Chapter Sixty-Six: Xiao Tiance Strikes, Lin Xue’s Difficult Choice

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Arrows flew like rain toward Yang Feng and his companions.
“Everyone, be careful! The archers are launching an attack!”
The archers from the University of Magic City had suddenly struck.
Warriors raised their shields.
Mages conjured protective barriers.
Knights lifted their bucklers.
Swordsmen parried with their long blades.
As for Yang Feng, he summoned two raven warriors, who shielded both him and Gu Panpan.
“The University of Magic City dares to ambush us!”
“Don’t hold back—strike them hard!”
The archers and mages from Qingbei University unleashed their own skills.
At once, arrows rained from both sides, spells flew wildly.
Though only professionals under Level 25 had been sent from both the University of Magic City and Qingbei University, their skills were evenly matched.
Priests, tasked with healing, worked tirelessly at the rear, their restorative magic shining white into the sky.
Support professions, like the Seers, quickly bolstered everyone’s status.
Knights clashed on horseback, colliding fiercely.
This was a sudden encounter; neither Qingbei nor the University of Magic City had any formation prepared.
The battlefield descended into chaos.
Both sides were evenly matched, neither able to gain an advantage.
In Yang Feng’s estimation, Qingbei University was somewhat stronger.
Though both institutions were top universities in Great Xia, Qingbei’s reputation surpassed the University of Magic City.
Thus, Qingbei’s graduates were all elite professionals, possessing powerful skills and equipment.

The University of Magic City had also sent elite professionals for this entrance exam, but compared to Qingbei, they were still a step behind.
The only issue now was the exorcist from the University of Magic City.
That exorcist had earlier driven away a horde of Head Shark monsters, leaving Qingbei’s team incomplete and significantly weakened.
This was why the battle had become stalemated, with neither side able to break through.
Both groups fought fiercely, but no one could seize the lead and enter the dungeon first.
Magicians’ mental energy rapidly depleted, forcing them to drink potions to recover.
Archers and knights had their skills on cooldown.
The battle was not as intense as when it first began.
After about half an hour, both sides withdrew slightly, entering a truce.
Yang Feng never intervened.
His strength was simply overwhelming.
He feared that if he unleashed his raven warriors, they might annihilate the opponents with a single strike.
If Yang Feng cast Fireball, perhaps only a handful from the University of Magic City would survive.
Lin Xue had told him that Qingbei University and the University of Magic City were always rivals, but seldom resorted to killing.
Though the battle had seemed fierce, in the end, not one person died, nor did anyone suffer grave injuries—only a few had been lightly wounded.
After all, they were all from Great Xia’s universities, not mortal enemies, so bloodshed was unlikely.
With the priests’ healing, all wounds quickly mended, and no lives were at risk.
The first clash ended with neither side victorious.
Both teams eyed each other warily, unwilling to relax their vigilance.
The dungeon lay before them; everyone coveted the demon core of the great boss.
“Our team is too disorganized. We need to regroup!”
“If we rebuild our squad, we can definitely defeat them!”
Many had dropped out during the entrance exam, leaving several teams incomplete.
An incomplete team was at a disadvantage in battle.
“We lack a ranged attacker—either a mage or archer, at least Level 20!”
“We need a priest, a healer, also not below Level 20.”
“We’re missing a tank, a warrior or swordsman, again not below Level 20.”
Most teams were short on ranged attackers and healers.
When surrounded by Head Sharks at the mountain’s foot, many mages had opted out of the entrance exam.

These teams had strict level requirements—not below Level 20.
To enter the Heart of the Ocean dungeon, the minimum level was 20.
Xiao Tiance suddenly spoke, “Lin Xue, I want to join another team.”
Lin Xue asked in surprise, “Why?”
She hadn’t expected Xiao Tiance to wish to leave.
Pointing at Yang Feng, Xiao Tiance replied, “If you want me to stay, he must go!”
Not only Lin Xue, but everyone else stared at Xiao Tiance in astonishment.
No one expected him to threaten them at this moment.
Most importantly, the timing was precise—now, at the dungeon entrance, losing Xiao Tiance would severely impact their team.
Gao Yao’s face darkened. “Xiao Tiance, this is too much!”
Yu Miao’er protested, “That’s right! If Yang Feng hadn’t drawn off the Head Sharks at the mountain, we wouldn’t have made it!”
Xiao Tiance said indifferently, “I don’t care. It’s simple: either Yang Feng leaves, or I do!”
Gu Panpan sneered, “Xiao Tiance, you truly are a despicable villain!”
He ignored Gu Panpan and looked at Lin Xue. “Captain, it’s your decision.”
Lin Xue glanced at Yang Feng, then at Xiao Tiance.
She was furious at Xiao Tiance’s ultimatum.
But without a tank, they could not clear the dungeon, nor complete the entrance exam.
Every team was now recruiting; as a heavy swordsman, Xiao Tiance would be in high demand.
This was why he forced Lin Xue’s hand now.
His ultimatum put Lin Xue in a difficult position.
If Yang Feng left, their average level would rise above the dungeon’s requirement.
But finding a lower-level professional was not hard, certainly easier than recruiting a tank.
Gu Panpan wanted to speak, but Yang Feng stopped her.
With a glance, he signaled her to remain silent.
Yang Feng understood what Gu Panpan wanted to say.
If he left the team, she would surely follow him.