A request for recommendation tickets~~~~ …… Having completed all this, Ye Chen turned and left the area. The corpses, cleaved in two, lay starkly on the grass, a gruesome sight; soon, the scent of blood would draw the nearby monsters. Following the direction he had come from, Ye Chen gripped his energy pistol, suppressing his aura as he stalked through the jungle.

He mashed soil and decaying leaves together, smearing them onto his clothes until he exuded a faint stench, masking the smell of blood. He slipped off his boots and proceeded barefoot; given the toughness of the calluses on his soles, he could walk even on steel needles without piercing them, whereas boots would certainly leave tracks. Walking barefoot on the grass felt strangely comfortable, allowing him to feel the sharp, tiny stones embedded beneath.

This deep mountain forest was filled with towering, ancient trees whose dense canopy blocked out most light, leaving only a dim, filtered glow penetrating the leaves. Everything was utterly still, the ground covered in turf and rotting foliage. Ye Chen moved cautiously across the clearing, his eyes sharp.

Not long after, he caught the heavy, fetid scent of decay. He immediately dropped low, crawling into the undergrowth, slowly pushing aside the small grasses before him to peer into the distance. He instantly spotted a vast array of corpses strewn amidst the mud and scrub.

Trees were splintered nearby, and seven or eight large craters scarred the ground—evidence of a fierce battle everywhere. The mass of dead bodies consisted mostly of insects, along with two enormous pythons as thick as a man’s thigh—likely Dark Creatures—that must have encountered some immensely powerful monster while traveling together, resulting in their annihilation. Ye Chen frowned slightly, glancing around but seeing no immediate threats.

He looked upward, but the dense layers of leaves and branches formed an impenetrable ceiling overhead. Slowly, Ye Chen parted the low grasses, pressing his ear to the ground to listen intently. He detected the heavy sound of footsteps about ten li to the east—likely belonging to a very large creature—the sound gradually fading as it moved away from this section of the forest.

Only when the footsteps had completely vanished did Ye Chen slowly climb back to his feet. He skirted around the corpses ahead and moved into the adjacent thicket. After walking only a short distance, he noticed several distinct monster paw prints.

Based on his experience, he identified the tracks belonging to several different creatures. The least imposing set was left by a Crystalline-Claw Beast, the prints shallow and scratchy, resembling a chicken's claw. Ye Chen recalled that a Crystalline-Claw Beast at Level 1H3 possessed a Physique level of 18.

With a sudden surge of movement, he began tracking the faint trail it had left. After a moment of pursuit, he abruptly caught a strong whiff of blood ahead. His heart tightened.

He quietly dropped and concealed himself in a pile of grass, peering through the gaps in the blades. Beneath a massive tree, he saw a creature three feet tall, shaped somewhat like a dog, possessing sharp claws, fur the color of chaos (dun), and a slender tongue that ended in a serpent’s head. Its mouth was lined with a row of tiny, gear-shaped fangs—truly terrifying!

(Excerpt from Chronicles of the Exotic Beasts) “Poison-Cache Beast!” Ye Chen’s eyes narrowed as he recognized the monster. This was an extremely powerful beast; few of this species existed globally, yet in the later stages of the apocalypse, the Poison-Cache lineage ranked exceptionally high among monstrous races, making them notoriously difficult to provoke! The Chronicles of the Exotic Beasts states: There is a beast named Poison-Cache (dú zàng), which conceals (cáng) itself in the abyssal depths, feeding on hearts, remaining immortal for a thousand years.

In his previous life, Ye Chen had encountered this creature while training in a relic-bound secret realm. They had guarded a ruined temple in groups. If he hadn't fled quickly enough, he might have met his end there.

The Poison-Cache Beast before him was clearly in its initial stage; it lacked the robust physique and imposing aura of a fully matured specimen, its Physique level hovering around 45. The serpentine head in its mouth could spit venom. Once it evolved into its complete form, it would resemble the description in the Chronicles.

Whether this discrepancy was coincidence or due to some underlying reason remained unclear. All animals experienced mutations during the outbreak. For example, the Three-Tailed Silver Hound, through subsequent evolution, would develop four, then five tails, eventually reaching the pinnacle of nine tails and three heads!

In Greek mythology, the nine-tailed, three-headed Moon Hound was the temple guardian of a deity! However, that was mythology, and the Moon Hound existed only in legend. Even after seven or eight years, the Three-Tailed Silver Hound would only evolve to nine tails, retaining a single head.

The notion of nine tails and three heads was merely a deduction made by researchers based on data from ancient ruins and genetic inference. At that moment, the Poison-Cache Beast was gnawing on a corpse—precisely the Crystalline-Claw Beast he had been tracking. Ye Chen’s eyes shifted.

He held his breath completely, emitting not the slightest trace of presence. In terms of sheer danger... this Poison-Cache Beast surpassed even the Three-Eyed Wolf!

Before long, the beast finished devouring the nutrient-rich parts of the Crystalline-Claw Beast—the heart and brain marrow. It let out a satisfied howl, shook its body, and lumbered away into the distance. Only after it had completely departed did Ye Chen slowly draw a breath, his tension easing.

He stood up swiftly and sprinted toward the distance; the scent of blood here would attract other Dark Creatures soon. He proceeded cautiously for a short while, passing numerous shattered limbs and remains, until Ye Chen finally spotted the edge of the old forest. He crept out stealthily.

Just beyond the tree line lay a large patch of dead Dark Ants, their demise appearing exceptionally gruesome—killed by some unknown creature, it was impossible to tell by whom. Ye Chen bypassed the corpses and sprinted onward. Before long, he entered Jiangya Temple, a location within the Mentougou District of Beijing, not far from the main Base City.

The Huaxia Base City was established centering around Panlong Mountain near Longquan Temple, radiating outward. Five li to the west lay a large river, which served as the heart of the Production Department, providing exceptionally convenient access to water! The virus did more than just cause humans and monsters to evolve; even flora, the air, and water were altered by its presence.

Certain unique water sources, upon ingestion, could enhance one’s physical constitution—much like how bread made with tap water tastes different from bread made with pure well water. Some water sources could improve one’s physique, while others became lethally poisonous, killing instantly upon contact! However, these magically potent water sources were rare and small-scale.

Vast water resources like the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, or the oceans remained unchanged by the virus, retaining their original properties. Only small sources, like wells or ponds, would undergo these peculiar transformations. Ye Chen stood near Jiangya Temple.

The area was desolate, marked by patches of dried, black blood across the ground, remnants of hair—some human, some monstrous—along with clear signs of battle and countless corpses of dark insects. He moved lightly through the rubble and broken walls. There was no food nearby, nor any sign of living monsters, only the usual debris of Dark Creature consumption, including bones picked clean, stained with dried blood.

After walking a short distance, Ye Chen reached the edge of a highway. In a swift motion, he leaped up more than ten meters, catching hold of the guardrail with his hand. Using his arm strength, he hauled himself up and vaulted onto the road surface.

The moment his feet landed, he saw vehicles stopped haphazardly across the highway. Several large trucks lay overturned, crushed flat against smaller sedans, flattening them into metal pancakes.