Chapter 101: Motherly Warmth! Vice Principal Vice President Liu Jie's Plan!
In the meeting room, everyone stood up and left one after another.
Before leaving, Bai Yuqing didn't forget to glance back at Lu Li, her bright, watery eyes brimming with curiosity.
Clearly, she had grown increasingly interested in this new captain who had kicked a scion of the Ye family off the team the moment he opened his mouth.
Shen Chuyou hadn't said a word from beginning to end.
With a slight sway of her long, silvery-white hair, her slender and graceful figure vanished beyond the doorway.
As Lin Qingyu passed by Lu Li, her footsteps paused slightly.
She murmured, "I'll treat you to a meal tomorrow," before departing.
Soon, only Lu Li and Song Wanqiu were left in the spacious meeting room.
Lu Li, however, did not stand up.
"Why haven't you left yet?" Song Wanqiu asked, slightly puzzled.
"Teacher, Ye Tianhao said he was going to see the vice principal. Will that affect you?"
Lu Li fell silent for a moment before saying,
"If it causes trouble, why not just add him back?
He's only an alternate anyway, so he won't be able to stir up much trouble."
Hearing this, Song Wanqiu was momentarily stunned.
She immediately raised her head and looked at the youth before her.
Between the youth's brows still lingered the rugged weathered look from his special training.
The bloodstains on his black-and-gold battle suit had not yet been completely washed away.
Yet in those eyes, there was a composure and earnestness far beyond his years.
Song Wanqiu suddenly recalled Lu Li's background.
His father had gone missing, his mother had passed away, and he had lived alone from a young age.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this that he possessed such maturity beyond his years.
At that thought, an overwhelming surge of maternal affection welled up inside her, and she walked over to Lu Lion her slender legs.
Reaching out, she tousled his hair, leaving his strands slightly disheveled beneath her palm.
"You little rascal, worrying about your teacher now, are you?"
Although she said that, the corners of Song Wanqiu's lips curled up slightly.
Her eyes curved into a lovely crescent, clearly showing how touched she was.
As Song Wanqiu drew closer, Lu Li caught a faint fragrance drifting from her.
It was exceptionally subtle, unlike the deliberate, heavy scent of perfume.
It was more like a woman's natural scent—gentle, warm, and clean.
It was so comforting that it involuntarily reminded him of his mother's embrace in his childhood.
Lu Li paused slightly, then snapped back to his senses and murmured,
"Teacher, I'm serious."
"I know."
Song Wanqiu withdrew her jade-like hand, her smile undiminished.
"This isn't something you need to worry about.
Since I supported your decision, there won't be any problem."
Pausing, she continued,
"On the other hand, you'll be taking on DPS, tank, and support.
With all three roles falling on your shoulders, won't you feel too pressured?
If it's too much, we can still adjust the lineup."
"Of course I can handle it."
Lu Li grinned. "You'll see tomorrow once we enter the dungeon, Teacher."
"That's good, then."
Song Wanqiu nodded, her eyes full of trust.
"Alright, head on back."
"Yes, Teacher."
Lu Li nodded, turned, and left.
Song Wanqiu only retracted her gaze once his back disappeared beyond the door.
She shook her head gently, thinking to herself with fond emotion,
"This kid is far too sensible. I really need to look after him more from now on."
Although she hadn't started a family and had no children of her own,
as a third-turn Saint Light Archpriest, she possessed certain maternal qualities in some respects.
...
Meanwhile.
After leaving the meeting room, Ye Tianhao did not return to his villa.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. With an ashen face, he marched straight toward the administration building of Imperial Capital University.
Ordinary students naturally couldn't just see a vice principal of Imperial Capital University.
But as a descendant of the Ye family, arranging a meeting with a vice principal was not difficult for him.
Imperial Capital University had two vice principals: one was Vice Principal Zhou Zhenguo, and the other was Vice President Liu Jie.
The one he was looking for was precisely the other vice principal, Vice President Liu Jie.
Administration building, Vice Principal's office.
Vice President Liu Jie leaned back in his spacious leather chair, quietly listening to Ye Tianhao's account.
"Vice Principal Liu, that's what happened."
Ye Tianhao suppressed his fury and said, "Dean Songindulged Lu Li, kicking me out of the competition team with a single word.
You know my performance over the past two months; it's by no means poor.
That master and disciple are clearly targeting me!"
Vice President Liu Jie was in no hurry to take a stand.
He slowly sipped his tea. Only after a good while did he set down the teacup and say with a smile,
"Head back for now. Leave this matter to me."
"Thank you, Vice Principal Liu!"
Overjoyed, Ye Tianhao hurriedly bowed in gratitude, turned, and left the office.
The office door clicked shut slowly.
Vice President Liu Jie's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Song Wanqiu, you certainly have a lot of confidence in this disciple of yours.
But this time, you're the instructor leading the team for the exchange competition.
If things get screwed up, it will bring me quite a few benefits."
Imperial Capital University had one principal and two vice principals in total.
It was just that the principal was usually not on campus.
Almost all affairs were handled by him and the other vice principal, Vice Principal Zhou Zhenguo.
Recently, word had even spread that the principal was about to step down to strive for a higher realm.
He and Vice Principal Zhou Zhenguo were the candidates for the next principal.
And Song Wanqiu belonged to Vice Principal Zhou Zhenguo's faction.
If Song Wanqiu made a mistake, it would inevitably impact Vice Principal Zhou Zhenguo.
Therefore, not only did he have no intention of intervening, but he should even encourage it.
"Since you trust your disciple so much...
when the time comes, if Imperial Capital University loses face at the exchange competition,
as the team leader, you will be the first one held accountable!
Still, I need to confirm it one last time."
After some thought, Vice Principal Vice President Liu Jietook out his phone and dialed his disciple:
"Ding Yi, head over to the Dungeon Building tomorrow and see what kind of lineup Dean Song is leading."
"Yes, Teacher."
...
"997!"
"998!"
"1,000!"
"..."
Villa No. 4, Area A, training room.
Lu Li pushed off the floor with both arms, springing to his feet.
After finishing a thousand push-ups, he wasn't breathing hard or flushed, barely even breaking a sweat.
With his current physical condition, a mere thousand push-ups was practically nothing to him.
Just then, the familiar system notification chimed in his mind:
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the daily quest: 1,000 Push-ups!]
[Random quest reward distributed: 20 Free Attribute Points!]
"Twenty free attribute points. Not bad."
