8: An Unexpected Visitor

Bee wasps rarely act alone. Searching carefully, he found several more, all of which he pinned down one by one.

Ji Yao’s pupils contracted; each time she witnessed the flying knives, she couldn’t help but marvel. It was clear that Chen Longshi was not a professional practitioner of the flying knife technique. After all, flying knives are a type of hidden weapon, relying on surprise and stealth, yet his throws lacked any subtlety, and his technique was not particularly sophisticated. Even so, he managed to infuse his knives with tremendous force, even making them change direction midair.

Making a hidden weapon change direction in flight was something she could do too, simply by leveraging inertia and adding a certain arc when throwing. But to launch a flying knife with such precision, akin to a tracking missile—how exactly did he accomplish that?

They had entered the secret realm in the afternoon, and now, six hours had passed. The group had encountered dangers but avoided disaster, gaining much along the way. As dusk spread across the sky, they decided to find a spot to eat and restore their strength.

A campfire blazed in a clearing beneath the trees; skewered snake meat and bee wasp kebabs sizzled alongside edible wild fruits and dew, offering a unique flavor. Even the once-popular grilled bee skewers from the game’s novice village lived up to their name in reality.

After a hearty meal, Jiang Yuner patted her stomach, declaring she wanted a good beauty sleep, though she knew tonight that was impossible.

“Who’s there? Show yourself!” Chen Longshi suddenly had a flying knife in hand, his gaze fixed on a corner of the forest.

…

The woods were silent; no one replied. Nie Renxiong and his two companions looked around warily but saw no signs of a hidden enemy. Jiang Yuner glanced left and right, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. She looked suspiciously at the handsome young man, her doe-like eyes blinking as she asked, “Is there really someone there?”

Chen Longshi remained unmoved, his voice cool: “I’ll count to three. If you don’t come out, you’ll taste my blade. Three, two—”

Before he finished, he threw the knife. It didn’t look fast, but it flew steadily into the forest’s shadowed edge.

With a clang of steel, a muffled grunt followed as a figure was knocked out. The newcomer, visibly surprised, exclaimed, “Brother, you don’t play by the rules! You said you’d count to three, but you threw on two.” Seeing another flying knife appear in Chen Longshi’s hand, he quickly raised his hands in surrender, “Don’t be rash, brother. I’m a cadet from the military academy too. I just happened to pass by, no malice intended.”

Nie Renxiong recognized him and whispered, “That’s Zhang Liyuanqing from Class Two, a top talent and peak Starlit Realm cultivator.”

Chen Longshi spun the knife in his palm. “State your purpose.”

“Haha, you’re straightforward. I just wanted to gauge your strength, see if you’re qualified to join in on a great opportunity.” Zhang Liyuanqing laughed heartily, seeming almost to take charge.

“Now that the test is done, you’re exactly who I was looking for. Don’t glare at me; you might even thank me later, haha.”

He laughed again, but seeing the four before him staring as if he were a fool, his grin faltered. He waved his hand, “Fine, let me introduce myself. I’m Zhang Liyuanqing from Class Two—my family runs the Yuanqing Group.”

“Yuanqing Group, the big company in cross-dimensional plant and animal husbandry—you must have heard of it. Hm… everyone’s so stoic. Well, to be honest, I had a bit of bad luck today. When I parachuted in, I landed right in the red earth area ahead. It took a lot of effort to get out. But fortune and misfortune are linked—guess what I found? A giant Star Spirit Fruit tree! Since it’s not right to keep good things to myself, I came out and immediately looked for a few classmates to share the news. Why don’t we join forces and go pick it together?”

Jiang Yuner couldn’t help herself. She stepped forward, lifting her chin like a proud peacock, “You’re such a joker. If there’s a benefit, you wouldn’t share—unless it’s too dangerous for you alone. You’re just making things up. Are you always this talkative?” She patted Chen Longshi’s arm, as if warning him not to be fooled, “Brother Long, don’t believe him. He looks shady—not a good person at all. Let’s just chase him off and take a break.”

Chen Longshi considered for a moment. “We’re already at the edge of the red earth region. If I’m not mistaken, the Star Spirit Fruit tree we were searching for is likely the one he found. Since we’re here, we may as well take a look. What do you all think?”

“Ah—” Jiang Yuner was stunned. “We’re really going?”

Ji Yao hesitated, glancing at Jiang Yuner. She herself was strong, but worried that the troublesome girl would hold them back. Jiang Yuner, oblivious as ever, pouted, “Fine, let’s go! But this guy is so annoying, interrupting my beauty sleep. When we get there, let’s just take all the Star Spirit Fruits for ourselves and not leave him a single one.”

Nie Renxiong clicked his tongue. “Yuner, you’re ruthless—but I like it.”

Ji Yao added, “In that case, I agree. But we can’t stay too long in the red earth region.”

Chen Longshi put away his knife and called out, “Alright, you lead the way. The trial lasts only three days; let’s go quickly and try to save time.”

“Good! You’re refreshingly decisive!” Zhang Liyuanqing strolled over, glancing at the fire, and grabbed a skewer without hesitation. He took a bite and immediately winced at the heat, but couldn’t bring himself to spit it out. “Sss—delicious! What kind of insect is this? It’s amazing.”

