83: Moon Wolf

The next day.

The South Gate of Luo Jiang Academy.

"Beep! Beep!"

"Xiao Weiqing, over here!"

A giant armored vehicle, massive in size and estimated to be two stories high, loomed on the ground like a steel fortress.

The person in the driver's seat was none other than Fei Xiaobao.

Xiao Weiqing walked inside; the interior space was quite large.

There were already four people present.

Qin Tian, Duan Shuyu, Xue Cheng, and a girl, who was Yin Tiantian.

Including Xiao Weiqing, there were six people in total.

Qin Tian said, "Xiao Weiqing, you've looked over the mission, right?"

"Yeah."

Qin Tian had already sent the mission details to him last night.

Qin Tian and the others had taken on a team mission.

It was located three hundred kilometers away from Luo Jiang Academy.

Traces of a pack of wolf-type Yao Beasts had been discovered, and their mission was to clear them out.

Xue Cheng said, "Even though it's only a level-two mission, we can't afford to be careless. Usually, wolf packs consist of fewer than 20 members, but for some reason, this pack of wolf Yao Beasts has over 50."

Fei Xiaobao said, "Don't worry, with our team's setup, it'll be a breeze. Once we find that pack of Yao Beasts, they'll be easy pickings."

Fei Xiaobao's words weren't without reason. A level-two mission meant the Yao Beasts' strength would at most be at the Second Realm. Their team originally had five people.

With close combat, long-range damage, and Mental Energy control, their composition was top-tier. Now, with Xiao Weiqing added, Fei Xiaobao didn't see how they could possibly lose.

"Sit tight, we're heading out!"

Rumble!~

Fei Xiaobao stepped on the gas.

The steel beast started up instantly, and everyone felt a powerful surge of momentum.

"Fei Xiaobao, slow down, you brat! Be careful not to flip the car."

Fei Xiaobao: "Relax, I specifically spent two and a half hours practicing yesterday. I'm a veteran driver now."

"..."

Xiao Weiqing was speechless. "Are you guys sure it's okay to let him drive?"

Xue Cheng laughed and said, "It's fine. Duan Shuyu and I will rotate with him later. This stretch of road is relatively flat, so let him have his fun."

Xue Cheng, Duan Shuyu, and Qin Tian were all scions of major Families, and learning these transportation skills was mandatory for them.

Xiao Weiqing felt relieved and closed his eyes.

An hour later.

Xue Cheng took over for Fei Xiaobao.

Fei Xiaobao seemed like he still hadn't had enough.

"Holy crap?"

"Xiao Weiqing, you aren't actually Cultivating, are you?" Fei Xiaobao exclaimed.

Xiao Weiqing opened his eyes; he had indeed been refining his Refined Fire just now.

"Might as well, since I have nothing else to do."

Fei Xiaobao asked, "Impressive. How do you manage to calm your mind?"

The others were also curious, as they couldn't manage to do that at all.

Xiao Weiqing didn't explain. As he refined his Refined Fire and watched it grow bit by bit, he felt a great sense of accomplishment, which made him even more focused.

As the armored vehicle moved further away from Luo River,

the scenery of the wilderness slowly revealed itself to everyone.

"So this is what the wilderness looks like. The scenery isn't bad at all," Fei Xiaobao said, leaning curiously against the window.

Xiao Weiqing looked outside; he too had expected a post-apocalyptic scene, filled with ruins and devastation.

Xue Cheng asked, "What did you think it would look like?"

"Now that humans are highly concentrated in cities, the environment outside has flourished without human interference."

"Only these broken roads beneath us still hold traces from a hundred years ago, proving that we were once the masters here."

Fei Xiaobao chuckled, "Yeah, it certainly flourished—it's become a complete paradise for Yao Beasts."

"..."

"Look, Blood Deer."

A herd of deer, nearly two meters tall, were running freely across the grassland.

They weren't much different from deer of old, except they were a size larger and entirely red. They were unranked.

As they moved further from the city center, more and more Yao Beasts appeared.

However, faced with this mobile fortress, all unranked Yao Beasts kept their distance.

These Yao Beasts posed a limited level of danger.

"Hold on tight."

The sun blazed high in the sky.

Six hours later.

The group finally arrived at their destination.

"Let's rest for a while and eat something. Before it gets dark, we'll scout the surroundings."

Just then,

Thud!

An impact sounded from outside.

"What the heck was that?" Fei Xiaobao said in surprise.

Xue Cheng glanced at the monitor and said, "A Xuanfeng Tiger."

The group didn't pay it much mind.

A Xuanfeng Tiger was a Rank One beast and a close relative of the Gale Tiger; it posed no threat to them.

"Damn, scared the crap out of me. Open the window and let me blast it to death in one breath."

Xue Cheng said, "Forget it. It was probably just attracted by the sound of the car. Ignore it and it'll leave soon. If you kill it, the smell of blood will only attract other Yao Beasts."

"Fine, consider it lucky."

