Leaving the winding and rugged mountain path, one man and two pets gradually walked into the dense forest.
Looking up ahead, the dense layers of intertwined branches blocked the intense sunlight, only allowing a few beams to pass through the gaps, illuminating the ground.
Further ahead, the trees gathered in groups, resembling a silent green ocean.
Xuanhe Village is located deep within the heart of Qinling, adjacent to the main peak of Taibai Mountain, belonging to the core area, and rarely visited by tourists.
When he was young, Chen Yuan often came to this forest with his brother for explorations, and even after starting work, he frequently patrolled the forest with the forest rangers, rescuing wild animals.
He was no stranger to this forest, yet he had never ventured deeper.
However, after the Spiritual Energy Revival, this place had changed dramatically.
Towering trees dozens, even hundreds, of meters tall were not few and sparse, their dense leaves resembling a grand canopy, and the thick vines intertwining like a primitive jungle.
Chen Yuan slightly squinted his eyes, scanning all around, paying attention to every corner, as any rustling or disturbance in the grass would heighten his alertness.
Traversing through the forest is no joke; nature will humble every ignorant soul.
Yet, Cola had no such concerns.
"Awo~"
Cola's steps were lively and brash, its pair of azure blue eyes glancing left and right, seemingly curious about everything around.
When it spotted a fleeting small animal, Cola would unhesitatingly sprint in pursuit, disappearing in an instant.
Only upon hearing Chen Yuan's call would it return.
"You seem eager to fight?" Chen Yuan looked down at Cola, smiling slightly.
"Awo!"
Having its thoughts uncovered by its owner, Cola bared its teeth, grinning widely.
After witnessing Spark easily defeat the Steel-headed Ground Rat, Cola's desire to fight soared.
It wanted to fight, to battle!
To gain its owner's approval!
Imagining itself effortlessly defeating opponents, receiving admiring glances from its owner, and having its head pat gently, Cola couldn't help but hum lightly.
Spark gave a sidelong glance to the silly grinning Cola, then proudly raised its head.
It increasingly felt that this four-legged beast posed no threat to it.
Chen Yuan stretched out his hand to pat Cola's soft fur, speaking slowly, "They haven't provoked you, why fight?"
Pausing momentarily, he continued, "Only take action when you encounter ill intentions."
Initially hearing the first part, Cola immediately drooped with a gloomy look, yet upon hearing the next part, it suddenly raised its head to stare at Chen Yuan, eyes brimming with excitement: "Awo awo awo!"
Understood!
As long as I think the opponent harbors ill intentions, I can give it a good beating!
Along the journey, Chen Yuan encountered many Extraordinary Creatures he had never seen before, but unfortunately, most were mere glimpses.
Although these Extraordinary Creatures weren't hostile, they still maintained the basic vigilance of wild animals, immediately fleeing upon sighting Chen Yuan.
This thwarted Chen Yuan's hopes of making close contact and gaining Source Points.
The sun gradually moved westward; it was already afternoon.
After walking for several hours, Chen Yuan called the two little ones to stop for a rest, replenishing food to regain strength.
"I didn't have this stamina before."
Traveling through the forest was especially exhausting, requiring him to occasionally swing a scythe to clear obstacles; an ordinary person would be exhausted.
However, Chen Yuan only felt somewhat fatigued.
"That's the benefit of becoming a Beastmaster."
As the strength of Contracted Pet Beasts increased, his own Spiritual Power and physical fitness would continue to enhance.
Maybe one day, he could confront Extraordinary Creatures head-on by himself.
"Spark, how much farther is it?" Chen Yuan lifted his head to look at Spark in the air, asking aloud.
"Chirp chirp chirp."
Spark stared ahead for a moment, as if it saw something, and made chirping sounds.
Almost there!
Chen Yuan's eyes lit up, quickly dragging Cola, who was resting on the ground, "Get up, we're almost there."
An hour later...
"Is this your version of 'almost there'?" Chen Yuan gazed at the deep forest ahead, his tone indiscernible.
"Chirp..."
The look in Spark's eyes shifted, instinctively avoiding Chen Yuan's gaze.
"No worries, let's keep going; we'll get there eventually." Chen Yuan didn't mind Spark's incorrect judgment.
He was long accustomed to the "almost there" heard while climbing mountains and the "dishes are coming right up" when urging waitstaff, both famously unreliable.
Nonetheless, after walking another ten minutes or so, an enormous tree came into view.
Upon sighting the tree, Spark became excited, rapidly flapping its wings closer.
When it saw the fiery red fruit hanging from the tree, its expression turned immediately elated, then it silently sighed in relief before flying back to Chen Yuan as quickly as possible: "Chirp chirp chirp!"
This is the place!
Soon after, Spark cautiously lifted its head, looking at its Beastmaster with eyes full of anticipation and nervousness.
"Not bad, you successfully found it for us." Chen Yuan tapped Spark's little head with his finger, surrounding it with admiring looks.
Spark slightly squinted its eyes, its wings trembling lightly, as if tapping out a happy rhythm.
"Awo..."
In a corner, Cola cast an envious glance, but no longer felt the usual dejection and jealousy.
It was no longer the old self.
What Spark could accomplish, it could too!
For a moment, Cola's eyes burned intensely, seemingly filled with beautiful expectations for the future.
Nevertheless, as its peripheral vision caught sight of its owner walking towards the big tree, it shook its head, dismissing frivolous thoughts, and trotted along.
This tree was only about twenty meters tall, unremarkable among the towering giants, yet its leaves emitted a faint red glow, making it particularly peculiar.
All of Chen Yuan's attention fell on the four fiery red fruits.
These fiery red fruits matched exactly with what the system labeled as Blazing Fruit, resembling apples and cloaked in a thin layer of flames.
"Truly extraordinary."
Looking at that layer of flames, Chen Yuan sincerely marveled, then took out his phone to open the camera mode.
He first recorded the environment and general form of the tree, then zoomed the lens for multiple close-ups.
After completing all this, Chen Yuan put down his phone and said to Cola, "Cola, use a Wind Blade to knock down the Blazing Fruit."
"Awo!"
Cola nodded in response, preparing to fly forward.
Yet, at this moment, Cola's dog nose twitched, as if it smelled something strange, its ears shot up alertly as it looked towards the back of the tree, making a cautionary noise: "Awo awo awo!"
"Chirp~"
Spark, high above, gazed intently at the back of the tree, the Fire Energy within it stirring restlessly.
Under the watchful gaze of one man and two pets, a fiery red figure gracefully stepped out from behind the tree, elegant and light, like a proud dancer taking the stage.
It was a fox entirely covered in fiery red fur, its large, fluffy tail tipped with a flame.
On closer inspection, the tail was surprisingly longer than its body.
Above its haunting green eyes, there was a distinct long scar, adding a touch of sternness.
"Awo awo awo!"
The moment this fox appeared, Cola got all excited, baring its teeth, and stepped forward without hesitation.
It sensed that the fox had ill intentions!
Whether it actually had ill intentions or not, as long as Cola believed it did, then it did!