Worthy of the Exotic Beast Forest

Xia Chujian made a ghost face behind Ye Shijie's back, but her hands were no slower. In just twenty seconds, she assembled her newly acquired Judicator No. 7 Sniper Rifle, then connected the Flying Vehicle's Solid-State Optical Radar System to her Helmet. The converted visual feed would appear directly in the Helmet's built-in Eyepiece.

That way, she could focus on two things at once: use her right eye to aim through the Sniper Rifle's Scope, while using her left eye to monitor the surrounding area through the Helmet's Eyepiece.

The Flying Vehicle's Solid-State Optical Radar System could scan an area within a hundred-kilometer radius. Once the signals were converted into visual footage, everything could be recorded.

At this point, the Flying Vehicle's Super Optical Brain System could assist in analyzing the surveillance footage converted by the Radar System.

With that, every blade of grass, tree, animal, human trace, and bird shadow within this southern border region near the Land of the Far North was under her surveillance.

Xia Chujian glanced at the Helmet's Eyepiece, and immediately found herself unable to look away.

Good heavens! This place looked remote and quiet, but it was actually incredibly lively! In the visual footage converted from the Radar signals, she could see every movement within a hundred-kilometer radius centered on her Flying Vehicle.

Of course, she did not need to watch every single place. But wherever there was a "moving" creature, she could see it.

Here, "moving" creatures referred to anything capable of movement, including both plants and animals.

Xia Chujian clearly saw a purple-blue plant resembling a Corn Poppy dart across the screen, seeming to tiptoe on tiny grass roots as if it had grown feet!

Her eyes widened. She no longer looked through the Sniper Rifle's Scope, and even abandoned the limited view of the Helmet Eyepiece, directly raising a Virtual Display Screen before her.

The information scanned by the Solid-State Optical Radar could also be projected onto the Virtual Display Screen after being converted into visual footage.

The image on the Virtual Display Screen was much clearer.

Then she saw a fiery red little beast resembling a Fox running across the vast snowy ground like a flaming torch.

But not long after, a huge crimson-purple bird dived fiercely from the sky, stretched out its talons, seized the fiery red little beast, and soared back into the air.

This was also a bird, yet it was countless times larger than the Griffon Sea Eagle she had seen earlier! When its wings spread, they seemed boundless! Her Solid-State Optical Radar apparently could not even detect where the edges of those outspread wings ended! Crimson-purple feathers covered its entire body. As its wings beat, purple and red surged and rolled like raging flames erupting from Hell, as though it were a burning firebird.

Very soon, the crimson-purple bird suddenly shuddered, as though it had sensed something. Its head whipped around and looked in Xia Chujian's direction.

On the Virtual Display Screen, the bird's pair of glittering eyes seemed to be staring directly into Xia Chujian's! But Xia Chujian knew that was impossible.

According to the Radar, the bird was at least fifty kilometers away from her Flying Vehicle. Even so, Xia Chujian froze for a moment.

Then, while she was still slightly stunned, the crimson-purple bird's body rapidly shrank. It no longer carried that suffocating, sky-blocking presence, shrinking until it was about the same size as the Griffon Sea Eagle from before.

Then, with a flick of its wings, the crimson-purple bird vanished from her Virtual Display Screen in an instant.

Xia Chujian's heart tightened. She adjusted the detection range of the Solid-State Optical Radar again, but found nothing.

This Solid-State Optical Radar had a detection radius of one hundred kilometers.

So with one flap of its wings, that bird had flown a hundred kilometers? That speed was absurd. It was completely unscientific! Xia Chujian complained inwardly, but there was nothing she could do. She could only give up and continue observing elsewhere.

Just then, another "moving" creature entered the Solid-State Optical Radar's field of view.

It was a White Tiger. No, that was not right. It probably was not a tiger.

Because tigers did not grow wings.

Xia Chujian was baffled.

It truly deserved to be called the "Exotic Beast Forest"! This "moving" creature had the head and body of a tiger, with pure white fur that nearly blended into the snow.

Yet it had a wing on each side of its back!

Looking more closely, they did not resemble bird wings either. There were no feathers on them, only taut structures like Fleshy Membranes.

They were probably normally folded away, but Xia Chujian's Radar happened to catch the moment it spread them! Its wings unfolded, and the White Tiger stepped into the air. Accompanied by drifting snowflakes, the sight was actually quite beautiful.

Xia Chujian could not help watching it a few more times.

After just those few glances, the winged White Tiger also seemed to sense something. It slowly turned around in midair and faced Xia Chujian's direction directly.

In the footage converted from Radar detection, Xia Chujian suddenly met the White Tiger's crimson eyes. Her breath stopped for An Instant.

Very soon, the White Tiger spread its wings and vanished from her Radar detection as well.

So was this White Tiger, like that crimson-purple bird, also unbelievably fast? Xia Chujian was numb by now and began praying that she would not cross paths with these strange Alien Beasts.

She patted her chest and told herself not to be afraid. She had the loyal Judicator No. 7 Sniper Rifle for company, and Saint Sterling Bodhisattva's blessing! After psyching herself up, Xia Chujian no longer found the strange scenes on the Virtual Display Screen so surprising.

With the Flying Vehicle's Super Optical Brain assisting her, she determined that there were no danger signals within a hundred-kilometer radius.

