Chapter 3512: To The Rainforest

Slowly, very slowly, Daoist Chu coughed. "That is beside the point."

"It is absolutely the point," Cattaleya said flatly.

Daoist Chu sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Fine. Yes. I encountered one of their disciples. Briefly."

Lin Mu glanced at him. "Briefly."

"A conversation," Daoist Chu clarified. "Entirely academic."

Cattaleya snorted. "Academic. In a courtesan pavilion."

Meng Bai failed to suppress his laughter this time.

Daoist Chu shot him a glare. "You will understand when you are older. Besides, they were in a group with a few noble children."

Meng Bai quickly shut up.

Lin Mu allowed himself a small smile before steering the conversation back on track. "Regardless of your motivations, the information is useful."

Daoist Chu nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

Lin Mu leaned back, surveying the group. "So we know the major powers of the Southern Continent. We know the political situation around the former Butterfly Kingdom capital. And we know which paths are safer."

Elyon nodded. "This world may be weak, but it is not without complications."

"Every world has its own problems," Lin Mu said calmly.

Cattaleya stretched her arms. "At least this one is not trying to kill us yet."

Meng Bai hesitated, then spoke. "Do you think anyone here knows about... you know."

Lin Mu knew what he meant. The bounty. The shadows following them across worlds.

"I doubt it," Lin Mu said. "This world is too isolated. Information travels slowly here."

Elyon agreed. "The bounty’s influence does not seem to have reached this far yet. That is a good thing."

"For now," Lin Mu said.

Little Shrubby placed another dish on the table, steam rising thickly into the night air. "Eat," he said. "Planning tastes better with full bellies."

No one argued.

As they continued eating and talking late into the evening, Lin Mu felt a strange sense of calm.

This world was quiet.

Backwater.

Underdeveloped.

But sometimes, a slow river was exactly what one needed before the next storm.

The next morning, the group departed the Equator Port City without ceremony.

They left while the city was still shaking off the last traces of dawn, the humid air already clinging to skin and clothes. Once they were a safe distance away from the outer districts and no longer drawing curious glances, Lin Mu gave a short nod.

"Alright. Out here is fine."

With that, Little Shrubby was released.

The small, drowsy liger cub stretched the moment he appeared, his body cracking and popping as he yawned widely enough to show rows of sharp teeth. His fur rippled faintly with heat as he blinked at the surroundings, still half asleep.

Recently he had begun to nap and sleep a lot more often. Lin Mu hadn’t paid much attention to it though.

"Where to?" Shrubby asked lazily.

"South," Lin Mu replied.

Shrubby’s ears flicked. "Straight?"

"Yes."

That was all the encouragement he needed.

The liger’s body expanded rapidly, muscles surging as his form grew to its full ten meter height. His paws dug into the earth, and with a single powerful push, he turned into a streak of red light racing through the land.

Wind howled past them as the city vanished behind the trees.

At first, the forest they passed through was merely dense woodland. Tall trees, thick undergrowth, and abundant life, but nothing too extreme. Sunlight still filtered down in scattered beams, illuminating patches of moss, flowering shrubs, and the occasional grazing spirit beast.

Yet even here, life was already abundant to an overwhelming degree.

Just a kilometer away from the city’s edge, the difference became unmistakable.

Spirit beasts roamed freely in herds. Immortal beasts could be spotted without effort. Large horned deer with bark-like hides browsed calmly on glowing leaves. Flocks of iridescent birds burst from treetops as Shrubby thundered past, their wings leaving streaks of light in the air.

"These aren’t hunted much," Meng Bai observed, gripping the fur beneath him as they sped forward.

"Too many," Daoist Chu replied. "And too troublesome to manage."

Most of the beasts near the outskirts were herbivores, docile by nature. Their numbers were simply too vast to control, and deeper within the forest lay predators far more dangerous than any hunting party would want to provoke.

As they continued south, the atmosphere subtly shifted.

The trees grew taller. The undergrowth thickened into layered jungles of ferns, creepers, and thorned vines. The air grew heavier, saturated with moisture and life essence. The smell of damp earth and vegetation became constant.

And then came the dangerous ones.

A pack of Immortal Blood Biter Jackals crossed their path, red eyes glinting beneath low-hanging branches. Each jackal stood nearly a meter tall at the shoulder, their bodies lean and corded with muscle. Hundreds of them moved together in a coordinated wave, their presence radiating hunger.

Little Shrubby snorted. "Snacks."

"No," Lin Mu said calmly.

The jackals froze for a split second as Lin Mu’s aura brushed over them, then scattered instantly, vanishing into the undergrowth like blood-colored shadows.

Further on, massive Six Prong Beetles could be seen toppling trees with casual ease. Their armored bodies gleamed like polished obsidian, six curved horns digging into trunks as they tore trees apart to reach the rich inner cores. Each beetle was the size of a small building, and the ground trembled faintly as they moved.

High above, Sword Beak Cranes soared silently, their metallic beaks sharp enough to cleave through stone. One swooped down suddenly, impaling a massive insect beast in a blur of motion before lifting it back into the canopy.

Little Shrubby’s tail swished excitedly. "Everything smells good."

From Lin Mu’s sleeves, the twin snakes stirred restlessly.

"We can take one," one of them whispered.

"Just a bite," the other added.

"Not now," Lin Mu replied without looking down. "Later."

They reluctantly settled back down, though their interest in the surrounding ecosystem only grew. Everyone paid attention to the life here.

After several hours of uninterrupted travel, the forest changed again.

This time, the shift was undeniable.

They had entered the true Equatorial Rainforest.

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