159 Enchanted forest
Zhuang Yao asked, "Although you can't see any eyes, do you feel a strong sense of being watched?"
San'er nodded, "Yes, it's eerie. There's nothing around except for a tree, but the fact that the tree is an evolved individual makes me feel like I might be targeted by that person. However, I'm not entirely convinced. After all, compared to the Giant Pine Tree, I'm just too small. Would a giant dinosaur notice an ant?"
"What happened next?"
San'er suddenly chuckled with embarrassment, "Well, after that, I did something."
"What did you do?"
"At that moment, I was annoyed by the feeling of being watched. It was getting dark, and the surroundings were foggy. I couldn't see anything hiding in it. I was both scared and anxious. I had just had a drink that day, so I was feeling a bit bold. I yelled a few curses at the Giant Pine Tree, daring it to come out. But after shouting for a while, no one paid any attention to me. So, I... I peed near the roots of the Giant Pine Tree, hehe."
Liu Fengyu laughed, "You have quite the courage! If the Giant Pine Tree had seen you, it would have blown you up like a hedgehog."
San'er shrugged, "That's why I'm sure it didn't see me. Feeling like someone is watching me must have been just my imagination. After peeing, I ran away. But later, when I came to my senses, I felt a bit scared and got a good beating from my dad."
Zhuang Yao said to San'er, "Close your eyes and spin in place three times."
"Huh?"
Zhuang Yao said firmly, "Just do it."
Knowing that Zhuang Yao, though young, was an evolved individual with advanced brain capabilities, San'er didn't question further. He stood up, closed his eyes, spun three times in place, and then stopped.
Zhuang Yao looked at him and asked, "Do you feel or sense anything?"
San'er frowned and suddenly said, "Yes! I have that kind of feeling... being watched."
Zhuang Yao nodded, "That's right."
San'er opened his eyes and looked at him, "What does that mean?"
"I just focused my gaze on you. Gaze, strictly speaking, is not something intangible but rather a trace of electromagnetic waves. When a person has their back turned to someone else, sometimes they can still feel being watched. It's because their nervous system senses the electromagnetic waves directed at them. These waves are controlled by brainwaves, and the stronger the brainwaves, the stronger the electromagnetic waves of the gaze, and the more noticeable the feeling of being watched."
Cheng Tianbi furrowed his brows, "Could it be that the Devil Pine has evolved in its brain domain too?"
Cong Xia's heart tightened; if this colossal creature, the Devil Pine, had indeed evolved for the second time in its neural domain, then their trip would be a suicide mission.
Zhuang Yao shook his head, "No, the Devil Pine's strong brainwaves are due to its massive size. Although the size of its body does not directly correlate with the strength of brainwaves, the Devil Pine became a human-plant, and when it transformed into a pine tree, the brainwaves originally belonging to humans also expanded along with its increasing size. It's somewhat like tall people give a stronger presence; when the Devil Pine gazes at you and emits electromagnetic waves of its gaze, you become highly sensitive to it. So, the feeling of being watched is not an illusion; the Devil Pine indeed noticed you."
San'er clicked his tongue, "Really?... Then, when I urinated on it... why didn't it kill me?"
"Probably because you weren't worth eating. In the early stage, the Devil Pine attacked the mutated plants and animals near it, using their corpses as nourishment to grow stronger. There were several significant reasons for this. First, it originally grew in a flowerpot, so it had limited contact with soil and couldn't provide enough nutrients for its evolution. Second, it was placed on the third floor, and it wanted to root itself into the soil, which was impossible during its early stages of evolution. It was relatively weak back then. Third, it hadn't become a human-plant yet; its attacks on plants and animals were purely driven by instinct, without any thoughts. After it evolved as a human-plant and left Kunming, its height had already reached nearly 70 meters, equivalent to more than twenty floors high. It had become a giant. Pulling itself out of the ground was definitely not an easy task, and you all remember the huge pit and the numerous broken roots left behind, right? The reason it decided to leave was that in the moment it became a human-plant, it gained human wisdom.
Perhaps it just believed that a pine tree should return to its homeland, so it went to the northeast. According to the records, after arriving in the northeast, it no longer relied on the corpses of plants and animals for nourishment. Instead, it chose the most fertile black soil to root itself. It knew the only way to obtain enough nutrients for its evolution was in this manner, and relying on mutated plants and animals was no longer sufficient. The larger a creature, the less likely it is to hunt smaller prey, as consuming what you gain may not offset the energy expended in the act. So, the Devil Pine definitely saw you, but it just didn't bother to kill you."
San'er heaved a sigh of relief, "Oh my, you scared me. Luckily, it wasn't interested in me."
Zhuang Yao said, "This incident gives us two pieces of information. First, the Devil Pine won't actively attack creatures that come near it, or rather, it is simply too lazy to attack. Second, the Devil Pine is not as blind to us as we thought; it is, in fact, constantly observing and monitoring its surroundings. Even tiny creatures like ants wouldn't escape its watchful gaze. When we approach it, every move we make is under its watchful eye, and any wrong move could lead to enormous danger."
