Translator: AnubisTL
Though they had anticipated it, their breath still caught in their throats when their eyes landed on the very top of the rankings.
First Place: Noren Academy No. 13 - Jieming
Undoubtedly, Jieming had secured the top spot with absolute dominance, thanks to his annihilation of a third-tier blood angel and the countless second-tier beings he casually annihilated during the battle.
After the initial shock of excitement, Amy and the others instinctively scanned further down the list, where they spotted another unexpected name.
Third Place: Noren Academy No. 13 - Berta Vera Augusta
Augusta, also from Noren Academy No. 13, had remarkably secured a spot in the top three!
The performance of Noren Academy No. 13 left every wizard who saw the rankings in awe.
This previously unremarkable academy had produced two dazzling monsters in the Planar War Assessment!
Jieming and Augusta's names instantly became the focus of attention for apprentices and high-rank wizards alike.
Inside the monitoring hall at Noren Workshop Headquarters...
On the massive main screen, the information brought back by the high-rank wizard who had just faked his death to escape was displayed with crystal clarity.
Jieming's peerless ranking shone particularly brightly in the eyes of all the wizards.
Because Jieming had performed so exceptionally, the high-rank wizard had even brought back footage of his battle against the blood angel during his invasion of the Elosia Plane.
The high-rank wizards stared in shock at the rankings and the footage of Jieming's final strike that killed the blood angel. The hall erupted in unprecedented discussion.
"Heavens! This Jieming from Academy No. 13... he's a monster!" An Elemental Wizard in ornate robes slammed his fist on the table, his eyes wide with disbelief. "A first-tier wizard annihilating a third-tier creature? A genius! A true genius!"
"And it was a blood angel! A direct subordinate of the Blood War God himself!" An elderly wizard's beard trembled with excitement. "That's a third-tier creature! And this kid is only a first-tier wizard!"
To the assembled wizards, third-tier creatures were utterly insignificant—they could obliterate entire swarms with a mere glance.
Moreover, angelic beings were notoriously weak among creatures of their tier, making such battles normally unworthy of their attention.
But when Jieming, a first-tier wizard, faced a blood angel, the concept of the battle shifted entirely.
Although Jieming ultimately slew the blood angel with a high-grade weapon, it was clear to any discerning observer that the true key to his victory lay in the strange attack array he had devised himself.
"And Augusta! She's also ranked in the top three!" A wizard supervising combat assessments pumped his fist excitedly. "Academy No. 13 has completely exploded this time! Two such monstrously talented apprentices!"
All eyes turned simultaneously to Mentor Clark, who sat nearby, a faint, barely suppressed smile playing on his lips.
"Clark, you lucky bastard!" A mentor familiar with Clark clapped him on the shoulder, his voice filled with envy and admiration. "You've struck gold this time! Jieming and Augusta... if they continue to develop smoothly, they'll undoubtedly become the cornerstones of the workshop's future!"
Mentor Clark simply smiled warmly, saying nothing more.
Yet the gleam in his eyes betrayed his deep-seated excitement.
He knew Jieming's potential better than anyone, but even so, the power Jieming had displayed far exceeded his expectations.
Above the colossal canyon, now leveled to the ground, in the Elosia Plane.
As the rift in the plane's sky slowly closed, Jieming hovered in mid-air, his cold gaze sweeping toward the indigenous powerhouses hiding behind distant mountain peaks.
In that instant, the Elosian powerhouses froze, a primal fear surging from the depths of their souls like a tidal wave, threatening to drown them.
Jieming's gaze carried no inherent power; he couldn't even see them directly behind the mountains.
But having witnessed his overwhelming might in slaying the blood angel, they perceived the wizard's gaze as the stare of death itself—as if it pierced through the void, directly penetrating the depths of their souls.
They didn't even dare to make a sound, fleeing in utter panic, their pants soiled with fear. Reconnaissance and mission objectives were the last things on their minds.
Jieming ignored the fleeing figures.
As the "Acceleration" spell dissipated, an overwhelming wave of exhaustion washed over him.
Though the potion had replenished his mental power to its peak, the sheer intensity of the battle had left him psychologically drained.
Shaking his head to regain focus, he swiftly descended to the ground and hurried over to Victor.
Victor sat on the ground, supported by Amy, his face deathly pale. Blood continued to seep from his severed arm.
