The thousands of students of the institute had also split up into smaller groups that numbered somewhere from four to ten people each. These groups of students would have to accomplish a series of tasks that were devised to test their ingenuity and resourcefulness. Tasks such as identifying ten different types of herbs a day and turning them into one of the institute’s faculty, capturing demonic beasts, scavenging the corpses of demonic beasts, locating and retrieving rare materials, etc. At the end of the field trip after Zhang and the beauties had hopefully retrieved the hidden treasure, a rewarding ceremony would take place and the students would be rewarded based on what they managed to accomplish.
Of course for the duration of the field trip before the reward ceremony, the safety of the students is one of Zhang’s highest priorities so despite being challenged to accomplish difficult tasks, the students are kept under constant surveillance by the elite guard who had dispersed into the forest upon disembarking the Sky Fortress.
The day after the camp was pitched and the students broke up into teams, they began to disperse into the forest with eager faces brimming with excitement. For many, if not all of these students, this would be the first time they would get to experience such a trip so their hopes and dreams went wild while competitiveness and adventurous feelings skyrocketed.
“Look at all of these plants!” One of Lingqi’s students wearing white and green robes said with brightened eyes as he and his group of friends began collecting the large bounty presented to them by the forest.
“Th-that’s a Devil Fanged Clover!” Another one of Lingqi’s students yelled as they spotted a beautiful flower with four red leaves that were shaped like curving fangs.
“Stop! Don’t touch it! According to Master Lingqi, Devil Fanged Clovers are extremely dangerous because they are usually…” Yet another one of Lingqi’s student tried to say but before she could finish her sentence, her teammate already pounced upon the Devil Fanged Clover and moments later a deafening screech made its way into everyone’s ears as the earth began to rumble.
“Devil Fanged Clovers highly resemble a plant that grows on the head of a demonic beast called a Blood Fang Rat that tends to burrow by trees….” The female student said with a sigh at her teammate's blunder.
Moments later the ground beneath their feet ceased shaking and a red colored rat the size of a bear stared down upon this group comprised of Lingqi’s students.
This red colored rat had a mouth filled with curved fangs and blood-red eyes that screamed danger. Its arms were armed with grotesque looking claws that were covered in dirt.
“Everyone stay calm and don't make any sudden movements. If we coordinate attacks, we can defeat it.” A member of the group said as he pulled out a clear vial that was filled with a green colored liquid.
Before long the Blood Fang Rat charged forward while brandishing its vast array of sharp weapons.
To the rat’s surprise, it was bombarded by a dozen vials filled with a mixture of poisons that inflicted a wide range of symptoms on it.
Its vision was taken away by a cloud of pink mist that made its eyes feel like they were set ablaze while it's limbs felt numb due to a green liquid that splashed onto its fur. While patches of its skin were slowly melting away and revealing white bone that is normally hidden behind a layer of flesh.
Normally even seasoned soldiers would avoid confronting a demonic beast of the fourth level of cultivation like the Blood Fang Rat due to the difference in power between a human and a beast, however, thanks to the training the students received from the institute they were able to hold their own.
Clearly at a disadvantage, the Blood Fang Rat fell into a maddened state and began to attack with
“Let’s go.” Zhang said with a chuckle as he and the beauties peered through a bush and saw how stricken with fear the men surrounded by turtles were.