Chapter 176 - 165: Heading Towards the Forest

Chapter 176: Chapter 165: Heading Towards the Forest

Li Heng and his party were unaware that their little excursion was tied to the progress of a certain pair of teachers’ relationship; they simply walked slowly toward the South City Gate.

Quite a few other freshmen had also chosen the South City Gate. As they approached, they saw the designated "Gatekeeper Teachers" stationed there.

Knowing that today was the freshmen’s "military training," the teachers merely glanced up at the nervous-looking, newly formed teams heading out and didn’t say much.

They paid a bit more attention to the freshmen who were attempting the excursion alone, suggesting they should try to find a team and avoid going solo. Of course, it was only a suggestion.

As Li Heng’s group of four left the South City Gate, everyone drew their weapons. The flat-chested loli produced two scimitars, while Bao Yaoyao and Jiang Hongtao took out a long knife and a bow and arrow, respectively.

For certain reasons, Li Heng decided not to summon his Ice Simurgh Bird for the time being. Their team formation had Li Heng and Bai Shasha at the front, Bao Yaoyao in the middle, and Jiang Hongtao taking the rear.

After the four of them left the city gate, what greeted their eyes was not lush vegetation, nor was it the forest they had heard about.

There was only a rather desolate dirt road. The path down the middle was especially distinct, likely trodden by the many people who had passed this way. It was flanked by withered, yellow weeds.

As they walked along this dirt road, some of the other freshmen would greet Li Heng upon seeing him, asking him to look out for them in the days ahead.

Li Heng graciously chatted with these freshmen, but he didn’t say much about "teaming up" or "looking out for them."

The stretch of dirt road wasn’t long. After walking for just over an hour, the group finally saw "green."

Along the way, to help the teammates get to know each other better, Li Heng and Jiang Hongtao made some small talk. Bao Yaoyao would also chime in with a sentence or two from time to time. Only Bai Shasha remained the quietest, occasionally just staring at her teammates.

What the four of them saw now were no longer withered weeds, but low-lying shrubs. They weren’t too dense, and they could still spot a figure or two flitting through the bushes.

"We should be reaching the forest soon. I know this team is full of experts, but should we still be careful?" Jiang Hongtao asked.

The other three agreed with Jiang Hongtao. When exploring an unknown Secret Realm, there was no need to be reckless, even if they were powerful.

The four of them adjusted their stances, weapons in hand, and slowly moved into the shrubbery.

Just as they entered the thicket, they heard the sounds of battle. Some of the students who had entered earlier were already engaged with ordinary Secret Realm Creatures.

The resources within a Secret Realm were renewable, but the regeneration cycle was very long. This was the main reason why fully explorable Secret Realms were so strictly controlled by the Soul Energy Alliance.

The freshmen didn’t know what the situation was like outside Meteor University, but they weren’t about to pass up an opportunity to fight Secret Realm Creatures they could actually defeat.

If they managed to get a Soul Energy Item to drop, it would be a gain. If they got Soul Energy Equipment, it would be a massive score. And if they got a skill or a pet, they would hit the absolute jackpot!

That’s why the other freshmen, having only just reached the shrubbery, could no longer hold back the moment they saw ordinary Secret Realm Creatures and began to attack.

"You three experts," Jiang Hongtao chimed in at the right moment, "what do you think... should we explore this thicket first, or head straight for the forest?"

After a brief discussion, the group decided to press forward.

After all, for the four of them, any Soul Energy Items or pets dropped by ordinary Secret Realm Creatures would be of little use.

The right move was to enter the forest early and secure the Tier One Soul Beast resources first.

So, instead of exploring the Secret Realm laterally, the four of them walked straight ahead.

Interestingly, as the four of them slowly advanced, they could hear wolves howling but never saw a single wolf-like creature appear before them.

Jiang Hongtao guessed that the wolves either didn’t have a chance to approach or sensed that the team was too strong to mess with, so they stayed away.

Li Heng just smiled at this, saying nothing as he glanced at the bracelet on his wrist.

Besides the wolf-type Secret Realm Creatures, other creatures like wild rabbits would suddenly leap out. But in those situations, Jiang Hongtao would raise his bow and let an arrow fly.

Jiang Hongtao’s archery was quite good—fast, accurate, and deadly. Even though his targets were only ordinary Secret Realm Creatures, it was clear from his judgment and reaction speed that he was a competent archer.

This display, at the very least, gave the other three team members a better understanding of Jiang Hongtao’s capabilities.

As for the downed ordinary Secret Realm Creatures, Jiang Hongtao suggested they store them as food. He also added that such an "important job" as managing their provisions wasn’t suitable for a newcomer like him.

So, after Jiang Hongtao shot down the occasional ordinary Secret Realm Creature they encountered on the path, Bao Yaoyao would store them in her medium-sized Space Stone.

And so, while the other students were still back in the thicket, locked in battle with ordinary Secret Realm Creatures, the four of them had already reached the "border" between the shrubbery and the forest.

The shrubs were generally low to the ground, but the trees before them seemed to tower over everything. The density of the vegetation was also far greater than that of the thicket.

The most immediate difference, however, was the lighting. In the thicket, the sunlight was ample, and there were basically no visual obstructions. But just by looking in from the border, they could tell visibility inside was poor.

"Let’s go! There shouldn’t be any Tier Three Soul Beasts around right now, so don’t worry too much. Just be careful. If we run into any real trouble, you all should run if you can. Your safety is the most important thing!"

As Li Heng finished speaking, he pulled three throwing knives from his medium-sized Space Stone and tucked them into his belt. He held another throwing knife in his left hand and his Empty Cicada Longsword in his right, then took the first step forward.

Seeing Li Heng’s actions and hearing his words, the other three were instantly filled with different thoughts.

Bao Yaoyao: ’He truly is an expert. He doesn’t even consider Tier Two Soul Beasts a threat anymore, starting right off by warning us about Tier Three Soul Beasts. And just like during the Secret Realm college entrance exam, he’s telling us to run first if there’s danger. He must be planning to face the danger alone again! I absolutely will not run away this time! Absolutely not!’

Bai Shasha: ’Throwing knives again? Just how profound... is Li Heng’s skill with them?!’

Jiang Hongtao: ’Follow him, follow him! I have to stick close to this powerhouse! If there’s real danger, I can run pretty damn fast anyway!’

Li Heng, of course, had no idea what his three teammates were thinking. He was confident he could handle most Tier Two Soul Beasts, but he still took out his throwing knives after a moment’s thought. It was a precaution for any unexpected situations—or in case his luck was just that bad and they ran into a stray Tier Three Soul Beast—to make up for any slowness in his reaction or hand speed.

Holding a throwing knife in his left hand didn’t affect his ability to use his sword, his footwork, or his movements in the slightest.

Although they all had their own thoughts, seeing Li Heng armed and ready gave the other three a sense of security that put them at ease. They immediately stepped forward to follow him!