Chapter Twenty-Three: Returning to the Mountain of Ten Thousand Beasts

Although there were still a few days left before the system’s deadline, Wu You was already preparing to enter the Mountain of Beasts today. If time weren’t so tight, he would have preferred to travel abroad, obtain a gun permit, and purchase some firearms and ammunition to take with him into the mountain—so that whether he encountered a dog or a cow, he’d be ready to deal with them decisively. Unfortunately, getting a passport takes time, a visa takes both time and luck, and Wu You had no intention of testing the consequences of missing the expected schedule.

The formula for the Reviving Salve was nearly complete. Bai Yanxi had just broken the leg bones of two chickens, bound them with splints, and applied a bit of experimental ointment. Ignoring the chickens’ resentful gazes, the old man happily strolled away.

When he reached the courtyard, he saw Wu You unpacking parcel after parcel. Several opened boxes already lay nearby, their contents—a wide array of tools—scattered across the ground.

“Wu, what are you up to so early in the morning?” the old man asked.

Wu You had just opened a large box, revealing a heap of assorted parts. It was a powerful hand-held crossbow. Though such crossbows were almost impossible to buy online nowadays, one of his classmates had one, and for two thousand yuan, had it shipped to him directly.

On the ground lay waterproof hiking shoes, chemical sprays, insect repellents, high-strength ropes, lighters, compressed biscuits, thermal imaging devices, night vision goggles, binoculars, Swiss Army knives, machetes, stun batons, tents, and a high-strength mountaineering backpack…

Frankly, Wu You doubted he could carry so many things, but he bought them all anyway, planning to carefully select what to bring before departure.

He continued organizing his gear as Bai Yanxi spoke.

“Grandpa Bai, would you believe me if I said I’m going mountain climbing?”

Bai Yanxi eyed the crossbow and stun baton for a long moment. “Of course I believe you. I’d believe anything you say. Go and come back soon.”

With that, the old man hummed an opera tune and went off to check the medicinal herbs in the back garden.

Wu You watched Bai Yanxi’s retreating figure. The old man was sharp, pretending to be oblivious.

…

After lunch, Wu You lay in bed, hurriedly absorbing wilderness survival tips from Bear Grylls. As two o’clock approached, he decided not to delay any longer, lest his resolve waver.

He shouldered his mountaineering pack and selected the Mountain of Beasts map. In his mind, a vast, three-dimensional map appeared; most of it was shrouded in mist, with only a small visible area at the edge—the grassland and forest he had visited last time. The map could be freely zoomed in and out with his thoughts. There were four irregular boundaries at the edges of the fog, hinting at more space beyond, but he couldn’t drag the map further.

Without hesitation, Wu You chose to materialize atop a tree that looked relatively easy to climb.

The next moment, Wu You vanished from his room.

With a sudden whoosh, he appeared directly on the tree. He nearly lost his balance and almost fell, but managed to steady himself, wiped his brow, and glanced down at the ten-meter height. It made him a little dizzy.

Damn! If he had fallen right upon arrival, it could have been catastrophic.

…

He was surrounded by primeval forest, perhaps untouched by humans for countless years, with birds and insects chirping and rustling beneath the trees. The canopy was so dense that even in broad daylight, little sunlight filtered through.

Last time, Wu You’s fire had scared off most animals, but now the forest felt alive, teeming with activity.

He tried the system’s beast menu, but couldn’t release the ghost leech mosquitoes.

He swallowed nervously. No matter, he had to act. But first, a ten-minute rest to steady his nerves.

A beast’s roar startled Wu You out of his relaxation. Beneath the tree, a vibrantly colored jungle leopard pounced on a passing wild pig—the leopard had been lying in ambush behind the bushes.

He nearly swore aloud, heart pounding wildly. He hadn’t noticed a thing; if he had descended without resting, the wild pig’s fate would have been his own.

The leopard quickly dragged the pig away, disappearing into the undergrowth, the sounds receding.

How did Bear Grylls film so many episodes in the wild and survive? Wu You wondered dazedly.

Maybe he could just find three small animals and finish this alchemy task? But the thought was quickly dismissed; the mission required high-quality materials to forge a powerful creature, and twenty-four points of alchemical energy weren’t enough to waste.

After half an hour, Wu You checked his mechanical wristwatch and prepared to descend.

He sprayed a ring of insect repellent, carefully scanned the surrounding bushes several times, then used the thermal imaging device to confirm there were no beasts lurking nearby. Step by cautious step, Wu You climbed down.

He had a definite plan for this alchemy round, so after setting his target in the system, he followed a navigation path on his map.

Unlike animals, which might react slowly, plants could be captured upon contact. As he walked, Wu You gathered a wide variety of plants, including several towering trees that would take a dozen people to encircle.

…

Checking the three-dimensional system map, he was nearly at his destination. Wu You slowed his pace, moving carefully in one direction.

After two minutes, he crouched down, parted the bushes, and peered ahead, his pupils contracting.

Ten meters ahead, beneath a low tree, a giant python as thick as a thigh was tightly coiled around a wild boar, with the sickening crunch of breaking ribs echoing—the boar’s bones were snapping.

He decided to wait, letting the snake finish its meal before making a move.

Hidden in the foliage, Wu You kept an alert watch as he waited in silence.

After ten minutes, he saw the python swallow the entire wild boar, its belly grotesquely distended. Now, it could barely move.

Wu You prepared to act, flexing his tense limbs, and stealthily circled to approach the snake from a new angle.

Such a python could never move as quickly as those in disaster movies; their movements were slow, and as long as you spotted them first, you could usually escape—especially after consuming such a large animal.

So, Wu You wasn’t too worried as he got closer.

The snake remained motionless as he approached. He checked its head, still hidden behind the tree, and gently touched its tail.

Select capture.

Prompt: Capture failed. Target has resistance.

Resistance? Wu You quickly glanced at the snake’s head, which had emerged from behind the tree, raised slightly, staring at him. As Wu You turned his head, the snake’s head shifted minutely as well.

A wave of anxiety surged in his chest—should he run?

Steady, steady. Jungle pythons have only dynamic vision; if I don’t move, it’ll gradually relax its guard.

But the snake moved.

Slowly, it shifted its body, drawing its head closer to its tail, then raised its head, staring intently at the spot he had just touched, tongue flickering.

The snake's snout was only half a meter from Wu You.

Wu You, frozen in a half-crouch, dared not move. Now, escape was impossible; the python would probably vomit out the boar before attacking, but he wasn’t willing to gamble.

He silently gave thanks for the olive-scented insect repellent—if the snake relied on smell, perhaps it would help.

What felt like thirty seconds of mortal standoff passed. The giant python seemed finally assured, and slowly lowered its head to rest.

Though his legs were numb, Wu You maintained his posture for another minute, then, moving at a snail’s pace, extended his hand toward the snake’s tail within arm’s reach.