Chương 124: War God — Chapter 124 - Yan Zhaoxue: Hmm? A New Student Wandered Into the Core Zone?

Every student had a map of Cerulean Water City. Having a map was one thing. Whether you could move through a complex, ever-changing underwater environment as freely as on land was another matter entirely. For Wang Xian, who had once trained in the core cold pool of a B-rank Relic, it posed almost no obstacle. Training Stacking Wave Force under intense water pressure was, in essence, a process of adaptation.

Being able to execute martial techniques underwater and bring Stacking Wave Force to full cultivation meant the environment no longer affected him. Wang Xian moved like a fish gliding through water. He left the alleyways behind, riding the currents, absorbing the blood smoke mist, advancing toward his destination according to the map in his mind. Until he arrived at the Demon-Suppressing Marsh. Most of the day had already passed.

"The blood smoke mist has already spread this far..." Wang Xian shook his head inwardly. Most likely, the blood smoke mist had appeared across more than half of Cerulean Water City. Both types of vegetation existed throughout the city, after all. The Demon-Suppressing Marsh. Originally the central fountain plaza of Poolwater Town. Now it was filled with the stench of rot. Thick, viscous sludge oozed up from the ground, forming bubble after bubble.

The gas escaping from the bubbles rose slowly through the water, creating a uniquely strange spectacle. A pair of dark, cold eyes watched him from within the marsh. Wang Xian's eyes narrowed.

"Venomspine Jellyfish." Wang Xian stared at those eyes.

"Wait..."

"Something seems off about this Venomspine Jellyfish's aura. Why does it feel like it's at least 5, 000?" Wang Xian was mildly surprised. As if a thought struck him, his heart gave a jolt:"It's the blood smoke mist."

"These beasts have absorbed the blood smoke mist. Unlike human martial artists, they've become frenzied instead. Their life force has surged considerably!" That was correct. This was another property of the blood smoke mist. It only worked on these aquatic beasts.

"That person could they be running an experiment?" Wang Xian considered one possibility.

"Wanting to observe the effects of the blood smoke mist, then use it to accomplish something?" The water pressure inside the marsh was stronger than outside. Wang Xian paid no further attention to the Venomspine Jellyfish and crossed directly over the Demon-Suppressing Toxic Marsh, heading toward the central reef. What surprised Wang Xian was this: The Venomspine Jellyfish showed no intention of attacking. As if it were afraid of something.

"Hmm? Could someone be training in this marsh?" Wang Xian's heart stirred. He focused his senses toward the marsh. Faintly, from beneath the water, he sensed a familiar aura.

"There really is someone training down there, and they're training Stacking Wave Force! Must be third- or fourth-year students." Stacking Wave Force was not something first- or second-realm martial artists could easily manage. Think about it. Wang Xian himself had risked entering a B-rank Relic just to train it in a short period of time. Under normal circumstances, it was martial artists around the fourth or fifth realm who were better suited to training it.

Because martial artists at that realm could more safely make use of those complex relics for training. He was a complete exception.

"At minimum, it's a fourth-realm student training down there."

"Otherwise, there's no way that Venomspine Jellyfish would be this frightened." Wang Xian felt that this saved him a bit of effort. At the same time. After Wang Xian swam past the Demon-Suppressing Marsh, about half a day passed. Inside the marsh. A striking figure moved, her long spear in hand like a dragon. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

A layer of water-light gathered around her body, amplifying the pressure of the marsh while also forming a faint protective membrane. Suddenly, the figure paused.

"Earlier, it seemed like someone passed through?" Yan Zhaoxue looked upward.

"Hmm... calculating the time, it should be the period when Tiandu University's new students are doing their military training enrollment... oh right, this year Tiandu University's designated military training site is Cerulean Water City."

"Should be just the first day, right?"

"How is there already a student who's wandered into the core zone on the very first day?" Yan Zhaoxue, who had been training here for some time, thought it over for a moment. Something felt off.

"Wait, the Venomspine Jellyfish's aura above seems considerably stronger than it was a few days ago!"

"How did it suddenly get so much stronger?"

"Could it be because of the military training, this year's new students are too strong, so they raised the difficulty?"

"Impossible... the university and the military wouldn't do that." No matter how strong this year's new students were, how strong could they really be? Second realm at the absolute most. They would never raise the difficulty of military training by increasing the strength of elite beasts in unmanaged zones.

"Did something go wrong during the military training?" Yan Zhaoxue's heart stirred, and she thought it over for a moment.

"I'll pause training for now. Stacking Wave Force is mostly done anyway. Let me go outside and take a look!" Decision made. She stowed her long spear. Her jet-black combat suit hugged her figure perfectly, and like a mermaid she rode a water-blue luminous shield and surfaced from the marsh. She gazed into the distance. She could only faintly make out a single black dot. The blood-red mist surrounding her made her heart jolt.

"What is this?" Down in the marsh, there had been no such blood-red mist. Only after surfacing did she notice something was wrong.

"Something has definitely changed!" Yan Zhaoxue furrowed her brow, watching that black dot that had fallen into the core zone.

"With this much blood mist, could it be a separated new student? Who wandered into the core zone by mistake!"

"This is bad!" The Rot-Marsh Croc-Turtle in the core zone was extremely troublesome. That area also had bronze pillar altars surrounding it. Add in the aquatic environment, plus the appearance of the blood mist. Right now, that Rot-Marsh Croc-Turtle's life force had likely surged as well, quite possibly reaching the peak of D-rank. Close to 10, 000 life force. In such an environment, only a fourth-realm martial artist with a special talent that negated environmental effects would still have a fighting chance.

