"It seems I still need to take a walk in the primeval forest."
Lin Beichen found that no matter how hard he tried to sense the power of the Wood Element within himself, there was no way to make further progress. With this in mind, he planned to resort to old tactics, searching for a place rich in Wood Elemental Power for a new wave of enlightenment.
Although Lin Beichen very much wanted to return to that mysterious forest inside the black hole, he knew in his heart that it was not a place he could go just because he wanted to.
After much deliberation, Lin Beichen set his sights on the primeval forest, but he had not yet decided which specific primeval forest to choose.
"Amazon Rainforest, Shennongjia, or the most mysterious primeval jungle..."
Lin Beichen silently recited the names of the forests he had found online that met his criteria, but in the end, he couldn’t decide where to go.
"One way or another, I should go ask the principal for leave first."
Lin Beichen sat up from his bed in the dormitory and began to organize his clothes. His roommates, long accustomed to this, merely asked casually,
"Leaving again?"
"Yes."
Lin Beichen nodded in response.
"Stay safe."
This time, the roommates didn’t ask Lin Beichen about his destination, nor did they tell him to bring back any local specialties like before.
Perhaps after experiencing those past events, nothing seemed more important to them than Lin Beichen coming back safe and sound.
"Don’t worry, I know what to do."
Lin Beichen nodded, then walked in the direction of the principal’s office.
Once inside Hao Jianhua’s office, Lin Beichen stated that his purpose was to ask for leave.
"You could have just called for something like this."
Hao Jianhua smiled faintly. He was already used to Lin Beichen asking for leave and didn’t inquire further.
"After all, you are my teacher."
Lin Beichen nodded calmly and left Hao Jianhua’s office.
Just as Hao Jianhua had suggested, Lin Beichen could indeed have simply called to ask for leave. But to Lin Beichen, Hao Jianhua was his principal, his teacher.
If conditions allowed, it was better to ask in person, as respect for the teacher-student relationship was still important.
After Lin Beichen left, Hao Jianhua immediately dialed Song Xiangdong’s number. Song Xiangdong had given him this exception only for the purpose of keeping a close eye on Lin Beichen’s movements.
This wasn’t about surveillance. Song Xiangdong just wanted to ensure Lin Beichen’s safety to the greatest extent possible, before he fully matured.
"So, he’s planning to go to the rainforest?"
Song Xiangdong had some understanding of Lin Beichen’s cultivation methods, so he naturally guessed that Lin Beichen’s journey was likely related to the Wood Element in the Five Elements.
"I believe so."
Hao Jianhua said into the phone to Song Xiangdong.
"Because Lin Beichen asked me for some advice about the rainforest before he left, and in the end, I recommended the most mysterious forest to him."
Upon hearing Hao Jianhua’s response, Song Xiangdong frowned slightly, said a simple thank you, and hung up.
After hanging up, Song Xiangdong furrowed his brow as if lost in thought, then picked up the internal phone and dialed his secretary’s number.
"Check if that squad on the mission to eliminate the drug traffickers has returned. Yes, the squad from the Dragon Army!"
After hanging up, the look of worry on Song Xiangdong’s face grew even darker.
The Dragon Army was the most elite military force in Dragon Country. The selection criteria for this army did not involve a general conscription system but rather an enlistment system.
This means that only the best soldiers from the regular army could join the Dragon Army. Even if they had significant ranks in their original units, upon entering the Dragon Army, their ranks would be retained, and they would start as basic soldiers.
This often led to very interesting scenes within the Dragon Army, where highly ranked individuals would be reprimanded by a much lower-ranked captain.
But this was necessary, because in that army, the only thing that mattered was strength. If you wanted to lead others, you only needed to prove yourself in the assessments.
Even the Security Bureau had no vertical relationship with the Dragon Army, at best a horizontal collaborative relationship. This is because when the Security Bureau encountered unsolvable issues, they would pass the information horizontally to the Dragon Army, who would then send personnel to handle the troubles.
"Based on their past mission data, even the toughest tasks took them less than 72 hours to complete. But this time, they’ve been in the forest for 74 hours."
Song Xiangdong muttered to himself, worry painting his face.
Just as Song Xiangdong was at a loss, the internal phone on his desk rang. This phone was used exclusively by his secretary, meaning only she could reach him on it anytime.
"Lin Beichen is here."
As Song Xiangdong’s secretary, she knew well how to report to him. Song Xiangdong, with his military background, disliked verbose reports, preferring simple and direct explanations of the outcome or the incident’s cause and process.