Yama Reborn-Chapter 609 - 606: Lu Xixi’s Abnormality

"So let me summarize."

The Son of the Sun raised his voice and spoke: "Based on the on-site survey, everyone's guess is...

There was once a big snake, about three meters thick, here!

Then, a group, possibly of some large-sized bats, surrounded and attacked the big snake here.

The fight was intense, causing such large-scale destruction in this place.

The big snake left injured.

And that group of bats was smart enough to take away the corpses of their dead companions…"

As he spoke, the old man looked at everyone: "That's roughly the idea, right?"

Chen Nuo glanced at the Wizard and Nolan — he realized, at moments like these, although the Son of the Sun, this old guy, was more reliable in terms of relationships.

But in terms of intelligence, obviously, the Wizard and Nolan were more reliable.

Nolan sighed: "…Your Excellency, Son of the Sun, what you said is… well, pretty much what it is."

"But I've never heard of bats evolving to the level of intelligence where they take away their companions' corpses, right?" The Son of the Sun spread his hands.

Chen Nuo felt a stirring in his heart.

Evolution?

He suddenly remembered that Seed... had released a Life Element from the Mother Clone... triggering a major evolution of life...

Then, since this is, after all, the dwelling of another Mother Clone.

The aura from the dissipated Life Element could have induced some creatures living around it to undergo some strange evolution...

It doesn't seem impossible either.

Chen Nuo clapped his hands and said, "Alright everyone, no matter what kind of creatures we encounter... they're all just some wild animals.

Our purpose for this trip isn't to deal with these things.

So, let's leave the decision to our financier boss for this journey."

As he said this, Chen Nuo looked toward Kamisou Ichiro, deliberately smiling, and said, "So, Mr. Kamisou Ichiro, it's time for you to give us the orders now.

What do we do next?

Do we continue to explore forward,

or... are you interested in the animals that fought here?

The snake that broke the world record? Or those mutated bats that evolved to the level of intelligence where they take away their companions' corpses?"

Kamisou Ichiro smiled gently, clearly realizing the probing in Chen Nuo's words, yet he maintained a calm demeanor as he smiled: "I'm indeed very interested in these magical creatures.

However, this doesn't prevent us from moving forward. Maybe, these beings are right on the path ahead of us."

Chen Nuo seriously looked into Kamisou Ichiro's eyes, nodded and said: "Understood, then let's move forward!

Son of the Sun, you should lead the way."

Before the old man could respond, Chen Nuo already turned to the Wizard and said: "Mr. Wizard, it might require a bit more of your strength; the defensive area of the Spiritual Force Tentacles needs to be expanded a bit. Because if there is a flying creature here... we also need to defend against attacks that might come from above at any time."

The Wizard frowned and looked at Chen Nuo, actually feeling a bit puzzled: why doesn't this kid do it himself?

But the Wizard didn't ask too much about such a trivial matter — for a top-tier spiritual expert like the Wizard, spreading some more Spiritual Force Tentacles, especially for vigilance, wasn't considered a heavy expenditure.

The group finally continued their journey, heading still towards the central part of the forest.

Chen Nuo and Lu Xixi still walked at the back of the group.

Lu Xixi grabbed Chen Nuo's hand, her fingers gently pinching his palm.

Chen Nuo turned his head to look at Lu Xixi and whispered, "What's wrong?"

Lu Xixi looked a bit unhappy, shook her head: "Honey, I don't like snakes."

Chen Nuo laughed, gently stroked Lu Xixi's hair, and then found that her ponytail was a bit loose, so he simply tugged off the hair tie and quickly retied her ponytail.

"You... are afraid of snakes?" Chen Nuo whispered with a laugh.

Lu Xixi shook her head: "I'm not afraid of snakes... but I just find them disgusting."

Chen Nuo patted the Empress's hand and said: "Don't worry, really encountering... a snake three or four meters thick, to ordinary people, it's a nightmare, to our team... it's probably just an extra dish for dinner, and... if you find it disgusting, you won't even need to make a move."

As he said this, Chen Nuo became serious: "I'm not worried about that snake; I'm more interested in the things that attacked the big snake.

I think... it doesn't seem like bats.

Although the Son of the Sun likes to talk nonsense sometimes, he was right about one thing.

Bats don't have the habit of taking away their companions' corpses."

Lu Xixi widened her eyes as she looked at Chen Nuo, suddenly laughed, and said: "Honey~"

"What?"

"You... didn't take my joke seriously, did you?"

"What joke?"

Lu Xixi squinted with a smile and said: "The dragons in Western mythology."

·

The journey continued, everyone's vigilance heightened to the highest level.

On the road, the team no longer chatted or whispered; everyone focused intently on observing the surrounding environment.

Even with the Wizard's Spiritual Force Tentacles spread around the team, no one dared to let their guard down.

Nolan led the way at the front, paving a path.

Progress through the jungle was extremely challenging, as there was no path. With two Body Technique Special Ability Users, Nolan tried as best as possible to clear a path for the team.

