Morale was high, so the officer with Big Horn seized the chance to distribute polished weapons, golden fruits that were usually hard to eat, and a pill sealed in beeswax with mysterious runic symbols carved on it.
"This is the miracle medicine the Rat God gave us!"
The officer with Big Horn shouted. "As long as our faith in the Rat God is firm enough and the situation is dangerous enough, we can bite through the miracle medicine and inject the Rat God's supreme divine power into it. Then, the rat warriors will have the power to fight against the human warriors!
"Remember, from this moment on, you are no longer pigs and sheep waiting to be slaughtered, but the most loyal, glorious, and courageous warriors of the Great Horned Rat God. Raise your sabers high and unleash your fury to your heart's content, so that all the enemies can see clearly how terrifying the insignificant rat people in the past are when they gather into a tsunami!"
Fervent cheers rose in the entire camp.
While they cheered, Meng Chao narrowed his eyes and carefully studied the miracle medicine he was given.
He plucked out an incredibly soft and fine hair from his arm.
He poured his spirit energy into the hair and stretched it until it was as hard and straight as steel needles.
Then, he carefully poked a hole that was practically invisible to the naked eye on the beeswax.
He brought the hole under his nose and sniffed it carefully. After a while, he smelled a rather familiar scent.
He thought about it for a while and quirked his eyebrows.
The raw materials contained in the miracle medicine were similar to Dragon City's Deification Capsules, but they were different methods, and they achieved the same result.
They were both incredibly stimulative and could instantly increase the secretion of dopamine, endorphins, adrenaline, and other hormones in the human body by dozens of times. They activated the potential in the cells and increased the efficiency of the mitochondria's mass-energy conversion.
In Dragon City, the Deification Capsules could allow normal robbers to temporarily fight against low-grade superhumans.
The miracle medicine given by the Rat God seemed to be even more stimulating than the Deification Capsules, and its effects should be even better.
Of course, there was a price to be paid for activating the potential in one's life.
In Dragon City, the robbers who took the Deification Capsules would either die or be injured after a fierce battle. In the best case scenario, they would fall limp on the ground due to exhaustion. They would need to rest for half a month before they could recover a little.
In the worst case scenario, he would spontaneously combust on the spot, or because all the water in his body would evaporate, and he would be burned alive into a dried corpse.
Thinking about it, the price one had to pay for consuming the magical medicine given by the Rat God would only be more tragic.
But to the fugitives, this was the only way they could fight against their pursuers.
After receiving their weapons, food, and divine medicine, the hundred-man team immediately set off.
Today's rapid march was even worse than yesterday's.
On one hand, they knew that their pursuers were right behind them. They could even use the advantage of galloping horses to circle in front of them at any time.
No matter how high their morale was, the rat people were still a little uneasy.
Regardless of whether it was fear or excitement, it would cause the body to stiffen and the movements to change. When one's speed was reduced, a large amount of physical strength would be wasted.
On the other hand, a short night of rest was unable to completely replenish the overdraft of their stamina and health in the process of escaping Black Corner City.
His taut nerves immediately relaxed. It wouldn't be so easy to reconnect them again.
No matter how the experienced Old Bearskin or the energetic Round Bone Club commanded them, they were unable to make this hundred-man team maintain the most basic marching formation.
Many of the rat people widened their eyes. Their arms were straight and bulging with thick veins. If there was even the slightest movement, or even the startled birds in the forest flying away, they would pull out their swords, as if they were facing a great enemy.
It was truly a situation where the wind and cranes were frightened at the slightest sound.
They marched like this until noon. Only after walking for twenty to thirty miles did they find a lake formed by the gathering of spring water.
The lake wasn't big. It was used as a water source by the tens of thousands of fugitives. The lake water was almost dried up, and there were messy footprints all around.
Further ahead from this lake, the plains were divided into two distinct parts by the meandering tributaries of the Tulan River.
On the left was a boundless grassland. The dense grass grew to waist height, and even reached the chest and head of the rat people.
On the right, due to the influence of the underground spiritual vein, there were countless mandala trees that were dozens of meters tall. At this moment, they were blooming with huge colorful flowers.
The mandala trees had been genetically modified, and their roots were extremely developed.
In many crystal mines that were very deep, their roots could even grow to dozens of times the size of the tree crown. They could absorb every bit of spirit energy deep underground into their bodies.
With this advantage, there were practically no plants that could fight against them.
Aside from a few accompanying plants that were beneficial to their growth, it was impossible for any weeds to grow beside the mandala trees.
Besides, the high-grade beasts liked to build towns beside the mandala trees.
Not only was it convenient for them to harvest food at any time, the tree trunks, branches, and leaves were also essential raw materials for building towns and their daily lives.
