Chapter 188: Squad of Six

His communicator vibrated nonstop, the name "Zhao Qingwei" clear on its screen.

Xu Wuyi was a little surprised.

They hadn’t interacted since the end of the departmental tournament, as the two of them didn’t move in the same circles.

He answered the call.

"Xu Wuyi." Zhao Qingwei’s voice came through, as cool and clear as ever, betraying no emotion.

"Zhao Qingwei. Is there something you need?" Xu Wuyi asked directly.

There was a moment of silence on the other end, as if she were gathering her thoughts. Then, Zhao Qingwei’s voice sounded again. "Your Life Energy Level should have broken through Level 25 by now."

Although it was phrased as a question, her tone was certain.

"Not long ago," Xu Wuyi confirmed.

"Good." Zhao Qingwei got straight to the point. "I’m planning to form a team soon to take on a real-world mission: clearing Star Beasts from a Star Realm Rift."

"We’ll earn points and hone our practical combat skills. I’d like to invite you to join my team."

Xu Wuyi’s gaze sharpened.

’A real-world mission?’

He had recently accepted several on-campus missions, most of which involved Star Beasts that had accidentally entered the city. They weren’t powerful, but they were good at hiding.

Killing Star Beasts in the real world certainly felt very different from the Battle Network, but he had yet to visit a Star Realm Rift.

After a moment’s thought, he asked, "Do you also need to do missions to earn points?"

’I figured people like Zhao Qingwei and Qin Rui, who aren’t short on resources, would just spend their four years at the university buried in training.’

"Of course," Zhao Qingwei said, shaking her head. "The university has a mandatory mission quota starting from our second year. It’s customary to get a head start. Missions can be done alone, but it’s safer and more efficient in a team. As for the points..."

She paused for a moment before her calm voice revealed the key point. "For us, the greatest value of points isn’t exchanging them for resources you can find on the open market. It’s purchasing instructional hours with the professors and Grandmasters here at the university."

"Certain unique training insights, the keys to breaking through bottlenecks... you can only get answers to those things from them. That’s the core strength of Star Martial University’s point system. It’s something no amount of Federation currency can buy on the outside."

Xu Wuyi understood instantly.

’That’s right. People like Zhao Qingwei and Qin Rui, with their powerful family resources, don’t lack for conventional training supplies at all.’

’What they lack is personalized guidance from top-tier experts, and Star Martial University’s points are the very key to unlocking that treasure trove.’

But because Xu Wuyi had always had guidance from Teacher Han Mo, he’d never paid attention to this aspect.

But the more this was the case, the more he understood just how valuable Teacher Han’s guidance on topics like Star Beasts and Alien Races truly was...

"No problem, I’m in." Xu Wuyi didn’t hesitate for long before giving a firm answer. "Can I ask who else is on the team?"

This time it was Zhao Qingwei who fell silent for a moment. She sounded a little sheepish as she said, "You’re the first one I’ve invited. If you agree to join, building the rest of the team will be much easier."

Xu Wuyi nodded. He didn’t see anything wrong with that.

He wasn’t a social butterfly and wasn’t cut out for team building anyway. In turn, he didn’t have any particular demands of his teammates.

’Whether the team is strong or weak, there will always be missions with a matching level of difficulty to take on.’

Zhao Qingwei added, "Before we undertake the real-world mission, we need to run a high-Simulation Level combat drill on the Battle Network to work on our teamwork."

"I’ll contact you to coordinate once the roster is finalized."

"Okay."

...

Two days later, Xu Wuyi logged into the Star Martial Battle Network right on time.

This time, instead of appearing in his personal space or a public area, he was teleported directly into a spacious, metallic hall.

In the center of the hall, a constantly rotating, ethereal blue model of a rift hovered in mid-air, emitting faint Energy fluctuations. It was a simulation of the environment inside a Star Realm Rift.

A few figures were already waiting there.

