Chapter 155 - 154: Summoned Partner

Chapter 155: Chapter 154: Summoned Partner

"It’s been so long since I last stepped on moist earth." Chairman Wu looked dazed.

"Indeed. We usually wade through water when we travel. Walking on actual mud feels completely different," Vice President Zhao sighed.

Shortly after, they began unloading various supplies from the boat, piling them together.

"Boss, it’s hard to find even a rocky crevice to shelter from the wind and rain around here. We need to find a safe refuge first." Xu Ming frowned as he looked at the soft mud beneath his feet and the bare, heavily weathered cliffs above, which had been eroded out of shape by the elements.

The nearby mountains resembled the landforms of Zhangjiajie. Although many areas were flooded, the undulating peaks were vast, and the unflooded surface area was still quite large. They were surrounded by a forest of towering, straight-edged stone pillars, peak walls, and mesas.

The highest peak was still over two hundred meters above the water’s surface, and most areas were at least a hundred meters up. Without the boat, everyone would definitely have to stay here to rest and recover. Of course, between the stone pillars and mountain peaks, there were still gentle passageways and relatively dense vegetation. They were currently situated right between two mountain peaks.

Where to set up camp and establish a base became everyone’s new problem.

"Let me try," Han Ning said, gesturing for everyone to stay calm. He walked alone to a relatively dry clearing near the cliff face.

Under the gazes of dozens of people—looks mixed with confusion and curiosity—he crouched down, extended his hands palms down, and pressed them against the damp earth.

Emerald light flowed from his palms, dancing between his fingers and tracing out arcane, complex, ancient sigils. With Han Ning’s hands as the epicenter, a strange fluctuation silently rippled outward. The entire mountain became a medium for transmitting information.

Maintaining his posture on the ground, Han Ning closed his eyes slightly. All his Mental Power extended outward along with the spreading fluctuations, like countless invisible roots plunging deep into this disaster-ravaged land. Through the resonance of natural will, he called out to the ancient and friendly creatures in these mountains—partners who breathed with the earth and shared the fate of the forest.

Time ticked by. The hillside was so quiet that only the whimpering wind brushing past the rocks and the distant crashing of waves could be heard.

Just as everyone grew increasingly bewildered about what Han Ning was doing, a series of sounds interrupted the silence.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Heavy footsteps echoed from the depths of the dense forest on the eastern side of the mountain range. A massive figure parted the low-hanging canopy and slowly appeared in everyone’s line of sight.

It stood five meters tall with a generally humanoid silhouette, but its entire body was covered in tough, dark red bark. Its thick main trunk was gnarled and twisted, densely covered with sharp, inverted thorns. Its arms were formed from several thick branches twisted together, and its legs were like the roots of an ancient tree plunging deep into the earth, kicking up large clumps of soil with every step. Its head lacked distinct facial features. Instead, two spots of emerald light tinged with red flickered faintly in what looked like eye sockets, conveying its emotions.

The natural will relayed the information about the Treant to Han Ning, stating, "Ironthorn Tree Demon, a mutated Extraordinary Plant living on this island."

"GARU..."

The Ironthorn Tree Demon let out a sound like the rustling of leaves and branches. It stopped a few meters in front of Han Ning and leaned forward slightly, performing a gesture akin to a bow. A scent of damp soil after rain mixed with the fresh fragrance of trees wafted over them.

"My god..." Vice President Zhao sucked in a breath of cold air and subconsciously clenched his remaining right fist. Steam began to rise uncontrollably from his body.

This massive Treant exerted a pressure on him that was in no way inferior to the Four-armed Black Snake Leader from before. Many people instinctively assumed combat stances.

"Don’t panic. It seems very friendly toward Han Ning," Lin Qianqian, who understood Han Ning better than most, said, stopping everyone from acting.

"Don’t be nervous!" Han Ning called out to reassure them. "It’s my friend."

He walked toward the Ironthorn Tree Demon, a sincere smile appearing on his face. "Thank you for making the trip here."

Saying this, he took the backpack Professor Ye was carrying, pulled out a box containing High-Energy Soil, opened the lid, and offered it to the creature. A Treant would definitely like dirt. It was best to cater to its tastes.

"GARU." The Ironthorn Tree Demon reached out its large, branch-formed hand and took the box of soil. It extended a single twig, poked it into the soil, and took a moment to sense it.

The sheen of the dark red bark on the Tree Demon’s torso seemed to grow richer, and the green light in its eye sockets softened. It let out a low, satisfied hum to express its gratitude.

Right at that moment, a high-frequency yet gentle flapping sound echoed from above the dense forest on the northern side of the mountain range. It sounded like countless tiny wind chimes ringing all at once.

BUZZ... BUZZ...

A yellow-and-black-striped shadow, resembling a nimble ball of yarn, made a few deft bounds between the treetops and landed lightly in front of Han Ning.

It was a giant bee, nearly a meter tall and so fat it was almost perfectly round. Its entire body was covered in fluffy, soft, bright yellow fuzz. Its huge compound eyes were like two pieces of pure obsidian, twinkling with curiosity, and the relatively short wings on its back stirred up a blurry afterimage as they flapped rapidly.

The most striking feature was the two pairs of front limbs on its upper body. Instead of the slender structure common to bees, they had evolved to be thicker and more dexterous. Right now, they were firmly gripping a slender, smoothly polished branch with a sharp tip, looking much like a tiny Long Spear. Comically, a small pouch woven from flexible vines was tied around its waist, swaying back and forth with its movements.

"Ah! It’s a giant bee!" Xu Yinyin’s eyes instantly lit up when she saw the bee’s endearingly chubby appearance.

"COO?"

The fat bee blinked its massive black eyes, tilted its perfectly round head to study Han Ning, and then extended its spear-like branch, pointing it in Han Ning’s direction as if greeting him like a human. Then, acting entirely on its own, it plopped down onto the muddy ground and began to play with the branch in its hands, as if it were some peerless treasure.

"Hello there, little guy." Han Ning was amused by its adorable demeanor. A faint smile broke across his face as he took out a few Black Snake Energy Crystal Stones and placed them in front of it, figuring a bee probably wouldn’t want to eat dirt.

"COO! COO COO!"

The fat bee’s antennae immediately began to twitch at a high frequency. It was obvious that it quite liked the gift. It put down the branch, scooped up a Crystal Stone with its front limbs, and brought it close to its compound eyes for a careful inspection before gingerly stowing it away. No one could clearly see where it had hidden the stones. Perhaps they were buried in its fluffy fuzz, or maybe it had stuffed them into the vine pouch at its waist.

After accepting the gift, it seemed even happier. It buzzed two small laps around Han Ning’s feet before suddenly remembering something. It ducked its head and started rummaging through its vine pouch.

A moment later, it pulled out an object about the size of a palm that had solidified into an amber-colored crystal. Holding it with two front limbs as if offering a priceless treasure, it presented the item to Han Ning. An incredibly sweet scent, infused with the aromas of various exotic flowers and vegetation, wafted through the air. It overpowered the surrounding smell of muddy water and moisture, instantly invigorating the exhausted survivors.

"Is this... honey you made?" Han Ning took the heavy Honey Crystal. Feeling the gentle yet active Natural Energy contained within it, he asked warmly.

It seemed like a great item. The energy flowing through it alone was no weaker than that of a standard Energy Crystal Stone.

"COO!" The fat bee nodded its round head emphatically, its antennae swaying happily.