Chapter 225: Unveiling in the Spirit Realm

Chapter 225: Unveiling in the Spirit Realm

In the 12th, 13th, and 14th layers of the Spirit Realm, Zhao Zheng and his team not only achieved the Super God status but also received extraordinary item rewards.

However, the rewards from these three Spirit Realm layers were all extraordinary items, with no Superhuman Skill rewards.

Among the three extraordinary items, there were two pairs of shoes and a hat.

Zhao Zheng gave all of them to his teammates, as they weren't of much use to him.

One pair of shoes was called "Star-Chasing Moon Slippers," which allowed the wearer to temporarily defy gravity and glide through the air for a short distance, essentially enabling flight.

Zhao Zheng gave this pair to Song Haitang.

The other pair, named "Shadow Leather Boots," could unleash incredible speed for a brief period.

Chen Kai had decent defense and strength, but his speed was his weakness, so Zhao Zheng presented him with the Shadow Leather Boots.

The last item was a straw hat, a simple straw hat! Its effect was to protect the wearer from a fatal injury once and boost their courage.

Since Song Haitang already had a similar item, Zhao Zheng gave the hat to Wang Fei.

And surprisingly, after Wang Fei put on the straw hat, he started to resemble someone...

Chen Kai and Wang Fei were long-time teammates, and Zhao Zheng wouldn't forget about them when it came to sharing benefits.

Of course, it was only after he and Song Haitang had no use for the items that they would pass them on...

In the 12th, 13th, and 14th layers of the Spirit Realm, Zhao Zheng never encountered sunlight.

On two occasions, they fought monsters during the night, and the other time was on a rainy day, so their stay was relatively brief.

It seemed that Spirit Realms with sunlight were rare.

...

Today was the day the Spirit Realm opened.

So, Zhao Zheng woke up a little earlier than usual.

After a quick wash, he headed to the cafeteria for breakfast before joining his teammates.

Around ten in the morning,

The group gathered in the lounge.

Compared to the previous time, there were significantly fewer people present.

Only three teams, consisting of twelve students in total, had shown up.

Chen Kai spoke in a low voice, "I heard that after the Ministry of Education established the unified battle plan, many students who initially planned to enter the 15th layer of the Spirit Realm chose to withdraw temporarily. Even some Extraordinary Beings in society made the same decision... So, it's certain that not many people from our country will be heading to the 15th layer this time."

Hearing this, Zhao Zheng remained silent.

Indeed, such a battlefield was dangerous, and it was understandable that many had changed their plans and withdrawn.

The other two teams in the lounge were also familiar faces—Jiang Hebin and his group.

They were considered the top students of this batch, and their pride might have driven them to keep up with the progress in the Spirit Realm.

Additionally, if they could keep pace with Zhao Zheng's team, they could serve as substitutes for his team in future Spirit Realms that required multiple teams...

A moment later,

The teachers arrived, and there were very few of them. Aside from Ms. Shen and Old Chu, only one teacher from the academic affairs office accompanied them.

Ms. Shen stood before the group.

"You are all classmates and have worked together on several occasions. Now that you're in the same battlefield, I hope you'll look out for each other and support one another."

The students nodded in agreement.

"Rest assured, teacher, we will definitely stick together," Jiang Hebin assured her.

Ms. Shen nodded but didn't say more, only casting a worried glance at Song Haitang.

She had received grave news—it seemed that various foreign forces had united with the intention of eliminating Song Haitang in this Spirit Realm.

In other words, Song Haitang was in even more danger than they had anticipated!

But this child just wouldn't listen to advice...

A moment later,

It was already past eleven.

"One minute to go, everyone, get ready!"

The students stood up and held hands with their teammates.

A minute later,

All twelve students vanished...

...

Unknown World.

A flash of light, and eight people appeared out of thin air.

On one side were Zhao Zheng, Song Haitang, and their team, while on the other were Jiang Hebin, Zhou Junjie, and their companions.

Seeing Song Haitang, Jiang Hebin's team was delighted and rushed over.

"Brother Zhao, Sister Haitang, who would've thought we'd be teleported together?" Jiang Hebin smiled, "What a coincidence!"

Song Haitang nodded, a hint of a smile gracing her face.

