54: Chapter 54 An Unexpected Encounter in the Jungle

In the intricately intertwined forest, Lin Ye's figure moved like the wind.

He stepped on relatively dry ground and the thick roots of giant trees, advancing rapidly.

Whenever he encountered faults or complex, rugged terrain, he would raise his hand and fire the Wind-Chasing Claw.

The grappling hook would bite into a high branch, and his body would soar using the tension of the cable, completing a leap between the branches.

"Swish—"

A black shadow suddenly darted out from the ferns nearby.

A venomous snake, its entire body covered in fine black scales, used the elasticity of a tree trunk to launch itself at its target.

With its fangs wide open, it lunged straight for Lin Ye's face.

In his right eye's field of vision, a light screen flashed.

[Iron Wire Snake (Small)]

Lin Ye didn't even blink.

He swung the fire axe in his right hand.

"Sshh."

The axe blade precisely hacked through the black shadow's seven-inch mark.

The snake's head rolled into the air, while the remaining half of its body dropped to the ground with a "thud," twitching reflexively a few times.

[Killed small exotic beast, points +2]

The broadcast sound rang in Lin Ye's ears.

Lin Ye didn't pause for even half a second, stepping on tree roots as he continued to push deeper.

After advancing another five hundred meters or so, the trees became increasingly dense.

He stopped and narrowed his left eye slightly.

Eye of Destiny, activate.

His vision pierced through the layers of vegetation, and in a depression fifty meters away, a cluster of red light was lurking.

No need to guess; it was definitely a tough nut to crack.

Curiosity killed the cat; Lin Ye didn't even have the thought of going over to take a peek.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand.

"Bang!"

The Wind-Chasing Claw shot out, and the grappling hook bit into a branch of a large tree to his side and above.

He swung silently directly over that cluster of red light.

After swinging across three giant trees in the high air, Lin Ye looked down.

At the edge of the bushes directly below, an exotic beast the size of a small calf was grunting and rooting for grass roots on the ground.

[Iron-Back Badger (Medium)]

A lone soft persimmon.

Lin Ye released the grappling hook, and his whole body went into a free fall from a height of twenty meters.

The wind whistled in his ears.

The Iron-Back Badger below sensed the sound of something breaking through the air above and raised its tusk-filled head in confusion.

But it was already too late.

Lin Ye, in mid-air, gripped the axe handle with both hands, using the terrifying potential energy of his fall to aim at that massive pig-like skull.

He hacked down with all his might!

"Crack!"

The fire axe was unstoppable, slicing directly through the Iron-Back Badger's hard skull.

Lin Ye landed on his feet, followed by a forward roll to dissipate the momentum, and steadied himself in a crouch.

[Killed medium exotic beast, points +5]

He stepped forward and placed one foot on the Iron-Back Badger's corpse.

He pulled out the fire axe and shook off the blood droplets.

Another five points in the bag.

This was the tactic he had devised.

Specifically pick on lone soft targets; when encountering groups or big guys, never take a second look, just detour.

It wouldn't be wise to waste stamina and time on the outskirts; going to the central area to find the "Lost Lands" was where the real prize was!

Inside the Great Xia Live Stream, the audience was already hyped.

[Holy crap! This is the top-tier jungle clearing tutorial!]

[Full of mechanics, not a single wasted movement, it's so pleasing to watch!]

[I could watch Brother Eye's smooth little combo all day, it's so satisfying!]

[That snake probably died without even seeing who struck it.]

[That axe strike from the sky is truly violent aesthetics!]

Deep in the forest.

"Squish."

Lin Ye pulled out his dagger and kicked away the corpse of the striped dire wolf on the ground.

[Killed medium exotic beast, points +5]

Continuous high-intensity travel and fighting made his breathing heavier, his chest rising and falling slightly.

He glanced at the light screen.

[Points: 17]

He was just one step away from the mandatory minimum threshold of 20 points.

"Still need a little more, better catch my breath first."

Lin Ye leaned against a tree trunk and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Out of instinct, his left eye moved slightly.

Eye of Destiny, activate!

His vision pierced through the layers of lush branches and leaves.

A hundred meters away, behind a giant tree, a cluster of green light appeared.

Looking at the outline of that light... it was actually a person!

Lin Ye raised an eyebrow.

A living person?

This was the first time he had encountered a living person other than himself since landing in the Void Sea!

Was it a fellow countryman from Great Xia, or a Challenger from another country?

Thoughts raced through his mind.

Make contact?

Or just slip away?

In a place like the Void Sea where there are no moral bottom lines.

Encountering one's own kind is often more fatal than encountering monsters.

After all, you can never guess what kind of malicious intent the other party is harboring.

However, before he could figure anything out.

In his left eye's field of vision, that cluster of green light abruptly turned red!

Lin Ye's gaze sharpened, his muscles tensing up.

He knew the color mechanism of the Eye of Destiny all too well.

Green meant safety, while red... represented danger.

This meant the other party had not only discovered him but also harbored real, genuine killing intent toward him!

"Planning to make a move? You've narrowed your own path!"

"But since you want to die, I'll be merciful and send you on your way."

Lin Ye sneered in his heart.

Those who are not of my kind are all mortal enemies.

In this forest today, only one person can walk out standing upright.

He rolled his eyes and immediately channeled his inner actor.

Pretending not to notice anything unusual, he cursed and bent down, grabbing the hind leg of the striped dire wolf.

"This damn thing is so heavy, it's got me covered in blood!"

His voice was full of exhaustion and irritability.

He dragged the wolf corpse with effort, moving with a slightly heavy gait toward the bushes to the side.

Exposing most of his back to the other party, his entire body was full of openings.

A perfect lamb waiting to be slaughtered and served on the dinner table.

...

A hundred meters away, behind a towering tree.

A figure was lying prone at the moss-covered roots.

Island Nation Challenger, Lord Ikan Kinju.

His triangular eyes revealed a sinister venom, staring fixedly through the gaps in the dead leaves at the back dragging the wolf corpse in the distance.

On the light screen before his retina, a line of information appeared.

[Target Nationality: Great Xia]

Seeing the two characters "Great Xia," Lord Ikan Kinju's breath hitched, and a burst of wild joy erupted in his eyes.

A Great Xia person?

This was fat meat delivered right to his mouth.

Hunting a Great Xia Challenger would not only bleed that detestable Eastern power, but he could also loot their spoils!

"Great Xia pig, running into me, Lord Ikan Kinju, is your bad luck."

He licked his lips, unable to suppress the greed in his eyes.

He had seen it clearly just now; the tactical gear that kid was wearing was definitely top-tier stuff.

The bag on his back was bulging, surely stuffed with supplies!

"Doesn't even have the most basic sense of alertness. Just finished fighting a monster, he must be feeling weak in the limbs right now, right?"

Lord Ikan Kinju sneered.

He was certain that the Great Xia person was crouching behind the bushes processing the wolf corpse, a sitting duck.

If he didn't reap the harvest now, when would he?

He slowly extended his right hand, reaching behind his waist.

With a soft "click."

A delicately crafted crossbow was held in his hand.

He skillfully pushed a crossbow bolt into the groove.

Lord Ikan Kinju hunched his waist, holding the crossbow.

Avoiding the dead branches on the ground, he held his breath and crept little by little toward the bushes where Lin Ye had disappeared.