Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Spring Has Arrived
The Gray Fox truly never appeared again, but occasionally the black giant eagle and brown giant eagle would patrol through the north and south sections of the valley.
Thus, another five days passed, the weather continuously warming, until a light drizzle fell, and only then did Wang Wu emerge and hide in the bushes.
Until this moment, he hadn’t eaten for over forty days, yet he surprisingly didn’t starve to death. The only price was that his growth dropped to 79%, and all his basic attributes fell by one level.
Other than that, he felt nothing else, ready to fight at any time, able to run quickly whenever needed.
This couldn’t help but make him marvel at his own body.
Indeed, it’s very unusual.
"Barbaric Ancient Bear? Celestial Realm Great Cultivator, shaking the earth and mountains, overturning a mountain?"
Wang Wu pondered in his heart. Since he crossed over, he hadn’t observed any overturned mountains nearby, so the truth is either the Cyan Wolf was lying or the battlefield that day wasn’t in this vicinity. He was likely hidden here by his Ancient Giant Bear mother.
This is the only explanation that makes sense.
"So despite being among these Great Demons, the Barbaric Ancient Bear bloodline is quite precious. If I hadn’t been cautious during this period, I would’ve already fallen."
"Also, are the Little Demons in this valley all being raised? Are they being cultivated as food or trained to become Demon Soldiers?"
"The Gray Fox and Cyan Wolf can both speak, so is the difference between Little Demons and Great Demons this ability?"
"Additionally, the Little Demons seem unable to communicate with these Mountain Patrol Demons; otherwise, they would not have been unaware of my presence in the valley."
As Wang Wu thought, he drank the rainwater greedily.
Since spring has come, he is no longer worried.
This continuous spring rain lasted for most of the day and didn’t cease even by nightfall.
The valley was pitch black, yet the Little Demons were unaffected, celebrating as if it were a festival.
For Wang Wu, this was also a festival.
Last year, he didn’t dare to wander at night, fearing the Little Demons in the valley might consume him alive.
But this year, he could crush any Little Demon with ease.
And that was his motivation to grit his teeth and endure in hiding over the past month, knowing that as long as he could withstand this period, he would eventually reap the entire valley.
So even when his growth dropped from 91% to 79%, he never wavered.
Now, the harvest season has arrived.
"Snap! Snap!"
In the bushes, several Gray Mouse Knights were busy; this was their territory, and they were eager to expand it. Since they dug up three snake nests last winter, their natural predators this year would undoubtedly be fewer. Ah, what a wonderful life to look forward to!
"Thud! Thud!"
The sound of dull blows arose. Wang Wu suddenly struck from a Level 5 Concealment state, pouncing and taking down all five Gray Mouse Knights, even triggering a bit of Ice Spiritual Qi just in case.
The effect was indeed excellent.
Three Gray Mouse Knights were crushed on the spot, and two were directly frozen into a lump. A little Ice Spiritual Qi could Ice Seal an area of three meters around.
What a waste!
Wang Wu lamented inwardly, had he known, he would’ve only needed to trigger half the amount of Ice Spiritual Qi.
Nevertheless, filling his stomach was more important now. Five Gray Mice, each weighing two pounds, click-click, a delicious feast.
A few minutes later, Wang Wu’s satiety filled up. He contentedly withdrew back into the bushes and hibernated once more.
The mysterious disappearance of five Gray Mouse Knights was of no consequence in this valley and wouldn’t cause any significant stir.
After the spring rain, greenery began to spread wildly in the valley. Even in the higher, shaded parts of the mountain, where large snow patches remained, it was unaffected.
In just half a month, the valley already turned vibrant with lush shrubs, providing a great sense of security. The Little Demons invited friends and brought along elderly and children, setting out as families, celebrating endlessly.
This was also the happiest time for Wang Wu since crossing over.
Every day, he could meet the daily satiety of 500 points, and daily gain 0.8% to 0.9% growth.
The only thing that needed to be handled carefully was his excrement, which had to be sent downstream to the fishes and shrimps in the stream, and each time, he meticulously washed himself clean, regardless of its utility.
However, he never again encountered the Gray Fox.
In fact, he didn’t see that Cyan Wolf anymore either.
Even the appearances of those two giant eagles were rare.
"Feels like there are many Little Demons here, but not many Middle-Level Demons."
When Wang Wu was full and had no sleepiness, he would study the forest’s conditions and learn some information about the Cultivation Realm.
From the current information gathered, there are four Great Demons in this area, one of which is likely the king mentioned by the Cyan Wolf, probably on the high mountain in the Southwest Forest, known as the South Mountain King.
The territory of this king covers three hundred miles in all directions, a large area indeed.
Under this king, it’s unknown if there are other leaders, but so far, two leaders are known: one is the Cyan Wolf, self-proclaimed as Marshal, and the other leader is the Black Bear.
The demons under them are called Captains.
Below the Captains are the Mountain Patrol Demon Soldiers.
So, the giant eagles that seem untouchable and irresistible to Little Demons are actually just Middle-Level Demons.
Then there’s the North Mountain King; heading north along this valley for about two kilometers leads to the base of North Mountain.
The whereabouts of the other two Great Demons remain unknown.
"But to the south, 30 miles west of the forest is a great lake, likely with a river to the north, possibly where the stream in the valley flows."
"Fifty miles east is Black Mountain, but it doesn’t look very tall. The Great Snow Mountain to the east is quite intimidating."
Wang Wu couldn’t help but recall the roars he heard last winter, which definitely happened hundreds of miles away, yet the commotion was too loud.
He even suspected a true Great Demon might be on that Great Snow Mountain, and the four Great Demons nearby were on good terms because they were all under this real Great Demon’s command.
Moreover, in this Cultivation Realm, human cultivators seem quite powerful. Even a rumor from Yun Ding City, thousands of miles away, about expanding territory by three thousand miles, could scare a cunning Fox Demon into fleeing in panic.
Additionally, as mentioned by the Gray Fox, the forested region they’re currently located in is named West Wilderness from the Human Race’s perspective.
From this, it can be inferred there is likely a North Wilderness, South Wilderness, and East Wilderness, right?
This Cultivation Realm is quite vast.
It’s unknown what the cultivation system of human cultivators is; do they also absorb Golden Particles daily to transform Spiritual Qi?
The faint, grand net across the sky, is it the work of human cultivators?
What kind of power is a Celestial Realm Great Cultivator, capable of venturing thousands of miles into the West Wilderness to slay a mature Ancient Giant Bear?
Wang Wu thought of many things, accumulating many questions in his heart.
But in reality, he knew these were too elusive.
He needed to focus on the present.
After half a month of rest and recuperation, he ate and slept well every day, accumulating ordinary growth to 97.5%, about to enter the next growth stage.
And he no longer basked in the sun to absorb Golden Particles and transform Spiritual Qi.
Yet this didn’t mean he had no income.
By hunting Little Demons each night, he has accumulated 86 points of Spiritual Qi, adding up to a total of 100 points with previous savings.
He hasn’t hurried to use this Spiritual Qi for upgrades, instead waiting to utilize it in the next growth stage.
He clearly understands what he needs the most at this moment.
"Slither, slither!"
In the dark, a big snake slithered by, seeking prey. Wang Wu pounced out, striking it dead with one claw before swiftly retreating.
Silent, invisible, and unknown, no Little Demon knew of his existence because all who had seen him had died.
He is a ghost, a ghost wandering in this valley.