After a brief silence, a deafening roar of discussion and uproar erupted.
"Did I hear that right? Xiao Han... joined Zhang Dali's team?"
"Are you kidding me! Has he gone mad? Isn't that just self-degradation?"
"Tsk tsk, what a waste of talent. Instead of clinging to the coattails of figures like Long Aotian and Ye Wuchen, they insist on going to help the poor?"
"I think he's lost his mind! Just wait, he'll be crying during this Red Ridge Mountain Range mission!"
Mockery, ridicule, incomprehension, schadenfreude... all sorts of voices were heard.
Some students who were initially wary of Xiao Han now looked at him with more contempt. Luo Bing glanced at him from afar, a sneer curling at the corner of her lips, as if she could already foresee Xiao Han's humiliating defeat in the mission.
Xiao Han seemed oblivious to the commotion from the outside world. He simply looked calmly at his three new teammates, who were at a loss because of his arrival.
The team's meeting point was a quiet, secluded corner.
Zhang Dali rubbed his large, fan-like hands together, his face flushed red, and stammered, "Senior Brother Xiao... are you... are you sure you want to join us? Our team... our strength is a bit..." He was too embarrassed to say the words "we're at the bottom."
Li Min nervously clutched the hem of her clothes, her head bowed, her voice barely audible. "Senior Brother Xiao, you... you must have chosen the wrong team?" In her view, someone like Xiao Han should be from a completely different world than them.
Wang Hu's eyes flickered, his heart filled with mixed emotions. How could this ruthless man have taken a liking to them, a family in dire straits? Was there some kind of conspiracy? Or did this man simply have a taste for the unusual and exciting life?
Xiao Han glanced at the three men, his expression indifferent. Their strength was indeed lacking, their Martial Souls weren't top-tier, and even Li Min's C-rank support Martial Soul seemed somewhat conspicuous in Zero Class. The system's words, "I'm not afraid of god-like opponents, I'm afraid of... hehe, you know what I mean!" flashed through his mind.
However, he didn't care.
"You've found the right person," Xiao Han said, his voice calm and even. "Now that we're a team, we just need to cooperate with each other."
He didn't explain why he made this choice, nor did he try to calm the three people's anxiety. In his view, none of that mattered. This team was merely a cover for his actions, a springboard for him to obtain system rewards and explore the deeper secrets of the Red Ridge Mountain Range.
As for his teammates' abilities... when has Xiao Han ever needed to rely on them to carry him?
As long as they don't hold us back or fail us at crucial moments, we should already be grateful.
Of course, if he really becomes a liability, he wouldn't mind cleaning up the mess.
Seeing Xiao Han's resolute attitude, Zhang Dali and the other two exchanged glances. Although they were still filled with doubt and unease, they could only grit their teeth and accept the fact.
However, the way they looked at Xiao Han was filled with awe and distance, as if they were handling a fragile treasure, afraid of accidentally offending this great god.
A team formation that seemed utterly absurd to outsiders was thus finalized.
The Imperial Capital Academy's large-scale mission was a grand undertaking. Dozens of teams composed of students from Zero Class and the Elite Class, under the unified command of the academy's leadership and their instructors, departed from the Imperial Capital and headed towards the newly discovered Red Ridge Mountain Range on the border of the Dragon Nation.
Various flying magical artifacts and spirit beast mounts streaked across the sky, creating a magnificent spectacle.
Among them, Xiao Han's team was undoubtedly the most inconspicuous, yet also the most attention-grabbing.
Their mounts were the most ordinary Two-Winged Horned Horses, uniformly assigned by the academy; they were not fast and their appearance was unremarkable.
The team members were even more perplexing: a simple and honest tank, a support who didn't seem to have much combat ability, and a shifty-eyed agility attacker who didn't look like a capable fighter.
Xiao Han, who was leading the group, still looked like a Martial Master Realm Fourth Level Peak with a slightly weak aura. He crossed his arms, leaned against the broad back of the horned horse, and half-closed his eyes, seemingly indifferent to everything around him.
"Tsk tsk, so that's the team Xiao Han chose? He really has... a discerning eye!"
"First in the Core Sequence? Is that all? Did some kind of monster kick your brain?"
"Just wait and see. A force like this, once inside the Red Ridge Mountain Range, probably won't even last three days on the outskirts."
Many strong teams passed by, their contemptuous attitude and undisguised sneer were practically a public execution.
Xiao Han didn't even bother to lift an eyelid.
Zhang Dali and his two companions felt their faces burning with embarrassment, wishing they could bury their heads in the wildebeest's mane.
After several days of rapid travel, the group finally arrived at their destination— the Red Ridge Mountain Range.
As its name suggests, the mountain is a strange dark red, with jagged rocks and sparse vegetation.
The stench of sulfur and blood in the air assaulted my senses, making me feel nauseous.
Deep within the mountains, the roars of strange beasts echoed intermittently, each sound revealing a ferocious intent to devour their prey.
The academy's arrangement was simple and direct: the top teams led by Long Aotian and Ye Wuchen would head straight for the central part of the mountain range, tackling the toughest challenges and reaping the greatest benefits.
As for Xiao Han and his group, who were just there to "make up the numbers," they were naturally destined to clear out the smaller monsters on the periphery, euphemistically called "clearing obstacles and securing their escape route," but in reality, they were just cannon fodder.
Zhang Dali and his two companions were seething with resentment, wanting to curse, but dared not utter a word of complaint. They could only grit their teeth and accept it. What could they do? They were the weaker ones.
Xiao Han didn't care.
The outer perimeter? Perfect!
To avoid attracting attention too early, and also to allow him to first investigate the Red Ridge Mountain Range.
The four spurred their wildebeest and cautiously entered the outer area of the Red Ridge Mountain Range.
After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the surrounding air suddenly became heavy!
"Awoo--!"
A mournful wolf howl shattered the silence!
Swish!
Dozens of dark red shadows, moving so fast they left only afterimages, pounced out from behind the dense forest and rocks on both sides, surrounding the four people in the blink of an eye!
These beasts resembled giant wolves, their dark red armor exceptionally hard, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen. Their stark white fangs protruded, dripping with saliva, and their scarlet pupils were filled with bloodthirsty madness.
"Red... Red-Armored Wolves!" Wang Hu's face turned pale with fright, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "Damn it, at least thirty or forty of them! Most of them Third Level of the Martial Master Realm, and the leaders... are probably close to the fourth level!"
Red-Armored Wolves are notoriously difficult to deal with in the outer areas. Individually, they may not be top-tier, but their sheer numbers and cunning teamwork make them a formidable force. A group of them is a headache for anyone.
"Stop panicking!" Zhang Dali roared, his large, fan-like hands clenching into fists as he suppressed his fear. "Wang Hu, you fucking flank and hold them off! Li Min, max out your health and get the healer ready! I'll tank the front line!"
Before he finished speaking, his profound energy surged within him, and he roared, "Thick Earth Savage Bear, come out here!"