Previously, Jiang Kai had studied at Qingyun Sect for a period of time, so he was fairly familiar with these four fellow disciples.
After advancing along the extraordinary branches, Sun Yuan, Liu Xuefei, and Wang Zhong moved up from National Scholars to True Martial Artists.
At present, the stronger extraordinary martial trainee professions in Huaxia are divided into three types: True Martial, Super Martial, and Black Martial.
True Martial focuses on true qi, Super Martial focuses on attributes, and Black Martial is known for special methods. Among the three branches, True Martial is the best path. Black Martial varies depending on the special methods used. The strong ones are stronger than Super Martial, while the weak ones are not as good as Super Martial.
Besides these, martial trainees also have other branches. The vast majority are classified as "useless martial," and basically cannot even enter the War God Hall.
Ye Qingwu was one of the few physicians to reach Super Five rank.
Extraordinary physicians are very rare, even rarer in total number than extraordinary martial trainees. At present, there are two major paths: Holy Healers and Hundred Herbs Masters. The former focuses on combat healing, while the latter is good at making medicine.
Ye Qingwu was a Holy Healer.
Judging from the professions of these four, the helpers Zhou Chu chose for Jiang Kai were all carefully selected.
"Han Yi, what exactly is your relationship with the Sect Master?" Sun Yuan followed behind Jiang Kai. "The Sect Master is fierce as hell toward us, but toward you he listens to everything… Hey, I heard the Sect Master owed quite a few romantic debts when he was young. You're not the Sect Master's… illegitimate son, are you?!"
The other three listened intently, their eyes looking like they had discovered a new continent.
Jiang Kai looked at these four guys and shook his head. "Can you stop being so gossipy? The heavy responsibility of Qingyun Sect's rise is all on your shoulders!"
"So is it true or not? Say it, we won't spread it!" Ye Qingwu shook Jiang Kai's arm and begged.
Jiang Kai's face darkened. "No! You're all War Gods anyway. Let me see, you're even from the Twelve Sacred Beasts group of the Huaxia War God Hall. Can you pay some attention to your image!"
Sun Yuan and the others didn't take Jiang Kai's words seriously at all. The four of them huddled together again, whispering about why the Sect Master had been taking such good care of "Junior Brother Han Yi" recently.
After some discussion, they reached a conclusion.
First, Han Yi had been seriously ill for many years, so the Sect Master felt sorry for him. Second, Han Yi brought out the power of the Nine Heavens Immortal Slaying Sword, making him Qingyun Sect's hope. Third, after Han Yi was rejected by Chang Siyuan, the Sect Master was also worried that he wouldn't be able to get over it.
Listening from the side, Jiang Kai felt like he had found the reason why Qingyun Sect had always been weak…
To change the topic, Jiang Kai主动 asked, "How far did you explore in the unknown regions before?"
"At least sixty kilometers out," Sun Yuan said. "People from Qingyun Sect must reach the Unrivaled Drifter level before they're allowed to return to the sect to receive class change materials."
"That exaggerated?"
"This is already considered good. Other sects require reaching eighty kilometers," Wang Zhong said.
Jiang Kai nodded. No wonder these people looked so relaxed. It turned out they had already gone through strict training before.
"Han Yi, where are we going this time? What mission are we carrying out?" Liu Xuefei asked.
"To an area one hundred and ten kilometers out. It's quite dangerous."
"That far?" Sun Yuan frowned. "Once you go beyond one hundred kilometers, besides powerful beasts, the probability of encountering weird-class professionals increases. You might also encounter fanatics. No wonder the Sect Master asked us to go together."
"Fanatics?" Jiang Kai looked at Sun Yuan in confusion.
Sun Yuan nodded. "You probably don't know much about them. Fanatics are a group of people in the real world who worship the Beast God."
"Worship the Beast God?" Jiang Kai was even more shocked. "How twisted does your worldview have to be?"
