Chapter 157: Bold and Skilled

Aurora Ice Field, Camp No. 341, Second District.

This place was located at the southwestern edge of the Aurora Ice Field, featuring a harsh environment with only one hundred frost-free days a year.

In late October, the vegetation around the camp had withered and died, and the places untouched by direct sunlight were mottled with patches of white frost.

The huge lake alongside the highway had even frozen over, reflecting a dazzling yet chilling white light like a mirror under the sun.

The whistling wind carried a bone-chilling cold, and flying birds or running beasts were virtually nonexistent between heaven and earth.

Gao Wu had grown up in Dongjiang and was very familiar with the cold weather of the Northern Province, but the chill here still exceeded his expectations, even though he had checked the weather forecast in advance.

The speeding off-road vehicle had no air conditioning turned on, and the temperature inside was only around ten degrees Celsius. For ordinary people, sitting there for a while would leave them frozen all over.

The beautiful woman sitting next to Gao Wu was wearing a crisp military uniform, seemingly oblivious to the low temperature inside the vehicle. She did not like to talk, spending most of her time looking at the scenery outside the car window.

Her dark sunglasses covered her eyes tightly, but they could not block Gao Wu's gaze. Gao Wu could tell that this captain and staff officer, named Bai Yuzhen, had facial features somewhat similar to Bai Yushuang's, and she should be a direct descendant of the Bai family.

To be precise, she resembled Bai Yan, with facial contours that were both heroic and handsome. Unlike Bai Yan, her skin was as white as snow, and her temperament was restrained and calm.

Her demeanor was somewhat similar to little Song's, except that little Song simply disliked talking, yet getting along with her felt very natural and harmonious.

Bai Yuzhen carried a certain defensive posture, which was also the most common mode of interaction between strangers.

Sitting inside the enclosed off-road vehicle for three or four hours without speaking made Gao Wu feel a bit stifled.

If circumstances permitted, he still liked to chat and communicate, as it allowed him to gather more information and close the distance between both parties.

The problem was that Bai Yuzhen responded to him with only one or two words; even a conversation master would have no way to keep it going.

"We've arrived." The driver slowly stopped the car, lowered the window, and showed his identification to the approaching sentinel. The sentinel carefully checked it and glanced at Gao Wu and Bai Yuzhen, confirming there were no issues before saluting and letting them pass.

The camp was quite large, with an outer wall standing a full six or seven meters high, topped with barbed wire. Guard towers were erected along the edge of the wall, where heavy machine guns and other equipment could be seen...

"Strictly guarded!" Gao Wu's first reaction was that it looked like a prison. No, actually, the security was even stricter than a prison.

It wasn't like he had never been to a camp; take the Garrison Regiment, for example. Although there were also sentinels and guards, most of them were just a formality. While the atmosphere inside that camp was also serious, it was never as severe and oppressive as this.

The off-road vehicle drove all the way to the camp headquarters gate. Bai Yuzhen and Gao Wu got out of the car, and the guard at the entrance immediately came over to salute. Without even needing Bai Yuzhen to speak, he very consciously led the two of them straight into the camp commander's office.

The camp commander was named Yan Xiling, a very standard military man—serious and rigorous, except for his sallow complexion, which made it seem like he had some health issues, though his cultivation level was very high, reaching the rank of a Martial Master.

Gao Wu habitually observed him with his Yin Spirit, mainly out of fear of Demon God followers.

Based on experience, observing with a Yin Spirit wasn't entirely reliable either. Take the Dragon Claw Peak Mystic Realm, for example; several martial arts grandmasters who ambushed him sealed off their own aura, and his Yin Spirit didn't notice anything amiss until he was right in front of them.

The aura of a Demon God shouldn't be too difficult to conceal either, unless they had just performed a sacrifice or actively stimulated the power bestowed by the Demon God. In such cases, the demonic energy on their body would be extremely obvious and impossible to cover up.

Bai Yuzhen exchanged a few brief polite pleasantries with Yan Xiling, introduced Gao Wu's identity, and finally produced a document stamped with the grand seal of the Ministry of National Defense.

