Jiang Cheng realized that his campfire had devoured the wooden logs that were supposed to last for 100,000 minutes. Although he had gathered enough fuel to keep the fire burning for 180,000 minutes, it had already burned through a hundred thousand minutes of fuel in an instant, leaving only 80,000 minutes. He was shocked that his campfire could dispel Lantern Banshee, but at the same time, he felt unexpected loss.
However, he knew he couldn't let Lantern Banshee from sensing his unease, he suppressed his emotions and pretended to remain calm and composed as he watched the red lanterns fade into the distance.
Liang Xin, Tong Xiaorou, and Yaya, who had been awakened in the tree hole, gazed at Jiang Cheng with admiration, feeling a sense of security wash over them. Even Wan Xiao'e, Liang Weilun's wife, couldn't help but admire Jiang Cheng. She was struck by how powerful he was, creating such a terrifying scene with a mere wave of his hand.
Liang Weilun himself was dumbfounded and numb with shock, feeling that Jiang Cheng was incredibly mysterious. Jiang Cheng had actually forced Lantern Banshee back with a single gesture. If she hadn't retreated quickly, she would have been burned to ashes. It was too scary. 'Is he really an early-stage Rank-1 Evolver?' Liang Weilun wondered.
Meanwhile, the dense red lanterns that had retreated 400 meters away flickered with bewilderment as Lantern Banshee gazed back at the group. With a cold snort, the female voice controlling the lanterns directed them to bypass the giant tree and quickly depart into the depths of the prairie.
It was only after the red lanterns had disappeared that everyone present finally relaxed, their backs drenched in cold sweat, including Jiang Cheng.
"That was a close call," Liang Weilun said. "I had already left Azure Camp but Lantern Banshee tried to pin their debt on me."
He was about to vent his frustration when he noticed Jiang Cheng's displeased expression. So, he quickly changed his tone and said, "Your Willcraft is incredible, Brother Jiang! I caused you some trouble this time, and I apologize for that. Please accept this small token of appreciation."
He then handed Jiang Cheng ten pieces of golden paper and added, "These are my Willcraft, the Yellow Turban Talismans. They seal the target and work best against night monsters. It's not as effective as your campfire, but it's still a gesture of my gratitude."
Liang Weilun's demeanor toward Jiang Cheng had completely changed. To him, Jiang Cheng was a powerful and mysterious expert, possibly even one who was concealing their true abilities. The idea of that made Liang Weilun feel terrified. As a result, he was willing to set aside his Evolver status and pride in order to make friends with Jiang Cheng. His wife, Wan Xiao'e, had no objections.
Jiang Cheng, on the other hand, was hesitant to accept the Yellow Turban Talismans. He suspected that Lantern Banshee might come after him because of Liang Weilun's association. However, upon reflection, he realized that Lantern Banshee would probably pass by his location regardless of whether Liang Weilun was there or not. Besides, Liang Weilun was a skilled and knowledgeable Evolver, so perhaps they could become friends.
Thus, Jiang Cheng smiled and responded, "You're too kind, Brother Liang. Unfortunately, Lantern Banshee's attack tonight was beyond anyone's control. Your Willcraft may not be necessary. Nonetheless, I appreciate the thought behind it."
Jiang Cheng was cautious about accepting other people's requests without careful consideration. Liang Weilun had mentioned that the Willcraft needed to be affixed to the target's body to activate its sealing properties. Jiang Cheng was unsure if he should touch it, fearing that it might have unintended consequences.
Liang Weilun sensed Jiang Cheng's hesitation and respected his decision. Those Willcrafts were precious items, and he rarely sold them.
"Regardless," he said with a smile, "I owe you a favor. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to defeat the Lantern Banshee."
Jiang Cheng smiled and asked curiously, "Is there a history between the Azure Camp and the Lantern Banshee?"
Liang Weilun sighed resignedly and replied, "It wouldn't be considered a grudge, but there is a bit of a history. The Azure Camp is known to capture and study night monsters. There's nothing particularly noteworthy about the settlers of the Azure Camp. I was targeted because I had an item with the Azure Camp symbol on it."
"So, the Azure Camp is a large and powerful settlement?" Jiang Cheng asked, understanding the situation.
"It was at its peak, with over 100,000 people. But due to the drought, many people have left in search of water. When I left, the population was less than 20,000," Liang Weilun explained, letting out a sigh. "It's all because of the drought. My mother and son..."
