96: Chapter 97 Fishing Failure, Ancient Secret Realm Opens!

Meanwhile, at the 7th New Recruit Company station on the eastern border.

Xia Youchu had just finished a day of recruit training and was preparing to return to her barracks to rest.

"Xia... Xia Youchu!"

A somewhat cowardly voice sounded from the side.

Xia Youchu turned her head to see Zhou Kai sporting a pair of dark, bruised eyes, with dried blood still on his face, looking at her with a nervous expression.

He was holding a small box in his hands.

"Something up?" Xia Youchu said in a cold tone.

Zhou Kai shuddered under her gaze and hurriedly handed over the box, squeezing out a smile that looked worse than crying: "The... the matter from before, it was my fault! I was blind! This is a small token of my sincerity, by way of an apology! Please, you must accept it!"

He had just been severely beaten by his uncle, Logistics Director Zhou Fu, earlier that day and had nearly had his legs broken.

Logistics Director Zhou Fu had sternly warned him that if he dared to provoke Xia Youchu again, he would personally tie him up and send him to the front lines as cannon fodder!

Xia Youchu glanced at the box; inside were some low-grade Medicinal Pill and Yuan Stones, which were useless to her.

"No need."

She spat out the two words indifferently, ignored Zhou Kai, and walked straight toward the barracks.

Zhou Kai stood frozen on the spot, holding the box, his face fluctuating between shades of green and white, his heart filled with humiliation and resentment.

No need?

Just a casual "no need"?!

When had he, Zhou Kai, ever suffered such indignity?!

In Wind Howl City, who didn't treat him with courtesy?

Since arriving at the front lines, he had first been publicly humiliated, forced to scrub toilets, and now even his apology was being ignored like this!

It was one thing for his uncle not to help him, but he had even beaten him in return! What right did they have?!

Just because this woman had a background? Had connections?!

A wicked fire burned wildly in his heart.

Fine! You won't help me, right? I'll find someone myself!

He didn't believe that on the front lines, he couldn't deal with one woman!

A trace of malice flashed in Zhou Kai's eyes as he quietly retreated into the shadows.

...

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

After simple drill, military regulation, and basic tactical training, the 7th New Recruit Company finally welcomed its first combat mission.

They were to head to the Eagle Beak Rock area on the outskirts of Shattered Star Gorge to assist a veteran patrol team in clearing out scattered Peng Clan scouts and familiarizing themselves with the front-line environment.

At dusk, the setting sun dyed the horizon a blood-red color.

Three transport trucks carrying dozens of recruits from the 3rd Platoon of the 7th New Recruit Company, led by Platoon Leader Sun Hu, drove toward Eagle Beak Rock.

Platoon Leader Sun Hu was a sturdy, rugged-looking middle-aged man with a Peak Yuanling Realm cultivation, and it was said he was only one step away from the Yuan King Realm.

He stood at the front of the vehicle, making a pre-battle mobilization speech in a booming voice:

"Everyone, perk up! Although Eagle Beak Rock is just the outskirts, those mongrel birds of the Peng Clan are elusive! If anyone lets their guard down and dies, don't blame me for not warning you!"

"Our mission is to cooperate with the veterans, clear the outskirts, and gain experience! It's not to send you to your deaths! Be sharp! Follow orders!"

Most of the recruits were both nervous and excited, gripping their standard-issue weapons or calming their somewhat restless War Beast.

Xia Youchu sat in the corner of the truck bed, seemingly resting with her eyes closed, but in reality, she was silently calculating the time and location.

According to her memories from her previous life, the Secret Realm would open near Eagle Beak Rock in half an hour!

Ling Tian lay beside her, still maintaining [Gravity Control] to avoid crushing the vehicle.

He appeared lazy, but his eyes swept over the desolate scenery outside the vehicle from time to time, his nostrils slightly twitching, and his expression was a bit strange.

It felt like something was wrong?

Zhou Kai was also on this vehicle.

He kept his head down, his eyes sinister, glancing at Xia Youchu's direction from time to time with a cold sneer in his heart.

Just wait! You bitch! You're going to suffer!

He had already contacted someone!

Although the other party was unwilling to reveal their identity, they said that as long as he provided Xia Youchu's whereabouts, they could help deal with her!

Zhou Kai didn't expect the other party to kill Xia Youchu, but as long as they gave her a little lesson, it would be enough to vent his anger!

The vehicles bumped along the rugged mountain road, getting closer and closer to Eagle Beak Rock.

The sky gradually darkened, and the howling of various unknown Yao Beast began to echo in the wilderness, adding a sense of lethality.

Just as the convoy was about to reach the designated assembly point.

Screech—!!!

