Riding Thorn as One (Part 2)

Gao Yingjie continued, "Wang Yuanyuan, Sima Xian, in my eyes, both of you are warriors. It's just that one is an axe warrior, while the other is a holy warrior."

At his words, both Wang Yuanyuan and Sima Xian looked somewhat embarrassed.

A faint smile appeared on Gao Yingjie's face. "You don't need to feel awkward. There's nothing wrong with it. Everyone chooses a different path of development, and as long as it suits you, it's a good one. Without question, your External Spiritual Power far surpasses that of ordinary people. I won't say much about Wang Yuanyuan. In battle, what you need to pay attention to is coordination and rhythm. Always keep an eye on Long Haochen's movements. Move with him while helping him guard one side. You can't let your own impulsiveness expose a weakness in the entire team. Also, although your ultimate move is powerful, it consumes too much spiritual power. Don't use it lightly."

"Oh." Wang Yuanyuan nodded. Her nature was straightforward. As long as someone was stronger than her, they had the right to guide her.

Gao Yingjie turned to Sima Xian. "As for you, I have a few more things to say. You're originally a priest, yet you chose close combat as your specialty. There's nothing wrong with that in itself. In my view, you can follow the path of a Discipline Priest."

"A Discipline Priest?" Sima Xian froze, confusion in his eyes. This was the first time he had heard the term.

Gao Yingjie said, "Discipline Priests truly haven't appeared in many years. A so-called Discipline Priest is a priest like you, one who chooses combat as their primary focus. But you must remember that you are ultimately a priest, not a warrior. Therefore, you must learn more priest skills—not just offensive skills, but support skills as well. Choosing the path of a Discipline Priest means giving up healing. However, you must fully display the explosive power of holy magic that a Discipline Priest possesses. That Holy Light Hammer you use in combination with Berserk is very good. But from what I've seen, your holy magic and close combat still lack coordination. You should ask Long Haochen for more advice in that regard. If you cultivate well as a Discipline Priest, you can become a powerhouse who combines magic and martial arts."

"In terms of team positioning, Sima Xian and Wang Yuanyuan, the two of you should stay slightly behind Long Haochen. Guard the team's left and right flanks. While helping Long Haochen shoulder pressure from the sides, you must also protect Chen Yinger and Lin Xin in the center."

"Yes." Listening to Gao Yingjie's detailed analysis, everyone felt completely convinced. Gao Yingjie had not only pointed out each person's future path of development, but also their position within the team. With clear positioning, it would be easier for them to build tacit understanding in future battles.

"Han Yu, your position is at the very rear of the team. I know you are a Guardian Knight. Covering the rear is extremely important within a team. One of the advantages of your Soldier Grade One Demon Hunt Squad is having an extra Guardian Knight like you. If you do your job of covering the rear well, your teammates can fight without worries. At the same time, your magical beast companion, Evil Eye, can also provide excellent support to the others. If a particularly powerful enemy appears, you must have Evil Eye use spiritual magic to intimidate the opponent and buy your companions time to react."

Han Yu said, "Leader, I have something to say."

Gao Yingjie said, "Go ahead."

Han Yu said, "Our team's biggest problem at present is the lack of a priest capable of healing. This will affect our ability to fight continuously. Therefore, my future development will lean more toward defense and healing, to make up for the team's shortcomings."

Surprise flashed through Gao Yingjie's eyes before being replaced by approval. "Very good. This was also what I intended to mention later. It is a blessing for your entire team that you possess such awareness."

Sima Xian was sitting beside Han Yu. Hearing this, he immediately threw an arm around Han Yu's shoulders. "Good brother. From now on, all the merit I earn from killing enemies will have your share."

Han Yu glanced at him helplessly. "Don't press your muscles against me. I still prefer girls with soft bodies."

Sima Xian chuckled and blinked, seemingly trying to give him a flirtatious look. "How about me?"

"Ugh..."

The little interruption made everyone laugh.

Sima Xian had always felt somewhat troubled that he could not provide healing for the team. Han Yu's initiative in taking on that responsibility made him genuinely grateful, which was why he had taken the initiative to show goodwill. The atmosphere inside the carriage grew more harmonious because of the brief interruption.

At last, Gao Yingjie's gaze fell upon Long Haochen and Cai'er.

"Cai'er, your offensive power is very strong. It can be said that you are the sharp blade of this entire team, and your attack power is also the highest in the group. Therefore, you must shoulder greater responsibility. I know you and Long Haochen are very close, but do not forget that you are members of the same Demon Hunt Squad. Many times, you absolutely cannot act on impulse. Otherwise, you won't be helping him—you'll be harming him instead. He is the captain. If you truly care about him, then help him fulfill the role of captain properly."

