"It's highly likely we're in the Elder's Recess right now. Based on the intel we have, the Nergigante is bound to be very active."
Borthus speculated.
"If the tracks are confirmed, Cang Luo will surely be pleased."
Skrye speculated.
Li Fan, who was by the stewing pot, became quite interested upon hearing the name Nergigante and began discussing it with the three dragonkin scholars.
To his disappointment, their research focus wasn't on the Nergigante, so they didn't have much information.
Within the Ecological Research Institute, only a young dragonkin scholar named Cang Luo had a strong interest in the Nergigante.
Li Fan understood; after all, the Starry Base had difficulty even venturing deep into the Ancient Forest before, let alone investigating Elder Dragons.
Moreover, they couldn't have predicted that the Nergigante would disrupt the Zorah Magdaros capture operation.
In the early morning, after extinguishing the campfire in the camp, Li Fan and Dilu set off together, heading towards a nearby underground cavern.
Today's mission was mineral exploration, searching for the possibility of Hestarite's existence in the Great Sand Sea.
Although the probability was low, there was simply no better option.
Before visiting the New World, the two largest Hestarite deposits, Dundorma and the Village of Flames, had already been completely drained by Huihui.
Even the collapsed ruins of the Sky-High Tower in the Forgotten Ruins were not spared while covering Xi Xi's battle against the Zinogre.
Despite all this, the energy accumulation remained at a very low level.
Theoretically, Huihui had the ability to continuously traverse the Great Canyons, the Coral Highlands, and the Dragon Vein Corridor from high altitudes to reach the Elder's Recess.
However, other Elder Dragons visiting the New World could do the same, and completely without energy constraints.
The native Elder Dragons, nourished by the life energy of the Dragon Veins year-round, were also a threat that could not be ignored.
With numerous factors at play, Li Fan didn't want Huihui to take the risk.
Sliding down the sandy slope, the man and the cat arrived at a cave beneath the desert.
In the darkness, the temperature plummeted.
Li Fan placed a slice of Blazing Shell, imbued with Dragon's Vein energy, on the ground for the Trailmoths to attach to.
After absorbing the residual energy, the Trailmoths turned bright blue, circled a few times in the air, and then flew towards the Adaptive Ball on Li Fan's shoulder strap.
"Can't you be a bit smarter?... Alright, I didn't think this through."
Li Fan said, then waved his hand to disperse the Trailmoths and put the Adaptive Ball containing Huihui into his waist pouch.
Hiss...
The Trailmoths spiraled upwards, beginning to search all over the underground cavern.
Li Fan and Dilu also inserted two slices of Blazing Shell into the sand, conducting Hestarite exploration.
As for the Honoka, which could itself serve as a Hestarite exploration vessel, it was currently operating above the surface in the rocky terrain.
The morning passed quickly. Apart from Dilu collecting many giant strawberries the size of fists, the exploration yielded no results.
The man and the cat left the cave and went to a high rocky area to have lunch.
"Will Huihui be alright due to energy depletion?"
Dilu asked worriedly, opening the lunchbox.
"Don't worry, Huihui consumes very little energy inside the ball. Last night, Xi Xi also took fragments of Blazing Shell and set off. If it truly can't maintain its metabolism, we still have a plan to collectively venture to the Elder's Recess."
Li Fan's words reassured Dilu.
Thump...
A series of landing sounds echoed.
Li Fan went to the edge of the high rocky area and looked down. It was Shanshan, who had been exploring ruins, returning.
From its drooping head and the fact that it hadn't dragged any ruins back with its silk, Li Fan knew that Shanshan, like them, had found nothing.
Shanshan arrived, slumped dejectedly onto the rocky ground, and as if remembering something, began to etch on the ground with its sickle-like tip.
Although the lines were rough, it was recognizable as the head of a monster with a pair of large, curved horns.
"Is it a Diablos, meow?"
Dilu asked curiously.
"It shouldn't be. These sharp horns spread outwards from the top of its head... It's a Nergigante! Shanshan! Where did you spot it?"
Li Fan asked urgently.
Shanshan turned and pointed its sickle towards the water.
Li Fan immediately put away his lunchbox and, with Dilu, rode the Great Boar King, Sunny, to charge forward.
Splash! Splash!...
Water splashed as they ventured into the shallow water. After a moment, the water where the boar's hooves stepped became muddy.
Fortunately, Sunny could run a few steps and fly a short distance with its Kushala Daora armor, maintaining a certain speed.
