43: Ancient

Gu Zhenbang also expressed his views.

"The Otherworlders believe in the survival of the fittest, where the strong remain strong and take all resources."

"It's like raising Gu, cultivating a single Gu King."

"However, our Great Xia adheres to balanced development. These are two different paths, both with their merits."

Upon hearing these remarks, everyone nodded.

This was a matter of developmental direction, and indeed, it couldn't be generalized.

Then, they started discussing other topics.

Lin Shu listened quietly, saying nothing.

More details about the Otherworlders were explained by the two teachers.

The Otherworld is vast and rich in resources, but its environment is also harsher, with various monsters frequently appearing in the wild.

Consequently, Otherworld Beastmasters are seasoned warriors from a young age, with exceptionally rich combat experience, capable of handling more unexpected situations.

This is something that Blue Star Beastmasters lack, though after three hundred years of development,

the gap is no longer so significant.

The bus sped along the highway.

This journey would take about four hours; the distance wasn't too far.

They would arrive in Muyuan City by five in the afternoon... Meanwhile, in the Praying Mantis Martial Hall's training ground,

Wu Song was teaching a student swordsmanship when a phone ring interrupted him.

He pulled out his phone and saw a name displayed on the screen: "Gu Li."

Wu Song quickly put down what he was doing and went alone to a deserted corner to answer the call.

"Hello, Hall Master, this is Wu Song."

His tone was somewhat casual.

A hearty voice emerged from the other end of the phone.

This person was Gu Li, the Hall Master of Praying Mantis Martial Hall.

"Hmm, I just finished up and came out. I've seen all the messages you sent me."

"I didn't expect you to be so lucky, to encounter such a talented swordsman."

His tone carried a hint of surprise; such terrifying Talent in swordsmanship was truly rare.

Wu Song grinned upon hearing this.

"What do you mean 'luck'? This is based on skill; you can't just say whatever."

Gu Li was unconcerned; these details weren't important.

"I'll probably arrive at the Martial Hall tomorrow. Could you arrange for me to meet him? I'm quite curious about him."

"Or I can just go find him directly."

Wu Song heard this and remembered what Lin Shu had told him yesterday.

"No, he's not in Fengdu City; he went to Yan Province to enter the Otherworld."

"He told me he'd be back on Friday."

"Oh? He went to Yan Province? Then he must be going to Deadwood Forest."

"His target must be the Trial Tower."

Hearing Yan Province, Gu Li immediately guessed the location.

"Yes, so we'll have to wait. Nothing important these next few days, right?"

"Hmm, no problem. Then I'll go to Yan Province to find him. It's a good chance to see his performance in other aspects."

"Alright, that's settled."

He hung up the phone directly, acting decisively.

Gu Li's gaze drifted towards the distant clouds; he was currently thousands of meters high in the sky.

The howling winds buffeted his face, yet they had no effect on him.

He patted the large silver bird beneath his feet.

"Xiao Bai, head towards Yan Province."

"Chirp!"

A sharp cry from below responded.

The silver bird changed direction, spread its two wings, each over ten meters long, and flapped them, speeding away.

Its speed was incredibly fast; in the blink of an eye, it vanished into the sea of clouds.

Wu Song stared at the disconnected phone, momentarily stunned.

"Brother, do you even know him? You're just going to run over there."

"You could at least ask me for some photos or something. If you just go like that, will you even recognize him?"

Wu Song shook his head, deciding he would send them later.

It wasn't too strange; he returned to the training hall and resumed teaching... The bus slowly pulled to a stop, and the sky had grown somewhat dim.

The school team finally arrived at their destination, Muyuan City.

The stopping point seemed like a tourist attraction.

Surrounded by mountains, the area was dense with green trees.

Both sides of the street were lined with shops, and there was a brightly lit bustling market along the roadside, filled with people coming and going, making it very lively.

"The Forest area was originally a poor and remote mountainous region, but ever since this Otherworld appeared, it has undergone a tremendous transformation."

"More and more Beastmasters have been attracted here, driving the development of the Forest area and its surrounding industries."

Xu Lihuang introduced this to Lin Shu and the others.

He pointed towards the center, where there was an open space, and in its middle, a house-sized vortex.

Lin Shu looked in that direction and saw a faintly rotating transparent vortex.

Through the vortex, he seemed to be able to see the scene inside, where many buildings also appeared to have been constructed.

The other three also stared intently, quite curious.

The bus stopped in the parking lot at the entrance, and everyone got off and walked forward.

Soon, they arrived at a living area, a place specifically for accommodation, with hotels, guesthouses, and inns clustered together.

They arrived at the base of a hotel several stories high.

Gu Zhenbang pointed to the hotel.

"This is where we'll be staying tonight. Everyone, please take your luggage to the lobby first."

Most people didn't have much luggage; usually, a single suitcase sufficed. Lin Shu, however, only carried a backpack.

If he weren't afraid of being too conspicuous, Lin Shu wouldn't have brought anything at all, as his belongings were all in Hei Ye's storage space.

The three girls, however, brought a lot of things, each with two rolling suitcases plus other large and small bags; it was hard to tell what was inside.

Everyone busied themselves for a while before finally finishing up.

Then, under Gu Zhenbang's guidance, they completed the check-in procedures, and soon everyone received their room key cards.

Each person had a private room, which the school had handled to everyone's satisfaction.

After checking into their rooms, Gu Zhenbang gathered everyone and said,

"After everyone puts away their things, you can go out and explore, grab something to eat, and then tomorrow morning, wake up early. We'll check out promptly at 8:30."

"After checking out, we'll head straight into the Otherworld."

"Understood?"

"Understood."

Everyone answered in unison.

Gu Zhenbang nodded, still seemingly a bit uneasy as he cautioned,

"Go back to bed early tonight; don't mess around outside, understood?"

His gaze then fell on Lei Wu and the other four senior students.

"You all should also supervise your junior classmates appropriately."

"Yes, Teacher."

Lei Wu replied in a rough voice.

After the admonitions, everyone dispersed and headed to their respective rooms.

Lin Shu took the hotel elevator to his room on the 12th floor.

Stepping inside the room, a fresh scent wafted over him.

The room was spacious and bright, with a simple yet elegant interior design. The floor was covered with a soft carpet, made from the fur of some unknown Beast.

Compared to ordinary hotels, the rooms here clearly took Beasts into consideration; the ceiling height was noticeably taller.

Inside, there were two rooms, the other prepared for Beasts.

A manual was in a small drawer nearby.

It introduced the room's functions and usage methods.

It could accommodate most Beasts.

For example, water storage, flames, electricity, and so on, were all very complete.

Returning to the bedroom, next to the bed was a comfortable seating area, and beside it, a large floor-toceiling window.

The view was expansive; from the twelfth floor, one could see rows of shops in the distance...