Chapter 129: Puppet Training

Their running speed felt like slow motion, growing sluggish until they could no longer escape; even their spells, primed like arrows on a string, were frozen in place. Meanwhile, a faint violet glow suffused Ling Xiaolei’s eyes—the predictive effect of her perception web. Once these individuals entered her attack range, escape was impossible.

Binding chains wove and coiled, pinning their legs, arms, torsos, and necks until each was trussed up like a dumpling. Ling Xiaolei’s offensive did not cease. In one continuous motion, she chanted, and trails of violet runes ignited across the ground, intersecting into a grid of squares.

One student shouted in frustration, "Don't give up! We still have a chance. Attack together and defeat her!"

"Right!"

The others snapped to attention, raising their staves in unison as several beams of magical light surged toward Ling Xiaolei. But a faint smile touched the corner of her lips, her gaze remaining cold and sharp. She had already prepared a countermeasure. Without breaking her chant, she swept her staff across the ground, delivering the final spell to conclude the skirmish.

"Dark Barrier!"

A violet wall erupted from the earth, blocking their incoming spells and sweeping forward toward the bound students. Simultaneously, three more barriers rose from the other directions, closing in and compressing the space. The walls, shimmering with flowing runic trails, were incredibly sturdy; no matter how the students attacked, they could not break through, leaving those trapped within to wail in despair.

Before long, the students begged to concede. Ling Xiaolei withdrew her spell, leaving them slumped on the ground, utterly exhausted. Teacher Xiali watched with surprise. It was her first time witnessing the combat style of the Dark Elves, and she had never expected this unassuming young girl to possess such explosive power, capable of holding her own against a dozen male peers of the same rank. Although none of her techniques were high-damage offensive spells, the seamless, precise flow of her movements spoke of masterful skill.

Teacher Shifang Cheng was even more delighted, clearly satisfied with Ling Xiaolei’s performance. Yet, he still felt a pang of regret for the students who had failed to qualify, shaking his head as he said, "Alas, it is a pity, but you have lost."

The students, for their part, accepted the defeat with grace.

When Hei Yu and the others returned from circling the vast arena with Yun Lan, they saw the students lying scattered across the stage, with only one person left standing. Shen Zaiguo was overjoyed, tugging at Hei Yu’s sleeve. "Look, Brother Hei Yu! Sister Ling Xiaolei won! I told you, with her strength, she was bound to be selected sooner or later!"

Hei Yu was momentarily stunned. Seeing Ling Xiaolei standing alone on the stage, she seemed like a different person; her entire presence had become far more imposing. Unbeknownst to him, the frail support mage who had always hidden behind him to control barriers had grown into a formidable, self-reliant magic user.

The six members of Class S were finalized. Those who failed returned to their former classes, while the chosen six faced a month of grueling pre-competition training. From dawn, the six gathered at the training grounds outside the city to complete ten specialized drills before undergoing personal instruction from Teacher Yun Lan.

The "Ten-Part Special Training" covered vision, hearing, strength, mana, speed, endurance, agility, prediction, and more. Naturally, the intensity was even higher than the previous Class S, reaching a "purgatory level." On the first day, many failed to keep up; girls like Ling Xiaolei, Shen Zaiguo, and Ling Meng were already slumped on the grass, complaining bitterly and wanting to quit.

Yun Lan gathered everyone and looked down at the group sprawled on the lawn. "You can’t even handle this little bit of hardship? Advancing from intermediate to advanced mage requires relentless, unceasing effort. Do you think you're elite just because you made it into Class S? You’re still far from it!"

"The continent has never lacked gifted prodigies. In the history of our Holy City Magic Academy, there was a 'genius youth' who broke through the peak of the intermediate mage realm at just thirteen, graduating with perfect scores in both practical combat and theory."

"A genius youth? Graduated as an intermediate mage at only thirteen?" The group gasped, whispering to one another.

"That means that person was younger than Shen Zaiguo when he graduated..." Yixin understood immediately. The "genius youth" Yun Lan spoke of was the eldest son of the Chi Yan family, his own older brother, Yi Feng. Hearing this, he clenched his fists, a surge of determination rising within him as he stood up. "Teacher, let us continue training!"

"Good! That’s the spirit I want to see! Remember, in this tournament, you represent not only yourselves but the Holy City Magic Academy. You must win glory for the Holy City! Therefore, give your all in the training ahead!"

"Yes! We will give our all!"

"To test your resolve and endurance, go! Each of you is penalized with an extra fifty laps!"

"Huh?..."

Though their response was weak, they all took off running. When they returned, rows of wooden logs had been placed in the center of the clearing, varying in thickness from the size of a bowl to the width of a waist.

"Today’s training focuses on your greatest weakness as mages: close-quarters combat."

As Yun Lan spoke, he raised his hands, and a sudden gale swept through the clearing. The neatly stacked logs were lifted into the air by the wind. "Though mages are not adept at close combat, that does not mean you won't encounter enemies who are! I don't expect your melee skills to match a warrior's, but you must possess the endurance and grit to survive under their assault. Only by holding out in adversity can you find the chance to turn the tide and win!"

Invisible wind blades sliced the logs, cutting them into uniform segments before the wind reassembled them. Using thick logs for torsos and thinner ones for limbs, twenty-four lifelike wooden puppets soon stood in a row, creaking and moving as if infused with life.

"These puppets are your opponents today. You may fight bare-handed or use your staves, but there is one rule: no magic allowed!"

"What? No magic? Then how are we supposed to fight?" the girls complained.

The three boys, however, quickly prepared for battle. Yixin opted for unarmed combat, while Hei Yu and Bai Shengye gripped their staves, eyeing the puppets with anticipation. Disregarding the complaints, Yun Lan intensified the wind, pushing the puppets forward. Their wooden joints clicked and clattered as four of them surrounded each student.