Chapter 334 You bring a female companion when you do a mission?

The Heaven Ranking.

The prodigies listed upon it encompass the top talents from every district of the provincial capital.

It represents the highest honor and symbol of strength for the young generation of Beast Tamers in the provincial capital.

To be able to rank among the Heaven Ranking,

every single one is a Prodigy with extraordinary natural talent, cultivated with the full effort of various factions.

Within Sky Dome Academy,

students who can be listed on the Heaven Ranking

are similarly as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

All told, there are no more than twenty or thirty of them.

Therefore,

any Heaven Ranking Prodigy possesses extremely high popularity and influence within the academy.

Jiang Yun's gaze calmly fell upon the youth in luxurious clothing, Zhao Zhao, who was walking slowly toward them. A faint golden light flashed and vanished deep in his eyes as his data entry talent quietly activated.

[Name]: Zhao Zhao

[Age]: 26 years old

[Realm]: Amethyst Tier 3

[Talent]: A-grade · Wind Shadow Affinity (Increases the release speed and flexibility of Wind-attribute beast skills; slightly enhances self-perception in wind element environments and grants 90% evasion)

[Beast]: Information unknown; requires the opponent to actively summon the beast to view.

[Identity]: 81st Seat of the Sky Dome Academy Heaven Ranking... "A-grade talent, Amethyst Tier 3... to reach such a Realm at this age is indeed extraordinary."

Jiang Yun quickly evaluated in his heart.

He did not feel any fear due to the other party's status on the Heaven Ranking.

Having seen Su Qingying's Divine Deer,

a mere eighty-first on the Heaven Ranking

was not enough to move him.

When the managing Elder saw that the final team member was actually a student from the Heaven Ranking,

the smile on his face grew even broader.

Stroking his beard, he said with a laugh,

"Excellent! With the addition of a Purple Crystal-rank Expert like student Zhao Zhao, the chances of success for this trip are even greater, and I can be more at ease."

As he spoke,

he flipped his palm over.

Five Jade Slips emitting a faint white light appeared in his palm, and he handed them respectively to Jiang Yun and the other four.

"This is the mission Jade Slip. It contains a detailed map of Ash Town, known Vicious Beast species and their activity areas, local distress information, and limited intelligence provided by the academy. At the same time, it serves as your mission credential."

Simultaneously,

on the giant light screen above, the information for the Special Grade mission flashing with dark red light quietly faded away, indicating that the mission had been officially accepted.

The Elder's expression turned serious.

He cautioned once more,

"The mission has been officially handed over to the five of you. Remember, while the academy values mission completion, it values the life and safety of every student even more. There is no strict time limit for this mission. If something cannot be done, or if you encounter irresistible danger, you must make preserving yourselves your first priority. You can activate the emergency evacuation signal in the Jade Slip at any time, or directly abandon the mission and return to the academy. Even if the mission fails, the academy will dispatch stronger forces to handle it later."

Zhao Zhao toyed with the Jade Slip he had just received.

Hearing this, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly,

seeming somewhat dismissive.

His tone carried a hint of arrogance,

"The Elder worries too much. It's just some Gold and low-tier Amethyst Vicious Beasts wandering the outskirts of the Bone Burial Area. With the strength of the five of us, we'll settle it quickly; I expect it won't take more than a few days. After all, I have to rush back in a week to participate in the competition for slots in the Molten Fire Grotto Secret Realm; I don't want to miss that."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingshuang, Lei Qing, and Xiao Chen

exchanged a look with each other.

Though they didn't say much,

their eyes also revealed a similar confidence.

The pride of being the top three of the earth ranking

made them also believe that this mission would not stump them.

Especially after gaining a Heaven Ranking teammate.

Jiang Yun did not speak.

He just silently put away the Jade Slip.

The confidence in his heart

came more from the seemingly harmless but actually terrifying Yao Race sovereign beside him.

With Fox Immortal as his trump card,

unless they encountered an old monster at or above the eclipsing moon grade,

their safety was guaranteed.

Furthermore, his purpose for this trip

was far more than just contribution points.

The Molten Cavern would open in a week.

During this time, he also had to fulfill his agreement with the Liu family,

as well as the matter of his identity as Grand Tutor Dongxuan serving as the principal of the Appraisal Institute at Sky Dome Academy.

He had to make the identity of Jiang Yun reasonably disappear from Sky Dome Academy so that he could complete these things without suspicion or flaws.

"Good! In that case, I shall await your good news here at the Mission Hall!"

The Elder said no more.

He cupped his hands in a gesture of farewell to the five.

Under the complex gazes of many students—some envious, some admiring, some worried—

Jiang Yun's group of five, along with Fox Immortal who silently followed behind him,

left the noisy Mission Hall together.

Behind them,

discussions rose up like a tide.

"Are they setting off already?! They've really left!"

"The top three of the earth ranking plus a Sacred Student plus Zhao Zhao from the Heaven Ranking... this lineup is simply invincible!"

"I wonder how long it will take them to return? Can they complete it successfully?"

"They definitely can! With these people present, what Vicious Beast could stop them? Even if it's an Amethyst Tier Fierce Beast, with a Purple Crystal-rank Expert like Zhao Zhao presiding, they'll surely be able to retreat safely."

