Chapter 41 (continued)

Five people ganging up on one has a very high chance of winning!

The morale of the group was greatly boosted, and Li Yang also noticed their tacit cooperation.

Bro Wala's control techniques were difficult to land, but annoying enough to distract the cult leader and force him to dodge. Meanwhile He Song and Cool and Dashing Sis went all out, one delivering powerful punches and the other employing tricky sword techniques, all while Sun Anmo launched unexpected thrusts...

Although the four were only at the Second Grade and Third Grade Realm, their excellent teamwork allowed them to unleash power far exceeding their own levels!

There was no need for Li Yang to step forward, as it would disturb the four of them. It was a pity she didn't have "Star Link," otherwise she could quickly share the enemy's weaknesses with them using her Spirit Sea.

After advancing to the Second Grade, she definitely needs to find a way to obtain a related Star Skill!

The battle intensified, and it seemed a decisive victory was imminent, when the cult leader suddenly roared, "You will all die!"

Li Yang felt a throbbing sensation in her forehead; her exceptionally high Spirit Points made her sense a crisis... Oh no... this leader is going to...

He Song and his three companions had clearly noticed this as well. The cultist ripped open his own chest, digging into the countless Star Aperture inside, attempting to crush them...

He's going to self-destruct!

Sun Anmo was the fastest; she quickly retreated, creating distance, but she couldn't save the others, and she knew the other three would have a difficult time escaping...

Without a second thought, Li Yang, still under the effects of the "speed-boosting pill" she had taken, unleashed an astonishing speed of nearly 800 points of Physique Points, using all her power to crash into the cultist who was about to self-destruct.

"No! Li Yang!" He Song shouted.

The others also shouted hoarsely, "Li Yang! No!"

They knew Li Yang had two defensive skills, and they also knew her purpose in doing so... she wanted to protect them.

But... Xiao Liyang is only at the First Grade Realm! How could she withstand the self-destruction of the Third Grade Realm!

Li Yang fully extended the Wood Shield, directly covering the leader, and simultaneously poured all her Power of Starlight into the Bark.

Fortunately, Li Yang managed to push the Bark to the third tier. The second tier greatly enhanced defense, and the third tier added the ability to decompose Power of Starlight... In reality, the amount that could be decomposed was limited, but it was better than nothing.

At this critical moment, Li Yang couldn't use the Bark to protect his teammates, but he could knock the time bomb away himself, preventing it from harming everyone.

Boom!

The explosion was extremely powerful, blasting the Third Grade Realm leader into pieces and even creating a large crater in the ground.

He Song and his three companions rushed over, their hearts sinking. They felt certain that Li Yang was definitely... definitely...

"Healing... healing medicine..." a weak voice rang out.

The four people who rushed over wept with joy. Zhan Fei helped Li Yang up, saying, "That's great, that's great, she's still alive!"

He Song's nose also stung and his eyes were red. He quickly took out medicine from his backpack.

Li Yang said weakly, "In my bag... there's... Second Grade..."

The four people. "..."

Sun Anmo reacted the fastest. She quickly went to a distance and retrieved Li Yang's backpack, which Li Yang had thrown down beforehand when she crashed into the cult leader.

Unfortunately, this backpack isn't explosion-proof.

Sun Anmo took the backpack, He Song quickly went to find healing medicine. After the medicine was taken out, the group was once again dumbfounded.

Bro Wala: "Second Grade... five, five pieces..."

He Song gave Li Yang three pills all at once, Li Yang's bloody and mangled body finally looked like a human again.

Such expensive healing medicine doesn't even stop the pain...

Li Yang cursed under his breath, "Useless Pill Department!"

He Song looked at her with heartache and said, "This is too reckless. If this had happened..." He couldn't finish his sentence, his eyes filled with self-blame. If it weren't for Li Yang's intervention, the three of them would have surely died.

Zhan Fei and Bro Wala were still shaken, and both said, "Xiao Li, we owe you our lives!"

Li Yang shook his head, about to say something, but suddenly his nerves tensed up, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

The sudden surge of oppressive power stunned the five people gathered together, leaving them rooted to the spot.

A strange man emerged from the shadows. He wore a black mask and had eerie crimson eyes. He exuded an aura of power, and every step he took shattered the floor.

He Song's face turned deathly pale. "Fifth Grade..."

He could sense that the other party was definitely not just Fourth Grade, but Fifth Grade.

How could that be...?

How could there be Fifth Grade Star Wielders here...?

The others all looked on in despair. Li Yang immediately tried to release Hidden Shadow, but found himself frozen in place, unable to awaken the power of the Star Aperture.

Red Scorpion hissed, "No one is escaping. You will all die."

Although Li Yang couldn't discern the opponent's cultivation level or hear He Song's murmurs clearly, she knew that she had encountered a formidable enemy.

What happened?

Could it be that someone really came specifically to ambush and kill her?

Li Yang cried out, "Teacher Shen! Help me!"

