Chapter 452: Still need to hop a bit

Keep changing, sigh....

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"Host, this place is already near the middle of medium ferocious beast activity; if we go further in, we'll get even closer to the area of high-level ferocious beast activity, they…

"They know it's dangerous, so they probably won't go in again, right?"

Tongzi's four little short legs were trembling a bit; these past few days, if it weren't for the protection of Cloud-Stepping and the host's items exchanged in the system mall, they'd probably have already become ferocious beast dung.

"Aooo"

While the host and Tongzi were speaking, a sudden call of Cloud-Stepping came from the grass not far away.

Wu Yue's heart tightened: "Cloud-Stepping seems to have discovered something."

Having said that, she quickly walked toward Cloud-Stepping.

"What is this?"

Upon reaching the place where Cloud-Stepping howled, what met her eyes were the skeletons of several ferocious beasts, looking as if they had died just these past few days, their bodies showing signs of having been gnawed, with even some bits of flesh stuck to the bones.

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

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

The scratches are too neat.

Wu Yue nodded, as if thinking of something; she endured the foul smell and squatted down, carefully examining the spot where the back had been cut open.

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

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

Tongzi also stretched out a little paw to cover his small nose and moved forward, carefully examining the neat wound where the skin and flesh were turned outward.

"Host, are you saying this ferocious beast's tendon was taken away by Yuan Lang and the others?"

Wu Yue's grip on the shaman's staff tightened slightly, her heartbeat unable to calm for a long time: "Exactly, they definitely appeared here."

Because the deeper one goes into the forest, the taller the weeds grow, so this ferocious beast's corpse lying here would be impossible to see if one didn't pass through this spot.

"Let's look around; the wounds left by beastman warriors and ferocious beasts on their prey are different. Following the direction of the slain prey, we'll definitely 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 for arrows would truly not be worth it.

Having steadied her mind, she swung onto Cloud-Stepping's back: "Cloud-Stepping, check everywhere around where prey have died."

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

Cloud-Stepping let out a howl and, stomping its hooves, charged out.

Tongzi, who was crouched behind Wu Yue, toppled backward; the next moment he hurriedly grabbed Wu Yue's clothes, drenched in cold sweat.

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

One person and two beasts followed the prey's traces; the more they searched, the graver their expressions became.

After several days, Wu Yue looked ahead at the increasingly gloomy deep forest, her heart weighed down heavily.

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

Tongzi crouched at 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 looking at the host's leg wrapped in already somewhat dirty bandages, he couldn't bring himself to say that.

These past few days of searching, although protected by Cloud-Stepping and items from the system mall, the host still got injured.

That scar on the leg, as long as a forearm, is proof of the danger.

"Host, you've also seen these past few days that Yuan Lang and the others' target is certainly the single-horn flood beast, with so many single-horn flood beast corpses.

"Even if they didn't enter the high-level beastfolk living area, they were active at the border between the two zones, hunting single-horn flood beasts."

He glanced at the cloud-stepping beast chewing on crystal cores over there, couldn't help but roll his eyes: "Moreover, since we entered the area where the Du single-horn flood beasts live, these unicorns have clearly shown great hostility toward us.

"Even when not hungry, seeing us makes them attack."

"With their red-eyed ferocious look, if he didn't know he had little chance, he'd almost suspect they'd taken all the females of that single-horn flood beast tribe."

Wu Yue had no hesitation about searching for Yuan Lang and the others.

"Keep looking; if they might be in the place where the two zones meet, we'll go in to search."

She came here this time precisely to find Yuan Lang and the others; she couldn't have come all this way only to give up.

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

"Cloud-Stepping, let's first return to that previous cave; today's getting late, we'll go in tomorrow to search—keep 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.

Because she hadn't concealed her tracks, when Cloud-Stepping slowly lowered its form, the beastman warriors patrolling outside the cave also noticed her.

Her precious cloth robes and the ridden cloud-stepping beast were simply too eye‑catching; the guarding beastmen recognized her at a glance.

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

"Shaman, the shaman of the Huaxia Tribe is also here."

The peoples of the Super Tribe, who were chewing on food, froze for a moment, then cautiously looked toward the figure sitting gloomily in the corner.

