Stronger from Earth-Chapter 49: Cyan Fox

Tracking in the primeval forest is a very challenging task, especially when tracking a group of seasoned wilderness survivors.

In this area, Leng Feng and Liu Hong need to take action.

"I’ve been following them for a day; the Dark Hunting people keep moving, and twice we intercepted them in advance, but they didn’t take those routes, wasting our energy in vain," Shen Yuan said suspiciously, "Could they have discovered us?"

"It’s not out of the question, but we’ve only had two instances; perhaps we’ve just been unlucky," Captain Yan Hua said, leaping among the branches and looking out from a high place, where several birds were circling in the distance, as if someone had passed by.

Wang Xuan had engaged in battle with Dark Hunting, leaving one of their members hospitalized. Even with cloning technology to reattach his arm, it would take a long time to recover, and his combat power was severely compromised since the cloned arm was far weaker than other parts.

Dark Hunting going out at this time, who knows what they’re planning.

There were two new faces in the team, friends of Captain Yan Hua, here to assist, both being Martial Arts Masters at the Blood Exchange Realm.

Liu Hong had a pet mouse, whose keen sense of smell made tracking much easier. Without it, distinguishing traces step by step would consume a lot of energy.

"How about we take a break?" Qin Hu said breathlessly, although he was at the Organ Refining Realm, with stronger internal regulation and significantly increased endurance.

But his body was too large, over two meters tall and full of muscle; after a day of walking, he was truly tired.

"Then let’s rest for fifteen minutes," Yan Hua said after checking his watch.

Shen Yuan looked relaxed; his Lightweight Technique was probably the best among them, better even than Captain Yan Hua’s in escape skills; he’d definitely outrun them in case of danger.

Liu Hong was also sweating, thanks to the Bone Marrow Refining Realm support from Zhou Minglun, allowing her to persist so far, her cultivation level still low, just at the Bone Refining Realm.

Wang Xuan carried a 50-60 pound sniper rifle along with many other items, yet his steps remained steady over such a long stretch.

The Life Generating Technique kept him vibrant, always able to relieve his body’s fatigue, and with his Perfect Realm Wind-Chasing Leg, he had great endurance.

At this moment, he and Leng Feng stayed together, always ready, observing the surroundings. In terms of sensory alertness and danger perception, the two of them were the best in the Greedy Wolf team.

"Leng Feng, though their path is similar to an ordinary Hunting Team’s, they can’t always avoid our interceptions," Wang Xuan said.

After a day on the road, they had consumed quite a bit of energy; if they had to fight, it wouldn’t really be a good time. Their patience had been worn down without yet catching up to Dark Hunting.

"We can’t go on like this, being led by the enemy all the time, too passive. If they know we’re behind them, who knows what insidious moves they’ll use."

This possibility needed guarding against, as the Dark Hunting people were not foolish either.

Yan Hua communicated with the two Martial Arts Masters, studied Dark Hunting’s path, and made another estimate, hastening to that location in advance.

If they still did not encounter them, they would have to devise another plan.

Arriving early at a certain mountain valley they were destined to pass, they set up an ambush with plenty of surprises prepared for Dark Hunting before beginning their rest.

But after a few hours, Dark Hunting still hasn’t appeared, which was extremely puzzling and filled them all with unease.

They guessed that Dark Hunting had indeed discovered them, which was really bad news.

Over the next three days, Shadow and Greedy Wolf chased each other in the forest without ever encountering each other, both hoping for a good chance, preferably an ambush.

"Rest for an hour," Captain Yan Hua ordered.

After four or five days of action, they were mentally and physically exhausted, engaging in wits and courage battles with Dark Hunting, and even facing fierce beast attacks a few times, considered quite weary.

Wang Xuan set down his equipment, laying his sniper rifle aside while his sword always hung at his waist as the sniper rifle was too cumbersome for close combat, not quick to react, better off using his knife.

Eating lean dried meat and casually drinking some nutrient liquid, Wang Xuan scanned his surroundings and soon raised an eyebrow, spotting a Cyan Fox watching him from a tree hole.

