Tian Jing looked at the gap flowing down the mountain to the right. That direction led to the direction of Kushan. She hadn't expected that the source of the Ku River, which she couldn't get used to, was such a beautiful place.
Looking again in the direction where the wolves had left, Tian Jing worried, "Then, is the water we drink their bathwater?"
"Probably not. From this view, the lake is bottomless. Let's follow the wolves and see."
Li Zhengguo's tone was not very confident. He was also worried they were drinking the animals' bathwater.
"Okay."
Tian Jing pulled him and quickly chased after the wolf pack.
When the wolf pack saw her chasing them, they immediately stopped and surrounded the wolf.
Tian Jing waved her hand, "Let's go see your den."
The wolf pack immediately became tense and guarded.
This scene made Li Zhengguo chuckle.
"Tiantian, they think you want to raid their den because there are cubs left behind."
Tian Jing reached out and tugged at the corner of his mouth, "This arc is suspicious."
Li Zhengguo... Tiantian's eyes were indeed sharp.
Turning her head, Tian Jing said to the lead wolf, "I want to see where you bathe. I don't want to drink your bathwater."
The lead wolf whimpered at the wolves beside it, then turned and ran forward again.
Tian Jing pulled Li Zhengguo to follow.
The wolf pack only stopped after they had crossed two mountain ridges.
The scenery before them stunned Tian Jing and Li Zhengguo.
This was a wide and beautiful valley, vibrant with life like spring. In the center of the green grassland was a large pond with rising steam, surrounded by yellow pebbles of varying depths.
In the distance, there was also green and rising steam.
The air was filled with a faint smell of rotten eggs.
Hot springs?
Tian Jing shook Li Zhengguo's arm, "What do we do? I want to claim this place."
"Divide the area with them."
Li Zhengguo also fancied this place, especially its location. He turned to look behind him.
Tian Jing also turned with his movement, "Eagle's Beak?"
"Yes, this place, directly opposite Eagle's Beak. If people really lived here, then this would have been the territory of those who lived here."
"Let's go up and take a look first."
Without waiting for Li Zhengguo's reply, Tian Jing pulled him and ran towards the Eagle's Beak direction, "Wolf King, we'll be back soon."
Using the mountain vegetation, her ability was used to its fullest on her feet. Tian Jing quickly brought Li Zhengguo to the top of the eagle's beak.
Here was a suspended platform of over two hundred square meters, with cliffs on three sides. At the eagle's head were three interconnected caves with arched entrances.
Tian Jing looked south. South was the tip of the eagle's beak. To the east stood a pine tree growing in the rock. Its straight and weathered trunk clearly showed the ravages of many years.
"Wait for me, I'll go communicate with this pine tree."
Tian Jing released Li Zhengguo's hand and walked towards the pine tree, placing her hand on its rough trunk. As soon as she outputted her ability, it was frantically absorbed.
Caught off guard, Tian Jing had more than half of her ability drained. Unable to retract her hand, she had no choice but to release her ability shield to block her contact with the pine tree, then immediately retreated.
Li Zhengguo, who had been watching her, immediately noticed something was wrong with Tian Jing. He ran over but was blocked by Tian Jing's ability shield.
"Tiantian, are you alright?" Li Zhengguo looked at Tian Jing, who had a guarded expression, and was very worried.
"I'm fine." Tian Jing removed her ability shield and pulled Li Zhengguo back to the middle of the platform, then breathed a sigh of relief.
"What's wrong?" When he could touch her, Li Zhengguo immediately pulled her into his embrace.
"That pine tree is strange. It absorbed a large amount of my ability. I suspect it has mutated."
"Mutated plant?"
"It's different from those in the apocalypse. It's probably due to its long age. I wonder if its roots have a crystal nucleus?"
Li Zhengguo put down his backpack and drew his wood-cutting knife, "We'll know if we cut it. If it has one, it'll be perfect for replenishing the ability stolen from you."
No one could bully his Tiantian, not even this ancient mutated tree that was about to become sentient.
"Okay." Tian Jing smiled, "You cut it. I can't control it."
"Alright, don't use your ability randomly on this platform. Its roots might extend anywhere. Be careful."
"Okay, you be careful too."
Li Zhengguo gripped the knife with both hands and steadily approached the pine tree.
Tian Jing paid attention to her surroundings and looked at the pine tree. As Li Zhengguo swung his knife, Tian Jing heard a plea.
Unexpectedly, she could hear the pine tree's voice without touching it. However, she pretended not to hear. It deserved to be chopped for stealing her ability without a word.
"Li Zhengguo, chop hard, chop it to death. We'll plant a new small one. I'll use my ability to nourish and accelerate its growth. It can be as big or as tall as we want."
"Okay."
"No!"
Li Zhengguo and the pine tree's voices sounded at the same time. Li Zhengguo, unable to hear the pine tree's voice, continued to hack at the same spot with his knife. Soon, a deep gash appeared at the base of the pine tree.
"Don't chop anymore, it hurts so much. Little girl, tell this man to stop chopping. It hurts."
"Humph!" Tian Jing snorted. Her man was taking revenge for her after it stole her ability. Why should she stop him?
Tian Jing's snort let the pine tree know that Tian Jing could hear its voice.
It immediately pleaded, "Stop chopping, I was wrong. I've been hungry for a very, very long time. What you give me is very delicious, so I couldn't help but eat a bit more. I'll give it back to you. Tell this man to stop chopping."
"You've been hungry for a very, very long time? What did you eat a long, long time ago? Wasn't it just water and fertilizer?"
"No, it was something very delicious."
"Who gave it to you?"
"My master."
"Then where is your master?"
"Dead."
"What did your master's food look like?"
"I don't know. Master brewed it. Yes, it was something he failed to brew."
While Tian Jing was talking with the pine tree, Li Zhengguo had already stopped chopping. After all, Tiantian liked trees, and if this pine tree could communicate, it would be the best.
Tian Jing beckoned to Li Zhengguo, who sheathed his wood-cutting knife and walked over. "It begged for mercy?"
"Of course. My man avenged me, so how could it not beg for mercy?"
Li Zhengguo extended his arms and tightly embraced his Tiantian. Did Tiantian just admit he was hers? "Say it again."
"What?" Tian Jing was stunned.
"You said I am your man." Li Zhengguo's voice was a little nervous.
"Of course, if you're not my man, whose man are you?"
"Tiantian." Li Zhengguo lowered his head and kissed the person in his arms.
Tian Jing stood on tiptoe, fitting herself more perfectly against this man.
"So shy."
A childish voice entered Tian Jing's ears, startling her into pushing Li Zhengguo away. "Pine tree?"
"It's me, my name is Little Pine."
"Then what about your previous voice?"
"Don't humans think that being old means being reliable?"
"I don't think so. Did your master say that?"
"Yes, he said he went down the mountain to save people. The ignorant villagers below didn't believe him. So he disguised himself as a very old man and went down the mountain. After he came back, he was very happy."