Chapter 279 Internal Reward

The departure time was set for seven in the morning, and everyone had been notified the day before to gather at Old Wang's dormitory.

Kela was the first to arrive. She had packed lightly, with only a backpack that had faded from frequent washing, containing a few items of clothing. Upon entering, she immediately noticed Fantasi lounging on the sofa in Old Wang's dormitory, his legs crossed.

Kela was taken aback: "What are you doing here…?"

"Ning Zhiyuan can't go, so I'm taking his place!" Fantasi grinned, showing his teeth. "Come, come, Kela, is your backpack heavy? Do you need me to carry it for you?"

Kela opened her mouth, surprised: Fantasi?

She glanced at Wang Feng, who had just woken up and was rubbing his eyes, confused. Wasn't he not supposed to go?

"Is Fantasi really the last member of our team?" Hei Wu Kai and Mo Tong arrived, asking in unison: "For real?"

Mo Tong was carrying a backpack as tall as himself, while Hei Wu Kai was traveling light, without even a bag, looking relaxed.

"Of course it's true! Big Brother Hei, Big Brother Tong, please take care of me! Please take care of me!" Fantasi greeted them enthusiastically, thinking they were important connections. He had intended to offer to help Mo Tong with his backpack but, seeing its size and weight, quickly held back his offer, staring in amazement: "Damn, did you bring your whole house with you…?"

"You don't understand; these are all essentials for daily life!" Mo Tong dropped the large pack on the ground, and there was a loud 'thud'—the bottom of the bag was made of iron.

Fantasi's jaw dropped, feeling both impressed and intimidated.

"That's a barbell! I exercise every morning!" Mo Tong shot a smug look at Fantasi. It wasn't bad having this fatty as the last addition; he enjoyed seeing Fantasi's naive reactions. Besides, when it came to fighting, he and Hei Wu Kai were more than enough: "And stretching rings, resistance bands… Fatty, let me tell you, not just anyone can lift this bag! Only a real man can!"

The room erupted into chatter, while Old Wang yawned and slowly dressed himself: "Where's Winnie? She's definitely going to be late again, such a lack of discipline, we agreed on seven…"

"At least I'm earlier than you!" Winnie appeared beside Old Wang's bed, carrying a single-shoulder travel bag, her hands in her pockets, wearing a red sun hat. She looked irritated: "I got up at half past six, and you, who just crawled out of bed at seven, have the nerve to criticize me! We should have met at my dorm; I could have slept for another half hour!"

"I went to bed quite late last night. As the leader of the Rose, I have so many important matters to handle every day. I was still worrying about the last spot until midnight," Old Wang said calmly, "Going to bed late naturally means waking up late."

"Phew!" Winnie glared at him, "A lazybones like you would be busy until midnight? I’d like to see that for myself. Starting tonight, I’ll sleep with you! Whatever time you go to bed, I’ll go to bed, and whatever time you wake up, I’ll wake up! I don’t believe it for a second..."

Everyone was taken aback, and Old Wang was sweating profusely. He quickly got dressed and stood up, "Ahem, we can talk about this later. Don’t waste time; the magic train at eight won’t wait for us. Come on, let’s get going!"

His luggage was simple, just a single-shoulder bag that seemed to contain only a few changes of clothes, light and easy to carry. But no one knew that inside was the innate spatial soul artifact—the copper oil lamp.

There were quite a few people outside the school gate to see them off. Number seven,

Yin Fu, Wu Di, Famier from the Institute of Potions, Su Yue from the Foundry, Patu, and others. Ning Zhiyuan was supported by someone as he came over, and finally, Karida, along with mentors Li Sitan and Luo Yan, gathered outside the school gate.

There were no banners or elaborate arrangements,

This wasn’t organized by the Rose, and those who came were clearly good friends. Everyone was saying warm, encouraging words, and waiting for their return. When it was Karida’s turn, she, being the same old Karida, though deeply concerned, only said coolly, "I’ve repeatedly emphasized the dangers of this journey before your participation. But since you’ve chosen to join, there’s no turning back. The Holy Sanctuary has no disciples who fear death, and neither should the Rose. Remember, don’t disgrace the emblem on your chest!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"It’s getting late, everyone get in the car." Karida waved her hand, "Wang Feng, stay behind."

It seemed she had something specific to tell Wang Feng. Everyone understood and either got into the car or moved away, giving the principal and the captain some space.

Old Wang approached with a pleased expression, grinning, "What do you need, Brother Karida?"

"Do you know about the Nine Gods’ bounty?"

Old Wang pouted, thinking that Karida had pulled everyone aside to give a heartfelt farewell or even a kiss, "It’s the bounty for the Soul Void Secret Treasure, with the reward of the ‘First Tiger General’ title…"

"That’s just the public bounty," Karida said coldly, "The Nine Gods also have an internal bounty. Besides the Soul Void Secret Treasure, the top prize is your head, Wang Feng. They’ve offered a price that could drive the cultivators from the War Academy mad. You’re now the most sought-after person in the entire War Academy. Even Ye Dun, the Sword of Truth from the Summit Holy Sanctuary, who is considered the strongest of this generation in the Holy Sanctuary, ranks below you…"

"Heavens, am I that impressive? How come I didn’t know?" Old Wang stuck out his tongue and pretended to touch his neck, then chuckled, "But don't worry, Brother Karida. I cherish my head dearly. No matter what, I’ll protect it well. It won’t be easy for anyone to cut it off."

Karida had initially wanted to scare him a bit, hoping to make him more cautious since he still seemed so carefree even after setting out. Seeing his nonchalant attitude, she felt somewhat helpless. This was just his nature; his relaxed demeanor didn’t mean he wasn’t aware of the dangers.

"As long as you have a clear mind about it." She sighed softly and said seriously, "I won’t say more, but remember, whether it’s the secret treasures, opportunities, or honors inside, none of them are important. What matters is bringing everyone back alive."

"Ha, don’t worry, Brother Karida. I’m such a coward, I wouldn’t do anything heroic," Old Wang patted his chest and then lowered his voice with a grin, "By the way, Brother Karida, is our previous agreement still valid?"

Karida frowned, "What agreement?"

"You’re playing dumb, aren’t you?" Old Wang’s face turned sour, and he said indignantly, "Brother Karida, you can’t do this! If you’re going to be like this, I’m not leaving today! Whoever wants to go to that rotten Dragon City can go..."

He was actually throwing a tantrum.

Karida found it hard to suppress a smile. If there weren’t people around, she would have kicked him in the butt.

"It’s still valid!" she couldn’t help but laugh, "But you have to pay!"

"Deal!" Old Wang laughed heartily, "Don’t worry, Brother Karida, I’m so poor that all I have left is money!"