The group ate their dry rations.

Qin Tian asked, "Which of you has killed a Yao Beast before?"

"Not me, I just wanted to kill that tiger earlier," Fei Xiaobao spoke up.

Xiao Weiqing also shook his head. "I haven't either."

"You haven't killed one either?" The others couldn't help but be curious.

Xiao Weiqing shrugged. "Is that strange?"

Xue Cheng slapped his forehead. "I just remembered, you grew up in an orphanage."

"Have you all killed them?"

Qin Tian, Duan Shuyu, and Xue Cheng all nodded, as did Yin Tiantian.

"Starting from age ten, we have to kill a few Yao Beasts every year. Of course, they were just cubs."

Qin Tian added, "In a bit, I'll pair up with Yin Tiantian."

"Xue Cheng and Xiao Weiqing will be a team."

"Duan Shuyu and Fei Xiaobao will be a team."

"We'll scout in three different directions. While we're at it, Xiao Weiqing and Fei Xiaobao can find some Rank One Yao Beasts to practice on and get used to the sight of blood."

"Remember to be back before dark."

The others nodded, agreeing with Qin Tian's arrangement.

Half an hour later.

The six of them split into three teams and headed out in three directions.

Xiao Weiqing and Xue Cheng were one team.

"I say, Xiao Weiqing, why didn't I see you playing in the Ladder Matches yesterday? By the time we get back, it'll be next month."

"With your strength, getting into the top 20 should be easy, right? After all, you even took down a Level 6."

Xiao Weiqing, holding Crimson Dragon, walked forward with Xue Cheng and replied, "There's no need. Everyone from 11th to 100th place gets the same 2,000 points worth of resources."

Xue Cheng was surprised. "You're certainly level-headed. I'm still struggling around the 150th rank. I wish I had your mindset."

Xiao Weiqing was puzzled. "What would having my mindset do?"

"Could you enter the top 20?"

Xue Cheng: "?"

"Damn!"

The scene fell silent instantly.

The two of them walked for a while longer.

Xue Cheng stopped in his tracks. "Wait, something's approaching."

"Swish~"

"Swish~"

"..."

The sound of rustling leaves came from the bushes as a dark shadow approached at high speed.

"Awoo..."

A black panther suddenly lunged out.

A Shadow Panther, a Rank One Yao Beast, known for its speed and stealth.

Xiao Weiqing took a step forward, Crimson Dragon enveloped in flames.

"Squelch!"

The Shadow Panther's head was severed from its body.

With a wave of his hand, Xiao Weiqing sent out two sparks to cauterize the wound. The blood stopped flowing, and a faint aroma of roasted meat wafted out.

Xue Cheng was amazed by Xiao Weiqing's efficiency.

"Xiao Weiqing, is this really your first time in the wilderness?"

"Yeah."

"Impressive. Even your handling of the carcass is so experienced."

If they didn't stop the smell of blood from spreading, they might encounter other Yao Beasts on their way back.

Xiao Weiqing continued forward. "I read the forums before coming out; the seniors' experiences are very useful."

The two of them walked for an hour.

They encountered a few mindless First Realm Yao Beasts, but they didn't waste much time as Xiao Weiqing killed them all in a single strike.

"Let's head back a different way and see if we can find any traces of the Moon Wolf pack."

"Okay."

On the way back,

the two of them encountered two Xuanfeng Tigers in the bushes.

Just as Xiao Weiqing was preparing to kill them, Xue Cheng spoke up to stop him.

"Wait, Xiao Weiqing."

"What? You want to do it?"

"No, there are cubs."

Xiao Weiqing looked closely. The two Xuanfeng Tigers were guarding three cubs beneath their massive bodies, watching them warily.

"Are they worth a lot?"

Xue Cheng shook his head. "Rank One cubs aren't worth many points. What I find strange is that this doesn't look like a Xuanfeng Tiger's den. Why would they be here, especially while raising cubs?"

"And look at the Xuanfeng Tiger on the left. Don't those wounds look like wolf claw marks?"

Xiao Weiqing said, "You mean they were driven out?"

"Yeah, it's very likely. If we search in the direction they haven't been active in, we'll likely find something."

Xiao Weiqing nodded.

The two bypassed the Xuanfeng Tigers and scouted in another direction.

Another half hour passed.

"Found it—Moon Wolf droppings, and they're becoming more frequent."

Xue Cheng crushed some of the droppings and sniffed them.

Xiao Weiqing frowned at the sight. "We found them, so we found them. Why do you have to pick up the droppings and smell them?"

They were all cultivators; their vision, hearing, and sense of smell were much sharper than normal. He could have smelled it without picking it up.

"Cough... cough..."

"Isn't this how they always do it in movies and TV shows?"

Xiao Weiqing was momentarily speechless.

"Let's go, head back first."

The two didn't proceed further and turned to leave.

Unbeknownst to them,

a pair of deep blue eyes in the shadows stared in the direction the two had left, before disappearing into the forest...