Just as these two Rantail Beasts lost their targets, Fang Senyan leaped out from behind the sheltering tree, feigning panic as he bolted away!

The remaining two Rantail Beasts immediately abandoned their heavily injured companion and pursued without hesitation! As they moved, they gave the impression of snakes gliding through water, their entire bodies writhing, yet carrying a silent threat and swiftness; such powerful behemoths traversed the dense jungle without making the slightest sound.

However, they stopped after chasing less than fifty meters.

Because a dense rustling sound was reaching them from all directions—a sound so fine and close, like spring rain falling, like silkworms chewing leaves, yet vast and boundless, surging in from every side. Soon, pinpricks of red light appeared in the darkness, arrayed in perfect alignment, conveying an intimidating, almost military composure and ferocity at a single glance!

At this moment, Fang Senyan, who had been running ahead, stopped and turned back to look coldly at the two powerful beasts. But the Rantail Beasts could no longer pursue him.

Because they were already completely surrounded by an astonishing number of Thanator beasts, packed so tightly that not even a whisper of wind could penetrate.

To these mighty creatures, a single Thanator was only fit to occupy the lower echelons of the food chain. Yet, when such fearless and utterly savage organisms gathered in sufficient numbers, they became the terrifying nightmare of any living being!

Fang Senyan slightly raised his chin, and all the Thanators lunged forward simultaneously!

Five minutes later, one Rantail Beast had been reduced to a pile of white bones, while the other, under the relentless assault of dozens of Thanators, let out ear-splitting howls. Just then, the injured Old Murbo hurried over. Upon seeing the Rantail Beast being savagely attacked by the Thanators and barely clinging to life, he stared intently for a moment, and his face suddenly registered terror, surprise, grief, and shock. He abruptly inquired in Na’vi:

“Eym-tah-tah?”

After Old Murbo uttered that single name, the heavily wounded monster froze, allowing the Thanators to tear at its body uncontested. Fang Senyan's eyes lit up, and he immediately ordered the Thanators to cease their attack; the creature was already meat on the chopping block and certainly wouldn't escape his grasp.

He had always felt there was something deeply suspicious about this sudden monster attack. Under normal circumstances, creatures smelling the scent of the insect species would keep their distance, as the sheer madness and violence conveyed within that scent were often too much for them to bear. But why would these three monsters dare to attack him so abruptly? There was a thick scent of conspiracy surrounding the matter! If he could uncover the truth, he might at least avoid repeating the mistake.

Although Old Murbo was emotionally agitated upon seeing what appeared to be an acquaintance, the old rogue’s hardened nature remained completely intact; he certainly wouldn't gamble with his own life. This one man and one beast exchanged hesitant sounds for a long time. It seemed that with every word spoken, Murbo moved back a few centimeters from the Rantail Beast, appearing terrified of being counter-attacked and having to pay the ultimate price… Fortunately, the Rantail Beast’s vitality seemed incredibly tenacious; despite blood pooling all over the ground, it showed no sign of drawing its last breath.

Finally, after a long while that tested Fang Senyan's patience, Old Murbo stood up, took a deep breath, and spoke with a tone of solemn gravity, as if ready to face death for a noble cause:

“You go and see!”

As he uttered those two words, he simultaneously pointed his finger at a stunned tribesman standing nearby…

The surrounding people were left speechless. Even Jin Kuang had apparently jumped out from somewhere, shaking his head and screaming the word “Shameless!” through clenched teeth.

It seemed that among the Na’vi, there was no concept of the leaders being flawed leading to flawed followers. The designated warrior of the Ta’lung tribe, however, was remarkably brave and willingly accepted the task. After Old Murbo gave the order, he was stunned for less than a second before immediately nodding. He first embraced his companion, exchanging cheek kisses, then drew the bone blade from the sheath on his chest and cautiously approached with his feet turned outward in a guarded stance. The Rantail Beast remained completely still, maintaining its deathly appearance.

The Ta’lung warrior turned back to look at Old Murbo with a questioning expression. Old Murbo immediately reached up and made a motion behind his head. Fang Senyan didn't quite understand the meaning of the gesture, but he quickly understood that he had forgotten one thing: most creatures on Pandora possessed a universal "USB port"—their neural queue. By connecting them, direct mind communication was possible…

((??? I couldn't think of a more fitting term for this… Comrades who don’t understand should rewatch the original movie, hehe.))

