"Grass Beating Valley? What does that mean?"

"It means going to harvest Soul Beads, of course. Yesterday, we observed that the Exotic Beasts outside Lethe Canyon had reached a critical threshold. If we allow the Exotic Beasts to continue increasing, they are very likely to gather and launch an attack on Lethe Canyon. To prevent the Exotic Beasts from massing, we carry out periodic exterminations of the beasts outside."

"This regular extermination, called Grass Beating Valley, takes place roughly every seven to ten days. Don't worry, we're very skilled at it. You can just watch from the sidelines."

"Oh, okay."

Wang Lan went along with the Xing Feng squad. About seventy people participated in this Grass Beating Valley mission, aside from those who were necessary to stay behind and defend Lethe Canyon.

"Third Terrain Squad, get ready!" Captain Feather ordered methodically.

Outside Lethe Canyon, the groups of Exotic Beasts suddenly stopped moving, lifting their heads vigilantly to observe the rustling of the windblown grass. Being pushed to the edge, these Exotic Beasts were already a weaker group, with neither high combat capability nor intelligence.

Despite seeing the Ninety-seventh Group already in battle formation, they still didn't understand what the Ninety-seventh Group was about to do.

"Earth Skill, World in Picture!"

A Star Martial Warrior took out an Ink Painting Scroll. Then, eight Star Martial Warriors simultaneously surged their Star Power, each placing a palm on the scroll.

"BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—" With a series of thunderous roars accompanied by intense trembling, the ground outside Lethe Canyon suddenly quaked and howled. A series of small mountain ranges, mounds, and stone forests grew from the ground, almost identical to the world depicted in the painting.

The change in terrain also split the area outside Lethe Canyon into isolated cages, segregating the Exotic Beasts.

"All squads take note: attack separately. Ask for help if you encounter tough enemies."

"Understood! Let's kill—" Dozens of small groups scattered, charging into the separated Exotic Beast herds like wolves among sheep.

Atop a high hillock, Yu Ruoyun stood against the wind with her arms crossed. Her fluttering hair brushed past her tender cheeks as she pressed her lips tight, gazing down at the fierce battle below.

With a flash of a Nether Butterfly, a figure appeared beside Yu Ruoyun.

"You came too?"

"Our duty is to support the Ninety-seventh Group. If they are fighting, of course, I should be skirting the battlefield."

"But looking at the situation, they seem able to wrap this up without casualties. Have you developed that Star Martial Skill yet?"

"Not so fast... Wang Lan, I shouldn't have brought you in here," Yu Ruoyun said suddenly.

"What do you mean? Why say that?"

"Coming here is just a formality. The Ninety-seventh Group's station isn't that important, nor is it particularly challenging. The Ninety-seventh Group can easily hold Lethe Canyon; having us here is just to keep us idle. You might as well have stayed in school to make Soul Bead grenades and work on the Star Martial Toxins Vaccine."

"Don't say that. There might really be a big change here, and the defense line of Lethe Canyon is very important. Using Lethe Canyon as a natural defensive barrier, we can cover an area of a hundred kilometers to the northwest. If we continue developing new regions, Lethe Canyon is an ideal supply node."

"Heh..." Yu Ruoyun chuckled coldly.

Below, a group of Star Martial Warriors at the Star Cloud Stage and Star Shine Stage charged against Exotic Beasts whose average strength was at the Star Shine Stage. Wang Lan, in his earlier days, would not have dared to do so. During the intermediate trials, Jiang Xinyu was at the Star Cloud Stage, while a few others were at the Star Shine Stage.

The Exotic Beasts in the intermediate trials were at least of the Starlight Stage, with a higher proportion of beasts at the Star Shine Stage. Even with such difficulty in the trial field, Wang Lan and the others felt it was challenging.

What was the reason? At first, they all thought that Exotic Beasts of the same stage were stronger than Star Martial Warriors, both in combat power and Star Power. But later, Wang Lan realized it wasn't so.

The Exotic Beasts had advantages, but their disadvantages were even more apparent. Exotic Beasts were just wild beasts, without wisdom or tactics. With such obvious disadvantages, a one-on-one fight might favor the beasts, but in a two-on-two, Star Martial Warriors would surely win.

The advantage of Star Martial Warriors, or of humanity as a whole, was not embodied in individuals. People might wonder: how did humans manage to stand at the top of the food chain?

Humans lacked brute strength and strong sinews. They weren't fast or high jumpers when running on two legs. So what gave them the edge?

Was it the weapons they invented? Yes and no. Even in the savage ages, without even the technology to work iron, humans had already been operating on a different dimension than other life forms.

Humans used tactics. A single person with a bamboo spear wasn't strong, but ten people with ten spears could be invincible. Add to that nimble maneuvering and attacks from all sides, and even an elephant would have to kneel.

The prowess of the Ninety-seventh Group's Star Martial Warriors was something Wang Lan and Yu Ruoyun no longer regarded with much esteem. To them, one Star Martial Skill could wipe out the whole group. However, the coordination demonstrated by the Ninety-seventh Group made the two deeply realize how much they lacked in team combat dynamics.

The teamwork of the Ninety-seventh Group wasn't just about being in sync; it was as if they were flawlessly instinctual.

Even without any warning, perfect coordination was executed. The Exotic Beasts, in the face of the Pioneer Team, didn't even have the chance to display their full strength and were beheaded unexpectedly.

No wonder the Ninety-seventh Group's stationing at Lethe Canyon had rarely seen casualties over the past year. Consequently, the area had been deemed calm and safe by headquarters. But in reality, the situation here might not be stable at all; its only advantage was the natural defensive barrier of Lethe Canyon.