A sharp, ear-piercing cry filled with violent aura suddenly came from behind the ridge to the front-left!

Following that was a second, a third... densely packed! Like ghosts wailing!

"Enemy attack!! It's the Peng Clan!! Prepare for battle!!!"

Platoon Leader Sun Hu's expression changed drastically; he drew his battle saber abruptly and roared sternly!

All the recruits instantly tensed up, picking up their weapons and summoning their War Beast one after another!

They saw a massive, dark swarm of figures flying up from the ridge to the front-left!

Those were dozens of huge Peng Clan Yao Beast with feathers that gleamed with cold light like metal!

Their sharp eyes glinted with bloodthirsty red light in the twilight, like vultures eyeing their prey!

What made Platoon Leader Sun Hu even more terrified was that among the Peng Clan, there were three figures whose aura far exceeded the others, reaching the Yao Beast King level!

Equivalent to a Human Race Yuan King!

"A Yuan King level Peng Clan?! How is that possible?! This is just the outskirts! How could a Peng Clan squad with Yuan King level members appear here?!"

Platoon Leader Sun Hu's voice carried a hint of despair.

In their team, the strongest was him at the Peak Yuanling Realm, plus dozens of recruits who mostly only had Yuan Practitioner or Yuan Master Realm cultivation. Facing a Peng Clan elite squad led by three Yao Beast Kings, it was simply like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!

"Retreat! Retreat immediately!!" Platoon Leader Sun Hu roared at the top of his lungs.

However, it was already too late.

That Peng Clan squad was clearly well-prepared; they instantly scattered like a giant bag, surrounding the transport trucks!

Their speed was extremely fast, and as they flapped their wings, they stirred up fierce gales!

A mental fluctuation full of mockery and cruelty swept across the entire convoy:

"Stupid Human Race! Your movements have long been exposed!"

"Obediently become our food! Hahaha!"

Movements exposed?!

All the recruits turned pale, and a chill welled up in their hearts!

Who was it?! Who leaked their movements?! Could there be a traitor among them?!

A sense of despair spread like a plague.

Facing such an absolute disparity in strength, they had almost no chance of escaping!

Xia Youchu clenched her fists, her eyes sharp as knives.

She hadn't expected such an unforeseen event to occur!

In her previous life, this team had not encountered a Peng Clan ambush of this scale!

Was it her arrival that triggered the butterfly effect?

But the composition of this team was clearly the same as in her previous life, and there were no extra people, right?

Who exactly was the traitor?!

Just at this critical moment.

Hum!!!

An ancient and vast fluctuation erupted suddenly from the center of Eagle Beak Rock without any warning!

In the sky, it was as if a pair of invisible hands had fiercely torn open a huge spatial rift!

Brilliant light poured out from the rift, accompanied by an extremely dense concentration of Heaven and Earth Origin Qi!

The light was so dazzling that it instantly illuminated the dim wilderness!

A powerful spatial suction force came from the rift!

Whether it was the desperate Human Race recruits below or those confident Peng Clan members in the air, they were instantly swept up by this irresistible spatial force, involuntarily thrown toward that huge spatial rift!

"No——!!"

"What is this?!"

Terrified screams and the shrill cries of the Peng Clan mixed together.

A flash of light! The rift suddenly closed!

The sky returned to darkness, and the wilderness remained dead silent.

It was as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.

Only the three empty transport trucks, tilted and parked on the mountain road, proved what had happened here.

Almost the next second after the spatial rift closed.

A figure like a ghost appeared silently at the scene.

He had a feminine face and a restrained aura; he was none other than the commander of the Shadow Blade Brigade, Major General Li Wushuang!

Looking at the empty transport trucks and the intense spatial fluctuations and Peng Clan aura remaining in the air, his face instantly became extremely ugly.

"A Peng Clan ambush?! And it just happened to coincide with the opening of an ancient Secret Realm?"

Major General Li Wushuang clenched his fists violently, cold light exploding in his eyes!

Damn it! If I had known, I wouldn't have gone fishing! Now everything is ruined!

Major General Li Wushuang had received intelligence two days ago that someone in the military had betrayed the movements of the 7th New Recruit Company, and that a Peng Clan squad at the Yuan King level would attack the recruit company.

Therefore, he had been following behind them, intending to play the role of the oriole behind the mantis.

However, just when Major General Li Wushuang intended to close the net, he was caught off guard by this sudden ancient Secret Realm!

These recruits were forcibly locked up with the Peng Clan Yuan King squad; wasn't that like sending sheep into a tiger's mouth?

"Investigate! Investigate this thoroughly for me!!"

"Who leaked the movements of the 7th New Recruit Company?!"

"I'm going to kill his whole family!!!"