Early the next morning, Su Mo and the others boarded a Beidou organization vehicle, heading toward their destination—the Longshan Ruins.
The car couldn’t go all the way into the mountains, so they had to cover the latter half of the journey on foot.
By noon, they finally reached the entrance to the ruins—a cave opening over ten meters in diameter.
A crowd had already gathered outside, consisting of students from all over the country, just like Xia Qingqing and her team.
Of course, each group had a supervising teacher, though Su Mo was by far the youngest one.
When they arrived, they immediately drew many gazes—mostly due to Su Mo’s striking beauty and presence.
He was long used to such attention and took it in stride.
“We’ll initiate the first teleportation once the group reaches three hundred people,” announced the guardian at the cave entrance, a middle-aged man. Su Mo guessed his strength was at least C-rank, possibly even B-rank.
The reason for this assumption? The man’s aura was unnervingly steady, making him impossible to read.
“Qingyi.”
A soft voice called from behind. Su Mo turned and saw Wen Wenwen’s school team.
He wasn’t particularly surprised. Given her talent and abilities, standing out in Yicheng wouldn’t have been too difficult for her.
“Wenwen, long time no see.”
After exchanging a few words, Su Mo noticed her eyes darting toward his team.
“Don’t bother looking, he’s not here,” Su Mo said bluntly, knowing exactly who she was searching for.
“Ah, no, don’t misunderstand!” Wen Wenwen hurriedly explained.
Su Mo found it both amusing and exasperating.
What a sweet girl. How did she get so infatuated with Ye Qingyi?
Of course, he bore some responsibility too—after all, with such a dashing appearance, what girl wouldn’t be smitten?
Su Mo rubbed his nose, suddenly feeling a little shameless.
Wen Wenwen deliberately changed the subject, stealing a glance at A’Kun. “Your supervising teacher is so young! And… unique.”
Su Mo knew exactly what she meant by “unique” and chuckled. “Yeah, he’s definitely one of a kind. But I’m actually the supervising teacher, not him. He’s a friend from Beidou.”
Wen Wenwen gasped, covering her mouth. “Wow! We’re still students, and you’re already a teacher?”
“Don’t make such a big deal out of it. The organization just gave me this chance to gain experience. Otherwise, I’d still be a student like everyone else.”
She nodded firmly, her eyes filled not with jealousy but admiration.
Beautiful and humble—no wonder Su Mo likes her…
Just then, someone else approached.
“Qingyi, do you remember me?” Yin Yanyan tugged her brother, Yin Chang, along to greet him, though Yin Chang looked like he was being dragged against his will.
“Yanyan, Xiaohe’s good friend,” Su Mo replied, pretending not to notice Yin Chang’s discomfort.
Yin Yanyan kept shooting meaningful glances at her brother, which Su Mo didn’t miss.
As a fellow man, I know exactly what’s going on here.
To salvage his dignity, Yin Chang pulled free and stepped forward. “Hello, Major Ye. Long time no see.”
Su Mo returned the greeting politely.
They weren’t close, so the exchange ended there.
Yin Yanyan, however, was visibly frustrated.
She quickly found another topic. “I overheard you saying you’re the supervising teacher for Jingcheng’s team?”
“That’s right.” No point hiding it—she’d already “accidentally” heard.
Yin Yanyan clapped her hands excitedly. “What a coincidence! My brother is the supervising teacher for Beijing’s team. Both ‘Jing’ cities—seems like fate, huh?”
Yin Chang looked like he wanted to dig a hole straight through the Earth. He grabbed his sister’s collar and yanked her back. “Yanyan likes to joke—please don’t take it seriously…”
Su Mo found the whole thing amusing. If I had a sister like her, I’d spoil her rotten.
“Teacher Yin, you flatter me.” Not sure how to address him, “Teacher Yin” seemed safest.
After all, Yin Yanyan had mentioned he was a teacher—and likely a real one, unlike Su Mo’s temporary role.
Yin Yanyan sighed inwardly. Coward. Can’t even muster the courage to chase a girl. Hmph, maybe he should be the little brother, and I’ll be the big sister!
A booming voice suddenly echoed across the gathering:
“Numbers are sufficient. All supervising teachers, confirm your headcount. If everything is in order, the teleportation array will activate in five minutes.”
Yin Chang dragged his sister back to their group, while Su Mo regrouped with his own team, waiting for the teleportation to begin.
Before activation, the guardian issued a final warning:
“Remember—this isn’t just training. It’s a life-and-death trial. Only those who survive for a full month will earn the ruins’ rewards. Of course, if you can’t endure or face mortal danger, you may withdraw by crushing your spatial spirit stone.”
As soon as he finished speaking, attendants began distributing the stones.
The so-called “spatial spirit stones” were just low-grade spirit stones imbued with a special function.
Su Mo never thought he’d see the day when a trope from novels—crush the stone to teleport to safety—would become reality.
Unbelievable.
As the teleportation array began glowing, Su Mo’s excitement grew.
After a few last reminders, everyone stepped into the cave and placed their hands on the array.
A flash of light—and they vanished.
Su Mo barely felt anything. One moment, darkness; the next, he was somewhere else entirely.
He found himself in a canyon, flanked by towering green mountains. A waterfall cascaded down like a river pouring from the heavens, its source unseen.
Looking around, there was no sign of the others.
Two words came to mind: random teleportation.
This matched what he’d heard beforehand.
Su Mo resisted the urge to call out—who knew what dangerous creatures might answer?
Just as he thought this, a distant voice shouted:
“HELLOOOO?! ANYONE HERE? SAY SOMETHING IF YOU ARE!”
The voice was unfamiliar, so he ignored it, silently praying for the speaker’s safety.
The canyon floor was wide, with the waterfall feeding a crystal-clear pool that flowed into a winding stream.
Lush vegetation lined the banks, and wild animals—monkeys among them—occasionally darted into view.
If not for the lurking dangers, this would’ve made a perfect tourist spot. If Beidou ever opened it to the public, the revenue would be substantial.
Shaking off the thought, Su Mo focused on scouting the area for a safe shelter.
He scooped up some water, inspecting it closely—it was remarkably clear. Pulling out a pH test strip from his white jade ring, he confirmed it was neutral.
Good.
Animals had been drinking from the stream, so it was safe.
Following the river downstream, the terrain remained much the same, though the current grew stronger.
Just as he prepared to continue, a loud SPLASH erupted from the water. Su Mo instantly tensed.
“F*ck!” A white man’s head broke the surface, looking around wildly.
Splash, splash—
Under Su Mo’s watch, several more people emerged, gasping for air.
One of them spotted Su Mo on the shore, and his expression immediately turned strange.