Hence, there were a few roads that had clearly been repaired by humans in the mandala trees that were not too dense.
One of the straight roads even passed through a mandala tree that was known as the king of trees. It was as if a tunnel had been opened on the tree trunk, and it was an amazing sight.
Even though the road on the right was obviously easier to walk on than the left …
Old Bearskin and Round Bone Club still chose to turn left without hesitation.
Based on the footprints all over the ground, all the fugitives in front of them had made the same choice.
That was only natural.
The road on the right seemed to be flat, but to the pursuers, it was also a main road.
Since the mandala tree's roots were too developed, the forest was not too lush. It had also been cut down by humans, and there were intersecting roads in the forest. To the centaur warriors, who were one with their horses, it was not an obstacle at all.
There was also a town of the Blood Hoof Clan in front of them. Even if the guards were old, weak, and disabled, they were more than enough to stop the ragtag bunch who had formed their army in a hurry.
The grassland on the left seemed to be flat.
But the grass that was half a person's height was the best cover for the fugitives.
Besides, there were plenty of rodents who were good at digging holes on the grassland. The seemingly flat grassland might be filled with holes. If the pursuers dared to go at full speed, they might lose their footing at any moment.
The fugitives wanted to head to the border between the Blood Hoof Clan's territory and the Golden Clan's territory. Even though they would have to go through a lot of trouble by moving through the grassland, their chances of escaping would increase by a lot.
But Meng Chao stopped for a long time next to a messy set of footprints.
While most of the rat people were drinking from the lake, he stretched out his finger and quickly wiped off some mud. He brought it under his nose and sniffed it carefully.
Then, as if he had discovered something, his eyes shone with a sharp light, and he scanned the surroundings, especially the mandala forest.
"What did you discover?"
Ice Storm walked up and asked.
"Do you know where these two roads lead to?" Meng Chao pointed at the two sides of the lake.
On the right was a straight and flat road paved with rocks.
There were originally no roads on the lush grassland on the left, but now, after hundreds of thousands of fugitives trampled on it, dozens of crisscrossing, intertwining, and messy little roads were formed.
"On the left is the 'Collapsed Space Plains'. Head north for hundreds of miles, and after a few more mountains, you will reach the 'Collapsed Space Rift Valley'. That is the lowest and most complicated place in all of Turanze Lake. The danger level there is no less than that of the 'Eternal Night Abyss' in the north. It is also the boundary between the Blood Hoof Clan and the Golden Clan's territory. If the main force of the Great Horn Army is stationed in the Collapsed Space Rift Valley, it wouldn't be strange at all."
Although Ice Storm had been in Black Horn City for two years, she had always been thinking about her father who was in Pure Gold City. Naturally, she had asked many merchants about the route from Black Horn City to Pure Gold City and the terrain along the way.
"As for the right, it is the 'War Drum Forest'. It is said that it has been blessed by the holy spirits of our ancestors. The mandala trees here bear large and plump fruits. Every time they ripen and gather together, there is no way to pick them all. They can only let them fall on the ground like war drums. It is considered one of the important food-producing areas for the Blood Hoof Clan.
"To transport a large number of mandala fruits, there are so many wide and flat roads in the forest. Also, there is a town with a population of one hundred thousand in the depths of the forest — War Drum City. There are a few noble clans with thousands of years of history living in the city. A large number of elite warriors are stationed there. Their duty is to protect the granary and prevent the Golden Clan from running into War Drum Forest to take advantage of the situation."
Meng Chao was deep in thought. "So, once the fugitives choose to go through War Drum Forest, they will easily fall into a desperate situation where they will be chased from behind and blocked from ahead?"
"Of course," Ice Storm said.
"All the fugitives who come here will look at the Collapsed Space Plains. If they go through War Drum Forest, they will definitely die!"
"That's interesting."
Meng Chao took a few steps to the right and crouched down to observe the traces left on the ground.
In a short while, he used his thumb and pinky to pick up something insignificant from the mud.
"This is …" Ice Storm quirked his eyebrows.
"A strand of hair," Meng Chao said.
"A strand of hair?" Ice Storm did not understand what he meant.
Over the past day and night, at least one hundred thousand fugitives had passed through this place.
It was chaotic, and there were people jostling against each other. It was not a problem for a few strands of hair to fall.
"This is not a normal hair," Meng Chao said calmly.
"Based on its luster, elasticity, and tenacity, this is a strand of hair that fell from an elite warrior who is full of vitality, has powerful spirit energy, and has surging totem power surging in his body.
"Hair is the most important part of vitality. The hair of a person who has been malnourished for a long period of time will definitely wither and split apart.
"This strand of hair has fallen for at least half a night, but it still has oil and luster. You can imagine how powerful its owner was!"
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