In a depression, a Monster Beast that was less than three feet tall was lazily lying in the mud, waiting for its prey to come.
However, from the looks of it, it had been here for quite some time. It shook its body slightly, opened its mouth full of fangs, and stretched as if it was taking a nap. Then, it waved its thin and short legs and dragged its long body to leave this place.
It was the local tyrant. With its super explosive strength and biting force, once its prey was bitten, there was only one result: death.
It had just come out of the mud when its less sensitive ears seemed to have heard something. The fierce light in its eyes directly looked to its left.
In the distant sky, a small monster had appeared out of nowhere. It was happily flying over here, as if it didn't see the motionless Monster Beast below.
The Monster Beast's eyes were fixed on it, its body motionless. Although this strange little guy was a little small, it was still good as an appetizer.
That little guy seemed to be unaware of the threat and was getting closer and closer to the Monster Beast's head.
When it was above it, the Monster Beast below suddenly jumped and opened its mouth. Like a bolt of lightning, it quickly swallowed the little guy in the air. Only then did it satisfactorily fall from the sky.
It subconsciously stirred its mouth a few times, but found that its mouth was empty. It raised its head in surprise, but there was nothing above its head. It had clearly swallowed that little guy before.
"Could it be that I accidentally ate it when I came down?" The Monster Beast wondered. Perhaps it was because it was too small that it didn't feel it.
The Monster Beast didn't think about this problem anymore. Just as it was about to leave, it suddenly felt a fatal energy erupt in its body. Before it could think about what was going on, it lost consciousness in the next moment.
In the distance, Shuang 'er saw the Demonic Beast's body, which was ten meters tall, fall heavily to the ground. Then, the figure of the cute pet appeared in the air again. It cried out happily in their direction, as if urging them to come over.
Shuang 'er stared at the scene with her mouth wide open. Although she had killed several demonic beasts in seconds before, she was not as shocked as this time. She actually went into the opponent's body and used her spatial ability to directly explode inside while she pulled herself out. For these demonic beasts that liked to devour things, she was simply a natural enemy.
No matter how outstanding one's external defense was, all living things within one's body were the same. They were extremely weak. Without any precautions, it was simply a one-hit kill.
When the two of them arrived in front of the corpse, the cute pet, Qing Che, skillfully stretched out its sharp claws and slashed at a spot on the corpse's head. A huge hole appeared, and then one of the claws suddenly grew long and penetrated deep inside. After stirring back and forth inside, it jumped.
A green crystal the size of an apple jumped out from inside. Shuang 'er, who was on the side, quickly grasped the air and fixed it in midair. Then a stream of water rose out of thin air and washed away some of the stains on the green crystal. After that, she carefully put it into her Space.
He seemed to be very familiar with his movements, so he must have done it a lot.
The cute pet had once again landed on Gu Zheng's shoulder. It raised its head and looked into the distance excitedly. Looking at it, it seemed like it hadn't killed enough yet.
"Little Adorable Pet, wait until we reach the front before we make a turn and go find your master," Gu Zheng said to the Adorable Pet beside him with a smile, causing it to nod its head furiously and cry out incessantly.
Little Adorable Pet was the name Gu Zheng gave it. He didn't care what it was called in the past.
Shuang 'er waved her hand and the monster corpse below disappeared. She had put it away. It had to be said that Young Master Qi was quite generous. He had actually given Shuang' er a huge storage ring filled with many good things.
Then, they continued on their way. In the distance, many tall and mighty mountains were faintly discernible. They were heading in the direction of the Extreme Edge Mountain Range.
It turned out that Gu Zheng and the others had been in Central Source Village. After seeing Elder Mei become the village chief, they had wanted to leave immediately. However, Elder Mei had asked them to stay for one more day and rest before leaving. It was a good opportunity to thank him.
The change in the village chief didn't affect the village at all. Instead, it allowed everyone to breathe a sigh of relief. At least they didn't have to risk their lives to hunt those incomparably terrifying monsters.
That night, everyone once again tasted incomparably delicious food. Moreover, this situation would continue for a few more days, allowing those who were supposed to go hunting to rest for two more days.
However, on the second day, Gu Zheng brought some food from Elder Mei and left.
All of this had been planned by everyone. Although he could have easily killed Chang Xi when he first left, he couldn't dispel the swelling desire in their hearts.
All of this had been caused by Gu Zheng, so Gu Zheng was determined to understand it. He wouldn't cause the deaths of the villagers because of him. Although he had shattered their dreams, life would still continue.
Therefore, after Gu Zheng had been running around for so many days, he finally killed the Cyan Beast and went out of Primordial Origin Village. Although it took him a little time, he still managed to solve the problem.
Elder Mei had also repeatedly promised him that she would treat those newcomers well.
As the three of them traveled, as long as they encountered some monsters, they would be dealt with by the cute pets. Moreover, they found something similar to the Green Mist Crystal, which was somewhat similar to the true power of darkness. This made Gu Zheng overjoyed.