Cong Xia sighed, "What I'm most worried about is that it might not even bother to communicate with us. At least when San'er tried to talk to it, it ignored him."
"That's because San'er didn't pose a threat to it. The reconnaissance aircraft and the two escort Black Hawk helicopters obviously made it feel somewhat threatened, so it warned us. I hope we can successfully communicate with it when the time comes. If it continues to ignore us, we'll have to resort to measures to make it speak."
By "measures," of course, they meant a real attack. No one wanted to engage the Devil Pine in a direct confrontation. They all hoped that Zhuang Yao's intelligence would smoothly open up a channel of communication with the Devil Pine.
After resting for an hour, they were ready to set off.
After finishing his meal, Huo Bai remained in the form of a lion, dozing off. As soon as he stood up, Abu kept a watchful eye on him. Huo Bai couldn't help but chuckle, "What's up with this cat? It's so afraid of me."
Zhuang Yao rolled his eyes, "It's not afraid of you."
"Really?" Huo Bai suddenly took a step towards Abu, who immediately took a big step back in surprise.
Huo Bai burst into laughter.
Abu became angry and embarrassed, raising his large paw to slap Huo Bai's face.
Huo Bai was still laughing and caught off guard as he saw the giant paw about to come down on his head. He agilely leaped to the side, and the wind from the paw's swipe blew his hair.
Zhuang Yao shouted, "Abu, I told you he's not an enemy." Although he said this, Zhuang Yao seemed quite satisfied with the scene.
Huo Bai didn't want to argue with a cat and shook his fur before leaving.
The group continued walking towards the center of the forest. The closer they got to the Devil Pine, the denser the forest growth became, and the larger the size of the mutated plants and animals.
Suddenly, San'er said, "Stop."
Everyone halted their steps.
San'er lowered his head and sniffed the ground, using his hoof to stir the soil beneath him. After a while, he said, "There's a badger group nearby. Last time when I came in, they were still hibernating, and I didn't encounter them. Now we need to decide whether to take a detour or move forward. If we go around, two kilometers from here is the territory of the wild bears, and there should be deer nearby. What's most annoying is encountering wild boars; they don't eat much meat, but for no reason, they might charge at you."
Zhuang Yao said, "According to what you said, taking a detour doesn't make much sense. It seems like we can't avoid the presence of mutated animals here, no matter what."
San'er shook his magnificent antlers, "If it were just me, I could get through, but it's different with all of you. Within 30 kilometers of the Devil Pine, it's impossible to be as smooth as before. This area is teeming with powerful mutated plants and animals, and the competition is fierce. We're too conspicuous, and we'd be seen as easy prey by many group-dwelling creatures. But aren't you all powerful? You should be able to make it through; after all, it's your call. Whether it's badgers, bears, or wild boars, they are all tough opponents."
Zhuang Yao pondered for a moment, "No detours, let's save time and keep moving forward."
After more than ten minutes, they indeed spotted several badgers, over three meters tall, standing upright ahead. The small black eyes, the size of chicken eggs, stared fiercely at them. Everyone became alert, but they did not stop their steps and continued to approach the badgers.
Before the apocalypse, badgers mainly fed on earthworms and insects, occasionally eating small mammals. However, when they grew to this size, they would no longer go after small animals. It was evident that they had set their sights on the group.
With so many mutated plants and animals around, they could hardly discern how much was lurking in the vicinity. It was only when the badgers seemed to pop up from all directions like prairie dogs that they realized they were surrounded.
Zhuang Yao looked around, "This is a badger group, and there are at least... over two hundred of them."
The badgers varied in size, with some being a little over a meter tall, while others exceeded four meters. The teeth and claws of these mammals were extremely sharp and hard; they could even bite through iron. Their claws were shaped like fine hooks, capable of digging three feet into the ground and prying open the roots of large trees. Moreover, being group-dwelling creatures, they had strong hunting and survival abilities. If not for their small size in the civilized era, they would have been truly dominant in the forest.
The combined volume of the three mutants and ten people undoubtedly made them the closest food source for these badgers.
San'er nervously scraped the ground with his hooves, "There are more badgers than I expected, and their size has increased too. They've multiplied so much in just one winter..."
The gathering of badgers became more and more extensive, nearly blocking the path they were heading. Huo Bai took a deep breath, opened his big mouth, and let out a earth-shaking lion roar. The roar shot straight into the sky, breaking through the clouds. The birds in the forest were frightened and flew away in flocks, and for a moment, the forest was in a commotion. The hog badgers were also startled and retreated.
Those around Huo Bai immediately covered their ears; his roar caused their eardrums to ache, and their hearts to tremble intensely. His roar had reached the level of sonic attack, and ordinary people couldn't bear it.
Liu Fengyu shouted, "Damn it, give us a warning before you roar like that! My heart is about to break." He turned around and saw that Li Dao'ai and Zhao Zixiang seemed unaffected and didn't cover their ears. On closer inspection, he noticed that they had small earplugs in their ears, which made him even more annoyed.
