Chapter 538

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Shen Yao

Xiao Guai continued to bury his head in his energy ration; after eating and drinking his fill, he snuggled into Shen Yao's arms and yawned.

The large cat head was enough to cover Shen Yao's lower body; if not for her constitution improving after contracting the Mountain-Moving Turtle, she probably wouldn't have been able to hold Xiao Guai.

"Hmm hmm hmm hmm"

Xiao Shan's body couldn't shrink, so he could only retract his limbs into his turtle shell, poking his head out to rub against Shen Yao's arm.

"All right, sleep early and rise early tonight; tomorrow we still need to continue gathering other items."

Shen Yao chuckled as she patted Xiao Shan's head, then let Xiao Guai find a place to rest on his own, while she herself stood up, crawled into the tent, and after opening her sleeping bag, lay on her side and fell into a deep sleep.

Ling Feng Shan Mai wasn't particularly dangerous; besides, the Earth Fiend Red Moon Vine that controlled one-third of the mountain range's position was famously close to humans. As long as one didn't do anything destructive to Ling Feng Shan Mai, any Beast Tamer who entered could leave alive.

Of course, Ling Feng Shan Mai wasn't only home to the Earth Fiend Red Moon Vine, but also other Xuan Tier Pet Beasts. Because the Earth Fiend Red Moon Vine was about to advance in rank, it often fell into slumber, and occasionally when care was lacking, it fell to the Beast Tamers to be extremely awkward. After all, Beast Tamers' personal strengths varied, and besides, bad luck couldn't be blamed on others.

After sleeping soundly for a night, in the early morning, Shen Yao lifted the tent and came out.

Beautiful light and shadow appeared on the distant mountain range, and the thin mist spreading along the mountain side dissipated cleanly.

Shen Yao raised her hand and stretched, then woke up Xiao Guai and Xiao Shan.

One person and two beasts quickly finished breakfast, gathered the scattered items and trash, Shen Yao raised her hand and waved forward; today's target was the Floppy-Eared Rabbit herd five li outside.

You must know that Floppy-Eared Rabbits were the most useless Mortal Tier Pet Beasts, on par with the Wind-Bell Beast. Their cute and delicate appearance, small and exquisite size, plus not an expensive price, naturally made them the top choice of companion pet beasts for children.

Compared to most cat and dog species in the Beast Tamer World that were aggressive, vegetarian pet beasts like Floppy-Eared Rabbits with gentle temperaments completely took the position of household pets.

Even when Shen Yao was young, she had once raised Floppy-Eared Rabbits; unfortunately, Floppy-Eared Rabbits lived at most ten years, so they could only be temporary companions. To have long-term companionship, one still had to rely on contracted pet beasts.

"Meow"

Here we are, here we are

Xiao Guai raised his paw and scratched the ground. Just as Shen Yao was thinking this and that, they arrived at the forest where the Floppy-Eared Rabbit herd lived.

Shen Yao got off Xiao Guai's back, took out the gauze net from her backpack, spread it open, and handed it to the big-sized Xiao Shan standing to one side.

Floppy-Eared Rabbits were timid and liked to hide in caves; if they wanted to catch them smoothly, they still needed to cooperate with each other.

"Xiao Shan, in a moment stomp your feet around the cave entrance; Xiao Guai, remember to cooperate with Xiao Shan and roar.

Stay alert to the surroundings at all times. Floppy-Eared Rabbits are a food source for Eagle-Beaked Wind Birds; watch out for them ambushing from the sky."

Shen Yao told the two beasts the plan she had thought up long ago, then raised her hand to give each of them a bag for holding Floppy-Eared Rabbits.

Xiao Guai and Xiao Shan obediently nodded their heads; one jumped away and disappeared, the other grew larger and charged forward.

Rumble—

Xiao Shan's huge body gave the entire Floppy-Eared Rabbit herd a feeling of the earth shaking and mountains moving.

The Floppy-Eared Rabbits that had originally been poking their heads out all shrank back into the caves they had dug; their ears, which had rarely stood straight up, were forced to stretch out straight.