The severed arm was merely a minor injury. Though protected by a fourth-tier shield, he had suffered severe internal injuries from the shockwave of the third-tier blood angel's qi blast.
Moreover, to evade the collateral damage from Jieming's battle with the blood angel, Victor and Amy had recklessly drained their already depleted mental power, forcing their souls to fuel frantic alchemy as they dug deeper underground.
The combination of these factors had left him exceptionally weak, now unable to even control the bleeding from his wounds.
Jieming examined Victor's injuries, his brow furrowing slightly.
If it were just ordinary severe wounds, the medical potions in his possession would have been sufficient to heal them completely.
The more pressing issue was Victor's broken arm. Using a healing potion now would only close the wound, forcing them to reopen it later when they needed to regenerate the limb.
Jieming made a swift decision. He administered a lower-grade potion to stabilize Victor's condition, then hoisted the severely injured man onto his back. "Move!" he barked at Amy. "Back to camp!"
Amy immediately understood. The two of them flew toward the camp at top speed.
The Medical Formation in the camp proved remarkably effective.
Victor's arm, which had been blasted to ash during the earlier battle, began to regenerate under the combined effects of precise medical spells and precious regenerative potions. Flesh writhed, bones rapidly regrew, and within minutes, a new arm had grown back completely intact, though its skin remained slightly tender.
After just one day of rest, Victor was ready to return to battle.
However, when Jieming extended a new invitation to Victor and Amy, they were plunged into deep hesitation.
The three sat beside a training ground on the outskirts of the camp, sunlight filtering through sparse leaves, casting dappled shadows.
"Jieming," Victor began, his voice calm but unable to conceal the disappointment and bitterness in his heart, "we've seen it clearly in this battle. Your strength... it's far beyond anything we could have imagined."
He glanced at his newly regenerated arm, his expression complex.
Amy lowered her head, her usually vibrant smile now strained and lacking its usual cheerfulness. "Yeah. With our current abilities, we're no longer of much use to you. We... we can't keep up."
Though she had long known Jieming's future would be extraordinary, far surpassing their wildest dreams, she hadn't expected to lose her right to walk alongside him so quickly.
The overwhelming gap between them, the feeling of being left behind by a companion, filled her heart with disappointment and helplessness.
"We understand perfectly," Victor continued, a hint of self-mockery in his voice. "Given our friendship, if we shamelessly continued to follow you, you'd undoubtedly welcome it. But we also know we'd be more of a burden than a help. Jieming, you'd simply be wasting your time with us."
Jieming looked at them, the light in his eyes dimming slightly.
He knew they were right and understood their feelings.
After all, they had spent so many years together at the academy.
Even counting Jieming's past life, he had few friends he had known for so long.
"But..." Jieming began to protest.
Amy suddenly lifted her head, forcing a pale but determined smile. "Jieming, you can leave without worry! Even if we can't keep up with you in strength, we're not completely useless!"
Her eyes sparkled with intelligence as she pointed to the camp. "We're the only ones who can effectively manage and expand Senior Viola's intelligence network now. We can maintain the camp's intelligence network, gather any information you might need, and provide you with timely support when you're away!"
Victor immediately understood Amy's meaning, and a spark of light rekindled in his eyes. "Exactly! Leave the rear-line intelligence support to us. Go out there and make your mark without worry!"
Jieming watched them, a faint sigh escaping his lips.
He knew this was the best way they could think of to maintain their friendship and continue supporting him, given their inability to keep up with his growing strength.
After a moment's reflection, he decided not to refuse.
"Alright," Jieming nodded, then retrieved several vials of vibrant purple potion and handed them to the pair.
"You both know what these potions do. Use this opportunity to enhance yourselves further."
"Thank you!"
"Hey! I've been wanting to get one of these for ages!"
Amy and Victor accepted the potions without hesitation, their eyes filled with gratitude.
Without lengthy farewells, Jieming cast one last glance at his two lifelong friends before turning and leaving the camp without a trace of sentimentality.
Amy and Victor remained seated, watching Jieming's figure grow smaller and smaller until he vanished into the distant horizon.
Their expressions were complex—a mix of reluctance, disappointment, and, above all, anticipation for Jieming's boundless future.
They knew that a true monster had begun to stir the winds and clouds across this plane.
(End of the Chapter)
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