Li Dao'ai calmly said, "Oh, sorry, I forgot to give you earplugs."
Zhao Zixiang took off his backpack, took out small packages of earplugs from inside, and threw them to the others. They quickly inserted the earplugs into their ears.
Deng Xiao shouted, "Don't be mad, Lao Liu. We didn't prepare nose masks for them either. They'll get a taste of your might later."
Liu Fengyu roared, "Shut up!"
San'er shouted, "Quick, let's rush out now! Everyone, stay close to the trees and avoid running in open areas. The ground might have been dug out by them. Also, be careful not to fall down." Saying that, he carried Deng Xiao and rushed forward. Abu and Huo Bai also spread their paws and ran ahead.
The badgers regained their senses, each with a ferocious look, roaring with anger as they charged toward them.
Li Dao'ai raised an eyebrow, squinting his eyes for a moment before shouting, "The ground ahead, between two red pines about thirty meters away, has been hollowed out. Go around!"
The group quickly followed his instructions and detoured.
Cheng Tianbi and Shen Changze flew ahead, raising a raging wave of fire and rushing toward the approaching group of badgers.
Tang Yanqiu stood on Abu's back, pulling out a scatter poison arrow from the quiver. He finally had a chance to try the power of the combination of Sea Dragon Tendon and poison arrows in a real battle. He drew his bow to the full moon, and the enormous rebound force of the Sea Dragon Tendon provided resistance to the force in front of him. Every time he pulled this bow, he felt an indomitable spirit, as if he had opened the chaos of heaven and earth, filling him with strength.
An arrow shot out, and the poison arrow shattered into hundreds of fragments, each soaked in neurotoxic venom, and rained down like drops toward the badgers. About half of the fragments missed, but as long as one piece penetrated their flesh, it could immediately take down an adult badger that was three meters tall.
For a while, more than thirty badgers were hit, as if their tendons had been cut. They fell to the ground with a thud, resolving the crisis on Abu's side.
Tang Yanqiu's eyes lit up, excitedly looking at his bow.
Zhuang Yao said, "Don't show off; there were only a few dozen. Be more thrifty with your arrows."
Tang Yanqiu smiled embarrassedly, "I understand." He pulled out ordinary lightweight arrows and began aiming for the badgers' eyes, shooting them one by one.
Meanwhile, the path ahead had already been cleared by Cheng Tianbi and Shen Changze's combined efforts. However, the fire was too fierce for them to pass through. They could only take a detour on the side while the badgers relentlessly pursued, encircling them from the flank.
Li Dao'ai extended his hand forward and forcefully clenched it in the air. The ground in front suddenly rumbled, and more than ten hog badgers fell into a pit. The two red pine trees on either side toppled over, crushing several hog badgers that couldn't escape in time. These hog badgers were naturally skilled at digging holes, but they could not escape from the pit, which gradually became deeper and deeper, eventually burying them alive under the soil mixed with fallen trees. Even if they didn't die, it would take them half a day to dig their way out.
The crowd looked at Li Dao'ai in astonishment. This was the first time they had seen him take action, and his ability to manipulate the land was truly awe-inspiring. If his power were even stronger, he could easily change the terrain and soil structure at will, and even create small earthquakes to bury everyone.
Zhuang Yao shouted, "What are you all staring at? Focus and keep running forward!"
Abu swiped away two charging hog badgers with his paw, while San'er used his massive antlers to launch one boar badger high into the air. Meanwhile, Huo Bai relentlessly crushed the hog badger group with his huge body and fierce attacks. The people riding on their backs were not idle either, fiercely exterminating the surrounding hunters.
Deng Xiao, following San'er, charged ahead recklessly. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "How delicious is this thing? The fur is so tough; the meat must be tender, right?"
San'er replied, "Absolutely delicious! When roasting it, sprinkle some cumin and black pepper. The taste will drive you crazy."
"Then I'll catch one." Saying this, Deng Xiao really threw a hog badger whose head he had torn off onto San'er's back.
San'er yelled, "Brother, don't do this! It's all bloody, and it's making me uncomfortable. Quickly throw it away!"
Deng Xiao hesitated to let go, pretending not to hear, and roared loudly as he courageously fought the enemies.
As Deng Xiao had mentioned earlier, Liu Fengyu thought this was the perfect opportunity for him and the others to "retaliate." Although he felt extremely embarrassed, there was no room for him to overthink at this critical moment. From the holster on his back, he took out the strangely shaped fluid gun and adjusted the nozzle to the highest angle to spray the corrosive liquid at the badgers. The highly corrosive digestive fluid didn't hold back as it targeted the badgers, causing intense pain upon contact with the skin. Although the fluid looked like peanut-sized droplets, its high concentration allowed it to spread over an area the size of a bowl. A direct hit on a vital area could be lethal.
The unique weapon used by Liu Fengyu drew everyone's attention. San'er exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Oh my god, what is this thing? Why does it look like a chicken's..."
