24: Chapter 24 Two Worlds Separated by a Wall

Half an hour later, the convoy of riot buses carrying hundreds of students from Linjiang No. 1 High School arrived in front of the towering steel city wall, dozens of meters high, on the outskirts of Linjiang City.

As the riot bus convoy reached the city gate, two military trucks loaded with City Defense Army soldiers, which had been waiting at the gate, joined the convoy one after the other to provide protection along the way.

As the riot buses slowly drove through the huge city gate, a scene completely different from the inside of the city came into view for the students.

Compared to the towering skyscrapers and bustling prosperity inside the city, the outside was desolate, and everywhere the eye could see was in ruins.

As the convoy traveled along the road, moving further and further away from Linjiang City, the brutal sights outside the city gradually revealed themselves to Chu Xiu and the other students.

There were torn wreckage of cars on both sides of the road, skeletal remains of ferocious beasts that had long turned into bones, and even human corpses that had just died miserably and were exposed in the wilderness being gnawed on by ferocious beasts.

These scenes undoubtedly brought a deep shock to the students sitting inside the riot buses who had never left the city before.

Some timid students turned pale and panicked when they saw the scene of ferocious beasts sharing human corpses.

Those with weaker tolerance couldn't help but vomit.

Even Chu Xiu felt his stomach churning when he witnessed the bloody scene of ferocious beasts feeding on human corpses.

Zhang Daxian in the seat next to him was no longer as relaxed as before, and also wore a heavy expression.

"Pull yourselves together, we've barely started!"

"If you want to become powerful Beastmasters, you will experience these scenes firsthand in the future!"

"We are not safe in this world. To avoid becoming food in the mouths of ferocious beasts in the future, what you need to do now is quickly adapt and improve your strength during this practical training organized by the school!"

Seeing the gloomy atmosphere inside the vehicle, Yang Cheng immediately said in a loud voice, his sharp gaze sweeping across everyone inside.

Hearing his words, the panicked emotions inside the vehicle eased a lot.

"That's right. To become a powerful Beastmaster, you must quickly adapt to the cruel environment of the wilderness and strengthen your inner self. This practical training is the best training opportunity!"

Hearing Yang Cheng's words, Chu Xiu's gaze quickly turned firm.

The convoy continued to drive in the wilderness for another hour and a half, and finally arrived at this destination, Qingshan Town.

However, Qingshan Town was just like the wilderness scenes Chu Xiu and the others saw along the way—dilapidated, full of broken walls, sparsely populated, and overgrown with plants.

Dilapidated buildings were covered by green vegetation, making the entire Qingshan Town almost a forest town.

As the convoy drove into Qingshan Town and arrived at the town's central square, everyone got off one by one.

After getting off, Chu Xiu and the others noticed the difference in the town's central square.

At this moment, the center of the town had been fenced off, tents were set up in the middle, and a temporary camp was established.

Soldiers wearing the uniform of the City Defense Army were fully armed and patrolling around to ensure the safety of the temporary camp.

The students of Class 2, where Chu Xiu was, had just gotten off and lined up when several soldiers carried a box to the front of Class 2's formation, and then handed a backpack to Chu Xiu and the others one by one.

"Each of the backpacks just issued to you contains a portion of dry rations, which includes a piece of compressed biscuits and a bottle of mineral water, roughly an ordinary person's meal."

"From now on, until you complete your daily task objectives and return to the camp, you have these half-day supplies in your hands."

"If you want to get supplies again, complete your daily task objectives as soon as possible, otherwise you will have to find a way yourselves."

"A reminder to you all: if you fail to complete the task and are hungry, you can try to kill ferocious beasts and eat raw meat and blood, but never think about starting a fire outside to roast and eat ferocious beasts. Ferocious beasts are not ordinary wild animals; the firelight and the smell of roasted meat at night will only attract them."

"Alright, everyone take your dry rations and set off on your own."

After everyone got a backpack, Principal Han Xianming appeared in front of the formation of all students from No. 1 High School and said in a loud voice.

"The principal didn't say we can't form a team. Why don't the few of us stick together? There's safety in numbers, and it'll be much safer."

"That's right. The principal hasn't explicitly specified the rules for the practical training. This is our first time in the wilderness for actual combat against ferocious beasts. Let's hunt ferocious beasts together and split whatever we kill evenly."

"There is strength in numbers, let's do it!"

After Principal Han Xianming finished speaking, the more than five hundred students from No. 1 High School did not act immediately. Instead, they found their usual close classmates in place to form teams, and only then set off together.

"Brother Chu, how about the two of us team up? I've got you covered."

In the formation of Class 2, Zhang Daxian looked at Chu Xiu beside him and spoke.

Although Chu Xiu had previously told him that he had evolved his Scythe Mantis into a Wood Blade Mantis, Chu Xiu was after all only twenty days into contracting his beast. In such a short time, it was simply impossible for his strength to improve by much.

Zhang Daxian didn't say it out loud, but in his heart, he thought Chu Xiu's strength was still at the lower end among the more than five hundred students of No. 1 High School.

"Daxian, no need. Your task objective is twice ours. You should act on your own; I won't hold you back."

Hearing Zhang Daxian's words, Chu Xiu shook his head and politely declined.

Although with Zhang Daxian's strength, it wouldn't be difficult to kill two Black Iron Tier ferocious beasts, finding suitable ferocious beasts in Qingshan Town was no easy task.

From the moment the convoy entered Qingshan Town, Chu Xiu had been observing the conditions along the way and found that the ferocious beasts in Qingshan Town were not dense. Finding ferocious beasts that matched the task objectives would take much more time spent searching than actually fighting.

Therefore, killing 20 grayish-white tier ferocious beasts or 2 Black Iron Tier ferocious beasts was still a bit challenging for Zhang Daxian.

"Brother Chu, are you confident?"

Zhang Daxian, who was rejected by Chu Xiu for a team, did not leave immediately, but looked at Chu Xiu with a solemn expression and asked.

Hearing this, Chu Xiu smiled slightly: "Rest assured, I know what I'm doing. When have you ever seen me do something without confidence?"

"Fine then, I'll set off on my own. Brother Chu, you must be careful."

Seeing this, Zhang Daxian didn't persuade him further, and after saying that, he was about to leave alone.

"Zhang Daxian, can we form a team together?"

Just as he was about to leave, a sweet-looking girl appeared in front of him—Tang Li, known as the beauty of Class 2.

Behind Tang Li, there were two other girls, both classmates from Class 2.

However, facing Tang Li's request, Zhang Daxian puffed out his chest and said rather showily: "Ferocious tigers always walk alone, while cattle and sheep flock together!"

After saying that, under the dumbfounded expressions of Tang Li and the other girls, he strode towards the outside of the temporary camp.

"This showy fat guy..."

Watching Zhang Daxian's performance, Chu Xiu smiled wryly and shook his head. He didn't continue to stay in the temporary camp either, and likewise walked towards the outside of the camp.