With equally spiritual eyes, he had seen this fox near the Celestial Demon Battlefield before, though this place was more than five hundred li from the Celestial Demon Battlefield. He couldn’t fathom how it got here and found a high tree hole to nest in. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Its beautiful fur seemed less shiny than before, with a new wound on its leg in addition to the neck injury; it had clearly been having a tough time lately.

"Hello there, didn’t expect to see you again," Wang Xuan said, tossing a piece of jerky that landed accurately in the tree hole up high.

"Help yourself." An injured small animal in the forest was almost certainly doomed before its injuries healed.

The Cyan Fox wasn’t as cautious as the last time because the piece of jerky had already been marked with Wang Xuan’s teeth. The fox ate it quickly, polishing off a few ounces of fierce beast jerky in no time.

"Ying ying ying." The little fox cried at Wang Xuan twice, prompting him to retrieve another piece of jerky, its eyes following the piece as it moved.

Clearly, it had been starving for days, now with a good appetite, eager for more jerky.

"Catch it." Wang Xuan tossed it, and the jerky flew just to the edge of the hole, bouncing off instead of landing inside; the little fox quickly darted out a paw to snag it, barely managing to catch hold of it.

Then it joyfully feasted, with its ears perked high.

The others ignored Wang Xuan’s leisure, but through his testing, he realized this Cyan Fox was indeed very spiritual.

Three steps onto the tree, Wang Xuan sat on a branch near the tree hole, and the Cyan Fox cautiously watched him, its white teeth interlocking.

"Hey, with your spirituality, how about sticking with me? Then you wouldn’t worry about food and drink, wouldn’t that be great?" Wang Xuan said casually, reaching to grab the little fox.

The Cyan Fox’s fur stood on end, biting Wang Xuan’s finger, but its whole body dangled as Wang Xuan lifted it, unable to bite through.

Wang Xuan caught the little fox and found it surprisingly unscented, distinct from other foxes, with outstanding spirituality.

Petting the fox, Wang Xuan remarked, "Your fur is indeed smooth to touch."

The little fox mewled chaotically, its fur vibrating irregularly, making Wang Xuan think it might explode.

But when he offered another piece of jerky, the little fox was contentedly indulging, eating happily, oblivious to him.

As they set off again, Wang Xuan carried the little fox. With a food source and under his pressure, the little fox followed along "without complaint."

On the way, the Cyan Fox barked a few times, and after a reprimand from Wang Xuan, it truly stopped, but when it scratched him with its paw, Wang Xuan knew it was hungry.

"Ahead, the path is flanked by slopes, very likely for the Dark Hunting to ambush us, so we must be careful."

Leng Feng reminded them; they detoured without encountering danger, for which they were relieved.

The Greedy Wolf had lost the track of Dark Hunting for three hours, and Captain Yan Hua was growing anxious—if Dark Hunting escaped, it would be tough to encounter them again.

Passing a depression in the mountains, they didn’t notice anything amiss, but the little fox suddenly barked, causing everyone to frown.

"Wang Xuan, keep that fox from barking," Leng Feng reminded.

"Shh." Wang Xuan stepped back a few paces, looking into the fox’s eyes, puzzling everyone, who also hid.

"Someone there?"

"How would I know?" Wang Xuan muttered uncertainly; he couldn’t be sure, having only raised this fox for a few hours.

Casually picking up a high-explosive bomb, Wang Xuan, with Giant Power, lobbed it three to four hundred meters, dropping it out of view.

The bomb barely landed when someone kicked it away.

"Damn it, there’s really someone there!" Qin Hu muttered under his breath.

If they had run into it earlier, they could have been ambushed, suffering serious losses.

A second, two seconds, ten odd seconds passed, and the group waited for the explosive to detonate, but nothing happened.

"What are you looking at? I didn’t even arm it; it wouldn’t explode," Wang Xuan said, feigning a maneuver.

With his sniper rifle set up, Wang Xuan hunted for the enemy among the forest, under no circumstance advancing blindly into Dark Hunting’s well-prepared traps awaiting their prey.