Chapter 111: It Has to Come Eventually, It Makes No Difference Where

As the date of the Lingxu expedition drew near, life remained peaceful and uneventful.

With only two days left, everyone was busy perfecting their equipment.

Weapons, rations, wilderness survival tools—there were so many necessities for those about to enter the Lingxu that choosing what to bring was enough to give anyone decision paralysis.

Take one thing, and there was no room for another.

And since they would be surviving in the wilderness, inside the perilous Lingxu, everyone wished they could travel as lightly as possible.

After all, victory mattered more than comfort or even basic sustenance.

The Xiang Nan team, however, had no such worries.

With a hundred cubic meters of storage space, what could they possibly fail to fit?

The five of them had packed enough daily necessities to fill four large trunks. It would certainly be enough to last half a month.

As for weapons, Xu Jiya had brought every concealed weapon that might prove useful. Of the five, her cultivation was the weakest. With the Illusion Heaven Spirit Fruit and the Rebirth Marrow Pill constantly forcing her strength upward, she had finally reached the fifth star of the First Order. But First Order was still pitifully weak.

Su Yao had gained a cat-based mutation ability that she could control with ease. Teleportation and leaping through the air posed no difficulty for her. With her cultivation at the eighth star of the Second Order, combined with her mechanical mystic arts, her destructive power was comparable to that of a Third-Order expert.

Most of her weapons were light and could simply be concealed on her person.

After this period of arduous training, Li Xiang had also grown increasingly proficient at controlling his elemental ability. The protective range of his Golden Light Shield had expanded from three meters to five. As a defensive weapon formed from his own mental and spiritual power, it required no additional equipment.

Among the five, Meng Qingwan possessed the highest cultivation. After consuming the Illusion Heaven Spirit Fruit, she broke through once again on the final day before entering the Lingxu.

Third Order, sixth star!

Her Third-Order ability was a domain-type power that nullified supernatural abilities. Within the domain under her control, she could disrupt and destroy other people’s abilities. It was ideal for controlling the battlefield.

As the team leader, Xiang Nan had yet to enter the Third Order. But ever since he had opened his dantian and qi sea, he had absorbed moonlight, starlight, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth each day through the Pure Heart Mantra.

In addition, Leng Rushuang had delivered a box of spirit beads as promised. Among them was one Fifth-Order spirit bead and one Fourth-Order spirit bead. Xiang Nan kept the higher-grade beads for himself and distributed several Third-Order ones among his teammates so that everyone could raise their cultivation together.

Besides the spirit beads, Leng Rushuang had also brought a considerable number of weapons. There were more than ten machine guns alone, along with several crates of ammunition. She had even brought a few light artillery barrels—powerful yet easy to carry.

“This Lingxu expedition will undoubtedly attract many underground forces. You must be careful.”

Leng Rushuang had abandoned her usual aloofness. A trace of concern showed in her eyes as she looked at Xiang Nan.

She had already investigated in secret. Many underground forces had sent experts to the capital, preparing to strike at Xiang Nan inside the Lingxu.

Apart from those forces, several eccentric experts who rarely appeared in public had also gathered in the capital before the expedition began.

Clearly, this was not merely because of Yuan Ao. Many people would rather believe that Xiang Nan possessed a magical treasure than risk dismissing the possibility.

The vast capital appeared calm on the surface, but beneath it, undercurrents surged.

As the Dragon Abyss Army charged with protecting the Nine Provinces, Leng Rushuang had volunteered to lead a team in guarding the Lingxu and providing immediate assistance to students who fell into danger.

However, Yuan Ao rejected her request.

His reason was that the Dragon Abyss Army had more important duties. The beast tide could attack the capital again at any moment, and Leng Rushuang’s responsibility was to protect the capital and the gateway to the Nine Provinces.

Unable to protect Xiang Nan personally, Leng Rushuang felt somewhat guilty.

She had once used Xiang Nan’s Resurrection Herb to save Yuan Ao, but in doing so, she had undeniably taken advantage of Xiang Nan. She had always wanted to make amends.

“Don’t worry. Even a ruthless figure like the Crimson Cloud Evil God died by my hand. I’ve never taken those other monsters and demons seriously.”

