140: Chapter 140 Farewell, Heading South

Zhang Wen snapped back to reality; as his fingertips pulled away from Ding Siyi's cheek, they carried a chilling cold that felt almost like a searing pain.

He quickly suppressed the surging emotions in his eyes and turned to look at the Old Marshal, his voice colder than the blood-stained ice on the bluestone floor: "It's nothing."

The Old Marshal stared at him for a long while, and seeing that he was unwilling to say more, finally sighed and turned to instruct his subordinates to handle the aftermath.

Zhang Wen didn't stay to help; he walked out along the Ding Family's corridor, each step feeling like he was treading on broken glass, the bloodstains on his soles dragging intermittent red marks across the bluestone.

After leaving the Ding Family residence, Zhang Wen got into a car and gave the address for "Glorious Garden."

The bustle outside the car window receded rapidly. He leaned against the backrest, his fingertips repeatedly stroking the Begonia Flower Silver Hairpin in his arms; the icy touch couldn't suppress the searing pain in his chest.

When the car reached the entrance of Glorious Garden, the guards checked his identity and let him through.

When he pushed open the door to his home, Wang Guihua was busy in the kitchen wearing an apron. Hearing the noise, she poked her head out, but the smile on her face froze instantly when she saw the bloodshot veins in his eyes: "Little Wen? You... what happened?"

Zhang Jianguo stood up from the sofa, the newspaper in his hand crumpled. He said in a deep voice, "Did something happen?"

Zhang Wen's movements to change his shoes paused, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was as raspy as sandpaper: "The Ding Family is gone. The whole family... all gone."

With a "clatter," the soup spoon in Wang Guihua's hand fell into the pot. The splashing hot soup scalded the back of her hand, but she was completely oblivious, her eyes simply wide with shock.

"What did you say? That Ding girl, she..."

"Siyi is gone too."

Zhang Wen looked away, not daring to meet his mother's eyes. "The murderer is very powerful."

Zhang Jianguo suddenly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white: "Those bastards!"

He took a few deep breaths to suppress his surging anger and looked at Zhang Wen. "What do you plan to do?"

"I'm going to the Southern Training Area."

Zhang Wen looked up, his eyes filled with an indisputable determination. "I am too weak right now. Staying here without the strength to seek revenge is useless. Only by going there to hone my strength can I have the ability to avenge them."

Wang Guihua's eyes instantly reddened, and she rushed over to grab his arm.

"No! That place is so dangerous! How many people go in every year and never come out? You can't go!"

"Mom," Zhang Wen gently pulled his hand away, his voice trembling but firm.

"The Ding Family's tragedy is right before us. If I don't even have this much courage, how can I protect you in the future? How can I be worthy of Siyi?"

Zhang Jianguo remained silent for a long time. Looking at the fire burning brightly in his son's eyes, he finally sighed.

"Remember, staying alive is more important than anything else. Don't push yourself too hard."

"Jianguo!" Wang Guihua stomped her foot in anxiety.

"The child has grown up; he has his own path to walk." Zhang Jianguo patted his wife's shoulder.

Zhang Wen nodded heavily: "Dad, I know."

At dinner, Wang Guihua made a table full of food but didn't eat a single bite. She just kept piling food onto Zhang Wen's plate, her tears falling into her bowl and creating tiny splashes.

Zhang Wen ate all the food. As he ate, his eyes also grew hot with tears.

Early the next morning, a car was waiting downstairs.

Zhang Wen shouldered his backpack. Wang Guihua stuffed an insulated container into his hands: "Inside are the braised eggs you love. Once you get there..."

"Mom, I'll be fine." Zhang Wen hugged his mother; her shoulders were shaking.

Zhang Jianguo saw him to the door and gave one final warning: "When training, you must act within your capabilities. Don't force yourself."

Zhang Wen acknowledged him and turned to get into the car.

In the rearview mirror, his parents' figures grew smaller and smaller until they vanished.

He pulled out the silver hairpin from his chest and whispered toward the window: "Wait for me."

The scenery outside the car window gradually lost the orderliness of the city. Fields and hills began to roll continuously, and a damp, fishy scent faintly drifted in the air.

—

That was a scent unique to the south, a mixture of rotting vegetation and the aura of Vicious Beasts.

Zhang Wen lowered the car window a crack. The cold wind poured in, making his temples throb, but it also cleared his chaotic mind a bit.

He opened the System interface and slid his fingertips across the virtual light screen.

The number [Points: 105,450] was still striking, but he was in no hurry to exchange them for supplies.

A second later, he pulled up the basic information for the Southern Training Area.

The light screen showed that this area, spanning several provinces, was divided into seven Ranks, from the "Safe Zone" on the outskirts to the "Forbidden Forest" in the deepest parts, with the danger level increasing geometrically.

The University Alliance's bases were concentrated in the Rank Two to Rank Four areas.

As the number one Special Ability University in the country, Qinglan University's outpost was located directly on the edge of the Rank Five area. Its authority was far higher than that of other institutions, making it one of the Alliance's core defensive lines.

"Azure Mist's outpost..."

Zhang Wen murmured to himself. As the top New Student of the freshman class at Qinglan University, ordinary students would need to apply for trial eligibility a month in advance.

But with the reputation of Azure Mist and the Old Marshal's warrant, he could enter this dangerous land on the same day.

With a light tap of his finger, he exchanged for the latest map of the trial zone, and the light screen immediately displayed dense red dots.

Those were marked Vicious Beast dens, several of which flashed a piercing crimson, representing high-risk targets of Rank Five and above.

The location of the Azure Mist outpost was marked in gold on the map, situated at the entrance of a canyon called "Black Wind Valley," surrounded by several areas active with Rank Three Vicious Beasts. It was an excellent field for practical training.

By the time the car reached evening, a continuous high metal wall appeared ahead, with searchlights on top as bright as day.

There was a watchtower every hundred meters, where guards were alertly scanning the distance. The strength of every guard was not inferior to his own.

This was the outer defensive line of the Southern Training Area, as well as the dividing line between civilization and the wilderness.

"Please show your Student Credentials."

The guard stopped the vehicle. When the Identity Chip was inserted into the detector, the words "Qinglan University, Freshman New Student, Zhang Wen, Comprehensive Rating S+, Access Level S" popped up on the screen.

The eyes of the originally expressionless guard shrank suddenly, and he immediately raised his hand in a salute: "Student Zhang, welcome to the trial zone! The Shuttle for the Azure Mist outpost is already waiting inside the defensive line."

The moment he passed through the high wall, Zhang Wen clearly felt the change in the air—no longer the bustle of the city, but only the whistle of the wind through the dense forest and the faint roar of beasts from afar.

It was a low rumble, as if the earth itself were trembling.

The Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder ability within him seemed to be stirred by this primal aura. Faint purple-gold electric sparks flickered at his fingertips, crackling.

This was the capital that had allowed him to overpower everyone in the New Student assessment, and it was also the confidence that supported him in stepping into this dangerous place now.

The Shuttle was a modified off-road vehicle with a body covered in heavy alloy armor. The driver was a dark-skinned veteran.

Seeing Zhang Wen get in, he grinned: "A top student from Azure Mist? I'm Old Zhou, responsible for picking up you 'favored children of heaven.' Don't worry, I've been driving this route for five years; I know it very well."

Outside the car window, the scenery became increasingly desolate. The asphalt road gradually turned into a potholed dirt path, and the trees on both sides grew denser, their branches interlacing to blot out the sky.

Only the occasional moonlight filtering through the gaps could illuminate the scattered bones by the roadside—unsure if they were from Vicious Beasts or... humans.