Lu Li nodded in satisfaction and promptly opened his attribute panel.
After a brief moment of thought, he allocated the 20 free attribute points.
Five points to each attribute, achieving balanced development across the board.
In an instant, a warm current welled up from deep within his body, and his mind grew considerably clearer.
He could tangibly feel that his overall strength and intelligence had grown noticeably once more.
"Others only get free attribute points when they level up.
But I just need to finish a simple daily quest."
In high spirits, Lu Li returned to the living room.
From his space ring, he retrieved the antique wooden box Instructor Xu Yang had given him.
Inside the box, the concentration essence liquid lay quietly.
Starlight swirled across the surface of the silvery-white liquid, and mental energy fluctuated so intensely it seemed ready to overflow.
"B-grade rare resource, concentration essence liquid."
Lu Li's eyes narrowed slightly. "This resource is even more precious than the one Sister Qin gave me back at the Training Camp."
Without hesitation, he sat down cross-legged.
Uncorking the bottle, he tilted his head back and drained the half bottle of silvery-white liquid in a single gulp.
The instant it slid down his throat, an extremely refreshing chill surged straight into his mind!
It was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, leaving his entire spirit instantly invigorated.
Immediately afterward, that cool sensation transformed into a warm current, slowly settling into his sea of consciousness.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for consuming the B-grade rare resource, concentration essence liquid!]
[Intelligence attribute +50!]
"My intelligence attribute went up by 50 points."
Sensing the mental energy in his mind growing increasingly clear and sharp, Lu Li nodded slightly.
"Not bad."
Soon, however, he reined in the delight on his face.
This kind of potion wasn't something that could be consumed endlessly.
Different attribute potions didn't just stack in a straightforward manner.
Drinking ten doses wouldn't simply increase intelligence by 500 points.
Reality wasn't a game; one couldn't just chug potions non-stop.
In reality, overconsuming medicine resulted in backlash.
Take this concentration essence liquid for instance.
The first time it was consumed offered the best effect, allowing for full absorption of the medicinal power.
The second time, the effects would diminish substantially.
By the third or fourth time, it would barely do anything at all.
And if one forcefully took too much within a short period,
not only would it fail to increase attributes, but it would also inflict irreversible damage upon the sea of consciousness.
"In the end, strength must be forged step by step on one's own."
Lu Li was clear-minded. "Medicinal resources can only serve as supplementary support."
Of course, things granted by the system were different.
Zero side effects, pure benefit...
Chapter 102: Diamond-Rank Dungeon! Treating the Competition Like Child's Play?
Early the next morning.
After having breakfast, Lu Li headed to Imperial University's Dungeon Building on his own.
Even in the early morning, quite a few students were walking about the campus, and a sizable crowd had already gathered in front of the Dungeon Building.
The moment he arrived downstairs, he heard a flurry of greetings.
"Morning, Brother Li!"
"Brother Lu, you're here!"
"Good morning, Captain!"
"—"
The main roster and several substitutes were already waiting at the entrance of the lobby.
Bai Yuqing waved on tiptoe, her baby face beaming with smiles.
Chu Nan nodded in greeting to Lu Li, and the other substitutes showed respectful attitudes as well.
Everyone understood that Lu Li was the undisputed soul of this team.
Setting aside his terrifying record of claiming first place in both the Freshman Grand Competition and the special training,
just having the guts to publicly kick out a scion of the Ye Family in the conference room was bold enough to win their complete admiration.
"Everyone's here?" Lu Li nodded with a smile.
Just as he spoke, a delicate fragrance wafted from beside him.
Shen Chuyou's silver-white hair cascaded like a waterfall, her moon-white robes tracing stunning, voluptuous curves.
She walked up to Lu Li, her ashen-gray eyes lingering on his face for a brief moment before she parted her thin lips:
"Morning."
Her voice was as aloof as ever, showing little change.
Yet compared to her usual cold arrogance toward others, her attitude was already vastly warmer.
"Morning," Lu Li replied.
Not far away, Lin Qingyu walked over on her slender legs.
Today she wore a pale-green form-fitting martial outfit, her black hair pulled high into a ponytail, looking valiant and spirited.
"Here."
Lin Qingyu handed a bag of steaming-hot breakfast to Lu Li:
"I promised to treat you to a meal. Consider this a down payment of interest."
"Thanks."
Though he had already eaten, Lu Li didn't mind having another portion.
The crowd exchanged subtle glances, their expressions nuanced.
Bai Yuqing's eyes darted back and forth between Shen Chuyou and Lin Qingyu.
She nudged Chu Nan beside her with her elbow and whispered:
"Why do I feel like the two of them treat Captain differently?"
"Really? I can't tell."
Chu Nan looked utterly oblivious.
Seeing that, Bai Yuqing was momentarily speechless.
As expected of Chu Nan—he was far too dense.
As they spoke, a gentle and graceful voice sounded.
"Is everyone here?"
Everyone turned toward the voice to see Song Wanqiuapproaching gracefully in a long white dress.
The hem of her dress swayed gently with her steps, highlighting her voluptuous and slender figure.
The morning light bathed her, lending an even softer glow to her already gentle and dignified demeanor.
"Good morning, Teacher," Lu Li was the first to greet her.
"Good morning, Dean!" The others greeted in succession.
"Mhm."
Song Wanqiu gave a slight nod. "Since everyone is here, follow me to the third floor."
The group followed Song Wanqiu toward the Dungeon Building.
The Dungeon Building had six floors in total; the higher the floor, the higher the level of the dungeons.
The first and second floors were mostly for junior and intermediate students to practice.
The third floor was where the portals to Level 18+ dungeons were located.
The moment they stepped onto the third floor, an entirely different atmosphere washed over them.
People bustled about the spacious hall.
Four colossal glowing portals stood arranged around the perimeter, each several meters high.
Across the portals, spatial runes of various hues flowed slowly, radiating glows of deep blue, dark violet, or crimson.
Those were the entrances to four dungeons.
Many upperclassmen were entering and exiting the glowing portals.
Some were covered in blood, clearly having just emerged from a desperate struggle inside a dungeon.
Others were high-spirited, holding pieces of equipment that had just dropped.
"Is this the dungeon area on the third floor? There are so many people!"
Bai Yuqing looked around, her bright, watery eyes darting ceaselessly.
Lu Li also looked around with some curiosity.
Dungeons!
Places where one could steadily reap experience.
