After Chu Runxi introduced the members of the team to Li Yang, he raised his voice again:
“This is Li Yang from the Department of Agronomy. She is our special member for this Tree Tower mission.”
The people in the Tree Tower team, except for Ying Qi and Shen Shangchi, all smiled warmly.
Ying Qi completely ignored her, while Shen Shangchi smiled meaningfully.
Chu Runxi obviously wasn’t speaking for them, but rather for the other students gathered around the Tree Tower.
The nearest person was undoubtedly Fang Chuyun.
A surprised look crossed her cold face as she looked at Li Yang.
Li Yang’s expression remained unchanged. She still had her hands clasped in front of her, head lowered, quietly standing there, appearing obedient and docile.
The surrounding students couldn’t hold back and started talking:
“What’s going on? How can a student from another department enter the Star Law Department’s Tree Tower?”
“Li Yang from the Department of Agronomy… Isn’t she the one who rejected all seven major departments and ruined her own future as the top student from Donghua Province?”
“Why does she get to enter the Tree Tower?”
“Yeah! Ying Qi and Shen Shangchi are the strongest new students in our Star Law Department, it makes sense for them to enter the Tree Tower. But why her?”
“She did open three Star Apertures…”
“If you’re saying that, then Lin Zhaoxia from the Star Warfare Department has opened four Star Apertures! Doesn’t she deserve to enter even more?”
Chu Runxi only needed one sentence to stir up the crowd’s resentment, which was exactly the effect he wanted.
Then he turned to Li Yang and said, “Don’t worry, Li Yang. Director Niu specifically instructed us to take good care of you and make sure you don’t have any accidents.”
Chu Runxi deliberately emphasized “Director Niu” with his tone.
The new students might not know who this “Director Niu” was, but hearing the title, they knew that the person must be of a high rank.
“Ah, could it be the one in charge of the academic affairs office?”
“Li Yang’s from the Department of Agronomy, how could she be related to the director of the academic affairs office?”
“Damn! I thought she was just an ordinary student, but turns out she’s someone with connections.”
“It’s a pity for Ning Shaoyu.
If it weren’t for Li Yang’s interference, he would’ve been the third new student to enter this time.”
The surrounding students were gossiping, but Li Yang didn’t care what they were saying.
She wasn’t interested in listening.
Chu Runxi was deliberately inciting the emotions of the unaware crowd, and Li Yang was happy to let it happen.
This was great! She didn’t even have to make an effort to create any hype herself.
The more the crowd riled up, the more explosive it would be when the truth finally came out.
As long as she didn’t interfere, the show would unfold.
Fang Chuyun stepped forward, and Li Yang thought she was going to question her, but instead, Fang Chuyun said, “Don’t mind what they’re saying. Being able to enter the Tree Tower is a good thing, you should take advantage of it!”
Fang Chuyun didn’t develop any prejudice toward Li Yang because of Chu Runxi’s words.
She was a little envious but genuinely happy for Li Yang: “I was worried that you’d be mistreated in the Department of Agronomy, but now I see that there are benefits to being in a smaller department. Your teachers must really take care of you.”
These words really helped Li Yang.
Some students whispered, “Yeah, maybe it’s not that Li Yang is connected to Director Niu, but maybe her teacher is just fond of her…”
“That’s a good point. Even though the Department of Agronomy is not doing well, it still has a dean. Even if the dean’s cultivation isn’t high, they must have some connections. Maybe they paid a price to get Li Yang into the Tree Tower.”
“Looking at it this way, being in a declining department isn’t so bad…”
“Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix, there’s some truth in that.”
Thanks to Fang Chuyun speaking up, the tide of gossip began to shift, and this was not the result Chu Runxi had hoped for.
He said, “Let’s go. We’re entering the Tower.”
No one objected.
Li Yang nodded and turned to Fang Chuyun, saying, “Don’t worry. I’m doing well in the Department of Agronomy.”
She was actually a little worried about Fang Chuyun.
The poor girl had just spoken up for her, but didn’t that mean she’d offended the people from the Star Law Department?
Li Yang worried that Fang Chuyun, by getting too close to her, might be bullied by the Star Law Department later on.
The Fang family had some standing in Huang City and even Donghua Province, but in Zhongdu, where influential families were everywhere, it didn’t count for much.
Fang Chuyun smiled genuinely and said, “I look forward to hearing good news from you.”
Li Yang paused for a moment, then relaxed: Oh well, if the Star Law Department can’t accept her, she’ll just take her to the Department of Agronomy!
The entrance to the Tree Tower was small, a single-person light gate that flickered with starlight, dense with starry radiance.
Chu Runxi said, “We’ll enter in order.”
Li Yang was assigned the eighth position.
In front of her were three senior students at the peak of the first rank, and behind her, three more senior students at the peak of the first rank.
They neatly surrounded her in the middle, ensuring that once she entered, she would be well “guarded.”
Chu Runxi entered first, followed by Ying Qi and Shen Shangchi, and then the seniors.
