The second test of the first day had been spectacular,
and while the students prayed they wouldn't run into Lu Ran, their expectations had soared through the roof,
which was a rather curious state of mind.
On the one hand, they hoped there'd be more astonishing matchups,
and wanted to witness strength.
On the other, they prayed that only weaklings would take the stage, so they could pass their own tests with ease.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—the matches that followed
were mostly ordinary.
The students didn't get too worked up, and watched them attentively.
That was, until the eleventh match,
when Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Nanmen Yun'er took the stage.
It was the classic combination of an Auxiliary System, a Power Attack System, and an Agility Attack System.
As expected,
they won with ease,
putting on a brief but entertaining show.
Amid some students' excitement and others' nervousness, the first day of testing came to an end.
The students went back to prepare,
ready to face the tests on the second day.
Night fell.
Wang Dong lay on her side on the bed, one arm tucked beneath her head.
She stared at the white wall in front of her,
but her mind was busy wondering
whether she should take the initiative and apologize.
Thinking back, I really shouldn't have acted that way. I was a little rude, after all.
I'm actually pretty mild-tempered, aren't I?
I mean, I barely even laid a hand on her.
That was what Wang Dong thought.
She stealthily turned her head, sizing up Lu Ran's empty bed from the corner of her eye.
She had no idea where he'd gone.
At any rate, he still hadn't come back.
"..."
He wasn't even here. What was she nervous about?
Wang Dong suddenly realized how ridiculous she was being and scolded herself inwardly.
She steeled herself, turned all the way around, and stared openly at the bed. The soft, oversized pillow lay at an angle, its white edge drooping over the side. A few faint creases marked the sheets...
"..."
She changed positions, lay flat on her back, and stared at the Soul Guiding Lamp on the ceiling.
A bright yellow coat had been painted over its cold metal surface.
"..."
She turned over again and lay on her side.
"..."
Ugh, what a hassle!
Forget it. She wouldn't think about it.
Time to sleep!
The Small World.
The cultivated area had doubled in size. The lush Blue Silver Green Wood Vine was growing vigorously, while the Sweet Honey Bees gathered nectar from flowers that had grown ten times larger and turned white,
pollinating them as they went.
In time, they would brew rich, full-bodied sweet honey, which would be collected every so often.
In the distance,
a small patch of grass in another thicket began to sway strangely, blades rubbing against one another
with a faint, almost inaudible rustle.
Looking closely,
something odd was moving in there.
"Gugu?"
"Gaga?"
Dozens of turtles of all shapes and sizes, black, white, green, and other colors, lay quietly in the grass.
Through gaps between the blades,
they watched the Blue Silver Green Wood Vine Meadow ahead, which seemed to stretch beyond the horizon because they were so short,
and drooled uncontrollably.
Under the sun,
the Blue Silver Green Wood Vine spread across the meadow, gleaming with a light that bewitched turtles.
Its leaves were plump, its sap plentiful, and its stems just the right size. Its rich vitality gave off an aroma that was irresistible to turtles.
They couldn't even imagine how delicious it would taste.
They were the Turtle Expedition Team!
After crossing the entire Small World, they had come upon this promised land.
These turtles could all eat plants, and the abundant vitality contained in the Blue Silver Green Wood Vine would greatly help them grow.
This stuff was a powerful tonic,
all benefits and no drawbacks!
There was just one problem.
They knew Lu Ran had planted it himself. They couldn't eat it.
So
they had all hidden in the grass, convinced they could conceal themselves and keep Lu Ran from discovering them.
Now,
they were facing the sternest test of their turtle lives.
In principle,
a group of well-mannered turtles certainly shouldn't steal food.
But principles weren't as tasty as the Blue Silver Azure Vine, nor did they contain vitality that could help them grow.
And if they ate it, their consciences would torment them.
The turtles couldn't decide what to do,
and were caught between a rock and a hard place.
"Gala, gala..."
A Grass Leaf Turtle with grass growing on its shell spoke hesitantly.
That wasn't because it was untidy. Grass simply grew on their backs. When they grew huge, even shrubs and other low-growing plants would sprout there.
They were gentle by nature,
and even let small Soul Beasts live on their backs.
"Gugu..."
