Want to team up with me?

"Chen Ming, we aren't here to ask for your opinion. This team doesn't belong to you alone."

Song Chuan frowned, his tone turning blunt.

Jiang Yi, standing to the side, spoke up as well, her voice cold.

"We can pay you one gold coin. Just create a new team, alright?"

Chen Ming laughed in disbelief.

Are they trying to brush me off like a beggar?

At the same time, he finally understood.

These two likely had ulterior motives.

However, Chen Ming had no interest in guessing their true intentions.

Without another word, he directly pulled up his personal panel.

Watching Chen Ming's actions, Song Chuan and Jiang Yi both breathed a sigh of relief.

"At least you know your place."

They hadn't come to find Chen Ming just to make him leave the team.

If they didn't want to be in a party with him, they could have just left Morning Light themselves.

The most important reason was Qin Zhixue!

She was an SS-rank class, the Holy Radiance Angel!

If they could form a party with her, their future prospects would be incredibly bright.

And the Morning Light Squad was the bridge.

They could use this connection to try and get Qin Zhixue to form a team with them.

This was an opportunity, and they had to try.

However, this guy Chen Ming was such a waste, having awakened a C-rank class.

To prevent Qin Zhixue from leaving the team because she looked down on Chen Ming, the two had rushed over to demand the position of captain from him.

"Just transfer the captaincy to me..."

Before Song Chuan could finish his sentence, he saw a notification pop up on his personal panel.

[Regrettably, you have been removed from the team by the Morning Light Squad captain!]

Song Chuan blinked, stunned in disbelief for a long moment.

"You dare kick me?!"

He glared at Chen Ming, eyes wide with rage.

Usually, when a team had internal conflict, members would leave on their own; kicking someone was undoubtedly an act of humiliation.

Chen Ming sneered.

"Weren't you asking to leave? I'm just helping you out."

Jiang Yi realized what had happened, her face turning pale.

She looked at her panel, and sure enough, a notification had popped up.

[Regrettably, you have been removed from the team by the Morning Light Squad captain!]

"You..."

Jiang Yi was momentarily incoherent.

She never expected Chen Ming to be so bold.

Without a second thought, he had kicked both her and Song Chuan, two high-level class holders, out of the team.

By now, the surrounding crowd had figured out what was going on.

"Holy crap, this Chen Ming is ruthless. He just kicked an S-rank and an A-rank class holder in public!"

"He's got guts. If you're being humiliated, you have to slap them back hard."

"That's not guts, that's having a death wish. Offending an A-rank and an S-rank class holder, heh..."

"Doesn't concern me, but it was satisfying to watch."

"Too irrational. If they run into each other in the wild or a dungeon later, this Chen Ming is going to be in trouble."

Clearly, regarding Chen Ming's actions, everyone thought he was just seeking a moment of satisfaction.

Although it was indeed excessive for team members to demand the captaincy and then leave, who told him they were S-rank class holders? You just had to hold your nose and accept it.

"Done, don't let the door hit you on the way out." Chen Ming clapped his hands.

"Fine, fine, fine, you've got guts!"

Song Chuan pointed at Chen Ming, his eyes dark and gloomy.

"Chen Ming, can't you see reality? Do you still think you're that genius from before?"

Jiang Yi's expression was icy.

In her view, the fact that she and Song Chuan had come personally to tell Chen Ming these things was already giving him plenty of face.

"Are we that close?"

Chen Ming interrupted her, waving his hand to shoo them away. "If you're done talking, move aside. Don't block the path."

Jiang Yi wanted to say something more, but Song Chuan pulled her back.

"Forget it, why bother lowering yourself to the level of a C-Rank Class-Changer."

"You'd better pray we don't run into each other in the wild, otherwise..."

He snorted coldly and turned to leave with Jiang Yi.

However, they hadn't taken more than a few steps when they suddenly saw a graceful figure walking toward them.

It was a very eye-catching woman.

She was tall, wearing a simple moon-white long dress with a short cardigan over it.

Her hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and her features were elegant and clear.

