You call this a healer?

"Rustling..."

A light rain began to fall, washing away the endless wasteland and ruins, making them appear even more desolate and lifeless.

Zhou Ming hurriedly hid under the canopy of a dead tree nearby, tore off a bunch of dry grass and covered his head with it, barely getting half of the rain on him.

He had been walking all morning, covering at least seventy or eighty miles, and the towering city walls of the base were long gone from his sight.

All around was desolate and cold, as if he were the only person left in the entire world.

At this moment, he opened his huge backpack and checked his equipment—

Ten sticks of "Qingxuan Incense" to ward off evil spirits, a few changes of clothes, a dagger, a shovel, a rope, ten pieces of Yuanjing (essence) to quickly restore vitality, three bottles of pills to treat injuries, three bottles of Dit Da San (a traditional Chinese medicine for bruises and sprains), and enough compressed biscuits, fried noodles, and soaked sausages to last for ten days.

Apart from a change of clothes, everything else was provided by the school!

No wonder the tuition is so high!

Well, thankfully, none of the equipment got damp!

He zipped up his backpack, opened the topographic map, found the location of Blackwater Hill, and sighed his bad luck. He had drawn the most remote and isolated area, the closest to the military's defense line, and there were still 97 miles to go.

If he doesn't reach his destination by nightfall, he'll have to spend the night in the wilderness. On rainy days, the "Azure Incense" can't be lit, and he'll likely face a massive attack from living, supernatural beings!

Students at other stations that are closer to the station are probably already eating, drinking, and resting there, preparing for their "monthly exam" that evening.

We can't wait any longer!

He immediately burst out of the tree canopy and ran towards his destination.

Behind them, a man and a woman slowly emerged:

"Not going to do anything?"

"This kid is a bit strange. Five rogue cultivators died tragically and inexplicably. It's impossible that they were all killed by enemies by chance. Besides, there might be other students passing by nearby. It would be bad if he were exposed, and his teacher might come."

Follow him first, then hide at the nearby Chen family station, and wait for an opportunity to strike.

……

After traveling ninety-seven miles, we hurried as fast as we could, and were almost exhausted. Finally, just before dark, we entered Blackwater Hill, a hilly area of ​​thirty or forty miles, with undulating hills, large areas of withered vines, and shallow rivers.

At this moment, night finally descended from the distant edge of the wasteland, a dark mist like an eternal night, within which countless strange and predatory creatures descended, sending chills down one's spine.

"Number 73..."

Zhou Ming looked at the strangely shaped houses nearby.

Just then, a thin, lame girl suddenly ran from afar: "Excuse me, are you the adult heading to number 73?"

Zhou Ming nodded: "That's right, you are..."

The young woman said respectfully, "I am a servant of the station manager of Station 73. Just call me Ah Shui. My station manager and two other masters are waiting for you!"

Zhou Ming gestured for the girl to lead the way, glancing at her right leg as they walked. Her entire calf was gone; he wondered how that had happened. He asked, "Who are the other two gentlemen?"

Ah Shui shook his head: "I don't know their names, they're all pretty girls."

Zhou Fengchen stopped speaking. Ten minutes later, before the darkness completely descended, a seven-story, strangely shaped, and colorful dilapidated building appeared in front of him. A faint light shone on the first floor, and the smoke from the "Qingxuan Incense" ignored the rain, forming a unique circle around the building.

Zhou Ming followed Ah Shui into the building and immediately saw three people warming themselves around a brazier: a simple-looking young man in his early twenties and two girls.

Two girls, one of whom is a mature and sophisticated woman named Lin Ya.

A little girl named Zhong Xiu.

Zhou Ming and the two girls exchanged glances and said almost in unison:

"Why is it you?"

"Why is it you guys?"

Zhou Ming rubbed his temples, put down his bundle, and sat down by the brazier. He didn't particularly dislike Lin Ya and Zhong Xiu, but he felt that these two were a bit troublesome, didn't have any great abilities, and were of no help to him.

However, Lin Ya and Zhong Xiu were very happy, especially Zhong Xiu, who clapped her hands loudly, her loli voice a little shrill: "I was just worried about what to do, Zhou Ming, you're here, that's great!"

