Volume Two: Embarking on the Journey Chapter 1: Hurricane Squad

For the next half-month, Wang Jue barely stepped out of his house. Aside from mealtimes, he spent the rest of his time in his room cultivating. It was not that he did not want to go out; rather, he had previously gone to Blood Wolf Valley in hopes of earning some Star Origin Points. To his dismay, he discovered that despite his Spirit-Containment stage cultivation, hunting the level-one star beasts known as Blood Wolves yielded absolutely nothing—not even a scrap of usable material, let alone Star Origin Points or experience.

Wang Jue was deeply unsettled, fearing something had gone wrong. He later recalled that during his actual combat assessment, he had earned points and experience for killing level-two star beasts. Realizing that hunting level-one beasts was no longer profitable, he abandoned the idea and did not even bother to harvest the materials from the wolves he had already slain. It was not that he did not want to make money, but after calling his senior brother, Monkey, he learned that the latter was in seclusion at home, and their business of purchasing materials had been temporarily suspended. Even if he brought the materials back, he would have no one to sell them to.

Ultimately, Wang Jue chose to return home to cultivate. It was the perfect opportunity to see how his cultivation speed had changed now that his talent had been upgraded. After half a month, his cultivation had broken through from the third to the fourth level of the Spirit-Containment stage, and his strength had improved accordingly. During this time, he received a call from Ning Chuan, who instructed him to report to the Martial Arts Association hall in three days.

...

Soon, the appointed time arrived. That morning, Wang Jue finished breakfast, left his home, and hailed a taxi to the Martial Arts Association. When he arrived at the training hall, he found it largely empty, save for Ning Chuan and a few others. Beside Ning Chuan stood four figures who appeared relaxed and unrefined, yet their presence was impossible to ignore.

"At least Red Star stage!" Wang Jue thought, inwardly startled as he felt the aura faintly radiating from them.

"Master Ning Chuan!" Wang Jue said, composing himself as he walked over to offer a greeting.

"Hmm!" Ning Chuan nodded and smiled. "You're quite prompt. Come, let me introduce you. This is the Hurricane Squad. They are an elite team I selected from over a dozen adventurer squads at this branch. They are exceptionally experienced in both wilderness survival and actual combat. Furthermore, every member has reached at least the fifth level of the Red Star stage, and their captain is already at the peak of the seventh level—just one step away from the eighth."

Ning Chuan’s expression turned solemn as he continued, "I called you here to tell you this: once a martial artist chooses to become an adventurer, they can only stay in the safe zone for one month. Once that time is up, they must head to the border battlefield; it is an ordeal every adventurer must face. I’ve calculated that your time is nearly up. As it happens, this team is heading there, and you can join them to ensure your safety."

Turning to a tall, slender young man among the four, Ning Chuan said, "Shen Feng, this is Wang Jue, the one I told you about. From now on, he’ll be tagging along with you."

"No problem," Shen Feng said with a smile. He stepped forward and extended his hand toward Wang Jue. "Hello, I’m the captain of the Hurricane Squad, Shen Feng."

Wang Jue looked at the man, who was a full head taller than him, and felt the aura he was intentionally projecting. Wang Jue offered a faint smile. "Hello, I am Wang Jue. Please take care of me." He reached out, and the two shook hands.

The atmosphere froze for a few seconds. Both men were smiling on the outside, but cursing inwardly while they engaged in a silent contest of strength.

*This kid has so much power!* Shen Feng was secretly shocked. Although he hadn't used his full strength, he was a Red Star stage martial artist nearing the eighth level! Wang Jue’s cultivation was clearly only at the fourth level of the Spirit-Containment stage. How could he hold his own for so long? Looking at his calm expression, it didn't seem forced. This kid had some real substance.

"Hahaha, no wonder Master Ning Chuan thinks so highly of you!" Shen Feng laughed and released his grip. Point taken—he didn't use full force; after all, a seventh-level peak Red Star martial artist still had a reputation to maintain.

"You flatter me," Wang Jue replied with a slight smile, showing no anger. He knew he was only being "airdropped" into this team thanks to Ning Chuan, and he understood that the team would naturally have some reservations. He couldn't blame them for the test. If he had been too weak, the Hurricane Squad likely would have rejected him on the spot. He was still puzzled as to why Ning Chuan was helping him, given that he had never chosen to join the association. From his previous encounters, he felt that Ning Chuan bore him no malice. Since that was the case, he would accept this favor and pay it back once he grew stronger.

"Shen Feng, I didn't lie to you, did I?" Ning Chuan said. "Although this kid doesn't want to join our branch, he is still a genius of our Peace Town. He won't drag your squad down."

"Master, what are you saying? I’ve always trusted you," Shen Feng said, rubbing his nose.

The other three members of the Hurricane Squad exchanged glances, their eyes filled with surprise.