Shen Yao stood under a tree with her arms crossed, looking at the dusty scene not far away, silently counting the time in her heart.

"Meow!"

"Meow meow meow!"

Xiao Guai's voice was sharp and piercing. As the ground kept being trampled by Xiao Shan and collapsed, the hiding Floppy-Eared Rabbits began to be unable to resist escaping.

Floppy-Eared Rabbits weren't large; mature ones were only calf-high. Their fur was grayish-white all over, and a pair of large ears that drooped down and could cover their entire bodies was the trademark of Floppy-Eared Rabbits.

Now!

Shen Yao ran out and gave Xiao Guai and Xiao Shan reactions through the star array.

Because of his size, Xiao Shan temporarily couldn't catch these Floppy-Eared Rabbits. But the gauze net Shen Yao had entrusted to it earlier now had its use.

After the white gauze net was thrown open, it was like a wall, quickly netting all the Floppy-Eared Rabbits within the area.

Xiao Guai used his stealth skill, constantly running and jumping around outside the surrounding gauze net, picking up Floppy-Eared Rabbits one by one in his mouth and throwing them into the bag.

Shen Yao was responsible for catching the ones that slipped through the net, only catching the small ones and letting the large ones go.

After all, children liked small and cute animals; Floppy-Eared Rabbits were naturally easier to sell the younger they were.

Of course, even mature Floppy-Eared Rabbits didn't lack buyers. Shen Yao's so-called catching small and releasing large was just not very handy; anything she could casually hug, regardless of size, was all put into the bag.

By the time the busyness before her eyes stopped, the time had come to noon with the sun high overhead.

Shen Yao moved her slightly sore arms and called out to Xiao Guai and Xiao Shan: "Rest here."

The Floppy-Eared Rabbit herds to the left and right had already been driven away by them. Around them, besides the broken cave entrances, there were no other valuable items.

"You two have worked hard. When we go back this time, I'll definitely treat you to a big meal."

Although there were many varieties of Mortal Tier Pet Beasts in Ling Feng Shan Mai, there were no particularly large types. This might also be related to the Earth Fiend Red Moon Vine. Herbivorous pet beasts always liked to live in clusters, while carnivorous or omnivorous pet beasts were squeezed out and naturally migrated far away.

Xiao Guai and Xiao Shan could only eat some energy rations to satisfy their cravings. They weren't very hungry, after all, they had eaten a big meal before entering. Their little bellies were round and plump, not a bit shriveled; even if they didn't eat or drink, they could last a week.

Shen Yao casually chewed two System Pills, then buried her head in organizing the Floppy-Eared Rabbits in the bags and net pouches, taking them out one by one to place separately, feeding them the miscellaneous weeds and wild vegetables seen everywhere around, finally tying them together and sending them to Xiao Shan's turtle shell, just waiting to leave Ling Feng Shan Mai and sell them for money.

After resting for about an hour, they continued forward to gather and capture.

Mi Guang Cao — emitting various colors of light, a good item for illumination.

Shuang Tong Bird — its feathers could be woven into down quilts, which could keep warm and be made into jewelry to wear.

Liu Guang Guo — adult fist-sized, a fruit that both humans and beasts could eat, with a sweet taste.

Xiong Xing Cui Zhu — bamboo in the shape of a gray bear, exclusively for bear-type pet beasts to eat, with a certain calming effect.

Zi Jin Shuang Ye Hua — purple-gold two-colored flowers, usable for medicine and consumption, an essential resource for vine-type pet beasts when advancing in rank.

……

In the next few days, Shen Yao just walked along picking things. Not only was Xiao Shan's turtle shell stuffed full by her, but Xiao Shan's back also carried many supplies. Shen Yao herself carried on her back and held in her hands; her not very sturdy arms became much stronger.

On the morning of the sixth day entering Ling Feng Shan Mai, Shen Yao once again chose to pitch her tent by the riverside the previous night.

