The team advanced along the railway tracks.
A few minor demons appeared along the way, but before anyone else could act, Mu Nujiao controlled the Bell Demon Seed and shredded them all. She then came before Mu Ningwei with an adorably expectant look, clearly waiting for praise.
Qingqing, also a plant mage, said enviously, "She's gotten stronger again."
All the men were even more jealous. "Fuck, why don't I have such a pretty younger cousin!"
"There's a mountain ahead, but there's a tunnel we can pass through."
Mu Ningxue took a look. "The tunnel is very dark. There may be demons inside. Should we take a detour?"
Zhao Manyan volunteered, "I'm a light mage. I can provide visibility. Taking a detour would be too troublesome. Who knows how far we'd have to go?"
Seeing that the others also wanted to go through the tunnel, Mu Ningxue looked at Mu Ningwei. "What do you think?"
Mu Ningwei smiled. "With you protecting me, what do I have to fear?"
"Alright, let's go in!"
Watching the team straggle into the tunnel without even forming an exploration formation, Mu Ningwei helplessly covered his forehead.
Then he looked at Mo Fan, who only knew how to hover around Mu Ningxue and curry favor with her.
Weren't you a hunter mage?
Oh, right. Mo Fan had always hunted within the city.
So Imperial Capital Academy had sent this bunch of utterly inexperienced, foolish college students to carry out a mission that even veteran hunters would only accept with caution.
"Brother Ningwei, what's wrong?"
Mu Ningwei smiled in relief. "Nothing. Let's go."
He stepped onto Mu Nujiao's shadow and activated shadow magic.
The shadow moved like a conveyor belt, carrying Mu Ningwei forward.
Mu Nujiao noticed it and found it quite novel that Mu Ningwei was slacking off by treating her like a "mount."
Mu Ningwei had already taken out his Light Element resources, restraining the elemental leakage as he began refining them.
He had no time to play house with these people.
Cultivate!
Advance toward becoming a Super Tier Mage!
Light Element Super Tier magic—Great Sword—was beckoning to him!
The team proceeded through the cave tunnel. It was gloomy and damp inside, with moss and vines growing everywhere, while the air was murky.
Crack.
Mo Fan seemed to have stepped on and crushed something white.
"What's this?"
Zhao Manyan glanced at it. "A rock?"
"No, this is a bone!"
Mo Fan cried out. A chill ran down his spine as he felt something watching him.
Zhao Manyan hurriedly cast a Light Glow, illuminating the ugly humanoid demons lurking among the vines at the fork ahead.
Their eerie blue eyes stared at the fresh meat that had intruded into the tunnel. Blinded by the sudden Light Glow, they shrieked miserably.
"Yayayayaya!!!"
Qingqing said, "They're Cave Demon Slaves!"
Mu Ningxue's expression changed slightly. She immediately shouted, "Prepare for battle! Stay close together!"
The moment she spoke, a student lagging behind the group was approached from behind by two Cave Demon Slaves.
One Cave Demon Slave seized his arm, its powerful limbs squeezing hard enough to make his bones crackle, as if they were about to snap.
The other Cave Demon Slave raised a massive two-meter stone club and smashed it down. If it hit, a human mage's fragile body would absolutely be turned into pulp!
"Ahhh! Help! Save me!!"
The student was terrified out of his wits!
At the critical moment, a Shield Magic Tool unfolded and blocked the stone club.
Before he could even feel relieved, the Cave Demon Slaves dragged him backward. More demons rushed over, battering his Shield Magic Tool until it teetered on the verge of collapse.
"Xu Dalong!"
"Save him!"
Mu Nujiao unleashed Bell Vines, Mo Fan cast a Flying Thunder Seal, and Zhao Manyan hurriedly drew a Light Protection, but they likely would not make it in time.
"Damn it!"
Mu Ningxue stopped drawing her Ice Element star map and stepped onto a Wind Track, charging over in an attempt to rescue Xu Dalong despite the danger.
Mu Nujiao and the others' magic cleared a path for Mu Ningxue. She narrowly dodged several attacks and was already close to Xu Dalong.
