Danding Peak
The Danding Peaks is known to be a place full of magical beasts. These are beasts that are strengthened by qi and their bodies are a treasure for cultivators of this world.
Aside from being a treasure, they are also a threat. Just like humans, some of these beasts also have the power capable of razing an entire country to the ground.
The Danding Peaks is a very famous hunting ground for cultivators at Qi Refining and Qi Transformation Realm. They are near the capital and they are very easy to reach.
Safety isn't going to be ensured for most cultivators though, but since this time the academy is present, it is impossible for there to be casualties other than injuries.
With cultivators ranging from Foundation Establishment to even Core Formation Realm, the academy will be a laughingstock if they can't even protect their students.
Right now, Zhou Mengyao along with his teacher and Yan Suyin are at the front of the huge academy gates along with the other teachers and students of the first years, totaling the number to hundred students. Only the first years are allowed to participate.
Students in the academy are divided into two parts, the first years and the second years. The second years are usually the seniors, to enter, age matter.
As long as one is not older than 18 years old and reached the Third Stage of Qi Refining Realm then they will be acknowledged to be a part of the school.
As for Zhou Mengyao, he is already an adult meaning he is already 18 but he entered the academy through the backdoor after convincing his grandfather.
"Here take this Tier 1 Defensive Artifacts. It should be able to protect you from three attacks coming from the beasts of Qi Refining Realm!"
Tian Qiuyue handed them a talisman with calligraphy in the middle that means 'protect'.
'This talisman should have cost quite a money, especially for a teacher, this! This teacher truly cares about her students!'
Zhou Mengyao thought after receiving the talisman, he has to somehow repay the gratitude in the future.
"I won't be able to watch you but in case anything happens I will quickly rescue the both of you!"
Tian Qiuyue smiled as she gives the both of them a reassuring smile, she is just at Foundation Establishment Realm but she should be strong and capable to kill most of the beasts on Danding Peaks so knowing that there is someone like that, that will rescue him reassures Zhou Mengyao.
His guard will not appear unless he will die a sure death after all.
"Everyone quiet! Principal Deng Yusheng is here to lead the expedition this time!"
One of the teachers shouted with a loud voice as he accompanies an old man walking coolly with his cane as his long white beard and bald hair dances to the gentle blowing winds.
"Greetings to the Principal!"
Everyone greeted the principal respectfully, the principal is someone who has reached the Core Formation Realm and he is a very respected cultivator in this kingdom so how dare they, the students be disrespectful to him.
"Hmm."
The principal Deng Yusheng nodded in reply to the greetings. He is already old and the wrinkles in his face are already obvious but one can still feel the strong aura within him.
"Did the principal always looked like that?
"I don't remember the principal being bald! I have seen him a few weeks back then with my luck but I knew that he has an exceptionally long white hair!"
"I know what happened to the principal, I know why he became bald!"
"Quick tell us! Don't make us wait!"
"From what I heard, the principal is caught by her wife cheating on her by frequenting the Blooming Petals! The Blooming Petals is a very famous brothel and it is said that most of the women there are very beautiful and knew how to please their customers."
"His wife punished him by whipping him in the back and making him go bald!"
The students erupted into a discussion since they are very curious about the very ugly appearance of the Principal right now. His head looks so dazzlingly bright without his hair and his beard that is so long it looks so silly on him without his long hair.
"All of you quiet! I will be leading all of you to the Danding Hill so you better respect me and do not talk behind my back!"
Principal Deng Yusheng shouted as veins can be seen on his face signifying that he is very angry about hearing the topics of the student. He is angry not because they are talking about it but because he remembers that his dream has failed.
Had his wife not caught him then he will have a harem of 50 girls ready to serve him but his wife had caught him midways causing his enlightenment on the Grand Dao to stop!
Such a catastrophe, making him remember it is causing his blood to boil under the scorching hot sun.
"We are going to march to the Danding Peaks! The journey will be just three hours long but we will stay and camp in the Danding Peaks for seven straight days! You hear that?"
"Aren't it supposed to be five days? Why is it seven now?"
"Do you want me to make it 14 days instead?"
Seeing the principal being enraged, the students shut up their mouths. No one would want to stay in an uncomfortable place for more than a week's time.
The comfortable bed in the home and the dorms are much better places to rest than the grass and dirty soil of the forest.
The coldness of the night is also very hard to deal with so how can they sacrifice their comfortable resting place.
"Are we clear? Then let's set out now!"
The principal shouted and Zhou Mengyao giggled, this old man is the one who sent him a telepathic message back then, and knowing what happened to him is kind of funny for him.
Yan Suyin saw him laughing but with the cold visage that she wears, it looks like she isn't interested in hearing the story behind his laugh.
Her cold visage is back again, no one seems to interest her anymore.
...
Three hours later
They have already reached the Danding Peaks, they have already left the capital of the kingdom and the sun is unbearably hot for most of them to endure. Thankfully the winds occasionally came cooling them down.
Now that they are already at the Danding Peaks, the thick canopy of the trees overshadowing all of them protected them from the sun's scorching ray.
"Alright stop now, we are at the peak of one of the Mountains of the Danding Peaks. Always remember that in the future finding a place where it is easy to defend but hard to attack is the best place to camp."
"This peak's situation is such, if any monsters came we can completely spot them here from above giving us an advantage when we fight them. This peak is also very good since the monsters in this peak are already cleared out."
"We will rest for today and tomorrow morning all of you will have to fight magical beasts and you have to bring their carcass here. Every magical beast that you killed will grant you points which you can use to redeem resources from the academy."
"Remember that all of you must at least gather one hundred points every day. Beasts at First Stage of Qi Refining Realm will grant you 1 point, it increases by 1 point every higher stage."
The principal look at the students and he nodded as all of them enthusiastically looked at him, especially on the parts of the merit. Most students are in need of cultivation resources so he is sure that most of them will do their best in fighting.
'I have put an attractive reward so they should be more than willing to enrich their experience.'
The principal thought as he nodded at the excited students, the purpose of this is to train the students on their fighting skills. They will be the pillars of the country in the future so of course, they will have to be tough, their training here will be hell.
They will have to learn teamwork in order to kill beasts, humans are strong not when they are alone, it is when they are fighting together. That is the most valuable thing that they will learn on this expedition.
They will also have to trust their companions thus they will be forming bonds and brotherhood that will last forever, in perilous situations will true brotherhood arise and this is what the academy wanted for their students to learn.
Right now, they are preparing to rest. It is still early but the tents for camping are already assembled. Today the students will be eating a sumptuous meal before tomorrow they will have to use their points to buy food from the academy.
Such a way to steal points is making the smiling principal shudder. What an ingenious idea of him to make the students work more starting tomorrow after they realize how precious every point is.