A bird's cry broke the morning stillness, accompanied by the ceaseless, aged voice of Gude Fen from the broadcast.
All the streamers participating in the competition, spread across the forest, paused their actions. They stood frozen, awaiting the new competition rules.
"So noisy."
Lu Mingming had barely slept the previous night. Upon waking, her head felt groggy and a dull ache throbbed within.
She quickly ate a small snack to settle herself, ensuring no one noticed any abnormality.
A warm energy surged from her spiritual sea, flowing through her limbs and body, providing temporary relief and easing the biting pain.
Lu Mingming slung her backpack over her shoulders and stepped outside. The others in the small cabin began to stir, get up, and wash.
"Ah… why are the competition rules changing again?"
Cheng Shiqin grumbled, quickly splashing river water on his face to freshen up and regain his composure, awaiting the new rules.
Gude Fen's voice continued to play through the cameras, echoing throughout the entire forest.
"Hello everyone, I am Gude Fen. Our rules need to be adjusted.
What I can tell you is that the largest Crystal Token, Number One, has been found. Simultaneously, Crystal Tokens Three, Four, Six, Eight, and Ten have been acquired by various teams."
Lu Mingming unconsciously clenched her backpack, sensing that events beyond her control were about to unfold.
As expected, in the next moment, she heard Gude Fen say:
"Considering the significant disparity in strength among the participants, we have decided to enable the use of the optical computer signal on the final day, broadcasting the real-time locations of teams that have obtained tokens.
We urge all participants to use their full efforts and cherish this opportunity to find more tokens!"
With that, the speakers above the forest crackled with static, signaling the end of the announcement.
Damn it, the Number One Crystal Token was in her hands!
Lu Mingming's mind went blank, her movements becoming stiff.
She sat by the extinguished campfire, clutching her backpack. Meanwhile, in every area where Crystal Tokens were held, some teams, empowered by their previous strength, felt excited, while others, who had found them by chance, felt a twinge of fear and wished to find a place to hide them well.
The Duck team was one of them.
After encountering the Squirrel team yesterday, they had also luckily picked up a Number Ten token. They were not far from Lu Mingming's camp.
"Boss, quack, let's go that way, quack. There are footprints in that direction, quack. Someone must have passed through, it's safe," said one of the ducklings.
"Let's go, quack."
A group of duck-like therianthropes swayed their bodies and moved forward with their legs splayed outwards.
No one noticed that the moment their footprints landed in the mud, the branches and vines by the tree trunks stirred, seeming ready to ensnare them at any moment.
At the camp.
"It seems good that it's public. We don't have any tokens yet, so it's a perfect opportunity to identify weaker teams and snatch their tokens," Cheng Shiqin said excitedly.
Lu Mingming gave a dry chuckle, unsure how to respond.
If they were exposed, Xing Fu Star's team would be the first to suffer. Perhaps she could find a place to temporarily hide the Crystal Token?
"...But I am really curious who managed to get the Number One token, considering it's worth a full 1000 points."
Huaxia suddenly brought up the topic, capturing everyone's attention.
"I bet it was one of the strongest, most popular teams," said a Dragon clan member. The other contestants nodded in agreement.
Lu Mingming wished she could shift the blame onto others, smiling in silence.
"Let's pack up and go quickly! We've been here for a long time," Cheng Shiqin stood up, his fists and feet full of vigor, eager to snatch five tokens and help Xing Fu Star reach the top position.
"Last night, I vaguely sensed the direction of the Dragon clan through our tribal connection. We found them quickly, they're nearby."
A Dragon clan member spoke up at the opportune moment, leading everyone in a particular direction.
They were fortunate enough not to encounter any wild beasts, nor did they need to fight, remaining remarkably safe, almost inexplicably so.
As they crossed various paths, not far ahead on the muddy ground, several sets of human footprints led straight into the depths of the forest, immediately catching the eye.
The Dragon clan member exclaimed excitedly, "It must be where they've been! I recognize the leader's footprints. His shoe size is 53, a whole size larger than everyone else's!"
Lu Mingming looked closely and indeed saw a massive footprint deeply imprinted in the mud, sinking two to three centimeters, indicating the weight and imposing presence of the person who had made it.
"It seems this direction is correct, let's keep moving forward!"
Just as Lu Mingming was about to take a step, Cheng Shiqin immediately stopped her.
"Wait a moment!"
Cheng Shiqin called out, his expression serious.
"These vines don't seem right."
As a user of wood-element spiritual power, he was the first to notice the unusual nature of their surroundings.
"If I'm not mistaken, there's a type of Shylily Vine living here. As soon as they detect any sound, they will follow and imprison anyone who passes by, only releasing their prey after their tense emotions have calmed down."
"Perhaps they've been trapped there for a long time, which is why they haven't returned!" the Dragon clan member interjected.
"That's possible. Not a few people have been found strangled by Shylily Vines," Cheng Shiqin added, having discovered the clue.
"In any case, if you're going, you must proceed with caution. Just in case, Hua Yu and Mingming will stay at the camp to look after the little cubs, and we will go."
Lu Mingming shook her head, "Let me help. My spiritual power is sufficient."
The others hesitated, but finally, they reluctantly agreed.
Pushing aside the leafy curtains that obstructed their view, holding their breath and concentrating, everyone tiptoed towards a patch of bubbling mud.
Vines hung all around, and fine, web-like structures dangled from the branches.
Thick vines, of unknown origin, as thick as two bowls, extended and tethered people to each large tree, suspending them.
Fortunately, Cheng Shiqin was there.
Lu Mingming took a deep breath to relax. Following Cheng Shiqin's instructions, their footsteps were light enough not to attract the attention of any vines.
"What, what is this?!"
The therianthropes, hanging from the vines, had endured a day and a night of hunger and the torment of their limbs being tightly bound. The places where they were tied showed purplish-blue marks.
Everyone's faces were pale, as if they were recovering from a serious illness and desperately needed rest.
Strangely, apart from Lu Mingming's team venturing out to investigate, other teams remained nearby – the Duck team.