The enormous blue beast paused on a wild grassnd, where the man in the leather jacket was gliding in the air while maintaining his altitude. His figure was like a bat as he entered the Senior Hunter’s vision, looking quite small against the background of the area.

  Suddenly, a strong bst erupted on the grassnd. The shockwave from it caused the grass to bend ninety degrees ft as it swept through the surroundings.

  “Yao Nan, watch out!” the Senior Hunter warned.

  “What do you mean...Oh hell no, he’s right under me!”

  “Big guy, save him!” the Senior Hunter yelled.

  The giant blue beast kicked the ground, and its hill-sized figure leapt into the air. The jump covered a distance of one kilometer from the edge of the grassnd.

  It made another jump, whose figure cast a huge shadow across the pce under the moonlight, nding close to the center of the grassnd. The distance that it covered with two jumps was absolutely insane!

  ROAR!

  In the midst of a powerful gust of wind, something smmed right into the winged man. He dropped rapidly at a snted angle and smmed right into the ground, leaving a huge gouge in the ground behind him. He finally stopped after sliding a great distance across the ground.

  “Yao Nan, are you alright?” the Senior Hunter on the huge beast asked.

  “Still...still alive... that guy is very strong, be careful!” Yao Nan said.

  “The test subject this time was an Advanced magician. All his three of his Elements have mutated. Since he was already an Advanced magician to begin with, the monster he transformed into is surely going to be more terrifying!” the Senior Hunter said.

  “You should really end the experiment as early as possible. This is too scary. I can easily handle a few Advanced Magicians on my own, but this monster...”

  The Senior Hunter did not respond to Yao Nan’s comment, as he was being stared at by a pair of bloodshot eyes.

  The enormous blue beast was considered quite outstanding among Commander-level creatures. Normally, beasts with weaker strength would shiver in fear when they saw it, but the monster did not show any sign of fear at all. Instead, it seemed like it was ready to kill!

  “Yao Nan, this pce is close to the railway. You should head there and keep an eye out, to prevent the shockwaves of the battle from involving the innocent,” the Senior Hunter said after a while.

  “Roger!”

  “Let me handle this monster!” The Senior Hunter’s gaze turned cold as brilliant Star Patterns appeared close to his body.

  Not only did the Star Patterns appear below his feet, there were also around his body and above his head. The speed he aligned the Stars was absolutely nuts.

  Furthermore, a mysterious pattern was also drawn to align the different Star Patterns, causing the Stars to cross paths with one another like meteors. The amount of Stars was enough to fill the entire sky...

  In the distance, Yao Nan shook his head when he saw brilliant Star Patterns rising up around the Senior Hunter and said, “A Senior Hunter is indeed out of my league, using an Advanced magic as his first move!”

  —

  The moonlight reflected on the metallic surface of the white railcar. The coaches of the railcar traveled rapidly across the boundless field. It did not slow down, even when it was going into turns. It was leaving a white glow behind on the vast nd due to its speed.

  Yao Nan clenched his chest. Blood could be seen from his mouth as he was fpping his wings while maintaining his position above the railcar.

  A strong wind blew due to the insane speed of the railcar, leaving Yao Nan’s hair disheveled.

  Yao Nan began to cast his magic. He was casting the Water Curtain of the Water Element to protect the entire railcar.

  “Damn it, it’s coming!” Yao Nan quickened his pace.

  The Water Curtain was a giant water barrier. The water screen sparkled in the moonlight, forming a waterfall flowing from the front to the back of the railcar along its roof.

  Deep cracks began to appear on the ground close to the railway. Some parts even began to crumble, forming a canyon as a violent quake came from afar.

  With a closer look, one could see the shockwave was spreading rapidly from the spot where the Senior Hunter was fighting the monster. The railcar was at least two kilometers away, and it was obvious that the Senior Hunter was not the person responsible for the shockwave. It was enough to highlight the utterly terrifying destructive force the monster had.

  The Water Curtain vibrated vigorously as the shockwave collided with it, feeling like it was on the verge of breaking.

  “Such incredible force? How is it so strong ,even when we’re so far away? What exactly has the military done?” Yao Nan blurted out with a hint of worry when he saw his Water Curtain almost shatter.

  ——-

  The Magic Association of the capital was located inside an ancient pace, and so it was also referred to as the Magic Pace.