Previously, he had seen them take out some crystals from the giant elephant's head. It seemed that he was right. Almost all the creatures here had these things. Therefore, as long as Gu Zheng was within the range of his perception, he wouldn't let any monster go.
Of course, Shuang 'er's perception would be used to deal with the monsters, and then she would send the cute pets to kill them. He himself would leisurely follow behind.
However, the route they took was relatively remote, so they didn't encounter many monsters along the way. Moreover, this place was close to the territory of the Extreme Peak Mountain Range, which was even more desolate and uninhabited.
On the lonely ground, there was only a single mountain peak. Although it looked steep, it still seemed somewhat lonely in this spacious place.
At this time, Gu Zheng and the others had arrived at a small hillside not far from this mountain peak. Looking around at this desolate place, they didn't know how the people here survived. It was too difficult.
This place was the so-called border, and also the location of Stone Peak Village.
According to Elder Mei, the last exchange was ten years ago. At that time, the Village Chief of Stone Peak Village had led a group of people for an exchange. Since then, there had been no news of them, so Shi Feng didn't know how they were doing.
However, according to the previous information, this place was really the poorest place. If there was no need, no one would be willing to come here. However, there was one advantage, and that was that they could grow some of the food they had before. At the very least, there wouldn't be a famine.
Therefore, every once in a while, they would communicate with each other and marry. At the very least, there were many people who were willing to marry or marry into the family.
Originally, the exchange was only held once every five years. However, this kind of thing happened frequently, so it wasn't strange. Therefore, Elder Mei didn't find it strange.
"This place is too desolate. How did these people survive?" Shuang 'er also didn't believe that they lived on this mountain peak. One had to know that the nearest forest was three days away, almost the same time as when they arrived at the Extreme Peak Mountain Range.
"Who knows? However, since they've lived here for who knows how many years, they must have their own way of survival." Gu Zheng casually replied after seeing no one enter or leave. There was also no one within his line of sight. After hearing Shuang 'er's words, he casually looked into the distance.
"Let's go. It seems that if we don't get close, we won't be able to see anything from the outside," Gu Zheng said with a sigh. He then led the two of them towards the other side openly.
Originally, he hadn't planned to come here. In his opinion, the owner of the cute pet had long since died. It was just that there were some things left behind that made him mistakenly think that it was still alive.
However, who would've thought that after repeated questioning, Gu Zheng would discover that its owner was indeed still alive. However, its location was indeed inside the Extreme Peak Mountain Range. Although it didn't know the exact location, it could lead it to its owner.
Since Gu Zheng had promised it, how could he go back on his word? At worst, he would just have to spend a little more time to pass through the Bottomless Pit.
Since this was the case, Gu Zheng decided to take a look. His goal was the same as before, to see if there were any newcomers here.
This was because Gu Zheng had also learned from Han Xiu that there weren't many humans this time. There were only a hundred or so people, and it seemed that they were most likely randomly assigned to different villages.
After arriving at the foot of the mountain, they took a long detour before finding a rugged path that was only wide enough for one person to twist their body. The marks on the path indicated that this was their passage, but it seemed that no one had walked through it for a long time. Gu Zheng didn't know if there were other paths, and he didn't want to look for them.
Following this path, Gu Zheng and Shuang 'er climbed up with great difficulty. The main reason was that there were many layers of strange rocks outside the mountain. They were afraid that the other side's cave would be very hidden and difficult to find if they flew up, so they could only use this stupid method.
Just as the two of them climbed halfway up the mountain, a low shout suddenly came from the side.
"Who is it?!"
Gu Zheng looked in the direction of the shout, but he couldn't see anyone. However, Shuang 'er pointed behind a mountain wall, indicating that the other party was hiding there.
"We came from Central Source Village and just happened to pass by here." Gu Zheng didn't say anything, but Shuang 'er spoke first.
An extremely thin and weak child appeared from behind. He looked to be only twelve or thirteen years old, and the childishness on his face hadn't completely disappeared.
"You came from Central Source Village?" Perhaps the people here were very united, or at least they didn't suspect them.
"Of course. The village chief sent us to see what's going on here. You didn't go a few years ago," Shuang 'er bent down and said with a smile.
When the little boy saw Shuang 'er being so intimate with him, his face immediately turned red. He subconsciously took a few steps back and whispered, "I don't know either, but come with me. Everyone is inside, so you have to be careful. Everyone is sick now, so don't get infected."
After saying that, the little boy turned around and continued walking to the side.
"What's your name? Why isn't there anyone guarding this place?" Gu Zheng called out. He had the cute pet return to his shoulder and followed behind him.
"Just call me Little Feng. There's no need to guard this tunnel. We dug a tunnel a few years ago and can directly come up from the foot of the mountain. Now, only young people like us are sent here to guard this place." The little boy walked barefoot on the rugged mountain peak. There were already thick calluses on his feet, so he was even more agile than them.
After a few turns, a tunnel that was as tall as a person appeared in front of Gu Zheng and the others. There were some crimson rocks around it that emitted a weak red light, illuminating the long and narrow tunnel.
