Chapter 416: Vomiting Blood, Unconscious Gu Shaman

Ferocious beasts' blood is mostly dark red; the stronger the beast, the closer its blood is to black.

Although only some dried bloodstains remain here, the color is still red, so...

Wu Yue had a faint suspicion, her heart quickening: "Tongzi, this is beastfolk blood, and at this time appearing here, besides Yuan Lang and his group, there's no one else."

"Host, we're already near the middle of medium ferocious beast activity; going further in would bring us closer to the high-level ferocious beast activity zone, they..."

"They know the danger; they probably wouldn't go further in."

Tongzi's four short legs trembled a bit; these past few days, if not for Cloudstrider's protection and the items the host exchanged in the system shop, they'd probably have become ferocious beast dung already.

"Aooo-"

Just as the two of them were speaking, a call from Cloudstrider suddenly came from the nearby grass.

Wu Yue's heart tightened: "Cloudstrider seems to have discovered something."

Having said that, she quickly walked toward Cloudstrider.

"What is this?"

Upon reaching the spot where Cloudstrider had howled, what met her eyes were several ferocious beast skeletons, appearing to have died just these past few days, their bodies showing gnaw marks, with bits of flesh still clinging to the bones.

But what excited Wu Yue was the neat wound running across the ferocious beast skeleton's spine.

"Host, this looks like it was deliberately cut open here."

The slash is too neat.

Wu Yue nodded, as if thinking of something; enduring the foul smell, she squatted down and carefully examined the slit-open back.

After a moment, her chest heaved with excitement, the corners of her mouth unable to drop: "It's confirmed, the beast tendon on this ferocious beast is gone."

She turned her head to Tongzi, who was squatting beside her: "Do you still remember what Yuan Lang and the others came here to do?"

Tongzi also extended a small paw to cover his nose and leaned in, closely examining the neatly turned-out wound.

"Host, are you saying this ferocious beast's tendon was taken by Yuan Lang and his group?"

Wu Yue tightened her grip on the shaman's staff, her heart unable to calm: "Exactly, they definitely appeared here."

Since the deeper one goes into the forest, the taller the weeds grow, this ferocious beast's corpse lying here would be invisible if one didn't pass through this spot.

"Let's search around; the wounds on prey killed by beastfolk warriors differ from those killed by ferocious beasts. Following the direction of the slain prey, we'll surely find them."

She now felt both excited and worried; this place they were in was already very dangerous, hoping only that Yuan Lang and the others wouldn't go deeper—losing their lives over arrows would truly not be worth it.

Gathering her resolve, she swung onto Cloudstrider's back: "Cloudstrider, check everywhere around for places where prey have died."

Having said that, she patted the back of the remaining snow-white ferocious beast.

Cloudstrider let out a cry and, stomping its hooves, charged out.

Tongzi, squatting behind Wu Yue, toppled backward, then quickly grabbed Wu Yue's clothing, drenched in cold sweat.

This feeling of being pushed from behind—there was no one else.

The person and two beasts followed the prey's traces, their expressions growing graver the more they searched.

After several days, Wu Yue gazed ahead at the increasingly gloomy forest, her heart heavy beyond measure.

"Tongzi, it looks like they really went into the high-level ferocious beast activity zone."

Tongzi squatted beside his host's feet, also unable to stop shaking his little head: "Host, what should we do now?"

He actually wanted the host to go back, because this place is truly too dangerous.

But seeing the host's leg wrapped in a now-soiled bandage, he couldn't bring himself to say that.

These past few days of searching, although protected by Cloudstrider and items from the system shop, the host still got injured.

That arm-long scar on the leg is proof of the danger.

"Host, you've also seen these past few days that Yuan Lang and his group's target is surely the horned flood beast, with so many horned flood beast corpses."

"Even if they haven't entered the high-level beastfolk living zone, they're still active at the border between the two zones, hunting horned flood beasts."

He glanced at the Cloudstrider beast chewing on crystal cores, couldn't help rolling his eyes: "Moreover, since we entered the horned flood beast's living area, these horned beasts have clearly shown great hostility toward us."

"Even when not hungry, seeing us they'll attack."

