A Thousand-Mile Raid
Luo Jun looked at Ling Kai in front of him.
Ling Yi said he was ignorant and incompetent, but Luo Jun thought he was a shrewd person who could accurately grasp people's psychology.
He considered it for a few seconds before finally making a decision.
"I choose to provide backup."
Hearing this, Ling Kai breathed a sigh of relief, but there seemed to be a hint of disappointment between his brows.
"That's true. Nobody knows what's inside the cave. Except for one lunatic, everyone else chooses to go in as a large group. It's much safer to keep watch outside..."
Ling Kai had gone to great lengths to secure the position of "Night's" exclusive advisor from the Lineage elders. Now middle-aged and abandoned by his Lineage, ostracized from the core, Night was the lifeline he had finally managed to grasp. He desperately hoped that Night could achieve brilliant feats, which would greatly enhance his influence within the family. However, he also feared that Night might act impulsively and fall into a dead end, leaving him with no hope at all.
Luo Jun could somewhat sense his complicated state of mind, but he didn't take it to heart.
The opportunity with the Divine Smithing Furnace did indeed interest him, but it wasn't worth risking his life for. Besides, the reconnaissance mission would also provide an opportunity to make contact with members of the Ling Family family's Clan Descendant, perhaps even allowing him to get closer and gather some information.
As for the dangers of the Extinction Valley, Luo Jun wasn't worried at all. He had so many experts with him, and besides, he could easily handle level 5 monsters as soon as he entered the Savage Wilderness. Now his Root Bone was more than ten times stronger, and he had several powerful treasures. Even if he encountered a level 7 monster, couldn't he just run away if he couldn't beat it?
After receiving confirmation from Luo Jun, Ling Kai left his house, saying he would contact him again once the specific departure time was announced.
Luo Jun thought it would take at least two or three days to finalize the matter, but Ling Kai returned that afternoon and told him to leave at six o'clock the next morning.
"So early?" Luo Jun, somewhat surprised.
"This time the distance is far," Ling Kai explained, "1,500 kilometers. Even if all the hunters are Elite-level or above, it would still take five or six days to travel that distance, including supplies..."
"Ten days will pass by in a round trip... I won't be able to make it back to the Main World next time..." This was something Luo Jun Luo Jun overlooked. He hadn't been in the Savage Wilderness for long and hadn't experienced long-distance travel yet. In the Main World, there were airplanes and trains, but here he could only travel on foot, which took a lot of time.
"Then we definitely won't make it in time..." Ling Kai calculated, "The guild's idea is that if we haven't rescued anyone by the end of August, we'll give up so as not to delay your next return."
The next time... should be in early September...
The start of the semester at the Explorer Academy isn't as strict. Due to the unique nature of Vital Energy Cultivator, many students go out to train during the holidays and return to school later, so it's generally not until mid-September that everyone is back. However, if you're going to return late, you need to inform the school in advance. Luo Jun also needs to let his Master know he's safe so he won't worry...
"I need to go out and take care of some things next time I open the door..." Luo Jun looked at Ling Kai: "Why don't you guys go first, and I'll catch up with you later?"
"By the time the gates open again, the entire group will be there..." Ling Kai asked in surprise, "Are you sure you want to cross over a thousand kilometers of Savage Wilderness by yourself?"
"Just prepare a map for me." Luo Jun looked at Ling Kai: "Otherwise, I'll have to quit the mission."
"Okay, okay, no problem..." Ling Kai hurriedly agreed and went to prepare the things Luo Jun needed.
Although he hadn't traveled that far, Luo Jun had spent a lot of time in the wild recently. With his Crisscross, traversing mountains and valleys was like walking on flat ground, so crossing a thousand or eight hundred kilometers shouldn't be difficult.
The next morning, Luo Jun arrived at the north gate of Lingyun City and watched the large group leave in a grand procession.