Consequently, dungeons were of vital importance to classers.
However, dungeons were extremely scarce; most county-level cities didn't have any permanent dungeons at all.
Yet unexpectedly, just this third floor alone boasted four of them.
Of course, entering these dungeons wasn't free.
According to the information he gathered upon matriculation, each dungeon entry required paying corresponding academic credits.
However, since this was special training for the Exchange Competition, there likely wouldn't be an extra charge.
"Aren't those this year's freshmen? What are they doing on the third floor?"
"Dean Song is leading them personally. Is she putting them through extra training?"
"School barely started, and they're already tackling third-floor dungeons? What an appetite."
"—"
Seeing Lu Li and his group arrive, many upperclassmen on the third floor cast curious glances.
Song Wanqiu paid no heed to the murmurs.
Leading the group straight toward the depths of the hall, she eventually stopped before one of the glowing portals.
That portal was entirely dark gold.
The frame was covered in dense crimson veins, faintly exuding a palpitation-inducing sense of oppression.
"For the coming month, your objective is to clear this dungeon—on Nightmare difficulty."
Song Wanqiu turned around and spoke through her red lips.
Hearing this, everyone instinctively looked at the info panel in front of the portal.
With a thought, Lu Li directly linked his mind to the dungeon portal.
[Dungeon Realm: Tree Spirit Jungle (Diamond-Rank)]
[Level Requirement: Level 18 - Level 25]
[Difficulty: Selectable (Simple / Normal / Hard / Desperation / Nightmare)]
[Monster Types: Treants, Tree Demons, Yakshas, Cat Demons]
[Party Size: 1–5 Players]
A Level 18 Diamond-Rank dungeon.
Lu Li noted silently, his expression unperturbed.
Behind him, however, everyone's expressions changed drastically.
"A Level 18 Diamond-Rank dungeon?!"
Bai Yuqing's eyes widened, her baby face filled with shock.
"Isn't this difficulty... a bit too high?"
Chu Nan couldn't help scratching his head as well.
The other substitutes exchanged glances, looking grave.
They were all only Level 18, barely reaching the threshold to enter the dungeon.
One had to understand that a Level 18 Diamond-Rank dungeon
meant the monsters inside were at least Level 18, and their aptitudes were at least Diamond-grade!
And that wasn't even factoring in the buffs from Nightmare difficulty.
Under Nightmare difficulty, the monsters' numbers, HP, attack power, and skill potency would all skyrocket well beyond normal Diamond-grade levels!
In other words, any random trash mob inside would be a handful for them to face alone out in the open.
Not to mention when they showed up in swarms?
How were they supposed to beat this?
The upperclassmen passing nearby shook their heads inwardly upon overhearing.
"A Level 18 Diamond dungeon on Nightmare difficulty? That's way too brutal."
"I remember last year's League Exchange Competition squad only trained in a Level 16 Gold-Rank dungeon, didn't they?"
"Exactly. This freshman team was just put together, and she's already throwing this kind of intensity at them? What is Dean Song thinking?"
"They probably won't even clear the first wave of trash mobs."
"Shh, keep your voice down, Dean Song is right there."
"—"
Many upperclassmen looked at Lu Li and the others with a tinge of pity in their eyes.
A Level 16 Gold-Rank dungeon had been the training intensity for last year's official Exchange Competition team.
Yet this group of freshmen had only enrolled two months ago,
and they were immediately challenging a Level 18 Diamond Nightmare dungeon?
That leap was indeed somewhat absurdly large.
"Dean, isn't this a bit too radical?"
The little assassin loli Bai Yuqing couldn't help speaking up.
"Don't worry. Didn't I just say you have a month to clear it?
During this time, familiarize yourselves with the dungeon mechanics first, then push forward step by step."
Song Wanqiu looked at the group, a rare solemnity appearing on her gentle face as she said,
"If you can't even withstand this bit of pressure, what will you have to compete with the other two top universities in the Exchange Competition?"
Hearing this, the group finally breathed a sigh of relief.
So she didn't expect them to clear it today.
With a month to hone themselves slowly, it was at least somewhat feasible.
Yet even so, the difficulty still felt suffocating.
"Understood."
Lu Li nodded, accepting on behalf of everyone.
Song Wanqiu finally smiled with satisfaction and looked at Lu Li.
"Then the main team will party up and enter the dungeon first. Let me see how your coordination is right now."
"Alright."
Lu Li nodded and mentally interfaced with the dungeon once more.
'Confirm Nightmare difficulty,' Lu Li commanded in his mind.
Buzz—!
The pale portal abruptly erupted with blinding light.
The originally calm halo spun frantically, radiating a heart-stopping pressure.
"Main roster, follow me into the dungeon!" Lu Li said in a deep voice.
"Yes!"
Shen Chuyou, Lin Qingyu, Chu Nan, and Bai Yuqingstepped forward in unison.
In the next moment, five beams of light shot out from the portal, engulfing the five of them.
With a flash of light, their figures vanished from before the portal.
Song Wanqiu watched them enter the dungeon.
Then, turning to look at the remaining substitutes, she said:
"Let's go to the observation room on the top floor and see how their first run goes."
"Yes."
The substitutes hurriedly followed.
The group soon vanished around the stairwell corner.
Meanwhile, in a corner of the third-floor hall,
a young man stood with arms crossed, watching coldly from start to finish.
He was in his early twenties, with a stern face and dressed in black casual clothes.
It was none other than Ding Yi.
"Lu Li, Shen Chuyou, Lin Qingyu, Chu Nan, Bai Yuqing."
Ding Yi muttered to himself as his gaze swept over the dark-gold portal:
"One Paladin, two Mages, one Fencer, and one Assassin.
No support and no tank. Just what on earth is Dean Songthinking?"
He was a disciple of Vice Principal Vice President Liu Jieand a top second-year student of Imperial Universityhimself.
More than that, he was one of the mainstays of the previous Exchange Competition.
No one understood the cruelty of team battles better than him.
No tank, no support, relying solely on a Paladin to pull double duty?
What a joke.
One must know that the reason their team had been able to fight into the top three last year
was their indestructible frontline tank paired with a top-tier support's sustain system.
Yet this freshman team before him...
Their damage output was sufficient—overflowing, even.
But once they faced a truly high-intensity team battle,
with no frontline to absorb pressure and no healing sustain,
the opposing side focusing fire in a single burst would blow this team sky-high on the spot.
