Setting Out (Please Vote)

After leaving the bar, Li Tianhao called home from his car.

"Hello! Mom, where's Dad?"

The person who answered was Zhao Siqing, Li Tianhao's mother and also a God of War Level powerhouse.

Very few women could reach this stage. Generally speaking, the ratio of male to female Martial Artists was about ten to one. Limited by innate strength, it was even harder for women to break through. But those who did were undoubtedly powerhouses. Li Wanfeng was also a War God, but in terms of strength, Zhao Siqing surpassed him.

"Your father is here. Son, where are you? Do you want your father to take the call?"

"No need. Just tell Dad that I'm heading back now. Prepare the Private Customization potion for me. I'm breaking through today."

Zhao Siqing said delightedly, "You've finally come around? That's my good son. Can you tell Mom why you changed your mind today?"

"Because I need to deal with someone. He's also a Martial Artist, and he's competing with me for An Ning. I have to kill him myself!"

"Who's bold enough to do that? Tell Mom, and I'll kill him right away!" Zhao Siqing's voice turned stern. As his mother, she doted on her son even more than Li Wanfeng did.

"No. I have to settle this myself. You and Dad are not to interfere, or I won't take the potion."

"Fine, fine, we'll listen to you. Come back quickly. Your father and I will be waiting."

After hanging up, Zhao Siqing said to Li Wanfeng, who had been listening attentively beside her, "Did you hear that? Your son is willing to take the Private Customization potion just to fight over a woman. This is wonderful news. Make sure that potion of yours is absolutely reliable. Nothing can happen to my son."

"Don't worry, dear. This round of Private Customization has a high chance of success—at least sixty percent. If even that fails, then I might as well smash my head into a wall and die."

"So are we really going to let our son handle this himself?"

"Of course. Young people need more experience. If we don't let him solve it himself, he may feel frustrated, and his future achievements will be limited. I believe Li Wanfeng's son isn't a coward."

Only Lin Zhen and the other two remained in the bar. Meng Dong finally gave Lin Zhen a thumbs-up. "Lin Zi, today I finally realized how important a Martial Artist's reputation is. I don't think I could beat that Ma Dong at all, but when he saw you, he looked like a mouse seeing a cat. You've really made a name for yourself among Martial Artists."

An Ning nodded as well. "Lin Zhen, you're amazing."

"Heh, it was just a coincidence. Let's not talk about that. Today is for celebrating Meng Dong, so let's drink."

Meng Dong shouted as he ordered dishes, filling the table with delicious food. But before they could start eating, An Ning received a call from home.

The call was from An Ning's father. Her family sternly ordered her to return immediately. They did not explain why, but everyone knew the reason.

Li Tianhao was behind this. He had informed An Ning's family that she was with a low-level Martial Artist trainee. Sure enough, An Ning's father panicked and hurriedly called his precious daughter home.

An Ning wanted to argue, but Lin Zhen shook his head to stop her.

"Since your family is calling for you, go back. You haven't done anything wrong, so there's no need to worry. We're just classmates now, aren't we?"

An Ning looked deeply at Lin Zhen, nodded, and her mood visibly sank.

When An Ning's lovely figure was about to leave the bar, Lin Zhen suddenly said, "An Ning, one day I'll come to your home to find you. Will you wait for me?"

An Ning turned back and stared at Lin Zhen for a long while. Then she suddenly smiled, her beauty in that instant like a hundred flowers blooming at once. "Then don't come too late. I'm afraid I won't be able to wait that long."

Only after An Ning's figure disappeared did Lin Zhen turn his attention back to the table, where he found Meng Dong staring blankly at him.

"What are you looking at?"

"Lin Zi, I've noticed that your skin has gotten really thick. You didn't seem like this before."

"Haha, strike while the iron is hot. A guy like you, who looks rough but is actually lecherous, will probably stay single until the day you die."

"Damn! With my handsome and elegant looks, anyone can stay single except me."

The two of them joked around and drank for most of the day. It was not until evening that Lin Zhen drove Meng Dong away.

After seeing Meng Dong off, Lin Zhen did not go home. Instead, he went to the Martial Hall and found a training room to cultivate his Mental Power.

He practiced for more than half the night, and the results were obvious. He could finally control three Flying Knives smoothly.

"Tomorrow, I'll be entering the Wilderness Area. Although I've reached the Level Eight Warrior stage, I'm undoubtedly still the weakest member of the entire team."

"My Mental Power has currently reached forty percent Silver-level Transformation, placing me at the Silver Mid Stage. I can control three Flying Knives. This will be my strongest means of protecting myself and killing enemies."

It was not until dawn that Lin Zhen rested for a little over two hours, waking up at eight.

He ate some breakfast provided by the Martial Hall. Afterward, Shi Lei, Zhao Liang, and the others arrived as well.

Lin Zhen put on the deerskin outfit he had bought, slung the Black Dragon Spear across his back, secured his Flying Knives, and carried a large pack filled with various odds and ends he had purchased online.

The large pack could also be used to carry spoils. After Martial Artists killed Monsters, they could not possibly take the entire carcasses away, but they would collect certain valuable items.