Liu Fengyu was furious, "Focus on running forward and stop looking at me!"
As the digestive fluid was sprayed, a strong foul smell permeated the air. For those with sensitive noses among the mutants, the smell was unbearable. Huo Bai and the others finally understood the meaning of the nose masks mentioned by the lizard boy. The smell was truly unbearable.
Huo Bai couldn't stand it and shouted, "So stinky!"
Liu Fengyu cursed, "Endure it!" At this point, he had abandoned all sense of shame and embraced a "couldn't care less" attitude. Since people had already seen the weapon that looked like male genitalia, he felt there was nothing else that could hurt him anymore.
They soon had no time to worry about King Flower's overbearing stench. The badger group, due to heavy casualties, became even more frenzied. These evolved badgers had powerful claws and teeth that could easily tear through flesh and skin. Even Deng Xiao's wrinkled skin and Dragonblood people's scales had some difficulty resisting. Except for Cong Xia and Zhuang Yao, who were protected by Abu on his head, everyone else suffered more or less injuries, especially Abu, Huo Bai, and San'er, who carried the others while running.
A badger, standing over four meters tall, fearlessly lunged at Li Dao'ai on Huo Bai's back. As animals evolved, their intelligence also improved to varying degrees, enabling them to target the most powerful enemies. Because Tianbi, Shen Changze, and Tang Yanqiu were all in the air, out of reach, the badger attempted to attack Li Dao'ai and Zhao Zixiang, who were sitting on Huo Bai's back.
Huo Bai shouted, "Zhao Ge, protect the leader!"
Just as the badger was about to pounce on Li Dao'ai, two pairs of gray wings suddenly sprouted from Zhao Zixiang's back, swiftly lifting Li Dao'ai into the air.
A large clump of soil, resembling a mud cannon, viciously smashed the badger's head, momentarily staggering and knocking it to the ground.
Huo Bai roared and pounced, opening his mouth to bite at its neck.
The boar badger fought back fiercely, roaring and swinging its sharp claws, crazily scratching Huo Bai, leaving bloodied marks all over his face and body. Huo Bai also extended his claws, striking hard at its eye sockets, causing blood to flow immediately. The badger tried to escape from under Huo Bai by rolling over, but Huo Bai swiftly grabbed its waist, biting down on its neck.
The heart-stopping beastly battle only lasted for ten seconds, but the outcome was already determined. The largest boar badger convulsed and ended its life.
Zhao Zixiang placed Li Dao'ai back on Huo Bai's back, and the two massive wings nearly enveloped Li Dao'ai, forming an impenetrable protective wall on his left and right sides.
Li Dao'ai said, "There's no need for this."
Zhao Zixiang replied, "The leader's safety is paramount."
While Li Dao'ai spoke, he collapsed the ground again, and several badgers howled as they fell into the pit, buried under the cascading soil.
Suddenly, Deng Xiao exclaimed, "Cong Ge, San'er's leg is injured!"
Cong Xia shouted, "Get closer to me!"
Though unsure, San'er ran closer to Abu. Cong Xia infused energy into San'er's body, rapidly healing his wounds. At the same time, he continued to heal the injuries on Abu's body. Cong Xia hadn't tested how many people he could supply energy to simultaneously or how many people he could heal at once. However, as long as his energy was sufficient, the quantity didn't seem to be a problem.
San'er was amazed, "You're incredible; the rumors are true!"
The badger pack was relentlessly beaten by them, and the number of over two hundred quickly dwindled to fifty or fewer. When the quantity became far from enough to resist the enemy, they finally felt fear. After a few roars from Huo Bai, they fled in a sorry state.
The group finally slowed down, gasping for breath. They ran crazily for four or five kilometers before finally escaping from the enemy. However, almost everyone had suffered injuries, especially the close combat members.
Deng Xiao's thighs were marked with over ten deep wounds, each about three centimeters deep, which looked alarming. Abu and Huo Bai had blood stains on their fur, making it hard to distinguish whether it was their blood or the badgers'. San'er's short fur made his wounds even more noticeable, with one injury running across his chest, nearly cutting open his mouth.
They found a safe clearing and took a rest, tending to their wounds. Cong Xia focused his energy, starting with San'er's injuries. The child looked amazed as his wounds slowly healed, almost forgetting the pain.
Li Dao'ai stood not far away, quietly observing Cong Xia's ability, lost in thought.
Huo Bai lay at Li Dao'ai's feet and called him a couple of times, but Li Dao'ai didn't react. Huo Bai nudged Li Dao'ai's trouser leg with his head and said, "Leader?"
Li Dao'ai then snapped out of it and lowered his head, "Hmm? What's wrong?"
"Leader, take a break."
"No need. You're the one who needs rest; I'm fine."
Cong Xia busily moved between the injured, ensuring everyone returned to a state free of injuries and exhaustion. When he went to heal Li Dao'ai, the latter revealed a profound smile.
Cong Xia was stunned.
Li Dao'ai calmly said, "This ability is truly impressive. No wonder Yao Qianjiang regards you highly."