"Dean Song is treating the Exchange Competition like child's play."
Ding Yi shook his head, pulled out his phone, and dialed his teacher's number.
"Teacher, it's me, Ding Yi."
"Yeah, I'm currently on the third floor of the Dungeon Building."
"I saw the lineup of the freshman team Dean Song is leading.
Five main members: Lu Li, Shen Chuyou, Lin Qingyu, Chu Nan, and Bai Yuqing.
Pure DPS across the board. No tank, and no support."
"Right, she probably wants Lu Li to serve as both tank and support."
"They've already entered the Level 20 Diamond-Rank Nightmare dungeon now, and Dean Song went to the top floor to spectate."
"Understood. I'll report back if anything develops."
Hanging up, Ding Yi put away his phone and looked at the dark-gold portal once more.
He really wanted to see just how long this Freshman King, upon whom Dean Song pinned such high hopes,
could last in this Nightmare-difficulty Diamond dungeon.
Chapter 103: I'll Play Support! Terrifying Buffs!
The moment the dark golden light dissipated, a damp, cold aura rushed over them.
Lu Li looked up, greeting the sight of an eerie jungle.
The trees here were completely different from those in the Longji Mountains.
Ancient trees, each thick enough to require several people to encircle, had deep brown bark.
Their surfaces were covered in twisted, bizarre patterns that, at first glance, resembled countless agonizing human faces.
Gnarled branches intertwined overhead, blotting out the sky completely and allowing only a few sporadic rays of pale light to filter through.
Beneath their feet lay a thick layer of rotting leaves, soft and spongy to step on.
A heavy moisture hung thick in the air.
Mingled with an undefinable sickly-sweet stench, it made one's stomach churn.
"Is this the Tree Spirit Jungle?"
Bai Yuqing instinctively gripped the dagger at her waist, her petite body shrinking back behind Lu Li.
"What a creepy place. This dungeon feels even more suffocating than the Longji Mountains."
Chu Nan frowned as well, tightening his grip on his staff.
As a mage, his perception was quite keen.
This jungle was permeated everywhere with dense wood and dark elements.
The wood element in particular was so thick it was almost palpable.
Lin Qingyu had already unsheathed her longsword, her cool gaze sweeping the surroundings, the tip pointing diagonally toward the ground, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Shen Chuyou remained expressionless.
Only faint sparks of fire element danced at her fingertips as her silver-gray eyes calmly surveyed the area.
"Careful, something's coming."
Lu Li suddenly spoke up.
Before his voice even faded, rustling sounds came from the dense forest ahead.
The sound moved closer, growing denser and more hurried, like countless snakes slithering through the fallen leaves.
The next second, a 'tree' moved.
It was a treant standing over three meters tall.
Its body was formed from twisted, gnarled trunks, coated in dark green moss.
Two thick boughs served as arms, with withered branches as sharp as knives at their tips.
Its face was hidden in the center of the trunk, two eerie green eyes gleaming coldly.
Behind it, three identical treants emerged one after another, slowly fanning out to encircle them.
"Four treants."
Lu Li swept them with Divine Appraisal Technique, taking in their information at a glance.
[Name]: Treant
[Level]: Level 19
[Grade]: Diamond
[Core Stats]: Strength: 245, Physique: 260, Agility: 100, Intelligence: 120
"Only its Strength and Physique are fairly high, hovering around 250 points."
After a brief ponder, Lu Li had already made his assessment.
An 18th-level Diamond-grade monster had stats around 250 points.
For Level 18, those numbers were indeed quite high.
At least for freshmen like Bai Yuqing and Chu Nan who had just broken through to Level 18, taking one down in a solo fight wouldn't be an immediate certainty.
But for him right now, he could resolve it with ease even without using any buffs.
"Hiss—!"
Right then, two shrill, screeching howls echoed from behind.
Everyone whipped their heads around.
Two dark figures darted out from the bushes.
They were two pitch-black monsters standing humanoid, over two meters tall.
Muscular and sinewy, their skin possessed a metallic sheen like black iron.
Their faces were hideous with protruding fangs, each wielding a trident shrouded in dark mist.
"Yaksha!"
Lin Qingyu's expression changed slightly.
[Name]: Yaksha
[Level]: Level 20
[Grade]: Diamond
[Core Stats]: Strength: 255, Physique: 210, Agility: 267, Intelligence: 110
"A Yaksha's Agility is much higher than a Treant's, and its Strength and Physique aren't weak either."
Lu Li cast a glance, understanding their capabilities.
Four treants, two yakshas.
Blocked in front and flanked from behind, the five of them were pinned in the middle.
"Four treants plus two yakshas... the difficulty of this first wave of monsters is pretty high."
Lin Qingyu gasped in a low voice.
She had just reached Level 19, and while her core stats were higher than the Yaksha's...
...there was more than just one Yaksha here, plus five other Diamond-grade monsters.
"Our grand captain, how should we organize the tactics?"
Bai Yuqing turned her head, looking at Lu Li with her large, lively eyes.
After the special training, she had absolute faith in Lu Li's strength.
Lin Qingyu also glanced at Lu Li and said softly,
"We'll follow your lead."
"I'll follow your arrangements as well."
Shen Chuyou likewise gave a slight nod, her silver-gray eyes resting on Lu Li.
Clearly, within this team, Lu Li's command authority was already set in stone.
Lu Li's gaze swept over the six closing monsters, and after a moment's contemplation, he said,
"Let's do this: I won't make a move yet."
"For our first battle today, I'll play support. Let's test how effective my buff system is in a team setting."
"Captain, you're going to play support?" Chu Nan was startled.
The others were slightly taken aback as well.
After all, they had seen Lu Li's terrifying damage output with their own eyes.
Yet now he wanted to step back into a support role?
Would this really work?
"Then let me go first!"
Hearing this, Bai Yuqing eagerly volunteered.
Raising a fair little hand like an elementary school student answering a prompt, her baby face was full of excitement:
"I've been wanting to try Captain's buff skills for ages!"
"Alright."
Lu Li nodded, pointing at the two yakshas closing in from behind.
"Then you go deal with that Yaksha first."
"What? Me, deal with a Yaksha?"
The petite Bai Yuqing's eyes widened, her already bright, watery eyes growing a size larger in an instant.
She pointed at herself, then at the two yakshas several times her size, blurting out,
"I'm an Assassin! Not a Warrior! In a frontal clash, I don't stand a chance!"
She was genuinely panicking.
