Chapter 563: Making the Decision! Xia Lan's Thoughts!

The sun blazed high in the sky, with not a single cloud for ten thousand li.

In front of the main gate of the Lei Ting Wu Guan headquarters, people came and went.

Some were ability-users there on business, others were tourists who had come to sightsee.

The spine bone of a dragon-type fierce beast, standing tall outside the Lei Ting Wu Guan headquarters, left many tourists in awe.

Xu Jingming leaned lightly against a wall about a hundred-plus meters from the spine bone.

While waiting for Song Qiuyun and Jiang Chuxuan to arrive, he mulled over the information he had just searched up through Eva.

Dayangzhou,

lay to the southeast of the Great Xia, roughly several thousand kilometers from Ningnan City.

Even taking a fighter jet, it took more than nine hours to arrive.

Dayangzhou covered a total area of 8 million square kilometers, four-fifths of which was fierce beast territory.

On the remaining one-fifth, humanity had built two giant fortress cities.

They were called Moben and Nixi respectively.

The former covered 600,000 square kilometers, the latter slightly smaller at only 400,000 square kilometers.

More than two hundred years ago, both cities belonged to the Ao Nation.

But unfortunately, the Ao Nation was surrounded by sea on all sides.

Its population was also not large, and it had been wiped out early in the fierce beast invasion.

Today's Moben and Nixi are two super-large cities, with a combined population exceeding 200 million.

They do not belong to any single country, but are managed in rotation by the six giants of the United Nations, including Great Xia.

In Dayangzhou, more than 7 million square kilometers are fierce beast territory.

It is the region on the entire Blue Star with the highest concentration of fierce beasts.

It has therefore attracted large numbers of high-tier ability-users.

What Teacher Su Qingli said — that nearly half of the Blue Star's tier-six, tier-seven, and tier-eight ability-users are there — is no lie.

"Moben and Nixi, the two cities.

Almost every ten-plus days, a small-scale war breaks out.

The frequency of wars breaking out can be said to be the highest on the entire Blue Star.

More crucially, even if no war breaks out, I can still enter the wilderness zones and hunt fierce beasts.

7 million square kilometers of fierce beasts — even if I kill until my hands go soft, I could never kill them all..."

Xu Jingming murmured to himself.

The ability points needed for advancement kept growing, and ordinary wilderness zones could no longer satisfy his needs.

He was already somewhat tempted by the idea of going to Dayangzhou.

"Once tomorrow's Genius Tournament peak match ends, I'll ask Teacher Hearing Ling Shuang when she's setting off.

If the timing works, I can go along with her; if not, there's no harm in heading over a bit earlier on my own."

As he was thinking, a crisp, pleasant voice fell into his ears:

"Captain Xu, long time no see. What have you been busy with lately?"

Xia Lan appeared before him, tugging Zhou Xiaoman along, her pretty face lively and bright; in her eyes — beautiful as sapphires — there was a faint smile.

Ningnan City, about to enter December, already carried a slight chill, and passersby on the road had bundled themselves in thick autumn clothes.

Xia Lan, however, was simply wearing a thin jacket on top, with a pair of light-blue summer jeans below.

The outfit accentuated her tall figure, and paired with her delicate features, she looked all the more youthful and pretty, brimming with energy.

Since returning from the Mian Nation last time, apart from matches, Xu Jingming had either gone to wilderness zones or the frontline battlefield.

Back at the martial hall, he was either staying with his teacher or holed up in his own villa.

This was the first time he had run into Xia Lan in over two months, so he smiled and said:

"What else could I be busy with? Busy with the Genius Tournament, of course."

"Just that? I heard that two days ago, you came back from outside with Hall Master Su.

I heard from others in the Genius Camp that you went to the frontline battlefield at the southern border?"

Xia Lan's fair, pretty face was full of curiosity.

Xu Jingming — a man who had risen like a comet.

When it came to hunting fierce beasts, he seemed to have an unusual fervor.

She had noticed this back when she carried out missions with Xu Jingming in the Mian Nation.

"I did go over there with Teacher Su for a trip." Xu Jingming did not deny it.

"Impressive! The Genius Tournament was so intense, and you still managed to find time to slip in a trip to the frontline battlefield."

Xia Lan could not help exclaiming in admiration.

More crucially, Xu Jingming had even powered his way into the Genius Tournament's top four on the strength of it!

That kind of time management was absolutely an ability anyone would envy.

"By the way, isn't Teacher Hearing Ling Shuang taking a group of people to Dayangzhou soon?

Quite a few people from our Genius Training Camp signed up. Did you sign up?"

After a slight pause, Xia Lan asked, a hint of anticipation in her voice.

Xu Jingming was a little surprised to hear this — so Teacher Hearing Ling Shuang wasn't going alone!

But he caught on quickly.

Dayangzhou was indeed dangerous, but that was only for ability-users taking part in battlefield combat.