"Lin Zhen, are you ready?"

Shi Lei was also dressed in protective gear, with a longsword strapped to his back. He looked full of spirit.

"More or less."

"That's good enough. We'll be heading north this time. We'll pass through a satellite city called Peony City, and from there, we can proceed to our destination. It's here."

As he spoke, Shi Lei spread out a map on the dining table and pointed at a spot.

The other team members gathered around. When Gao Yan saw the place Shi Lei was pointing to, his eyes lit up. "Yilan County! That place is a Treasure Land. The Wanda Mountains are nearby to the left, while the Songhua River lies to the right. During God Transformation Day, it was one of the worst-hit areas. The Monsters practically massacred all of Yilan County. Those Monsters left the deep mountains and, after living in the city for so long, gradually changed their habits. They now live within the urban area. That county is a Monster paradise."

Zhao Liang looked at Shi Lei. "Captain, our team's strength has usually only been enough for the wilderness, villages, or at most towns. Going straight to a county city this time is a little too risky, isn't it?"

Shi Lei waved his hand. "We're not charging directly into the core of Yilan County. At first, we'll roam around the outskirts and gradually clear a route toward the center, because I received some insider information."

"What information?" Everyone turned to look at Shi Lei.

Shi Lei first glanced around. Only after seeing that no one was paying attention to this corner of the restaurant did he lower his voice. "I have a brother in the Peony City military. While he was on night watch atop the city wall, military radar detected the Giant Palm Human Bear that appeared northwest of Petroleum City. It was injured and fled into Yilan County to recover. If we can kill that wounded Human Bear, our team will have enough to live on for two years."

The news made the other Martial Artists' eyes shine. The Human Bear was a Level B Monster and definitely had a beast crystal inside it. That thing alone was probably worth over a hundred million. Adding the income from killing smaller Monsters along the way, they might earn two hundred million on this trip.

Only Gao Yan pondered for a moment. "A Human Bear won't be easy to deal with. We'd better make a thorough plan. We can't capsize in Yilan County."

"Of course. We've prepared maps of Yilan, and we'd rather return empty-handed than get greedy and rush in recklessly. If it can't be done, we'll retreat immediately. So, what do you say? Do you all dare make this trip?"

"Go, of course we'll go. It's rare to get insider information like this. If other Martial Artist teams discover it, we might not even get a sip of soup."

"Of course we're going. If I saw an opportunity like this and didn't dare take a gamble, I'd be too upset to sleep tonight."

The team members were all extremely excited. Finally, Shi Lei looked at Lin Zhen. "Lin Zhen, what do you think? Your first time going out to hunt will be a little dangerous. Are you worried?"

Lin Zhen shook his head. "There's nothing to worry about."

Though he said so, waves stirred in Lin Zhen's heart.

Yilan County had been one of the worst-hit areas when the God Transformation Day Meteor Shower descended. The city had almost been razed to the ground, but many Meteorites had also been left behind within the county.

Many Meteorites had already been collected by the Base City and the Ministry of Science and Technology. But the world was vast, and many still remained in the wild. Lin Zhen knew that a particularly precious Meteorite had once appeared in Yilan County.

Meteorites were valuable because of the energy contained within them.

This energy had been discovered by the Ministry of Science and Technology and named Dark Energy. Dark Energy was the greatest energy in Cosmic Space and also an essential material for the Ministry of Science and Technology to formulate Gene Potions.

Meteorites were prohibited items. Private ownership and trade were forbidden, even for Martial Artists. Anyone discovered with one would face severe punishment from the Base City. This was one of the few penalties capable of restraining Martial Artists.

If a Martial Artist absorbed the Dark Energy within a Meteorite, their body would be further strengthened. Generally speaking, only Star Realm Warriors could smoothly absorb its energy. For those below the Star Realm, the conditions for absorption were much harsher.

The Meteorite that had appeared in Yilan County contained a fist-sized Dark Energy Stone. Lin Zhen vaguely remembered that the Meteorite had ultimately been obtained by a woman, a Level Nine Warrior. By a strange twist of fate, after absorbing the Dark Energy Stone, she broke through the physiological limits of women and reached the strength required to advance to War General.

After the matter was exposed later, people discussed that Meteorite and said it had been wasted on a woman. If it had been given to a male Martial Artist, it would certainly have produced an expert.

But at this stage, even if an ordinary Martial Artist were given a Dark Energy Stone, they would not know how to absorb it.

However, Lin Zhen truly could not remember who that woman was.

"Alright. Since everyone agrees, we'll set off now. I'll drive one car, and the four of you can take two cars. I see Lin Zhen bought a car too, so it will come in handy."

The group got into their cars. At the front was Shi Lei's black Benma, followed by Ye Tiancheng and Gao Yan's Great Wall Phantom, with Lin Zhen and Zhao Liang in the Raptor at the rear.

The three cars roared off toward the North Gate of Ice City Base City.

PS: Last week, I tried to make the new signed-book rankings but failed. Still, it's nothing. If you fail, try again. Dear readers, if you think this book is worth reading, please cast a recommendation vote! And add the book to your bookshelf!

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