Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 157 A master of arts is bold

Aurora Icefield, Zone 2, Camp 341.

This place is located on the southwestern edge of the aurora ice field, with a harsh environment and only one hundred frost-free days a year.

In late October, the vegetation around the camp was withered, and the areas where the sun could not shine directly were covered with patches of white frost.

The huge lake beside the highway was even frozen over, reflecting a blinding yet cold white light like a mirror under the sun.

The wind, whistling softly as it came and went, carried a bone-chilling cold; hardly any birds or beasts could be seen in the world.

Gao Wu grew up in Dongjiang and was very familiar with the cold weather in Beizhou. However, the cold here was still beyond his expectations, even though he had checked the weather forecast in advance.

The speeding SUV didn't have its air conditioning on, and the temperature inside was only around ten degrees Celsius. For an average person, sitting in it for a while would make them feel freezing cold.

The beautiful woman sitting next to Gao Wu was dressed in a crisp military uniform, seemingly oblivious to the low temperature inside the vehicle. She didn't talk much and spent most of her time gazing at the scenery outside the window.

The sunglasses completely concealed her eyes, but they couldn't block Gao Wu's gaze. Gao Wu could tell that this Captain Bai Yuzhen, the chief of staff, bore a striking resemblance to Bai Yushuang, and was likely a direct descendant of the Bai family.

To be precise, she resembled Bai Yan; her facial features were both heroic and handsome. Unlike Bai Yan, however, she had snow-white skin and a reserved and calm demeanor.

He has a similar temperament to Xiao Song, but Xiao Song just doesn't like to talk much. However, it's very natural and harmonious to be with him.

Bai Yuzhen adopted a somewhat wary demeanor, which is the most common way strangers interact.

Sitting in the enclosed cabin of the off-road vehicle for three or four hours without speaking made Gao Wu feel a bit stifled.

If circumstances allow, he still enjoys chatting and communicating, as it allows him to obtain more information and bring the two parties closer together.

The problem is that Bai Yuzhen only responds to him with one or two words, so even a master of conversation like him can't continue the conversation.

"We've arrived." The driver slowly stopped the car, rolled down the window, and showed his identification to the approaching sentry. The sentry carefully checked the identification and then looked at Gao Wu and Bai Yuzhen. After confirming that there were no problems, he saluted and let them pass.

The camp was quite large, with an outer wall six or seven meters high, topped with barbed wire. Guard towers lined the edge of the wall, where heavy machine guns and other equipment could be seen.

"Heavily guarded!" Gao Wu's first reaction was that this place was like a prison. No, it was actually even more heavily guarded than a prison.

He wasn't unfamiliar with camps; like the garrison regiment, although there were sentries and guards, it was mostly a formality. While the atmosphere inside a camp was also serious, it would never be as severe and oppressive as here.

The SUV drove all the way to the camp gate. Bai Yuzhen and Gao Wucai got out of the car, and the guards at the gate came over to salute. Without Bai Yuzhen having to say anything, they led the two straight into the camp commander's office.

The battalion commander was Yan Xiling, a typical soldier, serious and conscientious, but with a sallow complexion, which seemed to indicate that he had some health problems. However, he was highly skilled in martial arts and was a martial arts master.

Gao Wu habitually used his Yin Spirit to observe, mainly because he was afraid of having followers of demon gods.

Based on experience, the observation of Yin spirits isn't entirely reliable. For example, in the Dragon Claw Peak secret realm, several martial arts masters lying in ambush concealed their auras, and it wasn't until they were close that the Yin spirit noticed something amiss.

The aura of a demon god shouldn't be too difficult to conceal, unless one has just performed a ritual or actively activated the power bestowed by the demon god, in which case the demonic aura on one's body will be very obvious and impossible to cover up.

Bai Yuzhen first exchanged a few simple pleasantries with Yan Xiling, introduced Gao Wu's identity, and finally produced a document stamped with the military seal.

"I was ordered to undergo three months of advanced training at Camp 341, with my main task being to explore the 341 Secret Realm..."

Bai Yuzhen pointed at Gao Wu, "He is my entourage member. For the sake of secrecy and ease of operation, he has been temporarily given the rank of second lieutenant and is under my direct command."

She saluted Yan Xiling respectfully: "Please cooperate with our work, Battalion Commander Yan."

Yan Xiling returned the greeting, took the document and read it carefully before saying, "I will fully cooperate. Staff Officer Bai can raise any needs you may have."

Before Bai Yuzhen arrived, the Second Army Staff had already communicated with Yan Xiling and explained all the relevant matters.

Yan Xiling knew that Bai Yuzhen and Gao Wu had come to hone their martial arts skills, because of the special nature of the 341 Secret Realm, many people would come here to train every year.

The only difference is that Bai Yuzhen comes from the military directly, so he must have a big shot in the military behind him. As for Gao Wu, he's heard of him. After all, he's the young king who's famous throughout Beizhou. Regardless of his abilities, his reputation at least covers Beizhou.

