In Hongning Base City, the 183 students of the Elite Training Camp and more than a dozen War God instructors leading them left the camp in six buses and headed for the airport.
It was not even nine o'clock yet when all the students had boarded the plane.
The Training Camp had chartered the entire passenger plane. Its three decks—upper, middle, and lower—could accommodate two hundred people, with plenty of room to spare. Movies played in the cabin on each deck, so the students would at least have something to occupy them during the trip. Ji Yun himself sat alone at the very front of the upper deck.
After all, even though the seating tiers had been abolished, there was still plenty of space on the upper deck.
After lunch, Ji Yun closed his eyes to rest. The movie on the screen did not interest him much. He was far more curious about the Australian Continent.
Suddenly, the sound from the screen changed. Ji Yun opened his eyes and saw a video playing. Three large screens at the center of the cabin faced different directions, all showing the same video.
"You've all had lunch, so let's get ready!" A middle-aged Huaxian man stood beside the screen and pointed at the video. "This is the Australian Continent as it is today. It can be called the region with the largest and densest monster population in the world. Since the Australian Continent is isolated from the other landmasses, its land monsters are also rather different from those on other continents."
"There are rat-type monsters and badger-type monsters, and many of their species differ from those found in Asia, Europe, and elsewhere."
"Before the Great Nirvana Period, the Australian Continent was already famous for its variety and abundance of animal species. So after the Great Nirvana, the monsters here also became exceptionally diverse. Hybridization and mutation gave rise to many terrifying monsters. I'm sure you've all read plenty of information before coming here."
"Another consequence of their sheer numbers is that King Rank Monsters have emerged! If you run into a King Rank Monster now, you're practically certain to die. So remember: stay away from areas where monsters are densely concentrated. And if there are a large number of Lord-level Monsters in an area, you must keep well away."
"So the greatest threats to you are monster hordes and Lord-level Monsters."
As he explained, the War God instructor went over the key points for surviving on the Australian Continent.
The plane was attacked by flying monsters once during the journey, but under the deterrent of its Laser Cannons, even a King Rank Monster wouldn't dare provoke it.
Half an hour later.
The plane landed and the doors opened. The many students and War God instructors from all three decks quickly filed out.
Ji Yun stepped out of the cramped cabin, stretched, and let out a long breath. He looked around. The view was incredibly wide.
A vast wilderness blanketed in green stretched before them, its vegetation lush and dense. In the distance, he could make out the silhouettes of a few monsters.
"Everyone, quiet down."
A Black War God instructor spoke loudly in Chinese. "All students, use your Communication Watches to record the detailed coordinates of your current location. It is 3:15 p.m. on August 1, 2057. Your mission is to survive on the Australian Continent for 28 days. Our plane will return to this location at noon on the 29th and take you all back to Hongning Base City."
The War God instructors hurried back onto the plane. It slowly rose into the sky, then turned into a streak of blue light and disappeared beyond the horizon.
The 183 students left on the Australian Continent gathered in groups of three or five.
When adventuring here, unless you had absolute confidence in your own strength, you had to team up with others. You never knew when a monster might sneak up on you.
"Ji Yun." A voice called out.
Ji Yun turned and saw Luo Feng.
"This morning, the Dojo Master exposed my identity. Vulture Li Yao must have figured out that I'm the one who killed his son." Luo Feng spoke slowly.
"You've kept my secret for so long, so it's easy to guess that you know about this. I suspect... they may come after you too." Luo Feng spoke earnestly. "Why don't we travel together? To be honest, I'm a High-Level War God Psychic Master now, and my strength is no weaker than that of an ordinary High-Level War God. Even if Li Yao comes after me, I'm not afraid."
Ji Yun had not misjudged him. Luo Feng really was someone who repaid kindness and stood up for what was right.
"Luo Feng," Ji Yun said with a faint smile.
"Don't worry about me. I may be even stronger than you."
"Stronger than me?" Luo Feng was secretly astonished. He was a Psychic Master who could fight opponents two levels above himself. Did that mean Ji Yun was already a High-Level War God?
"Enough. Don't worry about me. You'll have a hard time settling this matter, and I'd only get in your way," Ji Yun said. "You're a Psychic Master, so you can escape without trouble. But if they bring weapons like Laser Cannons, I won't be able to get away."
