118: Chapter 118 Zhang was so frightened by what he saw that he cried.
The group continued their journey toward the Second Middle School Camp.
Since they weren't far apart in age, Du Chuan and Chu Handeng chatted with Yue Yun from time to time, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
As an experienced veteran, Wang Long would occasionally offer some pointers, broadening Yue Yun's horizons.
Both parties gradually got to know each other better through their conversation.
“You are an insightful person,”
Wang Long observed something from Yue Yun's words and behavior. “You aren't suited for doing research in a school; you're suited for joining the army and serving the Alliance!”
Yue Yun scratched his head and gave an unnatural smile.
As they continued forward, Yue Yun, relying on his far-beyond-normal hearing, was the first to hear the extremely faint sound of gurgling water.
“Uncle Wang, is there a river nearby?” he asked.
Facing Yue Yun's inquiry, Wang Long was momentarily stunned.
Once he reacted, his face was full of surprise, and a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Your ears are quite sharp. There’s a small river not far ahead. Once we cross the riverbed, we’ll almost be at the Second Middle School Camp.”
The group continued forward and soon saw the river lying before them; through the clear water, one could see the gentle riverbed.
“Although the outer area isn't dangerous, many large herbivorous Pet Beasts frequent it, and they can easily damage the riverbanks.”
Du Chuan pointed out a section of the riverbank that was nearly trampled flat.
It looked as though it wouldn't be long before the wide riverbed became even wider, or even turned into a marshy lowland lush with aquatic grass.
However, such a possibility was very low.
Because the Pet Beasts here were adapted to this specific living environment, they wouldn't sit idly by and watch their original habitat undergo a massive change.
Chu Handeng said with a smile, “If the riverbank really collapses, those large Pet Beasts will act like bulldozers, using their bodies to arch the riverbed even wider.
Besides, with Pet Beasts like Iron-Toothed Giant Beavers and Flying Dagger Three-Spined Fish around, the river environment won't be destroyed that easily.”
The group stopped in their tracks and did not continue forward.
Yue Yun felt puzzled. “What's wrong?”
Wang Long raised his hand and pointed at the hemispherical jellyfish floating on the river—they were nearly transparent, with pale blue and purple cores.
These jellyfish floated freely over the river, the whole of them emitting a faint glow. The long, flexible, glowing tentacles hanging from their edges were splayed out wildly, their posture elegant and quiet.
He explained, “Floating Toxic Jellyfish. If touched, they spray a purple, highly toxic mist. Once contaminated, you'll be poisoned, your whole body will rot and decay, and you'll die in agony. So, we need to make some preparations.”
“Holy Zhang Family Forbidden Land!”
Yue Yun couldn't help but blurt out.
In this place where Floating Toxic Jellyfish were flying all over the sky, it wasn't just a matter of the Zhang family stopping; even the song 'Ten Years in the Mortal World' would have to be banned.
“What Zhang family?”
Wang Long couldn't keep up with Yue Yun's erratic train of thought, but he still handed him a bottle of Isolation Fluid and told him to spray it on himself.
The members of the Longzhou Beast Taming Group sprayed the Isolation Fluid on themselves, not missing even the unexposed parts of their bodies. Only after ensuring everything was foolproof did they recall their Pet Beasts.
Their Pet Beasts were quite large, and they couldn't rely solely on the Isolation Fluid to withstand the toxic mist of the Floating Toxic Jellyfish.
Seeing this, Yue Yun immediately followed suit.
“Uncle Wang, if a Pet Beast attacks while we're crossing the river, what do we do without our Pet Beasts?”
Eager for knowledge, Yue Yun didn't forget to ask.
Wang Long nodded appreciatively. “Few other Pet Beasts live where Floating Toxic Jellyfish reside, so the probability of what you described happening is very small.
If it really happens, the Pet Beast left out by the Beast Taming Group is the first line of defense; they must buy time for the other Beast Tamers to summon their Pet Beasts.”
Wang Long patted the majestic Xiao Yue Tiger beside him. Clearly, it was the Pet Beast left out by the Longzhou Beast Taming Group.
That said, Wang Long didn't care too much.
The members of a professional Beast Taming Group were all veteran Beast Tamers. Summoning a Pet Beast had already become an instinctive reaction, requiring almost no reaction time at all.
Yue Yun nodded, indicating he had learned something.
Splash!
The Xiao Yue Tiger's massive body waded into the river water.
Since the riverbed was relatively flat, the Xiao Yue Tiger, which stood nearly two meters tall at the shoulder, could still expose more than half of its back.
Under the escort of the Xiao Yue Tiger, the group finally stepped into the riverbed, carefully advancing by stepping on the stones protruding from the middle of the channel.
It seemed this path had been traversed many times, as someone had placed stones across the riverbed in advance to make it easier for those following.
Yue Yun walked unhurriedly in the middle of the group. Not only was his footwork surprisingly steady, but he even had the spare time to observe his surroundings.
One, two, three...
Although the Floating Toxic Jellyfish over the river weren't densely packed, their numbers were simply too great. They almost took over the surface of this river, turning it into their own territory.
Most of the Floating Toxic Jellyfish didn't make things difficult for Yue Yun's group, moving out of the way one after another.
However, there were always a few curious Floating Toxic Jellyfish that would approach or even block their path forward.
At such times, Wang Long would signal for everyone to stop.
After just a moment of stalemate, these jellyfish that had blocked the way out of curiosity would slowly drift away, clearing the path again.
Only then would Wang Long signal for everyone to continue forward.
“Roar—!”
The Xiao Yue Tiger suddenly let out a cry of pain.
The Floating Toxic Jellyfish underwater were indeed difficult to distinguish. Because they moved slowly, the Xiao Yue Tiger had bumped into one, which immediately released a toxic attack on the tiger it perceived as an enemy.
The Xiao Yue Tiger's pained roar erupted, and a powerful shockwave of air slammed into the Floating Toxic Jellyfish above the river's surface.
These Floating Toxic Jellyfish were as sensitive as skin prone to allergies; they instantly spared no effort in releasing purple toxic mist, enveloping Yue Yun and his group so thoroughly that they couldn't even see the road.
“Damn it!”
Wang Long growled, “Charge out!”
He covered his nose and mouth, blocked his ears, aimed himself in the right direction, closed his eyes, and lunged forward, crashing straight into the toxic mist.
The others followed suit, one after another charging out of the toxic mist.
The only one who didn't fear the toxic mist entering his nose, mouth, ears, or even eyes was Yue Yun, who suffered no actual damage.
[Poison: 00:01:00]
“I knew it!”
Yue Yun shrugged nonchalantly, ignored the toxic mist clinging to his body, and walked out of the riverbed with a composed expression.
After leaving the range of the toxic mist, the poison effect also entered its countdown; it wouldn't be long before it ended.
An illusory health bar appeared above Yue Yun's head. The five-meter-long health bar now had only four meters left, and it was continuously trembling as his health dropped, yet he showed no fear whatsoever.
This poison was certainly powerful, but against a health tank like Yue Yun, who suffered no actual damage, it was still far from enough.
Yue Yun teased, “Old Zhang would cry if he saw this!”
The members of the Longzhou Beast Taming Group noticed the toxic mist clinging to Yue Yun like a maggot on a bone and were immediately so frightened that they retreated repeatedly.
They kept a safe distance, staring dumbfoundedly at the health bar above Yue Yun's head that was dropping at an incredibly slow rate. Everyone's expression was a kaleidoscope of emotions.
Wang Long was filled with wonder. “Are you alright?”
“I'm fine, it just feels a bit itchy.”
Yue Yun reached out and scratched his butt.