The yellow-haired boy blushed at the comment, but didn't have an ounce of courage to retort, and could only keep his head down to avoid the unkind glances cast at him by those around him.
Shaking her head in slight disappointment, Xia Wanlong still kept her promise to answer. "Mystic energy is a vital cultivation resource for the Mountain and Sea Academy. One can exchange it for time to cultivate in the mystic realm Heavy God Mountain, which will have a multiplying effect on the strength growth of the pet as well as the master.
"You just need to remember one thing: any students in the academy and the Ten Masters, including me, value mystic energy highly, so if you have the chance to harvest it, then fight for it with all your strength!
"Second question, the double pony-tailed boy in the short pink skirt with a beard. Well, you actually wear lipstick, quite a unique taste. Go ahead, what do you want to ask?" Xia Wanlong pointed at another person again.
Being too far away, Bai Wushang didn't see the boy, but his mind still sketched out the corresponding person's portrait.
Bai Wushang could only exclaim, "Mountain and Sea Academy is filled with concealed talents, there really are all kinds of people, and such eyesores of a classmate actually exist…"
"Senior Sister, do you have any key advice for this freshman trial?"
The voice of the big crossdressed guy rang out, but it was a very stiff and mellow fierce male voice, giving a powerful sense of dissonance.
The question he asked was quite incisive, and might get some additional information from Xia Wanlong.
"Well, that's a bit of an interesting question!" Xia Wanlong pondered for a moment, and slowly spoke, "My advice, then, is to remind everyone to make the most of the first five days, and explore the layout of the trial grounds for as long as possible in the safest time frame possible.
"In addition, students with average strength can work together in teams as early as possible, and the number of people need not be large, such as two or three so that it will be conducive to obtaining higher returns.
"One last disclosure, the trial ground doesn't just have early youth transcendent creatures, there are also a minimal number of mature ones present, so you should always be careful, and treat this trial ground as if it were a real wilderness, and learn how to survive in a crisis-ridden environment.
"By the way, if you can't even crush the distress talisman in time, you will die~~~."
Xia Wanlong's words caused many freshmen to fall into a brief moment of contemplation, and she didn't interrupt, giving everyone a few minutes of free time.
"Okay, one last question."
Xia Wanlong clapped her hands, signaling everyone to refocus.
"The bald guy at the end. You."
The person Xia Wanlong was referring to wasn't very far from Bai Wushang and the others, so everyone could see him.
"Huh, isn't that the boy who got his hair burnt out by the little fire sparrow yesterday?" muttered Ouyang Yuan.
"Senior Sister Xia, what I want to ask is, how is this trial arranged for autonomous awakeners?" The bald guy's voice seemed laced with a hint of indignation. "I heard that there are three autonomous awakeners in this term. If there are no restrictions on them, I'm afraid that whoever encounters them in the trial will have no power to fight back, right? After all, their initial soul power is higher than ours, their physical quality is stronger than ours, and they also have one more life-bound pet than we do, so no matter how we compare, we'll be an absolute underdog!"
"Yeah, that's not fair!" shouted a good number of students immediately following.
Bai Wushang raised an eyebrow, not at all expecting the focus of the conversation to shift towards himself.
"On that note, the academy has already made arrangements." Xia Wanlong paused, her red lips suddenly curled into a brilliant smile, planning something. "The three students who already have their life-bound pets, please gather on my side~."
Mu Xiaoxiao hit Bai Wushang with her elbow, her almond-shaped eyes repeatedly blinking, and urging him to hurry up.
"Brother Bai, it's your turn to perform on stage!" said Ouyang Yuan, laughing mischievously next to him with a somewhat vulgar expression.
"Ugh…"
Bai Wushang sighed lightly; he really didn't like the feeling of standing out in public. Wasn't it good to advance in secret?
Particularly, there were so many secrets that he hadn't fathomed yet, and standing in the spotlight in a hurry would be troublesome if he became a public target.
"Senior Sister Xia doesn't seem to harbor good intentions…" Bai Wuxiang vaguely felt just that.
In the 10 seconds or so he hesitated, two people had already weaved their way through the crowd and past towards the central stone pillar.
Bai Wushang had no choice but to take a deep breath, and take a step to squeeze forward.
"Coming through, thanks, coming through for a second, thanks…"
The packed crowd kept making way for Bai Wushang while pairs of bright eyes were firmly locked on his figure.
Soon, Bai Wushang reached the bottom of the central stone pillar, and saw the other two autonomous awakeners.
One was the red-haired woman described by Ouyang Yuan, with crystal skin and a devastatingly beautiful tall figure not inferior to Jiang Lingyue's. As if big red flaming waves, her hair was dazzling, and she was like a fiery blossoming fire lotus, delicate without losing innocence and soft with rigidity.
The other was a boy, slim, of average appearance, and dressed in ordinary clothes.
The only thing that was a bit distinctive was his long hair coiled in a hairpin, and his brow was calm and relaxed. He was like a frail scholar who had read a lot of scriptures.
"You three, don't invoke your soul power; I'll pull you up."
Xia Wanlong quickly flicked her fingers as if she had cast some kind of secret technique, and Bai Wushang immediately perceived a void of light wrapping around the trio before carrying them to float overhead.
Xia Wanlong flipped her hand, and took out a green-colored treasure pearl, firing out three green lights that fell into each of the three just as they landed on the stone pillar and before they could say anything.
In an instant, Bai Wushang's face sank with some anger.
"What are you doing, Senior Sister Xia?"
The green light entered his body, and the first thing Bai Wushang noticed was that Milky Way on his chest disappeared, being forcefully summoned back to the Book of Oaths, and could no longer be summoned.
The other two's expressions similarly changed slightly. Their eyes were fixed on Xia Wanlong as they waited for her explanation.
"Take it easy." Xia Wanlong smiled faintly but didn't reply, and instead turned sideways, facing the sea of people at her feet, and shouted, "Can everyone see clearly? This year, these are the three autonomous awakeners. From left to the right are Bai Wushang, Luo Youyuan, and Zhu Qin. I hope everyone remembers their names and also their faces!
"Just now, I have sealed their life-bound pets with my own hands, which means that in this trial, the three autonomous awakeners will be like you, stepping into the mystic realm with their bare hands, unable to draw on the power of their life-bound beasts!"
There was a vague commotion and chatter from the sea of people.
Xia Wanlong scanned the venue with a smile, and continued, "Of course, even so, they still have a big advantage—it's their talent and ability. The academy won't interfere much more."
With those words, Xia Wanlong lifted the golden hem of her skirt with one hand, placed the other on her chest, and gracefully performed a noble's salute towards everyone.
"That's all the general arrangements of the academy for this freshman trial, and I have explained them all."
Bai Wushang was so close to her that he could clearly see that her red lips suddenly blossomed in a teasing expression as her head was bowed down.