Liu Xuefei said calmly, "It's normal. The Beast God has appeared for so many years and not only hasn't been eliminated, but has grown stronger and stronger. Some people believe this is nature's punishment on humanity, and the Beast God is the god that carries out the punishment. Since it's a god, it will naturally have believers."
Wang Zhong also said, "Back in peaceful times, weren't there cults worshiping evil gods too…"
Jiang Kai asked, "Are fanatics all weird-class professionals?"
"No. There are extraordinary ones as well as weird-class professionals. In short, once you're past one hundred kilometers, you must be cautious of all outsiders!" Wang Zhong reminded Jiang Kai solemnly.
Jiang Kai couldn't help but sigh inwardly. His past self really was a frog at the bottom of a well. There was too much he didn't know.
Thinking of this, Jiang Kai got a bit playful and asked, "Among the ancient martial forces, there wouldn't be some crooked, evil sects too, right?"
Sun Yuan immediately said matter-of-factly, "Of course there are. Where there's good, there's evil. They were on the verge of extinction like us before, but the rise of Ghost Star gave us an opportunity, and at the same time gave them a chance to rise from the ashes."
"Hiss…" Jiang Kai sucked in a cold breath. He had just mentioned it casually and didn't expect to hit the mark.
He remembered Old Wei once telling him that in the Ghost Star apocalypse, how could there only be a few guilds and the military as the only forces.
During the development of Ghost Star, Jiang Kai had only heard of one marshal, Marshal Dong, and even he was elusive.
Huaxia couldn't possibly have only one marshal. The other marshals must have other important matters to deal with.
Whether Ghost Star or Earth, it was definitely not as simple as humans exploring Ghost Star.
Everywhere, there were undercurrents surging, and forces openly and secretly gaming each other!
Thinking this way, Jiang Kai suddenly understood why Zhuzi and Nuan Nuan could go on special missions and not come back for more than half a year.
There were still too many things he didn't understand…
Sun Yuan and the others shared their map. To save time, they tried to choose relatively safe routes.
The squad were all War God-level experts with solid strength. Unless they encountered a lord-level or higher boss, they could quickly resolve battles with beasts. After five days of long travel, the squad arrived near the designated location.
Jiang Kai carefully checked the surroundings.
Ahead of them was a massive lake, its edge nowhere in sight. The water was quiet, a light breeze brushing over it, creating gentle ripples. The entire lake looked extremely calm.
Deep within the lake, a patch of white mist rose from the surface.
Strangely, even though they had been very cautious before, they still encountered beasts from time to time, just avoiding high-level ones.
But from the moment they approached this lake today, they had walked several miles without encountering a single beast.
"Strange. Logically speaking, areas around such large water sources are often home to some boss-level beasts," Sun Yuan said, also watching the surroundings warily. "But this place is unusually quiet!"
"Han Yi, where exactly is the place we're going?" Liu Xuefei lowered his voice. "Don't be fooled by how quiet it is. I have a very bad feeling about this."
Jiang Kai said calmly, "There's an island at the deepest part of the lake."
A trace of despair flashed in Ye Qingwu's eyes. "No way. I've always felt something was off about this lake, and now we have to go right into it."
"Stop complaining," Wang Zhong said. "If there were no danger, the Sect Master wouldn't have sent us to help Han Yi."
The five gathered together and walked toward the lakeshore.
Jiang Kai said, "I also feel something strange about this lake. There isn't a single beast around. That's too abnormal!"
"Unless absolutely necessary, don't go into the water. We'll build a wooden boat and row across."
The five immediately split up to cooperate, chopping trees, cutting planks, and building a boat.
Once finished, the five boarded the boat. Sun Yuan and Liu Xuefei rowed, Jiang Kai stood at the bow to keep watch and lead the way, Wang Zhong stayed at the stern, and Ye Qingwu was in the middle.
The oars slowly stirred the lake surface as the small boat quietly headed toward the depths of the mist.
...