Li Yang walked in according to the order, keeping her head down, behaving very quietly and even a little nervous and fearful.
Once inside the Tree Tower, Li Yang didn’t have time to observe the surroundings before she was surrounded by a “wall” of people.
Six people were positioned perfectly around her, acting as a seamless barrier.
Li Yang silently complained in her mind:
“Did you guys rehearse this overnight?”
Before Li Yang could say anything, Chu Runxi spoke:
“Li Yang, you’re not familiar with the Tree Tower, and we don’t have time to explain in detail. Director Niu specifically instructed us to make sure you don’t face any problems, so don’t worry. The seniors will protect you.”
Li Yang showed a relieved expression and said, “Sorry to trouble the seniors.”
Her demeanor made the students surrounding her look down on her.
They probably thought she didn’t understand anything.
She must have just heard that the Tree Tower of the Star Law Department was impressive and came to leech off it.
Did she think she could learn Star Techniques just by entering?
She had already opened three Star Apertures, but it was a pity that her mind wasn’t sharp.
What a waste of her impressive talent.
Chu Runxi said, “It’s no trouble. It’s what we should do.”
Then, he turned to Ying Qi and Shen Shangchi, saying seriously, “Don’t act recklessly. There are many star plants in the Tree Tower. Although they’re all in the first rank, their overall power is much stronger than exotic plants!”
Ying Qi and Shen Shangchi nodded in acknowledgment.
The group of eleven had an unusual formation.
To an outsider, it might seem comical.
Chu Runxi was in the lead, with Shen Shangchi, Ying Qi, and another senior student at the first rank peak behind him.
The rest of the team formed a “circle,” with six first-rank peak students surrounding Li Yang at the center. Seven people advanced in a circle.
It was quite a struggle for them.
Li Yang had to hold back her laughter to avoid making a scene.
The interior of the Tree Tower was dim, with starlight scattered in the corners.
The space inside was much larger than it appeared from the outside.
Si Kui had never entered the Tree Tower but was very familiar with its layout. She had spent time reviewing it with the kids thirty years ago.
Even the least familiar layer was one Si Kui could easily map out.
Li Yang had already memorized the layout the night before.
Even though she couldn’t see clearly now, she had a rough idea of her location.
Inside the Tree Tower, one couldn’t rely entirely on their eyes.
It was necessary to use mental strength to perceive.
With Li Yang’s mental power, she could easily overwhelm any first-rank cultivator, so as long as she focused slightly, she could clearly see the gathered starlight and the star plants hidden deep inside.
The smell of decaying leaves and rot greeted them, and as they walked further in, the ground became increasingly muddy.
It was as if they had entered a pitch-black post-rain jungle, where dangers lurked everywhere, ready to attack.
Through the “human wall” in front of her, Li Yang saw a star plant charging out at her.
This star plant had all four of its Star Apertures open.
It was the peak of the first rank!
Chu Runxi was the second to notice. He inhaled sharply and said, “Be careful! This star plant is at the first rank peak, and its difficulty level is at least four stars.”
Ying Qi and Shen Shangchi also immediately tensed up, gripping their weapons tightly, their Star Apertures charging and flickering with dim light.
The six people surrounding Li Yang shifted their attention.
They had never considered that Li Yang might leave the group.
They thought that even if they didn’t surround her, she wouldn’t dare rush out.
In the eyes of the team, Li Yang only had three Star Apertures, with weak starlight, and was probably not fully trained.
As a mere first-rank middle-stage cultivator without a Star Soldier or Star Techniques, she had no qualifications to go out and fight the star plant.
Chu Runxi no longer cared about Li Yang.
Although he had experience entering the Tree Tower, he didn’t expect to encounter a four-star difficulty level star plant right at the start!
The star plants in the Tree Tower were placed there by the teachers, so students were given a brief summary in advance.
The highest rank in the first layer was the first rank peak, but some star plants were especially tricky, and the one before them was one of those.
Logically speaking, the entrance should be a star-level difficulty of one.
Why was it already four stars?
Chu Runxi quickly explained, “This star plant has three Star Techniques: toxic mist spray, underground root stabs, and vine lashes…”
He was briefing Ying Qi, Shen Shangchi, and another companion as the four of them prepared to besiege the star plant.
One of the six students surrounding Li Yang said, “I’ll go help.”
The other five said, “Hurry!” They were all experienced and could see that this star plant was unusually difficult.
They were worried that Chu Runxi and the others might not be able to handle it.
The five-person team stood on high alert, staring at the approaching star plant, when someone suddenly shouted, “Where’s Li Yang?!”
Everyone was stunned.
What the hell?
Li Yang had been surrounded by the crowd, hadn’t she?
The five people in the back stared at each other, shock in their eyes: “Wasn’t she just here?”
“Yeah… I just saw…”
Chu Runxi frowned and said, “Forget about her for now, let’s focus on taking down the star plant!”
