"Stay here, don't leave the battleship until we reach the Poisonous Mist Swamp."
"Alright."
Fu Ping gave some detailed instructions before leaving to continue picking up newcomers.
Su Yu turned back, seeing quite a few young men and women standing on the spacious deck. Judging by their age, they all seemed to be newcomers. He didn't recognize any of them, so he randomly picked a corner to stand in.
As time went on, more and more newcomers arrived, and the square grew increasingly crowded.
Ten minutes later, his eyes lit up as he spotted some familiar faces.
The three newcomers brought by Qiao Bin's team during their previous leveling session: two men and one woman. The woman's name was Wen Qing, and the men's names were Jiang Yu and Li Mu.
He greeted them, and they naturally stood together.
"There are so many people here!"
Jiang Yu clicked his tongue. Beside him, Li Mu nodded and said:
"I guess over ninety percent of the newcomers must be here this year."
Su Yu laughed and said:
"Well, since we don't have to go to the front lines, most people come to take a look."
The small group didn't chat much before a throng of about thirty newcomers arrived. Many seasoned veterans maintaining order saw the newcomers and warmly greeted them, while others turned and had those who arrived earlier step aside. The group, including Su Yu, was pushed to the side.
"The second generation is here."
Jiang Yu tugged at the corner of his mouth, speaking with a hint of envy.
These newcomers carried themselves exceptionally well, their clothing alone was superior to that of their peers.
Su Yu was currently wearing a First Grade Magical Robe, which had self-cleaning and dust-repelling functions, but the fabric of the robes worn by this batch of newcomers was visibly more exquisite. Subtle spiritual light flickered across their surface, clearly signaling high-grade Magical Robes.
High-grade Magical Robes not only came with a suite of special effects but also boasted powerful defensive capabilities comparable to Defense Treasures, their value surpassing that of magical treasures of the same level.
The arrival of these second-generation newcomers instantly became the focus of attention on the deck.
The gazes of many newcomers shifted between jealousy and envy.
"At eighteen years, a guild event, standing as minions!"
Su Yu, surprised, turned around. The one who spoke was an unfamiliar newcomer positioned behind him. Noticing Su Yu's astonished look, the newcomer smiled and said:
"Just speaking from the heart!"
Su Yu also laughed and said:
"Quite fitting."
The boy laughed heartily and said:
"But speaking of which, the second generation is merely enjoying the shelter of their forebears. If their parents could stand out, there's no reason we can't either."
Several around them heard this; some nodded in agreement, while others shook their heads and said:
"True enough, but the reality is that standing out isn't easy; you need excellent innate talent to begin with."
"So what if that's the case? Talent only saves you some effort. Diligence makes up for inadequacy. Moreover, the Other Shore World is vast, with many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures deep within its realm that could enhance your innate qualities. Why can't we defy fate in the future?"
"Heh, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures capable of enhancing innate qualities aren't as easy to find as you might think. Many people never come across them their entire lives."
"Heh, while capabilities can be altered, mindset is far more difficult to change. Holding onto such a mindset guarantees you'll achieve little."
"You..."
"What do you mean 'you'? If you don't even have the courage to change your fate, how can you talk about defying it?"
The boy sternly said:
"Perhaps this lifetime won't offer the chance to obtain such Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, but that's not a reason to give up now. Opportunities favor those prepared. Prepare well now, so if opportunity truly comes your way, you won't miss it for lack of preparation."
...
The crowd fell silent.
But Su Yu clasped his fists and said:
"Brother, those words are truly invaluable. I am taught; my name is Su Yu."
The boy returned the gesture:
"I'm Zhuang Zhuo."
"I hope to hear good news from you some day."
"Thank you for your kind words!"
"Let's add each other as friends!"
"Let's add each other as friends!"
Both paused and laughed simultaneously.
Both felt a sense of camaraderie with the other.
Ignoring the crowd on the deck, they moved to the edge of the ship and began chatting.
Unlike meeting others and immediately introducing themselves, they intuitively avoided that and only talked about cultivation matters like leveling experiences, combat tactics, and monster farming techniques.
Through their conversation, Su Yu learned that in the past half month, Zhuang Zhuo had studied all the mainstream combat systems and, realizing he lacked talent in Swordsmanship and mainstream Magic, ultimately chose a non-mainstream path.
The auxiliary mainstream routes include beast taming, corpse and ghost refining, and gu insect cultivation.
Originally, he considered beast taming, but after learning about the Poisonous Mist Swamp in this guild mission, he moved gu insect cultivation up his list.
The swamp was teeming with poisonous insects, making it an ideal place for gu cultivation.
His plan was to first observe the conditions in the Poisonous Mist Swamp with the group, and if the environment was suitable, to primarily focus on gu cultivation and develop his gu farm in that area.
Establishing a gu farm could greatly accelerate future development.
Through the gu farm, he could cultivate a large number of high-quality gu insects. If he could acquire some rare recipes, like the Flying Golden Centipede or Golden Cicada Gu, he would ascend to new levels.
With a wave of his hand, commanding hundreds or thousands of gu insects at levels fifty to sixty, he'd become formidable in both leveling and PvP.
Furthermore, gu insects from the farm could be sold, providing the potential for profit in addition to personal use.
The two got along very well. Zhuang Zhuo eventually asked if Su Yu was interested in joining forces to build a gu farm.
Intrigued by the offer, Su Yu hesitated for a moment before saying:
"How about this? After the guild eliminates the demon camp, I'll assess that situation and we can decide then?"
"Okay."