Chapter 34: Formal Team Invitation

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Formal Team Invitation

Li Heng was not just interested; he was very interested.

He wanted to go to the Wind Snow Area, or even the Ice Lake District, to see if there were any new Dungeon entry points. He had previously considered waiting until he was more familiar with the environment before discussing it with his teammate.

But with Zheng Zhuoran’s appearance and his proposal, Li Heng, for one, was not opposed.

Li Heng and Bai Shasha were teammates. If they were going to team up with outsiders—and possibly even form a larger group—they had to consult each other.

"I’ll follow Li Heng’s lead!"

Before Li Heng could even ask for her opinion, Bai Shasha spoke up. Then she fell silent, adopting an expression that clearly said, ’Whatever happens next has nothing to do with me.’

After Bai Shasha finished speaking, Zheng Zhuoran’s gaze focused on Li Heng. In fact, his eyes had been on Li Heng the whole time.

Because Li Heng’s fast and precise sword strike from earlier that day had left a very deep impression on him.

"I’m interested. Let’s talk."

Li Heng thought for a moment before stating his position. He didn’t agree to go right away, because he wanted to learn more about the Wind Snow Area.

Whether or not he ended up joining Zheng Zhuoran’s team, there was no harm in talking.

So, the three of them left the crowded "trade meet" and walked to a quieter campfire in the settlement.

As soon as they got there, Li Heng saw a familiar face—the girl who had come to apologize with the Snow Leopard Fang earlier that day.

Seeing Li Heng and Bai Shasha arrive, the girl’s expression immediately became strained. Just as she was about to say something, Zheng Zhuoran spoke first.

"Fellow students, that girl from Fifth Middle School is Xue Qing. Her EQ and perception are nothing like that 190cm oaf from earlier today."

"Fellow students, I am truly sorry for what happened earlier today! I once again apologize on behalf of our archer, and for the events that followed!"

Upon seeing Li Heng and Bai Shasha approach and hearing Zheng Zhuoran speak, Xue Qing had immediately stood up from the campfire and bowed slightly to them.

It was unclear what Bai Shasha was thinking, but in any case, Li Heng wasn’t angry with Xue Qing. In this matter, she wasn’t at fault to begin with.

"It’s alright. There’s no misunderstanding between us, Xue Qing," Li Heng said in a calm tone.

Bai Shasha didn’t say anything, just nodded at Xue Qing.

Seeing that neither Li Heng nor Bai Shasha intended to press the issue, Xue Qing breathed a sigh of relief and returned to her spot.

With the arrival of Li Heng and Bai Shasha, the number of people at this campfire reached six.

Aside from Xue Qing, who had been the first to apologize, the other two boys also turned their attention to Li Heng and Bai Shasha.

Zheng Zhuoran took this as his cue to begin the introductions. "The muscular guy wearing the Finger Tiger is Zhang Jian from our Seventh Middle School, at the Soul Pupil Realm. His stamina and endurance are arguably the best in our school. As for the one with the bow and arrow, you might be more familiar with him than I am, so I won’t go into detail. He’s Lin Tao from your Thirteenth Middle School, also at the Soul Pupil Realm."

As Zheng Zhuoran made his introductions, Zhang Jian and Lin Tao both greeted Li Heng and Bai Shasha at the appropriate moments.

Because they were from the same middle school, they had seen each other around a few times when teachers Wang Guodong and Yang Limeng were leading the group, so their faces were somewhat familiar.

The reason Lin Tao stood out to Li Heng wasn’t just from seeing him a few times or because he ranked second in the placement exam, but because of something Huang Zhengyang had once told him.

He was the "Emperor Ouyang" who had gotten the Blood Wolf cub!

Soul Energy pets, as long as their loyalty wasn’t too low, were the most trustworthy and reliable teammates in both combat and exploration.

An excellent Soul Energy pet could not only become a Soul Master’s powerful asset, but in certain situations, it could even be their second life.

Therefore, among the three major categories of Soul Energy Items, Soul Energy Equipment, and Soul Energy pets, pets were the top priority and held the highest value under equal conditions.

So, for Lin Tao to rank second in the placement exam, whether by luck or by skill, was well-deserved.

"I’m Zheng Zhuoran from Seventh Middle School, at the Soul Pupil Realm, and I specialize in blade techniques. That girl from Fifth Middle School is Xue Qing. Her Cultivation hasn’t reached the Soul Pupil Realm, and her weapon is a dagger. She’s not a combatant, but her basic medical skill Level is maxed out!"

After waiting for Li Heng and Lin Tao to "finish their greetings," Zheng Zhuoran continued the introductions, and also formally introduced himself for the first time.

At this point, Zheng Zhuoran stopped his introductions. He simply smiled at Li Heng and Bai Shasha, seemingly waiting for something.

It wasn’t just Zheng Zhuoran who was waiting; the other three also looked towards Li Heng and Bai Shasha, waiting for them to speak.

"Bai Shasha, Thirteenth Middle School. My Cultivation hasn’t reached the Soul Pupil Realm. I specialize in short-range weapons."

"Li Heng, Thirteenth Middle School. Soul Pupil Realm. I use a Longsword."

Li Heng and Bai Shasha both understood what the others were waiting for. Bai Shasha went first with her self-introduction, and after finishing, she glanced at Xue Qing.

After Zheng Zhuoran’s introduction, Li Heng’s gaze also drifted toward Xue Qing. She was very pretty, but that wasn’t the main reason she caught his eye. It was her "maxed-out basic medical skill."

According to the Soul Energy Alliance’s compulsory education regulations, middle and high school students were required to study basic attack skills. Only students in special circumstances could choose to study other fields.

Medical knowledge and skills were supposedly only taught after entering university. But this girl from Fifth Middle School had not only been able to study basic medicine, but had even maxed it out!

Although he didn’t know Xue Qing’s backstory, he knew the importance of this girl could not be underestimated.

If Xue Qing was the source of the previous conflict between Seventh Middle School and Fifth Middle School, then Li Heng understood why. With a "healer" like her, the entire team would be more stable and could afford to be bolder during exploration.

It was only now that Li Heng realized Zheng Zhuoran’s team was already nearly complete.

Zhang Jian was a close-quarters fighter with excellent stamina and endurance. He could be considered a warrior, or even a front-line tank in a pinch.

Lin Tao was an archer with a Soul Energy pet—a Blood Wolf cub. He filled the hunter role, handling long-range attacks with no problem, and depending on the situation, could even act as a Scout.

Zheng Zhuoran was the damage dealer, and Xue Qing was the healer.

It was a nearly perfect team composition. If he had to point out a flaw, the only thing lacking was...

"Student Li Heng, to be honest, I originally planned to take the team to the Wind Snow Area right after inviting Student Xue Qing. But after seeing that sword strike of yours, I realized our team’s core damage output is still severely lacking! Therefore, I sincerely invite you and Student Bai Shasha to join our team!"