Before he finished speaking, Li Yang, who had disappeared, suddenly appeared right in front of the star plant.
Everyone: “!!!”
Even Shen Shangchi, who usually appeared indifferent, was stunned and mumbled, “When did she get over there…”
Chu Runxi shouted, “Seeking death!”
Li Yang didn’t intend to let them kill the star plant.
She knew exactly how many star cores each plant had and wanted to gather them all for a higher chance of getting a rare star core.
While everyone was focused on the star plant, she silently activated the Star Technique—Shadow Cloak.
The six students surrounding her didn’t notice a thing and continued to focus on the star plant, while Li Yang quietly slipped through their ranks and dashed toward the menacing star plant.
This little thing really was unique.
It had a strong resemblance to the Bloodthirsty Lotus.
The star plant stood over two meters tall, with lumps hanging from its body, and several vine-like limbs lashed out fiercely.
Below, countless ground spikes extended outward.
Li Yang couldn’t recognize its original form…
Probably a species from the star realm that didn’t exist on Earth.
Li Yang regretted not having a long-range Star Technique; dealing with this monster meant she had to get close and fight, which was really dangerous!
Normally, the star plant wouldn’t sense Li Yang in her Shadow Cloak state, but as soon as Li Yang attacked, the effect of the cloak would dissipate.
So when the others saw Li Yang, she was already in direct combat with the star plant.
Li Yang thrust her blade into the star plant’s body.
Chu Runxi yelled, “It’s poisonous!”
Li Yang was finished.
How could anyone be so reckless?
She was charging in like this—she was doomed!
They are not like those who are obsessed with money from the Dan Pill Department!
They live their lives with dignity, and cultivate with integrity.
They are very annoyed by this bureaucratic mess.
Before they could rush forward, Li Yang had already dragged the frenzied Xing Zhi and ran deeper into the Tree Tower.
Li Yang noticed that the Star Method Department was about to surround and kill Xing Zhi.
What a joke, now is not the time to make a move.
“Kill!”
Ying Qi said, “Don’t run around!”
Shen Shangchi also shouted, “Li Yang, since you have this defensive Star Technique, hold on to Xing Zhi. We will deal with them quickly.”
They all thought Li Yang was scared, after all, she had only opened three Star Acupoints.
Even though she had a top-tier defensive Star Technique, she might not have much combat skill.
Li Yang must have regretted it, right?
Regretting rushing in to steal the monster, and now running around in a panic, not knowing what to do.
Chu Runxi immediately ordered, “Speed up, catch up, and kill Xing Zhi. Don’t let her run around or we’ll attract more Star Plants!”
Li Yang didn’t care about that. She didn’t attack Xing Zhi anymore, but the Star Plant showed no intention of letting her go.
It wasn’t just because she had injured it; it was probably because of her identity as a student from the Agricultural Studies Department, which triggered the conditions of the Tree Tower.
As the Star Method Department’s Star Bearers, Chu Runxi and the others all had at least one ranged Star Technique.
They tried to throw it at Xing Zhi to get its attention, but the Star Plant’s eyes were solely focused on Li Yang. It swung its vines and charged toward her.
Although Li Yang had the invincible Sun Shield to protect her, she was still quite scared.
Come on, she was just a desk worker six months ago, and now she was being forced to become an extreme parkour runner.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The crazed Star Plant whipped its vines against the Sun Shield.
Li Yang continued running along the route she remembered, carefully monitoring her Star Radiance.
It was fine.
Thanks to the second stage, she could convert at least 40% of the damage into Star Radiance power.
Li Yang saw the second Star Plant.
The others following behind saw this and were shocked.
However, an even more shocking scene unfolded.
“Done for.”
Li Yang is finished.
Not only did Li Yang not avoid this second Star Plant, but she also stabbed it, provoking it into a frenzy.
Everyone: “Is she really looking for death?”
The scene grew increasingly surreal.
Li Yang wasn’t short; she was at least 1.7 meters tall.
Yet, in front of these huge Star Plants, she looked incredibly weak.
The Sun Shield’s brilliance was dazzling, but it also became a living target.
The two Star Plants went wild, thrashing their vines at her.
Even though Li Yang had the invincible Sun Shield protecting her, she still felt terrified.
Please, she was just a corporate drone sitting at a computer six months ago.
Now, she was being forced to turn into a parkour athlete.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The crazed Star Plants whipped their vines against the Sun Shield, but Li Yang didn’t back down.
She kept running along a path she recalled from her memory, paying close attention to her Star Radiance.
It was fine.
Thanks to the second phase, she could convert at least 40% of the damage into Star Radiance power.
Li Yang then saw the second Star Plant.
The others behind her were all taken aback.
They saw it, and Chu Runxi said:
But an even more shocking scene unfolded.
“Done for.”
Li Yang is finished.
Not only did she fail to avoid the second Star Plant, but she also stabbed it, provoking it into an even wilder frenzy.
Everyone: ‘Is she really looking for death?’
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