Seeing this, Luo Feng smiled and nodded to show he understood.
Before long.
Some of the 183 students formed pairs, others made teams of three, and the largest group had as many as six people.
Ji Yun and a few others chose to act alone.
The climate on the Australian Continent was almost the opposite of that in Huaxia Nation. It was early August, the hottest time of the year in Huaxia Nation, but here it was the end of winter. The temperature was only around four or five degrees Celsius. But for Ji Yun, whose physical abilities were at the High-Level War God level, the temperature difference made little difference.
The wind blew, bending the weeds low and revealing several monsters grazing with their heads down.
Though these monsters ate plants, they were still highly aggressive toward humans.
Standing in a relatively dense tree, Ji Yun used the leaves to conceal himself as he checked his electronic map.
"According to the map, there's a small town two hundred kilometers away. I'll set up a temporary base there." Ji Yun quietly switched off his watch.
Two hundred kilometers was not far for someone like Ji Yun, a High-Level War God.
Without much effort, Ji Yun traveled at the speed of an ordinary War God and reached his destination in just two hours.
He had kept a relatively low profile along the way, but he still crossed the territory of an Intermediate Lord. Before the Intermediate Lord could attack, Ji Yun pierced its head with a single thrust of his spear and harvested its materials.
Inside a small town.
"The largest monster group around this town should be that kangaroo group." Inside a three-story villa, Ji Yun sorted through the monster materials in his backpack and packed them at the bottom.
To avoid any complications on the way, Ji Yun had only killed the one Lord Monster that blocked his path before hurrying straight here.
He had encountered a few other Lords on the way, but they were all Elementary Lords. Though they couldn't defeat Ji Yun, he had little interest in them. His target was still High-Level Lord Monsters; only they could fetch astronomical prices.
"Let's see. This group of kangaroos lives where a grassland meets a valley. All that land is their territory."
Before the Great Nirvana, kangaroos were already a species unique to the Australian Continent. Even then, their powerful hind legs could kick a tiger or leopard to death, though they were relatively rare. But during the Great Nirvana, the kangaroos evolved too. Their leg muscles grew even stronger, and their habits changed: they began eating meat. In just a little over a decade, they developed sharp teeth and powerful bodies.
Ji Yun moved forward slowly, taking a roundabout route to approach the valley. The grassland before it was the kangaroos' main stomping ground, but the valley belonged to the Kangaroo Lord, and ordinary kangaroos were generally forbidden from entering.
Little by little, Ji Yun slipped into the depths of the valley.
"Hm? There's only one Kangaroo Lord? What about the other four Lords? Why aren't they here?" Ji Yun examined the area carefully and found that it did not match the information he had received.
"Could they have gone out to hunt?" Ji Yun wondered.
"If I can't kill this Intermediate Lord quickly, then once the other three Lords return, I may not be able to fend off all four of them alone."
This kangaroo group had three Intermediate Lords and one High-Level Lord Monster.
An Intermediate Lord could hold its own against a High-Level War God. With four of them together, even Ji Yun wouldn't dare underestimate them.
"If I can kill the High-Level Lord first, the three Intermediate Lords won't be a threat." Ji Yun planned it out quietly. "I'll watch for a few days and see when the High-Level Lord stays in."
Four days passed.
At last, Ji Yun got his chance.
"Every five days, the High-Level Lord of this kangaroo group rests and sends the other Lords out." Ji Yun thought it over.
In the quiet valley, a gigantic kangaroo over twenty meters tall lay on the ground with its eyes half-closed, apparently dozing.
The valley's inner area was a wide, open grassland, one or two kilometers wide and several hundred meters long, with fairly clear visibility. The Kangaroo Lord was curled up in the center, making it difficult to sneak up on.
Its entire body was covered in scales, though some areas had thick fur—a likely adaptation that had emerged during its evolution. The kangaroo's head faced the valley entrance, so it would notice any disturbance immediately.
Unfortunately for it, Ji Yun had approached from the back of the valley.
He couldn't sneak up and land a surprise blow, but getting into the valley without being noticed was still no problem.
Just as the Kangaroo Lord closed its eyes again to rest, Ji Yun suddenly burst out, reaching his top speed!