Although she had slept well, facing a wild pet beast siege upon waking up still scared Shen Yao half to death.

Xiao Shan had already turned into a wall of flesh blocking in front of Shen Yao and the wild pet beast Lightning Mantis, while Xiao Guai kept charging back and forth ahead, disturbing a group of White Jade Spiders so they could not rest.

Fortunately, these wild beasts came too early, otherwise the items collected during this period would all be destroyed, where would they still be held by the Transparent Shield.

"Xiao Shan, Rock Transformation!"

Shen Yao watched the lightning-fast mantis extend its limbs and swing forward, immediately telling Xiao Shan to respond to the enemy.

The earth-yellow turtle shell instantly hardened through Rock Transformation, emitting dazzling electric light when the mantis blade fell.

The mantis, several meters in length, had a majestic appearance, with a pair of raised mantis blades flashing cold light.

Xiao Shan continued Rock Transformation without releasing it, simultaneously stomping the ground hard with all four limbs, shaking its head and constantly roaring.

Shen Yao pursed her lips; at this moment she had already hidden inside the Transparent Shield.

This battle was not something Shen Yao could participate in from the start, but among those coming to attack, only the Lightning Mantis was a Yellow Tier Pet Beast, while that group of White Jade Spiders were all Mortal Tier; she believed Xiao Guai and Xiao Shan could handle them.

The spider silk spat out danced all over the sky, occasionally drifting onto the Transparent Shield with the breeze, blocked outside by the Transparent Shield, unable to advance an inch.

It seemed Xiao Guai's side scored first, then the Lightning Mantis could not withstand the siege of the two beasts and finally chose to flee in defeat.

The scene was a mess, with spider silk of all sizes everywhere.

Xiao Guai meowed, asking Shen Yao how they should deal with this group of White Jade Spiders that were not yet exterminated.

"Take them all back," the spider silk of the White Jade Spider was good material for weaving, including the net they used this time to catch the Lop Rabbit, which had White Jade Spider silk fused into it; otherwise the net could not be so sturdy and durable.

Shen Yao came out of the Transparent Shield and casually took out a pouch to hold this group of White Jade Spiders that were no bigger than a palm.

Xiao Guai and Xiao Shan did not help; their size was still too large compared to the White Jade Spiders, and besides, they had just fought a battle, so Shen Yao told them to first find a clean place to lie down and rest; after finishing with these in front of them, they should leave Ling Feng Shan Mai as soon as possible.

Huff.

Without resting for too long, after putting away all these White Jade Spiders, Shen Yao put the tent and the items collected over these days onto Xiao Shan's turtle shell and Xiao Guai's back; then one person and two beasts quickly left along the direction they had originally come.

Not having left for several days, new dangers would definitely appear.

The sudden attack in the early morning had not yet subsided, followed closely by a group of Bee Sparrows falling from the sky.

Bee Sparrows looked very much like bees, each the size of an adult's arm, they made buzzing sounds, their target heading straight for the one person and two beasts on the ground.

Xiao Guai activated the Stealth Concealment skill, suddenly vanished in a flash, and simply attacked from behind this group of Bee Sparrows; Xiao Shan quickly grew larger and activated Rock Transformation, protecting himself while also protecting Shen Yao and the items on his turtle shell.

A Transparent Shield suddenly appeared, blocking the Bee Tail Needles fired forward by the Bee Sparrows, and incidentally stirred up ripples on the Transparent Shield.

After hiding, Shen Yao did not speak, but instead contacted Xiao Shan and Xiao Guai through the Star Array, telling them to act carefully; although until now Shen Yao still had not figured out why she was being attacked by this group of wild pet beasts, but they could not escape anyway—something had happened inside Ling Feng Shan Mai, and they were forced to be involved.

Although the Bee Sparrow swarm was huge in number, with only Mortal Tier strength they were no match for Xiao Guai and Xiao Shan.

Soon, the Bee Sparrows scattered and fled, and Xiao Guai and Xiao Shan were unscathed.