The battle lasted for over an hour, with Wang Lan occasionally lending a hand. He healed injured people and shot an arrow when someone was at risk of being ambushed by Exotic Beasts. He didn't engage in combat but still gained the unanimous approval of the Ninety-seventh Group.

The Ninety-seventh Group itself had tacit coordination. Wang Lan's involvement might not only have failed to produce results but could have disrupted their teamwork, just like that previous squad of bird people.

And Wang Lan's role as a battle healer delighted the Ninety-seventh Group even more. With their well-rounded team and rich experience, the only thing they lacked was a healer. Wang Lan's powerful healing abilities made the Ninety-seventh Group feel their combat power had significantly increased, reaching another dimension.

They could fight all they wanted, without a damn worry about getting hurt. A mere scrape, and a Holy Light would descend. It was a good thing they managed to glance at their injuries in time to confirm they'd even been hurt; otherwise, a second or two later, they wouldn't have even seen the wound before it healed completely.

When one hour was up, not a single person from the Ninety-seventh Group had as much as a hair scratched, and more than 2,000 Exotic Beasts were slain just like that.

"Take a break! Take a break and then continue! Today's goal is 10,000 Exotic Beasts!"

"AWOO—"

"Damn, Captain Feather is getting cocky, huh? During previous Grass Beating Valley operations, he only dared set a goal of 5,000, at most 8,000. Now he's aiming for 10,000?"

"Fuck, are they trying to work us to death? But I like it!"

After an hour of battle, the battlefield had suffered some damage. During the rest period, the Star Martial Warriors in charge of maintaining the battlefield hurriedly began to repair it. A group of Star Martial Warriors nibbled on energy bars and gathered to shoot the breeze and brag.

"Wang Lan, come on, join in the chatter."

"Wang Lan, are you a Medical Attribute Star Martial Warrior? But I heard from Xing Feng that you're quite the fighter. Could this be the genius of Modu City's Star Martial Academy? Even as a Medical Attribute Star Martial Warrior, you can fight and heal?"

"Exactly! Let me tell you, you all have the wrong idea about Medical Attribute Star Martial Warriors. What's the definition of a Medical Attribute warrior? A 'daddy healer'? All wrong! The correct term should be a tank. Think about it: no matter how strong the armor or how thick the health, can it ever be thicker than a Medical Attribute warrior healing themselves? So, Medical Attribute Star Martial Warriors should all be melee fighters! Never ever see them as mere protected animals in the future. You all might be lying dead while they're just fine."

"Is... it really like that?" a Star Martial Warrior asked, his face full of confusion. He felt that there was something off about what Wang Lan said, yet also found it oddly convincing.

In the shadows, as she listened to Wang Lan's spiel, Yu Ruoyun's mouth twitched slightly. Are you trying to ruin the Medical Attribute Star Martial Warriors' bread and butter? If this line of reasoning gets out, how many Medical Attribute Star Martial Warriors will you have screwed over? Among Medical Attribute Star Martial Warriors, there are those capable of fighting, but freaks like you, whose combat power far exceeds their healing ability, are one of a kind, aren't they?

"BOOM—"

While everyone was resting and chatting, a thunderous roar suddenly sounded. Amid the thunder, the sky also became dark and gloomy.

"Huh? Thunder? Does it thunder in the Different Dimensional Space?" Wang Lan asked, puzzled, while biting on an energy bar.

"Thunder in a Different Dimensional Space is not impossible, but it's very rare. I've been a Pioneer for over twenty years, and I've only seen thunder a few times," a middle-aged Star Martial Warrior said, stroking his chin and looking puzzled.

In the depths of the eastern sky, a mass of dark clouds gathered. The clouds seemed to be stirred by something, spinning rapidly as endless lightning flared within their depths.

Suddenly, Wang Lan stood up abruptly, taking a step forward. The smile that had been on his face vanished, replaced by a deep wariness in his eyes.

This reaction from Wang Lan instantly put Yu Ruoyun on alert. She flashed next to Wang Lan and asked, "What's wrong?"

"The Power of Space! There's a strong Power of Space within the dark clouds. I'm afraid something's about to happen."

"You're saying... the Portal of the Demon World?"

"I don't know, but I haven't sensed pure Power of Space. There is spatial turbulence within the dark clouds; this mass of clouds is connected to a space."

"Oh, then it must be the fusion of Different Dimensional Spaces," Captain Feather said, holding a cigarette in his mouth as he came over to Wang Lan's side. "This happens often in the Pioneer Space. The purpose of the Pioneer Space is to unify the chaotic, unsystematically opening Different Dimensional Spaces, making them all open here."

BOOM—

Suddenly, a white light shot out from the mass of black fog in the sky, like a beam of light rushing towards the ground. The fog hit the ground and spread rapidly in all directions, like ink dropped into water.

The dark smoke seemed ominous, giving everyone a sense of foreboding. The anomaly in front of them made everyone stand up and walk over, their eyes filled with confusion and worry.

The black cloud in the sky suddenly burst apart and dissipated, and the column of smoke vanished instantly as well.

If it weren't for the area still shrouded in dense smoke in the distance, the recent spectacle of heaven and earth would seem more like an illusion. It came too quickly and disappeared just as fast.

"How common is this sort of anomaly in the Pioneer Space?" Wang Lan turned his head and asked, puzzled.

"I've never seen anything like it..."

"ROAR—"

Suddenly, a roar that shook heaven and earth exploded, carrying an ancient air that resonated with the world.

The roar, filled with majestic might, made everyone but Wang Lan and Yu Ruoyun go pale, their limbs weak. Some even collapsed to the ground.

"What's going on?"

"What sound is that? The roar of an Exotic Beast?"

At this moment, Wang Lan's eyes were filled with disbelief and intense fear.

Fuck!

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