I walked through the forest at a rapid pace. I had traversed this path back and forth many times before and was very familiar with it.
Had Kexin and Keya been discovered?
I mused, the Da'an tribe had been loitering in this area for days, and it was possible they had stumbled upon Keya's hideout.
If they found out that Keya and the remaining members of the Kasa tribe were still alive, they would surely send more people to hunt them down.
The survivors of the Kasa tribe had previously been a group of the old, weak, and infirm, with very few capable fighters. They would surely face certain death if they clashed head-on with the Da'an tribe.
This was the worst-case scenario I had envisioned.
Helping Keya revive the Kasa tribe was initially just a casual move I had made in this forest. However, I was now in an awkward position where I had no one to rely on, making the existence of Keya and her people all the more crucial.
Even if the Da'an tribe attacked, I was confident that Kexin and Keya could survive safely.
The two sisters were no pushovers. After following me for so long, they should have learned the art of running away when outmatched.
After all, a great man once said, "When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy camps, we harass; when the enemy tires, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue."
I had the essence of guerrilla warfare ingrained in my memory, having used it countless times when facing danger on the deserted island over the past few months.
Hmm?
As I was lost in thought, I suddenly detected movement in the trees ahead. I quickly drew the alloy knife at my waist and cautiously observed from behind a large tree.
A patch of wild grass in front of me rustled, and over a dozen jackals emerged, fleeing into the distance without looking back.
A single jackal was not much to fear, but in the jungle, a pack of over ten jackals could make even a solitary lion or tiger retreat.
What had happened up ahead to scare off a pack of jackals?
I cautiously pressed myself further into the cover of the tree, ready to make a quick getaway at the slightest disturbance.
After all, I was here to find people, not to fight wild beasts.
However, to my surprise, after waiting behind the tree for a while, no other wild beasts emerged from behind.
What were these jackals running from?
Wait!
My expression changed as I suddenly remembered where I was!
This was the place where I had set fire to Xinlaijia!
This demonic tree, named Xinlaijia, had nearly killed me before. If I hadn't brought enough tinder, I would have become its fertilizer by now.
Could Xinlaijia have been rekindled?
Damn it, heavens, you wouldn't play such a cruel joke on me, would you? I had personally set Xinlaijia ablaze, almost as if I was holding a bonfire feast next to it.
I had initially planned to bypass the area and continue forward, as time was of the essence and I couldn't afford to be delayed by anything on the way. But the thought of Xinlaijia filled me with an unsettling feeling.
If this cursed thing were to revive, it would eventually become a problem.
I had to go forward and see what had happened!
If I blundered through the grass, I might alert whatever was there.
With this thought, I quickly climbed up the large tree in front of me.
The ancient trees in this forest were exceptionally dense, with their branches intertwined. This allowed me to move through the canopy.
As I drew closer to where I remembered Xinlaijia to be, my sense of unease grew stronger.
You centuries-old monster, if you want to resurrect, at least follow the basic rules!
I only killed you a few days ago, and you're already able to jump around again?
Finally, as I pushed aside the leaves in front of me, the scene below came into full view.
Holy crap!
I thought I had been through countless ordeals and had seen all sorts of bizarre scenes, but what I saw before me still left me utterly stunned!
Below, centered around the burnt stump of Xinlaijia, countless ants were swarming.
I no longer knew if these creatures below could still be considered ants. The smallest ones were as large as my forearm. Sharp teeth were hidden beneath their antennae, and the sight of this swarm sent shivers down my spine.
They tirelessly circled Xinlaijia, forming a vortex of death. Many ant corpses already lay scattered around Xinlaijia, and more ants continued to pour in as far as the eye could see.
Was this some kind of ritual?
I stealthily reached into my backpack and took out my binoculars, carefully observing Xinlaijia's condition.
Upon closer inspection, I did indeed discover something peculiar. In the center of Xinlaijia's charred black trunk, a dark red lump of flesh was placed!
The flesh seemed alive, twitching faintly every few seconds. And as the number of dead ants increased, the trembling of the flesh lump grew more rapid!
It seemed this lump of flesh was the cause of all this!