The Wilderness Zone

At this moment, Xu Qing had already arrived at the single-occupancy dormitory building and used his key to open a room.

The room contained a bed, a desk, and a bathroom.

Xu Qing set down his bow and quiver, looked around, and could see figures moving about the supply base through the window.

In the supply base, many service personnel wore military uniforms, though they did not all come from the military region; some were from the two major dojos and the Alliance.

They were not merely service staff for the supply base; they also purchased monster materials from the martial artists.

As Xu Qing stood by the window watching, a team of martial artists walked in, some carrying injuries, likely having just returned from hunting monsters.

It was at this moment that in a small building in the row ahead, Gao Feng, captain of the Fire Hammer Squad, shouted at the injured martial artist, his tone dripping with mockery.

In the blink of an eye, the members of the Fire Hammer Squad were arguing with the injured martial artist, their voices loud enough for many to hear.

Do they have a grudge? Xu Qing wondered, surprised, as the members of the Fire Hammer Squad did not seem like the type to go looking for trouble.

The commotion ended quickly.

At noon, Xu Qing had his lunch at the supply base, where he could have the service staff deliver meals directly to his room.

By evening, Xu Qing saw Luo Feng and his team walk out of the small building, clearly heading out to hunt monsters.

"Night operations... hmm, that is indeed better, it's cooler," Xu Qing realized instantly, then filled his water bottle and followed them.

Upon entering the wilderness, the Fire Hammer Squad immediately spread out into formation, two in the front, two in the back, with Luo Feng and the machine gunner Chen Gu in the middle.

One hundred and fifty meters behind them, Xu Qing followed stealthily; with his spiritual force, he had no fear of losing them.

Before long, the Fire Hammer Squad arrived at a desolate field, where a Single-Horned Wild Boar appeared.

The Single-Horned Wild Boar, much like the Iron-Haired Boar Xu Qing had encountered during his martial artist practical exam, was a porcine monster.

However, the Single-Horned Wild Boar was far stronger than an Iron-Haired Boar.

An Iron-Haired Boar was equivalent to a low-level warrior, while a Single-Horned Wild Boar was equivalent to a mid-level warrior, and even stronger than an average one at that.

Captain Gao Feng let Luo Feng handle the Single-Horned Wild Boar, taking the opportunity to test his strength.

Luo Feng did not disappoint them, dealing with the Single-Horned Wild Boar beautifully and earning the recognition of everyone in the Fire Hammer Squad.

Hmm, I really still don't like fighting monsters to the death, Xu Qing thought as he watched the entire process of Luo Feng dealing with the Single-Horned Wild Boar, which could be described as a battle of both wits and strength.

Xu Qing felt that was too much trouble; it was far more satisfying to crush them with sheer power. As for him, a single arrow could send that Single-Horned Wild Boar to the afterlife.

If it were him, he wouldn't give those monsters a chance to get close; he would just shoot them all to death.

If that didn't work, he still had the God-Splitting Silk in hand, which was guaranteed to crush them.

At this time, the members of the Fire Hammer Squad began to earnestly teach Luo Feng how to kill monsters more effectively, focusing primarily on the monsters' weak points.

"Not bad, going straight for the weak points is the most effective way," Xu Qing agreed; this way, one could kill stronger monsters with the minimum cost.

After all, he couldn't guarantee that every monster he encountered would be weak; he would inevitably run into those stronger than himself.

Next, the Fire Hammer Squad began to cultivate Luo Feng as a future core member, teaching him through both words and deeds to increase his practical combat experience.

Luo Feng was like a sponge absorbing water, rapidly soaking up this experience; his progress was astonishing, and he quickly shed his rookie status.

This Fire Hammer Squad is not bad; they are quite decent people. Luo Feng joined the right team, Xu Qing thought to himself.

To be able to teach a newcomer so earnestly—while partly because Luo Feng was a genius—showed that the Fire Hammer Squad was truly putting in the effort; they were genuinely quite good.

If it were any other squad, they might not even take a newcomer seriously, let alone teach them with such care.

Three days later, Xu Qing followed the Fire Hammer Squad to the outskirts and urban area of County 0201.

This place was filled with dense, abandoned buildings; those commander-level monsters that had gained intelligence would choose to build their nests in such places to effectively avoid artillery fire from the human military.

In areas with many buildings, martial artists lost their advantage in urban warfare, while the monsters gained the upper hand.

Furthermore, commander-level monsters with intelligence could command many soldier-level monsters.

A commander-level monster was often accompanied by a large group of beast soldiers, much like a boss and his underlings.

There were many monsters lurking in the suburbs and the city, all quite powerful. The Fire Hammer Squad did not easily strike at the monsters they saw, choosing instead to avoid them and enter the depths of the city.

Blue Sky Residential Complex, with its three twenty-one-story residential buildings, was the base the Fire Hammer Squad chose for themselves.

Roar!

Several Tiger Mastiffs the size of calves lunged toward Xu Qing, baring their blood-red maws, saliva flying everywhere.

However, they didn't see the several sharp, thin threads that appeared in the air before they charged right into them.

Puff!

In the blink of an eye, these Tiger Mastiffs were reduced to pieces, blood flowing all over the ground.

Xu Qing stood there without even glancing at them, instead looking toward the three residential buildings of the Blue Sky Residential Complex, where he saw Luo Feng and the Fire Hammer Squad already entering the foremost one.

He understood the Fire Hammer Squad's intention at a glance: occupying the high ground allowed them to rest while also effectively searching for targets.

Judging by their appearance, they were likely hunting for a commander-level monster, and this place happened to have one.

"I think Sister Xin's worries were unnecessary. The Fire Hammer Squad is experienced and will never let Luo Feng encounter danger," Xu Qing muttered.

Over these past few days, he had seen all of the Fire Hammer Squad's actions; they were very seasoned, and with them, Luo Feng was growing rapidly.

It would not be long before Luo Feng's strength surpassed that of Gao Feng, the captain of the Fire Hammer Squad.

This was because Xu Qing had discovered that Luo Feng was a Spirit Controller; he had caught Luo Feng using telekinetic power during combat.

Once a Spirit Controller awakened, their strength would increase rapidly, especially since Luo Feng had already begun his cultivation.

Looking at it this way, there was actually no need for Xu Qing to have followed him.

Forget it, since I'm already here, it's better to see it through to the end. I definitely won't come next time, Xu Qing thought to himself.

Following this, Xu Qing leaped up, jumping between the dense buildings with great agility as he headed toward those three residential towers.

He entered the Blue Sky Residential Complex very quickly.

Gunfire erupted from the first residential tower; clearly, the Fire Hammer Squad had encountered monsters inside.

Xu Qing walked toward the rearmost residential tower. He manipulated the God-Splitting Silk, using it as a stepping stone to leap upward repeatedly, sprinting directly toward the roof until he reached the very top.

There was nothing on the rooftop, and the exit was locked, requiring it to be opened from the inside.

Xu Qing appeared there and gazed into the distance; the view was vast, and he could see most of the entire urban area.