Chapter 531

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Protagonist:

Shen Yao

"Come out, it's safe now."

Shen Yao raised her hand and tapped the broad turtle shell before her, signaling Chang Lei could show himself normally.

The Thick Earth Turtle was very honest, lying obediently there, until the abdomen beneath its body shifted, and a person crawled out slowly.

Huff

Chang Lei scratched his head awkwardly, first apologizing to the three who came looking for him, then explaining he had encountered a group of needle mosquitoes and had no choice but to hide.

Needle mosquitoes are Mortal Tier Pet Beasts, living in groups and possessing a certain destructive attribute.

What they are best at is using their needle-like hard, slender mouthparts to bite various creatures, including humans.

Zhou Lan pointed in the direction they had come from, whispering about how troublesome that group of needle mosquitoes was; if not for Tian Qing's Boxing Little Child being thick-skinned and tough-fleshed, combined with the Red Pink Rabbit's healing and the Xuanbai Swift Shadow Cat's concealment, the three of them could not have arrived so quickly.

"Next we'll find a place to rest briefly, then continue arranging the matters behind."

Shen Yao did not forget there were still herbs to collect, just ahead in that secluded dense forest.

If nothing unexpected happened, the danger inside would surely be far greater than outside. With their current abilities, Shen Yao could not guarantee they would not be injured.

The three nodded after hearing this, and the Thick Earth Turtle also withdrew its skill and returned to its original size.

"Xiao Guai"

"Meow"

After walking for a while, Shen Yao raised her hand, indicating they would stop here; the place was open yet had cover. "No danger," the system in her mind also detected nothing.

Chang Lei plopped down on the ground, took out food for himself and the Thick Earth Turtle from his backpack, and the man and beast shared it.

The others did the same; Shen Yao took out spare energy rations from Xiao Guai, planning to hunt several Mortal Tier cattle and sheep in the distance later as food rations for these few days.

Xiao Guai was large in body; it was impossible to rely on several dozen jin of energy rations to smoothly pass the days in the Secret Realm.

"I'll go with you; the Boxing Little Child needs opponents for training," Tian Qing pointed at a human-type Boxing Little Child, adult height, wearing red boxing gloves on both hands, looking at the distant cattle and sheep groups, eager to try.

Chang Lei and Zhou Lan said they also wanted to follow and see; one of them was healing and the other defense, perhaps they could provide extra help.

Shen Yao:...

Fine, solo action became a four-person group; Shen Yao thought these Mortal Tier cattle and sheep had weak offensive power, and since they had come out to practice, moving their hands more now had no harm.

However, "if you can't handle it, call someone anytime; we are one whole," even if you're a five-trash combatant, don't feel ashamed; saving your life is more important than anything.

Eat and drink enough, then move together.

Four people and four beasts advanced secretly; after finding a suitable position, Xiao Guai launched the necessary attack first, cooperating with the main force Boxing Little Child, plus two cheerleader members, the Thick Earth Turtle and Red Pink Rabbit, and very smoothly brought back two dead mountain sheep.

Zhou Lan stroked the fine, soft mountain sheep wool, saying it could be used to block wind when sleeping at night.

Tian Qing took out a sharp dagger to scrape off the fur; Shen Yao and Chang Lei looked for a new resting place, planning to treat themselves to a meal tonight, and enter the dense forest tomorrow morning to collect the herb types needed this time.

"Oh dear, oh dear, trouble's coming, huh?"

The system chattered away in Shen Yao's mind; without thinking, one knew it was commenting on Cheng Dong's place, after all, the protagonist's life was always grand and tumultuous, while only passersby's lives were calm and uneventful.

The two mountain sheep had already been successfully skinned; one and a half were given to the pet beasts to eat, and the remaining half was handled by the four of them or made into jerky and put into the backpack, to be simply eaten when hungry.

Even as a Beast Tamer, one cannot eat too much ranked beast meat; if the amount is not large, it will be offset by the constitution increased when contracting, and the influence is relatively small; besides, they had the Red Pink Rabbit skilled in healing, just a few pieces of beast meat, no big deal.

Zhou Lan ate with oil all over her mouth; after eating and drinking enough, she did not forget to lie on the flat ground and have the Red Pink Rabbit cast healing on her, "You all eat too, rest assured, this bit of Mortal Tier Pet Beast meat is no problem for Little Hong."

Tian Qing smiled; her appetite was not large, besides, she had done nothing all day, just simply walked back and forth.

Chang Lei ate two skewers of meat, holding his already stuffed belly and had the Red Pink Rabbit cast a healing spell on him; the immediate effect made him very envious of Yellow Tier Pet Beast abilities, but unfortunately such healing pet beasts were priced high, and he could not afford them at all.

"Return to the tent; we haven't entered the dense forest yet, no need to keep watch tonight. Depart tomorrow morning, don't be late."

