Chapter 70: Only a Fool Would Refuse

Yu Yan struggled to suppress the urge to cough up blood! Now was not the time to settle scores. She picked up the two Lightning Eagles and stored them in the Lotus Mirage space. Limping, she found a cave to hide in, then took out a seventh-grade Vermilion Fruit pulp and placed it in her mouth. "Zuo Changyu, keep watch for me."

At this moment, she was so weak that even a swarm of unranked Mimic Beetles could probably gnaw her to the bone.

Yu Yan considered for a moment, then tossed a ninth-grade Featherleaf Banyan leaf to Zuo Changyu.

The aura of this earth-tier ninth-grade Featherleaf Banyan leaf was enough to intimidate sub-copy monsters of the profound tier. Even earth-tier creatures would likely not risk their lives to approach within three kilometers of it. As for reckless, dull-sensed monsters below third-tier, Zuo Changyu’s remaining dozen bullets could hold them off for a moment.

That moment of delay would be enough for Yu Yan to react and kill in self-defense.

More than an hour later, having recovered most of her strength, Yu Yan opened her eyes. “Give me back the Featherleaf Banyan leaf.”

Even Yu Yan herself had only a few ninth-grade Featherleaf Banyan leaves.

Though Zuo Changyu clearly liked it, Yu Yan had no intention of letting him keep it.

“Yan, is this the thing you used again and again to wound those two Lightning Eagles?” Zuo Changyu reluctantly handed back the Featherleaf Banyan leaf, his gaze glued to it, his eyes burning with desire!

That was a fifth-tier copy monster. If only he had such a weapon.

Did this mean he might also have the power to injure high-tier monsters? But the thing looked so strange—if it weren't for its extraordinary hardness, his failed attempts to damage it, and its razor-sharp edge, it would seem no different from an ordinary leaf, veins and all.

What kind of bizarre weapon was this? Zuo Changyu considered himself well-versed in arms, but in all these years, he had never seen anything like it.

Yu Yan felt a fleeting sense of powerlessness.

This fellow must be toxic. No doubt about it!

He seemed blind to the fact that ever since he shot dead her Lightning Eagle, Yu Yan had harbored resentment toward him. She’d intended to pummel him after absorbing the Vermilion Fruit, but seeing his clueless look, she lost all interest.

Beating him wouldn’t bring the Lightning Eagle back.

Better to save her energy and find the next solitary fifth-tier monster.

Her only consolation was having already slain one Lightning Eagle, halving the workload ahead.

Sharpening the knife does not delay the chopping of firewood.

Thinking back to her battle with the Lightning Eagle—fighting for her life alone, only for Zuo Changyu to snatch the spoils in the end—Yu Yan couldn’t swallow her anger. She tossed him a piece of the highest-tier Gu Carving meat. “Eat it!”

The Gu Carving meat, harvested from the A-grade copy “Gu Carving Nest,” ranged from fourth to seventh tier.

Among the hundreds of Gu Carving corpses she’d dug from the stone pile, there happened to be a seventh-tier one.

This seventh-tier Gu Carving had even contributed an earth-tier blood crystal to her.

Such high-grade meat would be wasted on the Plant Spirit micro-world; Yu Yan naturally kept some for other uses. Now was the perfect opportunity to boost Zuo Changyu’s abilities—a piece of seventh-tier Gu Carving meat was enough to make him a third-tier dark-type power wielder.

Feed him a few more pieces, and he could reach fourth-tier.

Then, when they encountered their target again, he could at least be somewhat useful, saving her some effort.

As for why it was Gu Carving meat... Well, he’d taken her monster; he had to pay a price, right? Giving him this opportunity was generous enough—she certainly wasn’t going to select spirit beast meat optimal for absorption and refinement, with minimal side effects, just for him.

“What is this thing?”

Zuo Changyu held his breath, clutching the Gu Carving meat Yu Yan had given him, uncertain whether to eat or discard it.

Instinct told him Yu Yan wouldn’t harm him, nor had any reason to.

But the meat reeked so badly, he felt nauseated just smelling it! Eat it? Yu Yan had to be joking—it didn’t look edible at all...

Yu Yan shot Zuo Changyu a glance.

“Seventh-tier Gu Carving meat. Eat it and you’ll become a third-tier dark-type power wielder.”

“Once you activate your ability, your ten fingers will transform into razor-sharp Gu Carving wingtips, able to cut through gold and jade with ease! Once you reach fourth-tier, the wingtips generated by your ability can detach from your hands and attack enemies at range.”

“The most formidable aspect is that every enemy or monster you attack will be poisoned by Gu Carving venom.”

“Unless your team has a light-type power wielder or someone with a light-type spirit vein enhancement, death is only a matter of time.”

Zuo Changyu stared in astonishment. “That’s insane—why are you giving it to me?”

Such a treasure ought to be reserved to strengthen one’s own people. Zuo Changyu didn’t believe Yu Yan had no family or friends. Even if separated for now, what if she met them again someday? Like him—if he had such a thing, even if he couldn’t use it right away, he’d never give it to Yu Yan!

He’d save it, and when reunited with his brothers, use it to boost their strength.

“Are you going to eat it?”

Yu Yan rolled her eyes. “If not, give it back.”

“Eat, eat, eat!” Zuo Changyu dodged Yu Yan’s outstretched hand. Only a fool wouldn’t eat such a treasure! Whatever Yu Yan’s motives, the one benefiting now was him. Zuo Changyu gulped down the Gu Carving meat in one bite, stuffing his mouth full.

He was actually terrified Yu Yan would snatch it back.

He was thoroughly cowed by this cursed world. If two days ago, before following Yu Yan, he had survived the Snowpeak Wolf pack by luck, he’d have blamed it on bad luck and misfortune. If he hadn’t been separated from his brothers, facing a hundred Snowpeak Wolves?

Heh—under a few rounds of heavy machine gun fire, they’d be wiped out in minutes!

Granted, they’d be nearly out of ammunition and forced into a passive position, but at least they’d have a fighting chance.

He wouldn’t be prey to the monsters, helpless as a fish on the chopping block.

But these two days with Yu Yan had broadened his horizons. That so-called Snowpeak Wolf pack they encountered was not worthy of the name! Real Snowpeak Wolves howled with a roar that shook the land, a tuft of snowy fur atop their heads, exuding murderous intent.

Even the weakest wolf in their tribe was larger and more agile than the alpha he’d faced!

Had such a pack been the ones hunting him then—

Zuo Changyu had no confidence he could have held out for long. In a single encounter, he’d have become a meal for the Snowpeak Wolves. And such packs, in Yu Yan’s tales of the S-grade copy Desert Oasis, were nothing remarkable.

There were Qu Ru, Fire Tu, Lightning Eagles... Every formidable creature that soared the skies.

They could swoop down at will, using beaks, claws, or abilities to kill, then carry their prey aloft.

Sometimes they’d drag it back to the nest to feed their young, or to some quiet corner to devour at leisure, all as they pleased.

There were also terrifying, elusive Soul-Eating Spiders, sandworms larger than a locomotive, and more.

These past two days with Yu Yan, Zuo Changyu had been shocked into numbness. Even if creatures stronger than Qu Ru or Fire Tu appeared next, Zuo Changyu doubted he’d be surprised anymore...

Poor Zuo Changyu had no idea...