Chapter 133: Section 134: Making a Move on the Gold Python Vine


    The sun rose and fell, rose and fell…


    The sky brightened, then darkened, darkened, then brightened again.


    The team led by Zhenjin trekked through the forest by day and camped by night, the threat of the Blue Dog Fox Wolf pressing on almost everyone like a massive boulder.


    The occasional minor crises they encountered frayed everyone’s already tense nerves.


    Their supplies of food and water continued to deplete, even though they were replenishing along the way, the stockpile nonetheless steadily decreased.


    Big guy’s thinning frame was the most obvious; the fellow with the Giant Bloodline often went hungry, yet he did the heaviest and most tiring work.


    ...


    The team slept exposed to the elements, and even the preferential treatment received by Zhenjin and Zong Ge was limited.


    The wear and tear on everyone’s leather armor and weapons intensified, and Zong Ge’s steel armor gradually lost its luster.


    A Half-Elf fell along the way.


    Under the threat of the Blue Dog Fox Wolf, Zong Ge, Hei Juan, and others were very persistent in expanding the scouting range and numbers of Scouts, and Zhenjin did his best to suppress this suggestion.


    But unexpectedly, Zong Ge had sent out additional Scouts behind the scenes.


    Zhenjin was usually active only at night, clearing as many obstacles for the team as he could. During the day, he mostly stayed within the team, bearing the responsibilities of a leader.


    At the death of the Half-Elf, Zhenjin could only sigh inwardly.


    In a way, he knew Zong Ge’s decision was correct; a leader must not be overly kind, timely intelligence was too crucial for the whole team.


    The death of a team member did not lead to conflicts, dissatisfaction, or division among them.


    The mysterious Blue Dog Fox Wolf’s Demon Beast Army had always been the greatest external pressure.


    This intangible pressure, like a gigantic hammer, forged and refined the entire team. Everyone, including Zhenjin, Zong Ge, Cang Xu, Zi Di, and others, under this pressure, became closer to each other, more in sync, more harmonious.


    This continuously advancing team became more resolved after overcoming each hardship, and more united with each casualty.


    At last, the rainforest appeared before them.


    In terms of dense vegetation, the rainforest far surpassed the forest.


    The hot and humid air teemed with countless snakes, ants, mosquitoes, and bugs under the layers of vines and leaves.


    Cang Xu held the map, scribbling on it and using a stick under the sunlight to test the direction.


    “Our direction is correct, we just need to keep going,” Cang Xu told everyone the good news.


    However, trouble arrived.


    The current team was far more enormous than when they had set out.


    Many more supplies had been added.


    Close to thirty carts were loaded with timber and ore.


    It was challenging enough to move through the forest, but upon entering the rainforest, the difficulty instantly increased several-fold.


    After a day’s journey in the rainforest, the team had only made half the distance they would have covered in the forest.


    The thick vines, shrubs, and knee-high grass, as well as the layer of decaying leaves that would give way beneath their feet, all made it extremely difficult for the carts to move forward.


    Zhenjin had no good solutions for this and could only set an example, brandishing a Spider Blade at the very front of the team.


    These Spider Blades, all were taken from one or two Blade Spider Groups that Zhenjin had deliberately left behind, leading Zong Ge and others to clear them out and acquire these sharp weapons for the team.


    The Spider Blades were extremely sharp, cutting through any vines and roots in their way.


    Zhenjin and others had to clear a path first before the carts could barely pass.


    Sometimes, they had to move the cargo off the carts first, then drag the carts through complex terrain.


    The hot and humid air was inhospitable to everyone.


    Even without engaging in labor, just silently standing there was enough to make a person sweat profusely.


    After traveling only a short distance, everyone was soaked with sweat.


    The sound of river water trickling gradually became clearer.


    A stretch of river quickly came into view.


    “Be careful, everyone!” Zhenjin said with a grave expression after conducting ultrasound scanning, he discovered that Python Vines were growing in the river.


    This was a Golden Level Magic Plant, which could easily exterminate a silver Blue Dog Fox Wolf.


    Everyone was extremely cautious.


    Information on the Python Vine had already been circulated among them. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Following along the river, they soon halted at its banks.


    This part of the river was bounded by steep banks, an ideal crossing point.


    The team extracted wooden logs from the carts, allowing Big guy, Zong Ge, and others to work together and position the logs across to the opposite riverbank.


    Long by long, the logs were joined together to form a temporary wooden bridge.


    Then, agile team members first climbed onto the bridge, using hemp ropes to tie the logs together, securing them firmly.


    After these tasks were completed, everyone began to pull the carts across the bridge in succession.


    When they reached the other side, they promptly untied the ropes and retrieved the logs before carrying them back up onto the carts.


    After a short rest, the team continued on their journey.


    Hei Juan looked back at the river behind them, “Maybe, we can rely on this river to shake off the Blue Dog Fox Wolves.”


    Zong Ge shook his head, “At best, we’ll shake off a portion of the Demon Beast Army.”


    In the past few days, everyone had been wondering why the Demon Beast Army hadn’t attacked them, not even a single ambush.


    Zhenjin stared ahead, not looking back, but his mind was preoccupied with the Python Vine in the river.


    It was the first Golden Level Magic Plant he had seen since he woke up on the island.


