Only after venturing deep into these woods did Chen Shouyi realize that the terrain here was far more complicated than that savage island off Dongning, and the environment was even more dangerous.
He held his breath and circled far around a pile of dung over a meter tall, like a small hill. Flies buzzed above it, and it gave off a foul stench.
The presence of this pile of dung meant that some Giant Beast lived nearby.
Chen Shouyi had no intention of disturbing it. Following Shell Girl's directions, he skirted the area from a distance.
Before long, Chen Shouyi crouched behind a clump of bushes and peered from afar at a cliff overgrown with vines.
A breeze passed, making the vines sway gently. Through them, a pitch-black cave entrance appeared and disappeared from view.
The entrance was about three meters in diameter, spacious enough for Chen Shouyi.
But he didn't act rashly.
"T-twelve... twelve!" Shell Girl whispered in his ear.
Chen Shouyi counted. She had said "one" twelve times, which meant that at least twelve creatures lived inside the cave.
Judging by the size of the cave, whatever lived inside wasn't some enormous beast.
He took out his Bow and Arrow, drew the bow, and let an arrow fly.
The arrow streaked dozens of meters in an instant and shot straight into the cave.
Then he immediately lowered his head and remained motionless beneath the cover of the bushes, listening intently.
A shrill scream rang out from the cave, followed by a commotion. It sounded as though countless voices were calling out over one another.
They were intelligent beings.
Chen Shouyi's heart sank. The cave was far away, and the noise was too great for him to make out their exact words.
But their voices rose and fell in