Assassin was an execute-oriented class.
Mainly allocating stat points into Strength and Agility, it was all about cutting in at the critical moment,
delivering a lethal strike, and slipping away cleanly.
Their defenses were as fragile as paper, and their mana bars were pitifully short.
And she was supposed to 1v1 a Yaksha head-on?
With her frail physique, wouldn't she be torn to shreds in a few bouts?!
"Captain, you're not sending me to my death, are you?"
Bai Yuqing put on a tearful face.
Lu Li didn't say a word, simply raising his hand and lightly tapping toward her.
"Courage Blessing."
A dazzling burst of golden holy light rose from around Bai Yuqing.
Immediately following were a second, a third, and a fourth!
Four buffs descended in succession!
Guardian Blessing, Divine Blessing, Weapon Blessing!
Four rays of light, some gold, some silver, coiled around Bai Yuqing in overlapping layers,
illuminating her as if she were cloaked in a magnificent armor of light.
Bai Yuqing froze at first.
The next second,
her delicate body shuddered violently, her bright eyes snapping wide and round!
"H-Holy crap?!"
She blurted out in shock, her voice cracking,
"My stats! My core stats jumped by nearly 150 points!"
Right now, Bai Yuqing felt as though a volcano was erupting inside her!
Strength, Physique, Agility, and Intelligence—all skyrocketing!
The surging, extreme sense of power made her tremble involuntarily!
She was an Assassin, and among her core stats, Strength and Agility were the highest, hovering around 250 points.
Physique and Intelligence were her weaknesses, sitting at only 120 points.
But now, stacked under Lu Li's buffs,
every single one of her stats had been forcefully jacked up by 150 points!
Her Strength neared 400, Physique broke past 260, and Agility even surged above 400!
What did that even mean?
That Level 19 Yaksha had individual stats of only around 250 points.
In other words, in terms of raw stats, she now utterly overwhelmed the Yaksha opposite her!
"150 points? What kind of buff is that?!"
Chu Nan drew in a cold breath.
Although he wasn't a support class, he had seen plenty of buff skills from classmates in the support department.
Normally, a support of the same level
could add forty or fifty points to a single stat at most.
On top of that, most buff skills only boosted a single stat.
To grant over 150 points to all four stats in one go like Lu Li did was simply unheard of!
Shen Chuyou and Lin Qingyu also showed shocked expressions.
Especially Shen Chuyou.
Her own Elemental Body was already an extremely heaven-defying talent,
but Lu Li's support capabilities were practically hacking!
Lin Qingyu quietly gripped the hilt of her sword.
She suddenly began to understand just how vast the chasm between herself and Lu Li truly was.
"What are you dazing off for? Go on."
Lu Li smiled faintly as he looked at the still-dazed Bai Yuqing.
Only then did Bai Yuqing snap out of it.
She took a deep breath, feeling the surging strength inside her that almost spilled over.
This feeling was too marvelous.
It felt as though her entire body possessed limitless energy, every muscle bursting with explosive power.
She abruptly turned her head toward the two roaring yakshas closing in.
"Alright! Watch me!"
Bai Yuqing was completely devoid of her previous apprehension.
Feeling the surging power inside her that was almost overflowing,
she lowered her petite frame and kicked off the ground with force!
"Whoosh—!"
Like a streak of black lightning, she shot straight toward the two yakshas!
The yakshas clearly hadn't expected this seemingly weakest prey to dare charge at them on her own.
One of the yakshas roared and thrust its trident viciously toward Bai Yuqing!
Wrapped in black mist, the trident made a deafening, piercing sound as it cut through the air.
If it were the Bai Yuqing of before, she would have had no choice but to dodge.
But now, instead of evading, she met it head-on!
"Clang—!"
Dagger and trident collided fiercely, letting out a crisp metallic screech.
Bai Yuqing felt a colossal force transmit through, numbing her arm slightly.
Yet to her delight, she discovered she had actually taken the strike head-on!
"Again!"
Bai Yuqing let out a sharp cry and spun around.
Her dagger struck like a viper darting from its hole, stabbing toward the Yaksha's ribs from an extremely tricky angle!
"Slash—!"
Blood splattered!
Howling in pain, the Yaksha roared furiously and swept its trident across.
Yet as if having predicted it, Bai Yuqing lightly tapped her toe against the Yaksha's arm,
somersaulted through the air, and landed nimbly behind it.
"Slash, slash, slash—!"
Another three-strike combo!
A fragile assassin had actually suppressed a Yaksha in a direct melee fight!
Possessing sheer brute strength, the Yaksha was run in circles by Bai Yuqing's skyrocketed Agility.
It swung its trident in fury, yet couldn't even touch the hem of Bai Yuqing's clothes.
Instead, wounds accumulated on its own body, blood gushing steadily.
"Is she even an assassin anymore? This buff is way too terrifying!" Lin Qingyu couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
Chapter 104: Too Violent! Clearing the Nightmare-Level Dungeon!
"Looks like my buffs are quite effective."
Lu Li smiled, then turned to look at the others.
"Your turn."
He raised his hand once more, and golden holy light shone one after another.
"Lin Qingyu."
"Shen Chuyou."
"Chu Nan."
The cooldown of his buff skills was around a dozen seconds.
Yet the duration of a single buff skill was seven to eight minutes.
So while he couldn't buff everyone simultaneously, he could rotate through them.
The golden light lit up in turn, and all three were enveloped in a pale golden halo.
Feeling the surging power within her body, a flicker of shock passed through Lin Qingyu's cool eyes.
"Is this what it feels like to be buffed?"
She gripped the longsword in her hand, feeling the blade hum with excitement.
Her Strength, Agility, and Constitution skyrocketed across the board.
Given her already exceptionally high Agility, she was now fast to an extent that even she found unbelievable.
Shen Chuyou was equally astonished.
As an Elemental Mage, her Intelligence stat was naturally her strongest point.
Yet once Lu Li's buff landed, her Intelligence surged by more than 150 points!
One had to understand that at her level,
even an increase of 10 points in Intelligence yielded a very noticeable boost in spell power.
Let alone a terrifying increase of 150 points.
'Just how many trump cards is this guy hiding?'
Shen Chuyou gave Lu Li a deep look, feeling increasingly uncertain about him.
She felt that even if she used her Succubus Bloodlinepower, she probably still wouldn't be a match for him.
Chu Nan was so excited he nearly jumped out of his skin.
