Forest No. 017

"Brat! You've really made quite a name for yourself these past few days! Even I heard about it while staying at home!"

The nearly two-meter-tall man laughed heartily as he heavily patted Cao Bing on the shoulder.

The pain made Cao Bing bare his teeth.

"Hahaha! Good! You haven't disgraced Uncle Xie!"

"And you have the nerve to say that? With your little bit of skill, if you don't train harder, Little Cao will surpass you before long!"

Song Shengnan rolled her eyes beside them and curled her lip.

"Not that soon! Whatever else, I, Old Xie, am still a Beginner General!" Xie Hongxin argued stubbornly.

"Hasn't Little Cao killed plenty of Junior Beast General Level monsters these past few days?"

Song Shengnan continued to tear him down.

"How could that be the same!"

Xie Hongxin's voice immediately weakened at Song Shengnan's words, but he was still unwilling to admit defeat and muttered under his breath.

In the end, though, Song Shengnan gave him a fierce glare, and he instantly backed down and hurriedly shut his mouth.

Cao Bing secretly laughed to himself. They still don't know that I've already become a Beginner General! And after yesterday's test, my strength has improved by far more than just a little!

Meanwhile, Captain Yan Ying watched Cao Bing with satisfied eyes.

After the team members exchanged a few more idle remarks, she finally took control of the conversation again.

"Everyone except Cao Bing is very familiar with Forest No. 017, so I won't say much more about it."

"This time, our main objective is to seek out the opportunity within Forest No. 017. If we fail to find it, we'll switch to hunting monsters!"

Everyone nodded as they listened to Yan Ying.

The opportunity in Forest No. 017 was unknown, but the monsters living within it were very real.

With so many Beast General Level monsters, there was more than enough profit to make them all rich!

Of course, strength was what mattered most. Any team without sufficient strength that dared enter Forest No. 017 would be no different from courting death!

"Next, let's go over the intelligence we've gathered!"

"The mutation began in the due west of Forest No. 017. Therefore, during the early phase of this operation, we need to proceed straight west."

"Secondly, there are currently thirty-two relatively strong teams entering the forest alongside us. Five of them have Martial Artists at the peak of the War General level, and two have Mental Masters. The remaining teams are all composed entirely of War General-level members, so their strength cannot be underestimated either."

As she spoke, Yan Ying went over the circumstances of several squads with everyone again, mainly for Cao Bing's benefit.

If a fierce battle broke out later, knowing both themselves and their enemies would allow them to respond calmly.

Early the next morning.

Every member of the Divine Arrow Squad rose early. After breakfast and packing their belongings, they left Supply Base No. 8 together and headed for Forest No. 017.

Although the weather was still scorching, no one dared enter the forest at night.

The forest was unlike a town. Its terrain was complicated and its trees dense, making it highly suitable for monsters to lie in ambush. At night, obstructed vision greatly increased the danger for a squad.

The moment Cao Bing and the others entered Forest No. 017, they sensed the difference.

The trees and vines were tangled in a chaotic web. Xie Hongxin and Song Shengnan, who led the way, had no choice but to use blades and axes to clear a path before they could advance normally.

Cao Bing and Guan Yong were better off. As speed-type fighters, they leaped directly onto the towering trees and traveled along the branches, providing intelligence for the team below.

"Uncle Guan, there seems to be movement ahead. It's a group of Long-Armed Woolly Monkeys!"

Before long, Cao Bing spotted a disturbance directly ahead.

Long-Armed Woolly Monkeys were a common type of monster in Forest No. 017, ranging from Beginner Beast Soldiers to Advanced Beast Generals.

Moreover, thanks to their physical advantages, they were extremely fast in the jungle and very troublesome to deal with!

"I see them! There are quite a lot of them too—at least forty or fifty!" Guan Yong said, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, that's a good start. We've only just entered and already run into monsters!" Xie Hongxin grinned from below.

"Prepare for battle. A group of Long-Armed Woolly Monkeys this large definitely has Beast Generals among them!" Yan Ying said as she nocked an arrow onto the string of her alloy bow.

"The situation in Forest No. 017 may be even more complicated than we expected. The trees are much denser than they were a few months ago!"

"Understood, Captain!"

Before the Divine Arrow Squad could exchange more than a few words, the group of Long-Armed Woolly Monkeys had already closed in from the distance!

Long-Armed Woolly Monkeys were generally around one and a half meters tall, but their arms were long and slender. Fully stretched out, they could reach three meters!

Their fur was ash-gray, and their limbs were tipped with claws. They generally ate plants and fruit, but if given the chance, they certainly wouldn't mind adding a meat dish to their meal!

"These monkeys are fast!" As the group rapidly approached, Cao Bing's pupils contracted.

The Long-Armed Woolly Monkey charging at the very front was clearly different from the others!

Not only was it more than twice as large as the other monkeys, but its fur was not ash-gray. It was a bright white.

"Advanced Beast General! Be careful, Little Cao!" The instant the white Long-Armed Woolly Monkey drew near, Guan Yong identified its strength from its aura and immediately rushed to meet it!

Guan Yong moved like a phantom. With several light taps of his feet, he shot more than ten meters forward.

He was like a cheetah that had locked onto its prey!

But although Guan Yong was fast, the white-furred monkey was no slower. It swung through the trees several times and instantly appeared before Guan Yong!

One narrow claw shot toward Guan Yong's chest like a spear from a bizarre angle!

"Uncle Guan, watch out!"

Cao Bing's heart tightened. He had practiced footwork with Qin Yu some time ago; though they were fast, he could still see everything clearly.

He could not help worrying inwardly!

"This beast..." At the same time, Guan Yong's expression shifted as he faced the woolly monkey.

However, Guan Yong was indeed an experienced Martial Artist. The instant the Long-Armed Woolly Monkey attacked, his body had already reacted.

There was barely any movement in his body, yet the monkey's lightning-fast claw struck nothing but air!

Guan Yong's body passed almost flush against the white Long-Armed Woolly Monkey's long claw, while the Phantom Longblade in his hand swept through the air like a white ripple.

Pfft!

Blood sprayed as the Long-Armed Woolly Monkey was stripped of its attacking arm before it even had a chance to react!

"I thought you were troublesome. Turns out you're just a fraud!"

With another backhand slash, Guan Yong cut the throat of the white Long-Armed Woolly Monkey as it howled in pain!

Guan Yong gave the dead monkey a disdainful glance before charging back into the fray!

On the other side, Cao Bing relaxed when he saw Guan Yong easily deal with the white-furred monkey.

"These monkeys are mostly monsters at Advanced Beast Soldier level or above!"

Cao Bing's gaze gradually sharpened.

"Good. I've never fought so many advanced monsters at once before. I'll use this chance to test myself and gain some experience fighting in the forest."

With that thought, Cao Bing suddenly accelerated, his fighting spirit surging!

Once Cao Bing and Guan Yong charged into the monkey group, blood splashed and severed limbs flew everywhere!

In only a moment, the monkey group had lost nearly ten members!

At the same time, Yan Ying and Zheng Ke's long-range support arrived. In less than two minutes, they slaughtered the entire monkey group!

The other members of the squad did not even get a chance to make a move.