"What a jinxed reason, who on earth came up with it..."
Li Fan paused for a moment, muttering.
"Where did the information come from?"
"We don't know the source yet, but everyone's saying it."
Shilin replied.
"Everyone knows I'm going on a secret guild mission, but only I don't know. Doesn't that seem contradictory?"
"Hmm... it does, doesn't it."
Shilin suddenly realized the anomaly.
If it was a secret mission, how could everyone know except Li Fan himself?
"Are there any urgent contracts for the Ice Sea or Ancient Forest recently?"
Li Fan inquired.
"Nothing for the Ancient Forest. For the Ice Sea region, the Guild Headquarters has issued a six-star large-scale continuous hunting contract called 'Bandits of the Ice Sea,' but it can't be accepted at the branch."
Shilin explained.
"The target monsters are Zinogre, Magnamalo, and Brachydios, right?"
Li Fan asked.
"How did you know?"
Shilin said in surprise.
"I overheard someone talking about it. Thank you for telling me, I have to go now."
"Hey! When will you return to Kamura Village?"
Shilin said eagerly.
"When I return from the New World, please send my regards to everyone..."
"Alright! The Kamura Village Guild Branch will always wait for your return! ...You really haven't changed at all."
Watching Li Fan's receding back, Shilin sighed.
The excuse of a secret guild mission was clearly fabricated.
The purpose was also simple: with the 500-person expedition team assembled, a reason was needed to postpone the departure.
Being unreachable was an absurd explanation that no one would accept.
Calling it a secret mission made much more sense.
But this reason perfectly matched the situation of the Azure Star's lateness.
Li Fan thought about this, unsure how to feel.
However, seeing the Poké Balls hanging from his shoulder strap, a surge of confidence quickly rose within him.
The monster squad had grown, and going to the New World shouldn't be a problem. Moreover, after meeting with Eudora, he could test the Heaven-Defying Charm.
As Li Fan pondered, the Taimen cargo truck arrived at the investigation agency's entrance.
After a hurried farewell to the monsters, the Hinomoto set off again.
Four hours later, at dusk, in the Ancient Forest.
The Hinomoto didn't hover for too long. A blurry transparent silhouette, accompanied by the sound of wind, flew onto the deck.
"Are you... Yuyu?"
Li Fan asked tentatively, looking at the blurry silhouette.
Coo!
Yuyu chirped and then flapped its wings rapidly, shaking off a large amount of crystalline dust from its body.
"The stealth of the Obscuring Nightshade is indeed achieved through optical camouflage dust. Speaking of which, Yuyu, won't your mate mind you leaving like this?"
Li Fan asked.
Coo!
"Obscuring is willing to wait... That devoted?"
Li Fan was surprised by Yuyu's charm.
In the Ice Sea region, on the highest platform of the Frozen Mountains, Thunder Lord, Ragetail, and Chunchun lay by the edge, gazing down at the icy surface buffeted by the cold wind.
The three dragons were somewhat anxious because the edible monsters in the Ice Sea region were almost all gone.
Roar... Roar!
Thunder Lord, looking up at the sky, saw the familiar airship and immediately stood up and roared. *Clatter! Clatter!*...
Immediately after, several large chunks of meat fell onto the ice.
"No wonder the guild contract is called 'Bandits of the Ice Sea.' The surrounding creatures have been eaten to extinction."
Li Fan lowered his binoculars and sighed.
"Li Fan, all the meat chunks have been eaten, meow."
Dill informed him.
"They're all starving. Keep feeding them."
"Okay, meow!"
After a hearty meal, Li Fan collected Thunder Lord, Ragetail, Chunchun, and the belatedly arrived Yayu.
Next was a direct flight to East Dondolma.
Four days later, as the silver Hinomoto entered the airspace above the city, the crowded approach to the port parted.
"Why is everyone looking at the Hinomoto, meow?"
Ferry said in disbelief.
As the Hinomoto had become a symbol of the Dragon Calendar Institute's top hunter team, it usually attracted some attention.
But the current level of focus was unprecedented.
"It's all because of that secret mission, it's generated so much buzz."
Li Fan said with a hint of helplessness.
Such a highly publicized reason was bound to cause widespread discussion.
Soon, a guild airship arrived to guide them to the Grand Hall of the Headquarters.
