After trekking through the Savage Realm for several days, Chu Mo had gained a deeper appreciation of just how "treacherous" this land was.
The creatures here seemed born with a streak of frenzy. They were extremely aggressive, with almost no concept of backing off. Once they caught his scent, they would throw themselves at him in a fight to the death.
"The creatures here are absurdly aggressive. They pounce on anyone they see, like they're all hopped up on drugs."
Having just used the Golden Baleful Bone-Piercing Art to kill a brightly colored Poison Claw Monkey that had ambushed him from the canopy, Chu Mo muttered his complaints as he collected the [Venom Gland] and two spirit herbs it had dropped.
Whether vicious beasts or bizarre plants, everything he had encountered these past few days seemed to have a berserk buff slapped on it, making them incredibly troublesome.
It went completely against a living creature's instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm.
The constant, intense fighting and unrelenting vigilance had left him mentally drained. Fortunately, although the savage beasts were enormous, most were not particularly powerful, falling far short of cultivators at the same level.
The difference was like that between ordinary mobs and elite monsters. Even if a cultivator was a level or two lower, they could still deal with the beasts by keeping enough distance.
After a brief rest, he continued in his chosen direction.
The vegetation in this forest was extraordinarily dense. Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky and sun, leaving the light dim, while a strange scent mingling decay and vitality filled the air.
The natives seemed to have gone into hiding. Several tribal sites mentioned in his intelligence were deserted, with only scattered traces proving that humans had once lived there.
As for the other locations, he had searched for days without finding the slightest trace. If not for the assessment mission's requirements, Chu Mo would almost have thought the natives were extinct.
After traveling for roughly another two hours, he faintly heard the clash of weapons and the rumble of spells ahead, punctuated by familiar shouts.
Chu Mo concealed his presence and parted the bushes ahead, revealing several familiar figures fighting eight Poison Claw Monkeys.
They were Ying Le, Su Yao, and Zhang Meng, accompanied by another cultivator in yellow robes who held a feather fan and looked rather flamboyant.
The feather fan in his hand shimmered with spiritual light. Each sweep unleashed a blue-green whirlwind that rolled the attacking Poison Claw Monkeys back and sent them tumbling in all directions.
The lead Poison Claw Monkey was a level 5 mob, especially ferocious. Its reckless, life-or-death assaults left the group at a slight disadvantage.
Just as Chu Mo spotted Ying Le, Ying Le noticed him too and immediately called out in delight, "Brother Chu, it's you! Come help us!"
Chu Mo considered it briefly. He had spent days failing to find the natives, so he might as well ask whether these people had any leads.
He weighed the pros and cons in an instant, then acted decisively. Several thick green vines burst from the earth, instantly trapping the highest-level Poison Claw Monkey, the level 5 one.
The yellow-robed cultivator seized the opening and swept his feather fan. A colorless wind blade flew out, beheading it in an instant.
With their leader dead, the monkeys' offensive collapsed, sharply easing the pressure on Ying Le's group. With Chu Mo joining the fight, the remaining Poison Claw Monkeys were soon wiped out.
Ying Le and the others had no time for greetings. They hurriedly took out Spell Coins to replenish their true qi, only rising to thank him once their dantians were full again.
"Thank you for lending a hand, Brother Chu," Su Yao said gratefully, her face slightly pale. Zhang Meng remained silent, merely nodding to Chu Mo.
The yellow-robed cultivator studied Chu Mo curiously, then cupped his hands. "I'm Zhu Ming. Thank you for your help, fellow cultivator."
"We met Junior Brother Zhu Ming a few days ago. He's quite skilled!" Ying Le enthusiastically reached to put an arm around Chu Mo, who sidestepped him.
Ying Le awkwardly withdrew his hands, but did not get angry. He sighed. "Brother Chu, if you hadn't shown up this time, I'd have been in danger. I told you an alliance would be useful."
They had just been through a fierce battle and had run straight into the Poison Claw Monkeys before they could replenish their true qi. If Chu Mo had not suddenly appeared, they would certainly have suffered injuries.
Chu Mo gave a noncommittal chuckle and took the opportunity to ask, "Have you found any signs of the natives along the way? All the sites I found were abandoned."
Ying Le and Zhu Ming exchanged a glance. Fanning himself, Zhu Ming said, "To be honest, Brother Chu, we have found a few leads.
"About a day and a half's journey southeast of here, there are signs of an active tribe. It looks fairly large. We were planning to investigate it ourselves."
Chu Mo's interest stirred. That was a valuable lead. Searching alone was too inefficient, and danger lurked on every side in the Savage Realm. Traveling together temporarily would also reduce his expenditure.
Several days of continuous fighting had already consumed quite a few Spell Coins. He still had some left, but living off his reserves until the mountain ran dry was no solution.
After a moment's thought, he said, "In that case, we can investigate together and watch each other's backs."
"That's what we should have done from the start!" Ying Le was delighted. Hope also appeared on Su Yao's face, while Zhu Ming smiled and nodded in welcome.
After a brief rest, the group set out toward the southeast. With a clear destination, they moved considerably faster.
The forest paths were difficult to traverse. They had to deal with savage beasts that sprang out without warning from time to time, while also gathering resources unique to the Savage Realm.
At noon the next day, they rested in a damp valley and tallied their spoils. Adding all the odds and ends together, they estimated that each person could receive a dozen or so Spell Coins.
Ying Le showed little enthusiasm. It was a modest haul, but compared to the spiritual debt he owed, it was barely a single hair off nine oxen.
"Ugh." He sighed, gazing at the spirit ring on his finger, and muttered, "I hope the natives have something good on them."
Otherwise, all the spiritual debt he had piled onto himself would hardly have been worth it.
"Don't worry too much, Junior Brother Ying." Zhu Ming gently waved his feather fan. "The natives of this realm habitually collect a spiritual treasure called the Bloodline Fruit, which they use to open the apertures of Totem Warriors.
"Just one can fetch a hefty two hundred Spell Coins at the sect's Merit Hall. Paying off your spiritual debt shouldn't be difficult."
As a senior disciple who had spent several years in the sect, Zhu Ming was far more knowledgeable than Ying Le, despite his limited talent.
Hearing this, Ying Le perked up a little. He gazed at the glistening mire ahead and silently prayed they would find something worthwhile.
Chu Mo surveyed their surroundings, staying alert for any danger that might appear. Suddenly, his expression sharpened.
A red name silently appeared in the swamp and rapidly drew closer.
Although the creature itself was not yet visible, its long health bar had already entered his sight-[Level 7 · Swamp-Scale Python (Red Name)].
"Watch out ahead," Chu Mo warned at once. Forming a hand seal, he unleashed a Golden Baleful Bone-Piercing Art straight at the target.
"What?" Before Ying Le could react, a howl of pain rang out beside his ears.
A massive python as thick as a bucket shot out of the mire, its entire body covered in dark scales. A long wound across its skull made it look hideously menacing.
The giant python's scarlet forked tongue hissed as its slit pupils locked coldly onto the group.
Its scales matched the mire perfectly, and its presence blended seamlessly into its surroundings. Had it not revealed itself, there would have been no way to distinguish its body from the mud.
But Chu Mo was different. Every creature within his field of vision had a health bar.
Its health bar was practically jabbing him in the face. He could hardly have missed it even if he wanted to.