From Swamp Dog to Crocodile Ancestor

The area around the cedar tree was unusually quiet again, and many red figures were dealing with the corpses scattered around.

There were red foxes pierced by wooden spears, and strong baboons that had been burned or torn apart.

boom!

A ball of flame exploded on a pile of baboon carcasses, instantly igniting them like a bright and conspicuous torch, quickly burning the corpses to ashes.

A red fox breathed a sigh of relief, wiped its forehead in a human-like manner, turned around and moved forward on all fours, reaching the top of the cedar tree in a few leaps.

Climbing up the tall, straight fir trees, it wasn't long before a red fox emerged from a clump of dark green needles and arrived in front of a small hut.

This little house is made entirely of woven cedar branches and is inlaid with brown and yellow crystals, making it stand out from the crowd.

It is built at a delicate height, just enough to take in everything below the tree without being blocked by poisonous barriers, and also to keep an eye on the movements of the surrounding swamp.

All the creatures living in this boundless swamp share a common understanding.

The danger doesn't come from the sky; the sky is a region teeming with poisonous substances, far more dangerous and concentrated than the surface of the swamp.

If it truly comes from the sky, it will be a catastrophe, inescapable.

This chief's hut originally belonged to the old baboon, who sat here day after day, watching over everything around him.

Now, a vigorous old fox with fiery red fur has taken over the place and led a branch of the Flamebreath Fox Clan to occupy it.

A red fox appeared at the entrance of the house, lowered its head, and spoke in human language.

"Chieftain, everything is almost settled."

After a long while, the old fox nodded, his gaze sweeping past the young red fox and looking in one direction, his eyes seeming to pierce through the layers of hazy poison.

That direction was exactly where Li Yi had fled.

It didn't take this group of baboons seriously at all. This kind of group, which cannot resist the poisonous barrier of the swamp for long, will eventually perish in the swamp once it loses its protection, even if it is not weak.

Only that perception made it remember it deeply.

It's another fragment, a crucial fragment, which has fallen into the hands of some unknown being, but it absolutely cannot be let go easily.

"Step down."

"Yes, clan chief."

……

The swamp gradually darkened, and this time Li Yi didn't even expose his back. He only felt two areas of his back burst with intense pain, but they were completely different.

The old wound hissed again, and the terrible burning pain swelled up even more.

Inside the fleshy hole, a purple light flickered once more, like the pulse of breathing.

The other injury was long and caused excruciating pain, causing Li Yi to lose countless drops of crimson blood along the way, but it was gradually showing signs of healing.

Only between the two black scales in the center of his spine, the pain continued to erupt.

It was that orange-yellow light.

Li Yi did not lose control of his bestial nature due to the pain as he traveled. Instead, he calmly thought amidst the overwhelming double pain.

The small sword embedded in his back was the old baboon's magical artifact, seemingly a natural creation.

While pondering, Li Yi continued his journey without stopping until he could see the boundary of his territory, at which point he finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The threats here have been largely contained. The demon tree should be kept at bay near the fruit bushes. The white python will handle this.

The insect-beast remained entrenched in its former lair, showing no signs of ever leaving.

Apart from that, Li Yi did not discover any other threats.

This place should be safe.

I wonder if the other demon tree has also come here?

Everything still needs to be done with caution.

Not long after, Li Yi, enduring the excruciating pain and feeling the weakness in his body, spotted the striking red shadow of the banyan tree in the distance and headed straight for the big willow tree.

Not long after passing the red-leaf banyan tree, Li Yi suddenly felt a jolt throughout his body.

The small sword stuck on his back seemed to be emitting light and heat, vibrating slightly, responding to a call from a certain direction.

Li Yi was immediately horrified. Could the old baboon be nearby?

Its movements faltered, and it sank into the mud, becoming still and completely concealing its presence, not wanting any potential enemies to follow it back to the big willow tree.

However, after a while, the tremor dissipated again, as if it were just an illusion created by Li Yi.

But the persistent pain clearly reminded Li Yi that this was not an illusion; the little sword's owner, the old baboon, was nearby.

That direction... seems to be the location of the banyan tree.

After a brief assessment, Li Yi realized he hadn't been exposed and quickly headed towards the large willow tree.

As dusk fell, the swamp was bathed in a golden, orange glow, and even the oppressive, dark poisonous veil was no longer visible.

This is the brief moment when the twilight glow descends, the best time to cultivate this path.

Li Yi's body shifted, and he saw the gloomy willow tree again. He emerged from the mud and crawled into the tree hole.

The white python looked at Li Yi's miserable state in surprise and hurriedly coiled around him, immediately noticing the hideous wound on Li Yi's back.

The wound was ripped open, and the scales along the way were either broken or missing, making it look very horrific.

However, there was not much blood flowing out anymore, and it appeared to be initially healed.

The vertical pupils quickly moved to the small yellow crystal sword embedded in Li Yi's back.

The white python extended the end of its slender tail and slowly coiled around the hilt of the small sword. With just a slight exertion, Li Yi felt a sudden, intense pain.

However, Li Yi managed to hold back, and his body didn't even tremble.

The white python exerted its strength, only to find that the small sword was stuck tightly and could not be pulled out for a moment. Only a winding trail of bright red blood flowed out from the wound.

This is yet another troublesome injury.

Seeing that it could not solve the problem, the white python had no choice but to change its target and use the water flow to cleanse the purple fragment that was deeply embedded in Li Yi's flesh and blood.

A hissing sound echoed in the silent tree hollow, and wisps of white mist appeared.

The white python was somewhat surprised by the activity of the fragment. After suppressing it as much as possible, it learned about everything that Li Yi had encountered through mental communication.

A hint of worry appeared in its bright, vertical pupils.

If a powerful Flamebreath Fox clan were to attack the Great Willow Tree, then it and Li Yi would have no choice but to either flee or be trapped.

After temporarily suppressing their wounds, both Bai Mang and Li Yi were pondering their current situation. Li Yi, in particular, was feeling immense pressure, and the thought of migrating again unconsciously crossed his mind.

However, for now, we can only take it one step at a time.

Migrating to the unknown swampy lands also presents many dangers; who knows what kind of creatures lurk in other places?

As the sun sets and night falls, the old willow tree is unusually quiet.

There is no moon tonight.