Chapter Seventy-Seven: News of the Gathering of Evil Forces

“Hmph, Sister Jing, you’re giving her far too much credit. Your cookies are a hundred times tastier than Xiao Yuan’s.” Shooting a glare at Zhuang Xiaoyuan, Wen Hui swallowed the lemon-flavored cookie in her mouth before habitually delivering her blow. Even though she knew full well that Zhuang Xiaoyuan’s baking was better, Wen Hui still spoke against her own conscience, deliberately trying to deflate her. This, after all, was their unique way of communicating in their peculiar friendship.

“Heh, you two really are something. Should I call it a close friendship or a rivalry?” Although she knew they were just being polite, Hua Jing couldn’t help but feel delighted to be praised for her skills by the younger girls. She had always enjoyed making little treats with her own hands. To have her efforts appreciated by these considerate juniors was naturally a source of happiness.

“Who’s friends with her, anyway?” both girls retorted in unison.

Hua Jing laughed behind her hand. “See? You even speak in perfect harmony.”

“Don’t copy my words!” they protested together again.

“Hmph,” they huffed simultaneously.

While Zhuang Xiaoyuan and Wen Hui exchanged their usual banter, Man Yutong had already settled to the side, quietly munching on a cookie. The way she ate was unexpectedly adorable—like a little hamster with her cheeks full.

“All right, let’s pause the emotional exchange for now. How did you both fare this time? I assume you succeeded, but your divine power levels haven’t increased. Any thoughts on that?” Hua Jing smiled, intervening before Zhuang Xiaoyuan and Wen Hui could escalate their playful squabble.

“Hehe, even though this trial was a bit painful, I learned an incredibly powerful combat technique!” Wen Hui’s face brimmed with pride as she spoke of the gains from the Guardian Spirit trial. She even shot a sidelong glance at Zhuang Xiaoyuan, as if to show off.

“Hmph, nothing to be smug about. I’ve enhanced my potential for divine power cultivation, and I also obtained a new divine transformation ability.” Zhuang Xiaoyuan replied coolly, unimpressed by Wen Hui’s boasting. She deliberately avoided mentioning the World Card she’d obtained—explaining that passive ability would be far too complicated.

“It sounds like you both gained a lot. So, what are your plans now? I’ll be submitting your files to the Divine Equipment Academy later. Since we’ve missed the official enrollment date, the transfer process will take a while—investigations and assessments always do. Normally, it takes about half a month to hear back from the academy. Have you made any plans for the next two weeks?” After listening to their brief summaries, Hua Jing seemed to remember something and asked.

“I don’t have anything planned yet. Is there something you need, Sister Jing?” Wen Hui withdrew her gaze from Zhuang Xiaoyuan and cocked her head in curiosity.

“Xiao Yuan, what about you?” Hua Jing turned to Zhuang Xiaoyuan.

“I have a few things to take care of. Is there something important, Sister Jing?” Zhuang Xiaoyuan asked after a moment’s thought. After seeing the third character card manifest, she had more or less planned her next steps. She hadn’t expected the Divine Equipment Academy to respond so quickly, nor did she anticipate that Hua Jing might have plans for them already.

“Yes. Yesterday afternoon, during her patrol, Du Qiying noticed a gathering of lesser fiends. She later went with Yutong to investigate. The result of their investigation…” Hua Jing’s gaze shifted to Man Yutong beside her.

“There are signs that a higher-class fiend is about to ascend.” After sipping her fragrant chrysanthemum tea and swallowing her cookie, Man Yutong picked up the thread quietly.

“A higher-class fiend ascending? What level?” Wen Hui’s eyes sparkled with interest. Such advancements among fiends were rare occurrences.

“It’s likely a turret-class fiend advancing to burrower-class,” Man Yutong replied with certainty, though her tone was modest. Her eyes would never misjudge, and her humility was just a formality.

“Burrower-class? Isn’t that on par with Senior Hua Ze’s Divinely Blessed rank?” Zhuang Xiaoyuan looked astonished. She had never encountered a burrower-class fiend before.

Unlike the fragile turret-class, fiends only became true threats to humanity starting at burrower-class. As they ascended further, their forms grew larger—making them easier to hit, perhaps, but far harder to injure.

“Exactly. That’s why we need to eliminate it before it completes its ascension, or it’ll pose a grave threat to the city.” Hua Jing nodded in affirmation.

“I want to go, I want to go!” Wen Hui, fully ignited by curiosity, leapt up to volunteer before Hua Jing could even finish.

Frowning slightly, Zhuang Xiaoyuan cast a suspicious glance at Hua Jing’s gentle expression, then at Man Yutong’s calm face as she nibbled her cookie. “Sister Jing, Senior Yutong, a burrower-class fiend is incredibly powerful, right? Even if it’s still a turret-class now, getting close would be dangerous for us. Plus, if the fiends are gathering, there’ll be plenty of tank-class as well. Wouldn’t we just be in your way?”

“You’re right. With your current abilities, you’d be lucky just to protect yourselves. We want to bring you along so you can experience the might of the fiends firsthand before heading to the academy. It might help you grow in the future.” Hua Jing’s gentle smile didn’t waver as she spoke plainly—even bluntly—about their limitations.

“Ouch… Even if it’s true, hearing it from you is still a blow.” Wen Hui clutched her chest dramatically, feigning heartbreak, though the flicker of determination in her eyes was genuine.

“I think… I’ll sit this one out.” After careful consideration, Zhuang Xiaoyuan decided against going. This mission had been set by the Guardians themselves, and their strength was more than sufficient. She’d only be a burden.

Besides, she’d already witnessed the power of fiends—she still remembered the terrifying figure behind that spatial rift. The fear had faded, replaced now by an overwhelming fighting spirit. No matter how fearsome the next one, she was determined to become stronger, to one day defeat it herself.

Moreover, there was another pressing reason: she needed to earn money. In half a month, she’d be heading to the Divine Equipment Academy. Tuition wasn’t high, and as special transfer students, Zhuang Xiaoyuan and Wen Hui were essentially exempt. But once enrolled, there would be fewer opportunities to work. Living expenses, sundries, cultivation potions—the military stipend would never cover it all. She needed to start thinking of ways to earn money, starting now…