Wilderness Zone?
Li Yuewei's heart clenched, her delicate eyebrows furrowing. She almost instinctively shook her head in refusal, but seeing Shen Ping's serious expression, and remembering what had happened to her cousin today, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. Instead, she said, "The Wilderness Zone is too dangerous. You just had a child. If something were to happen to you, what would the two of us do?"
Shen Ping quickly said, "I'm just going to the county near the Military District's supply base. I won't go deep into it. There are very few Beast General Level monsters there. With my strength, I won't get into trouble. And even if I encounter danger, I can return to the supply base in time."
Seeing that his wife didn't say anything,
he continued, "The company has been operating for almost a year, and it still hasn't improved much. Most of the materials are brought back and sold by the captain and the others. They haven't charged us too much to take care of us. It's okay at first, but after a long time, the team members will inevitably have complaints."
"I'm going to the Wilderness Zone myself. On the one hand, it can make up for some of the company's profits, and on the other hand, it can hone my skills. Maybe I can improve."
"More importantly, when the child grows up, he will have to take the path of a martial artist. We have to find him a more powerful instructor, at least at the War General Level. This requires a lot of money."
Speaking of the child,
Li Yuewei wavered. She worked at the HR Alliance Mall, so she naturally knew that martial artists were the most sought-after profession these days. Although it was dangerous, it was like money flowing in a stream. Her child, Shen Yu, would definitely become a martial artist in the future, and cultivating an excellent martial artist would indeed cost a lot of money.
"Alright, honey, you have to promise me, absolutely do not go to the more distant Wilderness Zones. Every year, martial artists die in the Wilderness Zones. I don't want you to be among them."
Shen Ping's heart leaped with joy, and he nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Five days later.
The train station in Huazhong Base City.
Shen Ping, fully armed, was filled with anticipation. In the past, every time he went to the Wilderness Zones, he and his teammates would prepare for their deaths, even praying before setting out. After all, life and death were uncertain in the Wilderness Zones. But now... with the combat strength of a God of War, as long as he wasn't unlucky enough to run into a beast tide, there would basically be no danger to his life.
Li Yuewei's face was full of worry. To be honest, she had been regretting her words these past few days, but since she'd already said them, it was hard to take them back.
"Remember to call me every day. If you really don't have time, then every two or three days, but you have to call. If you don't, I won't be able to eat or sleep."
She kept on and on, giving him instructions.
Shen Ping smiled, "I'll call you every night."
At that moment, the train entered the station.
He turned and entered the train, waving his hand. "Wife, go back now."
Li Yuewei stood in place, watching the train depart.
Inside the carriage.
The sounds were very noisy. Martial artist squads from different factions were communicating with each other. There were also lone wolves like Shen Ping, silently closing their eyes to rest. Among them were also new recruits from squads going to the Wilderness Zone for the first time, full of anticipation and excitement, hoping to improve themselves in the Wilderness Zone and make a lot of money.
The train traveled for over a hundred miles before arriving at the Military District's garrison.
Stepping off the train.
Looking at the towering tower, Shen Ping smiled. He was very familiar with this place, having come here every two or three months when he was with the Raging Wind Squad.
"Eh, Shen Ping, why are you alone in the Wilderness Zone? Where are the other members of your Raging Wind Squad?"
An officer at the supply base asked in surprise.
Shen Ping casually replied, "I left the squad last year because I broke my arm. I've been recuperating at home for a year, but I still feel the Wilderness Zone suits me, so I came alone."
The officer gave a thumbs up, "That's gutsy."
Those who dared to come to the Wilderness Zone alone were generally confident in their own strength. He knew Shen Ping was only at the War General Level, and with his arm broken, his strength would have definitely decreased. To still come alone was indeed very bold.
Shen Ping chuckled, "I'll just wander around the nearby county and make a little money."
Upon hearing this, the officer politely said, "That's good. But if you get any good stuff, remember to take care of your old friend."
This old guy was from the Thunderbolt Martial Hall and was in the Military District to purchase monster materials. In reality, most of the officers here belonged to different factions, all buying materials. The competition was quite fierce.
"No problem."
Shen Ping replied and went inside the house to rest. It was May, and the weather in Huazhong wasn't very hot, but he still habitually rested until evening before setting off.
Leaving the Military District supply base, the Wilderness Zone was right outside.
Newcomers would be extra cautious.
But he, an old hand, shouldered his shield and warblade, striding quickly along the dilapidated road.
"First, get familiar with the blade techniques and footwork in the nearby 0416 county town. After a while, I'll go to the city center further away."
Although he had completely mastered the upgraded Ninefold Thunderblade and was extremely proficient in footwork at home in the base city, that was, after all, a training hall, without any threat. It was completely different from the Wilderness Zone, where he had to face danger at all times. The psychological feeling was completely different.
Whoosh.
As he was about to reach the county town.
Shen Ping sped up, his toes tapping lightly on the ground in rapid succession. His body shot forward like a cannonball, arriving at the edge of the county town in just over ten minutes.
Roar! The number of beast roars that reached his ears suddenly increased.
Plop, plop.
He drew his warblade and leaped forward, his movements as light as a dragonfly skimming the water, instantly killing a pig-like Beast Soldier in front of him. This action immediately caught the attention of a large number of Beast Soldiers nearby, and they charged towards Shen Ping in a frenzy. In the past, he wouldn't have dared to be so reckless. Even when dealing with Beast Soldiers, he would have been extremely cautious, trying not to make too much noise.
But things were different now. Not to mention his swordsmanship, his comprehension of the artistic conception of footwork alone made it impossible for Beast General Level monsters to touch him.
Swoosh, swoosh.
With the warblade constantly flashing, Shen Ping moved back and forth amongst the numerous Beast Soldiers, as if dancing on the edge of a blade. Each strike killed a Beast Soldier.
Before long, more than fifty monster corpses littered the ground.
Normally, even a War General Level martial artist would find it difficult to kill Beast Soldiers so quickly. This was because Beast Soldiers almost always attacked in groups, and they often gathered around Beast General Level monsters. Killing too many would attract the attention of the Beast General Level monsters.
At this moment, a Beast General Level Bloodthirsty Tank had its eyes on Shen Ping. It charged forward at high speed, its sharp fangs aiming to pierce his body.
Pfft!
When the Bloodthirsty Tank's fangs were only a few centimeters from Shen Ping's body, a flash of blade light passed, killing it while he elegantly drifted to the side.
Boom!
The Bloodthirsty Tank still maintained its momentum, charging for more than ten meters before collapsing to the ground.
Shen Ping held his warblade, a look of excitement on his face. A year ago, it would have been very difficult for him to kill a Beast General Level Bloodthirsty Tank on his own. The thing was thick-skinned, and unless he hit a weak point, his blade would barely affect its hide.
But now, he had killed it with a single strike, the process clean and decisive.
When a Beast General Level monster died, the surrounding Beast Soldiers scattered in all directions. Only a few stragglers charged forward, quickly becoming corpses under Shen Ping's blade.
While collecting materials, he looked at the wounds on the Bloodthirsty Tank. He felt his control of force was still not proficient enough; his previous strikes were a bit too heavy. He needed to continue honing his skills.
And so, for the next two months, Shen Ping moved through the county town as if it were his own domain, madly honing his blade techniques and movement skills. After his tactical backpack was full of materials, he would go to the supply base to sell them. Over time, he gradually gained some recognition within the Military District base.
(End of Chapter)