Gao Yingjie's voice became stern again. Cai'er raised her head slightly. Though she could not see, her movements showed that she was listening attentively.

"Uncle, you're so handsome!" Just as Gao Yingjie was speaking, a sudden sweet and naïve voice instantly shattered his imposing dignity. Shi Xiaoxue grabbed Gao Yingjie's arm and shook it back and forth.

Gao Yingjie's face reddened as he said in mock anger, "Let go, now. What kind of behavior is this? Don't interrupt."

"Oh." Shi Xiaoxue lowered her head aggrievedly, but her hand still clutched his sleeve. Gao Yingjie truly had no way to deal with this little girl.

Sima Xian, Han Yu, Chen Yinger, and Wang Yuanyuan could not help but snicker. Even Lin Xin, who had been brooding alone, seemed to relax somewhat. He looked at Gao Yingjie, then at Shi Xiaoxue, with a rather ambiguous expression. Is this the legendary old ox eating tender grass?

"Cough, cough." Gao Yingjie coughed several times to conceal his embarrassment, then said seriously to Cai'er, "Your duties mainly consist of three things. First is killing enemies. With your formidable offensive power, you will surely become the one who kills the most enemies. When there are no especially powerful enemies, you should eliminate as many foes as possible, moving around the perimeter to lessen your companions' pressure.

"Second is breaking through enemy lines. When the enemies also have a complete formation, you are the sharp blade that tears it apart and clears the way for your companions' charge."

"The last is support when facing powerful enemies. Cai'er, tell me: as an assassin, how can you unleash your strongest offensive power within a team?"

Cai'er replied coldly, "By killing enemies."

Gao Yingjie shook his head. "No, you're wrong. If you do that, you will only be using your own strength. Moreover, constrained by other circumstances on the battlefield, you won't even be able to fully display your own attack power. When facing enemies stronger than your team, doing so will provide no benefit to the team."

"You should know that the Knight Temple and Assassin Temple share the closest relationship. This is not simply because both temples specialize in close combat. More importantly, it is because of the relationship between knights and assassins. Knights and assassins complement one another. A knight is an assassin's shield, while an assassin is the knight's sharpest weapon hidden in the shadows."

At his words, everyone was deeply moved. Long Haochen in particular seemed to have grasped something.

Gao Yingjie said, "When you face a powerful enemy whose individual strength surpasses any one of you, what you should do is not remain apart from the battle. Instead, you should fight alongside Long Haochen. The shadow behind Long Haochen is where you should hide. When he withstands the enemy's fierce assault, that is the moment for you to unleash your attack power. This is what is known as Riding Thorn as One."

"When facing powerful enemies, an assassin is not only a deadly weapon for attacking the enemy. When a knight cannot withstand an opponent's attacks, the assassin must even assist the knight in defense and enhance the knight's ability to survive. Therefore, I hope you and Long Haochen can quickly come to understand each other's abilities and limits. Only then can the two of you join together and become the core of the team."

Cai'er nodded gently and bowed slightly in Gao Yingjie's direction. "Thank you."

It was no easy matter to make her sincerely say the words "thank you." Gao Yingjie's words had finally allowed Cai'er to gradually see herself as a member of the team. Of course, the most important part was still that phrase, Riding Thorn as One—enhancing the knight's ability to survive. During the previous battle, Cai'er had wanted with all her heart to help Long Haochen, yet she had not known how to do so in the best way. With Gao Yingjie's guidance now, her intelligence had allowed her to understand many things.

A trace of gratification appeared in Gao Yingjie's eyes. As long as these young people could take his words to heart, then his role as their leader had not been in vain.

The Temple Alliance placed immense importance on Demon Hunt Squads. In order to enhance the survival ability of these newly established squads and cultivate as many qualified Demon Hunt Squads as possible, they had arranged for these powerful Seventh-rank Temple Knights to guide them for three months. These three months were both a trial and a period of adjustment. The ten Temple Knights led by Gao Yingjie were all elites among the elites of the Knight Temple.

"Long Haochen, lastly, it is your turn. Among all of you, you were the one who satisfied me most in the previous battle. You are also the one I have the greatest expectations for. The Saint Origin Spiritual Stove is excellent, but possessing it does not necessarily mean that one will become an outstanding knight. As the core of the team, you did not abandon or give up on anyone. You faced danger head-on and used your steadfast defense to give your companions a chance to survive. You did very well."

"Your position is at the very front and center of the team. When facing powerful enemies, you will always be the first to meet them. That is what a knight is. Humility, honesty, compassion, bravery, justice, sacrifice, honor, perseverance, benevolence, righteousness. The ten precepts of a knight are of vital importance within a team. What you must do is combine offense and defense as one, and lead the entire team. The responsibility on your shoulders is immense. Every decision you make will determine the team's fate."