Chapter 122 Entering the Weird Domain (Third Update)
Hong Yan did not reply immediately upon hearing this.
She paused for three or four seconds before speaking with a strange expression, "Aren't you going to ask the person involved what they think?"
"That's easy," Jeff replied casually. What a joke! Did he think he was a student at the Great Liang Martial Academy?
It's just a mediocre Martial Academy; wouldn't it be easy for the New Army to transfer a student there?
As long as Chief Instructor Hong doesn't stop it, the matter is settled!
However, Hong Yan shook her head and said, word by word, "I suggest you ask."
"Is there some explanation?" A strange glint flashed in Great Knight Jeff's eyes.
Logically, he shouldn't have noticed the boy at all, but the group of five in front of him was indeed a bit strange.
One Great Knight leading three Knight, that's not a problem.
The Great Knight leading three Knight Apprentice and one Knight is still normal; the big boss is planning to provide backup.
But strangely enough, there was an extra young Knight Apprentice by their side, which just felt a little off.
Jeff initially guessed that it was someone's child who had come to gain experience.
But after looking at the boy for a couple of seconds, she felt something was off.
He carefully sensed the other person's state—he found it somewhat unfathomable.
This piqued his curiosity, so he tried to ask for it aloud.
Hong Yan didn't answer, but instead glanced at the boy.
Wu Youren finally spoke up, "Reporting to you, sir, there's no particular explanation, it's just that my family is very strict."
"Or a member of the family?" Jeff frowned slightly. "Whose family are you?"
Wu Youren smiled slightly, but did not answer; his eyes were clear.
Jeff felt a surge of displeasure upon seeing this – did he think the New Army was a place just anyone could join?
He didn't press the matter further, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then turned and left.
After returning to the New Army army, he called over an older Knight and whispered a few instructions to him.
He wanted to find out who the boy was, "----No rush, we'll deal with this later."
Even with a powerful background, dying in the Weird Domain is not worth investigating.
After Great Knight Jeff left, people from the Marquis Tanyong's Residence came to visit Chief Instructor Hong again.
None of these four had met Hong Yan before, but since she had just resolved the dispute, it was only right and proper for them to pay her a visit.
Not to mention that this person is a friend of the instructor, so it's even more necessary to visit them.
The burly man stated frankly, "Thank you for speaking up for me, Hong Da. I've heard the instructor mention you before."
"He'll mention me?" Hong Yan smiled slightly, a rare occurrence. "He's always so quiet and reserved."
"I said it when I was drunk," the burly man said, insisting he wasn't making it up. "I'm very grateful for your help—"
"He can manage without me," Instructor Hong said calmly. "What have you discovered these past few days?"
She shouldn't ask Great Knight Jeff this question, but since he was an old friend's subordinate, she could ask him without hesitation.
The burly man hesitated noticeably for a moment.
"Forget it," Instructor Hong waved his hand dismissively, "I know you guys have a lot of rules, go ahead."
The reason she was unwilling to speak was that she disliked the feeling of being rejected.
Marquis Tanyong was a renowned veteran general in the army, known for his bravery and volatile temper; he dared to charge into battle shirtless.
It's not surprising that his subordinates dared not leak information casually.
Instructor Hong already knew who these four people were and didn't bother with them until he heard Xia'erzi's name, at which point he stepped forward.
of.
Seeing the other person hesitate now, she was really a bit disappointed.
" Hong Da, you've misunderstood," the burly man immediately said.
He then glanced left and right, his gaze unusually cold and sharp, the warning very clear.
Then he leaned forward, lowering his voice, "The instructor is trapped now, in a bit of danger."
Instructor Hong remained silent, simply watching him calmly with no expression on his face.
The burly man hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "He said he could handle it, but we're very worried."
"Tsk," Instructor Hong understood what the other person meant, and the scar on his lower left jaw twitched. "Didn't you notify the Marquis's residence?"
"The Marquis has other matters to attend to," the burly man hesitated before answering, "The key issue is that the instructor won't allow it."