Lin Ya also said seriously, "They're all acquaintances. I hope we can work together to survive and get the highest score!"

Zhou Ming ignored him.

The young man smiled, stood up, and introduced himself: "Hello, my name is Huang Xuan, and I'm Station Master No. 73. This is the fourth time in my career as Station Master that I've received students from the base for the monthly exam!"

Zhou Ming asked instinctively, "The Huang family in the north of the city?"

Huang Xuan asked in surprise, "Our Huang family is just a merchant family. We built a freight station in the industrial zone and barely managed to carve out a place for ourselves on the outskirts of the inner city. Don't you want to be this famous?"

Zhou Ming said, "I have a classmate who's registered under your family's name!"

"That must be fate."

Huang Xuan nodded, then said in a businesslike manner, "Well, let's get straight to the point. You'll be taking your monthly exams at my station for the next ten days."

Qingxuan Incense, you can't use mine, you have to use your own. You'll have to figure out your own food. I won't provide food. There's a well behind the fresh water source.

There's only one room in the rest area, with just one bed, and the three of you are squeezing in. As you can see from the other rooms, they're used for growing military supplies, accelerating ripening and harvesting—it's a busy time every day!

"Whether you hunt down the supernatural or go out and use the stations as your base, it's none of my business. I'm not an Order Keeper, I can't help you, and besides, I can't guarantee how long I'll live!"

"Of course!"

Lin Ya asked seriously, "Could you please tell me what kind of supernatural phenomena have been occurring in the vicinity?"

Huang Xuan thought for a moment and then shook his head: "It's hard to say. What I encountered before were mostly shelled werewolves, black wind spirits, and widow-seeking monsters. Occasionally, there would also be delicate monsters that fly through the air and have particularly strong destructive power."

However, now that you've arrived, I'm not sure what the army at the front will send.

……

The charcoal in the brazier was still crackling, and Huang Xuan took Ah Shui upstairs to get busy.

Lin Ya and Zhong Xiu stared blankly at the brazier.

Zhou Ming got up and refilled the "Qingxuan Incense". He turned around and looked outside, and found an abnormal evil aura slowly approaching from the end of the darkness.

Actually, his original intention was to go out and fight monsters on his own once he arrived at the station. However, it was also his first time facing a living deity, and everything was unknown, so he could only adapt for two days first.

At this moment, Lin Ya said, "When I came here, I was still fantasizing about how many points I could get, what ranking I could achieve, and whether I would soar to the top. Now I realize that in this life-or-death test, points are no longer important."

Of the three of us, only I am a combat class. I think we should cooperate sincerely, survive, and then think about the score!

First, let me state my abilities. I am a water-type spirit mage, a mid-level level one Order Master, skilled in water-type techniques, with the skills Ten-Hit Water Sword and Water Roar!

Zhong Xiu picked up his enormous backpack and said timidly, "I am a weapon refiner, but I have no combat ability. However, I brought ten folding swords, spears, and clubs for you to use. Moreover, I can promise you that I will refine weapons for you for free from now on!"

After saying that, the two of them looked at Zhou Ming together.

Zhou Ming was too lazy to answer.

The two girls' eyes sparkled: "We know your abilities, your support skills are very powerful, you are more important than any of us!"

When the time comes to kill the deity, the divine crystals extracted from it will be yours first!

The way to earn points for this monthly exam is by exchanging them for Divine Crystals. A Level 1 ordinary Divine Crystal is worth 1 point, while a particularly vicious Divine Crystal is worth 2 points. A Level 2 Divine Crystal is worth 5 points, and a Level 3 Divine Crystal is worth 10 points.

As for Level 4, theoretically, no freshman can hunt Level 3 and Level 4 deities, and the military most likely won't let them in either.

Zhou Ming took out a compressed biscuit and ate it: "Let's give it a try, I know nothing about this place!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a piercing, sinister laugh suddenly echoed from the black fog outside: "Hehehe..."

The three of them immediately looked out.

Ah Shui rushed downstairs in a panic: "It's the Waiting-for-Husband Divine Being, a peak-level expert! They came in a whole group! Be careful!"