Although Camp 341 is remote, it still has internet access. At least for the officers, it's not a problem.

Given the harsh environment, we need to relax in this regard and give people room to unwind and adjust.

Yan Xiling also watches Kuaiyin (a Chinese short video platform), finding mindless short videos perfect for watching while eating. He was actually a little confused as to why Gao Wu, with such a prestigious reputation, would come to 341 for training.

The source energy level of the 341 Secret Realm is indeed very low, limiting the appearance of high-level alien beasts and races. However, this limitation is not absolute.

In recent years, the source energy has become increasingly active, and the interdimensional passage connecting the secret realm of 341 seems to have been opened, with more and more white-haired werewolves pouring in.

These werewolves have wolf heads and human bodies, covered in white fur and with skin as tough as iron; their physical strength is comparable to that of a high-level martial artist. Some werewolves are even born with the ability to communicate with source energy, and some even possess martial arts techniques passed down through their race.

Judging from years of battles, werewolves have developed a complete social system and are a large, intelligent race.

The casualty rate in the 341 Secret Realm is rapidly increasing, and for safety reasons, the routine clearing operations every ten days have been canceled.

Over the past six months, countless werewolves have accumulated within the 341 Secret Realm. It can be said to be extremely dangerous.

Yan Xiling believed that Bai Yuzhen knew the situation, but as for Gao Wu, that was beyond his control.

He arranged rest rooms for Bai Yuzhen and Gao Wu on the second floor of the battalion headquarters. Bai Yuzhen was a woman, and Gao Wu's identity was sensitive, so neither of them were suitable to be stationed in the company.

Moreover, the company would have many problems that weren't suitable for Bai Yuzhen to see. Having it under his watchful eye would put him at ease, and everyone else would feel at ease too…

When Gao Wu arrived at his room, he found it to be very simple: a bed, two large cabinets, one of which was a safe with a combination lock, presumably for storing firearms.

Besides that, the best thing is to have a private bathroom where you can shower and use the toilet.

The campsite was a very old-fashioned building, with brick and wood structure, very thick walls, and small windows with two layers of protective netting and iron bars, making the rooms even darker.

The room's layout was also not very reasonable; the overall feel was square and cramped.

Sitting on the wooden bed, Gao Wu slowly opened his suitcase, which was almost entirely filled with underwear. There was also a set of Xuanjia battle armor.

The Xuanjia battle suit needs to be kept in a nutrient box and maintained through nutrient solution. It's roughly equivalent to growing a plant; it needs proper care when not in use.

Nutrient solutions aren't cheap either; a normal monthly consumption is around 10,000 yuan.

Besides that, there's the Destiny Sword, the Golden Thunder Eagle, and three pairs of alloy combat boots.

Combat boots using alloy weaving technology are breathable, warm, waterproof, and toxic-proof, with ultra-high toughness, and can conform to the shape of the foot to enhance the power of kicks several times over.

Alloy combat boots are very expensive, costing around 200,000 yuan per pair, and only the wealthy can afford them.

The environment in the secret realm was harsh, and although he was physically strong, he had to protect himself as much as possible in the details. A battle is a battle; he couldn't just endure hardship without fighting!

The most valuable item in the box was twenty high-grade Vajra Potions. Gao Wu borrowed 40 million from Longteng Company and used the remaining 20,000 points to buy these potions from the Hunter Association.

Having received the true teachings of the Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon, his efficiency in absorbing and expelling source energy greatly increased. However, no matter how much he increased it, it was still not as fast as injecting medicine.

Agility is unlikely to improve further, but the Vajra Elixir is quite suitable for his powerful physique, so he can continue to receive injections.

Longteng Company's cooperation is commendable, thanks to the promotion of "King of Youth". He also promised to attend the grand finale at the end of the month.

With Longteng Company's financial resources, it wouldn't be difficult to temporarily allocate aircraft.

In addition, there were twenty bottles of premium ginseng oral liquid, which he bought with his own money.

With nothing else to do, Gao Wu injected himself with a high-grade Vajra Potion.

After drinking 100 milliliters, he felt his whole body heat up, but other than that, he didn't have any special reaction.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Gao Wu practiced the Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon twice, using his source energy to quickly digest and absorb the medicinal power.

In the evening, Gao Wu and Bai Yuzhen ate at the camp's small canteen. Those who could eat there were all senior officers of the camp, and there were fewer than twenty people in total.

Several officers recognized Gao Wu, but he was wearing sunglasses and had his hair cut short, making him look quite different from the one in the video.

People who weren't very familiar with him wouldn't dare to recognize him. On the other hand, they all felt that there was no reason for a promising young king like Gao Wu to come here for training.

Even if they recognize them, they won't come over to chat or anything out of discipline.

Bai Yuzhen finished her meal in silence, and then saw Gao Wu still devouring pot after pot. She was a little surprised. Had this guy been sprayed with pesticides? How could he eat so much!

The lowest-ranking people present were all warriors, and they were guarding the entrance to the 341st Secret Realm, so they had plenty of exotic beast meat. She ate quite a bit, but Gao Wu ate more than ten times that amount.

