On the way, Jingjing, who was known as a genius student with a photographic memory, told everyone some things about demon tribes. Mo Fan, being very eager to learn, would occasionally ask Jingjing questions.
Luo Song, who was annoyed with Mo Fan, provoked him by bringing up the events of Bo City. His words not only drew a rebuke from Mu Ningxue but also a fierce glare from Lin Chen.
Lin Chen, having hunted demons for a long time, naturally exuded a strong killing aura.
Although Lin Chen deliberately concealed it, whenever he got angry, that hidden killing aura would inadvertently be released.
Neither Mu Ningxue nor Lin Chen were easy to provoke. Along the way, Mu Ningxue and Mu Nujiao stood on either side of Lin Chen, looking very close. Their relationship was already obvious, and their strength was the strongest among everyone present. Provoking any one of them would likely lead to retaliation from all three, so Luo Song could only obediently shut his mouth.
Lin Chen wanted to show off and slap some faces, but he found that these minor characters weren't as brainless as they were in the original novel. Perhaps Mo Fan's performance in the original novel was too low-key?
At this point, they had left the An Boundary by about fifty kilometers. This area was still relatively safe, with Wei Fashi (Law Enforcer) patrolling and keeping watch, and they hadn't encountered any short-sighted demons. However, going deeper into the mountains would be a different story.
"We just need to follow this abandoned railway track!" Song Xia said, pointing to the moss-covered tracks beneath their feet, holding a map.
Previously, railways were part of the An Boundary. With the destruction of Jinlin City, the territory extended by this railway naturally became demon territory. The railway track was a natural, automatic navigation marker, and the path Song Xia pointed out had no issues whatsoever.
Lin Chen did not express any opinions. Since they were out for training, the Mingzhu Academy students were always a team. Going with the flow was the best approach. Lin Chen had always been approachable, and when encountering problems, he would convince people with virtue. Naturally, it was impossible for him to do anything detrimental. Even if this path eventually led them astray, Lin Chen had full confidence in protecting Mu Nujiao and Mu Ningxue's safety.
However, there were always some attention-seekers who liked to find a sense of presence.
"Let me say this upfront, I always serve as the commander in the team. Since the school requires us to cooperate to complete this training mission, we can't be without rules. I will take on the role of commander. You can offer suggestions, but the general direction will still be decided by me. How to proceed, how to deal with demons, when to rest—all these will be decided by me!" Lu Zhenghe directly stated his status as the leader without any politeness.
As soon as Lu Zhenghe said this, the Imperial Capital Academy students had no objections, but it was clearly impossible for the Mingzhu Academy students to follow his command.
Fortunately, everyone was in good spirits and didn't cause any trouble, ultimately deciding through discussion.
And after the Mingzhu Academy side asked for Lin Chen's opinion and learned that he had no interest in the commander position, Song Xia ended up taking charge.
The Mingzhu Academy students also had no objections to this, as long as the command power didn't completely fall to the Imperial Capital Academy, and Song Xia was also quite serious and responsible.
With the route decided, everyone proceeded along the abandoned railway tracks, and the journey was very smooth. Those who could be here were all Mages, and also elites from their respective academies, possessing strong wilderness survival skills.
It wasn't until they reached the entrance of a tunnel that everyone stopped.
"I've checked the map, this tunnel is two kilometers long. Judging by the frequency of demons we've encountered so far, it's highly likely that demons are nesting in this tunnel. I suggest we climb over this mountain directly, and not deal with unknown species and unknown numbers of creatures in a pitch-black cave!" Song Xia said to the group behind her.
Lu Zhenghe immediately said, "I think you're being too cautious, aren't you? Who cares what's inside, let's just fight our way through! This tunnel is two kilometers long; if we climb over the entire mountain, who knows how much time that will waste!"
Some students also thought that climbing over the mountain was too troublesome and that going through the tunnel was more direct.
Seeing this, Song Xia could only reluctantly compromise, "Alright, then let's go through. But who will go first?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhenghe immediately summoned his Warrior Summoned Beast and said, "I'll go!"
Summoned Beasts have tenacious vitality and are very fast, making them perfectly suited for scouting.
"The person at the very back also needs to be strong enough, and it can't be a Summoned Beast, as they can't make a rational response in time if something happens," Lu Zhenghe continued.
Song Xia said, "I'll go to the back!"
As soon as Song Xia finished speaking, Xu Dalong from Imperial Capital Academy eagerly offered, "This kind of dangerous task should be left to us men!"
Song Xia didn't say much about Xu Dalong's volunteering. After all, Xu Dalong primarily cultivated the Earth System, which indeed made him more suitable to provide a protective rear guard for everyone.
Next, Liao Mingxuan and Shen Mingxiao took the lead, walking at the very front of the team with Lu Zhenghe's Summoned Beast. Both of them primarily cultivated the Wind System, allowing them to react quickly in an emergency.
Zhao Manyan and Song Xia unleashed their Radiance spells, controlling orbs of light to float above their heads and illuminate the path ahead.
The cave had clearly not seen sunlight for a long time. Zhao Manyan and Song Xia had to light up a Radiance spell every ten meters or so, partly for illumination and partly to dispel the foul air in the cave.
Whether the foul air was poisonous or not, inhaling it was definitely not good; things like the scent released by damp poisonous herbs, demon feces, and miasma accumulated from years of no ventilation.
"Is there anything ahead?"
"Nothing, it's just strange that there seem to be some white broken stones scattered here."
"Probably left over from previous construction, keep moving!"
Song Xia was very serious and responsible, asking questions every now and then, her attitude extremely vigilant.
Lin Chen had a relaxed and pleasant journey. The two beautiful women on either side were in a state of trepidation. Mu Ningxue and Mu Nujiao's delicate bodies constantly emitted a faint fragrance, which was especially alluring in this narrow tunnel.
In this training, the two women's strength was in a league of their own, one an Advanced-Tier Mage, the other a Super Mage, but they were ultimately just girls. In this eerie and terrifying tunnel, it was inevitable that they would be nervous and scared.
Lin Chen put his arms around the two women's shoulders, using this to comfort their anxious hearts, but even so, as they walked, the two women's delicate bodies would occasionally tremble.
Lin Chen asked mischievously, "You two, who are like sisters, why aren't you avoiding me today?"
The next second, Lin Chen's expression changed drastically, his handsome face filled with pain, as Mu Nujiao and Mu Ningxue's hands were firmly pinching his waist.
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