From Swamp Dog to Crocodile Ancestor

In Li Yi's eyes, the swamp was now shrouded in an invisible gloom. Although the swamp was still the same as before, and even brighter in Li Yi's eyes, the gloom was still there.

On a new day, Li Yi basked in the sun under the big willow tree. After a while, it looked back at the glowing tree hole, then swayed and burrowed into the mud.

The white python has recently made a new discovery and is currently cultivating in a tree hollow.

In Li Yi's eyes, it was refining the moonlight into the flowing water, and the twilight glow into the flames.

Li Yi couldn't see this strange change clearly; it was like looking at flowers through a fog. But judging from the white python's state, it should be a good thing.

Perhaps it's because of its bloodline.

In Li Yi's eyes, the swamp was now a place where danger lurked everywhere.

Although things are still peaceful and quiet, with all sorts of swamp creatures active, Li Yi is extremely cautious.

It no longer even dares to expose itself freely when hunting.

The green crocodile died under the big willow tree. The white python had cleaned up the bloodstains around it and used water and fire to refine the green crocodile's huge flesh and blood to make reserve food for Li Yi.

With this support, Li Yi no longer needed to recklessly hunt around.

After a long while, the wind and water calmed down, the yellow mist over the swamp swayed slightly, and a pitch-black head silently emerged from the mud, opening its eyes and looking ahead.

It was an ancient tree that looked somewhat withered from the outside. Its exposed roots were complex and twisted, with a blackened surface, and its crown was completely bare.

The glossy, blade-like leaves had mostly fallen and were scattered around the Devil Tree, whose trunk was cracked, from which flowed a blood-like liquid.

Although it looks withered and lifeless, it is not completely dead; rather, it is like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Li Yi could now clearly sense the fluctuations within its body, hidden yet unleashed, like some lurking behemoth revealing its broken side.

"Croak!"

A grayish-green toad hopped out of the swamp, landed on a withered leaf, looked around, and then stayed under the tree.

Li Yi stared at it for a long time, but knowing that his methods were no longer effective against the Demon Tree, he had no choice but to turn around and leave.

Braving the danger, Li Yi headed towards his former lair.

That immortal ancient monster is most likely lingering nearby, and who knows what it has become.

Yellow mist began to gather around Li Yi, creating a hazy scene. It only wanted to take a look from afar and confirm the situation there.

It felt uneasy until it checked carefully.

This time, far away, Li Yi opened his brownish-yellow eyes amidst the yellow mist, his nictitating membrane slowly opening as he stared into the distance.

The entrance to the nest had been enlarged considerably, its edges covered with rough cuts and many marks left by some abomination's limbs.

Besides that, what attracted Li Yi even more were the red hairs around the nest.

They were scattered throughout many places nearby, and Li Yi would not have been able to spot them at all if his eyesight hadn't been so sharp.

The vibrant red color instantly reminded Li Yi of the red-haired Flame Breath Fox Clan, whose fur was identical in both length and color.

Have the Flamebreath Fox Clan arrived here?

Li Yi couldn't help but suspect, and the current traces were enough to confirm it all.

Tall cedar trees, purple fireballs, spears gleaming with orange light... the scene of the fierce battle from before reappeared before Li Yi's eyes.

Why did they come here?

Was it for the swarm of escaped baboons? Or for what was on his body?

Li Yi recalled the old fox's astonished face during the battle with the cedar tree, and the scenes from that time, and began to think coldly.

They're probably after me.

According to the toad, the thing inside his body was a fragment of the Flame Breath Fox Clan's spiritual treasure, the Flame Breath Pearl. As the main branch of the Flame Breath Fox Clan, the old fox probably wouldn't let this go.

However, the group of red foxes seemed to have suffered a setback here, with many of their companions dying.

After observing for a while, Li Yi silently turned and left, heading towards the direction of the red-leaf banyan tree.

The baboons remained the same as before, and were even in better condition. The changes in the Devil Tree, the appearance of the ancient strange insects, and even the Flame Breath Fox Clan that quietly arrived here did not disturb them.

On the contrary, thanks to the rooting of the Devil Tree, they had a more stable food source, and they all looked much healthier.

The one-armed old baboon, barely visible, stood expressionless atop the red banyan tree, occasionally sweeping its sharp gaze across the swamp.

Before long, Li Yi did not approach, but turned and headed towards the grove of fruit trees.

It had already caught the scent of baboons along the way, and it seemed that it had just encountered them picking fruit.

Not long after heading towards the fruit bushes, Li Yi spotted a group of baboons walking towards him.

The lead baboon was quite powerful, at the sixth level of the Qi Refining stage. There were also two other baboons at the first or second level of the Qi Refining stage, and the rest were ordinary baboons.

A black figure silently approached, and the swamp was immediately enveloped in a thick yellow fog.

The lead baboon suddenly widened its eyes, its pupils bobbing back and forth in its square eye sockets, and the fruit in its hand fell to the ground.

Before long, a series of sharp screeching sounds were drowned out by the thick yellow fog.

When the yellow mist dissipated, Li Yi left the place contentedly, with two baboons at the first or second level of Qi Refining inside his stomach.

It's a pretty good blood food.

After surveying his territory, Li Yi calmed down and realized that the situation wasn't as bad as he had imagined.

A slightly cold, delicate body pressed against him. The water, shimmering with moonlight at the tip of the white python's tail, gently seeped into Li Yi's flesh, suppressing the increasingly restless burning pain.

Li Yi continued to think.

The ancient, strange insect's range of activity was unexpectedly small. It couldn't predict the behavior logic of this bizarre life form, not even the Foundation Establishment stage toad knew it, let alone itself.

However, judging from the current situation, the Devil Tree is undergoing a transformation, and the ancient monsters are staying near their nests and not coming out, making this swamp unexpectedly calm.

It's unclear how long this calm will last.

A day passed quickly, and the white python once again slithered out from the big willow tree, its tail wrapped around a piece of fresh-looking green crocodile flesh, which it then threw into Li Yi's mouth.

Shortly afterward, dusk fell, and the white python opened its vertical pupils wide, staring at the golden sunset in a way that was contrary to the normal behavior of living beings, its body frozen in place.

A faint glow of twilight emanated from the white python, carrying with it a scorching heat.

Li Yi sensed that his internal injuries were being affected, so he quickly turned around and returned to the cave.