Qian Ye had never considered himself proficient in the art of divination, nor did he believe his intuition to be particularly accurate. At least, according to what he had heard from Song Zining, it couldn’t compare to the intuition of some women.
However, at this moment, he had to choose a direction for exploration. Finding the Empire’s base within the Great Vortex was the only way to return. In the absence of any clear direction, it was crucial to gather as much information about the environment as possible. To understand this world, the indigenous intelligent races, who were born and raised here, were undoubtedly the best source of information.
If not for Li Kuanglan, Qian Ye would have delved into the forest long ago to uncover the mysteries of the native races. But with her, everything was different. No matter what, Qian Ye could not let her fall into the hands of the natives, especially the four-armed ones. That fate would be worse than death, and Qian Ye believed that Li Kuanglan would rather die than endure such an end.
However, the white mist of the four-armed beings was extremely overbearing. Once caught, one could not even choose to die. For this reason, Qian Ye had to be extremely cautious. This made it difficult for him to decide on Li Kuanglan’s suggestion.
At this moment, Li Kuanglan regained her usual cold composure and said, “My injuries have mostly healed. Apart from not being able to last through the night, I am fine for combat. If you don’t dare to go, do you think I am weak?”
“Of course not, but—”
Li Kuanglan interrupted, “Then let’s go.”
Seeing her determination, Qian Ye made up his mind. Following the same method, he led Li Kuanglan across the river and back to the edge of the forest.
As they approached the forest, a sharp whistle sounded overhead, and a large net descended, aiming to capture them both.
Such primitive hunting methods were no match for the top talents of the Empire’s younger generation. Li Kuanglan swung her blade to cut the net. This was usually a taboo, but she twisted her wrist, causing the bloodblade to spin and tear the net. With a flick of her hand, the net returned to its origin, ensnaring a two-armed hunter hiding in the tree, who fell heavily to the ground, unable to get up.
By then, Qian Ye had emerged from the forest, each hand holding a two-armed hunter, and threw them down. Their limbs were broken, leaving them helpless. These natives had natural stealth abilities, blending seamlessly with their surroundings, but in Qian Ye’s true vision, they were easily exposed and captured.
The three two-armed hunters, upon seeing Li Kuanglan, reacted physically, their eyes fixated on her. Li Kuanglan, feeling violated, raised her bloodblade, ready to cut them into pieces.
Qian Ye held her back, shaking his head, “There’s no need to kill. The desire to kill is also a form of desire; try to control it.”
“I don’t want to control it!” Li Kuanglan said coldly.
Knowing her recent irritability, Qian Ye remained calm and tried to communicate with the two-armed hunters. After several attempts, it became clear that there was no common language, so he gave up. He searched them, finding only some food, wine, and miscellaneous items. Each hunter carried a small blue flower. These blue flowers, though small, had translucent, crystal-like petals, whether natural or artificially carved.
From the flower bed, they seemed to grow naturally, but the crystalline petals did not appear natural. Each petal of the three blue flowers was unique, crafted with such precision that even the most skilled artisans of the Empire could not replicate. How could human craftsmanship compare to nature’s wonders?
When Qian Ye took the three blue flowers, the two-armed hunters struggled fiercely, showing great anger and fear. Clearly, these blue flowers were of immense importance to them.
Knowing he wouldn’t get any information from them, Qian Ye broke the limbs of the net-bound hunter and used the net to tie the three together, leaving them at the edge of the forest. These natives were resilient and could survive without food or water for days.
Pointing into the forest, Qian Ye said, “Let’s go and see if we can find their nest.”
Li Kuanglan nodded, following Qian Ye deeper into the forest. These native races were natural hunters, needing no training to hide and erase their tracks. However, Qian Ye and Li Kuanglan were superior hunters, especially Li Kuanglan, whose tracking and hunting skills surpassed Qian Ye’s. If not for Qian Ye’s near-cheating true vision, he would have been outmatched by her.
