The built-in filtration system of his mask activated, instantly freshening the air he breathed.

Next were the anti-toxin elixir and the swarm of detector bees.

There was a button on the metal disk.

When he pressed it, the disk unfolded to reveal twelve mechanical bees, each the size of a fingernail.

Xu Wuyi placed them in a storage compartment on the side of his combat suit.

Preparations complete.

He glanced at the time.

10:47 PM.

"Anna, plot the optimal route. Target: the Rotting Swamp Forest."

"Plotting... Route generated. I recommend departing from the Gale Outpost on the university’s east side. Take the military hovercraft to the outskirts of the Rotting Swamp Forest. The estimated travel time is two hours. A hovercraft has been scheduled for you. Departure time?"

"Now."

Xu Wuyi picked up his long spear and walked to the door.

The villa door slid open without a sound.

Outside, fine snow was falling.

He stepped into the snow, and his figure quickly vanished into the night.

...

The night was black as ink.

The military hovercraft sped along five meters above the ground, its engine’s low hum cutting through the silence of the snowy plains.

Its headlights illuminated the dancing snowflakes ahead. To either side, withered forests and frozen tundra sped past.

Xu Wuyi sat in the back, his eyes closed in meditation.

His combat suit was already in climate-control mode, insulating him from the harsh cold outside.

The Meteor Iron Long Spear lay across his lap. Its shaft was cold, but he could feel the lingering trace of a golden-red Intention within it.

The two-hour journey was the perfect amount of time to compose himself.

He mentally ran through the Rotting Wood Demon’s combat style and his own countermeasures over and over.

’The core strategy is to locate it quickly, break its defenses, and then finish it with the Undying Flame.’

’But in a real fight, there would be many variables.’

"Mr. Xu, we are about to arrive at the outer perimeter watch post for the Rotting Swamp Forest."

The voice of the vehicle’s AI broke his concentration.

Xu Wuyi opened his eyes.

Through the front window, he could see a heavy shadow lying prone upon the distant horizon.

Even from this distance, he could sense a damp, decaying aura.

The hovercraft began to slow, eventually stopping before a simple outpost.

The outpost wasn’t large. A perimeter of barbed energy fencing surrounded it, with searchlights on top scanning back and forth.

A few dim, yellow lights shone from the main building, making it look particularly desolate amidst the swirling snow.

The vehicle’s door slid open.

A cold wind carrying particles of snow flooded the cabin, bringing with it the faint, almost imperceptible stench of decay.

Xu Wuyi picked up his long spear and stepped out of the hovercraft.

The moment his feet touched the ground, the outpost door opened.

Two figures emerged, one after the other.

The man in the lead was in his early thirties, with a medium build. He wore a standard-issue, gray-green combat suit, an alloy Battle Saber hanging from his waist.

His face was etched with exhaustion, but his eyes remained sharp.

Following him was a younger woman with short hair and delicate features. She was also in a combat suit, with a collapsible Compound Crossbow slung across her back.

Her expression was more tense, and her gaze lingered for a moment as she scanned Xu Wuyi.

"Mr. Xu from Star Martial University?" The man stepped forward, extending his right hand. "I’m Li Feng, the Martial Artist stationed at Watch Post Three in the Rotting Swamp Forest. This is my partner, Han Qingqing."

"Xu Wuyi," he replied, giving a brief handshake.

Li Feng’s palm was rough and calloused, clearly the hand of someone who wielded a blade year-round.

’His Energy Level is fluctuating around Level 31. Han Qingqing is a bit weaker, just over Level 30.’

"We received a notice from the university that a Martial Artist who accepted mission FT-0093 solo would be coming over," Li Feng said, his eyes landing on the long spear in Xu Wuyi’s hands.

"I just didn’t expect... you to be so young."

There was no condescension in his tone, only concern.

Han Qingqing couldn’t help but speak up. "Mr. Xu, the Rotting Wood Demon’s Energy Level is estimated to be between 36 and 37. Plus, this is its home turf, and the environment is complex. Are you... really going to be okay on your own?"

Her words were direct, but clearly well-intentioned.

Most of the Federation’s stationed Martial Artists were either retired from the front lines or were Martial Artists with limited talent who had opted for a stable job.

They had seen too many young geniuses meet their end in the wilderness due to arrogance.

With this target, the two of them wouldn’t be much help; Xu Wuyi would have to handle it himself.

Xu Wuyi glanced at her and said calmly, "The mission requirement suggests Level 35 or higher, or mastery of Fire or Thunder Attribute attacks. The fact that I was able to accept this mission means I meet the criteria."

Li Feng and Han Qingqing exchanged a look.

A suggestion was one thing, but in practice, who ever hunted a high-Energy-Level Star Beast without a team?

To accept it solo, one was either supremely confident or fearlessly ignorant.

But Xu Wuyi had a point. Star Martial University didn’t just post missions for any student to grab; there was a screening process.

The screening just didn’t happen after a mission was accepted, but before.

To put it simply, if you weren’t strong enough, you wouldn’t even be able to see the mission listing.

’Perhaps he really does have the skill.’

"Alright," Li Feng said, not pressing the matter further. "You accepted the mission. We’re only responsible for providing intelligence and necessary guidance."

"But let me be clear up front: once we enter the Rotting Swamp Forest, you follow my lead until we find the Rotting Wood Demon. That’ll prevent any unnecessary complications."

"Agreed," Xu Wuyi nodded.

’That’s reasonable. The stationed Martial Artists know the local environment best. Blind confidence would only increase the risk.’

"Come on in, it’s cold out here." Li Feng turned and walked toward the outpost. "I’ll brief you on the latest intel."

...

The outpost’s interior was even more spartan than it looked from the outside.

There was an alloy table, a few chairs, and a monitor on the wall filled with static, displaying feeds from several fixed observation points on the outskirts of the Rotting Swamp Forest.

A few supply crates and repair tools were stacked in a corner. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Li Feng poured three cups of hot tea from a thermos and slid them across the table.

"The Rotting Wood Demon was discovered mid-last month." He activated a projector on the table, which cast a blurry image of a forest. "Initially, just a few members of a gathering team went missing. We assumed it was an ordinary Star Beast attack."

"Later, we sent in a recon drone. The footage it sent back showed abnormal vegetation activity in the forest’s core region, and we detected high-intensity Life Energy fluctuations."

The image changed, showing a massive, twisted tree, its gnarled trunk covered in tumor-like growths.

"This is the main body of the Rotting Wood Demon—at least, this is the form we’ve managed to capture on camera so far," Li Feng said, pointing at the image.

"But it isn’t stationary. The Rotting Wood Demon’s root system can extend rapidly underground, allowing it to relocate anywhere within a two-kilometer-diameter area."

"It’s also very cunning and actively avoids our fixed monitoring points."

Han Qingqing added, "We’ve attempted to locate and surround it three times, but it had already moved by the time we arrived. The last time, it even set an ambush. We lost a drone and two automated gun turrets."