159 Enchanted forest
Zhuang Yao asked, "Although you can't see any eyes, do you feel a strong sense of being watched?"
San'er nodded, "Yes, it's eerie. There's nothing around except for a tree, but the fact that the tree is an evolved individual makes me feel like I might be targeted by that person. However, I'm not entirely convinced. After all, compared to the Giant Pine Tree, I'm just too small. Would a giant dinosaur notice an ant?"
"What happened next?"
San'er suddenly chuckled with embarrassment, "Well, after that, I did something."
"What did you do?"
"At that moment, I was annoyed by the feeling of being watched. It was getting dark, and the surroundings were foggy. I couldn't see anything hiding in it. I was both scared and anxious. I had just had a drink that day, so I was feeling a bit bold. I yelled a few curses at the Giant Pine Tree, daring it to come out. But after shouting for a while, no one paid any attention to me. So, I... I peed near the roots of the Giant Pine Tree, hehe."
Liu Fengyu laughed, "You have quite the courage! If the Giant Pine Tree had seen you, it would have blown you up like a hedgehog."
San'er shrugged, "That's why I'm sure it didn't see me. Feeling like someone is watching me must have been just my imagination. After peeing, I ran away. But later, when I came to my senses, I felt a bit scared and got a good beating from my dad."
Zhuang Yao said to San'er, "Close your eyes and spin in place three times."
"Huh?"
Zhuang Yao said firmly, "Just do it."
Knowing that Zhuang Yao, though young, was an evolved individual with advanced brain capabilities, San'er didn't question further. He stood up, closed his eyes, spun three times in place, and then stopped.
Zhuang Yao looked at him and asked, "Do you feel or sense anything?"
San'er frowned and suddenly said, "Yes! I have that kind of feeling... being watched."
Zhuang Yao nodded, "That's right."
San'er opened his eyes and looked at him, "What does that mean?"
"I just focused my gaze on you. Gaze, strictly speaking, is not something intangible but rather a trace of electromagnetic waves. When a person has their back turned to someone else, sometimes they can still feel being watched. It's because their nervous system senses the electromagnetic waves directed at them. These waves are controlled by brainwaves, and the stronger the brainwaves, the stronger the electromagnetic waves of the gaze, and the more noticeable the feeling of being watched."
Cheng Tianbi furrowed his brows, "Could it be that the Devil Pine has evolved in its brain domain too?"
Cong Xia's heart tightened; if this colossal creature, the Devil Pine, had indeed evolved for the second time in its neural domain, then their trip would be a suicide mission.
Zhuang Yao shook his head, "No, the Devil Pine's strong brainwaves are due to its massive size. Although the size of its body does not directly correlate with the strength of brainwaves, the Devil Pine became a human-plant, and when it transformed into a pine tree, the brainwaves originally belonging to humans also expanded along with its increasing size. It's somewhat like tall people give a stronger presence; when the Devil Pine gazes at you and emits electromagnetic waves of its gaze, you become highly sensitive to it. So, the feeling of being watched is not an illusion; the Devil Pine indeed noticed you."
San'er clicked his tongue, "Really?... Then, when I urinated on it... why didn't it kill me?"
"Probably because you weren't worth eating. In the early stage, the Devil Pine attacked the mutated plants and animals near it, using their corpses as nourishment to grow stronger. There were several significant reasons for this. First, it originally grew in a flowerpot, so it had limited contact with soil and couldn't provide enough nutrients for its evolution. Second, it was placed on the third floor, and it wanted to root itself into the soil, which was impossible during its early stages of evolution. It was relatively weak back then. Third, it hadn't become a human-plant yet; its attacks on plants and animals were purely driven by instinct, without any thoughts. After it evolved as a human-plant and left Kunming, its height had already reached nearly 70 meters, equivalent to more than twenty floors high. It had become a giant. Pulling itself out of the ground was definitely not an easy task, and you all remember the huge pit and the numerous broken roots left behind, right? The reason it decided to leave was that in the moment it became a human-plant, it gained human wisdom.
Perhaps it just believed that a pine tree should return to its homeland, so it went to the northeast. According to the records, after arriving in the northeast, it no longer relied on the corpses of plants and animals for nourishment. Instead, it chose the most fertile black soil to root itself. It knew the only way to obtain enough nutrients for its evolution was in this manner, and relying on mutated plants and animals was no longer sufficient. The larger a creature, the less likely it is to hunt smaller prey, as consuming what you gain may not offset the energy expended in the act. So, the Devil Pine definitely saw you, but it just didn't bother to kill you."
San'er heaved a sigh of relief, "Oh my, you scared me. Luckily, it wasn't interested in me."
Zhuang Yao said, "This incident gives us two pieces of information. First, the Devil Pine won't actively attack creatures that come near it, or rather, it is simply too lazy to attack. Second, the Devil Pine is not as blind to us as we thought; it is, in fact, constantly observing and monitoring its surroundings. Even tiny creatures like ants wouldn't escape its watchful gaze. When we approach it, every move we make is under its watchful eye, and any wrong move could lead to enormous danger."
