Jiangnan Base City's Northwest Military District, Sixth Supply Base
This was Cao Bing's second time coming to the military district. The first had been during the practical combat assessment.
However, the military district looked no different from what he had seen before: fortified like an iron wall, armed to the teeth with steel guns and heavy artillery.
"Sixth Supply Base. We'll resupply here today, then head out to hunt tonight." Captain Yan Ying took the lounge keys from a military officer and spoke to the group.
"No problem. It's been a long time since I came to Sixth Supply Base." Xie Hongxin laughed heartily.
"Uncle Xie, didn't you come here before?" Cao Bing asked curiously.
"Mm. There aren't any cities west of Sixth Supply Base where large numbers of monsters gather. Usually, the teams that come here are weaker squads, along with rookie kids like you."
"Our squad is fairly strong, so most of the time, we operate around Ruins 003 and Forest 017!" Xie Hongxin said bluntly.
Cao Bing scratched his head awkwardly. Didn't that mean they had only come this way because they were bringing along a rookie like him?
"Enough nonsense. Hurry up and stock up on supplies. We still have to set out tonight." Yan Ying said with a stern expression. "I'll go see an old friend and ask about the recent situation here. Old Fang, come with me."
"Haha, the captain is still as cautious as ever."
"Caution is the right approach. Otherwise, we wouldn't know how many times we'd have died already." Song Shengnan shot Xie Hongxin a disdainful look.
"I never said caution was wrong!" Xie Hongxin did not dare argue after Song Shengnan snapped at him. He could only mutter softly under his breath.
By evening, the sun was gradually setting. After eating and drinking their fill, Cao Bing and the others began heading into the wilderness.
"Although our squad is here to let Little Cao get some practice, with our strength, there's no need to go to those ordinary small towns. Our target this time is Ruins 132, dozens of kilometers away. According to friends here, the ferocious beasts in City 132 have been developing rapidly recently. There are quite a few Advanced Beast Soldiers and ordinary Beast General Level beasts there, making it very suitable for us to hunt." Captain Yan Ying addressed the group.
"City 132? I haven't been there in a long time. The last time I went, I had only just become an Advanced Warrior," Song Shengnan said softly.
"Yeah, I was an Advanced Warrior back then too," Xie Hongxin said loudly.
"Aren't you still an Advanced Warrior now?" Song Shengnan rolled her eyes at Xie Hongxin again, leaving him speechless.
"Quiet. Something's approaching." Guan Yong suddenly spoke.
The others immediately lowered their voices. Before long, a four-legged creature with twin horns on its head emerged from the darkness and entered the Divine Arrow Squad's field of vision.
"Tch, I thought it was something serious. It's just a Pan-Horn Sheep!" Xie Hongxin curled his lip when he saw the creature.
Pan-Horn Sheep only possessed the strength of beginner Beast Soldiers, and they were herbivorous ferocious beasts. Most of the time, they existed as food for other ferocious beasts. Humans also raised them on a large scale for meat. Cao Bing often bought their meat to cook at home.
Of course, being herbivorous did not mean they would not kill people. When they encountered humans in the wilderness, they would also launch vicious charges.
"It's not just one." Yan Ying suddenly spoke. As an archer, his eyesight was exceptionally sharp. "Twenty-six! Prepare for battle. Finish them quickly. Don't let them delay our journey."
"Yes!"
The instant Yan Ying finished speaking, everyone obeyed.
Guan Yong vanished from where he stood and circled around from the side.
Song Shengnan held her horse-chopping saber in her hand. Judging by the size of that huge blade, no one would have imagined its wielder was a delicate woman standing under one meter seventy tall.
Cao Bing was fast as well. At the same time Song Shengnan charged out, he gripped a Blood Shadow Saber in his hand and rushed forward in an S-shaped path.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
The first to strike was neither Guan Yong, who was the fastest, nor Song Shengnan, who had charged the fiercest. It was Captain Yan Ying, who had remained calm and composed throughout. A dark alloy arrow pierced through two Pan-Horn Sheep in an instant, then nailed the third to the ground.
What a fast arrow! Cao Bing's heart jolted. He had not even seen the shadow of Yan Ying's arrow.
However, Cao Bing had no time to think further. Up ahead, Song Shengnan had already engaged the Pan-Horn Sheep. Her horse-chopping saber cut through them as easily as chopping vegetables.
With a casual swing, she could take several Pan-Horn Sheep's lives. Cao Bing grew anxious as he watched. This was his first battle since joining the Divine Arrow Squad. He could not possibly leave without accomplishing anything.
Seeing that, in only a few blinks, the herd of Pan-Horn Sheep was already being effortlessly slaughtered, Cao Bing suddenly accelerated. In two breaths, he reached the very front.
One slash, two pieces.
A Pan-Horn Sheep's head flew off beneath Cao Bing's saber.
Cao Bing secretly let out a breath of relief.
At least he had killed a monster.
The battle ended quickly. In less than two minutes, the group had slaughtered every last Pan-Horn Sheep, leaving behind only a pile of corpses.
"Let's go. No need to linger." Yan Ying wiped clean the alloy arrows he had fired and put them away before turning to the others.
"Captain, aren't we collecting the spoils?" Cao Bing asked in confusion.
"Haha, Little Cao, you're still too green. A monster like the Pan-Horn Sheep takes up space and isn't worth much. There's no value in collecting it," Xie Hongxin said with a laugh.
"No value?" Cao Bing did not understand.
"Pan-Horn Sheep can be raised artificially. What value could they possibly have? Farms can produce as many as you want," Xie Hongxin explained.
"That's true." Cao Bing gave a wry smile. His first battle had turned out to be against a bunch of worthless creatures. He could not help feeling disappointed.
"Little Cao." Guan Yong walked over to Cao Bing's side.
"Uncle Guan."
"Little Cao, I watched your fight just now. Overall, you did very well, but there are still quite a few areas where you need to improve." Guan Yong patted Cao Bing's shoulder with one hand and spoke with a smile.
"Please tell me, Uncle Guan." Cao Bing humbly sought his guidance. He had long known that his greatest shortcoming was his lack of experience. Now that these elders were willing to point out his flaws, he was naturally delighted.
"First, and most importantly, you must never be impatient when hunting in the wilderness. Earlier, you became anxious, which exposed many openings. The consequences of that can be extremely dangerous. You need to learn to keep a calm mind under any circumstances."
Guan Yong glanced at Cao Bing as he spoke. Only after seeing him nod, clearly taking his words to heart, did he continue. "Also, the angle of your swing was wrong. Although you were aiming for the Pan-Horn Sheep's weak points, if you swung like this, you could use at least one-third less strength than before, and you wouldn't have to worry about the blade getting caught on bone."
As he spoke, Guan Yong swung his saber again, demonstrating the technique for him. Cao Bing listened intently, rapidly absorbing these skills. The others did not interrupt. Instead, they slowed their pace, allowing Guan Yong to help Cao Bing get started as quickly as possible.
Before you continue