Chu Runxi’s head buzzed, but he couldn’t dwell on it.
They had to deal with the star plant first, then regroup and keep Li Yang under strict supervision.
Li Yang only participated in one star plant kill… it shouldn’t be a big deal, right?
Besides, this star plant might not even drop a star core.
Chu Runxi’s knowledge was limited.
He assumed the instructors were annoyed about connected students like Li Yang taking advantage, not that the Star Magic Department lacked a few First Rank star cores.
It was more about the Academic Affairs Office overstepping.
If everyone pulled strings to get in, what rules would the Star Magic Department have left?
They weren’t like the Alchemy Department, obsessed with money!
They were upright, honorable cultivators who despised this bureaucratic nonsense.
Before they could charge forward, Li Yang was already dragging the frenzied star plant deeper into the Tree Tower.
She noticed the Star Magic team was about to surround and kill it. No way—this wasn’t the time to strike yet.
Ying Qi shouted, “Don’t run off!”
Shen Shangchi called out, “Li Yang, since you have such a strong defensive star technique, just hold the star plant’s attention. We’ll take it down quickly!”
They assumed Li Yang was scared.
After all, with only three star apertures and such a top-tier defensive technique, she likely lacked combat skills.
She was probably regretting her reckless move to steal the aggro and was now running around in a panic.
Chu Runxi quickly ordered, “Speed up! Chase and kill the star plant! We can’t let her run wild—she’ll attract more star plants!”
Li Yang didn’t care. She stopped attacking the star plant, but it had no intention of letting her go.
It wasn’t just because she had wounded it—her identity as an Agricultural Studies student likely triggered some condition in the Tree Tower.
As Star Magic Department star wielders, Chu Runxi and the others had some ranged star techniques.
They tried targeting the star plant to draw its attention, but it only had eyes for Li Yang, its vines whipping toward her.
Though protected by the Invincible Solar Shield, Li Yang was still pretty scared.
Come on, just half a year ago, she was a desk-bound office worker.
Now she was forced to become a parkour athlete!
Bang bang bang!
The frenzied star plant’s vines slammed against the Solar Shield.
Li Yang ran along the route she’d memorized, closely monitoring her star glow reserves.
Not bad.
Thanks to her second-stage ability, at least 40% of the damage was converted into star glow energy.
Li Yang spotted the second star plant.
The team chasing her saw it too, their hearts sinking.
Chu Runxi said, “We’re done for.”
But what shocked them even more was yet to come.
Li Yang was doomed.
Not only did she not avoid the second star plant, but she stabbed it with her blade, enraging it as well.
The team: “…”
She was really asking for it!
The scene was getting surreal. Li Yang wasn’t short—at least 1.7 meters tall—but in front of these massive star plants, she looked incredibly frail.
The Solar Shield’s dazzling glow made her a glaring target.
Both star plants went berserk, whipping their vines at her furiously.
Even though Chu Runxi despised this “connected” student, he didn’t want to see her die here. Gritting his teeth, he said, “I’ll flank around to stop her!”
Shen Shangchi added, “I have a speed-boost star technique. I’ll go with Senior Chu.”
The others couldn’t follow even if they wanted to, only able to trail behind, launching star techniques to draw the frenzied star plants’ attention.
Chu Runxi and Shen Shangchi charged from the side, which slightly surprised Li Yang.
They’re coming to save her?
Well, she supposed they had to. If she died here, Chu, the team leader, would be in big trouble.
But Li Yang wasn’t about to let them ruin her plan to gather the star plants. She abruptly changed direction, darting the other way.
When it came to the terrain, Chu Runxi, who’d only been here a few times, was no match for Li Yang’s knowledge.
She’d never entered the Tree Tower, but she’d memorized the map.
With her current mental strength, a few minutes of focused study was enough to etch the map into her mind, impossible to forget.
The two chasing her clearly hadn’t expected Li Yang to switch directions.
What was she doing? Did she really have a death wish?
They wanted to help, but they couldn’t even catch up.
Li Yang was annoyed. Thank goodness her physique was strong, or she wouldn’t have outrun them!
But she didn’t want them to stop chasing either. If she gathered the star plants and they were gone, her firepower alone wouldn’t be enough to take them all down.
Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded on the first floor of the Tree Tower…
Li Yang ran ahead like a headless fly, followed by one star plant, then two, then three…
Behind the growing horde of star plants, ten Star Magic Department students chased relentlessly.
At first, Chu Runxi thought Li Yang was doomed. Provoking star plants like a madwoman, even with that powerful defensive technique, she’d eventually collapse.
