Tall trees could be seen everywhere in the dense forest. The trunks near the canopy were so thick that it would take three people to wrap their arms around them. However, the trunks near the ground were so thick that it would take ten people to wrap their arms around them.
The roots on the ground were twisted and intertwined, extending to the surroundings. They were like the claws of ancient beasts clinging to the ground. Going through these places was like climbing a slope, but it was not a problem for those who often hunted in the forest.
Silhouettes shuttled through the dense forest. After going deep into the forest, the crowd dispersed, and each group went in different directions. This time, it was not a group hunt, so the groups were scattered.
Shao Xuan was with some young warriors. There were more than twenty people in the group, including Tao Zheng and Zhui. The leader of this group was Wu Zhan. According to their status, Shao Xuan should have been the leader. However, since it was the first time Shao Xuan had joined the group and was not familiar with the others, he did not take over the leader's position.
Everyone in the group cooperated well. At the beginning, everyone was a little cautious because of Shao Xuan. However, after a while, they got used to it and the atmosphere of hunting returned to normal.
No words were spoken. Just a movement and a look was enough to know what each other meant. They cooperated well.
Before setting off, Tao Zheng had been told by the chief, the leader, his father, and a few uncles to take care of Shao Xuan. Although Shao Xuan was strong and was an elder, he was still young and might not be able to adapt to the rhythm of the hunting group quickly. Therefore, as they got closer to their usual hunting spot, Tao Zheng wondered if he should stop and explain to Shao Xuan first.
However, Tao Zheng soon found that Shao Xuan did not need any reminders. In fact, he adapted very well. For example, when they ran into an unusual situation, Tao Zheng made a gesture and the people behind him followed suit. Shao Xuan's movements were not slower than the others. He did not need any reminders from Tao Zheng at all.
Behind the bushes in front of them, on a tree that was not too tall, the treetops were shaking. Because of the bushes and dense grass, the people in the group could not see clearly.
Tao Zheng made a hand gesture, and the people behind him immediately slowed down. Their footsteps became lighter as they slowly approached. Like agile monkeys, Yu and another person leaped up a nearby tree and looked ahead. If there was prey there, then prepare to hunt.
With his special vision, Shao Xuan was able to see through the bushes and see a shadow behind them. Judging from its silhouette, it wasn't very big. Judging from its bones, it was still in its infancy.
Jumping up the tree, Zhui glanced over and shook his head at Tao Zheng.
There was a clawed beast there. Their head outline looked very much like a horse. Their necks were slightly long and their torsos were very strong. Usually, they walked slowly and appeared to be sluggish. However, when they encountered danger, it was different. Their speed would increase by several levels. Their hooves were not only big, but also hard. Being kicked was not a pleasant feeling.
Clawed beasts were also on the hunting team's list of prey, but they did not include cubs. Generally speaking, if there was not a special shortage of food, Yanjiao's warriors would not hunt such cubs in the forest. First, there was no challenge. Even if they hunted one, they could not prove their strength. Second, the cubs did not have much meat. Compared to adult ferocious beasts, they had much less meat. It was better to save their strength for other prey.
That was why the warriors were more willing to leave such young beasts for the future or leave them for their descendants to deal with.
At this time, the clawed beast that was still in its infancy was supporting itself on its hind legs. It was holding the tree trunk and eating the leaves and fruits on the tree. Its ears were moving, listening to the movements around it. However, it did not notice that there was a hunting team near it. It also did not know that it had escaped because it was not yet an adult.
Further ahead, there was a river. There was a sandy land on the bank of the river. There were no traces of other animals around.
"We usually don't go to the river to get water. It's too dangerous. If we want to get water, we can get it from the trees and grass. Or we can go to the mountain streams." Tao Zheng explained to Shao Xuan in a low voice.
"What's in the river?" Shao Xuan asked.
"There are fishes with sharp teeth. Sometimes there are anacondas lurking in the river. However, these are not the main reasons." Tao Zheng pointed at the sandy land. "There might be bone beasts there. When they are there, the river is especially quiet. The fish and other underwater animals will avoid them."
