The Dongting Lake Plain also belongs to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, located in the northern part of Huxi Province.
Dongting Lake is not a scenic spot. This massive lake, covering nearly 40,000 square kilometers, is precisely the third most dangerous lake in Great Xia, often mentioned in textbooks.
Such a colossal lake is surrounded by various ecosystems, teeming with countless demons!
Among them, the notorious Lizard-Skull Great Demon tribe, which has occupied Jinlin City as its lair, uses Dongting Lake as its base.
After arriving by air at Kangning City, the closest city to Jinlin City, the seventeen people from Pearl Academy and Imperial Capital Academy had to proceed on foot. Along the way, Jingjing, who was like a walking encyclopedia, began to introduce the situation around Jinlin City and mentioned demon lairs, tribes, and clans.
Mo Fan was already aware of these things, so he didn't ask further.
However, her explanation didn't last long before Liao Mingxuan interrupted her. After all, they weren't out to repeat a lesson.
Moreover, they were already about fifty kilometers away from the safe zone. This area still had Guardian Mages patrolling and standing guard, and they hadn't encountered any short-sighted demons. But going deeper into the mountains and old forests, that would be a different story!
"We just need to follow this abandoned railway," Song Xia said, looking at Mo Fan and then pointing at the moss-covered tracks beneath their feet.
The railway tracks were completely rusted, mottled with brown stains. They were covered by weeds and moss, extending straight into the distant green fields and forests. The part that entered the forest was completely obscured by thorns and tall grass, making it impossible to know it was once a railway without a careful search.
Previously, railways belonged to safe zones. With the fall of Jinlin City, the territory extended by this railway naturally became demon territory, so its abandonment to this state was normal.
In short, the railway was a natural, automatic navigation marker; following it would always lead to Jinlin City!
"Let me say this first: I always serve as the commander in a team. Since the academies require us to cooperate on this training mission, the seventeen of us 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 determined by me." Lu Zhenghe was not at all polite, directly stating his status as the leader.
"Are you worthy?" Mo Fan interjected.
Though he didn't really care about this.
But this guy's demeanor, acting like he was the boss, made him look down on him instead.
"You—"
"It's unlikely we'll listen to everything you say. On our side, we'll do everything as Mo Fan says. As for specific actions, I think you two should discuss it," Zheng Bingxiao said.
On the Pearl Academy side, with what he said, the people present naturally had no objections. After all, Mo Fan had traveled alone in the wilderness countless times.
Although Lu Zhenghe was very displeased, he also knew that it was impossible to command them. So, he agreed.
As for the others, they had no intention of competing for command.
The route forward was decided, and the group proceeded along the abandoned railway.
A railway abandoned fifteen years ago would typically remain buried in weeds. It was rare that it was visited today, not by trains, but by a team of students from prestigious academies on a training mission.
The railway tracks in the open fields were still easy to walk on; as long as no demons were using them as beds, they were generally clear. But once the tracks entered the mountains, or even passed through some extremely overgrown tunnels, it became truly unnerving.
"I checked the map. This tunnel is two kilometers long. Based on the frequency of demons we've encountered so far, this tunnel likely has demons residing in it. I suggest we climb over this mountain directly and not deal with unknown species and quantities of creatures in a pitch-black cave," Song Xia said to Mo Fan.
Before Mo Fan could speak, Lu Zhenghe immediately said, "I think you're being too cautious! Who cares what's inside? Just kill our way through! This tunnel is two kilometers long. If we were to climb over this entire mountain, who knows how much time that would waste."
The others also felt the same way.
Mo Fan reminded them, "There are definitely demons, and this kind of tunnel is not small. It's possible for an entire tribe to live in it."
"If you're scared, you can walk at the back," Lu Zhenghe scoffed.
"Since you're so brave, why don't you go in and scout first?"
"You—"
Mu Ningxue interjected, "Alright, stop arguing."
As soon as Mu Ningxue spoke, Lu Zhenghe shut his mouth. At this moment, Zheng Bingxiao said, "My Rock Demon will go in front. If anything happens, it can hold them off for a while."
"Alright," Mo Fan agreed, seeing that everyone insisted on going through the tunnel.
The Rock Demon was three meters tall, covered in solid rock. While slow, in this abandoned railway tunnel, it was a shield and a bulldozer. Thorns fell and vines broke wherever it passed, making it quite useful!
"The person walking at the very back also needs to be strong enough, not a summoned beast, as they can't make a rational response in time if something happens," Lu Zhenghe continued.
"I'll walk at the back," Song Xia said.
"This kind of dangerous task should be handled by us men." Xu Dalong was very good at currying favor and immediately volunteered to cover the rear.
Song Xia didn't say anything. Xu Dalong mainly cultivated Earth Element magic and indeed could provide protective support for everyone.
Leading the way were Liao Mingxuan and Shen Mingxiao, both of whom specialized in Wind System magic and could react quickly in an emergency. They were followed by Zhao Manyan and Song Xia, both possessing Light Glow skills, controlling glowing orbs suspended above their heads and illuminating the path ahead.
Not long after entering the cave, several hunched monsters burst out.
However, they were quickly eliminated by the group. But these monsters weren't just a few; a large horde appeared.
"They're Cave Demon Slaves!!" Jingjing truly lived up to her reputation as the ultimate scholar, identifying the monsters hiding behind the black vines with just a tiny bit of light.
Afterward, they were ambushed by Cave Demon Slaves from the front, back, left, and right.
Especially within this tunnel, even though they were all Intermediate Mages, the cave was too small to fully cast Intermediate Mage magic.
"Boom, blast them to death! Don't let them get close to us, or we'll all be buried here!" Lu Zhenghe shouted.
Although his wolf cub was a Warrior-level beast, it couldn't fully exert itself in such a cave, so he could only bark orders.
"Get lost."
Mo Fan directly threw him to the back. At the same time, Azure Flames coiled around his body.
"Azure Flame – Fierce Fist – Sky-Shattering!"
"Whoosh!"
A huge fiery fist flew rapidly through the cave, instantly piling dozens of Cave Demon Slaves together.
"Boom!!!"
"Boom boom boom!!!"
In the area covered by the fire wave, countless Cave Demon Slaves were instantly killed or wounded.
However, similarly, Mo Fan's Fierce Fist caused a slight tremor throughout the cave.
"Those at the back, don't fall behind! Kill your way out!"
"Earth Element's Earth Wave, Wind System's Wind Track!"
"Thunder Element Mages, pay attention to both sides!"
As Mo Fan gave his commands, everyone immediately followed suit. With him leading the way, combined with Earth Wave and Wind Track, everyone quickly rushed towards the outside.