"It's a Barroth, meow!"
Dilu exclaimed, spotting a fallen Barroth in the mud.
"This is likely a corpse..."
Li Fan said, seeing the dozens of white spines embedded in the Barroth's dull yellow shell, and made his judgment.
Screech! Crash....
Sunny, covered in mud, braked sharply, stopping not far from the Barroth.
Taking out the Thunder God's Blade, Li Fan stepped into the knee-deep mud and advanced with difficulty.
He examined the surroundings, withdrew his blade, and pulled out the white spines embedded in the shell. He then checked the blood coagulation in the Barroth's exposed wounds.
After a series of investigations, Li Fan concluded, "It died not long ago. The culprit is undoubtedly the Nergigante."
"Unbelievable, who are you? Why are you here? And how can you so easily deduce that it was the Nergigante?"
A young voice sounded from behind.
"What's so difficult about that... Who are you?"
Li Fan said, then sensed something was wrong and turned back in surprise.
A young man dressed as a typical dragonkin scholar, wearing a headscarf and round-rimmed glasses, appeared behind him.
"Hello, my name is Cang Luo, a member of the base's Ecological Research Institute."
"Cang Luo... Borthus and the others mentioned you. You're the dragonkin scholar who specializes in Nergigante research, right? I'm Li Fan, the leader of the Fifth Expedition Team."
"It's great that the Fifth Expedition Team could visit as scheduled, but I haven't returned to the base in two months..."
Li Fan noticed the man's emaciated body trembling uncontrollably and asked, "Are you so excited from witnessing the Nergigante?"
"Yes, but there's also a secondary reason... I'm a bit hungry."
Cang Luo said, and with a thud, collapsed into the mud.
Li Fan stepped forward to help him up and took out the lunchbox from noon.
"Eat this quickly."
After Cang Luo wolfed it down, a hint of color gradually returned to his face.
Without weapons, a land vehicle, or anything more than a burlap backpack, Li Fan considered it a miracle that Cang Luo had reached the Great Sand Sea and survived for so long.
"You might not believe it, but besides witnessing the Nergigante, I also saw another golden insect monster with a dreamlike appearance."
Cang Luo said excitedly.
"Could you be hallucinating from hunger?"
"Impossible. Of course, for me, witnessing the Nergigante is more exhilarating."
Cang Luo insisted.
"I admire your courage and perseverance, but the shallow water area is all mud, and there's no visual obstruction from above. It's not suitable for long-term field observation, is it?"
Li Fan asked curiously.
Even for observation, one would seek a relatively comfortable environment, and the higher the observation point, the further one could see.
"Alas... I wish I could, but as soon as I stepped into this water, I realized I couldn't go back."
Cang Luo said helplessly.
"Why?"
Li Fan asked, puzzled.
"There's a Jyuratodus active in the vicinity. No matter day or night, any time I try to leave, it rushes over to intercept me. I almost died at its hands several times, so I had to hide on the exposed rock formations outside the water. The deceased Barroth here often fought with it for territory. I thought an opportunity had arrived, but just now, the Nergigante killed it... Actually, dying here after witnessing the Nergigante would be a good end, but then no one would get my sighting report."
Overwhelmed by despair and living in suppression, Cang Luo, having not interacted with anyone for a long time, recounted his recent experiences.
"That hateful Jyuratodus, meow."
Dilu said indignantly.
"Were there no Pterodactyls to help you escape?"
Li Fan asked curiously.
"I didn't apply for a domesticated Pterodactyl, so I captured one in the wild. However, as soon as I arrived in the Great Sand Sea, it eloped with a Wingdrake."
Cang Luo explained.
"What a rough journey, meow."
"Strange. Judging by its size, humans pose no threat, and your behavior shows no territorial aggression. As for food, although Jyuratodus can coexist with Jagras in the same swamp, they are absolutely not polite when hunting. Given the high density of Jagras in the vicinity, food shouldn't be a reason for it to target you."
Li Fan couldn't quite understand the Jyuratodus's motivation.
"Could it be a special scent, or perhaps the color of your clothing, meow?"
Dilu made a deduction based on past experience.
"Perhaps, but it's never seen humans before... Could it be for entertainment?"
Li Fan considered a possibility.
"Entertainment, meow? You mean it just finds it fun?"
Dilu was somewhat surprised.
"Probably. This swamp, both in scale and depth, is a prime location for Jyuratodus and Barroth. It could even accommodate several populations. Such low survival pressure might have made this Jyuratodus playful."