“So, when you dealt with the Crimson Cloud Evil God last time, you really did use a magical treasure? It wasn’t merely a coincidence that the heavens manifested an omen?”

Leng Rushuang suddenly asked the question.

She had always been puzzled. How could Xiang Nan, with only Second-Order cultivation, have killed the Crimson Cloud Evil God?

She had also examined the cause of his death. It had certainly not been a heart attack. His internal organs had been shattered by an overwhelming force.

Whenever she encountered Xiang Nan, something inconceivable seemed to happen around him.

If an innate magical treasure had truly appeared, it would not have been surprising for it to end up in his hands.

“What? Could it be that even Sister Lone Wolf is interested in magical treasures?” Xiang Nan asked deliberately.

“Everything I possess was earned through diligent study and hard training. I have never coveted any innate magical treasure. Only what is built solidly can give one peace of mind.”

“Sister Lone Wolf certainly has a broad heart! In the end, everything depends on the person. Even without a magical treasure, those people wouldn’t let me off the hook.”

“Since you know that, why insist on going to the Lingxu expedition?”

“Of course, for the glory of becoming champion!” Xiang Nan blurted out. Then he chuckled. “Besides, they were going to come after me anyway. It makes no difference where it happens.”

Leng Rushuang looked at Xiang Nan, who behaved as though nothing were amiss, and could not help admiring his composure.

“No matter what happens, you are a member of the elite Lone Wolf Unit of my Dragon Abyss Army. Keeping yourself alive is your foremost mission.”

“Yes! I guarantee I’ll complete it!”

After Lone Wolf Leng Rushuang left, Xu Qingshan summoned Xiang Nan and the others as well.

Naturally, he subjected them to another long round of reminders and concerned questions.

Even Xu Qingshan could see that this year’s Lingxu expedition was very different from those of previous years.

The most significant change was the opening of the expedition to outside assistance.

The regulations placed no restrictions on the strength or cultivation level of outside helpers. As long as they volunteered and could form a team with students, they would be permitted to enter the Lingxu.

The Eagle Alliance had been in the limelight recently, all because of its young lord, Xiang Nan.

Countless forces hoped to see the Eagle Alliance collapse, and naturally, their first target would be Xiang Nan.

This left Xu Qingshan unable to put his mind at ease, forcing him to make preparations.

“Xiang Nan, the Lingxu is dangerous. If you need anything, just say so. Everything in the Eagle Alliance is yours.”

“You are the young lord of the Eagle Alliance. Its future rests entirely on your shoulders, so you must take care of yourself.”

“When danger comes, do not play the hero. Run if you can. And if you truly cannot escape, playing dead is nothing to be ashamed of.”

He rattled off a long series of instructions. Xiang Nan treated them all as wind passing through his ears, though he certainly did not refuse any of the equipment offered to him.

After finishing with Xiang Nan, Xu Qingshan turned to Xu Jiya.

“Jiya, bring more weapons. Whatever you do, don’t become a burden to Xiang Nan,” Xu Qingshan said with great seriousness.

“Dad, I’m seriously starting to wonder whether I’m really your biological daughter. Did you buy me with your spending points?” Xu Jiya muttered, puffing out her cheeks.

“All right. To make sure you don’t become a burden, put on this Golden Thread Softhedgehog Armor. That way Xiang Nan won’t have to spare any attention to protect you.”

As he spoke, Xu Qingshan removed the Golden Thread Softhedgehog Armor from his own body and placed it over Xu Jiya’s.

“So you really are his daughter after all. Uncle Xu, you’re being so biased,” Su Yao teased from the side.

“Don’t worry. Everyone gets one.”

Xu Qingshan took out several suits of Black Iron Softhedgehog Armor and distributed one to each person.

Although their defensive power was inferior to that of the Golden Thread armor, they could still withstand ordinary physical attacks.

“You’re entering the Lingxu tomorrow. All of you, get yourselves fired up. Don’t bring shame on our Eagle Alliance!”

At last, Xu Qingshan displayed the authority of the Alliance’s Chief Steward and raised everyone’s spirits.