Shen Yao did not stay in place for long, but called Xiao Guai and Xiao Shan to speed up. She even sat on Xiao Guai's back herself, just to leave Ling Feng Shan Mai a bit faster.

Beside them were trees and forests constantly flying past; in the distance was a winding Avenue.

Because Xiao Shan was running on all fours, the entire ground rumbled.

Just as the two beasts were about to turn, Xiao Guai suddenly leaped upward, and a sharp cry directly made Shen Yao's face turn pale and her whole body tremble.

Crack—

Shen Yao was thrown off Xiao Guai's back, but using Xiao Shan's deceleration skill, she landed smoothly.

Subconsciously shaking her dizzy head, Shen Yao climbed up from the ground, only to see Xiao Guai not far away fighting a pitch-black Cheetah.

It was a Yellow Tier Pet Beast, the Shadow Leopard.

It had a bit of a kinship relation with Xiao Guai's Xuanbai Swift Shadow Cat breed, and its aptitude and talent were far superior to the Xuanbai Swift Shadow Cat.

"Xiao Shan, go help."

Relying only on Xiao Guai could only result in a stalemate, unable to decide the winner in a short time.

The more wild pet beasts came to ambush them, the more uneasy Shen Yao felt in her heart.

Who knew what had actually happened in Ling Feng Shan Mai; the keen sense of smell from the Tasker let Shen Yao know that in such troubled times, anyone who was not the Main Character should run if they could.

Xiao Shan's joining allowed Xiao Guai to relieve some pressure while also gaining the initiative to take the offensive.

Constantly using Stealth Concealment, Xiao Guai attacked this Shadow Leopard every now and then, until seizing the moment when the Shadow Leopard turned around, Xiao Guai opened its mouth wide and bit down, fiercely biting a wound on the Shadow Leopard's right hind leg that was deep enough to show bone.

"Roar!"

The Shadow Leopard's whole body trembled violently, then turned around and fled outward.

"Xiao Guai, come back!"

Shen Yao stopped Xiao Guai from chasing after it, then raised her hand and patted Xiao Guai's head, took out a tissue and wiped the bloodstains from Xiao Guai's mouth corner, "Let's leave here first; something has happened in Ling Feng Shan Mai."

The Shadow Leopard was merely the secondary cause; the main cause was still the problem with Ling Feng Shan Mai.

Xiao Guai's pupils gradually returned to normal; it lowered its head and rubbed against Shen Yao's body, meowed, and flicked its beautiful big tail.

Shen Yao took Xiao Guai and Xiao Shan and continued forward; this time they did not encounter any more ambushes, and even if there were Mortal Tier Pet Beasts wanting to attack, they were scared away by the Yellow Tier Pet Beast aura of Xiao Guai and Xiao Shan.

In the evening, Shen Yao took Xiao Guai and Xiao Shan and had already arrived at the edge of Ling Feng Shan Mai.

"Rest here; we leave early tomorrow morning."

The danger of traveling at night was far greater than traveling by day; while setting up the tent, Shen Yao did not forget to look back at Ling Feng Shan Mai behind her.

The tense aura in the air was telling her of danger, but out of understanding of the Beast Taming World, Shen Yao could not recklessly rush in at night.

Hope nothing happens tonight; tomorrow morning, they can leave quickly.

The edge of Ling Feng Shan Mai was only a few li from the exit; Shen Yao poured out the last remaining part of the Energy Ration, feeding while praying.

Mm, maybe it really worked; indeed nothing happened that night.

Huff.

Glad nothing happened!

Early the next morning, Shen Yao took Xiao Guai and Xiao Shan and left Ling Feng Shan Mai.

Because they came out too early, the Yu Yu Bird's Beast Tamer was not Outside.

Helpless, Shen Yao could only choose to pay more money.

At this moment, a heaven-shaking tremor suddenly erupted behind her.

Shen Yao, forced to kneel on the ground, saw giant Vines rise from the earth and fill her entire field of vision, and she unconsciously opened her Mouth wide.

Is this the Earth Fiend Red Moon Vine?!