Shen Feng turned to them. "Alright, why don't you introduce yourselves?"

"I’m Su Yu, Red Star fifth level," said a handsome, honest-looking young man with fair skin.

*Hmm,* Wang Jue mused, *a bit weaker than me!*

"H-hello, I’m Jiang Yunxin, Red Star fifth level." The next to speak was a woman who seemed delicate and shy, appearing quite flustered. Wang Jue was surprised; she didn't look like a seasoned martial artist at all. However, he knew not to judge by appearances—when she wasn't being shy, the aura she faintly emitted was clearly genuine.

Then came the last member—a mature, confident-looking woman.

"Jiang Yunyan, Red Star sixth level." She flashed a bright, toothy smile and patted Wang Jue on the shoulder. "Little brother, follow big sister from now on. I’ll cover you, and if I’m in a good mood, I’ll give you some perks!" She winked at him as she spoke.

"Alright, Yan, don't tease the kid," Shen Feng said with a helpless shake of his head. "Yan is Yunxin’s older sister. They’re biological sisters!"

Wang Jue had an epiphany. No wonder he thought they looked similar, though he hadn't been sure. He hadn't expected to be right. Wang Jue didn't hold back either. "You all know my name, so I won't repeat it. My cultivation is at the fourth level of the Spirit-Containment stage."

"Fourth level of Spirit-Containment?!" The four members of the Hurricane Squad were stunned. Before arriving, they only knew that Wang Jue had just passed the adventurer's combat assessment and was a martial artist at a very young age. They had been shocked enough then, assuming he was only at the second or third level. They hadn't expected him to be at the fourth! They knew his age from Ning Chuan.

"A sixteen-year-old at the fourth level of Spirit-Containment," they murmured. "No wonder Master Ning calls you a genius!"

Seeing that the group was getting along, Ning Chuan smiled. "Alright, the main goal today was for you to meet. Since you've been introduced, I’ll leave the rest of the arrangements to you." He added a final, concerned instruction: "Shen Feng, I’m entrusting Wang Jue to you. Take good care of him."

"Rest assured, Master," Shen Feng nodded.

Ning Chuan hesitated for a moment before addressing Wang Jue. "Wang Teng, I’m putting you in the Hurricane Squad in hopes that you’ll learn combat experience against star beasts while staying safe. However, you must work hard and take this seriously. Don't rely solely on your teammates. If you can't integrate into the team or meet their requirements, I will have no choice but to remove you. If that happens, you’ll be on your own as a lone wolf. Remember that!"

Wang Jue nodded. "I will remember!"

"That’s for the best." Ning Chuan said no more and waved his hand before leaving.

Once Ning Chuan had disappeared, Shen Feng turned to Wang Jue. "Wang Jue, we just returned from the border battlefield and need two or three days to recover. Let’s meet here in three days, and then we’ll head out."

"Understood," Wang Jue replied.

Shen Feng nodded, then asked, "By the way, have you bought your weapons and equipment?"

"I have a weapon, but I haven't bought gear yet. What kind do I need?" Wang Jue asked, scratching his nose in embarrassment.

Shen Feng shook his head inwardly. *A complete rookie indeed.* He explained patiently, "You need a full set of combat gear. Good gear fits the body perfectly, is very comfortable, doesn't hinder movement, and offers good protection—you need to choose carefully. You’ll also need a backpack, a communication watch, and other essentials..."

"Is this the communication watch you mean?" Wang Jue asked, showing the watch unique to adventurers.

Seeing the watch, Shen Feng’s expression turned to one of shock and envy. "Purple? This must be the watch only authorized adventurers can wear, right?"

"What, a purple watch? Let me see, let me see!" The other three members were equally surprised, crowding around to stare at the watch on Wang Jue’s wrist.

"Good heavens, it really is!" Jiang Yunyan exclaimed. "I’m starting to get a little jealous of you adventurers."

"Isn't this something you get when you become an adventurer?" Wang Jue asked, puzzled.

"You get one, but the colors and capabilities differ," Shen Feng explained, a hint of envy still on his face. "Those of us who join the Martial Arts Association, while we can be adventurers, aren't eligible for these. We can only wear the black watches issued by the association. Only adventurers with purple watches like yours are recognized as 'true' adventurers. Our black watches merely mark us as peripheral members."

"What’s a peripheral member?" Wang Jue asked curiously.

Shen Feng gave a bitter smile. "It’s simple to understand. If you join an organization and become an adventurer, you’re a peripheral member. People like you, who haven't joined any organization, are recognized by adventurers as one of their own."

"I don't see much of a difference," Wang Jue said, confused. "To me, as long as everyone is an adventurer, isn't that enough?"

"No, no, there’s a big difference," Shen Feng said, shaking his head. "Some precious items aren't available to peripheral members like us. In terms of high-end resources, only the main headquarters can compare to what you have access to."