Chapter 35: Allocation Principles

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Allocation Principles

At least 90% of those participating in the Secret Realm mock college entrance exam were intelligent.

After encountering Li Heng and Bai Shasha during the day, Zheng Zhuoran had made a mental note of the pair. He then found his friend, Lin Tao, whom he had already contacted.

Zheng Zhuoran learned from Lin Tao that the short, flat-chested girl was likely Bai Shasha, who had placed fourth in the Thirteenth Middle School’s preliminary exam.

As for the master swordsman at the Soul Pupil Realm, Lin Tao said he wasn’t sure. However, he did know that Bai Shasha’s teammate was named Li Heng and that he used a Longsword.

When Lin Tao learned that it was most likely Li Heng who had torn through He Long’s school uniform with a single sword slash, he was rather surprised. He recalled that when the preliminary exam results were released, Li Heng’s score hadn’t been high, and he wasn’t a Soul Pupil.

But Lin Tao soon figured it out. Li Heng must possess a great talent for the Sword Way. Then, just like him, he must have advanced to the Soul Pupil Realm after battling Soul Beasts in the Fallen Jiao Icefield.

However, Lin Tao wasn’t concerned with the specific process. A master swordsman was joining the team, and a middle schooler at that; Lin Tao told Zheng Zhuoran he supported the invitation.

Similarly, Xue Qing, as someone who was directly involved, knew just how terrifying Li Heng’s sword strike was. That, coupled with the contrast provided by her useless teammate, made her decide to join Zheng Zhuoran’s team. She also supported his decision to invite Li Heng.

Zhang Jian, who went to the same middle school as Zheng Zhuoran and appeared to be a good friend of his, supported the decision. He just hoped this Li Heng’s strength was worthy of the invitation.

And that was what led to the current scene of Zheng Zhuoran inviting Li Heng and Bai Shasha to join the team.

"Thank you for the invitation! I hope this team-up goes smoothly for all of us."

With things having come to this, and after analyzing the proposed team, Li Heng could find no reason to refuse. He shook Zheng Zhuoran’s hand, reaching an agreement.

And so, the team was formed. The group began to discuss their plan to enter the Wind Snow Area the next day.

Zhang Jian, Zheng Zhuoran, and Li Heng would be at the front. Bai Shasha’s main role was to protect Xue Qing. Xue Qing would be responsible for carrying the heavy supplies while also looking after her own safety. Lin Tao’s Blood Wolf would scout ahead, while Lin Tao himself would look for opportunities to act.

This was the team’s preliminary formation and strategy. To ensure it was workable, they agreed to test it in the Icefield Area the next day as they slowly approached the Wind Snow Area.

Regarding the final loot distribution, they settled on the following points after a brief discussion.

1. Soul Energy Equipment will be prioritized for distribution based on need. In case of a dispute, it will be held by a neutral party until they return to the gathering area, where a final decision will be made.

2. Soul Energy Items will be prioritized for distribution based on need. In case of a dispute, the item will go to the person who contributed most to acquiring it, with contribution level determined by a team vote.

3. If a Soul Energy Pet is acquired through a solo kill, it belongs to that individual. If it is a group kill, the person who receives the pet must compensate the other members for their contributions.

4. If an individual completes a kill from start to finish by themselves, all loot dropped belongs to them.

5. Anyone can tear up their Teleportation Talisman to leave the secret realm at any time, but doing so forfeits any claim to subsequent loot distribution.

These five points constituted the team’s preliminary, mutually agreed-upon plan for loot distribution. Although some of the definitions were a bit vague, everyone felt it was very reasonable.

"I don’t have any major issues with this, but I do have one small request. I’m not sure if you’ll all agree to it."

Just as the group finished their initial discussion and was about to move on to other topics, Li Heng suddenly spoke up.

His words instantly drew everyone’s attention, and the other four waited for him to continue.

"If possible, I’d like to be the one to land the final blow on any creature we fight, whether it’s an ordinary Secret Realm Creature or a Soul Beast. To put it simply, you all would just need to incapacitate them—while ensuring your own safety, of course—and I’ll deliver the killing blow. The reason is, I want to practice being more ruthless. I used to only wound things without killing them, and I paid the price for it once. I need to harden my heart."

When Bai Shasha heard this, her curious expression faded, replaced by a look of sudden realization.

"So who gets credit for the contribution?" Zhang Jian asked.

"Contribution will be calculated based on everything that happens before I land the final blow. In other words... I’m just ending their lives. The kill itself won’t count as part of my contribution, unless I complete the entire hunt by myself."

More than the Soul Energy Items in the secret realm, what Li Heng truly wanted were Soul Energy Points. As long as he had enough Soul Energy Points, he could enter a Dungeon. At that point, all the rewards inside would be his alone, and he could also use the points for upgrades.

But entering a Dungeon required Soul Energy Points.

Upgrading items and equipment required Soul Energy Points.

Soul Energy Points were what Li Heng considered the absolute top priority!

"In that case, I have no objections!" Although Zhang Jian had been the first to question him, he was also the first to agree.

Once Zhang Jian spoke, the others quickly agreed as well. After all, now that they understood Li Heng’s reasoning, they realized that a final blow that didn’t count toward contribution was hardly a big deal.

Although some of them may have still had doubts about why Li Heng wanted to deliver the killing blow, they had only just met him. Prying into his affairs would not only be presumptuous but also extremely rude.

With his source of Soul Energy Points now secured, Li Heng agreed to nearly everything else that was discussed, raising no objections.

Now that they were a team, Li Heng and Bai Shasha didn’t return to their original spot after the discussion ended. Instead, they chose to rest with the group by the campfire.

Although he had joined the team on the surface, Li Heng remained on guard. If things went south, he would tear up his Teleportation Talisman and leave immediately. The worst-case scenario would be missing out on exploring the Dungeon in this secret realm, but he absolutely could not afford to put himself in danger.

Li Heng planned to remain constantly vigilant, whether the danger came from Secret Realm Creatures, Soul Beasts, or even his new teammates.

After all, the only teammate he truly trusted right now was Bai Shasha. If the team didn’t have a healer and a balanced, stable composition, Li Heng would have preferred to wait longer.

The night passed without incident. The next morning, the group of six set out for the Icefield.

On the third day, the fine snow and freezing rain over the Icefield Area had all but ceased. Visibility improved drastically, to the point where they could see over a hundred meters ahead.

Upon entering the Icefield Area, the six of them shared a single thought: they had to get to the Wind Snow Area as quickly as possible!

Visibility in the Icefield Area was nearly back to normal, which meant the competition for its resources would only grow more intense.

Furthermore, the equipment and elixirs displayed by the City Combat Hall staff the previous night would certainly fuel the students’ desire to grind for loot.

So, while the Icefield seemed vast, it actually didn’t have many resources left. For students who had already advanced to the Soul Pupil Realm, simply farming materials from Snow Leopards was no longer what they were after.

Fighting Soul Beasts to obtain Soul Energy Equipment, or even Soul Energy Pets, was now the wisest choice. And while it was possible to encounter Soul Beasts in the Icefield Area, their numbers were extremely limited.

Once the Snow Leopards in the Icefield Area were farmed out, everyone else would head for the Wind Snow Area. Li Heng’s group of six all realized this, and with a tacit understanding, they quickened their pace.