Chapter 145: The Bone Sage
As a chilling wind swept through, pale flames, like a tide, rapidly spread outwards from Anthony-Black Sparrow.
Seeing this, the apprentices, who were witnessing the Principal casting a spell up close for the first time, couldn't help but stir.
However, as the flames completely enveloped everyone, there was none of the expected heat. The magic array constructed from the pale flames around them was instead exceptionally cold.
"When passing through the Netherworld, I advise you not to step out of this magic array. Otherwise, if you are captured by the undead along the way, you'll have to find your own way back."
What did that mean?
Before everyone could fully grasp the Principal's meaning, the pale flames around them suddenly rose, as if day and night had flipped. The originally colorful world instantly turned completely black and white.
Whoosh—cold, desolate, boundless.
As the chilling wind continued to assail everyone, scenes of a gray and white otherworldly realm unfolded like overlapping scrolls, leaving everyone dizzy and holding their breath.
After a brief moment of surprise, faced with this rare opportunity, Jia Na, who possessed the excellent qualities of a "Summoning" apprentice, immediately activated her Spiritual Body Shuttle talent.
"Coordinates, locating—"
In just an instant, Jia Na swiftly completed the coordinate marking of the Netherworld without anyone noticing.
"Listen up, this 'Three-School Joint Examination' is a personal battle, but it is also an academy battle.
Your focus must be united against the outside! No unnecessary internal strife! I don't care what style the other two academies have—but you must stick together. Don't think about challenging those Black Wizard Apprentices alone—"
Hearing Anthony-Black Sparrow's words, the White Coral apprentices, who had already dealt with the other two academies extensively, naturally understood his implied meaning.
Although they were reluctant to admit it, in terms of individual combat power, White Wizard Apprentices had always been inferior to Black Wizard Apprentices.
After all, each art has its specialization, and magic particles of different attributes naturally have their own focus. Especially in this Mist Forest, which is dominated by dark attribute particles, it provides a natural advantage for those dark attribute apprentices who are skilled in concealment, assassination, Curses, and detoxification.
Of course, in addition to the attribute advantage, the difference in the academies' teaching philosophies also led to fundamental differences in the values and qualities of the apprentices from the three academies.
Although White Coral Academy is a comprehensive institution with a mix of White Wizard and Black Wizard Apprentices, the academy's focus for cultivating lower-grade apprentices is primarily on basic course study and research projects. As for task assignments, there are no particularly mandatory requirements.
In contrast, in Black Bone Forest and Mist Tower, the talents of almost all apprentices in these two academies tend towards the dark attribute. Even apprentices with elemental attribute talents like Flame and Frost have begun to transform towards talents like Phosphor Fire and Poison Frost due to the long-term influence of dark attribute particles.
At the same time, the teaching methods of these two academies also advocate that "practice yields true knowledge."
The main method of cultivation is to force apprentices to complete various outdoor tasks. As for course study, besides Black Magic Defense and Basic Spells being compulsory courses, others like Ancient Magic History and Elvish are electives and do not count towards the final grade.
It is in this cultivation environment of "savage Growth" and "encouraging competition" that the outdoor combat ability of Black Wizard Apprentices is generally higher than that of White Wizard Apprentices.
It is precisely because he was well aware of this weakness that Anthony-Black Sparrow reminded his own apprentices in advance, thus leveraging the greatest advantage of White Wizard Apprentices: sticking together.
In the eyes of Black Wizard Apprentices, everyone is an opponent, and the weak are not worthy of being associated with; they can only become resources for the stronger!
White Wizard Apprentices, on the other hand, advocate: making good use of all available advantages (numerical advantage), absolutely not doing foolish things by fighting alone (sticking together). Since they can bully the few with the many, they will absolutely not be isolated!
"Finally, I will say one more thing. Among the top ten, as long as our academy's total score is higher than the other two academies,
then, in the name of the Principal of White Coral Academy, I will give you additional rewards!"
Hearing Anthony-Black Sparrow's last sentence, Jia Na understood that White Coral Academy had completely given up on the rankings of the individual battles and was instead aiming to secure as many seats as possible for White Coral Academy in the top ten.
While the first place ranking is important, to truly measure the overall ability of an academy, the overall ranking is what matters.
Even if the apprentices from the other two academies achieved first place in this "Three-School Joint Examination," having only one first place is not the same as having half of the top ten being White Coral Academy apprentices in terms of value.
After all, the White Tower Trial in Dordogne tests not only the Wizard Apprentice's individual level and individual combat ability.
Wizard knowledge, research achievements, Law comprehension, team combat ability, and personal quality are all major components of the score. And White Coral Academy is competing for this major component.
"Whoosh—"
As the pale flames gradually rose, the world that was only black and white regained its color. In the blink of an eye, the flames subsided, and everyone who was just traversing the Netherworld appeared in a silver-white lake surrounded by countless bone corals in the next moment.
"Splash—"
Perhaps the scene change was too sudden, especially upon seeing that the scene beneath them had turned into a body of water, a few apprentices who clearly hadn't reacted in time accidentally fell into the lake.
"This is a gravity field. Only dead things will sink—so just relax."
Just as Anthony-Black Sparrow said, the apprentices who fell into the lake did not sink into the water. Instead, their entire bodies floated on the surface of the lake, not even getting their clothes wet.
"Anthony, long time no see."
Rustle, rustle—
—As a low male voice sounded, a bone coral tree nearly as tall as a person suddenly grew rapidly from the surface of the lake. As the bones broke inch by inch, a pale man who looked as if he had albinism slowly walked out of the bone coral tree.
"Long time no see, Gu Shan."
Hearing Anthony-Black Sparrow's address to the other party, Jia Na's gaze couldn't help but sharpen.
"So, he is the former Principal of Black Bone Forest—"
Hearing Vivian's telepathic voice, Jia Na nodded slightly.
Gu Shan-Laifu, known as the "Bone Sage," is a First-Level Wizard with an unknown A-rank talent, but is extremely skilled in "Bone Witchcraft." Jia Na guessed that the Law he had mastered should also be related to "bones."
"Little Grace, Little Mary, hello—"