Cong Xia sighed, "What I'm most worried about is that it might not even bother to communicate with us. At least when San'er tried to talk to it, it ignored him."
"That's because San'er didn't pose a threat to it. The reconnaissance aircraft and the two escort Black Hawk helicopters obviously made it feel somewhat threatened, so it warned us. I hope we can successfully communicate with it when the time comes. If it continues to ignore us, we'll have to resort to measures to make it speak."
By "measures," of course, they meant a real attack. No one wanted to engage the Devil Pine in a direct confrontation. They all hoped that Zhuang Yao's intelligence would smoothly open up a channel of communication with the Devil Pine.
After resting for an hour, they were ready to set off.
After finishing his meal, Huo Bai remained in the form of a lion, dozing off. As soon as he stood up, Abu kept a watchful eye on him. Huo Bai couldn't help but chuckle, "What's up with this cat? It's so afraid of me."
Zhuang Yao rolled his eyes, "It's not afraid of you."
"Really?" Huo Bai suddenly took a step towards Abu, who immediately took a big step back in surprise.
Huo Bai burst into laughter.
Abu became angry and embarrassed, raising his large paw to slap Huo Bai's face.
Huo Bai was still laughing and caught off guard as he saw the giant paw about to come down on his head. He agilely leaped to the side, and the wind from the paw's swipe blew his hair.
Zhuang Yao shouted, "Abu, I told you he's not an enemy." Although he said this, Zhuang Yao seemed quite satisfied with the scene.
Huo Bai didn't want to argue with a cat and shook his fur before leaving.
The group continued walking towards the center of the forest. The closer they got to the Devil Pine, the denser the forest growth became, and the larger the size of the mutated plants and animals.
Suddenly, San'er said, "Stop."
Everyone halted their steps.
San'er lowered his head and sniffed the ground, using his hoof to stir the soil beneath him. After a while, he said, "There's a badger group nearby. Last time when I came in, they were still hibernating, and I didn't encounter them. Now we need to decide whether to take a detour or move forward. If we go around, two kilometers from here is the territory of the wild bears, and there should be deer nearby. What's most annoying is encountering wild boars; they don't eat much meat, but for no reason, they might charge at you."
Zhuang Yao said, "According to what you said, taking a detour doesn't make much sense. It seems like we can't avoid the presence of mutated animals here, no matter what."
San'er shook his magnificent antlers, "If it were just me, I could get through, but it's different with all of you. Within 30 kilometers of the Devil Pine, it's impossible to be as smooth as before. This area is teeming with powerful mutated plants and animals, and the competition is fierce. We're too conspicuous, and we'd be seen as easy prey by many group-dwelling creatures. But aren't you all powerful? You should be able to make it through; after all, it's your call. Whether it's badgers, bears, or wild boars, they are all tough opponents."
Zhuang Yao pondered for a moment, "No detours, let's save time and keep moving forward."
After more than ten minutes, they indeed spotted several badgers, over three meters tall, standing upright ahead. The small black eyes, the size of chicken eggs, stared fiercely at them. Everyone became alert, but they did not stop their steps and continued to approach the badgers.
Before the apocalypse, badgers mainly fed on earthworms and insects, occasionally eating small mammals. However, when they grew to this size, they would no longer go after small animals. It was evident that they had set their sights on the group.
With so many mutated plants and animals around, they could hardly discern how much was lurking in the vicinity. It was only when the badgers seemed to pop up from all directions like prairie dogs that they realized they were surrounded.
Zhuang Yao looked around, "This is a badger group, and there are at least... over two hundred of them."
The badgers varied in size, with some being a little over a meter tall, while others exceeded four meters. The teeth and claws of these mammals were extremely sharp and hard; they could even bite through iron. Their claws were shaped like fine hooks, capable of digging three feet into the ground and prying open the roots of large trees. Moreover, being group-dwelling creatures, they had strong hunting and survival abilities. If not for their small size in the civilized era, they would have been truly dominant in the forest.
The combined volume of the three mutants and ten people undoubtedly made them the closest food source for these badgers.
San'er nervously scraped the ground with his hooves, "There are more badgers than I expected, and their size has increased too. They've multiplied so much in just one winter..."
The gathering of badgers became more and more extensive, nearly blocking the path they were heading. Huo Bai took a deep breath, opened his big mouth, and let out a earth-shaking lion roar. The roar shot straight into the sky, breaking through the clouds. The birds in the forest were frightened and flew away in flocks, and for a moment, the forest was in a commotion. The hog badgers were also startled and retreated.
Those around Huo Bai immediately covered their ears; his roar caused their eardrums to ache, and their hearts to tremble intensely. His roar had reached the level of sonic attack, and ordinary people couldn't bear it.
Liu Fengyu shouted, "Damn it, give us a warning before you roar like that! My heart is about to break." He turned around and saw that Li Dao'ai and Zhao Zixiang seemed unaffected and didn't cover their ears. On closer inspection, he noticed that they had small earplugs in their ears, which made him even more annoyed.
