Bright Moon Forest (VI)
"Look, how come the boss is communicating with the python shoes..."
Kaiya stared at the scene in the distance, lowered his voice, and poked the crystal with his elbow.
Crystal was squatting on the ground, concentrating on gently placing each snakeweed plant into the sample box. When Kaia poked her, she slapped his hand away, "I'm busy."
"The boss didn't make a move..." Kaiya stood on tiptoe to look around and report in real time.
“…Fuck! Someone’s been murdered!”
"What?" Yuzhu quickly paid attention to the battlefield in the distance, and was relieved to see that Linyin and the others were safe and sound.
"Strange, the boss doesn't care..."
Yu Zhu was not surprised. "Those two people are a bit suspicious. The boss must have her reasons for not caring."
"Oh my God, what did I see..." Kaiya's voice rose octaves again, "Those two people were poisoned by snake venom, and even their bodies disappeared! This snake is too poisonous!" As he said, he subconsciously took a step back and stepped on the crystal sample box.
"Kaia!" Crystal looked up suddenly, her eyes almost spewing fire.
Kaiya smiled awkwardly, scratched his head and was about to apologize, but suddenly his expression changed and he pointed ahead, "That snake is coming!"
The Nether Horn Python's entire body was pitch black, with purple arcs of electricity jumping around the horns on its forehead. It had an elegant demeanor as it moved slowly, but even if it restrained itself, it still gave people a heart-pounding feeling of oppression.
Linyin picked up the kitten from the ground and turned its little face towards her: "What are you two doing?"
The kitten blinked innocently, pointed its paw in the direction of the Nether Horn Python, and nodded vigorously.
Linyin put the kitten down doubtfully.
Although life and death are common in the wild, it is hard to have a good impression of the horned python after having just witnessed two living people disappear at close range.
She mobilized her Wuji true Qi and was ready to deal with the attack from the horned python at any time.
The kitten had no qualms, and ran to the front of the horned python with its short legs, and confidently left its back to the python.
"It's okay, believe me, Kitty." Song Baiyue saw that Linyin's body was tense and couldn't help but comfort her.
The kitten's extraordinary nature was becoming increasingly apparent, and he didn't know how much longer he could help cover it up.
When the kitten, leading the snake, finally encountered the group, it leaped effortlessly onto Yuzhu's shoulder. Confused, Yuzhu reached out to steady it, only to be bitten on the tip of her finger.
"Eh?" Yu Zhu was startled. She saw the blood dripping from her fingertips rising up, rolling in the air, and being pulled in front of the horned python by an invisible force.
The kitten meowed, and the blood bead turned into a pair of rotating yin and yang fish, passed through the horns, and slowly imprinted on the forehead of the horned python.
Seeing this familiar process, which was about 60% to 70% similar to the Song Baiyue version of the blood contract, Lin Yin had no time to be shocked and immediately knocked Mahuyu unconscious.
As the Yin-Yang fish was branded into the forehead of the Nether Horn Python, Yuzhu heard a voice appear uninvited in her mind.
"It's our first meeting, please allow me to briefly introduce myself."
Yuzhu looked around with wide eyes: "Who? Who's talking?"
Kaiya looked confused: "No one is talking."
Song Baiyue seemed to have guessed something, and several emotions flashed alternately in his eyes.
Yuzhu stayed where she was, the voice of the one claiming to be the Horned Python echoing in her mind, "It said... we now have a contractual relationship..."
Hearing this, Crystal frowned and reached out to touch the glass tube hidden close to her body. She was seven parts puzzled and three parts worried: "You used that thing? But isn't your dream beast the Moonlight Unicorn?"
"I didn't." Yuzhu was about to pull out the glass tube to prove her innocence. "It said... the kitten told it that I like horned beasts, so it asked it if it wanted to sign a contract with me."
Crystal's brows furrowed even more, and her eyes flicked back and forth between Yuzhu and Horned Python: "Kitten? Sign a contract?"
It sounds so magical. Could it be that Yuzhu has gone insane because of the snake?
She looked towards Linyin for help, but it went unreceived. Her beloved boss walked up to the horned python, his expression serious, "Why did you choose to sign a contract with Yuzhu?"
Celestial-level mythical beasts require enormous amounts of energy to grow. By signing a contract with humans, they can be nurtured and supported by them, allowing them to grow much faster. However, those with awakened intelligence would rather have their growth period extended than allow themselves and their offspring to face the fate of being domesticated by humans.
For this reason, most of them choose to live in seclusion. Not only do they rarely appear, they even guard their coordinates and refuse to reveal them, so as not to be captured by human groups.