Shen Yao raised her hand, picked up several pieces of chopped firewood, and threw them into the lit bonfire; she also placed several warning devices around the tent, then she waved her hand, calling Xiao Guai into the tent.

Inside the spacious tent, sleeping bags were laid out; Shen Yao took off her outer coat and rubbed her head.

"Meow"

Xiao Guai's belly was round and full; the rope tied on its body pressed into its flesh.

Shen Yao casually untied it and placed it to one side, "Go to sleep."

"Meow"

Xiao Guai wagged its big tail behind it, pounced onto its spot, and rolled over once; familiar cat fur flew everywhere.

…………

Night fell, the entire Secret Realm became quiet, the bonfire occasionally made crackling sounds, adding a touch of strangeness to the whole environment.

Shen Yao lay in the tent with her eyes open; in her arms was Xiao Guai purring.

"Host, say something, oh dear, those people are preparing to ambush again, huh? Where did Copper Bone Ants come from? Didn't Cheng Dong contract Iron Hammer Ants?"

Shen Yao did not speak, just quietly listened to the system talking to itself.

Stroking Xiao Guai's smooth brocade-satin-like fur in her hand, she turned over and buried her head on the giant furry body.

"Wrong, this is a Copper Bone Ant evolved from Iron Hammer Ants, and it even comes with tribal leadership, tsk tsk tsk, these people are in for bad luck..."

The system talked for a long time, so long that those lying in ambush were counter-killed by Cheng Dong, and only then did it belatedly wail in sorrow.

Shen Yao:...

"Shut up!"

System:...

"The result was known long ago; why are you so excited? Do you really expect those people to kill Cheng Dong? You might as well wash up and sleep; dreams have everything."

"Even if they can't kill him, they can give Cheng Dong a lesson; even if they injure the other side, I can take this opportunity to make small moves to reduce the influence of being controlled by him, and conveniently earn some World Consciousness favor, collecting more Mission Rewards when leaving."

The system praised its own plan as perfect in its mind; a pirated version can never compare to the genuine article — encounter a pirated version, and it must be promptly eliminated.

"Stay calm. I've already thought of a way. You keep a close watch on Cheng Dong; report any news promptly. Also confirm Cui Hengxin's location and push for them to meet head-on as soon as possible." Don't be fooled by Shen Yao sleeping sweetly on the surface — her mind was actually buzzing with activity, wide awake.

The system wondered: how was it, a mere system, supposed to push two people who weren't even in the same location to meet?

"Use your specialty. Whose favor are those people lying in wait for Cheng Dong trying to curry? Although they had bad luck — the ambush failed and they lost their lives for nothing — what they did is concrete fact; it's only right that Cui Hengxin finds out."

System:...

With that little nudge from Shen Yao, the system instantly understood what it needed to do.

Just like how Shen Yao's squad couldn't use phones to communicate after entering the Secret Realm yet still managed to find each other, everyone else has ways to communicate, more or less.

Before long, the system vanished again without a trace.

Shen Yao knew it was off busy because it couldn't sit still; the corner of her mouth twitched upward in a faint smile, and she fell asleep lightly hugging the purring Xiao Guai.

On the other side, Cui Hengxin, face full of impatience, sat in an even more luxurious tent throwing a tantrum.

The Explosion Rhinoceros huddled in the corner; the others surrounding Cui Hengxin hung their heads, not daring to show the slightest dissatisfaction even while being scolded.

It has always been this way — at certain times, those with power and status can do whatever they please.

"Speak. What exactly happened? Several people, plus a Yellow Tier Pet Beast, couldn't take down a single piece of trash?" Is this slapping him in the face?

Cui Hengxin felt that from childhood on, he had only to wish for wind to get wind, wish for rain to get rain — when had he ever suffered such grievance?

Ever since he had to flee to Yang City to lie low after accidentally causing trouble in Jing Shi, things had rarely gone his way.

Cheng Dong? What kind of thing is that, daring to challenge him and fight over a person?

If the Yang Family hadn't come crawling to curry favor, he wouldn't have even looked at Yang Huihui; result: two people from the Yang Family came to Yang City and immediately forgot their original purpose — hah!

Curses, rebukes, persuasions, pleas for mercy — all kinds of voices intertwined, finally settling into calm.

Rationally speaking, Cui Hengxin looked good — a youth with red lips and white teeth; if he didn't speak, he truly would be the ideal lover of countless girls.

Too bad Cui Hengxin's foundation was too rotten; packaging him with mere appearance was of no use whatsoever.

He crooked a finger; Cui Hengxin wore a seem-smile-non-smile expression: "You few took so much from me, yet can't even handle a piece of trash — from now on, don't bother coming back."

He, Cui Hengxin, wasn't a scrap collector; he fed and watered so many people well precisely so he'd have a handy tool when he found someone displeasing.

If you can't perform the role you're supposed to perform, then scram — fast!