    “What kind of Mutation would I undergo if I absorbed this Python Vine with my Heart Core?” Zhenjin thought to himself.


    That same night, Zhenjin took the shape of a bat monkey and returned to the riverbank.


    He glided through the treetops while, on the ground, a small group of Scale-Horned Black Panthers followed closely behind him.


    Most of these Black Panthers were ordinary wild beasts, with only a few possessing Bronze Level Life Breath. Under the influence of Zhenjin’s enchanted scent, they had no power to resist and completely submitted to Zhenjin.


    Zhenjin flew straight over the river. The formation of the Scale-Horned Black Panthers was briefly in disarray, but they persisted in following Zhenjin.


    Unable to fly, they had to jump into the river and swim across.


    Tigers and leopards are capable swimmers, sometimes even hunting aquatic prey. The swimming ability of the Scale-Horned Black Panthers was surprisingly good, beyond Zhenjin’s expectations.


    “It seems your fish scales aren’t for nothing. Why hasn’t the Python Vine attacked yet?” Zhenjin landed on the opposite bank, his gaze sharp, his whole body tensed up.


    Splash!


    Suddenly, fierce waves surged in the river, as the thick Python Vine, like a monstrous snake, launched a ferocious attack.


    The Scale-Horned Black Panthers in the water didn’t stand a chance against the Python Vine and were immediately devastated.


    Agile and brutal, the Python Vine dragged most of the Black Panthers into the water. Like mosquitoes caught in a spider’s web, they struggled only briefly before meeting their demise.


    “The Python Vine isn’t stupid, waiting until most of the Scale-Horned Black Panthers were in the river before striking.”


    “Opportunity!” Zhenjin’s eyes suddenly sparkled with brilliance.


    While there were many Scale-Horned Black Panthers, and the Python Vine could easily harvest them, some managed to escape to the opposite bank.


    Just as Zhenjin expected, the Python Vine didn’t intend to let its prey escape. Its vines struck out quickly, catching the Black Panthers on the bank before smoothly retracting.


    That’s when Zhenjin swiftly pounced forward.


    He transformed into a Monkey-tailed Brown Bear, wrapped in scorpion shell and with four long Spider Blades growing from his hands.


    The blades viciously slashed at the Python Vine that was retracting.


    All that was left on the surface of the Python Vine were four white marks!


    Attacked, the Python Vine retaliated against Zhenjin.


    Zhenjin’s heart trembled, a warrior’s instincts frantically warning him—you must not be entangled or face death!


    Zhenjin quickly retreated as the Python Vine relentlessly pursued.


    However, its length ultimately had limits, and Zhenjin’s attack had been probing at the edge of the Python Vine’s reach.


    Unable to catch Zhenjin, the vine retracted once more.


    Zhenjin attacked again with forceful slices from his blades.


    However, the typically sharp Spider Blades could only inflict superficial damage, leaving four more white marks on the Python Vine.


    “I must continuously strike the same section if I want to cut off a part of its body!”


    Realizing this, Zhenjin felt a mix of bitterness and helplessness inside.


    The Python Vine was not stationary but thrashed and whipped like a wild python, with terrifying attacks that could effortlessly snap tree trunks.


    Zhenjin had to stay alert to dodge; a moment’s carelessness could lead to serious injury or even death.


    Under such circumstances, consistently hitting the same spot was next to impossible.


    Zhenjin counterattacked, the Python Vine pursued, Zhenjin fled, the Python Vine retracted, Zhenjin counterattacked again…


    After several rounds like this, Zhenjin, skirting the edge of life and death in a mad leap, was already drenched in sweat.


    Though the Python Vine was Golden Level, it wasn’t as intelligent as Zhenjin and was constantly outmaneuvered by him.


    But Zhenjin’s situation got increasingly worse; in just a short time, he felt exhausted.


    This exhaustion stemmed not only from his severe physical effort but also from having to stay on high alert to evade—the possibility of dire consequences made it hard for him to bear.


    “I must take a risk!”


    Zhenjin suddenly dispelled his Spider Blades, both hands mutating, his fingers turning into glowing red iron bars, stabbing towards the Python Vine.


    Finally pierced by Zhenjin, the Python Vine was too thick and sturdy for his fingers to penetrate completely.


    In that moment, Zhenjin furiously spurred his Heart Core.


    Four bloodlines immediately surged out, wrapping around a small segment of the vine’s surface yet failing to sink in!


    The Python Vine launched a counterattack, other segments of the vine violently whipping at Zhenjin.


    Zhenjin quickly canceled his Monkey-tailed Brown Bear transformation, his body bathed in red light as he rolled back on the ground, changing into a bat monkey again.


    With a powerful kick, the bat monkey Zhenjin propelled his body into the air.


    Then, flapping his wings fiercely, he soared even higher, narrowly avoiding being struck by the vine where he had previously been.


    Eventually, Zhenjin suspended himself high in the air, watching in resignation as the Python Vine withdrew back into the river.


    “My Heart Core is ineffective against Golden Level beings!”


    In that instant, Zhenjin distinctly felt the limit of his Demon Core within his heart.


    As the tension faded, emotions like disappointment and loss began to spread through him.


    “Sigh…” The young knight had been prepared, yet facing this reality still brought a touch of dismay.


    Having tried and learned the truth, he flapped his wings, quietly flying alone toward the temporary encampment.