“That’s ours! Give it back!” Jiang Yuner tried to snatch it, but Zhang Liyuanqing dodged nimbly, his body flickering with overlapping afterimages. No matter how she jumped and lunged, she couldn’t touch him.

Seeing Jiang Yuner being toyed with, Ji Yao snorted, stepping in to break his rhythm. Zhang Liyuanqing stumbled, his afterimages vanishing.

“Your Phantom Steps are well-practiced,” Ji Yao remarked.

“Don’t play tricks and bully people. Lead the way,” she added coldly.

Jiang Yuner glared at the empty skewer—she’d been saving it as a late-night snack, and now it was gone. First, he interrupted her sleep; second, he stole her food; third, he was ugly. Three crimes together—she had every reason to be furious.

“Hmph!” She huffed loudly, expressing her displeasure.

Zhang Liyuanqing toned down his swagger, his eyes narrowing. “Impressive. Of all the girls I know your age, none compare to you. And ‘Brother Flying Knife’—you must be the famous heartthrob of our school. Never thought the rumors were true. How do you make your knives turn midair? By the way, what are your names?”

“You flatter us. We’ll introduce ourselves on the road.” Chen Longshi smiled at him.

Zhang Liyuanqing was momentarily dazed by his smile. “…Well, let’s go then.”

…

They hurried along, making good time. After crossing a swamp, the soil ahead turned a vivid red, and their portable compasses began to beep warnings.

Exchanging glances, they switched off the alarms and stepped into the red earth region resolutely. Before long, they found a pile of bloody bones nearby, untouched by carrion flies—indicating a carnivore had just left.

Chen Longshi noticed a row of bite marks on the neck—left by a creature with powerful jaws, capable of biting through bone to suck out marrow. Yet the fatal wounds weren’t from fangs. He used his spear to turn the remains, revealing wounds from blades, arrows, and star bullets, as well as traces of freezing and burning.

“Others have been here?” He looked at Zhang Liyuanqing.

Zhang replied, “Didn’t see anyone when I parachuted in, but that Star Spirit Fruit tree’s energy is immense. Any warrior with sensory star skills could sense it from afar. It’s not surprising it’s been discovered.”

Ji Yao added, “Judging by the wounds, the attackers weren’t weak, and there were quite a few of them. We need to hurry.”

“Agreed.”

The further they went, the denser the star force grew. Chen Longshi took a deep breath, feeling even his body-forging technique begin to loosen slightly. “The star force fluctuations here are strange. Yuner, check the direction.”

Jiang Yuner nodded, activating her spirit sight for a moment. “The star spirit veins ahead are dense—it’s definitely in that direction.”

They quickened their pace. Along the way, several red-skinned humanoid giants lay dead in the woods. The shortest was three meters tall, their bodies covered in wounds—clearly beaten to death by a group.

Chen Longshi felt an inexplicable devouring sensation from these corpses, surprising him.

“I didn’t kill them—so why do I feel this urge to devour?”

He had no idea what exactly was being devoured, but as the battles increased along the way, the demon within him stirred. His symbiotic beast’s awakening level had reached ninety-eight percent. He could sense strange, foreign thoughts: “So hungry,” “Something tasty,” “Must eat,” “Master,” and so on.

He wondered what might happen once it fully awakened.

Zhang Liyuanqing explained, “These are the Red Giants, a unique indigenous race in the Shennong Primeval Secret Realm. They’re crazy—daring to kill Red Giants without fearing the big ones will come for revenge?”

Of course, Chen Longshi knew the Red Giants—troublesome humanoid monsters who, in the game, often used “Call for Reinforcements.” They dropped body-forging star techniques and power-type star skills, especially the renowned [Star Shock]—a technique utilizing vibration force, coveted by all body-forging warriors. Judging by Zhang Liyuanqing’s words, he seemed to know a lot of inside information. Chen Longshi realized most of his knowledge came from the game and might not apply here. He asked, “How big is the Shennong Primeval Secret Realm?”

“No one knows. But the developed area alone is as big as the entire Jiang Province. The main races are giants and insectoids. There are even Star Diamond-level beings.” Jiang Province was one-sixth the size of the nation—a massive difference compared to the game’s beginner zone. He reminded himself not to take prior experience as fact.

Suddenly, a sharp whistling split the air—a crystal arrow shot toward them, icy and swift.

Chen Longshi sensed it early. He tapped with his spear, shattering the crystal arrow. Shards of ice flew, and a chill filled the air. Instantly, he activated [Counter Shield], blocking the razor-edged ice fragments.

“Hm?”

A voice tinged with surprise sounded. Several people appeared nearby. At their head stood a man with a massive bow. His gaze settled on Chen Longshi, eyes flickering with interest. “You shattered my Frost Arrow—you’re no ordinary person. You all have been running straight this way; your intentions are clear. But I’d advise you to turn back. I showed mercy with that last shot. It’s too dangerous ahead; you cannot pass.”

“Oh, come on!” Zhang Liyuanqing protested loudly. “Now any stray cat or dog thinks they can block our way? Trying to play the roadblock game? Chen, what do you say?”

Chen Longshi felt the intense star force surging ahead, and suddenly, a fierce hunger rose within him—a desire to devour these people. Devour what, though? Flesh?

Fortunately, the Nine-Petal Purple Lotus in his sea of consciousness trembled, dispelling the sickening urge at once.

Anger surged without reason. He spun his spear and shouted, “Make it quick!”