Luo asked hesitantly.

Of course, there would be regions that were far beyond their abilities, and Li Luo thought it impossible that the Academic Federation would just send them to die. This was the only possible explanation.

Vice Principal Su Xin nodded, pointing at one region. "This is called the Red Clay Province. It's where the mixed-level competition will take place. It has been thoroughly scouted, and the strongest Others there should be Lesser Heavenly Disaster-class."

The students heaved sighs of relief. The Lesser Heavenly Disaster-class was equivalent to the Heavenly Pearl sub-stage of the Heavenly Dipper General Stage. For elites like Gong Shenjun and the First Princess, they were manageable with proper squad backup.

"After the competition starts, squads will be transported to various locations all around the Red Clay Province. You will also receive maps. The goal is to cleanse the area and purge all Others. Those will then be calculated with points, a process you are all familiar with. We use the same system for our own Umbra Cave.

"The final goal is the capital city of the Red Clay Province, Russet Rock City," she said, pointing to a skull symbol at the center of the province.

"Once Russet Rock City is cleansed, the mixed-level competition ends.

"But let me remind you," she said, looking gravely at each of their faces, "Russet Rock City is where the pollution is strongest. There might even be Greater Heavenly Disaster-class Others there by that time. Be very careful."

Even Gong Shenjun and the First Princess looked worried when they heard this.

Greater Heavenly Disaster-class.

As strong as Heavenly Resonance Stage cultivators.

This was going to be a grueling challenge!