Chapter 92

The contestants were awakened one by one. When they saw the abundant food laid out before them, they quickly freshened up and began to eat heartily.

Having a chef around is always a delightful thing.

Nalasha said cheerfully beside them.

"Just now, I went over there, and there are many plants and animals in those mountains, much better than this barren land. Once we go in, we can eat whatever we want. Of course, we need to find a salt mine first; I don't want to eat tasteless food. We can also gather wood there, build beautiful houses, and construct our own castle."

Nalasha's words delighted the younger children but made the older ones think of other things.

Does building houses here mean we can never go back?

As if knowing what they were thinking, Gongsun Murong followed up, "Those who can use magic must strive to improve themselves. Spatial movement is not part of any elemental system; it is a unique form of perception. When performing spatial movement, it's not about speed but about changing space. From here to there, I just did it."

As he spoke, Gongsun Murong indeed disappeared and reappeared.

"See, it's very simple. No matter what obstacles you place between this distance, it won't affect my movement. The reason we can't freely travel between planets is because of the barriers. We can't cross these barriers, so we can't leave the planet. Even Nalasha and I can't, because our spatial movement is still too weak. We can only move a few hundred kilometers. Yes, you heard that right, a few hundred kilometers. If we move with over seven hundred people, we can only move a few dozen kilometers. We didn't need to kill that fierce beast earlier; I could have just taken you away. But we needed to know what kind of creature it was, so we killed it. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

As soon as Gongsun Murong finished speaking, he moved everyone to a new position.

The contestants' eyes lit up; they understood. If they could strengthen their spatial movement, could they directly move back home? Even if they couldn't reach that level, they could still escape in dangerous situations and save a lot of time when looking for a way back. Spatial movement is a form of perception. Now, with two people who understand it, they could learn from them and get their guidance. They believed that, as geniuses, they could definitely learn it.

Nalasha also took the opportunity to encourage those who couldn't use magic.

"You probably don't know, but initially, Brother Murong couldn't use magic. I gathered and condensed magical fluctuations, turning them into something like water, which he could touch. Brother Murong learned that way, and you can too. I can do the same for you; just try. Of course, the prerequisite is that I must have a deep understanding of magic. This understanding is not related to mental strength but belongs to the soul level."

Nalasha's words gave the warriors new hope. After finishing their meal, the contestants became cautious but no longer felt sad or helpless. Regardless of whether they would eventually achieve the grand vision, their current mental state improved.

Many of the empire's strong figures outside marveled at the good fortune of the Rexlar Empire, which had produced two absolute leaders. Even without powerful combat abilities, their influence was worth a thousand troops. On the battlefield, they could boost morale; in politics, they could soothe the people. Not to mention their formidable combat skills, they were all-around talents. If they ever returned, would they need to find a way to assassinate them? Assassinating someone who understands spatial movement is very difficult.

Gongsun Murong and Nalasha were unaware of the other empires' strong figures' dilemmas. They led the team and flew for a few more hours, finally arriving at the foot of the mountains, where a river separated the barren land from the green mountains. The water in the river was half clear and half murky. According to the idioms Gongsun Murong had learned, this was called "clear and turbid." Of course, there were some plants near the river on the yellow side, but they were sparse. The source and end of the river were unknown, and it was very wide, estimated to be over three thousand meters. Gongsun Murong measured the area, and in some places, it reached 3,300 meters, while in others, it was 3,100 meters. The depth varied, with the deepest point being 621.5 meters, and the shallowest being one millimeter at the shore. There were many creatures in the river, but no powerful fierce beasts were found.

The contestants had no intention of crossing the river by boat or swimming. They flew directly over to the forest.

"There's no danger around. We'll move in gradually, being careful of poisonous insects. If you get poisoned, don't panic; Brother Murong and I will help you detoxify. Even if magic can't cure it, we can. Don't ask why."

