"???"
A Liang and the other two looked over in unison, their eyes filled with shock.
A Liang spoke, "Are you fantasizing again?"
"He's telling the truth."
Xu Xingxing nodded and admitted, "It's the Fire Dragon King from within the 'Blazing Volcano'!"
"For real?"
Wang Jue's body trembled. With Chen Shu's current strength, given the right time and place, he had a chance to kill a Black Iron Monarch.
But the Fire Dragon King was a bona fide Silver Monarch!
"The corpse has an important use, so I haven't brought it back for now."
Chen Shu shrugged and said, "A mere minor monarch is nothing, a piece of cake!"
"..."
A Liang and the other two exchanged glances, still finding it hard to believe.
But Xiao Xing was a straightforward person and wouldn't usually lie.
Could this guy have actually done it?
"A Liang, were you guys also called over by Old Qin and the others?"
Chen Shu leaned closer and said, "That shouldn't be the case. In this situation, your role isn't that significant."
"Get lost, get lost, get lost."
A Liang curled his lips and said, "The three of us are all Silver-level, and we cooperate well. Do you really think our strength is lower than yours?"
"That's right. As the saying goes, three cobblers are better than one skilled strategist," Wang Jue chimed in. "If it really came to a fight, you might not be our match. Want to give it a try?"
"Forget it, there's no need." Xu Xingxing quickly advised. He didn't doubt the trio's combat power. The key was that the mutated thunderbird might betray them...
Chen Shu smiled and said, "Xiao Xing, don't try to persuade me. Today, we'll give it a try!"
"Try what?"
Just then, a familiar voice came from the balcony.
Liu Feng strode in and looked at Chen Shu and the others.
"Hey Old Liu, can you use the door?" Chen Shu pouted. "Do you really think this is your living room?"
"..."
Liu Feng glared at him but said nothing more. Ever since Chen Shu saved him last time, Liu Feng didn't care much about titles and had grown accustomed to Chen Shu's respectful demeanor.
Liu Feng casually opened the refrigerator and took out an ice pop as well. "Now, I officially inform you all, the pleasant holiday has ended!"
"Huh?" Chen Shu turned his head. "But the problem is, the holiday hasn't even started..."
"Just shut up!" Liu Feng shook his head, then said with utmost seriousness, "The current situation is a bit tense, and we need you to go out and fight."
"No problem! In this time of crisis, who else but us!" Chen Shu's eyes held righteous indignation. "Teacher, tell us, which dimensional rift do we need to guard?"
"Actually... it's not a dimensional rift."
"Not a dimensional rift?" Liu Feng nodded and slowly said, "It's to deal with ferocious beasts on Blue Star!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the four of them stood up in unison, scurried back to their bedrooms, and shut the doors tightly.
"???"
Liu Feng stared at the empty living room, utterly bewildered. He shouted, "Damn it, can the four of you stop being so chicken-hearted?!" They had been so righteous and ready to die heroically at first, only to reveal their true colors the next second?
Chen Shu spoke, "No, Teacher. Asking us to fight the ferocious beasts of Dragon Abyss is just throwing our lives away."
"That's right, Teacher Liu. We're only Silver-level. Fighting Monarch-level beasts directly would be too outrageous!"
"Let Chen Shu go. His talent is astonishing. He just said he had no problem fighting the three of us!"
"..."
Liu Feng rubbed his head, feeling a slight throbbing in his temples. After a while, he seemed to recall something, a smile forming on his lips. He then said calmly, "This special mission is part of your graduation assessment. If you don't go, graduating will be problematic..."
"??"
In an instant, A Liang and the other two opened their bedroom doors and reluctantly came into the living room. They all carried the expectations of their families. If they couldn't even get their diplomas, their end would likely not be pretty... As for Chen Pi, as long as he didn't end up in prison, he wouldn't have failed his family and friends' expectations.
"Chen Pi, aren't you coming out?" Liu Feng frowned and said, "It seems you really intend to transform into powder!"
A voice came from Chen Shu's bedroom: "Both paths lead to death. I'd rather turn into powder; at least I can drift above the academy!"
"..."
Liu Feng's mouth twitched, then he said seriously, "What do you mean both paths lead to death? We're just asking you to deal with other ferocious beasts on Blue Star! It's not just the beasts from Dragon Abyss that have escaped."
"Really?" Just then, Chen Shu's voice, tinged with suspicion, came.
"Nonsense, why would we have you fight Monarch-level beasts?!" Liu Feng shook his head and said, "Now, the four of you are all national geniuses. The officials value you immensely. How could they let you send yourselves to death for no reason?"
Chen Shu's eyes darted around. After a moment of thought, he slowly opened his bedroom door. As long as it wasn't a fight against Dragon Abyss beasts, everything was negotiable.
"This is the designated mission city for you!" Liu Feng waved his right hand, and a smart projection appeared in mid-air, showing a map of China. The cities on it were marked with different colors, representing different danger levels. Cities close to the Dragon Abyss entrance were basically marked in deep red.
"The first danger zone has powerful individuals handling it, and it basically contains traces of Dragon Abyss beasts!" Liu Feng pointed at the map and said, "The four of you are responsible for the second danger zone. There are ferocious beasts from other dimensional rifts nearby, but no Dragon Abyss creatures."
Chen Shu and the other three breathed a sigh of relief and no longer resisted the mission. Liu Feng then assigned specific routes and some precautions to the four of them. An hour later, the four nodded, understanding their mission.
Chen Shu seemed to think of something and said, "Teacher Liu, doesn't our official side have any hidden strength?" Currently, just the invasion from Dragon Abyss had thrown everyone into a panic, making them feel like the apocalypse had arrived. As a major country on Blue Star, capable of resisting beasts for thousands of years and continuously developing, they surely had some trump cards.
"You don't need to worry about that!" Liu Feng shook his head and smiled. "The situation is a bit chaotic now, but it's all within the official control. Nothing will go wrong."
"Is that so?" Chen Shu nodded and said, "Why not use the trump cards directly? It would save a lot of effort."
"..."
Liu Feng's mouth twitched. "You think it's that simple. When things can be handled, why use trump cards? Besides, do you think there's no cost involved?"