Flight

As a relative conservative, Yin Chen did not support leaving on a whim.

An Changqing stood beside Su Yuehe, his knuckles distinct as he held a cup of warm water. He looked at Su Yuehe's pale yet stubborn face and sighed.

He could tell that all these people wanted to go; the only difference was which day they would leave.

"I must go with you." An Changqing's tone left no room for negotiation. Although these people were all exceptionally strong, he would never feel at ease if he didn't tag along.

"Then let's go together."

Su Yuehe glanced at him, knowing what was on his mind.

If she didn't let An Changqing follow, the one appearing here next would be her mother.

If this weren't the Northern Frontier, Su Yuehe would probably have chosen to directly hire powerful bodyguards.

Unfortunately, this was the Northern Frontier, under the jurisdiction of the Great Wall, and any reputable bodyguards were basically on the blacklist in the Northern Frontier region.

These classmates were her current reliance.

Anyway, she only needed knowledge, so there wouldn't be any conflict of interest between them.

Moreover, these people were either rich or didn't care about money, so there was no need to worry about them fighting over an uneven distribution of benefits.

To some extent, they were even more reliable than outsiders.

Yin Chen tapped his short staff on the table. "We need a scout with extremely strong perception abilities. Plunging blindly into the blizzard is no different from seeking death."

The dorm room was quiet for a moment, and everyone's eyes turned to Chen Guan, the only one who had yet to state his position.

For the scout position, who else could it be but him?

The sunlight from outside shone on Chen Guan's side profile, and his whole being exuded an aloofness as if none of this concerned him.

The massive black panther was lying at his feet, dozing with its eyes closed, its tail occasionally sweeping across the wooden floor.

"Isn't there a ready-made one right here?" Hong Yuan pointed in Chen Guan's direction, her voice growing loud again. "Chen Guan, come with us this time, won't you?"

Chen Guan withdrew his gaze from the window and let it fall on Hong Yuan.

"Alright."

This single word from Chen Guan fell into the quiet dorm room, as if putting a steady end to this debate.

Hong Yuan slapped her thigh happily, her voice booming once more. "That's more like it! With you here, not a rustle in the grass within a dozen miles will escape our eyes. With our setup, we could just steamroll right through."

Yin Chen nodded slightly; he knew Chen Guan wouldn't miss out on this.

Yin Chen then let out a smug scoff.

Then, he said, "Since the scout position is filled, the framework of this temporary scientific expedition team is complete. However, before Student Su's approval documents are officially issued, I suggest everyone keep a low profile."

An Changqing sighed. He glanced at Hong Yuan, who was munching on an apple, and urged, "Hong Yuan, you absolutely must not go around blabbing. If you attract the attention of the academy's instructors, even with expedition clearance, it will bring a lot of unnecessary trouble."

"I know, I know. My lips are sealed," Hong Yuan patted her chest and promised.

Yin Chen looked at An Changqing with approval. Sure enough, just like himself, An Changqing realized who the unreliable one was.

Chen Guan stood by the window, watching the bullet comments floating across his retinas.

[Hahaha, what does it mean to only warn Hong Yuan? Not even Long Ao got this kind of special treatment.]

[Brother Ao, don't look, it's a negative review.]

[Brother Ao got kicked while just passing by.]

Chen Guan closed the bullet comments that were teasing the two redheads and reached out to rub the back of the black panther's neck.

How could he miss out on that altar which might be related to the Black Wind civilization?

...

Three days passed in a flash.

The cold wind was biting. On the academy's aircraft parking apron, a medium-sized military transport plane painted entirely in silver-gray sat quietly in the middle of the runway.

The prominent logo of the Human Council's Special Scientific Expedition Department was printed on the fuselage.

Hong Yuan, carrying an axe that was even more exaggeratedly large than herself, swaggered at the very front.

A faint ice-blue halo flowed across the axe blade; this was the spiritual energy characteristic left behind after Yin Chen had reforged it using the cold extraction method.

"This plane looks really grand."

Hong Yuan reached out and patted the thick metal landing gear, turning her head to look at Su Yuehe walking behind her. "Little rich miss, your connections are truly solid. You can even directly requisition a military aircraft with spiritual energy armor to use as a charter flight."

Su Yuehe explained softly, "The air currents at the edge of the Northern Frontier are very turbulent. It's difficult for ordinary civilian aircraft to land safely there. This plane is a modified aircraft retired from the Great Wall defense line; its power system and cold resistance are much better."

"...Damn it, what would it cost the world to have one more rich person like me?"

Hong Yuan looked resentful.

Yin Chen walked up the boarding stairs with his husky, his pure white trench coat fluttering slightly in the wind. No matter what, he had to look cool.

"Hurry up and let's go, Student Little Hong."

"Yin Chen, are you itching for a beating again?" Hong Yuan glared and waved her empty fist. "Believe it or not, I'll use you as a sacrifice to the flag first!"

Chen Guan walked at the very back, the black panther pacing elegantly by his side.

When facing Yin Chen's husky, it was no longer as cowardly as before. Obviously, the panther was throwing its weight around because of its master's backing, and the whole beast was extremely puffed up with pride.

Chen Guan entered the cabin and found a window seat to sit down.

The interior of the cabin was spacious, and the seats were all made of specially designed shock-absorbing materials.

He looked at the sky outside through the thick porthole, gazing distantly toward the destination of this trip.

According to the incomplete coordinates provided by Su Yuehe, the destination was the extremely cold wasteland north of the Great Wall defense line.

Withered Source Stones, the Black Wind civilization, the ancient altar, gray energy...

Would he get the answers?

The cabin door slowly closed, and the engines emitted a low, steady roar.

The transport plane accelerated on the runway, soared into the clouds, and flew toward the northern skyline.

After the flight stabilized, Su Yuehe unbuckled her seatbelt and handed several tactical tablets to everyone.

"This is the preliminary topographical mapping of the area near the coordinates," Su Yuehe said, pointing to the red markers on the screen.

"Because it is an unexplored area, the map only provides a reference for the peripheral landforms. It is covered by blizzards all year round, and visibility is extremely low."

"According to data from the edge monitoring station set up by the military over there, the magnetic field in that area is very chaotic. All conventional electronic communication devices will completely fail upon entering the range."

"A chaotic magnetic field means that the spiritual energy radar will also be severely interfered with. Chen Guan, once we get there, your perception will be the most important eyes for our team."

Chen Guan withdrew his gaze from the window and landed it on the map. "As long as it's not a large horde of demonic beasts that exceeds the limits of my perception, planning a route in advance to avoid them won't be a problem."

"But if the altar itself has a function that shields perception, we will just have to get closer and assess the situation."

"It doesn't matter. If we really run into trouble blocking our way, I'll just carve out a path with my axe."

Hong Yuan pulled a compressed biscuit out of her tactical backpack and started munching on it. "I'm almost going crazy being cooped up in the academy. Those boring training sessions aren't even enough for a warm-up. Why do I have to accommodate the progress of those rookies?"

An Changqing sweatdropped. If the training was arranged according to your level, the other students might as well just be sent home directly.