At this moment, the atmosphere within the team did not seem very harmonious.
Ling Luochen frowned, her ice-blue eyes filled with obvious dissatisfaction as she looked at Ma Xiaotao:
"Why are you here? The target for this mission is in the Extreme North Ice Plain. Do you not know how much that environment restricts you? Why are you going? To hold us back?"
Ma Xiaotao crossed her arms over her chest, meeting Ling Luochen's gaze without showing any weakness, her crimson eyes seemingly flickering with flames:
"Why shouldn't I come? Do you think I would care about a mere icy environment? My flames are enough to melt any ice."
Her words were full of confidence and arrogance. As the possessor of the Evil Fire Phoenix, she certainly had the capital to be proud. While environmental suppression existed, it was not enough to make her retreat.
"Heh, suit yourself."
Ling Luochen sneered, her tone tinged with mockery.
"But let me say this first: if that evil fire of yours flares up halfway and you can't suppress it, don't come looking for me. I won't help you."
"Hmph."
Ma Xiaotao was like a cat whose Tail had been stepped on; she instantly bristled, let out a cold snort, and said stiffly.
"Who cares about your help? Having little Xu here is enough."
As she spoke, she glanced at Xu Sanshi, who was trying hard to lower his presence on the side.
Xu Sanshi shuddered, squeezing out a smile that looked worse than crying, while wailing internally:
'My dear lady, please don't drag me into this. Helping you suppress the evil fire takes half my life each time. I don't want to die young.'
"Alright, you two."
Zhang Lexuan rubbed her temples helplessly and spoke up to interrupt this familiar scene of bickering.
Ling Luochen and Ma Xiaotao—one an Ice Snow Princess, the other a Flame Maniac—had conflicting attributes. Their personalities were also opposites: one was cold and disliked trouble, while the other was hot-tempered and stubborn. They were famous rivals in the Inner Court.
More importantly, Ling Luochen was unwilling to expend energy to help Ma Xiaotao suppress her evil fire, and Ma Xiaotao refused to lower herself to beg her rival. She would rather ask Xu Sanshi, whose help was far less effective, than bow her head to Ling Luochen.
Zhang Lexuan's prestige was clearly sufficient. As soon as she spoke, although Ling Luochen and Ma Xiaotao still glared at each other, they finally ceased their bickering for the time being.
At this moment, Zhang Lexuan noticed Caelus and the other two approaching.
Caelus stepped forward quickly. As the student with the least seniority present, Caelus spoke first, his tone carrying just the right amount of apology as he nodded slightly to Zhang Lexuan, who was leading:
"Seniors, are we late?"
Zhang Lexuan shifted her gaze from the two junior sisters who were still clashing with their eyes and looked at Caelus and the others. A gentle smile appeared on her face, instantly diluting the slight gunpowder smell at the scene:
"No, you came just right; the timing is perfect."
Her voice was gentle yet powerful, naturally controlling the situation.
Clearly, the leader of this mission was none other than this Senior Sister of the Inner Court, Zhang Lexuan, whose cultivation had reached the level of a Spirit Douluo.
Having her lead the team personally showed just how much importance the academy placed on this mission, or rather, on these Core Disciples in the team.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, she took a step forward, her gaze sweeping across all the members. Her gentle yet naturally authoritative voice clearly reached everyone's ears:
"Alright, everyone is here. I am the leader of this mission, Zhang Lexuan. Our destination is the northern border of the Heaven Dou Empire, and we may eventually venture deep into the edge of the Extreme North Land. Ling Luochen and Xi Xi should have already roughly informed you of the mission content; it is mainly to track specific targets and investigate their abnormal movements."
Her gaze lingered briefly on Caelus, Gu Yuena, and Ye Guyi, carrying a hint of encouragement:
"To the junior students from the Outer Court, this time it is mainly for observation and adaptation. You must obey commands and pay attention to your own safety. To those from the Inner Court, please take care of them."
Finally, her gaze returned to all the Inner Court members.
"The journey is long, and we will use the fastest means of transportation. Remember, all actions must follow orders. Prioritize reconnaissance and information gathering, and do not engage in battle unless necessary."
Zhang Lexuan's words were calm but carried an unquestionable weight.
With her present, the team seemed to instantly have a backbone. Even Ling Luochen and Ma Xiaotao restrained themselves a bit and listened quietly.
"Yes, Sister Lexuan / Senior Sister."
Everyone replied in unison.
Before setting off, the storage spirit tool on Zhang Lexuan's wrist flashed with light, and several items of uniform style appeared in her hands.
They were several pairs of metal wings, simple in structure, shimmering with a faint light from the spirit tool.
"These are the low-level flying spirit tools distributed by the academy. Although their speed and flexibility are average, they have the advantage of low Soul Power consumption, which is suitable for long-distance travel."
As Zhang Lexuan spoke, she handed the flying spirit tools to the Outer Court Disciples: Caelus, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan.
Caelus took the pair of metal wings.
It felt slightly heavy in his hand, with a wingspan of about 1.5 meters. It was made of some kind of lightweight alloy, with a spirit tool core embedded in the center to provide power, as well as a handle for Soul Masters to inject Soul Power.
The style was the most basic standard model, without any extra decorations; it was a purely functional creation.
Ye Guyi and Gu Yuena also each received one.
Although Ye Guyi had angel wings, Gu Yuena had Dragon wings, and Caelus could even achieve short-distance flight by precisely controlling airflow, using this type of flying spirit tool specifically designed to save Soul Power was undoubtedly the wiser choice for a long journey.
After all, no one would want to waste their precious Soul Power casually during a long trek.
In contrast, the equipment of the Inner Court Disciples was much more refined.
What Ma Xiaotao unfolded behind her was a pair of gorgeous fire-red flying spirit tools, with dark red patterns drawn on the edges.
Ling Luochen's was a pair of crystal-clear ice crystal wings, as if condensed from countless pieces of extreme ice, emitting a chilling cold.
Xi Xi's flying spirit tool was a pair of small, agile cyan wings.
Even Zhang Lexuan herself used a pair of silver wings that emitted a soft moonlight glow, which complemented her cold and ethereal temperament perfectly.
These flying spirit tools of the Inner Court elites were all high-end items customized according to the characteristics of their respective Martial Souls. Whether in terms of performance, appearance, or compatibility with the Soul Master, they were far superior to the standard products issued to the Outer Court Disciples.
Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi looked at the plain metal wings in their hands, then at the cool and powerful custom spirit tools of the Inner Court Senior Sisters, and couldn't help but reveal looks of envy in their eyes.
Jiang Nannan was quite calm, carefully inspecting the structure of the spirit tool.
"Inject Soul Power and concentrate your mind to guide the direction. You might be a bit unfamiliar with it the first time you use it. Keep up with the team and don't fall behind."
Zhang Lexuan gave a brief instruction.
Caelus followed the instructions and injected Soul Power into the metal wings. As the Soul Power flowed, the metal wings vibrated slightly, emitting a low hum, and then hovered, generating an upward lifting force.
------------------------
I've posted 40+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"