Just as Ling Kai said, several major hunter teams were among them, as well as many powerful lone hunters. Luo Jun even spotted several familiar faces, such as Lu Kui, Father Qin... and that Xuanyuan Wuji.
This guy really loves to join in the fun.
There were also many ordinary hunters watching at the scene. They didn't know the specific details and speculated about what major mission had attracted so many important figures to participate.
A few days later, in the Main World.
In his Guest Room at the Five Star Hotel, Luo Jun dialed his Master's number, but it showed that the phone was switched off.
It seems they're in another world. I wanted to discuss it with my master, but I can't get in touch with him right now.
Afterwards, Luo Jun called the school again to request a delayed return to school, and submitted the application on the campus website under the guidance of the teacher on duty.
After finishing these matters, Luo Jun found another opportunity to return to the Savage Wilderness.
Switching between the identities of "Night" and Luo Jun, both inside and outside the gate, and having to be wary of various potential spies, was quite troublesome. Fortunately, his attributes were now high enough, and he had also collected some strange and low-level magical artifacts in the Savage Wilderness. With these combined, he was able to keep his secret from those around him.
Of course, the most important thing is the Midnight Mask's distorted cognitive function. Even if the body shape and clothing do not change, the person wearing this thing and the person taking it off look like two completely different people. It can transform in an instant and is impossible to track.
Counting the days, the rescue team should have been on its way for six days. Luo Jun walked out of the north gate of Lingyun City and came to a secluded place. He raised his hand and summoned Crisscross.
It must be said that the Hundred Treasure Box is truly a magical artifact. Not only can it hold any size artifact, but it can also perform some simple operations inside. For example, changing its shape Crisscross can be done inside the Hundred Treasure Box. Once it is revealed, it is already in the shape of Mechanical Warhorse.
Compared to ordinary horses, the Longitudinal and Horizontal Warhorse is taller and larger, with a physique similar to the heavy draft horses of the Xiluo Empire, but without the cumbersome nature of the heavy draft horses. When it runs, its hooves are like the wind, and on flat roads, its speed rivals that of a high-speed train. Even on rugged mountain roads, it can easily adapt. It can even leap between cliffs like a ibex, displaying extraordinary agility.
If the cruising speed is still not enough, the warhorse can deploy Jet Ports on the back of its thighs, using energy to propel itself and unleash a burst of high-speed acceleration!
The only drawback is that this thing consumes too much energy. Five breaths per minute may not sound like much, but even with energy reduction measures, an average Cultivators couldn't ride it for more than half an hour. It's not suitable for long-distance raids and is only good for escaping in critical moments or for short battles.
Considering that energy must be reserved for using skills and other Noble Phantasms, the actual time available to fight while riding this thing is probably less than ten minutes.
But this was not a problem for Luo Jun.
He patted the horse's neck, lightly leaped onto its back, and with a thought, the warhorse galloped off to the north!
After repeated enhancements and breakthroughs, Luo Jun's Innate Potential is now twenty times greater than that of an ordinary person. With the added boost of the fifth level of the Body Refinement Realm, his Acquired Potential is nearly seven hundred times greater than that of an ordinary person! During this period of Breathing Exercise exercises, his vital energy reserves have increased, approaching ten thousand breaths!
Faced with such a massive reserve of vital energy, the consumption of a mere five breaths per minute is utterly insignificant, even slower than the rate of recovery.
Luo Jun often lamented that he was at the Body Refinement Realm, possessing a vast amount of vital energy but having nowhere to use it... If it weren't for the limitations of his Cultivation Method, wouldn't he have soared to the heavens by now, cultivating to the Qi Nourishing Foundation Establishment Realm?
There's no point in overthinking. With the Dice of Heavenly Secrets in hand, it'll only take him a few months to reach the seventh level. He can take off then.
And so, Luo Jun rode his tall and mighty Longitudinal and Horizontal Warhorse across the Savage Wilderness, following the markings on the map, heading towards the Extinction Valley.
(End of this chapter)