His Intelligence had shot up substantially as well.
At this moment, he felt like a casual attack could unleash terrifying power far exceeding his usual output.
"Alright, all the buffs are in place."
Lu Li nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand.
"Chu Nan, team up with Bai Yuqing and clear the two Yakshas on the right."
"Lin Qingyu, Shen Chuyou, handle the four treants on the left."
"I'll support from the center. If there's danger, I'll step in."
"Understood!"
The four replied in unison and charged toward the six monsters.
What happened next left everyone dazed.
Lin Qingyu led the charge, sword light streaking like cyan lightning.
Before the two treants could even react, they were sliced into flying wood chips by the blisteringly fast sword light!
Shen Chuyou followed closely behind, casting Fireball.
This time, the Fireball was noticeably larger than before.
It crashed explosively into the treants, burning two of them directly to ashes!
"Hiss—!"
Chu Nan's eyelids twitched at the sight.
Was this Shen Chuyou at full buffs? So violent!
Not wanting to be outdone, he raised his staff.
A thick bolt of lightning roared forth, blasting right into a Yaksha's face.
Before the Yaksha could even scream, its entire body exploded.
In barely a dozen seconds,
all six Diamond-rank monsters were annihilated!
"That's... it?"
Holding his staff and staring at the ground covered in wood chips and corpses, Chu Nan couldn't quite believe it.
He hadn't even finished warming up!
Bai Yuqing had also taken care of her target.
She sheathed her daggers and landed lightly beside Lu Li, her bright, watery eyes brimming with excitement.
"Captain! Your support is way too overpowered!"
She tilted her baby face up, looking at Lu Li with eyes full of adoration.
"And that's without the captain buffing himself."
Lin Qingyu walked over, her voice cool, yet carrying a thinly veiled sense of marvel.
"If the captain gave himself full buffs as well,
and combined it with his damage output, we'd probably steamroll right through this dungeon."
Shen Chuyou nodded in complete agreement.
She finally understood why Dean Song dared to let Lu Litake on the roles of both tank and support alone.
It was because his support capability was strong enough to disregard team composition entirely.
Under his buffs, even a squishy assassin like Bai Yuqingcould take on a Yaksha head-on.
Why would they even need a tank?
With him around, the entire team possessed an inexhaustible well of combat power.
"Let's go. Deeper in."
Lu Li smiled and stepped toward the portal of light leading to the next stage.
The four exchanged glances and quickly followed.
The battles that followed were completely devoid of suspense.
Lu Li acted as support throughout, rotating buffs among the four.
Meanwhile, Lin Qingyu, Shen Chuyou, Bai Yuqing, and Chu Nan turned into four humanoid meat grinders.
Though their teamwork was not yet well-honed, the terrifying stat suppression alone was more than enough.
Treants, treant demons, Yakshas, cat demons...
All kinds of Diamond-rank monsters surged forth one after another.
Yet before they could even get within ten meters of the team, they were obliterated by the four.
Lu Li occasionally stepped in, hurling his axe to shatter any monster that slipped through.
Just like that, the party advanced faster and faster.
It was so fast that even they were shocked.
...
Meanwhile, in the observation room on the top floor of the Dungeon Building.
Song Wanqiu, along with several substitute members, was watching the performance of Lu Li's team of five via a massive holographic projection.
At first, the substitutes had been somewhat worried.
But when Lu Li buffed Bai Yuqing and she suppressed the Yaksha head-on,
the entire observation room fell into dead silence.
"This buff is way too sick, isn't it?"
"Wait, what kind of buff turns an assassin into a warrior?"
"How can the captain's support ability be this insane?"
"..."
The substitutes were utterly dumbfounded.
Seated in the front row, Song Wanqiu fixed her gaze on Lu Li's holographic projection.
She was also slightly taken aback.
She knew Lu Li's buffs weren't weak, but she hadn't expected them to be this potent!
"An S+-grade talent, Angel Bloodline, and the stacking of these buff skills..."
"These buffs are even more astonishing than I imagined..."
Song Wanqiu nodded to herself inwardly.
As the dungeon run progressed, the silence in the observation room gradually gave way to a chorus of gasps.
"Holy crap! Shen Chuyou's Fireball got even bigger!"
"Lin Qingyu's sword speed is ridiculous, my eyes can't even keep up!"
"Chu Nan and Bai Yuqing too—they're completely transformed!"
"My god, at this rate, could they actually clear it on their first try?"
"This is a Nightmare-level Diamond dungeon!"
"..."
The substitutes grew more and more rattled the more they watched.
They had looked into this dungeon's difficulty beforehand.
Normally, for a newly formed freshman team,
just getting familiar with the mechanics of the first wave of monsters would take several days.
But Lu Li and his team?
They were just steamrolling through!
"Dean, their clear speed seems absurdly fast."
One of the substitutes couldn't help but speak up.
Song Wanqiu smiled faintly without answering.
Her eyes remained locked on the golden figure who periodically cast buffs onto his teammates.
"Tree Spirit Jungle, Nightmare difficulty."
"It seems to still be a bit too easy for this kid."
Song Wanqiu murmured softly, her eyes full of anticipation.
"Looks like I'll need to prepare higher-difficulty training."
Hearing those words, the substitutes in the observation room gasped.
Wait, even higher difficulty? Isn't that going too far?
But when they looked back at the five figures carving through everything in the holographic projection,
they realized Dean Song's words were probably not a joke at all.
...
Inside the dungeon.
"Boom—!"
As Lu Li sliced the last Yaksha in half with a Pure White Blade, the path ahead opened up.
A colossal, pitch-black treant dozens of meters tall loomed at the end of the jungle.
It was the final boss of this dungeon.
"Here's the boss."
Lu Li swept it with Divine Appraisal Technique.
[Name]: Millennium Tree Demon King
[Level]: Level 22
[Quality]: Diamond
[Attributes]: Strength: 380, Constitution: 420, Agility: 210, Intelligence: 300
"Its stats are quite a bit higher than the mobs, but still, nothing special."
The corners of Lu Li's mouth curled up slightly.
"Come on, let's wrap this up quickly. You guys clear the mobs, leave the boss to me!"
He raised his hand, and four buffs fell upon himself at once.
Golden holy light erupted brilliantly, making him look like a deity descended to the mortal realm.
"Light Feather Storm!"
"Chain Lightning!"
A barrage of skills poured out like a tempest.