Liang Weilun sighed and said, "It's all because of the drought. My mother and my son…"
He stopped himself, realizing that his wife was about to cry again. "Brother Jiang, what do you think of forming a team together?" Liang Weilun asked, changing the subject.
After taking a moment to think, Jiang Cheng responded, "Let's discuss it tomorrow."
"Okay, sounds good," replied Liang Weilun with a smile.
The three of them settled around the campfire, but Liang Weilun and his wife kept their distance from Jiang Cheng.
The weather was already hot, and since they were far from the campfire, Liang Weilun and Jiang Cheng were situated about five to six meters apart.
Tong Xiaorou and Yaya recognized that the conversation had ended and returned to their slumber. Liang Xin remained positioned at the entrance of the cave and dozed off.
Liang Weilun's wife had fallen asleep in his embrace, and for a time, the only sounds were the crackling of the campfire.
Jiang Cheng sat silently with the sword resting on his legs. He thought about the legends he had learned in his previous life and tried to establish a connection with the sword, hoping to reach a level of control that would allow him to wield it like an extension of his own arm. Over the past few days, he had practiced with the sword and become quite familiar with it. However, he still hadn't reached the point where he could fully control it like an arm.
As he contemplated the sword, his thoughts drifted back to the campfire and the evil-warding flames. He knew that the flames were highly effective at repelling night monsters, but he also realized that this magical ability was limited and could not be used against other creatures. Furthermore, he knew that the flames consumed fuel, and that the more powerful the target, the more fuel would be required to sustain the flames.
Jiang Cheng had not yet been able to experiment with the fuel consumption, but he planned to do so the next time he encountered a group of night monsters. Nevertheless, his fear of these creatures had diminished somewhat. However, he remained cautious and preferred to keep a low profile, as long as the monsters did not provoke him.
Across from Jiang Cheng, Liang Weilun dozed off intermittently. However, he would occasionally glance at Jiang Cheng, intentionally or unintentionally, in order to prevent him from making a move. At the same time, he was also contemplating how to befriend Jiang Cheng. There was no doubt that Jiang Cheng possessed a magical Willcraft that could repel night monsters, making him a valuable ally.
As a seasoned wilderness dweller, Liang Weilun had considered the possibility of stealing Jiang Cheng's Willcraft, but he knew it would be a difficult task. A Willcraft was a manifestation of an Evolver's will, and could only be used with the owner's authorization. Furthermore, some specialized Willcrafts required specific powers to control them, making them useless to anyone who stole or seized them. Therefore, the best course of action was to befriend the enigmatic Evolver in front of him.
In fact, some special Willcrafts would require the corresponding special power to control them. Otherwise, it would be useless to steal or snatch them. Therefore, the best way now was to befriend the mysterious Evolver in front of him. As he pondered this, he felt a little strange. It was strange because he could tell that Jiang Cheng was practicing sword enlightenment.
As Liang Weilun pondered this, he couldn't help but feel a little perplexed. Most Evolvers in this world focused exclusively on developing their own special powers, rather than spending time and energy on other skills. Jiang Cheng's abilities didn't appear to be related to the sword, yet he was devoting his time to sword enlightenment. From Liang Weilun's perspective, this seemed unnecessary.
As time passed in silence, the Yin Tide slowly receded, and the sky began to lighten. After an unknown period, Jiang Cheng suddenly opened his eyes, and a bright light flashed. "Someone's approaching!"
Liang Weilun also took notice and looked at Jiang Cheng in surprise. Despite being of a lower level than him, Jiang Cheng was able to sense the approaching presence at the same time.
Jiang Cheng swiftly rose to his feet and looked ahead. He saw an odd caravan quickly approaching, consisting of a considerable number of vehicles.
What made the vehicles peculiar was that they didn't have wheels or tracks, but instead, they had mechanical legs. These legs were exceptionally flexible and allowed them to maintain balance on any terrain without tipping over. It was like watching giant steel spiders running on the ground.
"What's going on, honey?" Liang Weilun's wife also woke up, sensing the commotion.
"Someone's coming, and they may be migrating too," Liang Weilun said excitedly. "Looks like the entire camp is migrating. They have so many Arachnocars. Maybe we can catch a ride!"
"Arachnocars?" Jiang Cheng suddenly realized that the cars with mechanical legs were called Arachnocars and thought to himself, 'They do resemble spiders in a way.'
With their eight legs supporting the vehicles, the Arachnocars moved at a reasonable speed. Though not as fast as a wheeled vehicle on a road, they were still much faster than the average person jogging.