  The Magic Pace and the Oriental Pearl Tower were considered the strongest Magic Associations in the country, and were incredibly famous across the entire world.

  The Magic Pace consisted of an ancient courtyard, pagodas, sculpted hills, and arbours.

  The west pagoda currently had four people seated around a wooden table. The person pouring tea was a middle-aged man, wearing an ancient hat. His sideburns were already turning white, but there were no wrinkles on his face.

  Meanwhile, the person with his hands on the table as he sat sideways looked like a fighting man or soldier, based on his attire. It was obvious from the number of badges that his achievements were quite formidable.

  Sitting opposite the soldier was the old professor, Qiu Yuhua, who was finishing his sip of the tea. Despite that, he was not really interested in the tea.

  “What’s with the matter now? None of us should be considered at fault,” the half-aged man with the hat said.

  “I’m not sulking, but it has escated to the question of where should we draw the line. I’ve already made it clear that you will not get your hands on him. End of discussion! General Lu Nian, enough with your arrogance, and stop trying to procim that you’re doing it for the country or the human race. In the end, you’re only doing something that the Bck Vatican would do! The chairmen of the Magic Associations from all five continents have made it clear that they won’t accept it as a new magic Element. What you’re trying to do is demonic, you will definitely pay for what you’ve done!” Qiu Yuhua burst out, scolding the man without mercy.

  The Bck Vatican conducts experiments on evil arts, and represent a huge threat to humanity. It’s the truth that we all know. We have our lines, too. The test subjects are usually criminals who were given a death sentence. Although it does go out of control sometimes, we’ve managed to clean the mess up in the past without hurting anyone.

  “Qiu Yuhua, you’re too stubborn. How could you say we’re evil, too? We’re inventing. In the past, there were only a few Elements that existed. Our ancestors did a great job exploring and discovering new Elements. Having a new Element would significantly help our country, and all of mankind. Are you only going to realize how weak humans are when the demon beasts are consuming us like poultry one day? You’re not the only one being irrational! Besides, magicians have an obligation to sacrifice for their country when needed!” General Lu Nian held his stance.

  “Whatever you say. All I know is that he doesn’t belong to the military. You have no right to order him. I’ve asked Dean Xiao regarding this matter too, and he will never agree,” Qiu Yuhua had no intention of wasting his time further with Lu Nian.

  “Alright, that’s enough. It’s extremely difficult for you two to meet, and you’re still arguing when you have the chance. Let’s enjoy the tea, the authorities will decide for us,” Dean Song He from the Imperial College, who was sitting between them, said.

  “Dean Song He, we should discuss the training.” Qiu Yuhua totally ignored General Lu’s existence as he spoke with Dean Song He.

  “Oh, I’ve made the preparations. Do you still remember Jinlin City?”

  “Why does it have to be there...”

  ——

  Training missions were extremely important for magicians who were still studying. Even if the schools did not force the students to participate in the missions, those who strove for excellence would still organize them for themselves. How could they not try to gain experience if they were thinking of becoming an expert?

  During the meeting for the exchange students, Dean Song He represented the Imperial College to expin the details of the training mission.

  The students from the Pearl Institute and the Imperial College would be undertaking their mission at the same pce, thus they were attending the same meeting.

  “The training this time will be held at Jinlin City, located in the Yangtze Pin,” Dean Song He informed them.

  “Jinlin City? Why haven’t I heard of the pce before?” blurted out Qingqing, who was quite a geography expert.

  She was quite a genius, with an impressive memory. She clearly remembered the name of every cities in the country, but she had never heard the name Dean Song He had mentioned.

  “This Jinlin City is quite special. It was wiped off the map around fifteen years ago,” Qiu Yuhua said calmly.

  “Wiped off from the map?” The students were astounded. They had never heard of any city being wiped out!

  Besides, what did it actually mean when a city got wiped out?

  “Fifteen years ago, the are close to Dongting Lake was caught up in a great disaster. The over-poputed demon beasts swarmed toward Jinlin City, which was retively remote. Luckily, a magician found out what was happening while in the midst of his training in the countryside. He immediately asked the government to evacuate the people of Jinlin City.

  “On the second day, the entire city turned into a feast for the demon beasts after it was overrun. Those who could not evacuate in time were buried there forever.” Dean Song He could not help but feel emotional when he mentioned the past events.