"Sigh," Hong Yan sighed helplessly, "His temper—what do you mean?"
"You two, you two," the burly man hesitated for a moment, then finally gritted his teeth, "Aren't we friends? I've been presumptuous!"
Hong Yan sat there expressionless for half a minute before slowly speaking, "You really don't know how to behave!"
"Yes, yes, yes," the burly man nodded hurriedly. He, who had dared to confront the Great Knight Jeff just now, was now unusually humble.
"Then... I'm sorry to bother you, Hong Da. Please don't tell anyone, okay?"
"You son of a bitch!" Hong Yan glared at him. "Don't you know how awful Xia'erzi's temper is?"
"Tell me everything you know! This is a complete disaster!"
She really didn't want to get involved, but after learning the news and the other party pleading with her, she couldn't ignore it!
Considering that Xia'erzi might still be dissatisfied later, it's not surprising that she swore in anger.
"Okay, okay," the burly man nodded hurriedly, then turned and disappeared in a flash. "I'll go get it."
Hong Yan turned to look at the four of them, "You four be careful, and listen to Little Wu's advice."
"Huh?" Manna was taken aback. "You're not taking us with you?"
"That's a scheme that can keep Xia'erzi occupied," Instructor Hong said casually. "Besides, that guy has a rather strange temper!"
Early the next morning, the burly man led the five men to the entrance of the Weird Domain.
He originally wanted to invite all three of his companions, but Instructor Hong said it wasn't necessary, and that he could just take care of him.
Surprisingly, the burly man agreed to this suggestion, saying that his three companions could accompany the other four.
However, Instructor Hong refused again, saying that it was fine for my people to explore freely.
She gave no reason, and the burly man didn't dare ask—he had indeed heard the instructor say that the Great Knight Hong was arrogant and had a bad temper.
To be described as having a bad temper by Xia'erzi —he wouldn't want to try.
The Bellflower Mountain has more than a dozen peaks, all of which are not much narrower at the top than at the bottom, resembling a dozen bells scattered there.
There are also some hills nearby, resembling steamed buns that have been carelessly tossed aside.
The Weird Domain shrouded a large part of the Bellflower Mountain and some of the hills.
Between two hills lies a suitable entrance, the boundary still marked by white mist.
The six of them entered the white fog together and traveled together for more than two kilometers.
The fog gradually thickened and then thinned again in the places it passed through.
The two sides parted ways at a stream. Hong Yan and his companion walked downstream, while Wu Youren and his group of four went upstream.
Instructor Hong's whereabouts were not fixed; only a general area was known, and the four were not informed of it.
After receiving the information yesterday, the four of them compared it with the information they brought and roughly agreed on several points to explore.
During their journey, they encountered Weird Transformation small animals, and not just once.
There were even centipedes and scorpions that Weird Transformation. They weren't very strong, Weird-Repelling Jue could block them, but they were still quite annoying.
These little things are almost impossible to find ghosts, and nobody's interested in them.
As he walked, Wu Youren suddenly stopped.
Seeing this, the other three also stopped and listened. Hong Da Ke said, "Listen more to Little Wu's side of the story."
Although Manna and Namuzha believed in Hong Da and knew that the boy must have some skill, they had never seen it with their own eyes.
Luo Xi, on the other hand, asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
"Don't look around, use your senses," Wu Youren said in a deep voice, "Watch your head—hmm?"
As he let out his final soft hum, he made a gesture, the sign language they had agreed upon beforehand.
"Oh," the three nodded in unison. Little Wu had already pointed out the location, which allowed them to advance or retreat as needed.
Then, they began to subtly adjust their positions, focusing on their right front. The Namuzha even spoke up, "Move?"
"It should be here!" Wu Youren said, but a dark shadow descended from the sky and sped over with incredible speed.
However, for the four who were already prepared, this attack was futile.
The Namuzha's hand moved slightly, a flash of cold light appeared, and the black shadow was severed in two and fell to the ground.
