Top 2 was the battle where Fang Zhou annihilated the Ice Trolls before the underground Dark River.

For this battle, the instructors didn't assign any specific tasks. After all, it was simply a case of using superior numbers to bully the few and the strong overpowering the weak. The only highlight was Fang Zhou refining his [Group Brutality Skill], adding a layer of Corrosive Poison damage for his Skeleton Army, which perfectly countered the Ice Trolls' absurd regenerative abilities.

However, Fang Zhou's prodigious talent for tailoring and refining skills specifically for his opponents before battle was far beyond what an average student could achieve. It was something they couldn't learn, so they were better off just watching.

Amidst the spectators' complaints of, "How the hell are we supposed to learn that?" the video highlights reached their end.

Top 1 was, naturally, Fang Zhou's battle on the Frozen Tundra where he rescued Shen Ziwei by taking on the Jackal Wolfman Cavalry head-on. At the time, the live signal was blocked due to a thunderstorm, but the Hunting Recorder captured the entire process clearly.

The battle itself was textbook. Relying entirely on Fang Zhou's formidable Magic skills and the Skeleton Army's ferocious onslaught, he crushed the Jackal Wolfmen with overwhelming force. It was a complete victory achieved through sheer power. There was nothing more to say, and the other students couldn't learn much from it.

The main reason this battle was placed at Top 1 was that Fang Zhou's act of braving the rain to aid a fellow student in distress was highly commendable. The instructors hoped other students would also learn this spirit of unity and mutual assistance on the battlefield.

Actually, what the instructors had really wanted to place at Top 1 was Fang Zhou's perfect response upon discovering the Desecration Ghost Fire and Desecration Torch in the Town Ruins. Unfortunately, due to interference from the Desecration Torch, the Hunting Recorder failed to capture the process of Fang Zhou's escape from the Desecration Ghost Fire.

After watching the highlight reel of exciting battles, a student sighed and said, "Fang Zhou's combat power is just overpowered. He effortlessly dealt with that group of Demon Swamp Frogs. I can't see anything I could learn from that."

Another student said solemnly, "That's not entirely true. For one, I didn't know that the Colorful Skin Demon Swamp Frogs were their command core. This shows that Fang Zhou had a thorough understanding of the demons in the Foul Swamp before he even entered. Success comes from preparation, and failure from the lack of it. Isn't that something worth learning?"

Upon hearing this, a female student nodded repeatedly. "That's right, and I noticed another detail. When faced with the first wave of harassing Swamp Flies, Fang Zhou only commanded his skeletons to form a defensive formation instead of wasting Spiritual Power on Attack Skills. But when the Demon Swamp Frog swarm couldn't hold back and finally charged, he decisively consumed a large amount of Spiritual Power. He used a continuous barrage of the [Skeleton Flying Spear] skill to directly decapitate the Colorful Skin Demon Swamp Frogs, throwing the sizable demon force into disarray. Fang Zhou's grasp of timing is incredibly precise, far better than mine."

The students chattered excitedly, exchanging their thoughts. Their words were filled with ever-increasing admiration for Fang Zhou.

After two days of watching the Cave Hunting livestreams, everyone had realized something. Besides being far superior in terms of raw power, Fang Zhou also had much to teach them when it came to soft skills like grasping battlefield opportunities, tactical design, and strategic planning.

Seeing the lively atmosphere in the classroom, the company instructors nodded to themselves from the sidelines. With an exemplary student like Fang Zhou setting the standard, their jobs would undoubtedly be much easier. They hoped the boy would continue to perform well and provide even more combat footage.

...

Deep within Cave No. 1, Fang Zhou, full of energy, crawled out of his tent. After quickly washing up, he stepped out of the Bear Cave, glanced at the dutiful skeleton guards on either side, and then gazed out from the top of the hill.

The Magic Energy Moss covering the landscape was gradually regaining its vitality, and the pitch-black cave slowly began to brighten. In the distance, the Town Ruins loomed like a great beast lurking in the night.

Fang Zhou took out his night-vision binoculars and observed from afar, seeing groups of demons already foraging and fighting within the ruins.

Seeing these energetic demons, he breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that with the Desecration Torch destroyed, the area was finally returning to normal.

After washing up, Fang Zhou finished a can of military rations and then opened the map on his Hunting Recorder to plan the day's route.

The time between now and 8:00 a.m. tomorrow marked the final day of the Cave Hunting.

With 500 Hunting Points, Fang Zhou currently sat at the top of the leaderboard, holding an insurmountable lead over everyone else. Therefore, he wasn't too concerned with earning more Hunting Points. Instead, he wanted to explore the Thorn Jungle for the Refining Stone vein.

The previous night, before leaving, Instructor Wang Tao had hinted that there was a large group of Kobolds northwest of the Thorn Jungle. As the region's stationed rescue instructor, Wang Tao had to be familiar with the local terrain.

After Fang Zhou had scanned the beast-hide map confiscated from the Kobolds with his Hunting Recorder, the instructors must have also learned about the possible Refining Stone vein in the Thorn Jungle.

The instructors must have already explored the Thorn Jungle, and they've likely found the Refining Stone vein. Instructor Wang Tao wouldn't speak without reason. He must have been hinting that the Refining Stone vein is in the northwest.

Fang Zhou carefully observed the map of the Thorn Jungle. The northwest section was a sprawling, hilly area.

Grateful for Instructor Wang Tao's hint, he commanded the Skeleton Army to pack up, and they began their grand march toward the Thorn Jungle.

CRACK.

CRACK.

The Skeleton Army soon left the cold Frozen Tundra and entered the Town Ruins.

Compared to the previous night's dead, eerie atmosphere, the Town Ruins were now teeming with life and energy. While not exactly a paradise of singing birds and fragrant flowers, it was certainly a scene of vibrant activity.

Without the threat of the Desecration Torch, many demons from the surrounding area had gathered in this vast hunting ground overnight.

They had advanced less than a kilometer when two or three waves of demons launched attacks on Fang Zhou and his Skeleton Army.

After casually collecting the Hunting Points and materials dropped by these low-level demons, Fang Zhou urged his Skeleton Army to pick up the pace.

Finding the Refining Stone vein in the Thorn Jungle could take an unknown amount of time, so he couldn't afford to waste any.

The light from the Magic Energy Moss glittered like fine gold dust, casting dappled shadows across the dusty road.

Protected within the ranks of his Skeleton Army, Fang Zhou kept his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.

Between his [Soul Realm] skill, Spiritual Perception, the Soul Fire link with his skeletons, and the occasional alerts from his thermal imaging radar, Fang Zhou detected all demons long before they could get close.

Suddenly, his gaze intensified as he looked toward an alley on the left, coming to a halt.

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