On the other side, gasping for breath, Ye Gou fled desperately. When he spotted a massive thicket ahead, he slipped into it with uncontainable relief.
As he hid, the swarm of predatory wasps seemed to lose track of him entirely, buzzing around the bushes as if baffled, unable to catch even a hint of their escaped prey.
Meanwhile, Xu Que, locked in fierce battle with the swarm, was astonished. He could distinctly sense Ye Gou's presence just a moment ago—how had he vanished so suddenly? No wonder this kid could slip under his radar; perhaps he truly possessed some impressive abilities.
Xu Que swiftly slashed through another wasp, no longer fretting about how Ye Gou had managed to elude him. Once the swarm was dealt with, he would go after him.
With each passing moment, the number of wasps dwindled, though Xu Que and the white cloud ferret were now covered in welts.
"Good thing I've got this formation; otherwise, fighting so recklessly would be out of the question."
Xu Que swiftly downed another predatory wasp before chugging a vial of [Vitality Elixir], feeling his wounds and energy rapidly restore. He spun around and unleashed a deft sword-draw technique, cutting down another wave.
As more wasps fell, the ferret darted toward those still twitching, dispatching them with a swipe of its claws. Xu Que listened to the humming around him, now growing ever fainter, and struck again, no longer even needing to see the swarm's positions—his hearing alone guided each strike.
Three hundred wasps lay dead, their faint glows strewn across the ground. Ignoring these spoils, Xu Que ran toward the spot where Ye Gou had disappeared. When he saw the enormous thicket, a smirk crossed his lips.
What a cunning hiding place! He had to admit, Ye Gou's concealment trick was impressive.
"Ye Gou, come on out—the wasps have been taken care of."
At the sound of Xu Que's call, the bushes rustled. A moment later, Ye Gou's head peeked out cautiously.
Incredible—he could be right next to you, and you'd never sense his presence.
But the moment Ye Gou stepped out, Xu Que spotted something unusual.
"Ye Gou, stay in the bushes."
"Huh?" Ye Gou, bewildered, obediently hid again. He sensed Xu Que's intentions, choosing not to question him.
Once Ye Gou retreated, Xu Que's smirk broadened; he finally understood why Ye Gou had evaded his senses.
"Say something."
"Uh… what should I say?"
As soon as Ye Gou spoke, Xu Que immediately pinpointed his location.
"As I thought!" Xu Que grinned. He hadn't expected to encounter someone with an innate affinity—he was witnessing a rare talent indeed.
Xu Que had a revelation: though he'd never studied these things in his past life, this talent would be invaluable. Such secrets of the magic factions had only been discovered by Duan Jiude.
"Duan Jiude... I hope this time around, you'll be more reliable."
Just then, Ye Gou emerged, standing before Xu Que.
"Big Bro, those welts look rough. Are you alright?"
Before he could continue, his eyes fell on the white cloud ferret, growing wide with astonishment.
"Whoa, is that a ferret? How's it so huge?"
Xu Que sighed, realizing he'd forgotten to put the ferret away.
"What's with its swollen look?"
Ye Gou bent down, examining the ferret's puffy, welted skin.
"What the... Big Bro, is this your pet beast? Are you... a Spirit Tamer?"
Xu Que nodded reluctantly.
"Keep it to yourself. No need to spread this around."
"Whoa, I always thought Spirit Tamers were gorgeous ladies. Guess I was wrong... What a letdown."
At this, Xu Que shot Ye Gou a sharp look and delivered a swift kick.
"Go pick up the stuff."
Ye Gou let out a disappointed "Oh," grumbling inwardly: *Hmph, can't trust the internet these days. They even ran a poll about how beautiful Spirit Tamers are. Now my dreams are shattered.*
Unaware of Ye Gou's thoughts, Xu Que was busy planning: If he trained Ye Gou to Super-S class, he might unlock untold potential.
In his past life, Super-S class warriors had scoured the world for the secrets of elemental magic, even battling for a mere C-rank dimensional space. This clearly meant that at the Super-S level, a warrior would face divergent paths.
With these thoughts, Xu Que turned to Ye Gou.
"When did you learn to blend with vegetation like that?"
"Learn?" Ye Gou shook his head. "It wasn't something I learned. On the day of Tianyuan's descent, I happened to be locked in the basement by Ye Xiang and his cronies. I was barely conscious when I heard a strange sound. Next thing I knew, a glowing little sprout had emerged in the basement. I didn't know what it was, but it looked edible, so I… ate it."
Xu Que was dumbfounded. He'd never heard of a discovery like this in his previous life.
"Nothing else happened after that?"
"Nope." Ye Gou shook his head. "I kept checking the basement, hoping for another glowing sprout, but nothing else ever grew there."
Xu Que nodded, a hint of understanding dawning on him.
Yes, there was no boundless luck—but this much was enough. Now he had two rare talents at his side.
The thought of that spirit-bound warrior brought his mind to Lairis Labs in the M nation. Once he reached Super-S class, he would personally go to Lairis and eradicate it. Xu Que's resolve deepened.
"Big Bro," Ye Gou interrupted, "I've gathered 472 materials. What are you going to do with them?"
"I'll make you some gear," Xu Que replied, smiling.
The answer set Ye Gou alight with excitement. He was lucky he had found the right person to follow.
"Big Bro, my admiration for you is like the unending currents of the Yangtze, like the mighty Yellow River's torrents, unstoppable!"
"Alright, enough flattery," Xu Que chuckled. "Once we find a safe spot, we'll both seize the chance to cultivate."
"Of course! I'll stand guard for you, Big Bro," Ye Gou laughed eagerly.
Xu Que landed another swift kick. "Stand guard? We're not cultivating some ultimate martial art here."
As they ventured deeper into the forest, their banter faded. It wasn't that Ye Gou didn't want to talk—Xu Que simply forbade it. The only communication was through gestures as they moved in silence.
Xu Que motioned for Ye Gou to stay hidden and peered out through the leaves. The faint hum of buzzing grew softer, signaling his target was near.
A single slap on Ye Gou's shoulder was all the signal he needed to follow closely behind.
Together, they dodged two waves of predatory wasps and soon found themselves at the base of a colossal hive.
Ye Gou stared, wide-eyed in disbelief.
This was no mere hive; it was practically a towering fortress!
Before Ye Gou could voice his awe, Xu Que grabbed him, dragging him into the dense grass nearby. Xu Que motioned for Ye Gou to stay put while he sneaked up to the hive's entrance.
Seeing Xu Que's risky strategy left Ye Gou utterly speechless.
*So this is what it means to be strong? To risk it all without a second thought? I could never pull that off… better to lie low and watch the show.*
Meanwhile, Xu Que's mind was sharp with focus. The hive pulsed with red points as his perception scanned the buzzing nest. As soon as he spotted his target, his lips curled in satisfaction.
"Found you!"