Zhou Lu decided that he would never casually use Enlarged Delicious Mushrooms again.
This thing beat up everyone indiscriminately; one slip, and it would backfire on its own user.
As he watched the Delicious Mushrooms charge up before him in an instant, their sturdy muscles brimming with an aura of power.
Being suddenly confronted by six muscular men was a visual impact that could not be easily overcome just by growing stronger.
"Huohuo!"
Zhou Lu shouted without hesitation.
Ever since entering the secret realm, Zhou Lu had kept having Huohuo leave offshoots behind them without severing the vines.
Although that constantly drained Huohuo's stamina, using the retraction of Mad Growth at a critical moment really could save their lives.
Huohuo immediately understood. While using Entangling Vines to block the mushrooms' charge, she wrapped her vines tightly around Zhou Lu's waist.
This time, she was holding her master. Naturally, she could not be as casual as when she had kidnapped Liang Quan last time.
As the vines retracted, Zhou Lu felt his entire body lifted into the air.
At the same time, the Delicious Mushrooms had already torn apart Huohuo's vines.
With energy raging wildly from their bodies, the mushrooms displayed the oppressive force a Tier 2 Spirit Beast should possess.
Though they were far weaker than ordinary Tier 2 Spirit Beasts due to their mushroom attributes, they were still not something Huohuo, a Level 12 Tier 1 little grass, could challenge.
Zhou Lu did not expect Huohuo to defeat the Delicious Mushrooms. She only needed to stall until their duration ran out.
Who could have imagined that the greatest danger of this secret realm expedition would be something he had created himself?
Watching the Delicious Mushrooms continue charging at him without letting up, Zhou Lu thought helplessly.
Huohuo seemed to sense the danger.
If the Delicious Mushrooms kept charging at this speed, then even if she retracted with her master to the very edge of her vines' limit, they would still catch them.
Huohuo had to help her master in her own way!
With that thought, Huohuo extended her vines.
The vines swiftly swept across the trees on both sides.
Help Huohuo!
Help Huohuo!
Little Grass decided to ask these big sisters for help.
Plant Spirit Beasts moved very slowly. Trees in particular did not like to move around casually, even if they could shed their soil at Tier 2.
Yet they seemed more than willing to help Huohuo.
In response to Huohuo's plea, the surrounding trees slowly trembled in the breeze.
Thick branches and roots would occasionally emerge ahead of the Delicious Mushrooms, blocking their path.
Bang!
Huohuo's vines had a maximum range, and she quickly brought Zhou Lu to the very edge of it.
He only felt as though his back had suffered a heavy blow before scraping forward for some distance.
"Are you okay?" At the last moment, Zhou Lu had chosen to hold Huohuo in his arms. Looking at the little grass in his embrace, he asked with concern.
Huohuo patted her leaves, indicating that she was fine, then looked at Zhou Lu worriedly.
"I'm fine too," Zhou Lu said with a smile.
That was a lie!
It hurt like hell!
As the adrenaline faded, the pain from the impact and scraping surged into his mind.
His back had to be a complete mess right now.
Zhou Lu quickly adjusted his mindset, climbed up from the ground, and stared fixedly at the Delicious Mushrooms that were breaking through the branches blocking their way.
Judging the time, it was about time for the limit to arrive!
"Huohuo, stop them," Zhou Lu said to Huohuo.
Huohuo immediately understood. Countless vines shot out from the offshoots she had planted along the way, using Entangling Vines to obstruct the Delicious Mushrooms' advance.
The instant the Delicious Mushrooms entered the limits of Huohuo's control range, she seemed to sense something.
Suddenly, three of the mushrooms gradually slowed their steps.
Tufts of green grass sprouted from their bodies. As the roots plundered endlessly within them, their last traces of energy were swiftly drained away.
Huohuo completely activated the offshoots parasitizing them, snatching away their energy in an instant.
At the same time, the three mushrooms in front had reached the limit of their activity. They gradually lost the strength to move forward, and their bodies began to wither rapidly.
Pfft!
Zhou Lu only heard several sounds of air leaking out.
Then he saw cracks split open across the Delicious Mushrooms' caps, spraying out massive amounts of white spores.
Snow-white spores slowly drifted down from the openings, as though snow had fallen in this dense forest.
Unfortunately, after Wu Xiaoqing's cultivation, these spores no longer had any reproductive vitality and could only become nourishment for the soil.
It was finally over...
Zhou Lu ungracefully plopped down onto the ground and let out a long breath.
Huohuo stretched out a leaf to touch Zhou Lu's back, feeling a little distressed.
"Alright, it's fine." Zhou Lu smiled. "Didn't we bring medicine?"
Huohuo: (〃'▽'〃)
She immediately pulled a first-aid kit from her flowerpot.
Having Huohuo carry things was great. It spared Zhou Lu from most of the burden.
With Huohuo's help, Zhou Lu quickly finished disinfecting the wound.
Though the process was rather exhilarating in the worst way, hurting so badly that his soul nearly ascended.
"Alright, let's go collect our spoils." Zhou Lu said to Huohuo through gritted teeth.
He was not the only one in the Linxi Secret Realm. If someone else picked up what he had fought so hard to seize, he would cry.
Huohuo patted her leaves, signaling to Zhou Lu that she still had a vine left behind.
It turned out that while fleeing with Zhou Lu in her arms, Huohuo had even taken the time to plant an offshoot at their original location.
"Uh... let's just walk back. It isn't far." Feeling the pain in his back, Zhou Lu forced a smile.
Alright.
Huohuo was not disappointed and followed Zhou Lu as they continued toward the stream.
Along the way, she kept greeting the trees that had helped her.
—Thank you! This is for you!
—Thank you! This is for you!
Huohuo kept taking little bottles from her flowerpot and giving them to the trees along the way.
Whenever she gave one away, Little Grass was reluctant to part with it.
These were all gifts Master gave me.
Zhou Lu also noticed Huohuo's actions.
These bottles were actually Low-level Growth Potion bottles. After "eating" the potions inside, Huohuo had collected them.
The bottles were made of standard biodegradable material, so they would not pollute the environment.
There was still a little medicinal residue left on the inner walls. It was not much, but this gesture of thanks still made the trees along the way very happy.
They liked this enthusiastic, polite, and generous little grass even more.
As a result, when Zhou Lu arrived at the stream with Huohuo, her flowerpot had once again been stuffed full of gifts from the trees, all sorts of little fruits and insects.
Wait! Why did these nuts look like a squirrel's stash?
If the little squirrel returned home and discovered that its own home had stolen its collection, it would probably be depressed to death.
The Jade Snails by the stream had already fled. In truth, they had been hunching their bodies to leave even during the battle; they were simply too slow.
Those spoils were still lying there. No one else had come by.
Zhou Lu picked out the largest snail shell from among them. Standing upright, it reached as high as his knee.
A Jade Snail shell this large was actually not valuable. These things were mainly used as art pieces and equipment for spirit pets; bigger was not necessarily better.
But it was perfect as Huohuo's new home.
If it was big enough, Huohuo could store even more things inside.
"This will be your new home from now on." Zhou Lu held Huohuo and smiled.
Huohuo: Yay! (*^▽^*)
Second update. One more to come.
Before you continue