"Little Feng, you said that someone here is sick. Is it serious?" Gu Zheng followed Little Feng through the tunnel. If it weren't for him, they wouldn't have been able to find this tunnel. There was actually a thin layer of rocks outside as cover.
"It's very serious. Many elders have died of illness. My grandfather also died of illness." Little Feng's voice was somewhat low, but it could be heard clearly in the tunnel.
Gu Zheng and Shuang 'er looked at each other. It seemed that their situation wasn't too good. They didn't know what had happened.
"Then Little Feng, tell me what happened." Shuang 'er gently said from behind, "Maybe we can help you."
"I don't know. When we return, you can go ask Village Chief Grandpa. We'll be there soon." Little Feng said without turning his head and continued to lead the way.
Shuang 'er had no other choice. After an incense stick's worth of time, they walked out of the tunnel. An incomparably huge cave space appeared in front of Gu Zheng. Their position just happened to be a little higher. There was a slope to the side that led downwards. Everything could be seen at a glance.
Although he already knew some of the situation here, he was still a little shocked when he saw it. The area here wasn't much smaller than outside. The surrounding walls were all covered in a faint red light. It seemed to be a kind of ore that was emitting a faint heat. The temperature here was just right, much higher than outside.
There were no demon beasts that could invade here. Of course, no one here knew the power of darkness. It could be said that there were gains and losses. There was no exception in the middle. Surrounding a pool, stone houses were arranged in a picturesque disorder. On the surrounding walls, there were dozens of caves. Sparkling lights were emitted from them, like fireflies.
Some people were going in and out, but Gu Zheng could easily see that everyone's face was filled with worry.
Because nearly two hundred people were all gathered at the westernmost side, squeezed together. Everyone's face was covered in a faint black Qi. They were all lying on the ground weakly. In the middle was a simple stone wall, separating two worlds.
The appearance of Gu Zheng's group attracted the attention of the people below. From a relatively large stone house in the east, several old men quickly walked out. Gu Zheng's group had also walked down and appeared before them.
"My name is Gu Zheng. I'm from Central Origin Village. I just happened to have some business here, so I came to take a look." Gu Zheng said to the old man who was holding a simple walking stick.
"Cough, I'm Village Chief Xu. I didn't expect Village Chief Chang to send people here. Thank you for your hard work. Let's talk inside." The old man's voice revealed a trace of exhaustion, but he still invited them to sit down.
At this moment, Gu Zheng's group had already changed into beast skins. They didn't look as conspicuous as before, so Village Chief Xu didn't suspect their identity at all.
When everyone arrived at the hall, Gu Zheng went straight to the point and said to Village Chief Xu, "I just saw that something happened here. If it's convenient, can you tell us about it?"
Hearing this, the forced smile on Village Chief Xu's face disappeared. Worry once again occupied his face. He first sighed heavily, then said, "I won't hide it from you.
A few years ago, when we were preparing to go to your place, we encountered a huge evil beast hiding in a swamp. We didn't pay attention for a while, and a few of us died and were injured. Originally, this wasn't a big deal. At most, we just had to take a detour. But after a few hours, some people fell unconscious, and some more or less became weak. So we hurriedly came back. "
Speaking up to here, Village Chief Xu's face became even denser, as if everything was squeezed together. His eyes were dull, as if he had returned to that time. However, after a moment of absent-mindedness, he recovered and continued.
"After we came back, we didn't know what was going on. It was like some kind of plague. Originally, we were here, and almost all of our injuries were superficial. Generally, this kind of disease can't be treated at all, so we could only watch them die. But then the nightmare came. In the following time, people were infected one after another, and we couldn't do anything about it."
"In the first few years, only some weak old people were infected. But a while ago, this phenomenon spread rapidly. Half of our people were infected. Now, everyone is panicking, afraid that the next person will be them. We were all prepared to go to your place for help, but you came."
After hearing Village Chief Xu's words, Gu Zheng frowned. He didn't expect the situation here to be so serious. Gu Zheng knew that Elder Mei didn't have such a skilled doctor. This was because the people here were very strange. They didn't have any minor diseases like outside. Almost all of them died of old age except for dying in battle.
It was very rare for them to die of illness, which caused them to be helpless in this situation.
However, after feeling the gazes from the side, Gu Zheng said to Village Chief Xu, "I think the situation is a bit serious. If you go to our place, I'm afraid there won't be enough time."
"That's right, but we've already used up all the methods we can think of. There's nothing else we can do. These things have made everyone feel insecure. If we don't solve this problem, our branch will completely disappear." Village Head Xu said in annoyance. The few people beside him also frowned and sighed.
"Village Chief Xu, don't worry. Why don't you let us take a look? Maybe we have a way to help you solve this problem." Gu Zheng said after pondering for a moment.
"You?" Elder Xu looked at Gu Zheng's young face and the equally young Shuang 'er, then shook his head, "You'd better not get close. Once that thing gets close, it's very contagious. For your safety, I think it's better to find your priest."
"Who said I'm not a priest? Otherwise, why would only the two of us come here?" Gu Zheng smiled, and a faint green light appeared in his hand.
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