After much deliberation, she decided the closing ceremony would begin on time and not wait for Fifth River.
After all, the anomaly had just passed. Although this was a safe zone, no one could guarantee absolute safety. Nevertheless, the closing ceremony had to proceed. The students had worked hard for so many days, and they deserved an explanation. However, the procedure could be simplified; a few key points would be addressed before dispersing everyone.
Chen Fei announced loudly, "Fellow students, please be quiet."
As her voice fell, the previous clamor slowly subsided, and the students returned to their respective teams.
Chen Fei continued, "I regret to inform you that due to uncontrollable factors, we have had to terminate this trial early!"
After speaking, she observed the students' reactions. As she had predicted, most of them looked relieved, with a hint of joy. They had secretly hoped for the trial to end, as the environment was too dangerous.
However, the students from a few ace teams appeared rather solemn.
After a pause, someone finally asked,
"Director! How will the rankings be calculated for this trial?"
For them, trials inherently involved danger. The higher the risk, the more interested they became. After all, this was how geniuses distinguished themselves from ordinary individuals. After the anomaly occurred, these ace teams had managed to escape danger without relying on safety officers.
Wilderness survival was their mandatory course.
They were not afraid of these sudden changes. If the organizing committee announced the continuation of the trial now, they would rush into the trial grounds without hesitation. But since the trial had been declared over, a ranking was necessary!
The talented students from various academies were already in competition with each other.
Chen Fei frowned slightly, having anticipated such a question. The judging panel had already devised a solution before she took the stage.
She announced loudly, "This trial will not have a ranking for now. The points earned by each team will be carried over to the next trial!"
Before she finished speaking, someone immediately objected.
"For the next trial, our team members might not even be the same. What's the use of these points then!"
Another chimed in, "Although the time was short, it reflected the true strength of each team. Why shouldn't the point rankings count!"
Upon hearing this, those who were ranked lower naturally disagreed and retorted, "Nonsense! I haven't even exerted myself yet!"
Instantly, the venue erupted again with curses and arguments.
Many teams for this trial had been formed on the spot. Expecting them to participate in another trial with the same lineup was almost impossible.
Moreover, the trial had only lasted a few days, with over twenty days remaining for students to accumulate points. In the initial days, a few strong teams had fallen behind due to unfamiliarity with the trial grounds and bad luck with getting lost. However, this did not mean their strength lagged behind others. If the organizing committee were to finalize the rankings based on the current standings, they would naturally be unwilling.
Although Chen Fei, as the chief judge, had absolute authority and could veto decisions, doing so would undermine the credibility of similar future events.
She pondered for a moment, her eyes suddenly lit up as she thought of a solution. She immediately turned to look at Lin Yuansheng and Chen Hong.
"Directors, what are your opinions?"
By shifting the responsibility to the respective academy directors, any lingering resentment from the students would have nowhere to go.
Upon hearing this, Lin Yuansheng frowned, knowing that she was deliberately pushing the responsibility onto him.
Just as he was about to smooth things over, Chen Hong spoke first.
Her tone was firm:
"The rankings are valid! Raw strength speaks for itself. Besides, some students might not even last until the end of the trial!"
Chen Fei smiled, nodded slightly, and then looked at Lin Yuansheng.
Lin Yuansheng sighed, muttering to himself, This woman will sell her own academy sooner or later...
He rubbed his temples, weighing the pros and cons.
"I agree with Director Chen's suggestion."
Chen Hong was stunned, looking at Lin Yuansheng in disbelief. She hadn't expected him to join her side! They had been arguing fiercely just moments ago, almost coming to blows!
Lin Yuansheng's thought process was: "Securing the top two spots simultaneously is already quite good. The ace team from Longzhen Beast Taming Academy this year is indeed outrageously strong. If this ace team were to help other teams gain points, it would be even more troublesome."
With the endorsement of the two academy directors, Chen Fei felt more decisive.
She returned to the stage and announced the organizing committee's final decision to everyone.
As this decision had been discussed by the directors, even if a few students were dissatisfied, they could only compromise.
After a moment of silence, Chen Fei announced loudly, "I will now announce the points and rankings of each team."
Above the main stage, a large holographic projection screen slowly appeared before everyone.
At the same time, the name of the first team appeared.
"First place, Longzhen Beast Taming Academy, Captain Tu Tian, total team points 7200 points!"
As the information on the screen appeared,
Chen Fan, a member of the Jibai team who had previously tried to recruit Lu Fei, exclaimed, "In just a few hours, they've gained another 700 points!"
A few hours ago, they had been competing for the "Blazing Tiger." The result was that Tu Tian's team had captured a "Blazing Tiger" alone, while the remaining one's points were split between the Jibai team and the Jihei team.
After this rather strenuous battle, both teams had chosen to rest. However, during this break, Tu Tian had led his team to earn another 700 points!
Seeing their academy's team topping the list, Chen Hong raised her chin and snorted through her nostrils.
Below the stage, the students' gazes were drawn to the location of the Futu team, where a man and five women stood, each with an arrogant expression, arms crossed, exuding an air of invincibility.
That's right! Except for the captain who was male, all the others were girls!
The Futu team was an established team from Longzhen Beast Taming Academy, renowned for a long time. The team name was like a designation, passed down through generations.
This current iteration had fallen into the hands of sixth-year student Tu Tian.
The Futu team's formidable strength was attributed to Tu Tian's presence. He was only nineteen years old but was already a Senior Beast Tamer, just a step away from becoming a top-tier Beast Tamer.
With his skill level, he could have graduated long ago, but he chose not to! He insisted on completing his studies!
The officially stated reason was his deep love for the academy!
But the actual reason was that he enjoyed being surrounded by a group of adoring fans who constantly called him "brother." Therefore, the team only wanted girls, no men!
"Captain Tu Tian is so handsome! I wish I could join his team!"
A female student from Longzhen Beast Taming Academy exclaimed dreamily.
"Yes, yes, I wish he would even glance at me!"
...
Gradually, a few female students, disregarding their composure, involuntarily moved closer to Tu Tian.
"Get lost!"
At this moment, the other female members of the Futu team rebuked in unison.
Our good brother only has one spear! No other alluring temptresses are allowed to compete for the bullets!
Tu Tian maintained his cool demeanor, but his heart was stirring beneath his calm exterior. He was scouting for candidates. If he found a higher-quality girl, he would dismiss one of the current members with the excuse of slow progress.
A strong team, flowing girls!
After a while, the large screen above the square lit up again, followed by several lines of text.