The Guild Master, Zudda, Vega, the envoy of King Shishire, the merchant representative, and the leader of the Dragon God Cult all arrived.
After a brief explanation, the reason for so many leaders gathering was clear: to confirm whether Li Fan would indeed go to the New World.
Some of their concerns were not without reason.
The mission of the fifth expedition team was not primarily focused on establishing and expanding outposts, but on investigating the whereabouts of the Lao Shan Lung, hunting to explore unknown areas, and replicating the current ecological survey model to gather more intelligence.
Combat power was a crucial factor that could not be avoided.
An absolute powerhouse was needed to lead the fifth team through the crisis.
"Who came up with the excuse that I'm on a secret mission?"
Li Fan asked.
The expectant crowd was somewhat surprised, not expecting such a question.
"I apologize, it was my idea. I did not get your consent, but please rest assured, even if you decide not to go to the New World, I will definitely step forward to clarify."
The white-robed dragon-man elder, Zudda, raised his hand and said.
"That's a good reason, but don't think of it again."
Li Fan sighed helplessly.
"Alright, I will go to the New World, but I have two requests."
Hearing this, everyone immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"Please state them, we will do our best to assist."
Zudda promised.
"First, all ships going to the New World must be equipped with an excess of lifeboats and life rings."
Li Fan informed them.
"No problem."
Zudda promised.
"Second, I want to take the Hinomoto with me."
"This... that might not be a good idea. This journey is far beyond imagination. If we encounter extreme weather, the fleet might get separated from the airships. The guild doesn't have precise route maps, and if we get lost in the deep sea, rescue will be very difficult."
Zudda said with difficulty.
"This problem can be solved, we can use cables to tow it."
Li Fan offered a solution.
Vega dissuaded him, "Li Fan, the current safe and unobstructed airspace is maintained by combat airships. The New World cannot replicate such arrangements, so even if you bring the Hinomoto there, it won't be usable normally. The leader of the third expedition team back then wanted to expand the investigation range with a modified hot air balloon airship, but they were intercepted in an unknown area and never returned to the Star Outpost for twenty years."
"Please rest assured, Dean. I have enough confidence to make this decision."
Li Fan said earnestly.
Zudda and Vega exchanged glances and could only nod in agreement.
Finally, everyone unanimously agreed that the departure could not be delayed any further, so the time was set for eight o'clock in the evening.
When they returned to the Hinomoto, Eudora was already floating upside down on the deck.
"Li Fan! Dill!"
Seeing Li Fan and Dill, Eudora, surprised, righted herself.
"It's been a while."
Li Fan waved.
"You've gotten tanned."
Eudora commented.
"Yes, I spent some time in the Sandy Plains. How is your special training progressing?"
"It's been very effective. I don't rush my sword strikes anymore... I originally wanted to give you a surprise, but..."
Eudora sighed, her shoulders drooping.
"Did the hunting mission fail?"
Li Fan probed.
"Yes, I was supposed to hunt a Gold Rathian, but it got away. However, the good news is that I've rediscovered many skills needed for traditional hunting."
Eudora became optimistic again.
"That's true. When you hunt with a team for a long time, many key hunter skills can become diluted."
"Also, I've made up with Gokin... Dad."
Eudora informed him.
"You've forgiven him?"
"Not exactly, but he's considering retiring because he's lost the ability to activate Magnamalo's power. I only recently learned that this was related to me."
"Why?"
Losing the armor's activation ability was already strange, let alone being related to others.
"His explanation is that to activate Magnamalo's armor ability, one must harbor extreme resentment. But when he could see me often, the resentment disappeared, leaving only deep love... Don't look at me like that, that's what Dad said at the time."
Eudora said uncomfortably.
"Perhaps his resentment was just a tool for self-punishment. When you returned to his side, he realized he could let go."
Li Fan speculated.
"But... he's started advising me again, not wanting me to go to the New World."
Eudora said helplessly.
"That's normal. What's your opinion?"
"Of course, I really want to go. I haven't settled my score with Kushala Daora yet, and there's the legendary Great Jagras. I've been preparing for it for a long time. Plus, there are many new ingredients in the New World that I'm eager to try, like... Great Jagras meat!"
Eudora said excitedly.
"Then go home and say goodbye. The fifth expedition team is departing tonight."
Li Fan informed her.
"Ah? So soon?"
"That was the decision made by the Grand Hall just now."