After all, with beast-tide invasions once or twice a month, each time the death rate was over 40%,

Very few adepts can survive on the battlefield for half a year.

In comparison, if one does not participate in war but merely trains in the wilderness zones, the mortality rate is actually quite low.

Within the nation's wilderness zones, adepts of sixth rank or higher are forbidden from large-scale hunting of ferocious beasts.

The sixth-rank elites from the Talent Training Camp have nowhere to go—Dayangzhou is indeed a good choice.

Fortunately, Ling Shuang is heading there too; with an eighth-rank Grand Master leading the group, crossing over thirteen thousand kilometers is considerably safer.

"I'll probably go, but not necessarily with Teacher Ling. When is Teacher Ling departing?" Xu Jingming asked.

"December 1st, the day after the Talent Competition ends."

Hearing the answer, Xia Lan's eyes lit up, and she replied quickly.

"Then there shouldn't be any problem," Xu Jingming nodded.

The finals of the Talent Competition will conclude tomorrow, followed by five consecutive days of siege-and-defense matches.

After the matches end, I can join them.

As for the reward from the Talent Competition, one item is entry into the Qingfeng Secret Realm.

The chance to repair the incomplete Essence Elements also lies there.

According to past tradition, entry into the Secret Realm occurs ten days after the Talent Competition ends—there is no time conflict.

"That's good—I don't know anyone among the registrants. If you're going too, we can travel together."

Joy shone plainly on Xia Lan's lovely face.

"You're going too? But aren't you only Upper Fourth Rank?" Xu Jingming's eyebrows slightly lifted.

Sixth-rank adepts cannot freely hunt ferocious beasts within the nation—it's normal for them to go to Dayangzhou.

But for someone at Xia Lan's level, staying at headquarters to cultivate poses no issue.

"Teacher Ling may stay in Dayangzhou for quite some time this time."

"Since the teacher is going, it makes no sense for me, as her student, to remain here at headquarters."

Xia Lan smiled lightly, then subtly revealed her aura: "Besides, I'm no longer an Upper Fourth Rank adept."

"Oh? You've broken through? Congratulations."

Xu Jingming, sensing her aura, offered his congratulations.

"When we first met, I was Upper Fourth Rank. Half a year has passed—it's time I broke through."

Xia Lan's expression carried a touch of reflection.

Half a year ago, at Civilization Ruin No. 9, she and Xu Jingming were both Upper Fourth Rank.

But now, she has only just broken into Fifth Rank, while Xu Jingming has already become a Sixth Rank adept.

The gap in talent is evident.

"Indeed."

Xu Jingming nodded, then suddenly felt something stir within him.

After breaking through to the Third Layer of the SSS-grade Soul-Refining Art, "Lei Hai Contemplation Method," his passive Heart Net perception had strengthened considerably.

Within the Heart Net's sensing, the taxi carrying Song Qiuyun and Jiang Chuxuan had arrived.

Looking up, he indeed saw two familiar, graceful silhouettes stepping down from a taxi by the roadside.

"The people I'm waiting for have arrived. Let's talk another time."

Saying this, Xu Jingming walked straight toward the wide road.

Xia Lan and Zhou Xiaoman followed his gaze.

They too saw two stunningly beautiful girls—one with black hair, one with white—slender and elegant.

"Are those… Xu Jingming's girlfriends? Indeed, each is more beautiful than the last."

Zhou Xiaoman exclaimed in amazement.

She had previously thought Xu Jingming had no interest in Xia Lan—that he was playing hard to get.

But now it was clear: these two girls, in both figure and appearance, were no less than Xia Lan.

"A man cuts his hair in rage for his beloved—these two are truly lucky to have Xu Jingming as a boyfriend."

"If only I could find a boyfriend bold enough to kill the ninth-rank councilor's heir for me."

Zhou Xiaoman sighed involuntarily.

She glanced unconsciously at Xia Lan beside her, only to find the girl staring fixedly at Xu Jingming—as if she hadn't heard a word.

"Tsk tsk, you'll sink right into his eyes if you keep staring like that!"

"Others send secret glances—you're practically drowning him in them!"

Zhou Xiaoman teased, then her eyes sparkled as she eagerly proposed:

"If you're truly interested in Xu Jingming, go after him boldly."

He already has two girlfriends—losing one won't hurt, gaining one won't change much."

"And since you're all going to Dayangzhou anyway, this is your perfect chance."

"Xiaoman!"

Xia Lan finally snapped back to reality, her face flushed as she scolded softly.

"I'm not just saying this for fun—if you miss this chance,

Xu Jingming's rank will keep rising, and soon you might never even see him again, let alone have any future with him."

Zhou Xiaoman replied with sharp logic.

This time, Xia Lan did not rebut—only gazed with eyes like sapphires

at the direction Xu Jingming and the two girls had walked away, lost in thought...