Beautiful scenery can't put food on the table. Logan never forgot his objective; after a brief moment of appreciation, he led Zhu Peiniang down the cliffside.
The Coral Highlands, aside from its dreamlike beauty, is defined by its extreme verticality—high peaks piercing the clouds and deep abysses plunging into the darkness below.
In those sunless depths, shrouded year-round in miasma, lies a unique region known as the Rotten Vale. Some say it is the "stomach" of the New World, continuously digesting monster carcasses and converting them into Bioenergy to nourish the land once more.
Logan didn't entirely agree with this theory. Compared to the rest of the New World, how big was the Rotten Vale? Even including the Coral Highlands above it, the combined area likely didn't account for even 0.1% of the entire continent. How could the digestion of carcasses here sustain the energy cycle of the entire landmass? Could a monster dying in the Ancient Forest somehow fall all the way into the Rotten Vale?
Rather than a stomach, Logan felt it was more like the New World's "kidney." After a monster dies, the Bioenergy carrying its individual imprint returns to the heavens and earth, gathering here to be purified and filtered. Once cleansed, it flows back out to the rest of the continent.
If Bioenergy were compared to the blood of a living organism, this logic made perfect sense.
At the same time, this returning energy should, in theory, flow evenly to all regions. However, a certain "shut-in" had secretly interfered, intercepting the majority of that energy for itself. This was why the concentration of Bioenergy grew higher the closer one got to the Elder's Recess.
"That fellow Xeno'jiiva isn't just eating from everyone's pot; he's barred the cafeteria window too. No wonder he gets thrashed later—it would be a crime against nature if he didn't die."
With these stray thoughts swirling in his mind, Logan remained vigilant. He stepped onto the white sand formed by weathered coral, which let out a crisp crack from time to time.
On this white earth were many holes the size of a human wrist. Several eel-like creatures poked their heads out under the cover of night.
These were Wigglers. They had teal bodies and fleshy, petal-like tentacles on the sides of their heads—highly sensitive sensory organs. As quintessential "homebodies," these little guys spend 99% of their lives in their burrows, even waiting for the wind to drift coral eggs toward them for food.
The vibrations from the footsteps alerted the Wigglers, and they retracted into the ground with a whoosh. But such caution was unnecessary; as a giant beast, Logan had no interest in a few ounces of meat.
His gaze first fell upon a spot that looked remarkably like a forest or meadow. Corals that had adapted to land life had developed structures similar to terrestrial plants. If not for their fleshy pink hue, they would look identical.
Several Elegant Coral Birds—creatures resembling hummingbirds but with two long tail feathers and vibrant orange plumage—flitted around a cluster of coral. Hovering above them was a massive pink balloon.
It was a Paolumu. About 10 meters long, it looked like a white-furred bat. Its skin was a tender pink, and its inflated neck bulged like a balloon. That elastic air sac is considered the finest material for making hot-air balloons.
Currently, it was hanging upside down with its mouth open. Its small, mouse-like head generated a massive suction force, vacuuming up the surrounding coral eggs. The airflow was so fast it created a small vortex.
Scaling the Great Ravine had depleted Logan and his companion's nutrients. Looking at this "inflatable rat," he decided to strike immediately.
Logan's tail lashed out. For prey flying in the sky, his feathered scales were the weapon of choice. A flash of white light went unnoticed in the night; a moment later, several crimson blossoms of blood erupted from the Paolumu's inflated air sac. A massive amount of air hissed out, mixed with coral eggs it hadn't yet swallowed.
The creature instantly turned into a punctured balloon, spiraling out of the sky. Its once-cute face contorted into something hideous, looking like a wicked vampire bat.
Unfortunately, this posturing couldn't even scare Zhu Peiniang. She pinned it to the ground. The 10-meter-long Zinogre was beginning to show the form of an adult; her offensive organs were mostly developed, though the color of her scales still looked a bit immature.
Zhu Peiniang's powerful forelimbs, tipped with sharp claws, slammed into the Paolumu's head. With just a few strikes, the creature lost all ability to resist. As a creature lower on the ecological ladder, the Paolumu had evolved almost no combat capabilities; once grounded, its fate was sealed.
A moment later, light blue text flashed before Logan's eyes:
Hunted Paolumu: Evolution Points +3.
Though it looked like a rat, the taste was excellent. Due to its unique habit of floating and its diet of coral eggs, the meat was exceptionally tender. At 10 meters long, it was a substantial meal for Logan and Zhu Peiniang.
The two giant beasts, having starved for days, began to gorge themselves. With every bite, they swallowed dozens of pounds of meat, bone and all. Once the food was partially digested, another blue notification appeared:
Consumed Paolumu: Evolution Points +2.
Five points total. For a creature of the Paolumu's strength, this was a decent haul.
Soon, the Paolumu was almost entirely in their stomachs. All that remained were a few large bones, some offal, and the thin membranes of the wings.
Just then, a sneaky figure poked its head out from behind a soft coral tree. Its classic raptor-like skeleton marked it as a Bird Wyvern. However, it lacked feathers, its body covered instead in bluish-purple scales.
Its powerful hind legs and flexible forelimbs gave it incredible mobility. At the top of its Tyrannosaur-like head, two long antennae extended outward.
This was a Tzitzi-Ya-Ku. Measuring about 9 meters from head to tail, its body structure—save for the head and claws—was nearly identical to a Kulu-Ya-Ku, suggesting a close genetic relationship.
As the true "Master" of the Coral Highlands and a battle-hardened "field reporter," the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku had developed a fearless personality thanks to its unique flash ability.
Attracted by the sweet, bloody scent of the remains, it approached without fear, despite the two strange monsters crouching nearby. The two thick antennae on its head stood upright and suddenly fanned out.
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