At the same time, Manna's body flashed, and a sizzling sound came from where she had been standing.
Immediately afterwards, a wisp of faint blue smoke rose from the ground.
Although there was still white mist around, Namuzha could already clearly see the dark figure. "Holy crap, Spotted King Snake?"
The snake's two arms-thick bodies writhed on the ground, especially the front half, which kept bouncing, trying to continue its attack.
This is a rather powerful venomous snake; once it grows into a spirit, it will possess at least the combat strength of Knight.
If Wu Youren hadn't reminded her, the venom it sprayed would have caused Manna considerable trouble.
However, the female Knight wasn't particularly frightened at this moment. Instead, she subconsciously swallowed, "This stuff is delicious!"
Who would have thought this person was such a foodie?
" Weird Transformation," Luo Xi said calmly. "We can't eat it."
"I thought it was a bird," Namuzha muttered to himself. But then—a snake swooped down from above?
But no one laughed at him. He only drew his sword once, and after a flash, the blade returned to its sheath.
Wu Youren gave a thumbs up, "Great swordsmanship, senior!"
Showing off his swordsmanship felt a bit redundant, but since the other party enjoyed it, he didn't hesitate to offer praise.
"Your warning was good," Namuzha said calmly. "Let's all work together."
"Check if there are any monsters!" Luo Xi dodged forward and slashed twice more.
The Spotted King Snake broke into four pieces and writhed for about ten minutes before finally coming to a stop.
And indeed, a strange object was unearthed—a long, grayish-white piece that looked like a finger bone.
"Squeak~" Luo Xi whistled, happily indicating, "Auspicious beginnings, great!"
A good start is an auspicious sign that not only the Jin likes, but also the Liang.
"It's not bad," Manna nodded, "But this kind of Sturdy Stone is only slightly stronger than Resentment Qi Crystal."
Namuzha nodded, "This quality isn't particularly high."
Chapter 123 A Series of Successes (Fourth Update)
Luo Xi was truly stunned by what the two of them said. "Just how many strange creatures have you two seen with Hong Da?"
"I haven't seen many," Manna replied casually, "Just a few of the more common ones."
"I'm so envious!" Luo Xi clenched her fist dramatically. "I must strive to become a teaching assistant at Hong Da!"
Namuzha glanced at him and nodded slightly. "Keep up the good work, I believe in you—you still have four formidable rivals ahead of you!"
"Holy crap," Luo Xi's lips twitched.
After surviving this attack, the four encountered two more attacks by Weird Transformation animals, but managed to escape unscathed both times.
Unfortunately, no strange creature was discovered in either of these two instances.
However, there's nothing that can't be satisfied with; under normal circumstances, the drop rate of strange items is only two or three percent.
If it's abnormal, a drop rate of less than one percent wouldn't be surprising - currently, the drop rate around Suotu Town is less than one two-hundredth.
This is because Weird Domain is forming there.
If the drop rate of Suotu is really that high, why send all the Barbarian Tribe there?
On the other hand, in Bellflower Mountain, the drop rate of strange creatures can reach 5%, and in extreme cases, it can even reach around 8%.
Otherwise, if everyone knew this place was dangerous, why would they be rushing to come?
As they walked, the four slowed their pace, because they had arrived at the core area of Weird Domain.
The Weird Qi ahead gradually became denser.
Fortunately, there weren't many large, Weird Qi; most were of Knight or lower, and it was rare to see any particularly strong ones.
However, there is a consensus among those who come to the Suspended Bell Mountain Weird Domain: unless absolutely necessary, try not to kill the Weird Qi.
The authoritative explanation is that the existence of the Weird Qi can catalyze the emergence of more Weird Transformation creatures.
The monsters dropped from the extermination of pure Weird Race are mainly Resentment Qi Crystal, with other treasures making up a small percentage.
The strange creatures that can be dropped by the Weird Transformation beings are incredibly diverse and numerous.