The named few nodded in agreement, repeatedly guaranteeing they would absolutely crush the other side and never let Cui Hengxin down.

"Good. As long as you succeed, once we leave the Secret Realm, you can all work for the Cui Clan — never again worry about Pet Beast cultivation costs."

Cui Hengxin waved a magnanimous hand, directly guaranteeing these few a worry-free life for the rest of their generation; after all, the Cui Clan is that big — Cui Hengxin may be a silk-pants, but that doesn't mean his family are trash.

Besides, these people circle around Cui Hengxin precisely for things like this.

No one likes seeking abuse — unless there are benefits they're reluctant to let go of.

Shen Yao was woken by Xiao Guai rubbing against her; the giant cat suddenly loomed right in front of her eyes — even with preparation, she still got a start.

She pushed the cat head that was too close away, stood up, put on her jacket, then opened the tent and walked out of the temporary camp with hands in pockets.

Fresh air paired with white mist rising in the distance; Shen Yao washed her face with the clear water she'd brought, turned her head, and called out loudly to wake the other three.

Sparse, scattered sounds came from afar — the other three emerging from their tents.

Zhou Lan rubbed her eyes, ran quickly to Shen Yao's side to take water and wash her face.

"It'll rain, right?"

Tian Qing looked worriedly into the distance, a bit concerned that the dampness would cause trouble for the Boxing Little Child, because the Boxing Little Child hates rainy days.

"The machine shows no possibility of rain, and Xiao Tu indicates no rain exists during this period," Chang Lei pointed at the square machine in his hand and the Thick Earth Turtle following beside him — technology plus manpower, double guarantee.

Zhou Lan joked, "Isn't Xiao Tu a land turtle?" It can still sense whether it'll rain by instinct?

Chang Lei explained seriously: the Thick Earth Turtle is sensitive to rain precisely because it's a land turtle — because they hate rain just like the Boxing Little Child.

Shen Yao hadn't forgotten their next arrangement: eat breakfast first, then pack up the tents, and follow the unified group into the Dense Forest to gather the needed herbs.

"The Yellow Parasol is a poisonous mushroom; it likes shade and moisture and has a short growing period — a common resource used to cultivate poison-type Pet Beasts.

We'll gather Yellow Parasols first; be careful of the flying birds and crawling creatures where they grow, especially spiders, centipedes, and venomous snakes," Shen Yao recited the herb varieties they needed to find, then pointed out several common locations by hand.

As usual, let Xiao Guai take the vanguard; the Boxing Little Child stands in the middle as main damage output; the Red Pink Rabbit stays in the middle-rear for appropriate healing; last is the Thick Earth Turtle responsible for defense — if things go wrong, they can hide in time.

Light struggles to penetrate the dozens-of-meters-high Dense Forest; after entering the forest, they had no choice but to take out the lighting tools they'd prepared early.

Step by step, they explored forward cautiously; at the slightest movement, they acted in unison.

A passerby's life is just this ordinary and flat, without any twists — they gathered Yellow Parasols, found Hemp, picked Crystal Grain Fruits, obtained Yellow Tier Fragrant Herb Deer antlers... bits and pieces, all told, they finally completed this Practical Mission.

"Finally get to rest for a while."

Zhou Lan was happy; this Secret Realm Practical's duration was one and a half months.

They spent about one month; the remaining half month can be used to return to the entry point — once time's up, they can leave.

Tian Qing touched the head of the Boxing Little Child, which had a circle of white cloth wrapped around it, with heartache — these were all wounds caused by running into trouble while harvesting.

Xiao Guai's beautiful fur also had several bald patches; including the Red Pink Rabbit and Thick Earth Turtle, each had its own misery.

By extension, the four of them were also covered in rags — barely two good outfits left between them; all ruined in this month of gathering work.

The three of Zhou Lan planned to go back and honestly wait for the Practical to end and leave; Shen Yao, however, considered that coming here once was no easy matter — she wanted to explore what treasures this place held, so the trip wouldn't be in vain.

The four ultimately split into two groups: Zhou Lan's three people and three beasts returned to the grassland where they entered; Shen Yao took Xiao Guai and continued deeper into the Dense Forest.

"System, confirm there's an untouched large lake deep in the Dense Forest, inhabited by Xuan Tier Pet Beast Sea-Stepping Turtles."

Shen Yao planned to get a few Sea-Stepping Turtle eggs; although Sea-Stepping Turtles aren't common in that area — the common ones are Yellow Tier Pet Beast Mountain-Moving Turtles.

"Confirmed. But the Sea-Stepping Turtles stay underwater — why not consider the Mountain-Moving Turtles on land? They evolve into Sea-Stepping Turtles upon further evolution."

The system felt going underwater was too dangerous; that lake is unfathomably deep — who knows what other dangerous wild Pet Beasts might lurk besides the Xuan Tier Sea-Stepping Turtles? The Host doesn't need to push this hard.