The arrogant Millennium Tree Demon King didn't even have time to launch an attack
before collapsing with a crash amidst the sky full of golden holy light!
[Ding! Congratulations on clearing the Nightmare-level dungeon: Tree Spirit Jungle!]
[Clear Rating: SSS!]
[Time Taken: 17 minutes 42 seconds!]
The dungeon notification rang out in all five minds at once.
"Cleared?"
Chu Nan stared blankly at the massive corpse of the Treant Demon King on the ground.
"Seems... so."
Bai Yuqing was also dazed.
From entering the dungeon to clearing it, less than twenty minutes had passed.
This was an 18th-level Diamond Nightmare-difficulty dungeon!
"Don't look at me, I barely did anything."
Lu Li held out his hands and chuckled,
"most of the damage was dealt by you guys."
"But our damage was all built on your buffs!"
Bai Yuqing was the first to object.
"Exactly!" Chu Nan nodded vigorously.
Though Shen Chuyou and Lin Qingyu didn't say anything,
the looks in their eyes when they gazed at Lu Li said it all.
The five looked at each other inside the dungeon and couldn't help but laugh.
What they didn't know was
that the top-floor observation room had erupted into utter chaos.
"17 minutes and 42 seconds?!"
"Their first time in the dungeon, and they cleared Nightmare difficulty straight away?!"
"And they even broke Imperial University's clear record for this dungeon!"
"Are they even human?!"
"..."
The substitutes were flushed with excitement, as if they were the ones who had cleared it.
Song Wanqiu stood up and looked at the five figures in the holographic projection, her eyes full of approval.
"Very good, even more remarkable than I imagined.
Looks like the roster for the exchange tournament can be submitted now."
Chapter 105: That's All You've Got? Lin Qingyu's Dinner Invitation!
The observation room on the top floor.
Song Wanqiu switched off the holographic projection, swept her gaze across the faces of the substitutes, and said gently:
"Did you all see that?"
"Yes, we did!"
The three substitutes answered in unison, the excited flush still lingering on their faces.
"Then let's head down. They should be coming out soon."
With that, Song Wanqiu turned and walked downstairs, her skirt swaying lightly, and the substitutes quickly followed behind.
Meanwhile, inside the dungeon.
The moment the Millennium Tree Demon King crashed to the ground, several dungeon notifications rang out simultaneously in their minds.
[Calculating rewards...]
[EXP Reward: +38,000!]
[Due to achieving an SSS-rank clear rating, bonus EXP awarded: +12,000!]
[Obtained dungeon equipment drops ×3!]
Hum—!
Three dazzling beams of light coalesced out of thin air and slowly descended before them.
One gold and two blue, the intertwined radiance illuminated the entire jungle in vibrant brilliance.
Lu Li looked up.
The first was an ice-blue staff, slender and topped with a fist-sized ice crystal.
The second was a pair of pitch-black leather boots with dark silver runes flowing across the soles, exuding the agility unique to assassin-class gear.
And the third floated quietly in the center.
It was an antique-styled golden bracelet.
About an inch wide, it was crafted entirely from a golden material Lu Li had never seen before.
Its surface was engraved with countless intricate runes, each swirling with faint holy light.
An exceptionally pure and majestic aura of light slowly emanated from within the bracelet.
Just one glance made Lu Li's heart skip a beat.
[Name]: grasp of holy radiance
[Quality]: Legendary
[Level]: Level 22
[Attributes]: Wisdom +80
[Additional Effect]: Increases Light-attribute skill damage.
[Equipment Description]: A legendary bracelet tempered with angelic holy radiance; only those favored by the Holy Light can unleash its true power.
"Legendary?!"
Lu Li's pupils contracted sharply.
A Level 22 legendary piece of equipment!
All four base attributes increased by 80 points, plus a Light-attribute skill enhancement effect!
These stats were simply absurd!
One had to know that the dawn battleaxe he possessed was already an extremely rare epic-tier piece of equipment.
Yet the grasp of holy radiance before him was even stronger than his +8 battleaxe!
"It's legendary equipment!"
"It's Light-attribute, so just give it straight to the captain!"
"Haha, I agree."
"—"
The others had noticed the legendary piece of equipment as well.
In just a few words, they decided to hand it over to Lu Li.
Lu Li didn't refuse and reached out to take the grasp of holy radiance.
"However, let me make something clear first."
He slipped the bracelet onto his left wrist.
With a faint flash of golden light, the bracelet automatically adjusted to a snug fit.
"Starting today, I won't participate in the distribution of equipment drops from dungeons.
Whatever good stuff drops in the future belongs to you guys."
"Captain, you're awesome!"
Bai Yuqing was the first to speak up, and Shen Chuyou and the others had no objections either.
With the bracelet claimed, the ice-blue staff went to Chu Nan.
The staff complemented his focus on Lightning magic well enough, making it a decent match.
Bai Yuqing happily took the pitch-black leather boots.
As an assassin, she was the one who needed assassin gear the most.
Shen Chuyou and Lin Qingyu didn't vie for anything.
Both of their family backgrounds were exceptionally wealthy.
They genuinely didn't care much for two pieces of diamond-tier equipment.
"Let's go, time to head out."
Having divided the loot, Lu Li waved a hand and stepped into the portal leading out of the dungeon.
...
In the dungeon building, people bustled to and fro in the third-floor lobby.
Ding Yi still stood in the corner with his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the dark golden portal of light.
He wanted to see just how long this freshman team, on whom Song Wanqiu had pinned high hopes, could last in this Nightmare-difficulty dungeon.
Then, he saw Lu Li and the other four walk out of the portal.
"They're out?"
Ding Yi froze for a moment, then subconsciously checked the time on his wrist.
"Huh? It hasn't even been twenty minutes?"
His brow furrowed.
A Level 18 Diamond Nightmare dungeon—Ding Yi couldn't be more familiar with it.
Back when he was a freshman, he had spent plenty of time grinding in this dungeon.
Even after his team had practiced together for over half a month back then,
and their average level was above Level 20,
clearing Nightmare difficulty still took more than half an hour.
Yet these five freshmen had come out in less than twenty minutes?
"There's no way they cleared it."
Ding Yi reached a verdict almost instantly.
In under twenty minutes, they wouldn't even have reached the boss.
The only explanation was that these freshmen had merely dipped their toes in to test the waters.
They were probably repelled by the first wave of mobs, or simply walked around in a circle before exiting.
"Just as I thought."