"Senior Qin!"

Song Chuan's eyes lit up, his gaze filled with a hint of fervor as he looked at the newcomer.

The person who had arrived was none other than Qin Zhixue!

Her appearance caused the scene at the entrance of the great hall to fall inexplicably silent, with gazes converging upon her.

"Senior Qin, I'm Song Chuan. You should still remember me, right?"

Song Chuan took a deep breath, quickly adjusted his expression, and walked up with a smile.

"I've awakened as an S-Rank Warrior. How about... how about we form a team together?"

The Morning Light Squad was only meant to serve as a convenient stepping stone.

Since that path was no longer viable, he had no choice but to extend an invitation directly.

He was an S-Rank Warrior.

He figured Qin Zhixue had no reason to refuse.

After all, Cloud Sea City didn't have a second SS-Rank Class-Changer this year.

The reason he was so anxious was mainly the fear that people from other schools or even other cities would come to snatch the spot.

If Qin Zhixue didn't want to be on a team with the A-Rank Jiang Yi, he would immediately cut ties.

Just as Song Chuan waited in full anticipation for Qin Zhixue's answer.

She merely glanced at him indifferently and said nothing.

Then.

Under Song Chuan's somewhat stunned gaze, Qin Zhixue walked straight toward Chen Ming.

"Something up?"

Chen Ming frowned slightly.

Although his relationship with Qin Zhixue wasn't exactly close, they weren't strangers either.

Surely she wasn't here to ask him for a team leader spot too.

"Do you want to team up with me?"

Qin Zhixue spoke softly.

As the words fell.

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly went quiet.

The expressions of the onlookers at the hall entrance turned strange—filled with surprise, bewilderment, and the excitement of witnessing a massive scandal.

As for Song Chuan and Jiang Yi not far away.

Their stunned faces were now written with pure confusion.

Did they hear that right?

Qin Zhixue asked Chen Ming if he wanted to team up?!

An SS-Rank Class-Changer, taking the initiative to invite a C-Rank Class-Changer?

"You want to team up with me?"

Chen Ming gazed at the cold, aloof woman before him with a puzzled look.

"During the Grand Exam, I can help you reach Level 10."

"Why?"

"You helped me once. I'm not fond of owing favors."

Chen Ming was slightly taken aback, but he quickly realized what she meant.

Could Qin Zhixue be referring to that exchange program earlier?

The school had provided him with a team creation permit worth forty thousand.

To be polite, he had taught Qin Zhixue a few simple techniques for cultivating mental potential...

Of course, what he considered simple might have genuinely helped her back then.

"That's fine, but I don't need it right now. Let's get in touch when we run dungeons later."

Chen Ming pondered for a moment before nodding readily.

An SS-Rank Class-Changer as a teammate—it would be foolish to refuse.

In this world, a team is indispensable.

Furthermore, in dungeons, forming a party does not split the completion experience or rewards.

Reaching Level 10 as quickly as possible would allow him to awaken a new SSS-Rank skill.

It might even help compensate for some of his current shortcomings.

"Fine."

Qin Zhixue nodded lightly, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Their conversation had been brief.

Qin Zhixue wanted to repay a favor, and Chen Ming wanted to reach Level 10 as soon as possible.

Just like that, an SS-Rank Class-Changer and a C-Rank Class-Changer had 'temporarily' formed a team.

The scene remained deathly silent even after Qin Zhixue had departed.

Although they hadn't heard the details of the conversation, it looked as if... it had actually happened?!

"Damn, what a scoop! What is the relationship between Qin Zhixue and Chen Ming? Could it be that..."

"An SS-Rank and a C-Rank teaming up? Is this even right? It's no exaggeration to call it the most bizarre combination in history!"

"Damn it all... to actually be on a team with Qin Zhixue, what kind of dog-shit luck does this Chen Ming have?"

The gazes of envy and jealousy were enough to drown Chen Ming right then and there.

Not far away.

Song Chuan stood frozen in place.

He suddenly felt an itch in his nose.

It felt as if something red was about to come gushing out...