After a brief chat, a notification popped up in their left eyes:

[Naval Admiral 'Guozhan' has announced that he will publicly execute 'Fire Fist Ace,' the 2nd Division Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, in two days. This act is tantamount to declaring war on the Whitebeard Pirates! As one of the Royal Overlords of this sea area, the Whitebeard Pirates will undoubtedly retaliate, leading to an inevitable Summit War!]



[Both sides are currently recruiting and preparing for the impending battle.

【The Battle Begins: Navy Headquarters vs. Whitebeard Pirates】

The group's idle chatter came to an abrupt halt as they read the prompt, their attention now focused on their surroundings.

They found themselves in the midst of a forest, an isolated spot devoid of any signs of civilization. In the distance, a vast expanse of azure ocean stretched as far as the eye could see.

"This... seems like an island, right?" Jiang Hebin said, his voice filled with uncertainty.

"I think we should split up and explore, find a way out," Zhang Chenggang suggested, his words meeting with approval from several teammates.

Of course, this didn't include Song Haitang and her group.

Wang Fei and Chen Kai, without hesitation, turned their gazes towards Zhao Zheng, awaiting his decision.

Zhao Zheng took charge, "No need for complications, I'll take a look."

As his words fell...

"Whoosh!"

A gust of wind swept past, ruffling everyone's hair.

It was Zhao Zheng, taking flight with such force that he created a powerful draft.

Witnessing Zhao Zheng's aerial prowess, Jiang Hebin and the others stared in awe, their eyes wide with surprise.

"Th-this..." Jiang Hebin stammered, struggling to find the right words.

Zhao Zheng hovered in mid-air, surveying the area. Indeed, it was an island, and a solitary one at that!

Zhao Zheng descended, returning to the ground.

Jiang Hebin and the others were still in a state of shock, as if they were meeting Zhao Zheng for the first time.

Zhao Zheng didn't offer an explanation, for there was more to come that would astonish them.

"This is indeed an isolated island. To the south, west, and north, there's nothing but endless ocean. However, towards the east, I spotted a stretch of land, approximately forty to fifty kilometers from here."

Hearing this, the still-dazed Jiang Hebin and his companions snapped out of their shock, their faces instantly changing expressions.

"What? Are they kidding us? They sent us to a deserted island?"

"Forty to fifty kilometers? If it were four to five kilometers, we might be able to swim with some effort, being superhumans. But forty to fifty kilometers? Even with your robust constitution, Chenggang, it's too much!"

"Of course, it's too much! Do you think I'm a god? Forty to fifty kilometers! It would take more than half an hour even by car. And even if I could swim that far, I wouldn't dare. Ms. Shen warned us that the oceans in this world are dangerous, with terrifying Sea King-class creatures. I don't want to become monster food..."

"Fortunately, there are plenty of trees here. It looks like we'll have to build a boat."

"Are you kidding? Build a boat? Without tools, how long would it take to construct a vessel that can carry eight people? We don't even have a full day! Remember, we only have 48 hours to join a faction!"

"Then what should we do?" Zhang Chenggang and the others asked, their faces etched with worry.

In contrast, Wang Fei and Chen Kai remained calm, their fingers forming a confident 'V' sign.

"Stop arguing," Wang Fei interjected, "Just follow Zhao's lead."

Zhao Zheng didn't hesitate. He strode towards a towering tree, his every move watched by the group.

Then, with a swift kick, he struck the tree trunk...

"Crack!"

The massive tree, as thick as a water tank, snapped under Zhao Zheng's kick.

Zhao Zheng seemed to exert minimal effort, his casual demeanor surprising everyone.

Jiang Hebin and the others watched in awe, their hearts racing.

Even Jiang Hebin, in his current state, would have needed to transform into his werewolf form and exert maximum effort to achieve such a feat.

"Everyone, come over to this tree and hold on to the branches," Zhao Zheng instructed.

Song Haitang and her group immediately complied.

Wang Fei, the quickest of them all, leaped onto the tree trunk and grasped a sturdy branch.

"What are you all waiting for? Hurry up!" Wang Fei urged the others.

Confused, Jiang Hebin and his companions climbed onto the tree, unsure of what was happening.

Recalling Zhao Zheng's earlier display of flight, Jiang Hebin had a sudden realization, "Zhao, you're not planning to fly us out of here, are you?"

Zhao Zheng smiled, "Congratulations, you guessed right!"