As more star plants joined the chase, Chu Runxi’s mind went blank.
What was this?!
Why were these star plants acting like dogs chasing a bone, fixated only on her?
Someone whispered, “Brother Chu… is Li Yang still alive?”
Chu Runxi’s mouth twitched. “Nonsense. If she were dead, these star plants…”
Holy crap, he realized, shouting, “Stop chasing! If Li Yang can’t hold out, these star plants will turn on us!”
Ying Qi looked back at him. “So we just watch her get devoured?”
Chu Runxi was fed up with these naive rich kids. Did they think military school was a game? If she died, it was her own fault!
Shen Shangchi said, “If ten of us can’t handle twenty star plants, we don’t deserve to fight on the star realm battlefield.”
His words sent a chill down Chu Runxi’s spine. He didn’t want Li Yang to die, but if she was just being reckless, he wasn’t obligated to die with her.
Yet Shen Shangchi was right—if their ten-person team cowered, he’d face consequences after leaving the Tree Tower.
Gritting his teeth, Chu Runxi said, “Chase! Start killing the star plants from the back!”
If Li Yang slowed down even a little, they could pick off the star plants one by one, but she was too fast—and getting faster as more star plants joined, always staying just out of reach, preventing them from unleashing full firepower.
Li Yang was doing it on purpose. If they took out the star plants one by one from behind, her efforts would be for nothing.
But she was nearing her limit.
Nine, ten…
The line was getting longer.
Suddenly, inspiration struck. Biting down, Li Yang muttered, “Time to make you fight each other.”
Star plants could devour one another, but right now, they were so focused on her they ignored their peers.
Li Yang needed a high-risk move: deactivate the Solar Shield and activate Shadow Cloak simultaneously.
She had to chain the two techniques perfectly, or the barrage from ten star plants would kill her ten times over.
It was incredibly difficult—one mistake, and she’d be fully exposed to their onslaught.
Li Yang swallowed hard, focusing intently on the star plants, catching the brief pause between their attacks…
“Now!”
She dropped the Solar Shield, seizing the gap in their attacks, and swiftly activated Shadow Cloak.
Shadow Cloak on—the star plants froze, as if waking from a dream, standing still, unsure what to do.
Then they noticed their neighbors.
“Roar!”
“Howl!”
The star plants began tearing into each other. Number one bit number two, number three bit number two, number four bit number one… Soon, the ten star plants were a writhing mass of chaos.
Li Yang’s adrenaline surged, sweat rolling down her forehead, her chest heaving.
It worked!
Terrifying, but oddly exhilarating.
Watching the star plants tear into each other, Li Yang seized the chance to recover her depleted star glow.
The recovery rate was abysmal, since Shadow Cloak was also draining her star glow.
Better than nothing—she wasn’t ready to strike yet anyway.
While Li Yang rested, the ten-person team behind her was utterly dumbfounded.
What was happening?
Was Li Yang dead?
Chu Runxi’s face was ashen. “She’s probably… probably…”
Before he could say “dead,” that blazing “sun” reappeared in front of the star plants.
Shen Shangchi narrowed his eyes. “She has a defensive star technique and a stealth one…”
The others caught on, saying, “No wonder she slipped out of our watch.”
Star plants devouring each other didn’t weaken them—it created a more terrifying monster.
Chu Runxi was numb. “This thing… it’s gotta be Second Rank now!”
After Li Yang dropped Shadow Cloak, the grotesque star plant amalgam charged at her again.
Yet she showed no sign of turning back, continuing to sprint around the first floor of the Tree Tower.
“12, 13, 14…” Li Yang counted silently. When she gathered the 20th star plant, her star glow was nearly depleted.
Too close for comfort.
No wonder you needed teammates.
Oh, preferably Agricultural Studies teammates.
These Star Magic teammates were such a hassle!
This time, Li Yang was prepared. She instantly activated Shadow Cloak, giving the star plants another chance to devour each other.
Instead of running around, she quietly slipped back to the ten-person team.
“Once they’re done devouring each other, you can go all out.”
Her crisp voice rang out suddenly, startling all ten of them, their hairs standing on end.
“Li Yang! Where are you?!” Chu Runxi was nearly losing it, looking around frantically, but his mental strength couldn’t detect her.
Li Yang said, “If you don’t want to leave empty-handed, follow my lead.”
Chu Runxi opened his mouth, but Shen Shangchi narrowed his eyes and asked, “You did this on purpose?”
Li Yang: “Yes.”
Ying Qi couldn’t help but speak up. “Why would you…”
Li Yang said calmly, “Because this is the proper way to use the Tree Tower.”
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