The martial skills of both individuals were formidable, making it unlikely they would mishear simultaneously.
Holding their breath, they indeed heard rustling sounds again. This time, Li Man'er not only heard the noise but also saw something slithering furtively towards them on the ground. She focused her gaze and realized it was a vine, slowly creeping towards them.
The vine was mostly withered yellow with only a few green patches. At first glance, it appeared no different from the branches and twigs by the roadside, making its special nature hard to discern. However, Li Man'er immediately noticed it was moving. Perhaps sensing her scrutinizing gaze, the vine suddenly accelerated its approach towards them, about to ensnare their legs in a blink.
"I..." Li Man'er choked back the rest of her word, drawing her saber and chopping, managing to sever the vine.
The rustling sounds grew more numerous and louder, and more vines stretched towards them from all directions, as if controlled by an unseen hand.
This was utterly preposterous. Could it be tree spirits?
Neither dared to be careless, swinging their sabers to cut. Yet, the vines continued to surge towards them from all sides, some even taking the opportunity to sneak-attack their limbs, attempting to restrain them.
At this rate, they would surely perish here.
Fortunately, Li Man'er remembered the tactic of using fire. She immediately fumbled in her embrace for a tinderbox.
Sparks flew, and flames leaped. The vines seemed to sense danger, quickly dodging as if terrified of being burned.
Li Man'er took out a waterskin from her backpack and sprinkled its contents onto the vines on the ground. The air was immediately filled with the rich aroma of alcohol. She tossed the tinderbox onto the ground, igniting a sea of fire that surged skyward, crackling as it burned the vines, causing them to retreat in terror.
Qi Yihan sheathed his saber and, looking in the direction the vines had fled, remarked, "In unofficial histories and strange tales, there are often stories of trees becoming spirits and causing trouble. I always thought those were just to pass the time, but I never expected to witness one firsthand today."
"Do you believe it?" Li Man'er asked with a smile. "Sometimes, seeing isn't believing."
Qi Yihan countered, "Then do you believe it?"
Li Man'er fell silent for a moment. "I do believe it." After all, the Xuan Yi Sect cultivated arts that defied heaven. She possessed a spatial artifact and could transmigrate. Coupled with the strange occurrences she had witnessed over the years, she held a reverent awe for the realm of ghosts and spirits.
"Let's go take a look."
"Alright!"
Qi Yihan lowered his head, seemingly appraising her backpack. "How much have you packed in here? Is it heavy? Do you need me to carry it for you?"
"It's not heavy. I'll carry it myself. If you mess it up again, I won't be able to find anything," Li Man'er said, appearing calm and composed, but inwardly she was panicking, afraid that Qi Yihan would discover that her backpack was merely a prop for her deception.
Qi Yihan smiled without a word and followed Li Man'er forward.
Suddenly, the previously tranquil pond water began to bubble. Immediately after, a colossal creature surged from the depths, and before they could get a clear look, it charged straight at Li Man'er.
The creature was immense, like a vast black shadow descending from the heavens. Li Man'er quickly drew her sword, about to engage it, when she was suddenly tackled and rolled several times on the ground.
Having dodged the fatal blow, they discovered that the creature that had lunged from the pond was actually a giant crocodile.
Li Man'er had never seen such a large crocodile before and was stunned. This far exceeded her understanding of crocodiles. Could it be a prehistoric giant crocodile? Its size was simply too immense, more than seven or eight times larger than the crocodiles found in modern breeding farms.
Qi Yihan, mistaking her shock for fear, said, "Don't worry, it's just a beast." With that, he charged towards the crocodile with his saber.
The prehistoric giant crocodile moved with surprising agility. With every couple of steps it took, the ground trembled. Its tail swept through and felled a considerable amount of surrounding vegetation, leaving the scene looking like a typhoon had passed through, a vista of desolation.
Li Man'er could not let Qi Yihan face this danger alone. The prehistoric giant crocodile was enormous, and no matter how skilled Qi Yihan was, he would be at a disadvantage. Moreover, the creature had been submerged in the pond, likely emanating poisonous fumes that would be fatal upon contact.
Li Man'er took a deep breath and thrust her sword towards the giant crocodile. The giant crocodile was also a monstrous entity, its hide incredibly tough, with only its belly being its weak point. As Li Man'er's sword struck, it immediately turned, and the blade scraped against its armored hide with a clang. It only left a scratch, unable to wound it in the slightest.
The beast turned and lunged to bite Li Man'er. Qi Yihan cried out, "Careful!" Then, with a flick of his foot, he leaped, landing directly on the giant crocodile's back.
The giant crocodile seemed unfazed, completely ignoring the person on its back, and continued to lunge at Li Man'er, as if it had scented a millennium-old spirit mushroom.
Li Man'er's mind raced. She rolled to the side, reached into her backpack, and fumbled out a satchel of explosives.
The giant crocodile, unaware of its impending doom, swayed its head and continued to chase her, snapping. Li Man'er pulled the fuse, tossed the satchel of explosives into the giant crocodile's mouth, and with a wave of her hand, yelled to Qi Yihan, "Run!"
Qi Yihan naturally knew the potency of the device. He leaped away, sprinting into the distance. He rolled downhill, covering another ten meters.
With a deafening explosion, a shower of blood rained down...
No matter how thick the giant crocodile's hide was, it was still flesh and blood. If explosives could blast through steel and concrete, why wouldn't they blast through it!
It died on the spot, its flesh and blood blown into countless pieces, scattered everywhere.
It took Li Man'er quite some time to get up. Ignoring her disheveled state, she shouted to Qi Yihan, "Your Highness, Your Highness, are you alright?"
Not far away, a figure covered entirely in blood stood up, almost entirely coated in the giant crocodile's gore, emitting a foul stench.
Simply...
Li Man'er couldn't help but feel like laughing. However, worried about the giant crocodile's potential venom, she immediately went forward to check him. "How are you? Are you injured? Do you feel unwell anywhere?"
Qi Yihan shook his head, looking somewhat disgusted at his blood-soaked attire.
Li Man'er took his pulse, confirming that he was in perfect health and showed no signs of poisoning, before finally breathing a sigh of relief.
"Alright, I know you're uncomfortable. Let's walk ahead for a bit and see if we can find a place to wash up and clean ourselves up."
"Okay," Qi Yihan said, lost in thought. "What else have you got in that backpack of yours? You've even prepared gunpowder?"
"Heh heh, I've packed quite a lot. Didn't it come in handy?" Li Man'er felt inexplicably guilty and changed the subject. "Your Highness, walk slowly. Don't step on any more corpse fragments and slip."
Qi Yihan reached up and wiped his face, having no intention of calling her out.