Lantern Sister is still very capable.

Chapter 91 Preparation

Chu Deng, who had re-registered an account, logged back into the game at 11:30 a.m. Jin Xiaoyue messaged her after temporarily logging out, and she replied with "wait a moment," then logged in and played for half an hour.

Chu Deng figured out the reason for her previous account's demise as soon as she logged off: it was simply because she had conveniently consumed crystal cores on Neon Beach. She hadn't thought much of it after inexplicably leveling up five times, and it was quite a coincidence that it only exploded now.

"You lost all your equipment after the explosion, but we managed to collect some. Some players who were attracted by the explosion picked it up." After handing the equipment to Chu Deng, Yan Mengqi excitedly added, "Your explosion gave me a burst of inspiration! I have to log off to write a song now, let's meet up later."

"Mmm." Jin Xiaoyue nodded while munching on a corn and cheese stick, watching Yan Mengqi log off.

"Where did you buy it?" Chu Deng, whose account was only level one, had no interest in leveling up anymore. She happily ate and drank with her friends in Hai City. When it was time to change shifts at lunchtime, she said goodbye to Jin Xiaoyue and logged off.

The day passed quickly. Chu Deng's appetite was whetted by the delicious food in the holographic game. In the afternoon, she bought some snacks to take to the training camp.

In the second phase of training, Group A students were required to gather at a specific location every day, depart at 6 PM, and return to school by bus at 6 PM the next day. They stayed overnight at the training site. Group B students trained on the school playground.

On Tuesday morning, the weather was sunny. Chu Deng arrived at school on time, carrying a flowerpot, a backpack full of snacks, and with Qing Yu perched on her shoulder.

As they approached the school gate, Qingyu discreetly parted ways with Chudeng. While keeping watch around Chudeng, Qingyu squatted on a wind-element crystal core to absorb elements and cultivate.

Chu Deng placed the fire tree on the classroom window. Those who had already arrived in class glanced at Chu Deng's flowerpot with curiosity, but no one dared to ask. Chu Deng scrolled through the news on his personal computer, and when the teacher entered the classroom, his simple and unpretentious high school day began.

In the evening, Chu Deng and Jin Xiaoyue went to the first floor on their own initiative and stood there watching the others slowly walk towards the cafeteria, dormitory or playground.

Holding the fire tree flowerpot, Jin Xiaoyue stood on tiptoe and looked around curiously, asking, "Who's there?"

All she knew was that she and Chu Deng had been selected for Group A.

"Why are you holding a flowerpot?" Meng Qiuhe's voice could be heard from a great distance.

"Mind your own business when it comes to beautiful women!" Cheng Hao said with a chuckle.

Pei Hanxing and Zhao Jiacheng came down the stairs, followed by Lin Jingqiong, who was wearing a white dress, and Tang Zhen, who looked gloomy.

"Excuse me, is this where Group A is supposed to meet?"

Jin Xiaoyue was delighted to see the newcomer, "Menglu! You're here too?"

Li Menglu smiled at Jin Xiaoyue, running her fingers through the hair beside her face. "I was lucky to get third place. If I had been in the same exam room as you, I definitely wouldn't have made it into the top tier."

"With your talent, you're guaranteed to make it into Group A," Jin Xiaoyue said innocently, completely oblivious to the fact that she hadn't noticed anything amiss.

Li Menglu glanced at the group of boys next to her, then lowered her head and smiled without saying a word.

Chu Deng pulled her somewhat embarrassed friend aside and looked towards another stairwell where some people were coming down.

After waiting a few more minutes, no one else came. Chu Deng counted them and found there were 30 people in total.

The students at Shanghai No. 1 High School took the exam in Examination Room No. 1. The senior students took the exam in four sessions, with each session lasting about two and a half hours on average.

In the end, only thirty people passed.

Chu Deng is ranked fifth, Jin Xiaoyue is ranked seventh, and Li Menglu is ranked third. No matter how you calculate it, it doesn't seem right.

Huo Xuan's appearance answered this question: "There are thirty people selected for Group A, five of whom were selected through special admissions, the top ten in the four exams automatically entered, and 15 withdrew. Currently, thirty people have entered the second stage of Group A training. Now I will call out the roll, Bai Hongxue..."

"Here!" a girl in a black tracksuit answered loudly.

As Huo Xuan called out names one by one, Chu Deng checked the names against the list. When she heard that the second name called was Lin Jingqiong, she understood that the order actually implied the ranking in the examination room.

The first place in exam room number one was actually an unremarkable girl, while even Lin Jingqiong, who was favored by Lady Luck, could only come in second.

Interesting. Chu Deng smiled; this training camp was getting more and more interesting, and she was really looking forward to it.

Huo Xuan didn't waste any time after taking attendance. He immediately led them to a special car. Seeing the familiar route, everyone knew that the training location was not far from Haishi No.1 High School. There were soldiers patrolling at the gate, and everyone needed a pass to enter and exit. The security was very tight.

"Wow, that's cool." Bai Hongxue sat in front of Chu Deng and Jin Xiaoyue, the two of them in a row, with Lin Jingqiong right next to her.

Lin Jingqiong pretended to be asleep with her eyes closed. Chu Deng was right behind her, and she was too ashamed to face him.

Jin Xiaoyue noticed a boy in front of her and whispered to Chu Deng, "Dengdeng, the one wearing a hat by the window in the first row looks like Shi Kan."

Shi Kantou was pressed against the window, wearing a blue and white baseball cap, and the earrings on his ears shone brightly in the sunset.

Pei Hanxing squinted at the light that had blinded him, then moved to the side to avoid it. His ears, however, were secretly perked up, eager to hear Chu Deng's opinion on those who surpassed him.

The school's rankings announced that morning immediately sparked discussion among everyone, with Pei Hanxing also getting involved. Many people were also paying attention to Chu Deng's reaction.

Chu Deng simply glanced at the person, recognized them, and then looked away, continuing to observe the environment outside the car window.

After entering through the gate, the car drove along a straight road lined with trees that obstructed the view. After passing through a watchtower-like building, they came to a lake surrounded by green trees. After circling the lake and passing through the forest, they passed through a rocky forest, filled with stones eroded by the wind. Occasionally, they could hear the eerie laughter of the wind passing through the holes in the polished stones. Beyond the rocky forest was a beach. The car remained stable and continued on its way without being affected by the beach.

Chu Deng spotted a familiar figure emerging from the beach. She silently made a mental note of it, planning to touch it when she had the chance.

Finally, they arrived at a building with a heavy metal, high-tech feel.

"This is where you'll meet later—the Jin Tie Building. The dormitories are in the back. All your daily necessities are provided. Take a break and change your clothes. We'll meet here for a meeting later, and then we'll have another meeting when the other schools arrive," Huo Xuan announced. He then disappeared into the Jin Tie Building's reception room.

The group had no interest in socializing and scattered to find their dormitories to change into their training uniforms and prepare for the evening's training.