"Bone beasts?" This was a new name. Shao Xuan had never seen them before.
Looking at the sandy land, Shao Xuan did not see anything wrong with it. However, his instincts told him that there was something there. Something dangerous.
"The bones of the bone beasts are very hard and suitable for making bone objects. The bone knives made are all very good things. However, bone beasts are not easy to hunt. Their skin is too hard and their skulls are more like a layer of hard stone. They are very strong. If we weren't confident, we wouldn't provoke the bone beasts there. Other than that, they are very cunning. They are very good at disguising themselves. "
Once again, Shao Xuan looked at the sandy beach and changed his vision. Through the sand, he could see a very obvious giant skeleton under the sand.
There was a bone beast there. It was no smaller than the dinosaur he saw earlier. As for the bone beast, just like Tao Zheng said, its head looked like it was covered with a stone helmet made of premium stone. One look and Shao Xuan could tell that it was very tough. The bone beast was buried in the sand. Only its head was above the ground. It closed its eyes, pressed down its ears, narrowed its nostrils and slowed its breathing. At first glance, it looked like a normal rock on the ground. There were green moss and other plants on the rock. It looked very similar to the other rocks on the shore. Those who did not know about bone beasts would not have guessed that it was the head of a giant beast.
Not only were they good at disguising themselves, but they also knew how to create a cover. If there weren't any big enough stones around them, they would look for some stones that were similar to their heads and kick them to the side of the river to make it look like they were real. It could be said that more than half of the rocks on the riverbank were brought over by the bone beasts. Otherwise, the rocks wouldn't all be so similar.
"There is a bone beast over there." Shao Xuan pointed at the 'rock'. It seemed that bone beasts were solitary creatures. If they lived in groups, they would be much more dangerous. They would not even need to look at them.
Tao Zheng looked in the direction Shao Xuan pointed. He could not tell which of the rocks was the bone beast's head. But why was Shao Xuan so sure?
Hunting in the past was too dangerous. One of the reasons was that they could not pinpoint the exact location of the bone beast. If they got it wrong, the beast would attack them and they would be in a passive position. But if they could be sure, they just needed to prepare. They might be able to hunt it down.
The thought of hunting the bone beast made Tao Zheng excited. They were young after all. They were more inclined to challenge.
"Are you sure?" Tao Zheng asked again.
"Yes."
After a pause, Tao Zheng asked again, "Are there any other bone beasts around here?"
"No, there's only that one. But it's huge, even bigger than the dinosaur we caught in the tribe. Do you want to hunt it? "Shao Xuan looked at Tao Zheng.
"Let me discuss it with everyone." After all, he was leading a team. Tao Zheng could not act on his own and ignore the wishes of others. If he wanted to hunt such a huge beast, he would have to rely on everyone. He could not do it alone.
Tao Zheng told everyone about the matter. As Tao Zheng expected, everyone was very interested in hunting that giant beast. Moreover, if they could determine its specific location first, they wouldn't be in a passive position from the beginning. As long as they were prepared enough, even if the hunt failed, they could still escape unscathed.
"How can you be sure that's the bone beast?" Zhui stared at Shao Xuan, questioning him. He ignored Tao Zheng's tug.
The others had their doubts too but they were not brave enough to voice it out loud. They could not be blamed for not believing him. Even the most experienced warriors in the tribe would not dare to make such a claim. So what if Shao Xuan was an Elder? Why should they believe him just because he said so? Hunting was not a game. A single mistake could land them in trouble or even death.
Shao Xuan did not answer Zhui's question directly. Instead, he looked around and pointed at the ground two steps away. "There's a rock about this big." Shao Xuan gestured, describing the size and shape of the rock.
Zhui and the rest looked in the direction Shao Xuan was pointing at. There was a thick pile of rotten leaves. There were many fresh leaves and broken branches on top of it.
Zhui looked at Shao Xuan. Tao Zheng nodded. Zhui hurried over and pulled out his knife. He peeled away the leaves and branches, digging through a thin layer of soil to find a rock. It was exactly as Shao Xuan had described.
Seeing this, Yu's eyebrows kept rising.
So accurate?!
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