Taking the Initiative!

These two words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing the burning anger in Lu Qing's heart.

Yes, how could someone trained by a madman possibly be a normal person?

Lu Qing took a deep breath of the cold air mixed with the smell of blood, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions, and his eyes became complex and firm again.

"Let's go, we'll proceed according to the original plan," he said in a deep voice. "Even without him, we can't let Jiangnan No. 1 High School down!"

Xiao Ran nodded.

The two exchanged a glance and tacitly chose the opposite direction from Chen Fan, cautiously observing their surroundings as they began to carefully advance deeper into the Wasteland.

At the same time, Chen Fan moved silently among the jagged black rocks like a Ghost.

Leaving teammates behind is not out of arrogance, but based on the purest consideration of efficiency.

Their speed and perception would only slow him down in his attempt to seize the Crimson Flame Earthheart Lotus.

He looked around curiously; this was his first time stepping into a real area inhabited by Anomalous Beasts.

The stench of blood and decay in the air, the dried, blackened bloodstains underfoot, and the occasional, mournful roars of beasts in the distance, filled with pain and violence, involuntarily reminded him of the Starry Sky Frontline where his parents were.

The environment there is probably a thousand times harsher than here.

"Roar!"

A deep roar suddenly erupted from the shadow of a boulder to the side.

A black-scaled Black-Scaled Iron Wolf, as large as a fully grown bull, covered in thick black scales and with blood-red eyes, transformed into a black lightning bolt and pounced.

It sensed the almost non-existent fluctuations of Qi and Blood on Chen Fan's body and instinctively judged him as the easiest prey to catch.

The sharp, metallic claws tore through the air, aiming straight for Chen Fan's throat.

This pounce was swift, cunning, and ruthless, enough to throw any Quasi-Martial Artist into disarray, or even kill them on the spot.

However, faced with this deadly attack, Chen Fan did not even move an inch.

Just as the sharp wolf claws were about to touch his skin, and he could even feel the wind from the claws brushing against his cheek.

Chen Fan casually raised his right hand, extended a slender, white index finger, and gently tapped it against the ferocious wolf head that was rushing towards him.

A wisp of Golden Qi and Blood, condensed to its extreme and almost invisible, flashed and disappeared from the fingertip.

"Puff."

A soft sound rang out.

That ray of golden light silently pierced through the Black-Scaled Iron Wolf's hard skull, and then instantly exploded inside its brain.

The terrifying force instantly annihilated its brain tissue into a complete mess.

The Black-Scaled Iron Wolf's massive body remained in a forward-leaning posture, the ferocious red light in its eyes freezing instantly before quickly dimming.

It swept past Chen Fan and crashed heavily onto the black gravel several meters away. The immense inertia caused it to roll several times, its limbs twitching twice before it finally died.

From the moment he lunged out to his death, the entire process took no more than a second.

Chen Fan slowly withdrew his finger, without even glancing back at the warm corpse.

The Points Terminal on his wrist emitted a crisp electronic notification sound.

[Points +10]

Chen Fan raised his wrist, glanced at the insignificant number on the Light Screen, then looked into the vast and dangerous depths of the Wasteland, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

Hunting such low-level Anomalous Beasts is too inefficient.

At this rate, even if they wiped out Anomalous Beasts outside the entire Quarantine Zone, their points might not be enough to catch up with Zhou Ye, who had already entered the Qi-Blood Realm.

Chen Fan shifted his gaze from the notification on his wrist Terminal, a barely perceptible hint of impatience flashing in his otherwise calm eyes.

"This speed is still too slow!"

He swiped open the Light Screen and brought up the real-time points leaderboard.

The top spot is firmly held by a striking name.

[First Place: Zhou Ye (Tiannan Middle School), Points: 78]

His own name, however, hung alone at the end of the list.

His fingertips swept across the Light Screen again, and a holographic map of the No. No. 3 Exotic Beast Isolation Zone instantly unfolded.

On the map, hundreds of tiny dots representing the participants are scattered across the vast black Wasteland. There are a few lone travelers, but more often there are groups of three or five moving together.

These teams are like bunches of moving grapes.

This was intentional on the part of the Exchange Tournament. Although hunting Anomalous Beasts could earn points, the Education General Administration seemed more interested in seeing...

It's still a competition between students!

Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Fan's gaze locked onto a group of five lights clustered together about one kilometer to his left.

There, the total points representing the entire team are far more valuable than hunting a low-level Anomalous Beast.

Having identified his target, Chen Fan instantly lowered his body, then, like a wisp of smoke, silently disappeared into the shadows of the jagged rocks.

His toes lightly touched the dry black sand, without stirring up a speck of dust, as he rapidly approached the location of the glowing grape cluster.

At the same time.

In a narrow valley filled with jagged rocks, the team from Tiannan No. 3 High School was engaged in a fierce battle with a Second Tier, beginner-level Earthspike Boar.

"Hold on! Its armor is about to break!"

Captain Zhang Heng Qi and Blood of 98. He wields a heavy Alloy Combat Saber, and every slash he makes is powerful and heavy. He firmly restrains the Earthspike Boar's crazy charge from the front.

The other four team members provided support from the sidelines, their swords flashing and their movements intertwined in a web of coordinated attacks.

The Earthspike Boar was at its last gasp, its body covered in deep, bone-revealing wounds, and it let out a series of unwilling roars.

Victory was in sight, and dozens of points were within easy reach.

However, just as Zhang Heng was about to unleash his final strike, a chilling sensation, as if he were being targeted by a apex predator, suddenly shot up from his spine to the top of his head!

"Not good!"

Warning signs were blaring in Zhang Heng's mind. He didn't even have time to think; driven entirely by his battle-hardened instincts, he abruptly abandoned his attack, switching his Battle Saber from slashing to parrying, and simultaneously retreated swiftly.

"Stop! Everyone, be on alert! Someone's coming!"

He shouted sharply, his voice echoing through the valley.

Startled by the sound, the four team members almost instinctively stopped their attacks, quickly abandoning the dying Earthspike Boar, and gathered around Zhang Heng, forming a defensive formation, warily looking towards the valley entrance.

A figure slowly emerged from the shadows at the valley entrance.

That was a...

The child looks only eight or nine years old.

He was wearing the school uniform of Jiangnan No. 1 High School. His figure appeared somewhat thin in the wide valley. His youthful face was expressionless as he calmly looked at them.

"Jiangnan No. 1 High School?" one of the team members exclaimed in surprise. Then, as if remembering something, his expression suddenly changed, and he lowered his voice, "Captain, the teacher in charge warned us not to mess with anyone from Jiangnan No. 1 High School!"

Zhang Heng's pupils contracted slightly.

"Abandon the Anomalous Beasts, let's go!"

He gave a low shout, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I'd rather lose these easily attainable points than provoke the people from Jiangnan No. 1 High School!