"I am under orders to pursue advanced studies at Camp 341 for three months, with my primary mission being the exploration of the 341 Mystic Realm..."

Bai Yuzhen pointed at Gao Wu. "He is my entourage. For the sake of confidentiality and operational convenience, he has been temporarily awarded the rank of second lieutenant and falls under my direct command."

She saluted Yan Xiling solemnly. "Please cooperate with our work, Commander Yan."

Yan Xiling returned the salute. He took the document, read it carefully, and said, "I will cooperate fully. Staff Officer Bai, please feel free to make any requests."

Before Bai Yuzhen's arrival, the Second Army Staff Department had already communicated with Yan Xiling and explained all relevant matters clearly.

Yan Xiling knew that Bai Yuzhen and Gao Wu were here to temper their martial cultivation. Because of the special nature of the Mystic Realm 341, many people came here for trial through combat every year.

The only difference was that Bai Yuzhen came directly from the Ministry of National Defense and must have high-ranking military figures behind her. As for Gao Wu, he had heard of him; after all, he was the renowned Youth King of the Northern Province. Putting aside his actual abilities, his fame at least covered the entire Northern Province.

Although Camp 341 was remote, it could connect to the external network, at least for officers.

With such a harsh environment, things had to be appropriately relaxed in this aspect to give people room for relief and adjustment.

Yan Xiling also browsed Kuanyin, where mindless short videos were very suitable for watching while eating. He actually didn't quite understand why Gao Wu, with such a prestigious reputation, had run all the way to 341 for cultivation.

The source energy level of the 341 Mystic Realm was indeed very low, which restricted the appearance of high-level fierce beasts and alien races. However, this restriction was not absolute.

In recent years, source energy had become increasingly active, and the alien passage connected within the 341 Mystic Realm seemed to have been breached, with more and more white-furred werewolves flooding in.

This kind of werewolf had the body of a man and the head of a wolf, covered in white fur, with flesh and skin as tough as iron. Their physical strength was comparable to that of high-level martial artists. Moreover, some werewolves were born with the ability to communicate with source energy, and some even possessed martial techniques passed down within their own race.

Judging from years of combat, the werewolves already possessed a complete social system and were a very massive and intelligent race.

Currently, the casualty rate in the 341 Mystic Realm was rising rapidly. For safety reasons, the routine clearing operations once every ten days had been canceled.

Over the past half year, no one knew how many werewolves had accumulated inside the 341 Mystic Realm. It could be said to be extremely dangerous.

Yan Xiling believed Bai Yuzhen knew the situation, and as for Gao Wu, that was beyond his control.

He arranged rest rooms for Bai Yuzhen and Gao Wu on the second floor of the camp headquarters. Bai Yuzhen was a woman, and Gao Wu's identity was sensitive; neither of them was suitable to be stationed in regular combat companies.

Furthermore, combat companies had various issues, which wasn't suitable for Bai Yuzhen to see. Keeping them right under his nose gave him peace of mind, and gave everyone peace of mind...

When Gao Wu arrived at his room, he found it very simple: a bed, two large cabinets, one of which was a safe with a code, presumably meant for storing firearms and weapons.

Other than that, the best feature was an independent bathroom where he could shower and use the toilet.

The camp was of a very old-fashioned architectural style, with a brick-and-wood structure. The walls were very thick, and the windows were small, fitted with two layers of protective netting and iron bars, which made the room even gloomier.

The layout and design of the room were also not very reasonable, giving an overall impression of being square yet cramped.

Sitting on the wooden bed, Gao Wu slowly opened his suitcase, which was filled almost entirely with underwear, along with a set of Profound Armor.

The Profound Armor usually needed to be placed in a nutrient box and maintained in its state via nutrient solution. It was roughly equivalent to raising a plant, requiring proper care when not in use.

The nutrient solution wasn't cheap either, with normal monthly consumption costing around ten thousand.

