Chapter 368: Reunion
According to the conclusions drawn from years of exploration, the shallow layer occupied the smallest area within the Lost Land.
Beyond that came the middle layer, where most of the Lost Ones’ territories were located.
The largest region, however, was the deepest layer—the most dangerous part of the Lost Land.
Xu Zhi was currently moving at full speed.
Even so, after several days of travel, she was still wandering within the shallow layer.
That alone was enough to demonstrate just how vast the deeper regions truly were.
Around this point, the scenery of the forest began to change.
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that she had finally crossed the wilderness that once separated cities in the old world and entered what used to be another city.
Calling it a city was generous.
Only traces remained of the modern skyline that had once stood here.
Towering buildings had collapsed into ruins.
Roads had been completely swallowed by vegetation erupting from beneath the earth.
Vines and massive trees wrapped around the remains of skyscrapers.
The cars abandoned along the roadside had long since rusted into hollow shells.
Yet the entire city radiated a strange and vibrant sense of life.
“It’s actually quite beautiful.”
According to the map, this place had once been Lin City before the Cataclysm.
An utterly unremarkable small city.
Now, however, one of the Lost Ones’ territories had been established within its ruins.
Most Lost One settlements were built inside lost cities like this.
The remnants of civilization provided resources that made survival in the Lost Land easier.
Xu Zhi walked along what could barely still be recognized as a main road.
Many extraordinary beings entered the Lost Land, but not enough to wear paths through the wilderness.
For the past few days, she had mostly traveled by leaping through the trees.
The grass on the ground was simply too dense.
Some patches were taller than she was.
This was one of the rare occasions when she could comfortably walk on solid ground.
The city seemed to have suffered a massive earthquake.
Buildings leaned at impossible angles.
The ground was split with enormous cracks.
Yet even now, fragments of glass still clung stubbornly to some of the warped skyscrapers.
Though countless years had passed, the pieces not covered by vegetation continued reflecting faint glimmers of light.
As Xu Zhi passed one such building, a flash of white suddenly appeared in a surviving shard of glass.
The movement was so fast it seemed like an illusion.
The next moment, the girl walking down the street raised one arm.
A white bolt of lightning dropped from the sky and landed perfectly on her forearm.
It was the gyrfalcon.
Its size was unchanged from before, though it seemed even more beautiful now.
Its sapphire-blue eyes stared at Xu Zhi without blinking.
It still possessed the same calm and dignified demeanor she remembered.
Yet there was now an unmistakable trace of longing and attachment beneath that composure.
Xu Zhi could clearly sense the affection hidden beneath its carefully maintained restraint.
Smiling, she reached out with her free hand and gently stroked Xiao Zhen’s back.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Just as Xu Zhi and Xiao Zhen were enjoying their reunion, a black branch suddenly shot out of her pocket.
Then—
Smack!
It slapped Xiao Zhen’s ankle.
The force wasn’t strong.
The intention was.
The elegant gyrfalcon immediately narrowed its eyes.
Maintaining balance with a few subtle wingbeats, it used one claw to bat at the offending branch, clearly trying to knock it off Xu Zhi.
Meanwhile, the little black snake wrapped around Xu Zhi’s wrist simply flicked its tongue and slithered closer to her.
Rather than joining the conflict, it focused entirely on cuddling up against her.
“Stop. Both of you.”
The constant stream of childish complaints flooding into her mind finally pushed Xu Zhi to her limit.
Get lost!
No, you get lost!
You should be the one getting lost!
The endless exchange sounded exactly like children arguing.
Xu Zhi was speechless.
Are you elementary school students?!
The little aberrant was one thing.
It wasn’t even as intelligent as an elementary school student.
But what was Xiao Zhen’s excuse?
Had it been infected by the little aberrant’s stupidity?
Unable to tolerate it any longer, Xu Zhi grabbed the gleefully troublesome little aberrant and held it up in front of her face.
Staring into its tiny black bead-like eyes, she warned,
“Behave yourself. Otherwise, I’ll tie you up and hang you from Xiao Zhen.”
The bead-like eyes instantly became pitiful.
The little aberrant even let out a weak series of chirps, desperately trying to appear harmless.
Xu Zhi wasn’t fooled.
She stuffed it straight back into her pocket.
Without the little aberrant around, Xiao Zhen seemed to realize it had just behaved somewhat disgracefully.
It immediately resumed its dignified posture atop Xu Zhi’s arm.
Its gaze turned profound and distant as it stared toward the heavens.
Though honestly, its sapphire eyes were far prettier than the sky.
“It starts trouble, and you still join in.”
Xu Zhi helplessly tapped the gyrfalcon’s head.
Xiao Zhen let out an innocent cry.
“What is it?”
Following the hints it transmitted, Xu Zhi looked toward a nearby treetop.
A sturdy old cloth bundle hung there.
“Yours?”
Xiao Zhen nodded in a surprisingly human-like manner.
Then it flew up, grabbed the bundle, and delivered it to her.
Xu Zhi accepted it and opened it.
“…Well, damn.”
Half the bag was filled with cores.
There were all kinds of attributes mixed together.
Clearly, these were the spoils Xiao Zhen had accumulated through hunting over the past several days.
“Perfect.”
“There’s a settlement ahead. We can trade these for cores you can actually use.”
Xu Zhi immediately made the decision.
The map clearly marked the settlement’s location.
The problem was determining where she herself currently was within this ruined city.
Fortunately, she no longer needed to worry about that.
“Xiao Zhen.”
She raised a hand.
“Go find where the people are.”
The pure-white gyrfalcon shot into the sky.
A few minutes later, it returned.
After circling around Xu Zhi once, it flew off toward a specific direction, guiding her onward.
Following Xiao Zhen’s lead, Xu Zhi walked for roughly an hour before finally encountering signs of human activity.
A team of four.
Judging from their clothing, they were not Lost Ones.
They were extraordinary beings from outside.
The uniforms they wore bore the emblem of Lingzhou.
“Lingzhou people?”
What a coincidence.
Not long ago, she had thoroughly beaten a team from their city.
Since they happened to be traveling in the same direction, Xu Zhi saw no reason to avoid them.
She was moving slightly faster than the group.
As she approached, one of them quickly noticed her.
Someone turned around and eyed her warily.
Xu Zhi noticed the fatigue on their faces.
Their journey had clearly not been easy.
At the same time, the four of them looked visibly surprised after recognizing her.
“…Xu Zhi?”
one of them called out softly.
So she really had become famous.
That was the first thing that crossed Xu Zhi’s mind.
She nodded.
“That’s right.”
“No need to be nervous.”
“I’m heading to the settlement.”
“Judging from your direction, I assume you are too?”
The group relaxed slightly upon hearing that.
Even so, they remained cautious.
“Did you come here alone?”
“No teacher accompanying you?”
They knew Xu Zhi was only a first-year student.
Yet here she was, wandering around this place by herself.
It didn’t make sense.
Xu Zhi smiled.
“Nope.”
“I came alone.”
“Thought I’d use the opportunity to train myself.”
The four stared at her.
Their expressions became increasingly unbelievable.
Alone?
And she had actually survived all the way to this point?
Impossible.
The reason they were here in the first place was because they knew Jiang Qing was in this area.
And wherever Jiang Qing went, at least two Named-level protectors would certainly accompany her.
The four of them had come specifically to seek shelter under that protection.