At that moment, the Shield Magic Tool shattered with a bang.
The Cave Demon Slave gave Mu Ningxue a mocking grin, raised its stone club, and brought it down viciously!
"Captain, save me!"
"Stop! Just a few more seconds!"
Mu Ningxue's eyes widened as she clenched her fists in regret.
She seemed to see Xu Dalong's flesh and blood splattering everywhere, even spraying her red.
But the next second, the shadow beneath her feet seemed to come alive, transforming into a sack that blocked the Cave Demon Slave's attack.
The Shadow Sack wrapped around Xu Dalong and Mu Ningxue's waist, lifting them high into the air before setting them down in the middle of the team.
"...?"
Everyone stood there in bewilderment.
"Reckless. Knowing there might be demons in the cave, yet you walked in like you were on a picnic."
Mu Ningwei snapped his fingers lightly. Shadows transformed into a whirlwind around the team, sweeping the Cave Demon Slaves away and shocking everyone.
Shen Mingxiao cried out, "Shadow Element? Aren't you a Light Element and Blessing Element mage? You're actually a High-level Mage!"
"A High-level Mage!"
Everyone was dumbfounded.
They were still struggling at the Intermediate Tier, yet someone their age had already become a High-level Mage?
"Thank you, thank you for saving me!"
Having survived the disaster, Xu Dalong thanked him through tears and snot.
Mu Ningwei smiled. "It's fine. You're already dead."
"Xu Dalong, right? You entered demon territory without the slightest vigilance, forcing Mu Ningxue to venture deep into the demons' encirclement to save you. Now the team has to deal with demon ambushes while also rescuing Mu Ningxue, causing a complete collapse."
"Because of your mistake, many people will likely be seriously injured or even die."
Xu Dalong lowered his head in shame.
Mu Ningwei took out paper and a pen from his Storage Magic Artifact and handed them to Mu Nujiao. "Write down what I just said. When we return, submit it to the teachers as part of the mission log."
"Alright, Brother Ningwei."
Xu Dalong cried out, "Captain Mu, can we not do that?"
"I wasn't asking for your opinion. Oh, and since you're already dead, you don't need to participate in the rest of the assessment."
Mu Ningwei's eyes turned pitch-black, and everyone shuddered for no apparent reason.
Xu Dalong's shadow transformed into a sack, wrapping around him and suspending him above Mu Ningwei's head.
This method left Mu Ningxue and the others stunned.
Mo Fan looked forward to the day his own Shadow Element could be this cool. "Mu Ningwei, are you going to keep him hanging in the air until the training ends?"
"That's right."
"He'll starve to death."
"It's fine. He's already entered a fainted, suspended-death state. Going without food for a while will at most leave him weak."
"Oh."
Mo Fan had no more questions.
Mu Ningxue felt somewhat awkward. She had shamelessly claimed that she would protect a High-level Mage.
"Do you not plan to continue the training with us?"
Mu Ningwei nodded. "Yeah. This kind of training is useless to me. With me here, you won't need to worry about dying. But anyone who 'dies' will be locked up by me until the training ends."
"And I'll report the performance of the 'dead' to the teachers."
No one objected. It was enough that Mu Ningwei could ensure they did not actually die.
But if they "died" like Xu Dalong and their school and elders found out, they would certainly disappoint them.
They resolved to perform well.
Mu Ningxue took a deep breath. "Mu Ningwei, thank you. Let's continue the training."
Mu Ningwei looked at her. "I haven't finished talking about you. As captain, your determination to save someone is worthy of praise, but you charged alone into a demon encirclement. If the team had collapsed, you would bear half the responsibility."
"Mu Ningxue, your performance was terrible."
Mu Ningxue pressed her lips together. "...I accept that. Please continue guiding us from here on."
Mu Ningwei had thoroughly enjoyed scolding them, and Mu Ningxue's proactive attitude in admitting her mistake also satisfied him.
Mu Ningwei waved away the dark whirlwind, stepped onto Mu Nujiao's shadow, and continued refining his resources.
Before you continue