Following the tracks left by the native hunters, they ventured deeper, noticing an increase in native activity. More tracks joined the path, converging from all directions.
They exchanged glances, confirming they were on the right track, and slowed down, becoming more cautious.
A group of natives appeared in their line of sight, consisting of five four-armed beings and over twenty two-armed ones. They moved in formation. As they passed, Qian Ye and Li Kuanglan followed discreetly.
Not long after, a four-armed being suddenly pounced on a two-armed one, initiating mating. The other four-armed beings followed suit, while the unselected two-armed ones paired off and engaged in the act. This absurd scene left Li Kuanglan both ashamed and angry, leaning unconsciously on Qian Ye.
Qian Ye remained tense, closely watching the natives, fearing the four-armed beings might release their white mist. Fortunately, the mist seemed valuable and not used in such internal activities.
About half an hour later, the natives finished their primal and ancient entertainment and continued forward. Qian Ye pulled Li Kuanglan, indicating to follow. However, he noticed she seemed weaker, which puzzled him.
Looking at Qian Ye, Li Kuanglan lowered her head, whispering, “I, I couldn’t control it, so… it’s like yesterday.”
Not knowing how to respond, Qian Ye offered, “Do you need my help?”
She glared at him, “If you are willing!”
Qian Ye didn’t dare say more, pulling her along to continue the pursuit. After the chaos, the natives seemed exhausted, slowing down, making it easier to follow.
Soon, the group of natives exited the forest, heading towards a stone fortress at the foot of a distant mountain. The fortress, though somewhat dilapidated, had towering towers intact. Each tower had a strong four-armed guard with a large, intricately designed bow, larger than those Qian Ye had seen before.
The power of the bows was undeniable, with a range covering hundreds of meters. The guards on the towers were stronger than the four-armed women, possibly the males of the tribe.
Natives constantly entered and exited the fortress, indicating a prosperous tribe. However, they showed no interest in repairing the damaged walls, preferring to focus on reproduction.
Qian Ye signaled Li Kuanglan to stay in the forest while he approached the fortress, carefully observing. Through the gaps in the walls, he saw the interior was disordered, with overgrown weeds and scattered debris. Central stone buildings housed four-armed beings, who were fewer and stronger, nearly three meters tall, and visibly more robust than the females.
The four-armed beings, though similar in appearance, could be distinguished by their reproductive behavior. A pair, unable to wait, began mating before entering their dwelling.
Up close, the four-armed beings had fierce faces, with long or short fangs, protruding snouts, and traits of wild beasts. When necessary, biting was a powerful tactic.
In contrast, the two-armed natives had more human-like features and lived in low, dilapidated huts, often housing dozens of people. Comfort was non-existent.
Curious about the relationship between the two-armed and four-armed beings, Qian Ye decided to observe more closely. As a group of natives passed, Qian Ye hid behind a tree, but a four-armed woman paused, sniffed, and walked towards his hiding spot.
She circled the tree, but found nothing. Impatient, another four-armed woman roared, and the first one left reluctantly.
After the group departed, Qian Ye leaped down, surprised by the natives’ keen sense of smell. Had he not used his bloodline to mask his presence, he might have been discovered.
Thus, Qian Ye dared not approach the fortress further. There were at least hundreds of natives, including many four-armed beings, and a dozen notably stronger males. Even Qian Ye hesitated to challenge such a force, not because of their strength, but because of the repulsive white mist.
After observing for a while, Qian Ye prepared to return, not wanting to leave Li Kuanglan alone for too long.
Just as he was about to leave, chaos erupted in the fortress, with natives running and shouting. A loud rumbling sound echoed, and Qian Ye seized the opportunity, heading towards the fortress.
As he neared, the chaos intensified. A figure appeared on a tower, and the four-armed guard fell, crashing to the ground. The figure leaped down, landing on the guard, and sprinted towards Qian Ye.
After a few steps, the figure stumbled, struggling to stand. The speed slowed, and a group of two-armed natives chased after, quickly catching up.
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