"This is……"

"It seems that I have been given some special status because I absorbed your energy."

Shi Jinzhe was taken aback: "Did you feel anything was wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable? Will it affect your tail? Is this why you've been sleeping for so long?"

He himself hasn't figured out this skill yet, so we shouldn't let it cause any negative effects on Shekh.

"No." Sheh told Shi Jinzhe not to worry: "I'm in good condition. My body is lighter than before, and the power of my snake tail has also increased."

It's unclear how Shi Jinzhe managed to do it, but because of the faint golden light that appeared on the snake's tail, she also had that subtle fragrance.

"When I opened my eyes, I felt a sense of closer integration with the wind, flowers, grass, and trees around me. Swinging my snake tail felt like swimming in water, very comfortable."

Also, since you weren't with me at the time, I followed the scent and actually managed to see the growth rings of the giant tree through the bark.

Shi Jinzhe asked in surprise, "You saw it clearly? Very clearly?"

Besides looking at the cross-section, are there other ways to clearly see tree rings?

If the tree trunk isn't layered, how can you tell it's a complete entity?

Shekh: "Yes, very clear."

She used to be able to see some obscured objects or life forms, but never the obscured objects.

It's like looking into the next room through a wall; she can vaguely see the people in the next room, but she can't see through the structure of the wall separating them.

But now, she could clearly see the tree rings inside the giant tree.

For example, the tree she just came down from was less than a year old, while the tree they lived in the day before yesterday was 140 years old.

She could see the pulse of life in every single giant tree here.

The endless cycle of life unfolds in orderly circles, each turn leaving its mark on time.

Shekh came to another tree: "One hundred and sixteen, I can see them all if I want to."

"It's not very useful at first glance, but it's good that you can see it clearly." Shi Jinzhe followed behind her, completely ignoring why his skill made Shekh more perceptive of nature, while he didn't have this problem.

"It doesn't matter what you watch, as long as you're okay."

"Don't worry." Shekh stared at the snake molt in his hand: "Also, this time the snake molt is much darker in color, closer to the color of the snake's tail itself."

Upon hearing this, Shi Jinzhe flattened the snake skin with his hand and examined it closely in the sunlight: "It is indeed different from the one you had last time."

It's said to be a snake's molt, but what was shed this time was actually more like a thin snakeskin.

"If you used this snake molt to create another outfit, wouldn't it look even better than this purple dress?"

"Yes, the defensive effect will be doubled."

Shekh flicked his purple snake tail, which shimmered with a golden light in the sunlight, and said, "It's a good thing your skills didn't make me ugly, or I would have poisoned you to death."

"That won't work."

Shi Jinzhe circled around her tail and approached Shehe, put his arm around her shoulder, and leaned down against her: "I can't live without you. I feel anxious if you're not around for a day."

Yesterday, he sat alone in the tree counting the hours, waiting for Sheh to wake up, but she showed no signs of waking up until the evening.

As night fell, Shi Jinzhe worried that the unusual environment might have had some effect on her, and the more she thought about it, the more frightened she became.

He tried to distract himself by doing many things, but the worry in his heart just wouldn't go away.

"We've never been apart for two days and one night."

“It’s a day and a half plus a night.” Shekh tilted his head and shook his shoulders, but couldn’t shake him off. “You’re so clingy.”

"Hmm." Shi Jinzhe replied without changing his expression, then asked her, "Anything else that has changed?"

“Yes.” Shekh spread his fingers, which were covered with a thick, bluish-green corrosive liquid. “Besides the tail, this has changed too.”

A few specks of gold shimmered within the dark, murky blue, transforming into a luxurious black-gold hue as the corrosive liquid flowed.

"Has the corrosion effect intensified?"

"It can be taken back after absorbing other things." At the moment, Shekh didn't have anything to test it with, so he could only explain to Shi Jinzhe simply, "Things that were previously decomposed could not be taken back, but they can now."

"Recyclable?" Shi Jinzhe smiled. "Aren't you an environmental ambassador?"

"Are you trying to make me hibernate?"

That's a really lame joke.

"Don't you find it funny?" Shi Jinzhe laughed after saying that.

Shekh turned his face away, not understanding what was so funny.

Isn't this a characteristic that his skill adds to himself? Doesn't Shi Jinzhe care whether he has any new changes?

"Don't you show any difference?"

"No." Shi Jinzhe didn't feel any other changes in himself, except that his energy storage had increased.

Shekh observed his complexion; he wasn't weak, but he wasn't radiant either, as if nothing had changed.

"Is today the forty-eighth day of the game?"

"Well, there are still 1,500 li left. We won't be able to reach the destination on the 55th day."

You couldn't cover this distance even on flat ground in a week, let alone in a forest like this.

Shi Jinzhe, fearing she might overthink things, said gently, "It's only ten points. Our seven cocoons are more than enough. There's no need to rush."

Sheikh: "What if the butterfly emerges from its chrysalis prematurely?"

"There are backups. The four we acquired later have a relatively slow evolution rate, so they should last until sixty days without much trouble."

Shi Jinzhe took out the wooden box containing the golden cocoons and opened it for Shehe to see them one by one.

Upon opening it, I discovered...

All seven showed signs of metamorphosis.

"Is this what you mean by 'not a big problem'?"

This is a big problem.

What if the feathering process is also considered damage?

Where are they now looking for spare golden cocoons?

"It wasn't there when I checked this morning." Shi Jinzhe had been reminded by Lv Teng that morning, and he had checked it again after changing the branches.

He took out the one that had been leading the way; its metal cocoon shell had softened, revealing a semi-transparent frosted glass texture, through which one could see the blurry golden patterns inside.

Upon seeing the golden cocoon transform into this texture, Shekh instantly realized that it was ten thousand times more fragile.

"Can you even take pictures of maps like this?"

Even if she put it in a wooden box, she was afraid that the splinters in the wood would scratch the soft outer shell.

"It's okay, let's try it first."

Why don't you seem to be in a hurry?

"I'm anxious." Shi Jinzhe took out a map. "But being anxious won't change the situation. Let's think of a solution first."

The cocoon can hold out for a few more days. If things really don't work out, he and Shekh will head back and intercept the players behind them.

"So calm, you must have a plan?"

"I'm not sure, but I think it will work."

Shi Jinzhe stroked Shehe's face, his thumb rubbing the lower edge of the ribbon twice to reassure her.

"Since there are only three people with a distance exceeding 5,000 miles, the system made an exception and enabled vehicle adjustment and supply. We mentioned last time that the Golden Cocoon is very important. Do you think it will intervene a second time if there isn't a single player who can reach the finish line?"