Free Web NovelChapter 220: Chapter 220: Back the Way We Came
Three days later, Ning Xuan decided to leave the Oasis Fairyland. There were two ways out: they could either return the way they came through the underground river, or they could break the fairyland’s barrier and leave directly.
Everyone unanimously chose the first option: to return the way they came.
The reason, of course, was that they didn’t want to destroy the Oasis Fairyland and planned to come back for another visit when they had time.
The return trip went smoothly. In fact, thanks to Min Wu’s short-distance spatial teleportation ability, it took them even less time to reach the spot where they had first encountered the storm.
After emerging from the underground river, Ning Xuan and her group once again faced the howling winds and swirling sands of the Red Sand Sea. The scorching sun baked the red gravel until it was scalding hot, and they could smell the faint scent of their leather soles scorching.
The third time she had to pull her leg out of the sinking sand, Di Youlin swept her up, settled her onto his back, and spread his wings to take flight. "Master, let me carry you for a while."
"Everyone, watch out!" Zhang Nan suddenly shouted. The patch of sand they had just crossed caved in with a low rumble, revealing a swirling vortex of quicksand that glowed with a dark purple light.
Chen Nan stared at the nearby vortex, and a drop of cold sweat trickled from his forehead down his spine and into his collar.
"The terrain in this desert changes," Zhang Nan said. "Even though we’re on the same path as before, the conditions are completely different."
"Don’t forget to record all of this," Ning Xuan said. "And everyone, be extra careful."
About an hour later, a massive storm descended. Howling winds, thick with copper-red sand, forced the group to take shelter in the gap between two dunes.
In such a gale, Di Youlin couldn’t spread his wings or even maintain his balance, so he had to land and take cover from the storm with the others.
Seeing the Little Fox tumbling about in the gale, Ning Xuan snatched it up and tucked it safely inside her coat. "The wind’s too strong. You’ll get blown away."
The Little Fox whimpered with gratitude, burrowing deep inside Ning Xuan’s clothes and refusing to move.
"Quick, look! What’s that?" someone cried out in alarm.
Lan Xin waved a hand, summoning a Water Mirror. Within it, a fiery red line could be seen moving in their direction.
"Those are Red Fire Scorpions," Di Youlin said, watching the crimson line in the Water Mirror. "I’ve seen them on the Federation Star Domain Battlefield. The venom they spit is a powerful neurotoxin—a single drop can cause total paralysis. What’s more, they’re extremely aggressive. Now that our paths have crossed, a fight is unavoidable."
"In that case, let’s just kill them all," Ning Xuan said with perfect composure. "The Red Fire Scorpion venom should be quite useful. This is a good opportunity to collect a large amount."
"Contractor, there are too many Red Fire Scorpions, and they’re moving fast. Please fall back," Yun Han said. He wanted Ning Xuan to find a safe place to hide while they prepared to unleash their most powerful attacks.
But Ning Xuan was just getting excited and had no intention of retreating. "I won’t get in the way of you commanding the team, and you don’t need to worry about my safety. I can take care of myself." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
Since Ning Xuan refused to fall back, Yun Han could only relent. He signaled to Lin Mo, Chen Nan, and the others, instructing them to keep an eye out and stay close to the Contractor.
Yun Han was familiar with each team member’s Talent Skills, individual strength, and fighting style. He orchestrated the battle flawlessly, and there were no mishaps. The Red Fire Scorpions were killed off in a variety of ways. After about twenty minutes, all several tens of thousands of them had been annihilated.
The only incident on Ning Xuan’s side was Wang Teng getting splashed with venom, which caused his body to go numb. Otherwise, the fight was without issue.
Then came the time to collect the spoils. Tens of thousands of Red Fire Scorpions. Ning Xuan counted on her fingers, calculating just how much venom she could extract from them all.
The rest of the journey was uneventful, and they returned to the Jiujiang Security Zone by nightfall.
As soon as Ning Xuan’s group returned to the Jiujiang Security Zone, the zone’s commander sent men to greet them.
Ning Xuan knew they were there for Yun Han, so she just waved a hand, letting him deal with it. She headed directly for their lodgings in the Jiujiang Security Zone.
When Qiao Yu saw Yun Han standing before him in one piece, he could finally let out a sigh of relief. "Commander, you were gone for over a month without a trace! You scared me to death."
Yun Han strode to the head seat and sat, propping his chin on one hand while accepting the hot tea Qiao Yu respectfully offered with the other.
"You’re a garrison commander, and you’re this gutless? Scared to death? Are you asking for a beating?" Yun Han shot Qiao Yu a look. His dark eyes were calm, but the sight of that expression made cold sweat instantly break out on the back of Qiao Yu’s neck.
Seeing that Qiao Yu didn’t dare to make another peep, Yun Han rose to his feet. "Let’s go. I need to deposit my Merit Points." He rapped his long, slender fingers on the small table before him as he spoke to Qiao Yu.
"Boss, doesn’t that... Miss Ning have Half-beastman slaves with her? Why is she making you run errands like this? Boss, is she treating you poorly?" Qiao Yu looked at Yun Han, his expression a mixture of heartache and indignation.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Just hurry up and come with me. Oh, and get a vehicle ready for me first. Park it in the courtyard." All the Exotic Beasts Ning Xuan and her team had hunted over the past month were stored in Yun Han’s Space Bracelet.
Qiao Yu had no choice but to obey Yun Han’s command. But when he saw the massive cart piled high with the carcasses of Exotic Beasts and countless Red Fire Scorpions, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Originally, Qiao Yu had planned to have his soldiers give Yun Han some of their hunted Exotic Beasts to help him achieve a better score in the joint exam.
However, after seeing today’s massive haul, Qiao Yu completely abandoned that idea.
Yun Han deposited all of his accumulated Merit Points. Once that was done, he ignored Qiao Yu’s protests and returned to the lodgings Ning Xuan had booked.
After returning to the Jiujiang Security Zone, Ning Xuan was in no hurry to resume her Cultivation. She began to enjoy a more leisurely pace of life, strolling through the trade market, buying a few items that caught her fancy, and teasing the Little Fox.
Her days were quite relaxed. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
On the latest update of the graduation joint exam’s average score leaderboard, Ning Xuan’s Merit Points placed her among the top ranks. The other members of her team were also ranked quite high.
On the fifth day of their rest in the Jiujiang Security Zone, Ning Xuan called a small meeting. She had decided it was time to leave the security zone and continue their exploration.
Since Ning Xuan had already made her decision, no one objected.
After all, as long as they followed Ning Xuan, they all shared in the rewards. Anyone who objected would simply be left behind in Jiujiang.
When he learned that Yun Han was leaving, Qiao Yu felt as if his world was collapsing. He didn’t want Yun Han to leave the Jiujiang Security Zone.
