After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

The group flew north on their swords, and the further north they went, the more desolate the scenery became.

Vast stretches of farmland lie barren, and the occasional village that flashes by is empty, with no smoke rising from its chimney.

The rewards for Earth-level missions are much higher than those for Human-level missions, but the risks are also higher. Along the way, the tracks of monsters become more and more frequent, and a faint, fishy smell lingers in the air.

Upon reaching the vicinity of the mine, the four put away their flying swords and landed at the foot of the mountain in front of a pile of rocks.

The entrance to the mine was partially collapsed, and the opening was mostly buried by vines and rubble.

The surrounding rocks were covered with claw marks and dried slime, indicating that monsters were indeed frequently seen there.

Minghe crouched down and carefully examined the area around the cave entrance. He looked up and said, "The claw marks are very fresh. A demonic beast must have been here not long ago. It's probably inside."

Luo Yiyan stood at the entrance of the mine and peered inside. The cave was pitch black, and he couldn't see anything. Only a cold wind carrying a fishy smell blew out from the depths.

Jiang Che took out several illumination talismans from his storage bag and distributed them to everyone. He also gave each person insect repellent pills and antidote pills. "There might be miasma in the mine if you stay there for too long. Everyone be careful."

Lin Zhixu carefully put on the protective jade pendant given to him by Yu Linzhou, and also pressed a defensive talisman into his sleeve for future use.

Jiang Che instructed everyone not to get separated and to make marks on the stone wall every so often to prevent them from getting lost.

Minghe took the lead, pushing aside the vines at the cave entrance and going inside.

There was indeed miasma inside the cave, which grew thicker the further in you went. The grayish mist slowly swirled in the light of the illumination talisman, and you could only see a few feet around you.

The gravel underfoot crunched underfoot, and occasionally a drop of water fell from the cracks in the rocks above, hitting the stone slabs with a dull echo.

After passing through a narrow crevice deep inside the mine, the view suddenly opened up before us.

Everyone stopped in their tracks.

Before us lies a vast basin surrounded by mountains, lush with green trees and abundant flowers and grasses. Streams cascade down from distant cliffs, converging into a clear pool at the bottom of the valley.

Sunlight streamed down from the cracked rock above, bathing the entire basin in a pale golden halo.

The group composed themselves and cautiously ventured deeper into the basin along the stream.

The grass suddenly rustled.

Minghe paused, turned around warily, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and lowered his voice: "I feel like we're being watched by something. Everyone be careful."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding bushes shook violently, and two blurry black figures darted out of the bushes and pounced on the group.

Two monstrous beasts emerged, enormous in size, with thick fur, resembling giant wolves, each with a curved horn on its forehead.

The four were shocked and immediately drew their swords to fight back. After exchanging a few blows, they discovered that although their opponent was strong, he deliberately held back his attacks, intentionally reducing the force of several attacks that could have hit vital points.

The group exchanged glances, understanding each other perfectly. They simultaneously created an opening, were struck by the demonic beast's palm strike, and collapsed to the ground, feigning unconsciousness with their eyes closed.

One of the demonic beasts retracted its claws and spoke in a low voice, "They seem to be unconscious. Take them back quickly, don't keep the clan leader waiting."

The four were simultaneously shocked; the ability to speak human language meant that the person was at least at the Nascent Soul stage or higher.

Another beast with slightly lighter fur approached, circled the group of people on the ground, and suddenly stopped beside Lin Zhixu. It wagged its tail and spoke in a clear and cheerful voice, clearly much younger than its companion: "Help me put the nicer one on my back. I'll carry another one, and you can take the other two."

Lin Zhixu felt something gently lift her collar and place her in a warm and soft place.

Jiang Che, who was next to him, was not so lucky.

He was grabbed by the belt at his lower back, his whole body suspended in mid-air, swaying precariously, his posture extremely awkward.

He could feel the wind blowing in through his collar, which seemed ready to snap at any moment. In his mind, he cursed the ancestors of the two demonic beasts for eighteen generations.

Why is it always him who gets hurt? He hates this world that judges people by their looks.

Even if we take a step further and assume you two are monsters, how can your aesthetic sense be the same as humans?!

……

Two demonic beasts led the four people through the dense forest to a huge nest hidden deep in a basin.

It's more like a rugged village than a nest.

Huge trees are cleverly used as supports, their canopies intertwine to form a natural dome, and simple yet sturdy huts are built between their roots.

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows that sway gently on the ground.

Various strange beasts roamed through the village, some drinking water by the stream, others dozing under the shade of trees.

The cub chased its own tail in circles, making howling noises.

Hearing the commotion, many demonic beasts raised their heads and looked over, their eyes filled with curiosity.

The four of them exchanged a quick glance the moment they were put down.

I originally thought I would be taken to a heavily guarded monster lair, but it turned out to be more like a self-sufficient monster settlement.

Moreover, these monsters were clearly not scattered individuals, but rather organized and led by someone.

When Jiang Che was taken out of the monster's mouth, his clothes were covered in saliva and his hair was a mess.

Jiang Che: ...

The surrounding monsters gathered around, curiously examining the unfamiliar humans on the ground.

A small, gray-white wolf sniffed Jiang Che, then sneezed from the saliva smell on his clothes.

A few cubs squeezed to the front and nudged the group with their wet noses.

"Hao, Chi, where did you capture these humans from? How did you bring them in?" an older female beast asked.

The young unicorn wolf named "Hao" raised its head, its tone carrying a hint of boasting: "They were the ones who trespassed into our territory. I didn't think they were ordinary people, so Chi and I knocked them unconscious and brought them here."

The beasts became even more excited and started discussing among themselves.

"These people are quite good-looking, much better-looking than the humans we've seen outside."

"There are so many. I wonder if I can take one home and raise it? They're all so young, I don't know if they can survive."

Several cubs were already darting in and out among the four people, trying to rummage through someone's sleeve for some rare trinkets.

The four people: "..."

Helpless, Chi nudged the overly enthusiastic tribesmen aside with his tail: "Stop fooling around. They might be the people the chief has been waiting for. You stay here and keep an eye on them, I'll go get the chief."

As soon as Chi's figure disappeared, the remaining monsters became lively.

Hao was the first to dart to Lin Zhixu, sweeping his fluffy tail across the ground to block the other cubs that tried to approach, and declared his ownership with an air of self-righteousness: "This one in black is the best-looking, I picked him first! You're not allowed to take him from me!"