"But we searched for so long and only saw that rabbit at the entrance of the forest. How can we find food and water?" Ma Huai looked at her doubtfully.
Bai Ran chuckled, "They've already told us."
"They?" Ran Shuang asked, puzzled. "Who are they?"
Bai Ran then crouched down and scooped up a handful of soil. "Everything in the forest."
Ma Huai leaned closer to the soil, looking from side to side. "Isn't this just ordinary dirt?"
Bai Ran shook her head. "The soil is covered with moss. Moss likes shade and moisture."
Ran Shuang immediately understood Bai Ran's meaning. "You mean! Near where the moss grows, there must be a water source!"
Sun Jianning raised his hand. "But it could also be groundwater, the kind that's not drinkable?"
Bai Ran smiled. "Then we'll rely on the forest animals."
With a flick of her wrist, a silver needle shot out and pierced a branch of a tree.
"Thump—!" A long, slender little snake fell down.
"A snake!" The disciples were startled.
"It's too small, otherwise we could eat it..." Ma Huai looked regretfully at the wriggling little snake.
Ran Shuang shot him a glance. "Are you starving? Why do you want to eat everything you see?"
"Animals live near water. Where there are animals, there is moss, which means the moss isn't growing because of groundwater," Bai Ran said.
"Walk in the direction where the moss is growing," she pointed in a direction.
The disciples immediately regained their spirit and marched in that direction.
Before long, a clear lake appeared before them.
"Wow! It's a lake!"
"Captain is amazing!"
The disciples scattered, filling their water bottles.
Bai Ran scanned the surroundings. "Remember the location of this place."
"Aren't we staying here overnight?" Wen Hongyi asked, having just finished filling a bottle.
"In the forest, water sources are extremely important. Large demonic beasts and spiritual beasts will inhabit areas near water. If you want to be attacked in the middle of the night, then by all means, stay," Bai Ran raised an eyebrow.
Wen Hongyi's expression stiffened. "Let's find somewhere else to stay..."
After filling their water bottles, the disciples stood before Bai Ran, satisfied.
"Are we going to find food next?" Ma Huai asked excitedly.
Bai Ran nodded and tossed him a porcelain bottle. "Sprinkle the contents on the bank."
Ma Huai opened the bottle and looked at the yellowish-brown powder inside with curiosity. "Captain Bai, what is this?"
"Beast-attracting powder," she said, leaping onto a tree trunk.
Upon hearing this, Ma Huai was so excited he almost threw the bottle. It was actually beast-attracting powder! He had only heard of it in legends—powder made from the Beast-Attracting Pill!
Beast-attracting powder is made with spiritual herbs that beasts love, making it extremely attractive to them.
However, the difficulty in making beast-attracting powder lies in the sheer variety of beasts and the countless spiritual herbs they favor.
Selecting from such a vast array of spiritual herbs to create a scent that any beast would love is a considerable challenge.
Ma Huai carefully sprinkled the powder on the bank. "Captain Bai! What now?"
Ran Shuang sighed. "Of course, we hide and wait for demonic beasts to appear." Did he become an idiot?
Upon hearing this, the disciples quickly climbed trees and hid behind the leaves, not daring to make a sound.
Before long, a spotted leopard was attracted by the scent and came looking.
"Don't move!" Ran Shuang whispered. "It's a high-tier demonic beast, a spotted leopard!"
Bai Ran narrowed her eyes. Just as the spotted leopard was sniffing the beast-attracting powder, she swiftly shot out three silver needles.
"Bang—!" A sound of something falling to the ground echoed.
Bai Ran leaped down and retrieved her needles. "Do the same. For your next meal, you're on your own."
She took out eight bottles of beast-attracting powder and placed them before everyone. "No giving food to others. If you can't hunt, you starve."
The disciples' eyes widened, stunned by Bai Ran's generosity.
Eight bottles of beast-attracting powder! That could buy a luxurious small house!
"Captain Bai, I love you!"
"Oh my god, we'll have meat if we follow Captain Bai!"
Each disciple clutched their bottle, unable to put it down.
"Spread out," Bai Ran commanded, and they took their bottles to slightly more distant locations to hunt.
Meanwhile, Bai Ran released her spiritual power to cover every disciple.
Once a high-tier spiritual beast appeared, she would detect it immediately, thus ensuring their safety.
"I didn't expect this, little one, you know quite a lot," Xiao Zi teased her.
"Our master is amazing!" Shi Tian raised his chin proudly, brimming with pride for his master.
Bai Ran leaned against a tree and took a fruit from her spatial ring to eat. "There are no demonic beasts around here. Did you do this?"
The poisonous scales trembled its tail guiltily. "Master, I didn't mean to..."
Du Lin was a fierce beast by nature. When it was young, it was fine, but as it grew, its bloodline pressure gradually manifested.
When they first entered the forest, Du Lin's emanating pressure had scared away many demonic and spiritual beasts, which was why the team found nothing.
"For the time being, you will stay in the spatial ring."
Bai Ran was eating her fruit when she suddenly sat up straight.
A spiritual beast had appeared!
Bai Ran leaped down from the tree and flew towards the direction of the spiritual beast at full speed.
On the other side, Ran Shuang hid nervously in a tree, hardly daring to breathe as she watched the spiritual beast below.
It was a mid-tier spiritual beast... a bone-gnawing wolf...
The strength of a mid-tier spiritual beast was equivalent to a human at the seventh or eighth stage of the God Transformation realm. Coupled with the inherent ferocity of a beast, she definitely couldn't win...
Don't discover me! Don't discover me! Ran Shuang pressed herself against the tree.
But when one is nervous, mistakes are easily made.
Ran Shuang's foot slipped, and she snapped a branch.
"Oh no!" She held her breath.
The bone-gnawing wolf heard the sound and slowly turned its head. "Roar—!"
She'd been discovered! Her speed was no match for it, so she had to fight head-on!
Ran Shuang leaped down from the tree and drew her sword. "Damn it! I'll fight you!"
The bone-gnawing wolf opened its bloody maw and lunged at her!
"Clang—!" Ran Shuang blocked its sharp teeth with her sword, but the beast's strength was immense, making her hand tremble.
At this moment, Bai Ran arrived, but she didn't choose to help immediately. Instead, she stood not far away, observing Ran Shuang's actions.
Ran Shuang frowned tightly, and she kicked the bone-gnawing wolf hard.
The bone-gnawing wolf yelped in pain and immediately released its teeth.
"Roar—!" It glared at Ran Shuang, its eyes filled with murderous intent.
After several more exchanges, Ran Shuang had sustained several wounds, large and small, and the bone-gnawing wolf also bore many scars from her sword.
She stared at the bone-gnawing wolf, her hand gripping her sword tightly.
This wouldn't do... her spiritual energy would be depleted soon...
But the bone-gnawing wolf seemed unfatigued and attacked her once more.