Chapter 142: Demon Cavern Cultivation Garden! Omen!

The next day, at 8: 4 a. .

In front of the main building of Shun'an Supply Base, the square was packed solid.

Filled with freshmen, their faces alight with excitement, whispering to one another.

Though they were only going to harvest rare flowers and herbs in the Demon Cavern, everyone was fully armed.

Black tactical backpacks hung on their backs, meant for carrying the rare flora.

"I've heard our Great Xia has cultivation gardens inside every Demon Cavern—now I'll finally see one with my own eyes."

Liu Wentao exclaimed, thrilled.

Xu Jingming, beside him, also wore an expression of anticipation.

Rare flowers and herbs bring numerous benefits to psychics, and are essential materials for crafting pills and potions.

Humanity has made many attempts to cultivate more of them.

Eventually, they discovered that the more dangerous the wilderness, the higher the survival rate of rare flora.

Thus, all of Great Xia's dozen-plus Demon Caverns have been equipped with cultivation gardens—No. 7 Demon Cavern included.

Of course, humanity currently only masters large-scale cultivation methods for C-rank and below rare flora.

Above C-rank, survival rates plummet drastically; S-rank is pure luck.

As for SS-rank and SSS-rank rare flora, there's no chance even for luck—humanity simply cannot cultivate them.

The cultivation garden inside No. 7 Demon Cavern is said to span over ten thousand mu.

The number of rare flowers and herbs planted there is incalculable.

"It's late autumn now—most rare flora should be in full bloom; the garden must be breathtaking."

Song Qiuyun's almond eyes gleamed faintly.

Unlike ordinary plants, rare flora typically bloom in autumn.

In high school, she had visited the garden once under her aunt's guidance.

Unfortunately, it was winter then—the rare flora had already been harvested once.

The scenery was still decent, but nowhere near as magnificent as during full bloom.

Time passed swiftly, and it was soon exactly nine o'clock.

In front of the main building,

a teacher stepped forward and announced softly:

"Time's up. Depart for the Demon Cavern cultivation garden!"

She was a female instructor, her voice not loud.

Even somewhat gentle, yet it echoed clearly in every freshman's ears.

"Depart! Depart!"

"The sea of flowers in the garden! I can't wait!"

"Those who didn't sign up for the study trip really missed out."

All the freshmen wore smiles.

Though they were all prodigies from across the nation, each pursuing their own strength,

they would still savor such a rare chance to relax.

Notably,

Kiran, the S-rank student from Jing University, had recovered nearly fully under the treatment of a sixth-rank psychic instructor from Jing University.

He now looked slightly pale as he mingled among the Jing University group.

Thus, the crowd departed en masse from the square in front of the supply base, entering the Demon Cavern.

Along the way, many older psychics watched with envy.

For them, the Demon Cavern was a perilous zone where one misstep could cost their life.

But for these students, it was like a spring outing.

In fact,

this trip to the garden was indeed much like a spring outing.

As soon as they entered the Demon Cavern, many pulled out snacks from their bags and began eating.

They weren't worried about ferocious beasts suddenly emerging.

Though the Demon Cavern teemed with beasts, their group numbered nearly three thousand, plus over a dozen sixth-rank instructors.

Even low-rank beasts acting purely on instinct wouldn't dare approach.

The cultivation garden they needed to reach for harvesting rare flora lay at the outer edge of the Demon Cavern, posing minimal danger.

The three vice principals did not accompany them; instead, over a dozen sixth-rank instructors led the group.

Of course, if any unexpected situation arose,

with the eighth-rank Grandmaster Ling Shuang, who possessed a spatial psychic ability, a single step through space could bring her directly to the scene, over ten kilometers away.

The garden was roughly ten kilometers from the Demon Cavern entrance; the freshmen could reach it in under half an hour at full speed.

But since this was a trip, no one needed to rush.

They chatted and laughed all the way, taking over two hours to finally arrive at the garden's region.

Before the freshmen stood a highly modernized cultivation facility.

The facility was completely encircled by barbed wire, laced with high-voltage lightning along its perimeter.

Armed squads, each with at least sixth-rank psychics, patrolled back and forth.

Through the barbed wire, they could see rare flowers and herbs in full bloom.

Some blazed like the sun, others glowed crimson as flames—seen from afar, they resembled vast oceans of differing colors.

"So beautiful!"

"That's a C-rank Sunflower, right? How can there be so many inside the facility?"

"I can't wait to pull them out of the soil!"

The freshmen stared in awe at the sea of flowers.

"Welcome, instructors and students from the three universities. This way, please."

At the entrance, the garden's chief administrator, Ma Yang, and his staff had already been waiting.

"Thank you, Director Ma."

The instructor in charge of this harvest was Hu Ping, from the Weaponry College of Demon University.

A sixth-rank peak psychic—Xu Jingming had once attended her class.

But since his gunnery had already reached Master level, he never returned after that single lesson.

Hu Ping nodded slightly, then led the freshmen into the garden.

"Jing University students will harvest Sunflowers in Zone C-12. Jin University students will harvest Crimson Flame Grass in Zone B-16.

Demon University students will harvest Qingxin Grass in Zone C-11.

Additionally, the top three students from this study trip must proceed alone to the central S-2 zone to harvest S-rank rare flora."

Director Ma explained as he walked.

Inside the garden, flat roads stretched between rows of diverse rare flora.

The mingled scents of strange medicinal herbs filled the air, refreshing and invigorating.

"The top three students must be separated?"

Hu Ping frowned slightly. "Why don't other Demon Cavern gardens have this rule?"

She wasn't new to study trips; in past years,

though the location wasn't No. 7 Demon Cavern, the format was nearly identical.

While students from the three schools harvested in separate zones, the top three were never split off.

"These are newly cultivated S-rank rare flora—we want these outstanding students to see them firsthand.

Otherwise, if they encounter them in the wilderness someday and fail to recognize them, it would be a pity."

Director Ma's smile remained unchanged.

"See them firsthand?"

Hu Ping paused, then nodded. "Fine. Xu Jingming, Kiran, Dong Sheng—you three step forward.

The rest, follow your respective school instructors to your assigned zones."

"Harvest S-rank rare flora alone?"

Xu Jingming frowned slightly—he felt something off about Director Ma, but couldn't pinpoint what.

He couldn't say exactly what felt wrong.

"But with the instructors here, nothing should go wrong..."

Unable to figure it out, Xu Jingming turned and told Song Qiuyun and the others, then walked ahead alone.

"Harvest S-rank rare flora alone? I want to go too!"

"Heh, you're dreaming—only the top three get that privilege!"

"Even inhaling the scent of an S-rank rare flower could bring tremendous benefits!"

Amid the freshmen's envious gazes,

Xu Jingming and the other two left the group and followed behind Hu Ping.

"Then, Instructor Hu, and the three students, follow me."

Director Ma's smile widened further.

The other dozen or so administrators also split into three groups, each leading the faculty and freshmen from their respective universities to different regions of the plantation.

Wishing all dear readers a joyful Mid-Autumn and National Day holiday!