"With those red-eyed, fierce looks, if he didn't know he had little chance, he'd almost suspect they'd taken all the females of that horned flood beast tribe."

Wu Yue had no hesitation in searching for Yuan Lang and his group.

"Keep searching; if they might be in the border between the two zones, we'll go in to look."

She came here this time specifically to find Yuan Lang and his group; she couldn't have come this far only to give up.

Moreover, she had already found traces of her kin; how could she just leave like that?

"Cloudstrider, let's first return to that previous cave; it's getting late today, we'll go in tomorrow to continue searching."

Tongzi looked at Wu Yue's determined expression, opened his mouth to say something, but ultimately swallowed it.

That previous cave was the most concealed place they had found.

But what Wu Yue hadn't expected was that, when she and her two beasts returned to that previous cave, there were already people there, and moreover, they were acquaintances she had seen just a few days prior.

Since she hadn't concealed her tracks, when Cloudstrider slowly lowered its form, the beastfolk warriors patrolling outside the cave also noticed her.

Her precious cloth robes and the Cloudstrider beast she rode were impossible to miss; the guarding beastfolk recognized her at a glance.

A beastfolk warrior, face grave, turned and walked into the cave.

"Shaman, the shaman of the Chinese tribe is also here."

The super-tribe members chewing on food stared, then cautiously looked toward the grim-faced figure sitting in the corner.

Upon hearing "Chinese tribe shaman," the person who had been gloomy for days finally moved his legs, stood up, and walked outward.

The healing shaman rubbed his aching brow; although he really didn't want to deal with this gloomy fellow, after all they'd come out together, he was still his tribe's shaman,

After thinking, he still stood up and followed him out.

At that moment, Wu Yue stood only tens of meters from the cave, mounted on Cloudstrider's back without dismounting.

She also had a slight headache, perhaps because this place was getting closer to the high-level ferocious beast activity zone, making well-concealed caves truly rare.

She had only managed to find this place with great difficulty under the Treading Cloud's guidance, yet she hadn't expected that, while she was out looking for traces, someone would already be here when she returned.

"A shaman of the Huaxia tribe, long time no see."

A gloomy voice sounded from the cave mouth; Wu Yue looked up and saw a gaunt figure in rough cloth walk out.

She knew this person all too well—the one who had ambushed her with gu insects that day was exactly this guy; it's a pity that the precious-looking gu insect had already been killed by her.

"It's not that old either."

She still had to put on an act, her voice as cold as ever.

"This cave is where I live."

Wu Yue said again, thick‑skinned.

Such wilderness caves belong to whoever occupies them; there's no real ownership.

But the deep forest is too dangerous; if you wander around casually, you'll surely end up as fresh dung by the next day.

"..."

After being retorted by Wu Yue, the poison shaman's face grew even uglier.

Seeing this female shaman opposite him reminded him of his little pet, which he had raised for years, wasting much time and precious materials—only for this lowlife to have killed the gu insect.

His heart ached as if it were about to bleed.

Seeing that he wanted to pick a fight, Wu Yue curled her lip: "This isn't my fault; who made my Tongzi hungry?"

Such a provoking remark, coming from the mouth of a cold‑faced shaman, leaves one... unable to refute.

The poison shaman snorted coldly, energy gathering around him; it was obvious he wanted to avenge his ugly little worm.

But in the next instant, his arm was seized by the healing shaman beside him: "Wait a moment."

The poison shaman glowered at the healing shaman: "We agreed earlier that if we met this Huaxia shaman again, you'd help me kill her."

The healing shaman felt a bit awkward; he had indeed said that a few days earlier, but as they ventured deeper into the polar forest, the situation became awkward.

Especially a few days ago, after suffering several feral beast attacks, they actually harvested some crystal cores.

The surging beast‑god power within the crystal cores could be felt even by these shamans.

And as they grew more practiced in fighting feral beasts, the Beastman Warriors no longer fumbled when facing them as they did on their first hunt of a saber‑toothed boar.

But embarrassingly, their encounter with a pack of wolf‑shaped feral beasts a few days ago once again showed the beasts' ferocity—these creatures could actually spew fire from the horns on their heads.