Another gray turtle couldn't make up its mind either.
It turned to ask the Turtle Expedition Team's leader beside it.
They were all huddled next to a huge black turtle, whose shell was mostly exposed above the grass.
This sort of huge turtle was a Leader Turtle,
taking the rest of the team through water and over land.
And now,
the Leader Turtle was silent.
As the oldest and, in its own estimation, cleverest turtle,
it hesitated,
staring at the plump, juicy Blue Silver Green Wood Vine Meadow ahead.
A few drops of drool fell from its mouth onto the roots of the grass.
"Gaga, gaga!"
"Jiji... jiji... jijiji?"
A turtle beside it asked.
It lifted its head and looked at the sky.
The familiar view was clear and deep blue.
Then it looked around, making sure no Soul Beasts were active nearby.
The Sweet Honey Bees didn't count.
Even if they saw them, they couldn't snitch.
And below the Sweet Honey Bees was the Blue Silver Azure Vine, giving off an aroma that bewitched turtles,
growing lush in great swathes.
If they scattered while eating and only nibbled a little from each spot, they wouldn't be discovered.
Looking at the eager eyes of all the turtles around it,
the Big Turtle's gaze gradually grew fervent.
Then it looked at the Blue Silver Green Wood Vine Meadow and began to hesitate again.
It looked at the turtles,
then at the Blue Silver Azure Vine...
Its turtle face showed a painful struggle and indecision.
It closed its eyes
and buried its head in the grass.
The turtles waited silently for the Big Turtle to make its final decision.
After a long while,
in the utter silence,
the Big Turtle slowly opened its eyes and let out a breath.
At last, it shook its head, slowly but firmly.
"Krikri..."
"Gugu?"
"Gagaga?"
"Ji..."
Some of the turtles seemed unwilling to give up
and tried to persuade it.
"Krikri..."
The Big Turtle raised its head. This time, all hesitation had vanished from its eyes. Its sharp, hooked beak opened and closed.
"Krikri."
Some of the turtles still tried to talk it around.
"Gaga?"
But it took a deep breath,
raised its head as if to express some kind of pride,
and said earnestly,
"Krikri, krikrikri."
The Big Turtle looked toward the wetland several thousand meters away.
The river was clear, aquatic plants grew thickly, and dozens of turtles were lazily basking in the sun,
living easy, carefree lives.
It took two steps forward, then turned to look over the crowd.
A swath of tall, dense grass was pressed flat.
It pointed its short, thick turtle hand toward the Blue Silver Green Wood Vine Meadow beside it, then toward the little turtle munching on a Frost-Condensing Apple.
"Krikri!"
The little turtle froze.
"Gugu gaga... gugu gaga!"
It explained that it had found them all on the ground. The orchard was huge, and sometimes fruit fell.
This time, it had happened to spot the Frost-Condensing Apple that had fallen.
It was big and round, plump and juicy.
It hadn't said a word just now, and...
Focused on scarfing down their food.
Big Turtle shook his head and looked around at the other turtles.
"Krikri, Krikri?"
His gaze was profound.
"Krikri?!"
The turtles fell silent.
Gradually, they lowered their heads and said nothing more. The atmosphere grew increasingly heavy.
A moment later,
"Gala gala."
Grass Leaf Turtle was the first to speak.
Already hesitant, he seemed to have finally made up his mind.
He turned and left.
"Goo... goo-goo."
Little Gray Turtle spoke hesitantly.
He, too, decided to leave.
Then came the third turtle, the fourth...
A moment later,
Only their leader, Big Turtle, remained.
He calmly took one last look back at the Blue Silver Green Wood Vine Meadow.
Then he crawled away with determination,
resolved never to come back.
Among the tall grass, only the traces of their former disarray remained.
"What are you laughing at?"
Wang Dong sat in the stands, her powder-blue eyes fixed on Lu Ran in confusion.
The students on both sides were about evenly matched, all perfectly ordinary.
Why had he suddenly started laughing?
"Nothing,"
Lu Ran looked up at the sky.
It was a clear blue, so pure it defied description.
The students on the field had taken part in yesterday's assessment.
"I just suddenly feel relieved. I'm in a pretty good mood."
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