Jack was furious. "What do you mean we should continue without you? Who do you think you are?"
Janice and Mabel were stunned, and even Awar was a bit surprised. This was the first time someone had spoken to him like that.
Mabel spoke up, her voice uncertain. "You do know that he is a prince, right? And also, he is stronger than you."
Jack's face was set with determination. "So what? That doesn't give him the right to talk to us like that. Even if he is lazy, he should at least come with us, not tell us to go without him."
Janice's lips twitched, knowing exactly where her brother was getting his confidence from. They might not know his true power, but their grandfather's words had always stuck with them: in the entire Divine Continent, no one could make Adams get serious.
Awar sighed deeply. "Alright, let's go."
The Js, Mabel, and Awar walked to the teleportation point. As they all stood on the device that would take them to their destination, Jack asked, "So who is going to lead us?"
Janice and Mabel looked at Jack, wondering why he was asking such a question. In every team, the one with the highest cultivation naturally became the leader. Awar, sensing their thoughts, said in a lazy tone, "I can't and won't be the leader of this team. I just want to sleep."
Jack smirked. "I know, that's why I was asking in the first place."
Everyone turned to Mabel. Feeling their gazes, she understood what they were thinking.
Mabel nodded. "Okay, I'll give it a shot."
Jack laughed heartily. "Hahaha, I'll be in your care then, Miss Mabel."
Mabel smiled slightly. "Oh, just call me Mabel. No need for formalities."
"Okay, if you say so," Jack replied, still chuckling.
Janice looked at her brother and realized why he had asked such a seemingly stupid question. Knowing full well that Awar was a lazy prince, the only one capable of leading was Mabel.
"Acting like a smartass, are you?" Janice teased.
Jack clicked his tongue. "Tsk, what do you know?"
Janice then remembered Adams and smiled. "Are you forgetting something, Jack?"
Before Jack could reply, they felt a distortion in space. They closed their eyes and sensed a change in their surroundings. When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in a completely different place.
Mabel took charge immediately. "Alright, guys, let's discuss our strategy."
Jack shrugged. "You're the boss. Whatever you say, we'll follow."
Janice rolled her eyes. "Idiot."
Mabel sighed. "This isn't the time for bickering."
Awar yawned. "Can I just sleep here? I didn't get a good night's sleep coming here."
Jack was exasperated. "You want to sleep in the middle of nowhere? How lazy can you be?"
Awar looked at Jack with a hint of curiosity. "You're really not afraid of me?"
Jack looked back, unflinching. "Why would I be afraid of you?"
Mabel was getting frustrated. She had never dealt with such a dynamic before. "This will be troublesome," she muttered.
Janice knew her brother wasn't going to take this entrance examination seriously anymore. Even she wasn't taking it seriously. They just wanted the second round to end and let Adams do his thing.
As Jack and Awar argued, they heard a roar from a distance. Everyone tensed, weapons drawn, ready to fight for their lives. A ferocious tiger, as big as an elephant, appeared before them, an early rank 9 abyssal monster.
Surprise flashed in their eyes. Abyssal monsters of rank 7 and above were not supposed to be found in the Imperial Sect Training Ground 1. Yet here they were, facing a rank 9 beast.
**Do you need my help?** Adams's voice echoed in their heads. Jack and Janice looked around, startling Mabel and Awar, who also looked around, confused.
Jack glanced at Janice, who met his gaze and nodded.
**If you're reading my mind, only help us when our lives are in danger,** Jack thought.
**Alright, your call,** Adams replied.
Mabel took charge. "We should work together now and find a chance to kill this beast. Stop your silly arguments and work together," she said, particularly eyeing Jack and Awar, who nodded in agreement.
Awar sighed dramatically. "There goes my beauty sleep."
The beast roared and lunged at Jack, its massive claws slicing through the air. Jack, with his affinities for wind and lightning, barely dodged the attack.
"That was close," Jack muttered.
Janice focused her mana, condensing it on her sword, and slashed at the beast. "[Whirlpool Sword Art]!" A wave of water surged from her blade, rushing toward the beast. However, her attack barely scratched it, only serving to annoy the creature.
Mabel, a medium rank 8 cultivator, had many hidden trump cards, but she didn't have time to activate any before the monster attacked her. Sensing her predicament, Awar channeled his mana and created spikes made of shadows. "[Night Arts: Shadow Lance]!" The lance pierced the beast's skin, leaving a minor wound.
Jack grinned. "You've got skills, I give you that."
"Shut up!" Janice snapped.
Jack quickly infused his staff with lightning and struck the recovering beast, momentarily stunning it.
"Whew, that was easy," he said, but Mabel's voice cut in.
"It's not dead yet."
The monster, infuriated, used its ultimate skill. "[Earth Spike]!" Spikes erupted from the ground around them, shooting toward the group. Mabel was faster, using a talisman to create a translucent dome that shielded them from the spikes.
Awar seized the opportunity. "[Dark Beam Emission]!" Beams of darkness and shadow rushed toward the beast, injuring it severely. Jack and Janice didn't waste any time, striking together to finish the monster off.
Jack, breathing heavily, said, "That was a close one."
Awar yawned. "Now can I get my rest?"
They all nodded, equally exhausted. Jack and Janice then heard Adams's voice in their heads again.
**I'm impressed you all managed to pull through. As a reward, you should check your tokens.**
Jack and Janice checked their tokens and were shocked at what they saw.