Whoever it is, just shout it out first.

Red Scorpion's nerves visibly tensed up.

The next instant, an even more powerful pressure descended from the sky. Above the abandoned factory, a woman in a snow-white robe floated in mid-air. Her long hair was tied up, revealing her slender neck, and her lowered eyes carried a cold and murderous aura.

He Song and his three companions recognized him immediately, each one more bewildered than the last. "Dean Shen..."

Shen Binghua glanced at them indifferently, especially at Li Yang. Her lips moved slightly, silently uttering three words: "Annoying thing."

As soon as he finished speaking, a beam of starlight shot straight towards the Red Scorpion.

Red Scorpion was shocked and quickly assumed a defensive stance. However, as a mere Fifth Grade Initial Stage, he was utterly powerless against a Seventh-Grade Master.

Just as he could easily crush Li Yang, Shen Binghua could easily crush him as well.

However, Shen Binghua didn't rush to kill him. Instead, he wanted to trap him and interrogate him to find out who had sent him...

The Red Scorpion, however, swiftly self-destructed before the starlight-woven net could fall.

There was a bang.

This power was several times more terrifying than the previous Third Grade Realm self-destruction; the aftershocks alone could kill a five-person team.

Shen Binghua quickly cast a defensive Star Skill, the faint light enveloping the five students, while she stood alone in the blast circle, letting the strong wind and thick fog sweep over her. The flames surged and spread, the roof of the abandoned factory was blown off, and the powerful shockwave instantly leveled the place.

The City Guard Army outside were dumbfounded, and the several First Grade Realm cultists were even more stunned.

As the thick fog and smoke dissipated, Shen Binghua floated in mid-air, still dressed in pristine white, his dark hair neatly tied back, not a single strand out of place.

At this moment, Li Yang couldn't help but look up at her.

Is this what Seventh-Grade Master is like?

Is this what a true powerhouse is?

Looking at Shen Binghua in front of her, Li Yang imagined the scene that He Song had briefly described— Dean Si had used the Invincible Sun Shield to protect an Astral Realm city.

What a terrifying power that was!

The scale of this city is unmatched, even by hundreds or thousands of abandoned factories!

Shen Binghua also looked at Li Yang. She had expected to see gratitude and awe in this brat's eyes, but to her surprise...

Li Yang's eyes were like the blazing sun, burning with an intense desire for power.

Shen Binghua: "..."Monster!

Although she absolutely loathed this annoying guy, she had to admit that Si Kui had struck gold.

-

Even after returning to school, the five-person team was still shaken.

This mission was extremely dangerous.

First, the intelligence was wrong; the cult leader had somehow risen to a high rank.

Then, out of nowhere, a Fifth Grade Star Wielders appeared.

If Dean Shen of the Star Magic Department hadn't suddenly arrived, they would have certainly died.

What is going on?

Who sent that Fifth Grade Star Wielders?

Why did Dean Shen arrive so quickly? Was she protecting Li Yang?

Is the relationship between Li Yang and Dean Shen... not as fraught as everyone imagines?

Everyone was full of questions, but no one asked any further.

They weren't ignorant freshmen anymore; they had long understood a principle: the less you know, the longer you live.

He Song sighed softly and said, "Thank goodness you were here this time."

Li Yang shook her head and said, "If it weren't for me, things wouldn't have ended up like this..."

He Song interrupted her, saying, "If you hadn't pushed away the cult leader who was about to explode, we would have been dead long ago." There wouldn't have been anything like what happened later. Besides, it was Li Yang who called Shen Binghua to deal with that Fifth Grade Star Wielders.

He Song couldn't pry into the details, but he knew that he owed a great deal to Li Yang this time.

Li Yang truly saved their lives.

Zhan Fei and Bro Wala nodded in agreement.

Sun Anmo whispered, "Thank you." She had the ability to avoid the self-destruction, but she couldn't save her teammates. If He Song and the other two died, she...

Li Yang smiled and said, "The mission was successfully completed in the end!"

She also achieved the breakthrough by defeating a powerful opponent.

After the five parted ways, Li Yang dragged her tired body back to the Agronomy Department.

Just as they arrived at the wheat field, a gentle breeze swept by, and Li Yang landed in the small courtyard halfway up the mountain, where Shen Binghua was already waiting.

Si Kui quickly scanned her body, then roared in fury, "How dare they..."

Li Yang rushed over with a sob, burying her face in her arms and wailing, "Teacher, you scared me to death! It's so dangerous outside! The cultists are so scary! I almost didn't make it back! Waaaaah!"

Si Kui: "..." Her anger was completely extinguished by this muffled whimpering sound that was all bark and no bite.

Li Yang was faking her tears, but she was genuinely frightened, especially when that Fifth Grade Star Wielders appeared; she truly felt despair.

If this person wasn't sent by Shen Binghua, then who could it be?

Li Yang didn't mention it in front of He Song and the other three, but in fact, he had thought about it a thousand times in his heart.