Chapter Eighteen: Learning the Fireball Spell and Arriving at Greenhill Town

"Still, I should thank you," she said. "If it weren't for you, I might have escaped, but not without paying a price."

"Uh..." Yang Feng was momentarily stunned. It seemed Gu Panpan would have been fine even without his help. After all, she even had something like a city return scroll at her disposal.

"I'm hungry now. Could you get me something to eat?" Gu Panpan looked at him with a pitiful expression.

Yang Feng didn't hesitate. He killed a forest wolf, skinned it, and roasted the meat over the campfire. When the meat was done, he handed it to Gu Panpan.

"Delicious!" Gu Panpan seized the roast and ate greedily. Watching her eat with such delight, Yang Feng couldn't help but wonder if his cooking was truly that good.

"Yang Feng, are you here leveling up?" Gu Panpan asked, curiosity lighting her eyes. "Judging by your level, you haven't started university yet?"

"That's right. I just graduated from high school this year," Yang Feng nodded.

"So, which university do you plan to apply to?" she pressed.

"I'm aiming for Qingbei University," he answered without hesitation.

"Qingbei University? That's the highest institution in Daxia!" Gu Panpan exclaimed, astonished. Yang Feng, who had single-handedly slain three level 15 professionals, was ambitious. But getting into Qingbei University was no easy feat. It was the top academy in Daxia, with countless applicants every year, and only a limited number of spots. The competition was fierce—a true battle for the bridge.

"Yang Feng, if you really get into Qingbei University, you should try challenging the Star Reaching Tower," Gu Panpan advised. "Each floor you ascend grants different credits. Credits are extremely important at Qingbei—if you don't have enough, you won't be able to graduate. The university has many specializations, but if you can, try for the Divine Arts Department."

Gu Panpan seemed intimately familiar with Qingbei University and explained its intricacies to Yang Feng in detail. Through her introduction, Yang Feng gained a general understanding of the place. Most of the time, she did the talking; Yang Feng listened intently, asking questions when something confused him.

As they conversed, Gu Panpan eventually fell asleep. Seeing her slumbering, Yang Feng took off his jacket and gently covered her. Then he sat cross-legged and rested.

...

Come morning, Yang Feng opened his eyes to find Gu Panpan standing before him.

"Yang Feng, I'm hungry. Do you have more roast meat?" she asked.

Yang Feng was speechless, but immediately transformed into a barbecue master. He quickly roasted another piece of meat and handed it to her.

"This is so good!" Gu Panpan exclaimed. "Yang Feng, I want more!"

Even after the first piece, she wasn't satisfied. "Yang Feng, could you roast some more? Ideally, you could barbecue all the monsters in the forest for me!"

Yang Feng, speechless, had his Raven Warriors capture a few more forest wolves.

"I'm so full," Gu Panpan sighed contentedly after eating, patting her stomach. "Yang Feng, I'm heading out now. Let's meet again if we get the chance! Upgrade quickly and try your best to get into Qingbei University."

With those words, she turned and left.

After Gu Panpan departed, Yang Feng stood up, his gaze falling on the three corpses lying on the ground. He decided to try out the new skill he'd learned yesterday.

Fireball!

He hurled a fireball at the three bodies.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion erupted. The corpses were engulfed in roaring flames, and even the surrounding trees caught fire. When the blaze finally died down, a crater thirty meters wide lay where the bodies had been.

"This fireball spell is quite powerful," Yang Feng mused.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

He continued practicing the fireball spell for several more minutes. After some training, he grew more proficient. As for the three bodies, they had long since been reduced to ashes. Clearly, fireball was an excellent way to erase all traces.

Afterward, Yang Feng set off toward Greenhill Town.

Greenhill Town had been occupied by the Wind Wolf Clan. As Yang Feng approached, he encountered more Wind Wolves along the road—and they grew stronger in level. To deal with them, Yang Feng summoned five Raven Warriors. Now, he could summon nearly fifty Raven Warriors, all at level three.

The higher the level of Raven Warriors, the more spirit power they consumed. Now, summoning one cost him about fifty points of spirit power, and his total was just under four hundred. Still, he was quite satisfied with his current abilities. Someday, he would summon even more Raven Warriors.

Near Greenhill Town, he met more and more professionals. Most monsters on the road to town had been cleared already. Soon, Yang Feng arrived at the entrance—a dilapidated city gate.

"Team up, team up! We need a mage!"

"One-star dungeon, urgently need a priest!"

"Three short, hurry and join our team!"

At the entrance, many people were shouting, inviting others to join their teams. Quite a few stood around, discussing and hesitating.

Yang Feng approached with one Raven Warrior at his side; the rest had been stowed away in his pet pouch.

Caw! Caw!

The Raven Warrior let out a harsh cry, exuding a sinister aura. Many quickly noticed the Raven Warrior hovering above Yang Feng's head.

Arriving at the entrance, Yang Feng checked the information on Greenhill Town. Unlike the Novice Village, Greenhill Town wasn't intended for beginners. Its difficulty was low, about one star, but the monsters inside were mostly above level 15 and much stronger than those outside. Some even exceeded level 15.

Of course, Greenhill Town was divided into outer and core areas. The outer area allowed professionals below level 15 to enter, requiring teams of three. The core area was for professionals above level 15, requiring teams of four or more. Clearly, the danger levels differed between the two zones.

The Raven Warrior circled above Yang Feng's head, vigilantly watching the surroundings.