Upon hearing the words 'Huaxia Tribe shaman,' the person who had been gloomy for several 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 walked out with him.

At this moment, Wu Yue was only standing several dozen meters from the cave, mounted on Cloud-Stepping without dismounting.

She also had a slight headache in her head, perhaps because this place was getting ever closer to the high-level ferocious beast activity area, so good‑hiding caves were truly few and far between.

She had only managed to find this place with difficulty under Cloud-Stepping's lead, yet she didn't want merely to go out to look for traces, only to return and find someone already there.

Huaxia Tribe Shaman, long time no see.

A gloomy voice sounded at the cave entrance; Wu Yue looked up and saw a thin figure in shabby cloth walk out.

She knew this person all too well—the one who had sneak‑attacked her with gu insects that day was this very 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 moves in; there's no real ownership.

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

After being retorted by May, the Gu Shaman's face grew even uglier.

Upon seeing this female shaman opposite, he couldn't help but think of his little pet that had followed him for years, all the time and precious materials spent raising the gu insect—only for this lowlife to have killed it.

His heart ached as if it were about to bleed.

Seeing he wanted to pick a fight, Wu Yue curled her lip: 'It's not my fault—who let my Tongzi go hungry?'

Such a begging-for-a-beating remark, when uttered by a cold‑faced shaman, leaves one... unable to refute.

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

But his arm was seized by the Healing Shaman at his side the next moment: 'Wait a bit.'

The Gu Shaman gave the Healing Shaman a dark look: 'We agreed before—if we meet this Huaxia shaman again, you'll 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 ferocious beast attacks, they actually harvested some crystal cores.

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

Moreover, as they became more practiced in fighting the ferocious—, the beastman warriors no longer panicked when facing ferocious beasts the way they did during their first hunt of a saber‑toothed pig.

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

Several beastman warriors died.

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

Without the guidance of the Poison Scorpion Tribe beastman, they could only feel their way forward in the deep forest.

What weighed on their hearts was that, along the way, the ferocious beasts they encountered kept getting stronger.

This shows they are pressing deeper into that dangerous forest.

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

This once made the squad's mood sink low, and the Rock Salt Tribe witch was useless—she had never even come to the deep forest.

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 Gu Shaman a meaningful glance: 'I'll definitely help you then.'

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

The Gu Shaman's chest heaved violently as he glared at Wu Yue several times; finally, 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'd think of his dead precious gu insect.

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

The Healing Shaman's usually expressionless face actually showed a rare smile, which even seemed to carry a hint of friendliness.

Friendly?

Wu Yue snorted coldly; these people must be plotting something again.

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

The shaman joked, 'I killed your tribe's gu shaman's gu insect earlier—I dare not share a cave with you.'

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

Her cold tone seemed to carry a touch of teasing.

Sensing her guard and vigilance, the Healing Shaman's fake smile couldn't hold; he eventually returned to his usual blank expression.

It's our tribe's gu shaman who failed to control his gu insect; getting killed was his just deserts—our Kuma Tribe folk aren't vicious.

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

I don't believe a word you say!

But inside I'm cursing, while on the surface I still have to grin.

Then that's settled.

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

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

He looked at the Rock Salt Tribe witch curled up in the beastman's embrace and said, 'Come over.'

Suddenly summoned, the Rock Salt Tribe witch was filled with fear; a few days earlier, that female shaman's spell had struck her, and she had thought she'd 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 characters 'Huaxia shaman' her throat feels sore.

But these past few days of hunting in the deep forest have taught her that, once she leaves the Super Tribe's group, she and the beastman beside her definitely won't survive till dawn.

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

Now, called by the noble shaman, she quickly rose 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 thin hands began to tremble slightly.

Is this food for her?

She can't even remember how many days it's been since she last had a full meal.

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 gratitude, then took the food back to eat.

But unexpectedly, the Healing Shaman's indifferent voice sounded again: "Send this food out to the Huaxia Shaman outside, and by the way mention that we hope she can take 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 thanks.

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

Her outstretched hand shook as if she had 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."

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

But unexpectedly, the Healing Shaman's indifferent voice sounded again: "Send this food out to the Huaxia Shaman outside, and by the way mention that we hope she can take 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 thanks.