The Nether Horned Python's voluntary appearance could be explained by being provoked by the movements of those two unfortunate creatures. However, it was far too strange for it to actively form a contract with humans—especially those who were far from being powerful.
"Ashe said there's something in our blood that it desperately needs," Yuzhu said, acting as a message relay. "It also said that you, Boss, have the most of it in your blood."
blood?
The kitten also likes to drink her blood.
Lin Yin circulated the Wuji Zhenqi to her eyes. Sure enough, in addition to the Wuji Zhenqi, there were also strands of golden energy in her blood, flowing like fine golden threads.
He quickly glanced at the others - there were obvious golden lights flashing in Yuzhu's body, and occasionally one or two faint golden lights could be caught in Kaia and Shuijing's bodies.
"Could it be because of the Vajra?" Crystal immediately reacted. "Yuzhu is the one who learns the best and improves the fastest besides the eldest brother. So everything the eldest brother has, she also has."
As someone who had condensed the Wuji True Qi through Vajra Gong, Lin Yin knew very well that these familiar golden light spots came from Vajra Gong.
She was well aware of the magical effects of Wuji Zhenqi. It significantly improved her physical fitness, could help her find weaknesses, and could even relieve headaches... But if she were to be told that the Nether Horned Python would give up its freedom to pursue these things... who would believe it?
Seeing Linyin remained silent, the horned python became a little anxious.
"It said that not only it, but all heavenly-level mythical beasts need this kind of thing. If you don't believe it, just find a few more heavenly-level mythical beasts and ask them."
While Yuzhu was relaying Horn Python's words, she couldn't help but complain inwardly—
There may not be a hundred heavenly-level fantasy beasts in the entire federation. It is very rare to encounter a heavenly-level fantasy beast like this in the Bright Moon Forest.
"What do you mean by 'find a few to ask'? You might as well just say 'find some dead to try'." Kaiya shouted, "I think this snake is really mean!"
"Why don't we just observe for a while," Crystal suggested. "The contract has already been signed, so it shouldn't be harmful to us."
The Nether Horned Python lowered its head, eyes closed, and remained motionless. The mighty King of Horned Pythons was flirting with a bunch of little brats, yet he was treated so coldly. Stop talking, let it be quiet for a while.
"I really can't think of anything in us that's worth giving up your freedom for, so I trust you for now and welcome you to join us." Lin Yin looked into the eyes of the Nether Horn Python. "But if I find out you have other intentions towards Yu Zhu, please believe me, I will get it back from you at all costs."
"You should be the first person in our grade to contract a mythical beast." Linyin turned around and patted Yuzhu's shoulder.
Given the rarity of a heavenly-grade exotic beast, Yuzhu is already qualified to be featured on the front page of the Thorn Flower City Daily and even the Leiden State Daily.
Yuzhu was overjoyed. It was like she was walking into a store with money for Lei Bi, only to be given a bottle of century-old Yatai instead—what if she didn't like drinking? Yatai was valuable!
"No, it's a Heavenly-class mythical beast... Even though it's a bad snake, but... we just signed a contract like that?" Kaiya looked a little dazed and pinched his thigh. Ouch, if he had known earlier, he would have been gentler. This pinch hurt him to death. "Yuzhu, your mental stability index is not over 400, right?"
Yu Zhu nodded. "My index is 120, which, according to the textbook, just meets the contract threshold for a Xuan-level fantasy beast."
Song Baiyue's index is 180, Yuzhu's is 120, both can contract with heavenly-level fantasy beasts. It seems that heavenly-level fantasy beasts are really not picky about this indicator.
Crystal curled her lips: "If only the boss's index was a little higher...even 50 would be great."
If Vajra Gong really has such an effect, the boss will be a walking heavenly-level fantasy beast attractor. Wouldn't it be natural to choose one as a fantasy beast partner when the time comes?
Although she felt that her boss was already ridiculously strong even without the mythical beast, but... it seemed that he could easily become even stronger, but in reality, it would be impossible for him to complete the process - she felt so sad for her boss every time she thought about it!
Looking at Shuijing's expression, Linyin guessed what Shuijing was thinking - it was nothing more than feeling sorry for her, as she had entered a treasure trove but had to go back empty-handed.
She decided to divert their attention, hugged the kitten and gave it a kiss, "Why did the Cat God only give the fantasy beast to Yuzhu? Did anyone else get one?"
Kaiya stretched his head out in front of the crystal and said, "Yes, yes, I have also practiced the Vajra Kung Fu! Can the Cat God give me one too?"
The kitten shook its whiskers, as if it had really thought about it for a while.
Nodded.