Xu Wuyi’s gaze swept across them. He saw Zhao Qingwei at the very front, cradling her longsword, seemingly isolated from her surroundings.

Beside her stood Luo Liang, an awkward expression on his face. He glanced at Xu Wuyi before quickly averting his gaze.

More than two months had passed since the departmental tournament, so Luo Liang didn’t still hold a grudge against Xu Wuyi. However, the prospect of suddenly becoming teammates felt awkward.

He had even tried telling Zhao Qingwei that he didn’t want to be on the same team as Xu Wuyi, but the result... Well, Zhao Qingwei had told him he was free to leave on his own.

’What a joke. It was because she was building the team and Xu Wuyi was the first to join that recruiting everyone else went so smoothly.’

As for Luo Liang, while his Golden Jade Skills were certainly useful, there was no shortage of Martial Artists who could fill the tank role.

Elsewhere, Li Hao leaned against a metal wall with his arms crossed, his sharp gaze giving off an unapproachable aura.

What surprised Xu Wuyi most was that Tana from the West Courtyard was also there.

The petite girl from the West Desert was studying the rift model with great interest, the signature jet-black Heavy Hammer on her back particularly conspicuous.

Aside from these "acquaintances," there was one unfamiliar young man.

He was dressed in a simple combat uniform, with a well-proportioned build and a handsome face. He wore a pair of rimless glasses, giving him a refined and scholarly air.

The most striking thing about him was the exquisitely crafted longbow on his back, which pulsed with a faint cyan glow.

He was a rare Archer!

"Everyone’s here." Seeing Xu Wuyi arrive, Zhao Qingwei broke the silence. "This is Ding Haichuan, a Yuntai City local. He’s an Archer, with a Life Energy Level of 24.2."

The young man named Ding Haichuan pushed up his glasses and gave Xu Wuyi a friendly nod. "Mr. Xu, I’ve heard a lot about you."

Xu Wuyi nodded in return, understanding now. ’So this is the sixth person Zhao Qingwei recruited.’

Archers were indeed rare among Martial Artists, especially in the lower years of the university.

"Alright, now that we’ve all been introduced, prepare to enter the simulation," Zhao Qingwei said concisely, wasting no time on pleasantries. "Mission objective: clear out the low-level Star Beasts on the rift’s perimeter and familiarize ourselves with working as a team."

Xu Wuyi’s gaze lingered briefly on Tana and Li Hao before shifting to Ding Haichuan. He couldn’t help but feel a little curious.

’Li Hao is one thing, but Tana’s relationship with Qin Rui should be much closer. After all, they were teammates who fought side-by-side for the West Courtyard.’

’The same goes for Ding Haichuan. He’s a local from Yuntai City, just like Qin Rui.’

’Zhao Qingwei’s talent for poaching people is really something else.’

As for why Zhao Qingwei hadn’t invited Qin Rui himself, Xu Wuyi understood completely.

It was well-known that both of them had come to Star Martial University hoping to receive guidance from Grandmaster Lin Jianyi, ideally to become his direct disciples.

Therefore, the two of them were, strictly speaking, rivals. It was considered civil enough that they didn’t actively sabotage each other; teaming up was out of the question.

As if sensing his confusion, Zhao Qingwei offered a simple explanation while operating the control panel. "Qin Rui has no plans to form a team right now. Since they were available, it was only natural for me to extend an invitation first."

Hearing this, Tana grinned, revealing two small canines. "A team’s a team, no matter who’s on it. As long as there’s a fight, I’m happy!"

She clearly didn’t care much about courtyard affiliations.

Li Hao simply nodded without protest, a silent acknowledgment of her point.

Xu Wuyi understood. ’Looks like Zhao Qingwei really put some thought into assembling this team.’

’The lineup for this squad is stacked. She’s gathered nearly all of the top-tier freshmen from our year. If they can gel properly, their combat strength will be incredible.’

"Initiating simulation. Countdown: three, two, one!"