Aside from that, there was the Heavenly Fate Sword, the Golden Thunder Eagle, and three pairs of alloy combat boots.

The boots, made using alloy weaving technology, were breathable, warm, waterproof, and poison-proof. They possessed ultra-high resilience, could conform to the shape of the foot, and multiplied the kicking power.

Alloy combat boots were extremely expensive, costing around two hundred thousand a pair. Gao Wu could only afford them after he became wealthy.

The environment of the Mystic Realm was harsh; even though his physique was strong, he still needed to protect himself meticulously in every detail.

Combat was combat; there was no need to deliberately endure unnecessary hardships!

The most valuable items in the case were twenty advanced Vajra Potions. Gao Wu had borrowed forty million from the Longteng Corporation, which, combined with his remaining twenty thousand merit points, allowed him to purchase these potions from the Hunter Association.

Having received the true teachings of the Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon, his efficiency in breathing in and refining source energy had greatly increased. However, no matter how much it increased, it couldn't compare to the speed of injecting potions.

Agility could no longer be enhanced, but the Vajra Potion quite matched his powerful physique and could continue to be injected.

The Longteng Corporation was so cooperative thanks to the promotion by the Youth King. The finals would take place at the end of the month, and he had promised to attend.

With the financial resources of the Longteng Corporation, temporarily deploying an airplane wasn't difficult.

In addition, there were twenty bottles of advanced Golden Ginseng Oral Liquid, which he had bought with his own money.

With nothing to do, Gao Wu first injected himself with a bottle of advanced Vajra Potion.

As the one hundred milliliters entered his system, he felt his whole body grow hot. Other than that, there was no special reaction.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Gao Wu practiced the Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon twice, mobilizing his source energy to digest and absorb the medicinal power as quickly as possible.

In the evening, Gao Wu and Bai Yuzhen dined in the small mess hall of the camp headquarters. Those who could eat here were all senior officers of the camp, numbering fewer than twenty in total.

A few officers found Gao Wu looking familiar, but he was wearing sunglasses and had cut his hair short, making him look quite different from the videos.

Unless they were very familiar with him, they really wouldn't dare to recognize him. On the other hand, they also felt that a Youth King with such a boundless future had no reason to come here for cultivation.

Even if they recognized him, due to discipline, they wouldn't rush over to strike up a conversation or chat.

Bai Yuzhen finished her meal silently and noticed that Gao Wu was still devouring food basin after basin with loud clatter. She couldn't help feeling a bit surprised; had this guy taken some drugs, how could he eat so much?

Everyone present was at least at the Martial Master level, and guarding the entrance of the Mystic Realm 341 meant fierce beast meat was available in unlimited quantities. She didn't eat a small amount, yet Gao Wu's portion was more than ten times hers.

She was a bit curious, but ultimately didn't ask, simply reminding Gao Wu to set off for the Mystic Realm at nine o'clock the next morning.

When they met the next day, Bai Yuzhen glanced at Gao Wu and sharply noticed that Gao Wu's combat uniform was the exact same model as hers—none other than the Profound Armor.

She was even more astonished. The Profound Armor was a very important combat equipment in the military and was never sold externally. Where did Gao Wu get it?

Gao Wu saw Bai Yuzhen's astonishment, grinned, and didn't explain.

Several off-road vehicles drove along the rugged mountain road for over an hour before finally arriving at the entrance of the Mystic Realm 341.

Various combat fortifications were scattered across the hillsides surrounding the entrance of the Mystic Realm. Over a hundred people guarded this place day and night.

An untold number of landmines and high-explosive bombs were buried around this exit area. If any alien race or fierce beast really charged out, it would be difficult for them to survive running out of this death zone.

Looking down from the hillside, the Mystic Realm looked like a city with exotic customs... only it was extremely dilapidated, with many collapsed buildings and streets littered with broken bricks and other garbage.

"One hundred years ago, 341 was a city of the Ross people. But then a spatial anomaly occurred, and the entire territory of the Ross nation was swallowed by the void. Decades passed before this Mystic Realm surfaced..."