………………
For some reason, the kitten refused to talk to the Yingyue Spirit Deer, which was also a heavenly-level fantasy beast. There was very little interaction between the kitten and the deer, both in body language and through eye contact. As a result, Linyin had never thought that the kitten could communicate with a heavenly-level fantasy beast.
Now that there is the Nether Horn Python as an information transfer station, although the efficiency is a bit low and the privacy is not good - the kitten is a little regretful that he can't tell Linyin directly that he misses her, likes her, and loves her, but compared to the days when he could only rely on nodding, shaking his head and gesturing, it is already a qualitative leap.
After some communication, Yuzhu began to search in Linyin's coat pocket.
"Ashe said that this piece of paper was painted with something that would attract the hatred of the horned python... It seemed to be fragments of snake eggs."
She pulled out a piece of paper.
Linyin took it and looked at it, and found that it was the paper that the ranger gave them, which recorded the instructions for using the rescue rocket.
No wonder when she wanted to touch the kitten's head that day, the kitten avoided her abnormally.
The mission area was chosen after they arrived in the forest. They hadn't encountered any other living people on the way there, and hadn't told anyone about their chosen mission area. Yet, those two people were waiting in area 6 early on, setting such a hidden and cruel trap for them.
The ranger who assigned them the task must have been involved in their actions.
Linyin felt a little scared. If the kitten had no communication skills, if the horned python it encountered was not Ah She, but another group of ordinary horned pythons that lived together but had not yet developed intelligence, it would be hard to say whether it would be another life-and-death crisis for the team.
"Boss?" Yuzhu called her in a low voice.
Linyin took a deep breath, suppressing her turbulent thoughts. Now was not the time to be distracted or afraid. They were still in the wild forest, full of dangers.
The Nether Horned Python's addition to the team had indeed increased the team's combat effectiveness severalfold, but its presence implicated Wuji Zhenqi and the mysterious contract orchestrated by Kitten. Kitten might even attempt to recruit other mythical beasts using the same method. Before a perfect lie could be woven, none of this was suitable to be revealed to Mahuyu.
However, knocking Mahuyou unconscious is not a long-term solution. First, the duration of his coma is uncontrollable. Second, the team will have to assign someone to take care of him in the next operation, which is not a good idea. No one will want to take care of Mahuyou.
Linyin pondered over a solution until Yuzhu's voice broke the brief silence.
"Ashe said it has a way to keep Mahuyu asleep," she asked Rinne, "Do you want to let it try?"
"..." Thinking of the two people who disappeared as if soaked in aqua regia, Linyin decided it was better to be cautious: "Do you and it understand the meaning of 'staying asleep' the same?"
For example, would a long sleep without waking up from breathing also be considered "remaining asleep" in the eyes of snakes?
"It said it would just shock him, and one shock would knock him unconscious for a long time."
Crystal had already found a few branches thick as her arms and built a makeshift stretcher. She dusted her hands and said casually, "Boss, let Snake try. If he faints, put him on this, and Kaia can pull him away."
Kaima was numb: "Why is it still me?"
However, his protests were in vain. Ah She pointed his horns at Mahuyu, and several arcs of purple electricity flashed. Mahuyu slept even more peacefully, even drooling from the corners of his mouth.
………………
There are two heavenly-level mythical beasts in charge, especially the Nether Horned Python Ah She, whose combat power is off the charts. Even if it can't win, it can still wave its snakes all over the map to come to the rescue.
The group traveled smoothly all the way. Wherever they went, the strange beasts avoided them and did not dare to leave even their shadows.
"The monsters have all run away... Who should we make a contract with..." Kaia asked in a low voice.
"Don't worry, trust Kitty."
Crystal had great confidence in the kitten's judgment—just look at the Snake it had found for Yuzhu. Yuzhu's physical fitness, agility, and strength all reached A-rank, with balanced abilities across the board. She favored a nimble-attack assassin style, and Snake's attack style was essentially the same as hers. The improvement after armoring was bound to be a 1+1 greater than 2 effect.
Crystal has thought about her ideal mythical beast.
If the cost of raising them is not a consideration, she would prefer to choose a mythical beast with special defensive abilities. This way, she can maximize her ability to throw various small items.
While the ladder competition didn't allow the use of controlled phantom weapons, it did allow for homemade weapons and cold weapons. While she might not be as skilled as many in physical prowess, she was confident she could rival anyone in gadget making.
Near noon, a patch of gravel suddenly appeared in the clearing ahead. The kitten stopped, its ears slightly erected, as if listening to something.
As soon as Kaiya stood still with the kitten, he couldn't wait to untie the noose from his body, threw it aside together with the stretcher, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Yuzhu pointed to the rubble and said, "Kitty said the most suitable mythical beast for crystals is right here."
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