Chapter 24

Half a month ago, Hao Qi killed Wang Diao, and the entire Blue Shadow Republic fell silent once again. Since then, Hao Qi had practically completed his baptism, and there was no longer any public pretext for any force, including the government, to attack him. If any attack were to occur, it would be a matter of mortal enmity. Considering Hao Qi's combat strength and the fact that he had killed Wang Diao in front of so many Inner Strength Realm practitioners, he was not someone who would back down from a fight. If something major were to happen, it would be impossible to persuade him with the excuse of the greater good. At that point, a major disaster would truly ensue.

Therefore, at this point, since it was impossible to stop Hao Qi, they decided to prevent anyone within the Blue Shadow Republic who still coveted his cultivation techniques. No one knew who started the rumor, but it spread throughout the Blue Shadow Republic without Hao Qi's knowledge. The rumor stated that anyone who dared to attack Hao Qi would face the combined forces of all the Inner Strength Realm practitioners and their factions in the country, who would eliminate the attacker and their faction without mercy.

Thus, during these half a month, Hao Qi lived an unusually peaceful life. Normally, even after completing his baptism, as an Inner Strength Realm practitioner, he would have received visits from young nobles and disciples from various sects seeking guidance, or invitations from other Inner Strength Realm practitioners for sparring matches. However, he received nothing of the sort, as if the entire Blue Shadow Republic had forgotten about him.

Hao Qi was not bothered by this. The current situation suited him just fine. He was not someone who pursued wealth or power, and this peaceful life was not bad. During this half a month, apart from practicing his control over Inner Strength, refining his combat skills, and healing his body and internal injuries, Hao Qi did two things: he submitted an application to establish a martial group and began a trial trip around the capital region of the Blue Shadow Republic.

The so-called trial trip was mainly to test his travel equipment and his current wilderness survival skills. Of course, it also included visiting nearby towns and scenic spots, which took about half a month, nearly twenty days.

First, he tested various pieces of equipment, which were mostly satisfactory. He had not found any major flaws yet. Then, he tested his wilderness survival skills. This world was sparsely populated, and outside the towns, the vegetation coverage was high, and there were many wild animals. With his Inner Strength Realm strength, he was like a weakened version of a superman who couldn't fly. Wild animals could not harm him, and capturing them was easy. He would not starve.

However, while the equipment was fine, there were issues with his wilderness survival skills. Hao Qi discovered several shortcomings. First, his knowledge of wilderness survival was severely lacking. During the twenty days, he drank from toxic water sources several times. Thanks to his Inner Strength, he could immediately detect the toxins and they did not harm him, but this was still a problem. What if the toxins were more potent in the future?

Second, his ability to set up a camp in the wilderness was laughable. Several times during the twenty days, he had to stand in the rain all night. Even as an Inner Strength practitioner, he couldn't stop the rain.

Third, his ability to identify animals and plants was poor. Most animals in this world had similar counterparts on Earth. For example, the rabbits here were almost identical to those on Earth, except they were faster, stronger, and slightly larger. Other animals like snakes, deer, and felines were also similar. However, there were also unique creatures, such as the rhinoceros-like beasts called "Rhinoceros Elephants," which were as large as African elephants but had numerous sharp bone spines and resembled enlarged wild boars. Hao Qi encountered one, killed it excitedly, and cooked it, but then he was poisoned. The toxins were so potent that he suffered from severe diarrhea. He also saw many tender plants and mushrooms after the rain, but not knowing what they were, he dared not eat them. This was another key aspect of wilderness survival.

Fourth, his cooking skills were lacking. He mostly just roasted food or cooked it in makeshift stone or wooden containers. He encountered some animals with extremely delicious meat, but his crude cooking methods ruined them. He was traveling the world to enjoy it, not to suffer in the wilderness.

These four points were the major shortcomings he identified in his wilderness survival skills, which he needed to improve through learning and practice, or by purchasing knowledge books. Of course, his Inner Strength Realm strength also gave him significant advantages in wilderness survival, such as safety, food sources, and dealing with toxins. He could easily navigate through mud, steep slopes, and dense forests. Therefore, he could focus on enjoying the natural scenery without worrying about the hardships of the journey, which was a significant advantage.

Hao Qi carefully wrote down these points in a notebook, including the problems he encountered, how to improve, and the advantages he had. He also noted the natural wonders and animal spectacles he encountered. He decided to keep a travel diary, which might become a world-renowned book in a few hundred years.

After returning to the capital region, Hao Qi received news that his application to establish a martial group had been approved. Next, he needed to confirm some key issues regarding the martial group.

First, the name of the martial group, which was essential for its legitimacy and recognition across countries. Second, the nature of the martial group, which Hao Qi had already heard about from Linghu Qi.

Each martial group had its unique strengths. Some were skilled in tracking, whether it was people, beasts, items, or forces like bandit groups, terrorist organizations, or anti-government militias. These groups specialized in tracking and took on tracking-related tasks.

Some were skilled in direct combat, similar to mercenary groups. Some martial groups were originally mercenary groups that became martial groups after an Inner Strength Realm practitioner joined or emerged. These groups often took on direct combat tasks for governments or factions, such as in war zones or for security at important events, or even in secret battles between martial groups.

Some martial groups had special skills, such as those interested in historical sites and ancient ruins, those skilled in identifying and searching for rare treasures, those who hunted legendary beasts, and those who preferred to stay in a specific location to enhance the strength of that area or country.

In short, the core of a martial group was its Inner Strength Realm practitioners, one or more. A martial group with more than one Inner Strength Realm practitioner was considered large. The most extreme example was the legendary Nine Martial Kings under the emperor, which were super martial groups that rivaled the power of a region, far surpassing that of one or two countries. In short, martial groups represented power.

For these two issues, the first was easy to resolve. Hao Qi had already decided on the name of his martial group: "Travel Group." He wanted to see the entire world, and he didn't want to waste time playing games like conquering the world or becoming the strongest. Life was short, and the world was vast, and he wanted to see it all!

The second issue was about the nature of the martial group. The group's establishment was to raise funds for his travels. In the future, it might be just him, or he might have like-minded companions, or even a partner to travel with. For now, he chose to focus on rare treasures, ancient ruins, and legendary beasts, which aligned with his ideals.

With this, Hao Qi's final goal in the capital region was achieved. The martial group was established, and he had secured the funds for his travels. He had also bought all the necessary equipment and had no intention of staying any longer.

Now, he had only two things left to conclude...

One was to bid farewell to his sister-in-law, Xue Na, and her husband, Li Pancheng. There was not much to say in farewell, as their differing ideals had been evident even before he reached the Inner Strength Realm. The subtle rift that appeared during the Lin Xiong incident had only widened. With Hao Qi about to leave, they might never meet again. This farewell seemed somewhat redundant, so Hao Qi considered leaving without saying goodbye, in a traditional style. However, he remembered how Xue Na had rushed to the university to fetch him when Lin Xiong was in trouble, and Li Pancheng's promises before he reached the Inner Strength Realm. In the end, he could not bear to leave without a word, so he wrote a long letter explaining his plans to travel and gain experience, hoping they would take care of themselves. If Xue Na ever needed help, she could leave a message through the martial group system, and he would return to assist.

With this, their relationship was concluded. Unless the Li family declined or Xue Na faced a major crisis, they would likely never interact again.

Hao Qi was a broad-minded person, and with this, his ties in the Blue Shadow Republic were resolved, though not perfectly and with some regrets.

After that, there was only one thing left... the debt of gratitude from the university, the bowl of meat soup, and the martial arts guidance.

The debt of gratitude from the beautiful woman...

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