After Jiang Kai's squad left, a dozen figures emerged from a nearby forest.
"They've left," a masked man said in a deep voice.
Standing in front of him was a man wearing a mask. He nodded. "This lake feels strange. It seems like something powerful is hidden inside."
"Doesn't matter. If Han Yi thinks our Dongfang family's things are so easy to take, then he'll have to pay the price."
"For now, let's follow them and see what they're up to!"
"Right. That guy is carrying so many Heavenly Crystal Stones. Something's definitely off. If there really is some secret hidden here, we'll let Han Yi experience what it means to lose both the wife and the soldiers! Everyone, build boats first and catch up quickly!"
...
Jiang Kai's squad had been traveling on the lake for almost half an hour. The fog around them grew thicker and thicker, and visibility dropped further and further.
Everyone's attention was on the lake surface, until the bow of the boat hit something and the boat jolted. Only then did they realize they had reached the shore.
At that moment, the long-unheard Ghost Star system voice sounded in the ears of all five.
[You have entered Corrosion Island. Within this island, you will suffer the effect of life corrosion. This effect cannot be purified.]
[Any activity will accelerate the rate of life corrosion. Reducing activity can reduce the rate at which life corrosion is inflicted.]
As soon as they heard the system message, their hearts sank hard, and a strange sensation spread throughout their bodies!
This feeling was like someone was drawing out their life force bit by bit!
As time went on, they felt more and more weak all over, unable to muster any strength. Their skin itched, making them unable to resist scratching.
Sun Yuan forcibly pulled back the foot he had just stepped out.
Any activity would accelerate life corrosion. That meant even walking!
Jiang Kai was about to put on the Regeneration Armor when, suddenly, thunderous booming sounds came from the distant forest.
"Uh ah… uh ah…" Some strange sounds came through as huge, mangled figures pushed aside massive trees and appeared along the surrounding shore!
These beasts were almost all lord-level or above, of various species. Their huge bodies were damaged to varying degrees, flesh mangled and bloody. Their eyes were dull, and low growls came from their mouths.
"They're all lord-level or above! And that damned life corrosion effect!" Sun Yuan widened his eyes. "Han Yi, we can still leave now!"
Jiang Kai frowned deeply and looked at the four of them.
They didn't have Regeneration Armor. Just dealing with life corrosion alone was already extremely difficult, and now they had to face so many bizarre beasts. It was indeed too dangerous.
Although the Willow God suggested Jiang Kai bring helpers, judging by the current situation, before even reaching the Life God's ruins, Sun Yuan and the others would already be sacrificed.
"I have to go in!" Jiang Kai looked at them. "Senior brothers and sisters, I really didn't expect this place to be this dangerous either. You don't need to take risks with me. You should go back first."
Just as Jiang Kai was about to move forward, Sun Yuan grabbed his shoulder.
"You brat, what are you saying? When I said leave, I meant we leave together. I never said we'd abandon you and go by ourselves!"
Wang Zhong also said, "The Sect Master gave orders to ensure your safety. This place is crawling with monsters and the environment is strange. Charging in alone, how many chances do you really have?"
"Han Yi, are you sure you want to push through?" Ye Qingwu looked at Jiang Kai.
Jiang Kai nodded without hesitation.
Ye Qingwu narrowed her eyes slightly. "Alright then. We'll go together!"
"But you can't withstand life corrosion!" Jiang Kai frowned.
Liu Xuefei smiled lightly. "If we can't resist it, we can't resist it. Anyway, this thing won't kill us right away. Han Yi, don't waste time. The longer we drag on, the stronger the life corrosion effect becomes!"
Although Jiang Kai was worried, this wasn't the time to dither. He could only hope the five of them could rush through the current area as quickly as possible and enter the Life God's ruins together!
"Stick close to me!" Jiang Kai put on the Regeneration Armor and clenched Chasing Fate in his hand.