Nalasha led the way, addressing everyone. Indeed, some people wanted to ask why but held back when they heard her last words. As they entered the forest, everyone became more cautious. The dangers in the forest were greater than on the barren land, but no one wanted to live on the barren land. Even if they had to live there, it would be by the river. Now, they needed to explore the forest, see what animals and plants were there, divide the area, find salt, and use the forest as a food base. They moved forward, catching many insects, collecting plants and fungi, and small animals.

After a few more hours, they found no danger and turned back, circling around to the river on the barren land. They handed the collected items to Gongsun Murong and Nalasha for observation and study. They determined that some fungi were inedible, some insects were poisonous, and the most dangerous could kill a person in three seconds with a neurotoxin. They also found some plants that could kill and capture insects. The contestants knew Gongsun Murong had a device to determine what was safe to eat. They were used to this. What made them uneasy was that after selecting the poisonous items, Gongsun Murong and Nalasha began to mix and match other items, including the poisonous ones. This took over two hours.

Finally, Nalasha held a pile of items and said to the contestants, "Brother Murong and I have specially formulated some insect repellents and antidotes for the poisonous insects and toxins. Everyone should have two sets. We don't have enough materials now, so we'll collect more according to the formula later."

The contestants couldn't remain calm. Even Lucia was very curious and asked, "Nalasha, how did you learn pharmacology?"

"We learned it. Brother Murong and I learn things quickly. We learned some basic principles and read dozens of related books. Brother Murong already knew some theories about another type of medicine, so we decided to experiment. It worked well; most toxins can be neutralized, and the insect repellents are even simpler."

Nalasha sighed regretfully, "If we had more time, even just a month, no, a half-month, we could have learned pharmacology well. We have the money to do experiments."

The contestants were speechless. This wasn't about money, was it? Geniuses always have money, and if they don't, someone will give it to them. The question was, how could they learn so quickly? Weren't they supposed to be learning magic? Wasn't Gongsun Murong supposed to improve his combat skills?

The contestants were very upset. Everyone was a genius, but geniuses are not all the same. They had worked hard, spending most of their time on cultivation. What about those two? They were stronger and still had time to learn other things. Compared to them, they might not be geniuses at all, just like ordinary people compared to them.

With the insect repellents, they re-entered the forest, and it worked well. The insects avoided them and didn't dare to come close. They smoothly collected enough materials and returned.

Once everything was ready, they continued deeper into the forest. As they did, the audience outside went wild, especially those in the Rexlar Empire's capital. They cheered and celebrated, knowing that the team had a pharmacist and healing magic, ensuring the contestants' safety. Some began to complain, saying the empire shouldn't have participated in the resource competition and should have focused on training Nalasha and Gongsun Murong.

These geniuses, who don't even inspire jealousy, should stay in the capital and be protected by layers of guards, with at least a thousand experts accompanying them wherever they go. The outside world is dangerous. What if something happens to them? What if they get sick? What if they're in a bad mood?

"Guess what I heard. I heard people around me complaining that we shouldn't have sent the children to the competition, saying they are too young and need protection. They are little geniuses, but I can't imagine why they would say that. Who can answer me? Are they weak? They are just young. Their strength is not lacking. Yes, they are geniuses who can do everything, including pharmacology. But who would have thought they would end up in another place when they were sent out?"

Harun Harry, the commentator, was equally shocked when he saw Gongsun Murong and Nalasha formulate the medicine, but he firmly believed they should have been sent out. They are not weak; they just had a bit of bad luck.

His words did not calm the debate. People in the arena and around it were already arguing intensely about whether the two children should have been sent out. The debate continued for sixteen hours.

The contestants rested again and were ready to go. With everything prepared, they flew directly, following the path they took the previous day, continuing to explore deeper into the forest. Flying was much faster than walking in the forest. In half an hour, they covered the distance they had walked the previous day and advanced a few more kilometers. Like the barren land they had seen before, the forest stretched endlessly, and they encountered plants and animals they hadn't seen before. However, they didn't need to go so far to gather food, so they didn't land to collect anything.

They flew for another two and a half hours. Just as they were about to return, a huge explosion suddenly sounded from somewhere in the forest ahead.