The one- or two-kilometer distance took only a few seconds. In no time, Ji Yun had reached the Kangaroo Lord's back.
"Pfft!"
Ji Yun thrust the Wind Lifter in his hand straight at the kangaroo's hindquarters, one of the few vulnerable spots on the Kangaroo Lord.
"Rooar!"
It had sensed Ji Yun as soon as he accelerated toward it. But Ji Yun was simply too fast. Before it could even turn around, the blow had struck its vital spot. It let out a loud, pained roar.
The Monster Lord was furious at first, but then a hint of fear flashed in its intelligent eyes.
Ji Yun had managed to catch it by surprise despite its keen senses. The Kangaroo Lord hadn't reacted in time, but the force and speed of the attack still filled it with fear.
The Kangaroo Lord swung its huge tail at Ji Yun with an explosive crack. The blow was strong enough to injure a High-Level War God, and it also struck the ground, giving the Kangaroo Lord a chance to push off.
Using the momentum of the blow, it turned and fled toward the valley exit.
There was a large kangaroo group outside the valley. It thought they would be enough to stop Ji Yun from pursuing it.
"Trying to run?"
A glint flashed in Ji Yun's eyes. He braced himself against the monster's tail, then burst forward at top speed again. He was several times faster than the Kangaroo Lord, and in the blink of an eye he caught up with it at the valley entrance.
"Shing!"
The Wind Lifter in Ji Yun's hand slashed through the scales on the Kangaroo Lord's back. Thin streams of blood welled up. The Kangaroo Lord cried out in pain and stopped. It knew there was no chance of escaping unless it killed this human.
It hated that it hadn't gone out with its subordinates today.
It also hated that it hadn't noticed this despicable little human sooner.
"Roar!"
The Kangaroo Lord let out a furious bellow, turned, and charged at Ji Yun with powerful strides. It seemed like a massive building collapsing on top of him.
Like a shooting star crashing down, its enormous body bore down on him with the weight of a mountain.
Ji Yun's physical abilities were only at the High-Level War God level; there was nothing special about them. Taking that hit would make him spit blood, or even leave him seriously injured. If his internal organs were shaken, his combat strength would plummet.
Ji Yun stomped down hard. The force gouged a deep crater into the ground as he twisted and retreated.
But the Kangaroo Lord relentlessly pursued him, forcing its enormous body to turn in mid-charge and rushing at Ji Yun again. It would not stop until Ji Yun was dead.
Ji Yun dodged rapidly while carving wounds into the Kangaroo Lord. With every loss of blood, the Kangaroo Lord grew more furious.
But fury did it no good. As it bled, the Kangaroo Lord's life force steadily weakened, and its charges lost strength. Its power declined rapidly.
Once he reckoned the kangaroo had nearly exhausted itself, Ji Yun tried clashing head-on with it. The impact made him feel as if his internal organs had shifted, but he wasn't seriously hurt. The Kangaroo Lord, on the other hand, was knocked back more than ten meters and could barely stay upright. It was clearly going to die. Its thick nostrils puffed hot air, and its bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at Ji Yun, as if trying to memorize his scent and appearance.
A few minutes later,
"Rumble!"
The Kangaroo Lord's massive body crashed to the ground, its blood spreading into a small lake.
"A High-Level Armored Tail Kangaroo Lord! Tsk, tsk. There can't be many High-Level War Gods who could successfully hunt one." Ji Yun was excited. He took out an SS-grade skinning knife and began cutting up the Kangaroo Lord.
The most valuable parts of an Armored Tail Kangaroo were its tail—the large, hammer-like shell at the end—and the scales covering its body.
Removing the scales was a real hassle, but Ji Yun calmly continued. There was still plenty of time before the other three Intermediate Lords returned. Besides, skinning meant money. Who would complain about the trouble of making money?
"This High-Level Armored Tail Kangaroo King can fetch 11 billion Huaxia Currency from the HR Alliance. Who'd complain about the work when all I have to do is harvest its materials?" Ji Yun was pleased. High-Level Lord Monster carcasses generally sold for between 5 billion and 20 billion Huaxia Currency. This kangaroo was quite valuable and should fetch a good price.
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