Getting Stronger By Fighting-Chapter 582 - 580: Return to Camp_1

It was apparent that though Luo Tianhong trusted no one, he held genuine affection for Wang Zhan.

Of course, Wang Zhan was deeply touched. He patted Luo Tianhong on the shoulder, saying, "The road ahead is long; until we meet again."

Luo Tianhong managed a slight smile. He waved at Wang Zhan before walking off in a different direction. It had been an incredibly profitable encounter for Luo. He had absorbed the largest Spirit Crystal, yet Wang Zhan noticed no change in him.

After parting ways with Luo Tianhong, they headed towards the Battle Zone Defense Camp.

Everyone in the Fifth War Zone had now gathered in the Battle Zone Defense Camp. Upon Bai Yu's return with the others, they were greeted with many salutations.

Some people were shocked to see Bai Yu. Bai Yu was a lone wolf; nobody expected him to return to the Battle Zone Defense Camp.

Xiang Zhanfei also rushed over quickly when he heard the news. He eagerly approached Wang Zhan and the others. Upon seeing Xiang Tian, he finally broke into a satisfied smile. "Indeed, staying by Wang Zhan's side was the right choice; you've grown much stronger," he said.

Previously, everyone had been concerned about Xiang Tian's survival, given how terrifying the level 1 demonic beasts were. Even Wang Zhan and his companions would have been in mortal danger had they encountered one. Despite this, Xiang Zhanfei had firmly insisted that Xiang Tian stay by Wang Zhan's side—a decision that now proved correct.

Xiang Tian shrugged nonchalantly before remarking, "I did come back, didn't I?"

"Alright, I'm going to find a place to rest. You guys can chat."

He had many companions in the war zone; being still young, he naturally wanted to spend more time with everyone. Xiang Zhanfei shook his head without commenting but smiled contentedly.

Wang Zhan then found Xiang Zhanfei and asked with a smile, "Have things settled down completely now?"

Xiang Zhanfei nodded. "Yes, Chu Yunxiao is now responsible for the rear, so it's relatively safe. Plus, all eight War Gods are in position."

"All eight War Gods are within the camp?"

A peculiar light flashed in Wang Zhan's eyes. Bai Yu, already by his side, was formidable enough. Naturally, Wang Zhan wanted to meet the remaining War Gods as well. These individuals could all potentially become assets he could mobilize in the future.

Xiang Zhanfei shook his head and explained, "Currently, including Bai Yu, there are only two War Gods in the camp. The others have all dispersed to various areas within the Fifth War Zone to deal with the demonic beasts."

Bai Yu quickly looked at Xiang Zhanfei and asked, "Which other War God is still in the camp?"

"It's Li Jiu."

"It's him? With him here, the safety of the camp's rear is indeed assured." Bai Yu said, caressing the Dual Guns in his hands and letting out a long sigh of relief.

Wang Zhan, who knew very little about matters in the Fifth War Zone, glanced at Bai Yu. "How does Li Jiu compare to you?"

Xiang Zhanfei remained silent. After all, they knew very little about the division of combat power within the war zone. Moreover, the eight War Gods had never competed against each other; they each operated independently, solely focused on maintaining peace in the war zone.

"If I were to use all my trump cards, we might be evenly matched. But Li Jiu has many tricks, so who knows what the final outcome would be?" Bai Yu elaborated.

"Also, I've heard that Li Jiu is extremely ferocious. His do-or-die fighting style is so relentless that even demonic beasts are left in the dust."

"Of course, precisely because of this, Li Jiu has accumulated many injuries. He often needs to recuperate and has never truly returned to his peak condition."

After hearing Bai Yu's description, Wang Zhan's interest in this Li Jiu was instantly piqued.

He narrowed his eyes at Xiang Zhanfei beside him and asked, "How many people are currently in the camp?"

"Most of them have gathered here. By careful count, there should be just under a thousand people."

Xiang Zhanfei quickly explained, "However, we still don't know how many people are in the outlying areas. If we can gather everyone, the war zone can be rebuilt."

"Only a little over a thousand people?" Wang Zhan mused, tapping his temples. "If that's the case, rebuilding the war zone won't be an easy task."

"The Fifth War Zone is too vast. Even if we manage to reclaim our positions, how would we defend the entire Fifth War Zone?"

Wang Zhan was, of course, speaking the truth; the facts were precisely as he stated.

Such a vast area like the Fifth War Zone would require numerous defense lines. With only a little over a thousand people, even if no one was left in the rear, they wouldn't be able to establish an adequate defense line. The moment demonic beasts besieged them, their defenses would be instantly breached.

Xiang Zhanfei also looked troubled. He frowned and said, "But for now, these are all the people we could gather. After the camp was breached this time, we lost contact with many. Their status—whether they are alive or dead—is unknown. Several War Gods have already led teams out to search for them."