Li Dao'ai calmly said, "Oh, sorry, I forgot to give you earplugs."
Zhao Zixiang took off his backpack, took out small packages of earplugs from inside, and threw them to the others. They quickly inserted the earplugs into their ears.
Deng Xiao shouted, "Don't be mad, Lao Liu. We didn't prepare nose masks for them either. They'll get a taste of your might later."
Liu Fengyu roared, "Shut up!"
San'er shouted, "Quick, let's rush out now! Everyone, stay close to the trees and avoid running in open areas. The ground might have been dug out by them. Also, be careful not to fall down." Saying that, he carried Deng Xiao and rushed forward. Abu and Huo Bai also spread their paws and ran ahead.
The badgers regained their senses, each with a ferocious look, roaring with anger as they charged toward them.
Li Dao'ai raised an eyebrow, squinting his eyes for a moment before shouting, "The ground ahead, between two red pines about thirty meters away, has been hollowed out. Go around!"
The group quickly followed his instructions and detoured.
Cheng Tianbi and Shen Changze flew ahead, raising a raging wave of fire and rushing toward the approaching group of badgers.
Tang Yanqiu stood on Abu's back, pulling out a scatter poison arrow from the quiver. He finally had a chance to try the power of the combination of Sea Dragon Tendon and poison arrows in a real battle. He drew his bow to the full moon, and the enormous rebound force of the Sea Dragon Tendon provided resistance to the force in front of him. Every time he pulled this bow, he felt an indomitable spirit, as if he had opened the chaos of heaven and earth, filling him with strength.
An arrow shot out, and the poison arrow shattered into hundreds of fragments, each soaked in neurotoxic venom, and rained down like drops toward the badgers. About half of the fragments missed, but as long as one piece penetrated their flesh, it could immediately take down an adult badger that was three meters tall.
For a while, more than thirty badgers were hit, as if their tendons had been cut. They fell to the ground with a thud, resolving the crisis on Abu's side.
Tang Yanqiu's eyes lit up, excitedly looking at his bow.
Zhuang Yao said, "Don't show off; there were only a few dozen. Be more thrifty with your arrows."
Tang Yanqiu smiled embarrassedly, "I understand." He pulled out ordinary lightweight arrows and began aiming for the badgers' eyes, shooting them one by one.
Meanwhile, the path ahead had already been cleared by Cheng Tianbi and Shen Changze's combined efforts. However, the fire was too fierce for them to pass through. They could only take a detour on the side while the badgers relentlessly pursued, encircling them from the flank.
Li Dao'ai extended his hand forward and forcefully clenched it in the air. The ground in front suddenly rumbled, and more than ten hog badgers fell into a pit. The two red pine trees on either side toppled over, crushing several hog badgers that couldn't escape in time. These hog badgers were naturally skilled at digging holes, but they could not escape from the pit, which gradually became deeper and deeper, eventually burying them alive under the soil mixed with fallen trees. Even if they didn't die, it would take them half a day to dig their way out.
The crowd looked at Li Dao'ai in astonishment. This was the first time they had seen him take action, and his ability to manipulate the land was truly awe-inspiring. If his power were even stronger, he could easily change the terrain and soil structure at will, and even create small earthquakes to bury everyone.
Zhuang Yao shouted, "What are you all staring at? Focus and keep running forward!"
Abu swiped away two charging hog badgers with his paw, while San'er used his massive antlers to launch one boar badger high into the air. Meanwhile, Huo Bai relentlessly crushed the hog badger group with his huge body and fierce attacks. The people riding on their backs were not idle either, fiercely exterminating the surrounding hunters.
Deng Xiao, following San'er, charged ahead recklessly. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "How delicious is this thing? The fur is so tough; the meat must be tender, right?"
San'er replied, "Absolutely delicious! When roasting it, sprinkle some cumin and black pepper. The taste will drive you crazy."
"Then I'll catch one." Saying this, Deng Xiao really threw a hog badger whose head he had torn off onto San'er's back.
San'er yelled, "Brother, don't do this! It's all bloody, and it's making me uncomfortable. Quickly throw it away!"
Deng Xiao hesitated to let go, pretending not to hear, and roared loudly as he courageously fought the enemies.
As Deng Xiao had mentioned earlier, Liu Fengyu thought this was the perfect opportunity for him and the others to "retaliate." Although he felt extremely embarrassed, there was no room for him to overthink at this critical moment. From the holster on his back, he took out the strangely shaped fluid gun and adjusted the nozzle to the highest angle to spray the corrosive liquid at the badgers. The highly corrosive digestive fluid didn't hold back as it targeted the badgers, causing intense pain upon contact with the skin. Although the fluid looked like peanut-sized droplets, its high concentration allowed it to spread over an area the size of a bowl. A direct hit on a vital area could be lethal.
The unique weapon used by Liu Fengyu drew everyone's attention. San'er exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Oh my god, what is this thing? Why does it look like a chicken's..."
