Chapter 48: Exploring the Qingyuan Forest for the First Time

Bang! Bang!

While the two were chatting, a knocking sound came from outside the door. Zhou Shi's voice followed, "Wake up, get ready to depart!"

The two quickly tidied up and left the room. Chen Shu carried a large military backpack, wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans, with a sunny smile that made him appear incredibly cheerful. But who could have guessed that this guy was so abnormal?

The front desk attendant cast a resentful glance at Chen Shu, clearly still harboring a grudge from the previous night's incident. The others looked at Chen Shu, their smiles filled with strangeness, clearly misunderstanding something.

"Xiao Yu, stay away from him in the future," Zhou Shi spoke up.

Chen Shu scratched his head, looking bewildered. Why are they so cautious of me just because I spoiled a plot?

The group left the hotel and, after a simple breakfast, headed towards the back of the town.

"Halt!"

As soon as the group reached the building behind the town, they were intercepted by soldiers. Zhou Shi, who knew the protocol, presented his identification card. The soldier scanned it with a nearby device, and a synthesized electronic sound played.

"Zhou Shi, a one-star Black Iron Beastmaster, Commander of the 666 Beast Taming Corps!"

Pfft! Chen Shu couldn't hold back and burst out laughing. He couldn't believe they were called the 666 Beast Taming Corps, and the fact that it was pronounced by an electronic sound was just too funny.

Zhou Shi's mouth twitched, and then he took out a bank card and deducted the entrance fees from everyone. The access to the spatial rifts was a vital resource controlled by the country, and it was only natural that Beastmasters had to pay to enter.

The group successfully arrived in front of the building but didn't enter. Instead, they walked towards the dense fog behind it. This was the entrance to the Qingyuan Forest!

Soldiers frequently patrolled within the fog, creating an atmosphere of solemnity. Finally, Chen Shu caught sight of a faint white radiance within the fog, as if it originated from another dimension.

The group took a step forward and entered...

Gentle sunlight poured down, accompanied by a refreshing breeze and the scent of flowers, instantly revitalizing their spirits.

"Is this... a farmhouse?"

Chen Shu looked around, his expression filled with curiosity. Before his eyes stood rows of wooden houses, with soft and grassy soil beneath their feet, as if they had arrived in a small village. In addition, flying birds several meters long constantly patrolled the sky, their fierce gaze surveying the land. Soldiers dressed in military uniforms moved back and forth, accompanied by powerful Contract Spirits, vigilant for any potential crisis.

"Zhenling..." Chen Shu's gaze was immediately drawn to the badge on the soldier's right arm, which clearly displayed the words 'Zhenling'.

"These are the Zhenling Army responsible for guarding the spatial rifts. Remember not to act recklessly here," Zhou Shi spoke, primarily addressing Chen Shu.

"If you dare to break the rules, accidents are bound to happen."

The group left the small village and encountered numerous Contract Spirits along the way, with Zhenling soldiers resting inside the wooden houses. Although the village seemed ordinary, it was unknown how many Beastmasters were hidden within, with even Black Iron-level Beastmasters occasionally encountered. While there were no defensive fortifications, it provided a sense of peace and security.

Curiously, Chen Shu asked, "Uncle Zhou, why don't we have Gatling guns emitting blue light going 'rat-tat-tat' here?"

Zhou Shi glanced at him and said, "Modern technology in the spatial rifts is greatly weakened and less effective. Beastmasters are the main fighting force."

Chen Shu nodded, understanding why Beastmasters had become the backbone of society. They were intricately linked to human survival. If the beasts were to invade in retaliation, it would be a disaster for the Blue Star.

The group left the Zhenling Army base. As they looked ahead, ancient towering trees stretched into the distance, reaching heights of dozens of meters. Only large tree stumps surrounded them, indicating that the Zhenling Army had cleared the area of trees. Zhou Shi and the others were on high alert, summoning their Contract Spirits.

Zhou Shi's Contract Spirit was a black giant wolf, measuring over four meters in length, with sharp fangs that exuded an intimidating aura. As a Black Iron-level Beastmaster, he naturally had two Contract Spirits, but he hadn't summoned the other one.

The remaining members of the Beast Taming Corps also summoned their Contract Spirits. A black crow took to the sky early on, constantly scouting in all directions. There was also a lizard-like Ironback Beast, a stunning blue-tailed butterfly, and a low-flying Flamebird...

Although the Qingyuan Forest was classified as an ordinary-level spatial rift, it was still fraught with danger. Even an ordinary Icefield Hare could easily kill a person. Experienced Beastmasters would release their Contract Spirits early on to ensure their safety.

"Is the atmosphere really this tense?" Chen Shu couldn't help but feel a pang of nervousness as he watched everyone on high alert. He quietly took out a bag of potato chips.

"Don't eat... Summon your Contract Spirit!" Zhou Shi turned around, his face filled with disbelief. "Are you really that calm? It's already this late, and you're still munching on potato chips."

Chen Shu spoke, "Uncle Zhou, there's a flaw in my Contract Spirit..."

Lao Deng interjected, "As long as it can be effective, it doesn't matter if it has flaws."

"Oh..." Chen Shu nodded in agreement and summoned a golden slime, about one meter in size, out of thin air.

"Huff, huff, huff..." The slime had its eyes tightly shut, mouth slightly open, and drool occasionally dripping from it.

"...Quickly awaken it."

With a thought, Chen Shu awakened the slime from its slumber. The slime opened its eyes slightly, looking confused.

"Goo-goo..." It seemed perplexed, as if wondering if there were enemies nearby.

"Let's go. The area has already been cleared by the Zhenling Army, so there won't be any ferocious beasts," Zhou Shi took the lead and officially headed towards the Qingyuan Forest.

As the group marched on, Zhou Shi soon realized the flaw of the slime. It was incredibly slow!

Struggling to keep up with the others, the slime would inevitably doze off after a short while of walking.

"Xiao Chen, are you serious about this Contract Spirit of yours..." Zhou Shi sighed. "Forget it, put it away."

Chen Shu obediently stored the slime into the Beast Space.

Lao Deng rubbed his forehead with his hand and said, "Xiao Yu, have your Flamebird protect the two of you. Leave the rest of the fighting to us."

The speed of the team quickly returned to normal. Although they were in a forest, there was an obvious main path. The Qingyuan Forest had appeared fifty years ago, and numerous beast taming groups had already explored it. With more people passing through, a natural path had been formed.

The group moved forward, surrounded by dense trees. The gentle sunlight seeped through the gaps in the leaves, and the occasional sound of insects could be heard. The air was incredibly fresh, and the scenery before their eyes was like a beautiful manga.

"Our team has two main tasks: capturing three live Qingying Snakes and collecting second-level Iron Core Fruits," Zhou Shi said while remaining alert to their surroundings.

The task of capturing the Qingying Snakes was assigned by a laboratory in Nanjiang City for live experimentation. As for the second-level Iron Core Fruits, the company wanted to attempt refining defensive potions of the Black Iron level.

"In addition to completing these two tasks, the rest is to collect rare materials as much as possible or hunt mutated ferocious beasts."