Ding Yi shook his head, a flicker of disdain flashing in his eyes.
With this kind of skill, they still wanted to participate in the National University Exchange Tournament?
What a complete joke.
Just then, however,
Song Wanqiu walked over from the staircase, leading the substitutes.
She walked straight up to Lu Li's group, looked over the five of them, and a gentle smile curved her lips:
"You all did very well just now."
"However, I need to remind you of one thing."
Pausing, Song Wanqiu's gaze swept over everyone present, her expression turning stern:
"The National University Exchange Tournament is fast approaching.
Starting today, none of your training process or results are to be disclosed to outsiders.
In particular, the tactics, coordination, and skill synergies you used in the dungeon must remain strictly between us.
Do you understand?"
Hearing this, everyone, including Lu Li, straightened up with solemn expressions.
"Understood!"
Nine voices answered in unison.
Only then did Song Wanqiu nod in satisfaction, the sternness on her face gradually fading.
"Good. Take a thirty-minute break, then we resume training."
In the corner not far away,
Ding Yi watched all of this and nearly burst out laughing.
Keeping it secret?
They were probably just terrified others would laugh their heads off if they learned what really happened inside!
He shook his head, looking toward Song Wanqiu and the others with pity and disappointment.
With this kind of performance, this year's Collegiate Freshman Tournament would probably go even worse than his batch's.
They might not even be able to hold onto a top-three finish.
"For the prestigious Imperial Capital University to fail to even make the top three would be utterly humiliating.
Oh well, time to head back and report to Teacher."
Ding Yi stopped watching, turned around, and walked toward the stairs.
In his heart, he had already pronounced a death sentence on this team.
...
Half an hour later.
After Lu Li and the other four finished resting, Song Wanqiu stood before them once more.
"Lin Qingyu, Bai Yuqing, Chu Nan, you three step down and rest."
"Substitutes, rotate in."
Song Wanqiu's voice was gentle yet decisive.
"Yes!"
The substitutes perked up and hurried forward.
"Understood."
Lin Qingyu, Bai Yuqing, and Chu Nan nodded as well and stepped to the side.
The team lineup changed once again.
Lu Li, Shen Chuyou, plus the three substitutes.
"Lu Li, Shen Chuyou, the two of you are the dual cores of the team."
Song Wanqiu looked at Lu Li and Shen Chuyou, her tone serious:
"In the upcoming training, your rotations will be fewer; you need to build synergy with different substitutes."
"Especially you, Lu Li."
"You must familiarize yourself with every substitute's combat style and skill characteristics."
"Only then can you provide the most appropriate buffs and shot-calling immediately during the tournament, no matter which lineup is fielded."
"Understood."
Lu Li nodded.
He knew very well that Song Wanqiu's arrangement
was not just to train the team, but also to temper him.
He was the team's captain, and more importantly, the team's brain.
The entire team's tactical system revolved around him.
The stronger he was, the stronger the team became.
"Alright, let's head back into the dungeon!"
With a wave of his hand, Lu Li led Shen Chuyou and the three substitutes back through the dark golden portal.
For the rest of the day, Lu Li barely stopped.
Roughly every hour, he would lead a team into the dungeon.
Of all the members, he and Shen Chuyou sat out the least.
The more dungeons he ran, the more EXP he gained, and the faster he leveled up—naturally, he was happy about it.
After all, running dungeons normally cost academy credits.
6:00 PM.
Another dungeon training session ended, and Song Wanqiu clapped her hands.
"Alright, that's enough for today."
"For the next month, every day will be at this intensity, with Sundays off."
"Go back and get plenty of rest."
"Understood!"
Everyone answered in unison.
Lu Li also let out a long breath, rolling his slightly sore shoulders.
Over the course of the day, he had run the dungeon a full seven times.
His EXP bar had grown significantly, already filled to a fifth.
"At this rate, I'll be able to hit Level 23 within a week."
Lu Li thought eagerly to himself.
"Captain! I'm heading out first!"
"Bye-bye, Captain! See you tomorrow!"
"Lu Li, I'm taking off."
"—"
Once Song Wanqiu dismissed them, everyone, including Shen Chuyou, said goodbye to Lu Li and left one after another.
Lu Li nodded and was about to turn to leave, but was called back by Lin Qingyu.
She turned her beautiful eyes toward him.
On her fair, pretty face was a rare trace of nervousness as she said,
"I promised to treat you to dinner. How about tonight? Are you free?"
Lu Li was taken aback for a second, then smiled:
"Yeah, I am."
"It's a deal then!"
Lin Qingyu's eyes lit up, and then she looked down at herself, feeling a bit self-conscious:
"I'll head back and change first."
"Sure." Lu Li nodded.
After training all day, he was covered in sweat as well.
He did need to go back, take a shower, and change his clothes.
Having agreed upon a time and place, they each headed back to their dorms.
Half an hour later, at 6:30 PM.
Having showered and changed into clean clothes, Lu Liwaited early by the exit of the dormitory area.
He wore a simple white short-sleeved shirt on top and black trousers on the bottom.
Clean and crisp, yet full of youthful vigor.
Before long, a fragrant breeze drifted over from behind him.
"Lu Li."
Lin Qingyu's voice sounded.
Lu Li turned around, and for a moment, he froze.
Lu Li looked up, his gaze pausing slightly.
Unlike her usual light-cyan combat outfit, tonight Lin Qingyu was uncharacteristically dressed in casual clothes.
She wore a neatly tailored white T-shirt.
The soft fabric clung gracefully to her slender waist, accentuating the breathtaking curves of her upper body to perfection.
On her lower half, she wore a black miniskirt.
The hem reached only to mid-thigh, revealing her straight, slender legs without reservation.
Her legs were impeccably shaped.
Her thighs were smooth and full, possessing a youthful firmness and elasticity.
Her calves were sleek and graceful, their contours smooth like finely sculpted jade.
She wore white sneakers, exposing her delicate, slender ankles.
Free of makeup, she was nonetheless so beautiful that one couldn't tear their eyes away.
Her black hair was no longer tied high in a ponytail, instead draping loosely behind her shoulders.
When the evening breeze blew past, a few strands fluttered gently, making her cool and striking face appear all the more refined and captivating.
How was this still the heroic and valiant swordswoman?
She was clearly a cool, breathtaking campus goddess.
Lin Qingyu walked up to Lu Li, tilted her head slightly, a faint smile on her lips:
"Have you been waiting long?"