Along the trail the team traveled, the ground would be littered with chopped and broken plants, branches, trampled foliage and soil, as well as some insects crushed by the Wizard's Spiritual Force Tentacles.

This way of progressing made the team's pace extremely slow.

The Son of the Sun had fallen back to the end of the group, walking together with Chen Nuo and Lu Xixi.

The old man gave Chen Nuo a few glances, but Chen Nuo remained silent and only shook his head at the Son of the Sun.

The Son of the Sun had to suppress the questions in his heart—he understood that now was not the time to speak, as the Octopus Monster was in the group, and any communication might be overheard or detected by it.

It wasn't until the group advanced another half-hour that Nolan, in the front, raised her hand to signal the group to stop. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

The two Body Technique Special Ability Users responsible for paving the way were visibly exhausted.

Since entering the forest, they had been clearing the path ahead, and now, after more than two hours, their powers were at their limit.

Only then did the Octopus Monster decide to halt everyone for a rest.

Allowing the Body Technique Special Ability Users leading the way to recover their strength, and then choosing another two Body Technique Department Special Ability Users from the team to take over path-clearing duties.

Among the twenty ordinary Special Ability Users, there weren't many from the Body Technique Department, just a few in total.

And with this change of personnel, naturally, the woman who had been accompanying the Son of the Sun was also chosen — she was from the Body Technique Department.

Although the woman's expression showed clear reluctance — because of the increased risk of leading the pack, facing danger became more probable.

However, the Son of the Sun couldn't be too biased in such a situation.

After all, being part of the Body Technique Department—everyone else had been working hard for over two hours while you did nothing, wouldn't look good.

Moreover, throughout the journey, the Son of the Sun had given this woman quite some privileges.

One could not, after all, just lie back, do nothing, and take the reward while others put in the effort, sweating, and taking risks, right?

Seeing the woman mutter a few words to the Son of the Sun, he thought for a moment and said: "You go ahead and clear the way; don't worry, I will walk with you at the front. If we encounter danger, I will naturally protect you."

Although the woman felt worried, she dared not make excessive demands and had to sigh and accept.

·

The group halted to rest for about fifteen minutes, with everyone finding a spot to sit down, rehydrating and eating.

The food they carried wasn't much, but it was all high-calorie stuff like energy bars or chocolate.

There was also a big pack of compressed biscuits for starchy foods.

There wasn't much drinking water carried, but it wasn't important, as there were Special Ability Users skilled in Water Element in the team who could extract water directly from the air.

During the fifteen-minute break, no one would wander off—these people had all been through various dangerous missions.

Like in the movies, where an adventure team is in a dangerous place and someone foolishly runs around during a break and gets dragged away by a monster...

There's no such person in this team; if their intelligence level were that low, they wouldn't have made it to this point.

But some situations can be avoided, and some cannot.

For example...

Excretion.

This is a basic human instinct.

It's been a few hours since entering the underground tunnel, and no matter how little water was drunk before, there's still a basic need for excretion at this time.

Lu Xixi gently tugged Chen Nuo's hand and whispered in his ear, "Honey~"

Chen Nuo glanced at the Empress and saw a somewhat bashful and shy look in her eyes, immediately realizing.

"I'll go with you, find a place, and I'll keep watch nearby."

Lu Xixi squinted her eyes with a smile, then pulled Chen Nuo's hand, and the two quietly moved towards the forest on the left side of the team.

They walked about a hundred steps.

Chen Nuo saw that under a few big trees nearby, there seemed to be a patch of vegetation that was slightly less dense.

He first cast out a Spiritual Force Tentacle, sweeping back and forth near the grass to scare away any potential bugs or snakes.

Then he scattered a bottle of snake and ant repellent over the area.

Lu Xixi, after Chen Nuo finished these tasks, laughed, "Turn around, please."

Chen Nuo laughed heartily and walked a few steps aside, "Make it quick, and be careful."

Behind him, he heard the rustling footsteps of Lu Xixi walking in the grass, followed by the sounds of branches and leaves being pulled aside.

A moment later, he heard Lu Xixi laughing in the grass, "Okay, you can turn around now."

Chen Nuo turned back and saw Lu Xixi standing in the grass, adjusting her clothes as she walked towards him, smiling, "Do you need to take care of anything? I can keep watch for you."

Chen Nuo thought for a moment, about to nod...

Suddenly, Lu Xixi's expression changed, her head swiftly turning to the side, and she dodged several steps like lightning.

From the grass, a silver light suddenly shot out, aiming directly at Lu Xixi's face!

Lu Xixi's eyes flashed with a hint of electricity, and several arcs of electricity suddenly appeared in the air around her.

The silver light flying in mid-air was struck by the arcs and exploded into fragments with a pop!

Almost simultaneously, seven or eight more silver objects darted out from the grass.