  As a matter of fact, the magician that had discovered the disaster was Song He himself. However, he was not willing to share his past, as it was too much of a tragedy.

  When Song He mentioned this, some of the students who were familiar with history remembered some things.

  Some records which were not revealed to the public did briefly mention the disaster at Dongting Lake fifteen years ago. However, no one from their generation knew about the city that had disappeared fifteen years ago.

  “So that means Jinlin City is a desote city?” Xu Dalong asked.

  “That’s right. Ten years ago, it was like the paradise for the demon beasts. Even the magicians from the military did not dare to take the risk to annihite them. However, according to the test information from the hunters, most of the beasts at Jinlin City have disappeared, as if they had moved to another pce for some reason...

  We did carry out an investigation, and confirmed that the number of beasts has significantly decreased. It was not as terrifying as it used to be,” Dean Song He said.

  “So that means, we’ll be training at that abandoned city?”

  “I want you to collect data from the city.” Dean Song He took a sip of his tea before continuing. “Even though the demon beasts are gone, there are still many species of them wandering in the city. I want you to gather as much information as you can, counting the number of Servant-css creatures and Warrior-level creatures you’ve stumbled into.”

  “Just collecting data?” Shen Mingxiao asked.

  If they only needed to collect data, it did not seem too difficult.

  “We are pnning to write a proposal to evaluate the possibility of reconstructing Jinlin City. The Imperial College and the Pearl Institute are working together for this, and so the data you will be collecting is extremely important. In order to prove our point, we need to evaluate the danger of the city that has been abandoned for fifteen years.”

  The Dongting Lake Pin also belongs to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, located in the northern part of Huxi Province.

  Dongting Lake is not a scenic spot. This massive ke, covering nearly 40,000 square kilometers, is precisely the third most dangerous ke in Great Xia, often mentioned in textbooks.

  Such a colossal ke is surrounded by various ecosystems, teeming with countless demons!

  Among them, the notorious Lizard-Skull Great Demon tribe, which has occupied Jinlin City as its ir, uses Dongting Lake as its base.

  After arriving by air at Kangning City, the closest city to Jinlin City, the seventeen people from Pearl Academy and Imperial Capital Academy had to proceed on foot. Along the way, Jingjing, who was like a walking encyclopedia, began to introduce the situation around Jinlin City and mentioned demon irs, tribes, and cns.

  Mo Fan was already aware of these things, so he didn't ask further.

  However, her expnation didn't st long before Liao Mingxuan interrupted her. After all, they weren't out to repeat a lesson.

  Moreover, they were already about fifty kilometers away from the safe zone. This area still had Guardian Mages patrolling and standing guard, and they hadn't encountered any short-sighted demons. But going deeper into the mountains and old forests, that would be a different story!

  “We just need to follow this abandoned railway,” Song Xia said, looking at Mo Fan and then pointing at the moss-covered tracks beneath their feet.

  The railway tracks were completely rusted, mottled with brown stains. They were covered by weeds and moss, extending straight into the distant green fields and forests. The part that entered the forest was completely obscured by thorns and tall grass, making it impossible to know it was once a railway without a careful search.

  Previously, railways belonged to safe zones. With the fall of Jinlin City, the territory extended by this railway naturally became demon territory, so its abandonment to this state was normal.

  In short, the railway was a natural, automatic navigation marker; following it would always lead to Jinlin City!

  “Let me say this first: I always serve as the commander in a team. Since the academies require us to cooperate on this training mission, the seventeen of us can't be without rules. I will take on the role of commander. You can offer suggestions, but the general direction will still be decided by me—how to proceed, how to deal with demons, when to rest… all these will be determined by me.” Lu Zhenghe was not at all polite, directly stating his status as the leader.

  “Are you worthy?” Mo Fan interjected.

  Though he didn't really care about this.

  But this guy's demeanor, acting like he was the boss, made him look down on him instead.

  “You—”

  “It’s unlikely we’ll listen to everything you say. On our side, we’ll do everything as Mo Fan says. As for specific actions, I think you two should discuss it,” Zheng Bingxiao said.

  On the Pearl Academy side, with what he said, the people present naturally had no objections. After all, Mo Fan had traveled alone in the wilderness countless times.

  Although Lu Zhenghe was very displeased, he also knew that it was impossible to command them. So, he agreed.