It's not that Resentment Qi Crystal are bad, but the supernatural power system needs more than just this one; other strange objects are more sought after.
Wu Youren and his three companions dodged the clusters of Weird Qi as they continued deeper into the area.
Finally, after killing a Weird Transformation deer, they obtained the second strange item – a Gale Hoof.
"This is worth a little money," Namuzha said, indicating his satisfaction.
However, Manna started to disagree again, "This hoof is a bit small. I've seen bigger ones."
Wu Youren and Luo Xi exchanged glances, realizing they had no right to interrupt.
Even though the former learned a lot about superpowers during this period, it was just knowledge; his actual experience was far behind.
He could only sigh inwardly: following the Great Knight really broadens one's horizons.
After walking for almost a day, the four finally arrived at their destination: a low hill.
The terrain in the Weird Domain is not static; the Weird Qi can alter the terrain.
The Liang government drew up maps of this area many times, and the changes over time were significant.
According to records, even the tallest peaks of the Bellflower Mountain have shifted.
However, this is relatively rare, and the displacement speed is usually not very fast.
Before entering the Weird Domain, the four had already planned to find a fixed place to set up camp.
It's impractical to go in and out of the Weird Domain every day; most of our time is spent traveling. We need to set up a base inside.
There wasn't time to choose a site today, so Wu Youren found a depression in the ground. "Let's dig a hole here."
"Isn't the location a bit low?" Namuzha finally objected. "It would be terrible if it rained."
"I feel that other places are not very safe," Wu Youren explained seriously, without saying much more.
"Let's do it here then," Luo Xi said, supporting him. "I've heard that even digging a hole in the Bellflower Mountain could lead to encounters with the Weird Race."
"This place will do," Manna chimed in. "We'll make do for tonight, and officially choose a location tomorrow."
An exploration mission cannot be completed in just three to five days, so building a reliable shelter is still very necessary.
The Knight dug very quickly; even if they couldn't move too much, they could dig a sizable hole in half an hour.
The entrance to the cave is not large, but the area inside exceeds four square meters, enough to stand upright.
Wu Youren's cultivation level was insufficient, so he did not participate in digging the tunnel; he simply remained on guard throughout. The other three did not express any dissatisfaction.
The Weird Domain at night was filled with a chilling wind, and various strange roars, shrieks, and wails.
Watching the boy bustling about at the cave entrance, Manna felt a pang of pity. "That's enough. The Weird Domain is dangerous at night."
I'll only be staying one night.
"I know it's dangerous, that's why I deployed more," Wu Youren replied in a low voice, without looking up.
"Don't worry about him," Luo Xi said, unfazed. "He won't get tired."
"Each has their own strengths," Namuzha said calmly. "We're in charge of digging the tunnels, and he's setting up the mechanisms. Isn't that normal?"
The rest of the night passed uneventfully.
However, a huge tremor was heard in the middle of the night, as if some behemoth had passed by.
The four did not go out to investigate, as the Weird Race were particularly active at night, and even the Great Knight dared not take any risks.
Then came a few mournful howls; the night in this Weird Domain was truly far from peaceful.
Early the next morning, the four split into two groups to search for a suitable place to build a shelter.
Wu Youren and Namuzha were paired together because the latter was very picky about the location of the shelter.
During their search, they inevitably encountered another Weird Transformation creature—a one-horned lizard over a meter long.
Namuzha wanted to draw his sword to fight, but Wu Youren shook his head slightly and did not stop him.
However, Namuzha noticed his movement and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Wu Youren replied in a low voice, "My thought is, before finding a suitable location, shouldn't we try to avoid disturbing the distribution of the Weird Race?"
Namuzha was silent for two or three seconds, then slowly nodded, "That makes sense!"
This person is indeed of good character; they have their own principles and are willing to listen to reasonable advice.
The two avoided the Weird Race and searched for another half hour before Namuzha felt he had found a suitable spot.
Wu Youren didn't say anything, but after searching the surrounding area, he actually found a very well hidden cave!