Only then did she look at the data model in the Super Optical Brain.

The Flying Vehicle relied on the Solid-State Optical Radar for long-range detection.

For close range, it relied on the Flying Vehicle's Near-Ground Data Scanning System. This system could only scan about one hundred meters nearby, then replicate a 3D Map of the surrounding hundred meters in the Optical Brain.

Based on this 3D Map, Xia Chujian became even more certain that there were only plants and some small animals nearby, with none of the large Alien Beasts like the distant crimson-purple bird or the winged White Tiger.

She let out a sigh of relief and reached into the small refrigerator beneath the Flying Vehicle's cabin to take out a bottle of water, then took a sip.

It was freezing outside, but her Flying Vehicle was warm as spring.

With Small-Scale Controlled Nuclear Fusion powering the Flying Vehicle, there was no need to worry about energy.

Leaning against the driver's seat, she was so comfortable that she did not want to go outside at all.

But Ye Shijie and the others had already gone into that Small Wooden House to search it.

Not long after, her Smart Bracelet received a call request from Ye Shijie.

After she accepted it, Ye Shijie's three-dimensional projection appeared before her.

It was a 3D holographic video call.

"Chujian, how's the signal?"

"Reporting to Captain Ye, it's all right for now. Your image just isn't very clear."

Ye Shijie thought for a moment, turned off the 3D holographic video option, and selected voice only before continuing, "How about now?"

"Mm, much better." Xia Chujian knew Ye Shijie could not see her now, so she secretly made a ghost face.

Ye Shijie then gave orders to the other team members. "Use voice communications. Don't use 3D holographic video. Make the most of the signal strength."

After everyone acknowledged the order, Ye Shijie asked Xia Chujian again, "Has the Radar detected any danger signals?"

"Reporting to Captain Ye, no. What about your side?"

"None here either. This Small Wooden House is pretty nice and comfortable. Do you want to come over? Li Fu and Song Mingqian went into the forest to catch wild game. Ping Qiong said she spotted Black Truffles and Red Lion Morels, so she's going to gather some. We'll grill meat with Black Truffles and Red Lion Morels later," Ye Shijie said as though casually.

Xia Chujian was practically drooling.

She immediately said seriously, "Captain Ye, Cai Jie's cooking would ruin the Red Lion Morels and Black Truffles. Let me do it."

Among the members of this team, Xia Chujian was the best cook.

Ye Shijie had achieved his goal. He smiled faintly. "All right. I'll start the fire."

Drawn by the food, Xia Chujian instantly wanted to go outside.

But when she saw the large snowflakes still drifting down onto the nearby lake, she hesitated and decided to put on more clothes.

She already had a full-body Bulletproof Vest on as her innermost layer.

Then she put on an Exotic Beast Fur Coat, followed by the self-heating cold-weather jacket she had received from the Association over it.

She took off her Helmet and pulled a fluffy ivory-white knit cap over her head. Her Aunt had knitted it for her, and she loved it dearly.

She did not know what kind of yarn it was made from, but it was especially warm when worn.

Then she put the Helmet over the knit cap.

Next came a self-heating mask. Then she pulled down the Helmet's sealed bulletproof face shield completely and activated the Eyepiece and Microorganism Shielding System.

She checked herself in the Flying Vehicle's rearview mirror and saw only a bloated, round, nearly humanoid unidentified spherical object.

But Xia Chujian thought the Design looked warm at a glance.

Happily, she opened the Flying Vehicle's translucent upper hatch. With her Judicator No. 7 Sniper Rifle on her back, her ever-present Gun case slung diagonally across her body, and a brand-new Devastator 800 Full-Automatic Submachine Gun held against her chest, she took a big step and jumped out.

When she landed, however, she nearly lost her footing. She stumbled and lurched several steps forward.

Ye Shijie had one hand resting on the stock of his Frostfall 100 Assault Rifle as he leaned against the entrance to the Small Wooden House. Seeing how she was dressed, the corner of his mouth twitched. "It's already warm inside. Aren't you afraid you'll sweat wearing that much?"

"It's fine. I have a cold constitution and get chilled easily." Xia Chujian finally steadied herself, and the first thing she did was straighten the Full-Automatic Submachine Gun against her chest.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the woods to her right, accompanied by what sounded like the roaring growl of a wild beast.

Without hesitation, Xia Chujian turned to the right, raised her Full-Automatic Submachine Gun toward the source of the rustling, and pulled the trigger, firing off a burst.

Pitter-Patter!

Red muzzle flashes erupted like enraged gods and demons in the night.

Ye Shijie immediately raised his Frostfall 100 Assault Rifle and aimed in that direction as well.

But before he could fire, Li Fu's furious voice came from the woods. "Who the hell fired?! Are you sick?! You didn't use buckshot, did you?! That's the Wild Rhinoceros Pig I drove over here! Do you people not want to eat?!"

Shotgun pellets shattered when they struck wild beasts and embedded themselves in the meat, making them impossible to remove. Then the meat could not be eaten.

So when hunting for meat, no one used shotguns. Instead, they used small-caliber automatic Pistols or military crossbows.

Xia Chujian pursed her lips.

Well, well. Her hands had moved too fast again.