29: Chapter 29 Trial Grouping
Lin Fan found the Class 3 team.
Xu Ziyan had already arrived and was looking around while holding the Snow Spirit Fox.
Seeing Lin Fan, Xu Ziyan's eyes lit up, and he waved frantically.
"Lin Fan! Over here!"
Lin Fan walked over and stood beside him.
Xu Ziyan leaned in and lowered his voice.
"Lin Fan, have you heard? This time, Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 are going together, for a total of ninety-five people."
Lin Fan nodded: "I've heard."
Xu Ziyan continued muttering.
"Also, the groups are decided by drawing lots. There are five people per group, and each group is assigned a team leader teacher. The teacher said they wouldn't intervene unless we encounter fatal danger."
He was a little nervous, "What if I end up in a group with people I don't know…"
Lin Fan patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, you won't die."
Xu Ziyan rolled his eyes.
"I knew you wouldn't have anything good to say."
As their relationship grew closer, Xu Ziyan's speech was gradually influenced by Lin Fan.
He started swearing freely.
Lin Fan shrugged and looked at the crowd.
The Class 1 team was at the front, standing neatly, their aura clearly different.
The spiritual power fluctuations they emitted were also incomparable to those of Class 2 and Class 3.
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd.
"Ye Wushuang is here!"
"Which one? Which one?"
"That one, from Class 1, the Genius with eight armor apertures!"
Lin Fan followed their gaze.
A tall, slender boy walked over from the distance, wearing a simple black tracksuit, his face handsome and refined, his steps composed.
He walked to the front of the Class 1 team, and several students automatically made way for him.
Ye Wushuang stood still, his gaze calmly sweeping across the entire field before retracting it.
From beginning to end, he didn't spare anyone a second glance.
Lin Fan retracted his gaze and touched his nose.
Eight armor apertures, truly badass.
At seven o'clock sharp, several buses drove to the school gate.
Zhao Tieshan stood in front of the team, holding a megaphone.
"Attention everyone! Get on the bus in order of class. Class 1 goes first, followed by Class 2, and Class 3 last!"
"We'll draw lots to form groups once we arrive at the entrance of the Secret Realm!"
The crowd began to move.
Lin Fan followed the Class 3 team onto the last bus.
On the bus, Xu Ziyan sat next to him, too excited to sit still.
"Lin Fan, what do you think the Secret Realm looks like? Is it huge? Are there any super powerful Armor Beasts?"
Lin Fan leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes to rest.
"Little mouth, stop talking."
Xu Ziyan was choked up by this, hugging the Snow Spirit Fox sullenly, and followed Lin Fan's example by leaning back against the seat to rest.
The bus started and slowly drove away from the school.
An hour later, the bus stopped at the foot of a small mountain.
Several buses were already parked in front, all carrying students who had come to participate in the trial.
Lin Fan got off the bus and followed the team forward.
After walking for about ten minutes, a huge platform appeared before them.
In the center of the platform stood a strange light gate.
The light gate was about three stories high, oval-shaped, with faint blue light shimmering around its edges. Inside the gate was a vortex of Chaos, making it impossible to see what was inside.
Beside the light gate, a dozen or so uniformed association staff members were maintaining order.
Zhao Tieshan gathered the students from the three classes together and began taking roll.
After taking roll, he brought out a lottery box.
"Five people per group, decided by drawing lots. Those who draw the same number are teammates in the same group."
"Each group is assigned a team leader teacher. Remember, once you enter the Secret Realm, follow the teacher's instructions for all actions. Anyone who leaves the team without permission will have their trial qualifications revoked and receive a disciplinary record."
He began calling names, letting people come forward to draw lots.
Lin Fan walked forward, reached into the lottery box, and pulled out a paper ball.
He unfolded it and looked—Number 7.
He retreated to the team and waited.
Soon, the results of the draw were out.
Lin Fan looked at the list for his group.
Coincidentally, Xu Ziyan happened to be in the same group as him.
Of the remaining three, one was also from Class 3, a boy named Sun Wei.
The other two, one from Class 1 and one from Class 2.
Both were girls, named Liu Xiaoman and Chen Menger respectively.
Lin Fan shook his head, asking Xu Ziyan, who was overjoyed to be in the same group as Lin Fan.
"Do you know Sun Wei?"
Xu Ziyan nodded and pursed his lips toward a tall, thin boy not far away.
"That one, from our class. He doesn't usually talk much, but he's alright. Four armor apertures, his Armor Spirit is the Iron Armor Rhino."
Lin Fan looked over.
Sun Wei was standing alone in a corner, head lowered, wondering what he was thinking about.
Sensing the gaze, he looked up and nodded at Lin Fan and Xu Ziyan, as a greeting.
Lin Fan also nodded.
At this moment, Zhao Tieshan shouted with the megaphone.
"Groups assemble! Find your teammates and introduce yourselves! We will enter the Secret Realm together in ten minutes!"
Lin Fan looked around and quickly found the people in his group.
A girl with a ponytail was walking this way, her pace neither fast nor slow, with no expression on her face.
She was wearing the Class 2 school uniform, her figure slim, and her appearance was quite heroic.
Chen Menger walked up, her gaze sweeping over Lin Fan and Xu Ziyan, her tone flat.
"Chen Menger, Class 2, four apertures, level 9, Armor Spirit is the Swift Swallow."
Xu Ziyan was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly introduced himself.
"Xu Ziyan, Class 3, four apertures, level 11, Armor Spirit is the Snow Spirit Fox."
Chen Menger looked at Xu Ziyan with some surprise.
Xu Ziyan was also someone not short on cash; especially under Lin Fan's persuasion, he had consumed quite a few primary meditation potions.
Lin Fan put his hands in his pockets and spoke lazily.
"Lin Fan, Class 3, two apertures, level 13, Armor Spirit is the Green-Scaled Snake."
A flash of surprise crossed Chen Menger's originally calm face.
"Two apertures? Level 13?"
She looked Lin Fan up and down, as if confirming whether he was joking.
Lin Fan shrugged.
"I have money, it was bought with money."
Chen Menger's mouth twitched, then she nodded.
At this moment, a tall, thin boy walked over from the side; it was Sun Wei.
He scratched his head and spoke somewhat awkwardly.
"Sun Wei, Class 3, four apertures, level 9, Armor Spirit is the Iron Armor Rhino."
As soon as he finished speaking, a girl with a high ponytail strode over.
She was wearing the white Class 1 school uniform, with a golden class emblem embroidered on the collar, her face cold, her gaze arrogant.
Walking up, she swept a glance at the group, her tone revealing a sense of superiority.
"Liu Xiaoman, Class 1, six apertures, level 14, Armor Spirit is the Web-Binding Spider."
Xu Ziyan subconsciously leaned closer to Lin Fan.
Liu Xiaoman glanced at him without expression, then looked at Lin Fan.
Her gaze lingered on him for less than a second before moving away.
"Is everyone here?"
Sun Wei nodded.
"Yes."
Liu Xiaoman didn't say anything else and turned to look at the team leader teacher not far away.
It was a man in his thirties, wearing the dark blue uniform of the association.
He was leaning against a pillar next to the light gate, holding a notebook and writing something.
Sensing the gaze, he looked up and walked over.
"Group 7?"
They nodded.
The male teacher glanced at the list, looked at the group, and then smiled.
"Interesting, three from Class 3, one each from Class 1 and Class 2. Alright, I am your team leader teacher. My surname is Zhou, just call me Teacher Zhou."
He put away his notebook and looked at the blue-glowing light gate.