Namuzha's expression was somewhat blank. "Indeed—it's not just one person who's interested in this place."
His idea was that since the cave was dug at some unknown time, it might be better to renovate it and set up camp there.
Wu Youren remained silent. He did not support doing so, but it would be inappropriate to oppose it frequently.
Namuzha glanced at him and, noticing his silence, roughly guessed what he was thinking.
He sighed, "Then let's look again."
During their continued search, the two unexpectedly discovered other martial artists.
It was a three-person team, locked in combat with a Weird Qi, and they looked poised for an easy victory.
The two exchanged a glance and tiptoed away.
Encountering a human warrior at this time is not something to be happy about; if neither of them wants to rob the other, it's best not to provoke them.
Wu Youren said he was shocked, "Someone actually went to provoke the Weird Qi?"
"Perhaps... it was an accident," Namuzha, somewhat speechless. "Such a lack of discipline is not a good thing."
Then the two found another suitable place, and seeing that it was getting late, they began to head back.
Back at the campsite from the previous night, Luo Xi and Manna arrived as well.
Luo Xi's clothes had a tear in the shoulder; the two had been attacked by a white-browed monkey.
They killed the monkey, but no monsters dropped.
The two also found three suitable hiding places, which they needed to confirm with their two companions.
This was the most urgent matter. Wu Youren and Namuzha didn't even have time to eat before getting up to check.
Finally, Wu Youren nodded at one of the places, but did not speak.
He still has a good sense of propriety.
The three Knight exchanged a few whispers, confirming that this was the place, but Namuzha was still somewhat unconvinced.
He asked in a low voice, " Little Wu, what's wrong with the second place we chose?"
Wu Youren thought for a moment and replied, "Could you make a hole first, and then I'll explain?"
"Of course, no problem," Luo Xi said without hesitation, and Manna nodded in agreement.
Before long, the cave was dug, about the same size as yesterday's, but it could be expanded later.
Wu Youren first set up cover at the cave entrance and then installed some traps before straightening up and speaking, "The three of you, please follow me..."
Come."
The three Knight were genuinely curious and followed him for over two hundred meters, when the boy pointed to a large tree ahead, "Look!"
The three stared for about ten seconds, then released their senses again. Only then did the Namuzha speak in astonishment, "Those vines?"
Several vines, about the thickness of a child's arm, were entwined around the tree and didn't look particularly remarkable.
"Hmm," Wu Youren nodded slightly, "It's Weird Transformation!"
"Let's do it?" Manna drew two curved swords, looking eager to try.
"Wait," Luo Xi stopped her, "I recall there being quite a few of these vines around here. Shall we check them out first?"
The inspection revealed that there were seven or eight such vines nearby, steadily shading the area above the slope.
Namuzha was now truly convinced, "A natural barrier, Hong Da was right after all!"
"Then why aren't you stopping me!" Manna glared at the boy angrily. "Stop stammering like that, okay?"
"I'm just a junior," Wu Youren said helplessly, spreading his hands. "To even have the right to offer suggestions is already a great honor for the three of you."
o
"You—" Luo Xi pointed at him speechlessly, "You're good at everything, except you're too cowardly!"
Wu Youren smiled and did not refute.
After selecting the location, the next steps were to expand the shelter, move supplies, and set up facilities.
Everything was settled that very evening, and the four of them even had a hot meal at the shelter.
The next morning, everyone went out to investigate.
This is their main task; eliminating the monsters is just a side task. The order absolutely cannot be reversed.
Because it was Namuzha who was on night duty, he stayed behind at the shelter to watch over the supplies that everyone had worked so hard to carry.
Wu Youren and his two companions set off, their destination a place rumored to be filled with Weird Qi —a message that came from the Marquis Tanyong's Residence's residence.
This time, they were less restrained and killed any strange creatures they encountered.
(Another 4 chapters, 12,000 words. Please support with subscriptions, monthly tickets, and recommendation votes.)