Liu Fengyu was furious, "Focus on running forward and stop looking at me!"
As the digestive fluid was sprayed, a strong foul smell permeated the air. For those with sensitive noses among the mutants, the smell was unbearable. Huo Bai and the others finally understood the meaning of the nose masks mentioned by the lizard boy. The smell was truly unbearable.
Huo Bai couldn't stand it and shouted, "So stinky!"
Liu Fengyu cursed, "Endure it!" At this point, he had abandoned all sense of shame and embraced a "couldn't care less" attitude. Since people had already seen the weapon that looked like male genitalia, he felt there was nothing else that could hurt him anymore.
They soon had no time to worry about King Flower's overbearing stench. The badger group, due to heavy casualties, became even more frenzied. These evolved badgers had powerful claws and teeth that could easily tear through flesh and skin. Even Deng Xiao's wrinkled skin and Dragonblood people's scales had some difficulty resisting. Except for Cong Xia and Zhuang Yao, who were protected by Abu on his head, everyone else suffered more or less injuries, especially Abu, Huo Bai, and San'er, who carried the others while running.
A badger, standing over four meters tall, fearlessly lunged at Li Dao'ai on Huo Bai's back. As animals evolved, their intelligence also improved to varying degrees, enabling them to target the most powerful enemies. Because Tianbi, Shen Changze, and Tang Yanqiu were all in the air, out of reach, the badger attempted to attack Li Dao'ai and Zhao Zixiang, who were sitting on Huo Bai's back.
Huo Bai shouted, "Zhao Ge, protect the leader!"
Just as the badger was about to pounce on Li Dao'ai, two pairs of gray wings suddenly sprouted from Zhao Zixiang's back, swiftly lifting Li Dao'ai into the air.
A large clump of soil, resembling a mud cannon, viciously smashed the badger's head, momentarily staggering and knocking it to the ground.
Huo Bai roared and pounced, opening his mouth to bite at its neck.
The boar badger fought back fiercely, roaring and swinging its sharp claws, crazily scratching Huo Bai, leaving bloodied marks all over his face and body. Huo Bai also extended his claws, striking hard at its eye sockets, causing blood to flow immediately. The badger tried to escape from under Huo Bai by rolling over, but Huo Bai swiftly grabbed its waist, biting down on its neck.
The heart-stopping beastly battle only lasted for ten seconds, but the outcome was already determined. The largest boar badger convulsed and ended its life.
Zhao Zixiang placed Li Dao'ai back on Huo Bai's back, and the two massive wings nearly enveloped Li Dao'ai, forming an impenetrable protective wall on his left and right sides.
Li Dao'ai said, "There's no need for this."
Zhao Zixiang replied, "The leader's safety is paramount."
While Li Dao'ai spoke, he collapsed the ground again, and several badgers howled as they fell into the pit, buried under the cascading soil.
Suddenly, Deng Xiao exclaimed, "Cong Ge, San'er's leg is injured!"
Cong Xia shouted, "Get closer to me!"
Though unsure, San'er ran closer to Abu. Cong Xia infused energy into San'er's body, rapidly healing his wounds. At the same time, he continued to heal the injuries on Abu's body. Cong Xia hadn't tested how many people he could supply energy to simultaneously or how many people he could heal at once. However, as long as his energy was sufficient, the quantity didn't seem to be a problem.
San'er was amazed, "You're incredible; the rumors are true!"
The badger pack was relentlessly beaten by them, and the number of over two hundred quickly dwindled to fifty or fewer. When the quantity became far from enough to resist the enemy, they finally felt fear. After a few roars from Huo Bai, they fled in a sorry state.
The group finally slowed down, gasping for breath. They ran crazily for four or five kilometers before finally escaping from the enemy. However, almost everyone had suffered injuries, especially the close combat members.
Deng Xiao's thighs were marked with over ten deep wounds, each about three centimeters deep, which looked alarming. Abu and Huo Bai had blood stains on their fur, making it hard to distinguish whether it was their blood or the badgers'. San'er's short fur made his wounds even more noticeable, with one injury running across his chest, nearly cutting open his mouth.
They found a safe clearing and took a rest, tending to their wounds. Cong Xia focused his energy, starting with San'er's injuries. The child looked amazed as his wounds slowly healed, almost forgetting the pain.
Li Dao'ai stood not far away, quietly observing Cong Xia's ability, lost in thought.
Huo Bai lay at Li Dao'ai's feet and called him a couple of times, but Li Dao'ai didn't react. Huo Bai nudged Li Dao'ai's trouser leg with his head and said, "Leader?"
Li Dao'ai then snapped out of it and lowered his head, "Hmm? What's wrong?"
"Leader, take a break."
"No need. You're the one who needs rest; I'm fine."
Cong Xia busily moved between the injured, ensuring everyone returned to a state free of injuries and exhaustion. When he went to heal Li Dao'ai, the latter revealed a profound smile.
Cong Xia was stunned.
Li Dao'ai calmly said, "This ability is truly impressive. No wonder Yao Qianjiang regards you highly."