In front of Sun Yuan and the others, Jiang Kai no longer cared about exposing his true identity. In fact, he almost hoped they would recognize him, so he used the more familiar Chasing Fate.
When he charged into the beast swarm, Jiang Kai discovered that the Regeneration Armor had already entered a self-repair state.
The Regeneration Armor was already resisting the life corrosion.
Fortunately, the Regeneration Armor helped Jiang Kai resist the effects of life corrosion. For now, Jiang Kai hadn't been affected.
But Sun Yuan and the others were in much worse shape.
The armor of the four had already suffered severe damage. Their physical bodies, from previously localized itching, had now developed large areas of rot…
Jiang Kai was secretly shocked. Could it be that those beasts had also turned into this state after suffering life corrosion?
Once life corrosion reached a certain level, it wouldn't cause death, but the result was even worse. It could turn people into walking corpses…
The only chance now was to bring them into the Life God's ruins as quickly as possible. Inside the Life God's ruins, perhaps they wouldn't be affected by life corrosion.
"Tempered Flame Chasing Fate!" Jiang Kai fired Chasing Fate, attacking the beasts blocking the way.
However, the beasts around them had become extremely strange. No matter how much damage Jiang Kai's attacks dealt, they didn't even let out a grunt. Ignoring their injuries, they desperately lunged toward Jiang Kai and the others.
"Damn it, life corrosion forbids intense activity, but there are so many beasts here. It's clearly forcing intruders to be controlled by life corrosion!" Jiang Kai darted rapidly among the beasts.
"Senior brothers, senior sisters, don't attack. Stay close to me!"
Sun Yuan's body was already severely rotted. He clenched his teeth and shouted angrily, "This life corrosion is too strong! Han Yi, we're here to protect you, not to drag you down. Don't worry about us. Hurry up and go!"
As soon as Sun Yuan finished speaking, his eyes suddenly turned gray-white…
"Life Revival!" Ye Qingwu suddenly activated her skill. A mass of green light enveloped Sun Yuan's body, and his gray-white eyes returned to normal.
"Don't give up, everyone. As long as we rush out of the life corrosion range, as long as you don't die, I can help all of you fully recover!" Ye Qingwu gasped heavily.
Her own condition was also very poor. It was probably because her mental strength was higher that she was able to hold on longer.
A huge number of beasts pounced toward the five of them. Chasing Fate shot out rapidly from Jiang Kai's hand!
Even so, his kill speed still couldn't open a gap.
"Light God's Decree! Ricochet!" Jiang Kai swung out a Gods' Decree to assist the attack.
Time was growing more and more urgent. If they couldn't break through, Sun Yuan and the others probably wouldn't be able to hold on.
The Regeneration Armor was visibly being damaged. Because of Jiang Kai's intense activity, its repair speed could no longer fully counteract the effects of life corrosion.
Ricochet and Chasing Fate's attacks were still not enough to open a gap, mainly because these attacks were single-target. Although Ricochet could attack multiple targets, it still had to hit them one by one.
Wang Zhong's arm was already reduced to bare white bone. Ye Qingwu had just used a skill on him once, pulling him back from losing consciousness.
But after Ye Qingwu used the skill a second time, her eye color turned gray-white.
"Not good!" Jiang Kai's pupils shrank. This Holy Healer was the key to the squad breaking through…
Thinking of this, Jiang Kai directly took off the Regeneration Armor and let the armor protect Ye Qingwu.
After removing the battle armor, Jiang Kai immediately felt the corrosive effect of life corrosion.
Watching the endless waves of beasts surge forward, Jiang Kai gritted his teeth and shouted in a low voice, "Tempered Flame · Vast Heaven Demon-Slaying Sword!"
"Get the hell out of my way!"
[🥳 New novel guys—"Online Game: SSS-Tier Skills From Scratching Tickets". It is from the same author who wrote "Awoke As a God After Auto-Battling For 100000 Years". Do give it a try and hope you all had a great year.]
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