Bai Yuzhen briefly introduced the historical background of 341. She believed Gao Wu must have read the relevant introductions long ago, so she kept it brief.

She said to Bai Ying, the captain of the reconnaissance team next to her, "Please lead the way. We need to go in and observe the situation."

Bai Ying glanced at the man and woman who had suddenly dropped in. The woman held the same military rank as he did, but her position was much higher than his. According to the camp commander's orders, he had to completely obey Bai Yuzhen's commands.

As for that man, because the other party was wearing a sealed combat helmet, he could only faintly see extremely bright eyes through the goggles. He looked quite young.

Well, his figure was tall and slender, and just standing there made him a head taller than everyone else. His standing posture was straight yet naturally relaxed, completely devoid of any military trace.

The most important thing was that he was wearing the Profound Armor, equipped with a Golden Thunder Eagle, and the sword he carried looked to be of an extremely high grade. His equipment was worth close to a hundred million; who knew which noble family's scion had run over here for trial by combat...

"The situation inside 341 is extremely severe and dangerous right now. Running over here for cultivation at a time like this is really courting death!"

Bai Ying sighed inwardly, but he had to obey orders.

He could only clearly explain the recent changes in the Mystic Realm 341. Whether these two lived or died didn't matter, as long as they didn't implicate his men...

"We haven't entered the Mystic Realm for observation in three months. Based on experience, there should currently be over three thousand wolf tribesmen, or white-furred werewolves, gathered inside the 341 Mystic Realm.

"According to the proportion, one out of every fifty adult werewolves will naturally awaken source energy and become a martial artist. Therefore, there should be over sixty martial artists inside.

"Because of the Mystic Realm, the number of martial artists gathered among the werewolves will definitely be even higher. They also possess a certain degree of cooperative and organizational capability, and experienced werewolves will even use automatic weapons. You must be extremely cautious when entering for reconnaissance and retreat immediately if anything seems wrong..."

As Bai Ying spoke, he looked at Bai Yuzhen, hoping this very pretty female captain could understand how grim the situation at 341 was.

"I understand." Bai Yuzhen emphasized again, "Captain Bai is experienced, so you will command when we enter."

Although she was competitive, she knew the dangers of exploring a Mystic Realm. This was not the time to act recklessly.

This time, she wasn't just undergoing simple cultivation; she also bore a heavy responsibility to inspect the specific changes in the Mystic Realm 341.

Following the marked safe route, Bai Ying, Yang大海 (Yang Dahai), and Zhang Ping—three elite reconnaissance team members—led the way, with Gao Wu in the middle and Bai Yuzhen bringing up the rear. The five of them slowly approached the entrance of the Mystic Realm.

The combat company guarding the outer perimeter entered a state of Level 1 combat readiness.

Gao Wu felt quite relaxed. Well, his Yin Spirit hadn't detected anything amiss, and the Qilin divine manifestation hadn't sensed any danger either.

He only felt it was a pity that his mechanical warhorse was still in the laboratory; otherwise, he could have just ridden the horse and flown directly across...

From the effect perspective, it would have guaranteed enough style while bypassing all ground traps and ambushes.

The team cautiously advanced to the entrance of the Mystic Realm. Bai Ying first inserted a probe camera to observe the surrounding environment and found no abnormalities.

However, werewolves were cunning, and it was entirely possible they were hiding nearby.

Bai Ying gritted his teeth and said, "I'll go in first. If there's no problem, you guys can follow."

Bai Yuzhen was just about to nod in agreement when Gao Wu had already stepped into the Mystic Realm.

The source energy wall isolating the Mystic Realm rippled like water waves, but Gao Wu's figure vanished from sight.

"It's fine, you guys can come in." Gao Wu stepped back half a step, turned his head, and beckoned to the others.

Bai Yuzhen was speechless, while Bai Ying, Zhang Ping, and Yang Dahai were all somewhat stunned. They didn't know whether this kid had something wrong with his brain or if he was simply daring due to supreme skill...