Fang Senyan watched as the Ta’lung warrior connected his queue to the creature’s head tendril. Initially, the warrior showed no reaction, but then his face slowly contorted into an expression of profound terror, as if something overwhelmingly frightening was imprinted there, causing him to frantically wave his hands to drive it away. But after a moment, his expression became blank, and then he closed his eyes.

When the Ta’lung warrior opened his eyes again, it was clear that the pupils in his eyes seemed to have vanished, leaving behind only a darkness like a bottomless pit. His voice became deep and melancholic:

“It’s been so many years, and you are still just as cowardly and afraid to die, Murbo.”

Old Murbo grunted in response:

“Eym-tah-tah, if you've come only to exchange these platitudes, then you can leave my kinsman’s body.”

Eym-tah-tah turned his gaze toward Fang Senyan, staring intently for a while before slowly saying:

“I never imagined that such weak outsiders as yourselves could force our Mosak Clan into this desperate situation!”

Fang Senyan replied calmly:

“The greatest strength comes from wisdom, not fangs, sharp teeth, or muscle.”

Eym-tah-tah lowered his eyes. After a long pause, he spoke again:

“What must you have for you to cease your path of destruction and slaughter?”

Fang Senyan stated calmly:

“Enough blood has been spilled. Most of your clansmen that I captured are not dead; they have joined the Ta’lung Tribe. Once K’iir-u’lok is dead, I will leave.”

Eym-tah-tah gave a bitter laugh:

“That is impossible. K’iir-u’lok’s prestige and power are far beyond our capacity to resist!”

Fang Senyan asked with curiosity:

“Who asked you to resist him? K’iir-u’lok’s life belongs to me! Your own legs are attached to your bodies; must you confront him head-on even when trying to escape?”

Eym-tah-tah mused:

“You mean… if we leave, you won’t stop us?”

Fang Senyan nodded:

“Correct! My kinsmen were devoured alive by the Mosak Clan; all of this is K’iir-u’lok’s sin. The Mosak Clan has bled enough already, and I do not wish for any more innocent lives to be lost. As long as K’iir-u’lok does not escape, I will not interfere. After killing him, there will be no problem for you to return to the Windstone Highlands.”

Eym-tah-tah sounded doubtful:

“How can I trust you?”

Fang Senyan smiled, his words imbued with a touch of proud certainty: “Firstly, I have no need to lie to you; even without your help, I can kill K’iir-u’lok. Secondly, if you truly do not believe me, you can ask Old Murbo if I have ever lied. The Ta’lung Tribe gaining the protection of the Toruk skull totem, and the healing of Old Murbo’s son’s legs—which of these great deeds was not orchestrated by me?”

“What?! You managed to achieve both those things?” Eym-tah-tah, who had remained utterly indifferent until now, was suddenly moved. He couldn't help but turn to Old Murbo: “Is what he says true? Dare you swear upon the soul of your deceased wife?”

Old Murbo glanced at Fang Senyan, his expression complex:

“I swear before Eywa, the Na’vi god, that it is true, or may the soul of my wife never rest in the deep earth.”

Eym-tah-tah nodded toward Fang Senyan:

“I hope you are a man of your word.”

Fang Senyan suddenly inquired:

“What price do you pay to possess the body of another person or beast like this?”

Eym-tah-tah answered frankly:

“Life. Five years of life for every body transfer!”

Then he abruptly slumped onto the ground, resting his head against the tree trunk, and began humming a faint song—a melody tinged with both strangeness, sorrow, and peace. As the sound gradually faded, his eyes closed, looking entirely serene. After a short interval, the Na’vi youth suddenly sprang up from the ground, shouting repeatedly:

“The Tree of Souls in the water, the Tree of Souls in the water.”

The young man trembled violently all over while shouting, white foam oozing from the corners of his mouth. After a while, he calmed down. Evidently, the soul of the brave young man had returned to his body, and Fang Senyan saw that the Rantail Beast was clearly long dead.

The other Rantail Beast, which had been fatally wounded by that shot from md, should only have been gravely injured, not dead, but it too lay stiffly in place, looking very strange. However, it seemed the meat of this particular beast was highly favored by the insect species, as the Thanators were unwilling to eat it themselves, instead finding a suitable host to send it back to their leader, Blackthorn.

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