From Swamp Dog to Crocodile Ancestor

the other side.

Following the route he had taken with a group of red-faced monkeys, Li Yi followed his memory and soon found the road that appeared in his memory.

Although there were no obvious signs or landscapes around, it looked like a swamp shrouded in poison.

But as the sixth black scale grew, Li Yi realized that he could vaguely sense the breathing and heartbeat of the swamp beneath him.

This is a strange, intermittent state, in harmony with nature, guided by inspiration, from which one can obtain a great deal of information.

Perhaps this is what is called cultivation.

Several hours passed, and Li Yi carefully crept through the swamp, now surrounded by unfamiliar surroundings that he had only seen once before.

The last time I walked this road was a long time ago.

Swamps are similar to rivers; they are constantly flowing, albeit very slowly, but change is always present in this area.

Li Yi had to be extremely careful.

And as it turns out, its caution was effective.

When passing through a certain area, about half an hour away from the area where the spiritual cedar tree was located, Li Yi stopped and observed everything in front of him.

Right in front of him, a large pile of brown bone hides was scattered about, and a patch of bright purplish-red fur caught Li Yi's attention.

It certainly wouldn't forget the large group of baboons gathered under that cedar tree, whose existence likely predates that of the red-faced monkeys.

When Li Yi observed the area near the cedar tree last time, he could vaguely sense a powerful aura, with a twilight-like glow, very warm, and with a burning sensation.

Such a powerful troop of baboons left behind at least thirty skeletons here, most of which were intact, while some were cut open, revealing their stark white bones.

Occasionally, some still-tough, blade-shaped leaves appear in view, some cutting through the baboon's fur, others piercing straight into its bones.

Li Yi immediately sank into the mud, warily surveying his surroundings. He felt a chill run down his spine and his mind raced as he analyzed the situation.

Why are there traces of the demon tree here too?!

It turns out there was more than one demon tree.

Yes, why can't there be a second one, a third one...?

After a moment's thought, Li Yi quickly accepted the fact and emerged from the mud again, his brownish-yellow eyes surveying his surroundings.

It was unaware of the presence of the demonic tree in its surroundings.

After wandering among the pile of bones and skin for a while, Li Yi discovered at least six baboons with cultivation abilities. The strongest of them was sitting in a patch of silt, which had been slowly swallowed up to his waist.

Its head was gone, and its pair of thick arms were withered, their fur clinging to the bones, hanging limply to the ground.

It is at least the eighth level of the Qi Refining stage.

After reaching this conclusion, Li Yi gazed in the direction of the cedar tree and suddenly felt that this journey seemed to be full of unknown dangers.

It recalled the first time it saw the demonic tree that was still within its territory, on the road leading to the cedar tree.

It seems that this bloodthirsty demon tree has an unknown origin and did not emerge from the mud out of thin air.

After calming himself down, Li Yi regained his predator's mindset, remaining highly vigilant of his surroundings, concealing himself, and continuing forward.

Given the vastness of the swamp, I might not encounter a second demon tree. Even if I did, as long as it was still in the Qi Refining stage, I was confident I could escape far away.

The more dangerous the situation, the more you should look for opportunities to improve yourself.

Otherwise, if they encounter a formidable enemy in the future, they will truly be powerless to resist.

Not long after he advanced, Li Yi felt a burning pain in his back again, which was now slowly intensifying.

It had been away from the white python and the big willow tree for too long, and its injuries were starting to recur.

This is normal. Li Yi was prepared and had already adapted to the pain, so he wouldn't be tormented by it to the point of completely losing his ability to move.

But it must be admitted that the situation has indeed begun to deteriorate.

The yellow mist in the swamp flowed continuously, hundreds or thousands of times faster than the silt below, but in Li Yi's eyes, it still appeared extremely slow.

Li Yi breathed a sigh of relief as he watched a tall, straight tree shadow appear and disappear in the distance, stretching to the horizon and shrouded in an even denser cloud of poison.

It arrived, and finally saw the shadow of the cedar tree.

The mine was not far from the cedar tree, controlled by the baboons, and it was also my main objective in coming here this time.

Just as Li Yi was about to bury himself in his work, a bright purple-red flame suddenly exploded in mid-air from the direction of the fir tree, like a small sun rising slowly.

The fireball lasted only a moment before it went out.

A wave of heat pushed aside the surrounding yellow mist, forming a dispersing wave that rolled and sped past Li Yi's head.

The unusual temperature and scenery made Li Yi feel uneasy once again.

The demon tree instinctively fears and loathes flames, so this fireball is definitely not its method. Moreover, the demon tree will not approach spiritual trees and cannot possibly attack the cedar tree by force!

What exactly is going on?

Li Yi thought for a moment, and the image of a fox appeared in his mind. So he slowly approached the location of the cedar tree.

Before long, a chaotic battlefield came into view.

Centered around the cedar tree, a large group of baboons and a large group of red-furred foxes are attacking each other, and every now and then, the animals are torn apart, their blood splattering in the air.

The baboons, clinging to the tall cedar trees, each stood on a branch, holding long wooden spears with tips that gleamed with an orange-yellow light, exceptionally sharp.

Several wooden spears were hurled out, piercing the flesh of several red foxes with a hissing sound, pinning them to the swamp.

A red fox, leaping high into the air and possessing an aura equivalent to the seventh level of Qi Refining, was instantly pierced by three or five wooden spears. Its life force vanished in the blink of an eye, and it fell heavily onto the swamp.

The red-haired foxes were clearly outsiders; those without cultivation hid in the back, waiting for an opportunity, while those with cultivation spewed out purplish-red flames or demonic winds as a counterattack.

boom!

A ball of purplish-red flame, the size of a head, exploded somewhere in the cedar wood, instantly engulfing an area.

Several baboons were caught in the trap, screaming as they fell, some of them burned to a crisp.

But soon, a new baboon, its eyes wide with anger, descended from above the cedar tree, holding a wooden spear, stood there, and after casting the twilight glow upon it, hurled the spear.

Given the commotion, Li Yi couldn't just pass by to mine; he would most likely be discovered. Therefore, he had no choice but to hide himself well.

Without a doubt, this was a war between animal groups, naked and bloody, leaving no room for compromise.

This group of foreign red foxes is most likely the Flame Breath Fox Clan we encountered before, except that their fur color is different from the previous ones, and the power emanating from their bodies is more refined and scorching.