Otherwise, other fourth-realm martial artists would be helpless against it. If a new student accidentally entered the core zone, there was only one word for it.

"Dead!" Yan Zhaoxue drew a sharp breath and moved toward the core zone. But she didn't dare go too fast. This blood-red mist seemed extremely troublesome. The dragon spine on her back faintly gleamed with a subtle glow.

"Last time at Hidden Dragon Abyss, I completed the Dragon Blood Living Meridian Art, absorbed a strand of dragon qi from the Skeletal Demon Dragon, and my talent improved slightly..."

"It gives some resistance to this blood mist..." Thinking of this. A trace of reminiscence entered Yan Zhaoxue's eyes. If that strand of Malevolent Qi in her meridians hadn't been purged, absorbing this blood mist today would likely have stirred that strand of Malevolent Qi. That would have been very troublesome... Core zone, Rapid Current Reef.

"Well now, this place really is something else."

"But the currents here are extraordinary. There's a very unique energy hidden within them."

"There must be a special treasure here." Crossing the marsh had taken most of the day. What lay ahead was a vast, complex waterway formed by natural reefs and the wreckage of a massive sunken ship. The currents within were fierce, several times stronger than outside! Beneath the reefs, sharp stone spikes were densely packed everywhere. One moment of inattention, and you might step into a trap.

"This should be the harbor location of Poolwater Town."

"There are also some troublesome E-rank Blood Croc packs in the area..." Wang Xian fixed his gaze on the dozen or so Blood Crocs prowling near the reef and sunken ship. These croc packs moved like a boss's escort guard, patrolling the surrounding area and guarding the center of the sunken ship. Avoiding them was definitely not an option. He had to deal with them first. And he had to do it fast. Finish quickly, then hide and recover.

"It should be the second day now."

"Clear these out first, make my move on the morning of the third day, then head back." Divine meridians could absorb all manner of energy and were extremely sensitive to changes in energy. Wang Xian drew his demon blade, eyes fixed on those Blood Croc packs...

"Phew, Instructor, we've mostly finished clearing the Toxic Smoke Vines on this side!" Toxic Vine Ghost Alley zone. More than 20 new students worked continuously on the fifth floor of a building, clearing. It wasn't until the second day that the clearing was complete. Lu Tiesheng watched the blood mist around them dissipate at a visible rate and gave a slight nod.

"Being able to resolve this emergency situation, it's all thanks to Wang Xian. That kid really is something else." Lu Tiesheng thought to himself. At that moment. A figure suddenly flew in from the distance.

"Instructor Lu, looks like a senior from our Tiandu University!" a new student called out. Lu Tiesheng looked at the approaching figure and gave a slight nod. The figure landed. It was a handsome young man with snow-white hair.

"Chi Jiuyou?" Lu Tiesheng was mildly startled.

"What are you doing here, kid?" The white-haired young man quickly said:"Yesterday I was training a secret skill over at Bone-Burning Water Tomb when I suddenly sensed something had changed outside, so I came out first and observed for a bit. Then I saw that this blood mist was extremely troublesome."

"The blood mist seems to seep into a martial artist's skin, causing their elemental force to stagnate and leaving them in a temporary state of paralysis."

"With so many beasts in this place and the blood mist growing thicker and thicker, I immediately went outside to notify the school and the military. The military has already dispatched special support personnel, and at the same time ordered all teams to return early. Wait for the blood mist to be cleared before coming back in..."

"Instructor Lu, please lead the students out now!" Hearing this. Lu Tiesheng thought to himself, just as he'd expected. He smiled slightly:"You're late."

"Huh? What do you mean?" The white-haired young man was taken aback.

"Haven't you noticed the blood mist concentration here is much lower?" Lu Tiesheng laughed heartily.

"We've already finished clearing it! We plan to continue the military training. Also, go back and report the situation regarding the blood mist."

"Instructor Lu, you already knew about the blood mist situation?" A flicker of something unusual crossed the white-haired young man's eyes.

"Hahaha..." Lu Tiesheng laughed.

"It was Wang Xian!" one of the new students grinned.

"The great Wang Xian guided us."

"That's right." Lu Tiesheng briefly explained the situation.

"Blood Marrow Root and Toxic Smoke Vine... the sap of the Dark Water Tree..." The white-haired young man looked around at the blood mist that had indeed largely dissipated, and at the crowd who were in reasonably good condition. His face showed extreme shock. Lu Tiesheng didn't notice anything unusual. He himself had been thoroughly stunned at the time, after all.

"This kid's experience is incredibly seasoned!" Lu Tiesheng praised.

"When we get back, I'll put in a commendation for him, a major one!" The white-haired young man was silent for a moment, then nodded and smiled:"Didn't expect it. Our Tiandu University's new students this year actually have someone like this!"

"Impressive!"

"Truly impressive!"

"I'll go report to the military and the other teams right now... the military training can continue."

"Go, go!" Lu Tiesheng waved his hand broadly.

"We're planning to go find Wang Xian, that kid got separated, and then see if we can have them try to defeat the elite beast in this zone." The white-haired young man waved and left. At the same time, Yan Zhaoxue slowly entered the Rapid Current Reef, the core zone.