  As for the others, they had no intention of competing for command.

  The route forward was decided, and the group proceeded along the abandoned railway.

  A railway abandoned fifteen years ago would typically remain buried in weeds. It was rare that it was visited today, not by trains, but by a team of students from prestigious academies on a training mission.

  The railway tracks in the open fields were still easy to walk on; as long as no demons were using them as beds, they were generally clear. But once the tracks entered the mountains, or even passed through some extremely overgrown tunnels, it became truly unnerving.

  “I checked the map. This tunnel is two kilometers long. Based on the frequency of demons we’ve encountered so far, this tunnel likely has demons residing in it. I suggest we climb over this mountain directly and not deal with unknown species and quantities of creatures in a pitch-bck cave,” Song Xia said to Mo Fan.

  Before Mo Fan could speak, Lu Zhenghe immediately said, “I think you’re being too cautious! Who cares what’s inside? Just kill our way through! This tunnel is two kilometers long. If we were to climb over this entire mountain, who knows how much time that would waste.”

  The others also felt the same way.

  Mo Fan reminded them, “There are definitely demons, and this kind of tunnel is not small. It’s possible for an entire tribe to live in it.”

  “If you’re scared, you can walk at the back,” Lu Zhenghe scoffed.

  “Since you’re so brave, why don’t you go in and scout first?”

  “You—”

  Mu Ningxue interjected, “Alright, stop arguing.”

  As soon as Mu Ningxue spoke, Lu Zhenghe shut his mouth. At this moment, Zheng Bingxiao said, “My Rock Demon will go in front. If anything happens, it can hold them off for a while.”

  “Alright,” Mo Fan agreed, seeing that everyone insisted on going through the tunnel.

  The Rock Demon was three meters tall, covered in solid rock. While slow, in this abandoned railway tunnel, it was a shield and a bulldozer. Thorns fell and vines broke wherever it passed, making it quite useful!

  “The person walking at the very back also needs to be strong enough, not a summoned beast, as they can’t make a rational response in time if something happens,” Lu Zhenghe continued.

  “I’ll walk at the back,” Song Xia said.

  “This kind of dangerous task should be handled by us men.” Xu Dalong was very good at currying favor and immediately volunteered to cover the rear.

  Song Xia didn't say anything. Xu Dalong mainly cultivated Earth Element magic and indeed could provide protective support for everyone.

  Leading the way were Liao Mingxuan and Shen Mingxiao, both of whom specialized in Wind System magic and could react quickly in an emergency. They were followed by Zhao Manyan and Song Xia, both possessing Light Glow skills, controlling glowing orbs suspended above their heads and illuminating the path ahead.

  Not long after entering the cave, several hunched monsters burst out.

  However, they were quickly eliminated by the group. But these monsters weren't just a few; a rge horde appeared.

  “They’re Cave Demon Sves!!” Jingjing truly lived up to her reputation as the ultimate schor, identifying the monsters hiding behind the bck vines with just a tiny bit of light.

  Afterward, they were ambushed by Cave Demon Sves from the front, back, left, and right.

  Especially within this tunnel, even though they were all Intermediate Mages, the cave was too small to fully cast Intermediate Mage magic.

  “Boom, bst them to death! Don’t let them get close to us, or we’ll all be buried here!” Lu Zhenghe shouted.

  Although his wolf cub was a Warrior-level beast, it couldn't fully exert itself in such a cave, so he could only bark orders.

  “Get lost.”

  Mo Fan directly threw him to the back. At the same time, Azure Fmes coiled around his body.

  “Azure Fme – Fierce Fist – Sky-Shattering!”

  “Whoosh!”

  A huge fiery fist flew rapidly through the cave, instantly piling dozens of Cave Demon Sves together.

  “Boom!!!”

  “Boom boom boom!!!”

  In the area covered by the fire wave, countless Cave Demon Sves were instantly killed or wounded.

  However, simirly, Mo Fan’s Fierce Fist caused a slight tremor throughout the cave.

  “Those at the back, don’t fall behind! Kill your way out!”

  “Earth Element’s Earth Wave, Wind System’s Wind Track!”

  “Thunder Element Mages, pay attention to both sides!”

  As Mo Fan gave his commands, everyone immediately followed suit. With him leading the way, combined with Earth Wave and Wind Track, everyone quickly rushed towards the outside.