Several Beastman Warriors died.

Most importantly, the Scorpion Tribe Beastman Warrior who had been guiding them was also burned to death in that battle.

Without the Scorpion Tribe Beastman Warrior's guidance, they could only grope their way forward through the deep forest.

What weighed heavily on their minds was that, along the way, the feral beasts they encountered kept getting stronger.

This shows they are pressing deeper into the dangerous forest.

But for some reason, no matter how many times they changed direction, they kept slowly moving deeper.

This once plunged the troop's morale into a deep slump, and the Rock Salt Tribe shamaness was useless—she had never even come to the deep forest before.

So...

"Think about our situation—this Huaxia shaman might know a way out, so we can't afford to offend her now."

"Once we're out, what do you want to do..."

He gave the poison shaman a meaningful look: "I'll definitely help you then."

As for what to help with, there's no need to spell it out.

The poison shaman's chest heaved violently as he glared at Wu Yue several times, but ultimately, thinking of the bigger picture, he turned and walked into the cave.

He couldn't bear to see her female form; the moment he did, he thought of his dead precious gu insect.

"Since we've met again, let's stay together—this cave is still quite spacious."

The healing shaman's usually expressionless face actually showed a rare smile, which even seemed to carry a hint of warmth.

"Warm?"

Wu Yue snorted coldly, suspecting these people were up to some scheme again.

She urged her Treading Cloud forward toward the cave, but stopped at a spot outside it.

"Shaman, you're joking—I killed your tribe's poison shaman's gu insect earlier, so I dare not share a cave with you."

"I know very well what a high‑level gu insect means to a poison shaman."

Her cold voice seemed to carry a touch of teasing.

Sensing her vigilance, the healing shaman's fake smile couldn't hold, and he eventually returned to his former blank expression.

"It's our tribe's poison shaman who failed to control his gu insect; getting killed was his just deserts, and the Kuma Tribe folk are not vicious people."

Wu Yue really wanted to laugh at his face—he was speaking nonsense with his eyes wide open.

I don't believe a word you say!

But inwardly she was cursing, while on the surface she had to keep a grin.

"Then that's fine."

After tossing out three words, Wu Yue took animal hide from her back basket and began to set up a simple hide tent.

The healing shaman gave her a deep look, then turned and went back into the cave.

He looked at the Rock Salt Tribe shamaness curled in the Beastman Warrior's arms and said, "Come over."

Suddenly summoned, the Rock Salt Tribe shamaness felt terrified; a few days earlier, that female shaman's spell had struck her, and she had thought she would never be able to speak again.

But to her surprise, the next day she could actually make a sound.

Because she had been dominated by the fear of being unable to speak, now whenever she hears the three words "Huaxia shaman," her throat feels sore.

But these few days of hunting in the deep forest have taught her that, if she leaves the Super Tribe's group, she and the Beastman Warrior beside her will surely not survive until dawn.

So no matter how despised she is, she still carefully follows behind the Super Tribe's troop,

Now being called by the noble Shaman, she hurriedly stood up and walked over.

The healing Shaman bent over, picked up a piece of meat placed on a large leaf, and handed it to the Rock Salt Shamaness.

The Rock Salt Shamaness's eyes lit up, and her two withered hands began to tremble slightly.

Is this food for her?

She could no longer remember how many days it had been since she last ate her fill.

Thinking of this, the sound of her swallowing saliva practically echoed throughout the entire cave.

The surrounding super tribe Beastfolk all began to jeer in low voices.

She licked her lips, about to express her gratitude, then took the food back to eat.

But unexpectedly, the healing Shaman's indifferent voice sounded again: "Take this food out to give to the Huaxia Shaman outside, and by the way tell them we hope she can bring us out."

If she is willing to take us out, our tribe will provide her food for this period, and we will also give her ten crystal cores as a token of gratitude."」

Upon hearing this, the Rock Salt Shamaness's face turned completely black.

The hand she had extended seemed to have Parkinson's, trembling nonstop, but thinking she still needed to rely on the super tribe, she still took a deep breath and accepted it.

She revealed an extremely stiff smile: "Yes, Shaman."