She was a little curious, but ultimately didn't ask. She just reminded Gao Wu to set off for the secret realm at nine o'clock the next morning.

The next day when they met, Bai Yuzhen glanced at Gao Wu and noticed that the combat suit he was wearing was the same as hers—a Xuanjia battle suit.

She was even more surprised. The Xuanjia battle suit was a very important piece of combat equipment in the army and would never be sold to outsiders. Where did Gao Wu get it?
Gao Wu noticed Bai Yu's surprise, but he just grinned and didn't explain.

Several off-road vehicles drove along the rugged mountain road for more than an hour before finally arriving at the entrance to the 341 Secret Realm.

The hillsides surrounding the entrance to the secret realm are covered with various combat fortifications. More than a hundred people guard this place day and night.

The exit area is riddled with countless landmines and high-explosive bombs. If any alien beasts were to break out, they would have a very difficult time escaping this death zone alive.

Looking down from the hillside, the secret realm resembles a city with an exotic atmosphere... but it's extremely dilapidated, with many buildings collapsed and streets littered with broken bricks and other trash.

"A hundred years ago, 341 was a city of the Rakshasa people. However, due to a spatial anomaly, the entire Rakshasa Kingdom was swallowed by the void. Several decades later, this secret realm has reappeared..."

Bai Yuzhen gave a brief introduction to the historical background of 341. She believed that Gao Wu must have already read the relevant introduction, so she only said a few words.

She said to Bai Ying, the captain of the reconnaissance team beside her, "Please lead the way, we need to go in and observe the situation."

Bai Ying glanced at the man and woman who had suddenly appeared. The woman had the same rank as him, but her position was much higher. According to the battalion commander's orders, he had to completely obey Bai Yuzhen's orders.

As for the man, because he was wearing a closed combat helmet, I could only vaguely see his very bright eyes through the goggles, so he seemed to be quite young.

Yes, he was tall and slender, standing significantly taller than everyone else. His posture was upright yet relaxed, showing no trace of military bearing.

Most importantly, he's wearing a black armor suit, equipped with a golden thunder eagle, and his sword looks extremely high-level. His entire set of equipment must be worth hundreds of millions; I wonder which wealthy and powerful family's son came here for training…

"The situation inside 341 is extremely dire and dangerous. Coming here for training at this time is truly courting death!"

Bai Ying sighed inwardly, but he had to obey orders.

He could only explain the recent changes in the 341 Secret Realm; whether these two lived or died didn't matter, he just didn't want to implicate them...

“We haven’t entered the secret realm for three months. Based on experience, there should be more than three thousand wolf clansmen, or white-haired werewolves, gathered in the 341 secret realm now.”

"Based on the ratio, one in fifty adult werewolves will naturally awaken their source power and become a warrior. So there should be more than sixty warriors among them."

"Because of the secret realm, the number of werewolves gathering warriors will definitely be greater. They also have a certain ability to cooperate and organize, and experienced werewolves may even use automatic weapons. Be very careful when entering to scout, and retreat immediately if you find anything amiss..."

As Bai Ying spoke, she looked at Bai Yuzhen, hoping that this beautiful female captain could understand how dire the situation was for Unit 341.

“I understand.” Bai Yuzhen emphasized again, “Captain Bai is very experienced, so you will be in charge when we enter.”

Although she was competitive, she knew the dangers of exploring secret realms. She couldn't afford to be reckless now.

This time, her mission was not merely for training, but also to investigate the specific changes in the 341 Secret Realm; she carried a heavy responsibility.

Following the marked safe route, Bai Ying, Yang Dahai, and Zhang Ping, three elite reconnaissance team members, led the way, with Gao Wu in the middle and Bai Yuzhen bringing up the rear. The five of them slowly approached the entrance to the secret realm.

All the companies guarding the fortifications outside were placed on high alert.

Gao Wu seemed quite relaxed. Well, the Yin God didn't notice anything amiss, and neither did the Qilin Divine Image.

He was just a little disappointed that the mechanical warhorse was still in the laboratory; otherwise, he could have just ridden it and flown there...

In terms of effectiveness, it ensures that you look cool enough while avoiding all the ambushes and traps on the ground.

A group of people cautiously made their way to the entrance of the secret realm. Bai Ying first used a probe camera inserted into a tube to observe the surrounding environment, but found nothing unusual.

However, werewolves are cunning and might be hiding somewhere.

Bai Ying gritted her teeth and said, "I'll go in first. If there are no problems, you can follow."

Just as Bai Yu was about to nod in agreement, Gao Wu had already stepped into the secret realm.

The source energy wall that isolated the secret realm rippled like water, but Gao Wu's whereabouts were nowhere to be seen.

"It's alright, come in." Gao Wu took a half step back and turned to greet the others.

Bai Yu was speechless. Bai Ying, Zhang Ping, and Yang Dahai were also somewhat taken aback. They didn't know if this kid was mentally challenged or just incredibly skilled and daring...

(End of this chapter)