Wang Zhan remained silent, his mind already working on a plan.

"And this young brother is...?"

As they were conversing, a burly man abruptly approached them.

The man carried a huge iron hammer on his shoulder, his brow exuding an air of heroism.

Xiang Zhanfei quickly bowed respectfully upon seeing the man. "Commander, this is Wang Zhan, whom I mentioned to you. He is young, but his strength is extraordinary."

"His strength surpasses, or perhaps even rivals, that of a level 1 demonic beast. I've seen it with my own eyes."

Wang Zhan, standing to the side, was momentarily stunned. He had heard Xiang Zhanfei mention Chu Yunxiao before.

Commander Chu Yunxiao. His personal combat prowess was such that he was said to be responsible for the entire rear defense of the Fifth War Zone. Moreover, he possessed exceptional organizational skills and was considered a formidable individual.

But seeing is believing. After seeing Chu Yunxiao in person, Wang Zhan couldn't help but smile. He quickly walked up to Chu Yunxiao, extended his hand, and greeted him, "You must be Commander Chu?"

"Junior Wang Zhan, it's an honor to meet Commander Chu."

Chu Yunxiao smiled and waved his hand in return. Then, patting Wang Zhan's shoulder, he said, "So Xiang Zhanfei wasn't exaggerating. You truly are a talent! So young, yet your strength is this formidable?"

Bai Yu, standing nearby with his Dual Guns in hand, glanced at Chu Yunxiao and chuckled. "I can vouch for Xiang Zhanfei on this. After all, I was fighting alongside Wang Zhan just moments ago. If not for him, I might have already died."

Of course, both Bai Yu and Xiang Zhanfei understood that while Chu Yunxiao didn't show it, he was undoubtedly astonished internally. After all, they had felt the same way when they first saw Wang Zhan. Back then, Wang Zhan was merely in the martial arts Grandmaster realm. But now?

Xiang Zhanfei was amazed to realize that in the few days since he'd last seen Wang Zhan, he had already advanced to the ranks of a Grandmaster. Moreover, he was just one step away from breaking through the Grandmaster realm entirely!

How had he not realized Wang Zhan's cultivation speed was so astonishingly fast?

Wang Zhan simply smiled and waved his hand dismissively, "It was just a stroke of luck. Without you, the two of us together still wouldn't have been able to handle that level 1 beast, the Metal Maniac."

Chu Yunxiao was instantly shocked. He turned his gaze to Bai Yu and asked in astonishment, "Are you saying you two dealt with the Metal Maniac?"

The level 1 demonic beast, Metal Maniac, was terrifyingly formidable. Its defenses were something ordinary people couldn't hope to breach. In the past, even Li Jiu had clashed with the Metal Maniac, but the outcome had been unsatisfactory: Li Jiu was severely injured and required a long period of recuperation, while the Metal Maniac remained completely unscathed.

The difference in their capabilities was as vast as an insurmountable chasm. So, it was beyond anyone's imagination that Wang Zhan had actually managed to eliminate the Metal Maniac. How could this not send shockwaves through them?

Hearing that someone had eliminated the Metal Maniac, the nearby crowd quickly gathered around, all eyes fixed on Wang Zhan.

"Wow, this young brother is so young! Did he really eliminate the Metal Maniac? With that kind of strength, isn't he unimaginably powerful?"

"If he could eliminate the Metal Maniac, it would mean his combat power is far above that of several War Gods. How is that possible?"

"Yeah, I think he might be bluffing. How could someone so young possess such formidable strength? Besides, from what I can see, he's merely a Grandmaster."

"..."

The crowd chattered, their words a mixture of disbelief and, for some, a tinge of sourness.

Xiang Zhanfei glared at the still-murmuring youngsters. His eyes widened as he snapped, "A bunch of losers who only know how to run your mouths! Do you think that just because you can't do something, others can't either?"

Although the crowd didn't know Wang Zhan, they recognized Xiang Zhanfei. Hearing his angry tone, they immediately quieted down, not daring to utter another word.

Wang Zhan, standing to the side, merely shrugged indifferently. A few words from them wouldn't affect him.

Just then, a sharp voice cut through the crowd from behind, "I hear someone dealt with the Metal Maniac?"

Upon hearing this voice, everyone's eyes lit up. The crowd quickly parted, and Li Jiu slowly emerged from the rear.

"And this is...?" Wang Zhan murmured, looking at the newcomer. He then glanced at Bai Yu beside him. Wang Zhan didn't recognize Li Jiu and thus didn't know his identity, but he could feel an intense pressure emanating from the man.

It was clear this person was a first-rate expert. At least for now, Wang Zhan felt he was far outmatched.