“Of course, their feet aren’t as small as an ordinary chicken’s,” Wu Xiaomi hurriedly explained, “they’re just a bit like a chicken’s.”
Hmm, as long as I stay ambiguous and vague, no matter how meticulous Miss Nuo is, she won’t be able to find any flaws!
Today, Wu Xiaomi was quite the clever one~
“So, is it a bear species or a chicken species? How big? How tall? What color? What’s its lifestyle like?” Miss Nuo paused her work, growing more curious, “Investigating these things is all part of being an explorer, right?”
Sister, don’t take this seriously!
“Of course, but that guy was quick on his feet. Our meeting was too brief,” Wu Xiaomi forced a smile, “so my memory isn’t very clear.”
“Oh? That’s such a pity.”
Miss Nuo lowered her head in disappointment.
“What about the Sunrise Ritual in the Asklei Mountains?” Bai Xiaozhi’s expression darkened for a moment as she brought up the lie Wu Xiaomi had told again, “You said: ‘When the sun rises, the sunlight sweeps through the forest’s twilight, and in that twilight, there’s a kind of bird that flies along the light beam, evolving into a stronger species during the process’…”
Waaah, why do you remember that so clearly!?
“Sounds like the evolution conditions are appropriate solar energy and mist,” Miss Nuo perked up again, rapidly firing questions, “Such a mysterious species! Tell me more! Where exactly are the Asklei Mountains?”
Wu Xiaomi racked her brain.
“The Asklei Mountains are a special kind of moving mountain range. No one really knows how to locate it steadily. I only stumbled into it by chance.”
“Moving mountains?!” Miss Nuo exclaimed, even more curious now, “What powers them? Rock lifeforms? Or magma flow layers?”
“Probably rock lifeforms,” Wu Xiaomi gave up and embraced her helplessness.
Once you accept your powerlessness, then you become… invincible!
“It’s a huge rock lifeform, probably possessing the power of a Spiritual Source Master. Unfortunately, I couldn’t communicate with it.”
Wu Xiaomi’s storytelling became smoother as she went on.
“On the back of this rock lifeform is a unique ecological circulation system. Among them is the bird I mentioned—the Asklei Firewing Bird. Their wings burn in the morning sun, emitting a black glow, and their form is extremely close to ancient mythical flames.”
“Wow—” Miss Nuo listened, entranced.
“I think, with current scientific understanding, this phenomenon would be difficult to explain. Like how we can’t fully explain Lingyuan…”
“Stop! There’s no phenomenon in this world that science can’t explain!” Miss Nuo raised her eyebrows, “Since the day I arrived, I’ve understood Lingyuan through common sense. You can roughly think of it as a quantum phenomenon controlled by nerve electric currents at the microscopic level—sort of quantum entanglement.”
“Don’t say quantum mechanics is a catch-all answer. In fact, if we could thoroughly research quantum mechanics, we could easily realize magical phenomena similar to Lingyuan.”
“Alright, alright, back on track,” Wu Xiaomi resumed her ‘account’.
She felt strange.
As if that memory had truly appeared in her mind, recording in detail everything she ‘saw’ in the Asklei Mountains.
From accidental entry, to exploration, to escape.
She could even see the veins on the leaves clearly.
“I spent a long time with that kind of bird—they only perch on Wutong Trees. That’s right, just like the phoenixes in legends.”
They enjoy courtship and romance, but never reproduce. Therefore, they don’t suffer the resource shortages caused by bird beaks swelling. Similarly, their population has no social hierarchy.
Wu Xiaomi suddenly couldn’t stop.
She didn’t know why, but it felt as though some unseen force was compelling her to finish this story.
Her brain raced far beyond its normal speed, conjuring more beautiful and magnificent imaginations.
This torrent of imagination almost destroyed her self-awareness, instinctively pushing her to continue the tale.
“…Though they don’t reproduce, every week their bodies regress into juvenile bird forms.”
“Once juvenile, they must perform the Ascension Ritual to regain their beautiful flame feathers—that’s the evolution at sunrise. No matter how many times I see it, I’m always moved by the sight.”
“The sun ignites their feathers; they are reborn through blazing fire! Then their shed ashes scatter across the land of the Asklei Mountains, where tender Wutong buds sprout, and the mountains gain the power to move!”
A warm stream trickled from Wu Xiaomi’s nostrils.
Crimson blood flowed inside her mask, running down her chin and into her collar, yet Wu Xiaomi remained completely unaware.
Her pupils lost focus, as if she could see that distant and magnificent mountain lifeform.
“Hey! You’re bleeding from your nose… hey!”
Bai Xiaozhi called out anxiously.
Both she and Miss Nuo sensed something was wrong with Wu Xiaomi.
It was just telling a story; there was no need to be so agitated.
Wu Xiaomi’s eyes flickered.
She too instinctively sensed the danger, desperately struggling to break free from the compulsion to keep telling the story.
“…Chicken-footed Bears also live in the Asklei Mountains. They have the body of a brown bear but chicken-like limbs and feet, with talons sharp as knives! They can cut through all armor, including carbon fiber!”
“They’re immune to acid. Even stepping on land soaked with strong acid won’t affect them at all.”
“They possess immense strength. At full power, they can smash through the Sea Bay Dam! They move swiftly, their running speed even surpassing Feisi City Guards! cough cough cough cough—”
Wu Xiaomi coughed up blood.
“That’s enough! Stop talking!”
Bai Xiaozhi rushed forward at full speed, trying to remove Wu Xiaomi’s mask.
But Wu Xiaomi actually dodged!
She even dodged Bai Xiaozhi’s Thunder Prison Instant Kill!
“…Chicken-footed Bears are soldiers of the Asklei Mountains. They clear all obstacles in the mountains’ path, whether those obstacles are ocean, land, or life!”
“Crash—”
Beyond the shore, a tremendous roar suddenly echoed.
Under the faint starlight before dawn, everyone could only vaguely make out a mountain.
A towering, majestic peak covered in lush vegetation.
Wutong Trees, whose branches glowed because they were home to countless ‘little flames’.
Not little flames, but birds!
Their wings burned with fire—some bright, some dim.
They emitted sharp cries, circling the mountain as they flew.
Along with those cries came roaring bears and crowing chickens.
“Cough—”
Wu Xiaomi finally stopped her story, taking two steps back weakly and leaning against the wall.
“That wasn’t right just now.”
Her strength almost drained. She barely kept standing just to prevent Xiaozhi from touching her.
In the distance, the sea grew increasingly turbulent.
As the mountain drew near, the water was compressed into giant waves, striking the coastline first.
“Cover the acid pool! Wake everyone up!”
Thud! Thud! Thud! The terrifying mountain, carrying an incomparable oppressive presence, pressed forward, crushing toward Feisi City.
That was the Asklei Mountain.
But Wu Xiaomi knew.
There was no such mountain at all.