"Alas... So, I'm just a toy in its eyes."
Cang Luo said mournfully.
Recalling his narrow escapes during their encounters, he had thought it was just his good luck.
"Don't be so pessimistic. My analysis might not be entirely accurate."
Li Fan tried to comfort him.
"By the way, where are your Pterodactyls?"
Cang Luo suddenly realized a serious problem.
"Since the Fifth Expedition Team arrived, there's been a severe shortage of Pterodactyls, meow, so we didn't apply for one."
Dilu informed him.
"Doesn't that mean you're also trapped here, becoming a toy?"
Cang Luo suddenly realized.
"If the Jyuratodus wants to play with me... that might be a bit difficult."
"That's right. The main members of the Fifth Expedition Team are hunters, and you're the leader. You must possess top-tier hunting skills... I'll write the contract now."
Cang Luo said, taking out a quill and opening a book.
"The contract process can be added later when you're safe. Of course, if you can provide a detailed ecological report on the Nergigante, that would be even better."
Li Fan said, holding out his hand to stop him.
"No problem."
Cang Luo said firmly, his trembling gradually subsiding.
Whoosh~ Whoosh~
Dilu squeezed the wind bag clouds, inflating a circular cat-shaped rubber boat.
"It's a bit small, meow, but given your current weight, it can hold you."
Dilu said, then threw the cat-shaped rubber boat into the swamp.
"I'm sorry, I'm too weak and can't help at all."
Cang Luo said guiltily.
"It's alright, meow. Hunters and scholars alike must support each other. We'll try to transport you out. If we encounter the Jyuratodus, I'll tow the rubber boat to the nearest rock formation."
"What about you two?"
"Li Fan and I will fight the Jyuratodus, meow!"
Dilu said with anticipation. The swamp escort began.
Seeing several Jagras swimming towards them, Li Fan drew the Thunder God's Blade and thrust it into the mud.
Crack! Crack!...
Golden lightning spread outwards from the blade as the center.
The Jagras that touched the lightning briefly submerged before floating to the surface belly-up, performing a backstroke.
Li Fan picked the largest one and gave it to Dilu for dinner.
Seeing their companions being heavily defeated, the distant Jagras school immediately scattered.
Perhaps the agitated fish school alerted the Jyuratodus.
Before long, four reddish dorsal fins, exposed above the mud's surface, began to glide in a curve ahead, gradually approaching.
"Dilu, take Cang Luo to that rock formation."
"Understood, meow!"
Riding the wind bag clouds, Dilu pulled the cable with his cat claws, towing the rubber boat away.
Cang Luo picked up a small oar and rowed with all his might.
Li Fan's gaze locked onto the reddish dorsal fins sliding in an S-shape towards him in the mud.
Splish!
Mud and water splashed as a giant, salamander-like head emerged from the swamp.
Roar!
Li Fan didn't immediately slash. Instead, he drew his blade and assumed an Iaido stance.
Puff! A blob of viscous gray mud was spat from the Jyuratodus's mouth.
Ding! Bang!
The gray mud instantly shattered, adhering to the protective barrier formed by Qi, turning into a round, gray mud ball that enveloped Li Fan.
The round shape of the mud ball lasted only an instant before being sliced by three intersecting arc-shaped energy blades.
Bang! Li Fan, wielding his swirling blade, advanced.
Buzz! Weakness Exploit activated!
In a world that continuously distorted and shrank, Li Fan locked his gaze onto the Jyuratodus's beady eyes.
Puff! Crackle!
Blood sprayed, and electric light surged.
The Jyuratodus, roaring in pain, fell backward into the mud.
Bang! Splash!
The Jyuratodus, having fallen into the mud, thrashed wildly, using its tail and pectoral fins to propel itself, like a half-slaughtered carp struggling incessantly.
However, this seemingly futile struggle proved quite effective for a Jyuratodus over ten meters long.
Splish! Splish!...
Wave after wave of mud splashed onto Li Fan.
Already hampered by the mud, he wanted to get closer to pursue and strike, but his body was quickly covered in a large amount of mud.
Puff!
Li Fan wiped his face, spitting out mud and water.
Slap! A blob of mud was once again smeared across his face. Helpless, he could only retreat.
The Jyuratodus, thrashing sideways, twisted its neck and saw that this tactic was effective. With a series of hops, it deliberately pursued him with a carp-like leap.
"Fighting while lying down, you really know how to play."
Li Fan couldn't help but remark.