Li Fan informed her.
"Oh, right. You're back, so it's time to depart. See you at the port tonight."
Eudora said, then floated up. As she was about to leave, she suddenly turned back and asked, "By the way, aren't you going to test your fortune with the Heaven-Defying Charm before departing?"
"No need, some things cannot be avoided."
Li Fan said calmly.
At night, the East Dondolma seaport was brightly lit.
Seven large transport ships were docked in the center of the harbor.
At the top of each ship's mast hung a flag resembling a white silk ribbon.
It was the White Wind, symbolizing the New World, exclusively for the fifth expedition team.
The inner arc of the shore was crowded with people who had come to bid farewell.
"Don't force yourself when facing difficulties..."
Gokin, with deep claw marks on his face, instructed.
"Don't be stingy with money when you get there. Make sure you eat well and dress warmly. Here's some jerky I made, take it all."
Eudora's mother said, her eyes teary.
"Mom, this whole truckload..."
Eudora tentatively said, looking at the towering cargo boxes on the truck behind her parents.
"Yes, it's all your favorite jerky. I inquired, and since you're a special invitee, there's plenty of storage space on the ship."
"Mom, these can't be loaded onto the ship."
Eudora said helplessly.
"Why?"
"Li Fan said these ships aren't very stable."
Gokin heard this and became curious, asking, "These seven transport ships were built by the guild in conjunction with various forces using the most advanced technology available. They shouldn't have any problems."
"In any case, it's best to listen to Li Fan."
Eudora said with conviction.
"This is the result of my two months of hard work..."
Eudora's mother sighed.
"Don't worry, Li Fan and Dill both love it. I'll go check if there's any space left in the Hinomoto's cargo hold. If there is, I'll stuff it full."
Eudora said, grabbing a cargo box with each hand and floating upwards.
At a boarding point in the harbor, recommended member Aiden was bidding farewell to the top hunter team.
"Aiden! The New World is an extremely dangerous place, make sure to upgrade your armor and weapons promptly!"
Dius admonished.
"Don't worry, Master, I will follow your teachings!"
Aiden laughed heartily, shouldered his backpack, waved to the crowd, and like many other hunters, boarded the deck of the long-distance transport ship.
Li Fan leaned on the ship's railing with both hands, looking at the twinkling lights of the harbor and the dense crowd, feeling a sense of detachment from reality.
"So many people, meow! We're finally departing."
Dill said, climbing onto the railing and looking down at the magnificent scene.
"It's almost time. The White Wind has a departure ceremony, and as the leader, I have to attend."
Such scenes were usually avoided if possible, but if the leader didn't attend the departure ceremony, it would be inexcusable.
As he stood on the railing and was about to use his Wirebug, he noticed Eudora dragging two cargo boxes upwards.
Li Fan couldn't remember how many times she had moved them and reminded her, "Eudora, storage space is limited. Piling too much will affect access to the goods."
"This is jerky made by my mom!"
"Then it's fine, take more. If necessary, tidy up the cargo hold and throw away anything extra."
The reason was that this kind of jerky, similar to char siu, was indeed very delicious.
*Bang!* As she landed on the deck of the White Wind, applause erupted.
Li Fan waved to the members of the fifth expedition team and then walked to the mast, standing with Zudda, who was presiding over the departure ceremony.
A white flare, signaling the start of the departure ceremony, exploded in the sky. Both the send-off crowd and the hunters on deck fell silent in unison.
Zudda cleared his throat and began his speech.
"Members of the Fifth Expedition, it is almost time. Let's dispense with the farewells. Once you board this ship, there is no turning back. If you have lost your resolve, I advise you to turn back now."
After a brief silence, seeing the determined expressions on every member of the fifth expedition team,
Zudda waved and shouted, "Then, we now set sail for the New World!"
*Wooo~ Wooo~*
*Dong~ Dong~*
The low horn, symbolizing the departure for the hunt, and the gong, warning of monster attacks, sounded simultaneously.
"Li Fan, do you have anything you want to say to all the members of the fifth expedition team?"
Zudda leaned in and asked.
"Hmm..."
As Li Fan was thinking, he saw a streak of azure blue light flash across the night sky.
He paused for a moment, then took two steps forward.
"May the Azure Star that guides the way shine upon you."
.
Zhao Lala reminds you: Remember to collect after reading.