...The crowd continued their discussions.

The group did not linger in crowded places.

At Lei Qing's suggestion,

they came to a secluded Viewing Pavilion on the academy's back mountain.

The view here was open,

and few people came here.

It was just right for discussing important matters.

The stone table and stools in the pavilion were simple and ancient.

Surrounded by ancient trees,

the tension brought by the mission was temporarily dispelled.

The burly Lei Qing sat down on a stone stool first, letting out a dull thud. He looked around at the other four and spoke in a booming voice.

"Since the five of us are in the same boat now and are going to risk our lives together, some things need to be said upfront. I, Lei Qing, have a straightforward nature and like to be direct. The mission is dangerous, so we must twist together like a single rope and look out for one another. No one is allowed to stab someone in the back or harbor selfish motives!"

His words were blunt,

even somewhat crude,

giving the impression of someone bold and forthright.

Xiao Chen, dressed in green robes, gracefully sat down opposite Lei Qing.

With a gentle smile on his face, he picked up the conversation,

"Brother Lei is absolutely right. With Vicious Beasts surrounding us and the environment unknown, teamwork is vital. Only by clearly defining roles and sharing information can we achieve our goal with the minimum cost."

His words were orderly and clear.

Standing by the pavilion and gazing at the distant sea of clouds, Liu Qingshuang turned around upon hearing this. Her cold eyes swept over everyone, and her voice was like ice beads falling on a jade plate—crisp yet carrying a chill.

"Since we are a team, there should be a hierarchy. Before we set out, we should choose a leader to coordinate the overall situation and make snap decisions, so as to avoid conflicting orders from multiple sources."

She spoke directly,

going straight to the core issue.

"A leader?"

Zhao Zhao, who was toying with his Jade Slip, gave a light laugh.

His gaze swept over Liu Qingshuang, Lei Qing, and Xiao Chen with a hint of playfulness, finally lingering briefly on Jiang Yun. His tone carried a natural arrogance.

"Does this even need a choice? In terms of Realm, I am at the Amethyst Tier 3, the only Amethyst Rank in the team. In terms of seniority, I am ranked eighty-first on the Heaven Ranking. This leadership position naturally belongs to no one but me. You all... have no objections, right?"

Although he phrased this as a question,

the condescending tone in his demeanor and words was very obvious, as if the leadership position was already in his pocket.

Liu Qingshuang's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

She did not immediately state her stance,

but her gaze grew a bit colder.

Lei Qing, meanwhile, bared his teeth.

He seemed to want to say something,

but looked at Zhao Zhao

and held back.

He only let out a muffled grunt.

The smile on Xiao Chen's face remained unchanged,

but his eyes deepened a bit.

They were not fools.

If this person were the leader,

they would inevitably be at a disadvantage when it came to distributing mission rewards later.

The gazes of the three,

by Common consent,

fell upon Jiang Yun, who had been sitting quietly on a stone stool since entering the pavilion without speaking a word.

Lei Qing had the most impatient nature

and couldn't help but ask,

"Sacred Student, what do you think? Any suggestions? There are only five of us in this small squad; everything can be discussed."

His form of address for Jiang Yun carried a bit of respect,

clearly acknowledging Jiang Yun's strength and status.

Pausing for a moment,

Lei Qing's bell-like eyes suddenly turned toward Fox Immortal, who had been standing quietly behind Jiang Yun like an invisible person. He asked with undisguised doubt and curiosity in his booming voice,

"But before that... there's one more thing. Sacred Student, this girl... what's her deal? I perceive that her aura isn't strong, seemingly only at the Bronze Rank? We're going on a life-risking mission, not a sightseeing tour. You bringing a... well, bringing a female companion, what's the intent?"

He asked this directly,

even somewhat rudely.

However, it also voiced the doubts in the hearts of Liu Qingshuang, Xiao Chen, and even Zhao Zhao.

For a moment,

four pairs of eyes focused simultaneously on Fox Immortal.

Fox Immortal remained standing there quietly.

In her simple white dress, with her black hair cascading down, her exquisite face held no expression, as if all the discussion around her had nothing to do with her.

She didn't even give Lei Qing a glance,

but simply let her gaze fall calmly on the sea of clouds outside the pavilion.

The serene temperament that seemed to merge with nature made her appear out of place even while being watched, yet impossible to ignore.

Liu Qingshuang's cold eyes lingered on Fox Immortal for a moment, and a flash of surprise crossed her eyes.

Even though the girl before her seemed extremely ordinary,

the beast within her Beast Taming Space was transmitting a sense of extremely intense fear.

Her beast's perception was extremely sharp.

This situation was by no means ordinary!

Xiao Chen's motion of waving his fan paused slightly.

His gaze toward Fox Immortal was similarly probing.

Zhao Zhao, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow.

The curve of his lips took on a hint of imperceptible contempt.

In his view,

Jiang Yun bringing a piece of eye candy on this kind of mission

was simply child's play,

and even more so, a potential challenge to his authority as the future leader.

Did he intend to bring such a decorative vase along to share the rewards?