The others had just finished digging holes in the mud, burying the banana leaves and wooden skewers stained with the scent of meat deep into the soil to avoid attracting the attention of nearby wild beasts.
Hearing the uncle's words, they all looked up.
The Dragon Clan leader added, "If we camp here for three days, each person only gets 300 points, which is far from enough to meet the victory requirements."
Upon hearing the word "crystal," Lu Mingming gently picked at the bulging backpack with her fingertips, unexpectedly feeling a small protrusion brush against her fingers.
"Why don't we keep moving forward and look for crystals?"
Oscar was the first to voice his opinion.
His desire for victory was immense, as it concerned his future glory and wealth!
What if they were lucky enough to find a crystal...
But then the problem arose again, Xu Jiajia asked tentatively, "How should we distribute it?"
In terms of strength, none of Xing Fuxing's group appeared particularly formidable on the surface. The Dragon Clan members were all fierce, and it would be easy for them to snatch away the crystals.
They originally thought this awkward topic would lead to hostility between the two sides, but unexpectedly, the Dragon Clan leader smiled frankly and replied generously, "We'll decide by rock-paper-scissors then! We'll rely on luck, and we won't bully the weak."
Xing Fuxing's group breathed a sigh of relief, understanding that the other side had shown them considerable respect.
Having made up their minds, they followed the stream forward, led by the Dragon Clan uncle. Eagles occasionally soared across the sky, but fortunately, they encountered no other dangers.
The young cubs were not old and could not endure the fatigue after walking for a while, their little legs sore and aching.
The team had to stop and rest. As time passed and the sun began to set, the little ones had almost lost all their strength. Their eyelids drooped visibly, as if they were asleep.
Lu Mingming took out the dried bear hide and used it as a warm blanket for the little ones.
Just staying here wasn't a solution. These guys blocking my victory...
Oscar gritted his teeth and volunteered, "Let's re-form the team to search for the crystal tokens, and leave a few people here to watch these little ones. What do you say?"
The Dragon Clan members did not object. They chose Cheng Shiqin, Hua Xia, Lu Mingming, and one Dragon Clan member to stay and watch.
A gentle breeze blew, and the setting sun gradually hid behind the trees, casting a light orange-gold veil over the forest.
As usual, they buried some preserved bear droppings around the camp, marking this area as their territory.
After finishing, Lu Mingming leaned against a tree, holding her backpack, resting. Hua Xia sat with the Dragon Clan member, while Cheng Shiqin patrolled and took turns on guard.
Lu Mingming lowered her head to look at the wound on her hand where a little one had bitten her. It felt slightly hot and burning. There were no lingering marks on her finger; instead, it felt incredibly smooth, as if nothing had happened.
"How strange..."
"What's wrong?"
Hua Xia suddenly asked.
"Nothing, I thought my hand was injured, but it wasn't."
Lu Mingming smiled and lied, not revealing the truth.
After an unknown amount of time, there was no news from the expeditionary team. The cubs, however, were hungry. They all woke up from their sleep and sat obediently in their places, yawning sleepily.
Lu Mingming couldn't bear it and opened a small bag of snacks to distribute to the cubs.
Seeing this, Hua Xia interjected, "Did you make all of these?"
Lu Mingming nodded in acknowledgment.
"You're amazing. You can significantly improve the quality of life for the Interstellar Alliance."
Hua Xia showed a rare smile.
Lu Mingming asked in confusion, "How so? As beastkin, you should understand your own kind better."
Hua Xia remained silent, making Lu Mingming feel a little awkward.
Seeing him deliberately evade the question, the resting environment became exceptionally silent, with only the chewing sounds of the young cubs audible.
While the two were not speaking, messages flooded the live broadcast chat.
[I saw the Alpha Star team heading this way, so I specifically switched to this live stream view, haha.]
[They just snatched the cubs from the previous team they encountered, perfectly exploiting the loophole of "protecting one cub earns 100 points."]
[Which team is resting here? Why do three people have so many cubs? This is a paradise for Alpha Star!]
As the chat messages suggested, before long, Cheng Shiqin ran back quickly, "A group of people are coming, everyone get ready!"