"Impossible!" Zhang Chenggang exclaimed, "Even without a heavyweight among us, the combined weight of eight people and this tree must be several thousand pounds. You can't possibly..."

"..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Zhao Zheng had already taken action.

Zhao Zheng strode to the center, effortlessly lifting the entire tree.

"Hold on tight!"

Zhao Zheng warned, leaping into the air, carrying the tree, and flying towards the eastern continent...

It only took ten minutes.

The group successfully reached the land!

Even then, Zhao Zheng deliberately controlled his speed to ensure no one was blown away by the wind.

"Zhao, you..."

Jiang Hebin stared at Zhao Zheng, growing more perplexed.

Was this the Zhao Zheng he knew?

Zhao Zheng waved his hand and said, "The mission is urgent; I'll explain my situation later."

Hearing this, others who wanted to ask questions had no choice but to remain silent.

Wang Fei spoke up, "The teacher mentioned that within these 48 hours, both the Navy and Whitebeard Pirates are recruiting. The previous hints also indicated that both sides are gathering troops... So, we just need to find a recruitment point, right?"

Zhao Zheng nodded, "Exactly!"

Song Haitang pointed in a direction and said, "I just saw a small town over there; we can go and check it out."

"Let's go then!"

...

After a few hours, the group finally found a recruitment point and learned that they weren't far from the Navy Headquarters.

This was good news.

If the distance had been greater, Zhao Zheng would have had to fly everyone there.

The pirate world was peculiar; some places were technologically advanced, while others were extremely backward.

For instance, the ships here were quite primitive, and it would often take a long time to reach a destination on the vast ocean.

Zhao Zheng and the others couldn't afford to wait that long.

Perhaps the Spirit Realm, when teleporting parahumans, would also try to locate them near the Navy Headquarters and the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Is this the Navy Headquarters' recruitment point? Why are there so many people?"

Wang Fei was astonished at the long waiting line.

Zhang Chenggang, also unsure, said, "The Navy's public announcement about Ace should have spread like wildfire. Those who join the military now are going to the battlefield. Don't they fear death?"

Zhao Zheng, however, knew the reason. "In this world, pirates are numerous, like fish in a river. Among these pirates, many are bullies, committing evil acts! So, there are also many who hate pirates."

"Look at the expressions of these people; many of them have eyes filled with hatred, probably seeking revenge."

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at the queue, realizing that Zhao Zheng was right.

"But we can't blame the Whitebeard Pirates for the crimes of other pirates, can we?" Zhou Junjie spoke softly. "I heard that the Whitebeard Pirates belong to the righteous and orderly camp..."

Zhao Zheng shook his head. "If they knew that, they probably wouldn't have come. Either they think all pirates are the same, or the Navy Headquarters' propaganda is effective!"

"Zhao, what should we do now?" Jiang Hebin asked, frowning at the long line. "At this rate, we might not even get our turn today!"

Zhao Zheng also furrowed his brows.

Just as he was considering using his strength to cut in line, a Navy warship approached from a distance and docked at the shore.

Then, a group of Navy soldiers disembarked.

Their arrival immediately drew the attention of everyone near the recruitment point, including Zhao Zheng's group.

As Zhao Zheng's gaze landed on a familiar face, his eyes lit up.

He recognized the leader of that Navy group—a robust man with a head of white hair combed back, wearing a large coat with the word "Justice" on the back, his chest exposed, revealing strong muscles.

Most notably, this guy had two smoking cigars in his mouth!

It was none other than "Smoker" Smoker.

In the original story, Smoker had a significant role and was one of the main opponents of the protagonist, Wang Lufei.

Currently, Smoker held the rank of Rear Admiral, and two years after the Summit War, he would be promoted to Vice Admiral!

His promotion speed was by no means slow.

Of course, Zhao Zheng was familiar with him due to his knowledge of the original story.

Smoker, however, did not recognize Zhao Zheng.

At this moment, Smoker scanned the line of recruits, his brow slightly furrowed.

He found them all weak and scrawny.

Sending such people to the battlefield would only result in them becoming cannon fodder!

So, Smoker walked directly to the recruitment station and halted the process.

"The upcoming war is crucial and extremely dangerous!"

Smoker shouted to everyone, "I need strong warriors! True warriors!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end