Lu Xixi's eyes had already narrowed, and electric arcs continued to appear around her body, accompanied by a series of dense, firecracker-like noises as over a dozen silver objects burst in mid-air, struck by the electric light.

Chen Nuo had already rushed over and saw Lu Xixi's eyes filled with anger from the shock.

On the ground, in the grass, lay a field of wreckage.

Those silvery things were actually some kind of unknown insects. But under the impact of the electric arcs, they had shattered into pieces.

Chen Nuo frowned, cautiously using telekinesis to pick up a fragment. The outer shell of the insect seemed to have silvery patterns.

"I've never seen these things before. The hind legs are strong, somewhat like grasshoppers, but the foreleg has a backward-facing blade, the head is bigger than a mantis', and the mouthparts are serrated."

Chen Nuo murmured to himself.

Meanwhile, Lu Xixi's anger had been thoroughly provoked!

This was quite understandable.

After all, if a girl is suddenly attacked by a swarm of frightening-looking insects while going to the restroom, it's sure to evoke fear.

For someone as strong as Lu Xixi, after the transient fear passed, immediately came a surge of anger from the emotional rebound!

"I hate bugs the most!"

Lu Xixi gritted her teeth, feeling not just the anger of being attacked, but also a bit of that indescribable embarrassment and anger.

After all, she was attacked while going to the restroom.

Both ashamed and furious.

Swish!

In Lu Xixi's lowered hands, two Lightning Whips, formed by countless tangled electric arcs, suddenly materialized!

Electricity enveloped her entire body, and Lu Xixi's hair, originally tied in a ponytail, snapped under the stimulation of the electric light, her seaweed-like long hair flying wildly in the static.

"I! Hate! Bugs!!"

Without waiting for Chen Nuo to comfort her, Lu Xixi had already flung her hand, two whips swinging out abruptly like arcs of electricity, sweeping out in circles around her.

Boom!

Under the electric light, with Lu Xixi's feet as the center, the surrounding area shattered into pieces wherever the arcs passed!

As the electric light spread, Lu Xixi keenly sensed some unknown creatures in the grass and soil screaming!

With a flick of her wrist, two Lightning Braids plunged straight down, and a thick bolt of lightning rushed out...

With a series of explosion-like sounds, under the dazzling electric light, wherever it went, trees, forests, or earth and rock all shattered!

Chen Nuo squinted and saw that from where Lu Xixi stood, towards the northwest, after a lightning strike, a long area of about a hundred meters and two to three meters wide had been utterly cleared in the forest!

This area was almost the size of a regular school's playground.

The commotion naturally caught the attention of the team resting nearby.

The first to react was Wizard and others, who instantly dashed over, standing beside Chen Nuo.

Wizard, Nolan, and the Son of the Sun arrived in succession, looking at Lu Xixi standing ahead, in the middle of a scorched area, her entire body crackling with electricity and an angry face.

Wizard took a deep breath, "What... attacked?"

Chen Nuo spread his hands, "Nothing, you know... women hate bugs, so she had a little fit."

Wizard said nothing, just glanced at Chen Nuo.

However, Nolan suddenly lifted his face, trying hard to sniff with his nose.

The air was filled with a burnt smell, but Nolan...

Evidently, his large hooked nose wasn't just for show. Suddenly, his face showed a hint of confusion, "I seem to smell something strange."

Saying this, Nolan's eyes fixed on the area cleared by Lu Xixi's power—the northwest direction.

If the direction Zhongren had been advancing, towards the lake in the center of the forest, was considered due north.

Then Lu Xixi's direction of attack was slightly northwest of due north.

The clearing of trees, vegetation, and soil revealed a suddenly open view.

Originally standing in the forest, visibility was obscured by layers of dense trees and various vegetation, but now looking northwest, the view was expansive.

And this cleared area, about a hundred meters away, unexpectedly led to a gradually rising slope...

Nolan's expression turned sharp, as if noticing something, and he said quickly, "There seems to be something over there..."

Saying this, Nolan's body shot forward like a gust of wind, dashing out.

Everyone hesitated no more, immediately following. Chen Nuo walked over leisurely, holding Lu Xixi's hand, and whispered with a smile, "Alright, it was just some bugs."

Lu Xixi shook her head, frowning with some grievance, "I'm growing increasingly averse to this place."

Chen Nuo pulled Lu Xixi into his arms, gently patting her back, "I know, girls generally hate bugs. We'll be more cautious later... but try not to get this angry often, it's not good if someone gets hurt."

Lu Xixi thought for a moment, frowning as she said, "Something was strange earlier... I don't know why, but I felt very agitated, as if I became particularly impatient.

On this journey, I feel... my emotions haven't been right."

Chen Nuo's heart skipped a beat, and after hearing Lu Xixi's words, his heart sank a little, "Impatient?"

"Yes, just... very agitated, like little things easily make me angry."

Chen Nuo thought, "When did it start?"

"Since we entered the tunnel and headed underground, this feeling has become increasingly apparent. As for when it started... I didn't seem to notice it myself."