As soon as he spoke, a team clad entirely in black emerged from the forest. The two burly men leading them were escorting Oscar. Even though there were only five of them at a glance, their imposing aura was not to be underestimated.
Each of them had two to three cubs following them. The cubs themselves showed no fear, but there were too many of them, nearly ten in total, which was very strange.
Upon seeing Lu Mingming's face, Oscar said nervously, "I got separated from the Dragon Clan members. This is the Alpha Star team, and they're demanding all the cubs in exchange for my safe return. Hurry and trade!"
This statement caused a stir. All the Xing Fuxing team members present stood up, shielding the frightened cubs behind them, their eyes filled with caution.
Are they trying to forcibly increase their basic points?
Lu Mingming pondered their scheme and unconsciously touched the backpack on her chest.
No matter what, she absolutely would not hand over the cubs.
The Alpha team leader recognized Lu Mingming at once and pointed at her, saying, "If you don't use the cubs, or if you yourself are exchanged for your team members, that would also work. I'm very curious to see what you're capable of."
A Dragon Clan member immediately stepped forward to shield Lu Mingming. That person then smiled hostilely and said, "You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."
The two Alpha team members behind them shoved Oscar to the ground, and several people closed in, forming a circle.
The Alpha team, whose mental powers had all reached B-class, could not be underestimated. Cheng Shiqin and the Dragon Clan member bravely charged forward, protecting Lu Mingming and the cubs in her arms. The other cubs realized something was wrong and quickly moved to a safe place to hide.
Lu Mingming pointed at the camera above, "Aren't you afraid of people all over the world knowing about your despicable actions by doing this?"
"What's there to be afraid of? Power is the foundation."
The Alpha team leader let out a light chuckle.
"If I achieve victory and gain power and a noble title, who will dare to criticize nobles behind my back? I can easily silence all unfavorable comments."
"Presumptuous."
Hua Xia muttered in a low voice.
"You're still far from getting first place."
Hua Xia's words completely enraged the Alpha team. They manifested blades with their mental powers in their palms and charged at the Xing Fuxing team, their faces displaying mad, greedy smiles that sent shivers down one's spine.
Cheng Shiqin summoned tree roots to form wooden shields. Small yet sturdy branches tightened their grip on the ankles of each Alpha team member, and under the sharp blades, they were all chopped clean off.
The Dragon Clan member followed closely with their attack. Their mental power was water, possessing versatile abilities but lacking offensive power, nor had it mutated. It was soft and limp, like a gentle tickle.
Hua Xia seemed lost in thought, and after a long time, he hadn't released any skills, making the viewers in the live stream angry and also giving them a more concrete estimate of the small planet's development.
Since you've made the first move, I won't let you off.
As the crisis grew closer, Lu Mingming's spiritual sea rippled outwards.
Thick, dark clouds inexplicably gathered in the sky, pressing down on the treetops. Distant rumblings of thunder startled flocks of birds, causing them to fly away from their perches.
"Why is it suddenly going to rain?"
The Alpha team leader, sensing danger, sharply ordered his team to halt.
"Stop, find a place to rest."
While the cubs from other teams were to be captured, the child-rearing area competition ultimately prioritized the cubs' lives and safety.
Thus, the brief confrontation ended.
The two sides smartly separated into two lines, establishing a defensive line in the middle of the path, clearly demarcated and mutually unhindered.
Cheng Shiqin summoned the roots of the surrounding trees to build a small wooden hut. Lu Mingming spread out the soft bear hide, and everyone huddled together for warmth.
The Alpha team lacked plant-based mental abilities. In comparison, they, who were covered by banana leaves, were in a much more miserable state.
Not far away, a person dressed in white, holding a cub, saw a place to shelter from the rain. They quickly shook off the water droplets clinging to their body and ducked into the wooden hut.
...
"Let's have some hot water to warm up."
The Dragon Clan member poured a cup for each person, distributing them one by one.
"I'll have a cup, please."
A stranger's voice sounded from the entrance of the wooden hut. Everyone turned to look in unison—
Who is this?
Lu Mingming wondered.
Catching a glimpse of the crowd inside, the newcomer awkwardly scratched their head.
"Wow, so many people~ May I... may I bring the cubs in to rest together?"