The instructor who had been questioned was left red-faced and speechless by Su Xinyan's retort, knowing he was in the wrong and not daring to say anything more.

Lu Hu gave a light cough to ease the tension. "Does anyone else have any opinions?"

Seeing that no one else spoke up, Lu Hu stood and announced, "Meeting adjourned! Now, I must ask all of you to guarantee the safety of these students."

The other instructors nodded in agreement and busied themselves with their assigned tasks.

After everyone had left, Lu Hu turned to Su Xinyan, who still looked dissatisfied, and said in a low voice, "Xinyan, that instructor was just being conscientious. Why did you have to be so harsh?"

Su Xinyan rolled her eyes at him and retorted, "You're the most overprotective one here, and you have the nerve to lecture me? If I hadn't stepped up to shut him down, who knows if you would've been slamming the table to protest on Fang Zhou's behalf!"

She continued, "Besides, his point was nonsense. Does it really matter whether Fang Zhou exchanges those resources or not? It will have no bearing on the outcome of this hunt. I refuse to believe anyone can snatch the No.1 Seed position from him!"

Lu Hu chuckled, offering no rebuttal. Deep down, he felt the exact same way.

***

「After class, in the laboratory.」

Su Xinyan yawned and sent a file to Fang Zhou's personal terminal.

"This is the diary I kept when I went hunting in Cave No. 1 years ago. You can read it when you have time," she said. "However, it's been many years. The Demons there have likely been replaced many times over, so it probably isn't very useful as a reference."

Fang Zhou opened the diary and quickly skimmed through it, finding many practical tips recorded within.

He replied earnestly, "Thank you, Instructor Su!"

Su Xinyan waved her hand lazily. "Even though you're a cut above the rest of the first-year students, don't get complacent. If you let your guard down and get eliminated, failing to become the No.1 Seed is a minor issue. But if you embarrass our Undead Mage Profession, I won't let you off the hook."

Fang Zhou nodded silently, his mind on high alert. The Cave Hunting was about securing a seed slot, and he had made his decision long ago. He would prioritize caution in all his actions and would not chase glory by taking unnecessary risks.

Su Xinyan took a sip of juice from her cup and waved a dismissive hand at Fang Zhou. "If there's nothing else, you should head back and rest. Remember to bring your field supplies. Oh, by the way, I have some good news. I'm close to summoning that new breed of Golden Tier Undead Creature. With a bit more effort over the next few days, I should be able to deduce the skill before you get back."

Fang Zhou's eyebrow rose in a smile. "Then allow me to congratulate you in advance, Instructor Su, for adding another great asset to our Undead Mage Profession! I wonder, what do you plan to name this Undead Creature?"

Su Xinyan tapped her chin with a finger, thinking for a moment. "In my senses, it's a big one. It's large, can fly, and its exterior looks like it's made of granite. It seems a bit like the [Stone Golem] you speculated about. Speaking of which, I was only able to sense this Undead Creature thanks to the inspiration you gave me. You deserve most of the credit, so in that case, let's call it [Stone Golem]!"

Fang Zhou nodded, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

I hope this [Stone Golem] can somewhat alleviate the plight of high-tier Undead Mages and their lack of combat power.

***

「Logistics Office, Material Warehouse.」

Fang Zhou was going through his checklist, taking stock of the supplies he would need to bring into Cave No. 1 tomorrow.

Night vision goggles, Spiritual Recovery Potions, Military Ration Pills, a Compressed Water Maker, a Fire Source, medical supplies for internal and external injuries, a Wilderness Tent, scent remover…

All set!

Fang Zhou hefted the heavy backpack and nodded to himself. These essential supplies were compiled after he researched guides on the internal network and consulted with Instructor Su, Instructor Lu, and senior students like Lu Renjia and Lu Yiyi. Furthermore, with the authority granted by his research project group, his preparations were far more thorough than those of an ordinary seed candidate.

If not for his Power and physique Attributes both being close to 6 points, carrying such a heavy backpack for a three-day rapid march inside the Cave would be a considerable burden.

I wonder how other physically weak Magic Professionals deal with this dilemma?

The thought made Fang Zhou yearn for the No.1 Seed's reward even more. If he had a precious Spatial Storage Treasure right now, it would undoubtedly lighten his load significantly.

Shouldering his backpack, Fang Zhou headed toward the dormitory. Tonight was his last chance for cultivation before the hunt. Once inside Cave No. 1, he would have to focus all his energy on hunting Demons and traversing the terrain. At that point, he probably wouldn't be able to manage his Clone's monster grinding and leveling up.

***

「In the evening, in the Concentration Meditation Room.」

Fang Zhou breathed in the elegant fragrance of the Moon Orchid Incense and slowly immersed his consciousness in his Skeleton Clone.

After subjugating two more Skeleton Warriors and increasing his number of minions to 28, Fang Zhou led his nascent Skeleton Legion deeper into the Burial Wilderness.

A dense aura of death permeated the air, nurturing even stronger Skeleton Warriors. Based on Fang Zhou's estimates, the Skeleton Warriors he currently controlled had four-dimensional Attributes just over 10 points, placing them among the weakest of the lower Black Iron rank. In the area he was now entering, however, the Skeleton Warriors that could survive here likely had attributes approaching 20 points.

Ten minutes passed before Fang Zhou encountered the first Skeleton Warrior of this new area. This Great Sword Skeleton Warrior was stronger than any of his minions. Only he could personally intervene to kill it with ease.

However, with such loyal and devoted cannon fodder at my disposal, why should I step in personally?

The moment he spotted the Skeleton Warrior, a thought from Fang Zhou sent his 28 minions swarming toward it. At the cost of one Skeleton Warrior losing an arm and another suffering a fracture, the incredibly strong Great Sword Skeleton Warrior was mobbed and decapitated.

The pristine skull was presented to Fang Zhou by Fu Yi.

**[Skeleton Monarch] activated!**

Enslave Skeleton!

After a tremor that shook its very soul, the Great Sword Skeleton Warrior was enslaved, becoming another one of the many Skeleton Warrior minions under Fang Zhou's command.

Then, the Skeleton Legion, now 29 strong, pushed forward again, delving toward the center.

A few minutes later, a second Skeleton Warrior appeared before Fang Zhou. His 29 minions swarmed out, beating it down in the shortest possible time before handing it over to him for enslavement.

Minion count +1.

Soon, a third Skeleton Warrior appeared.

Minion count +1.

…

The [Skeleton Monarch] skill was like a cheat code. Not only did it give Fang Zhou dominion over the Skeleton Race, but it also allowed his forces to snowball and grow at an incredible rate.

While other Skeletons played a single-player RPG their entire lives, Fang Zhou was already playing an RTS with his own army.

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